IP Configuration: RIPv2
How Rip Operates on the Device
339 Cisco 350, 350X and 550X Series Managed Switches, Firmware Release 2.4, ver 0.4
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Router rA does not support RIP. Therefore, routing entries with an appropriate metric are 
configured statically on this router. While on router rB the route to router rA is considered a 
connected route. In contrast, routers rB and rC derive and distribute their routing entries using 
RIP. 
The connected route configuration of router rB, can be propagated to router rC using either the 
default metric or transparent system. A static/connected route is redistributed either with the 
route's metric (transparent metric) or with the metric defined by the default-metric command.
See Redistribution Feature for more information.
RIP Authentication
You can disable authentication of RIP messages per IP interface or enable one of the following 
types of authentication:
• Plain text or password—Uses a key password (string) that is sent along with the route 
to another router. The receiving router compares this key to its own configured key. If 
they are the same, it accepts the route. 
• MD5—Uses MD5 digest authentication. Each router is configured with a set of secret 
keys. This set is called a key chain. Each key chain consists of one or more keys. Each 
key has an identifying number (key identifier), key string and optionally, a send-
lifetime and accept-lifetime value. The send-lifetime is the time period during which 
an authentication key on a key chain is valid to be sent; the accept-lifetime is the time 
period during which the authentication key on a key chain is received as valid.
Each transmitted RIP message contains the calculated MD5 digest of the message 
(containing the key chain), plus the key identifier of the used key string. The receiver 
also has the key chain configured on it. The key identifier is used by the receiver to 
select the key for validating the MD5 digest.
RIP Statistical Counters
You can monitor the RIP operation by checking statistical counters per IP interface. See RIPv2 
Statistic for a description of these counters.
RIP Peers Database
You can monitor the RIP peers database per IP interface. See RIPv2 Peers Database for a 
description of these counters