The PingLabz CCNA Labs - IP Connectivity pillar is the routing-protocol tier of the labs library. Fourteen labs covering static routing, RIPv2, OSPF (single and multi-area, with authentication and DR/BDR mechanics), EIGRP with DUAL, and the three first-hop redundancy protocols (HSRP, VRRP, GLBP). This pillar is the largest weight on the CCNA 200-301 exam (25%) and the heart of what a network engineer does in production.
One lab (ipc-04, OSPF single-area) is free preview - OSPF is the second-highest-volume search topic in the entire CCNA space behind subnetting. The OSPF deep-dive labs (multi-area, network types, DR/BDR, authentication) use the PingLabz OSPF Reference Lab - four IOL-XE routers spanning Area 0 and Area 30 with an ASBR redistributing static into Type-5 LSAs. Everything else uses the PingLabz CCNA Base Topology.
What this pillar covers
IP Connectivity is about routing - the protocols that figure out which path a packet should take across a network. Static routes give you complete explicit control. Dynamic protocols (RIP, OSPF, EIGRP) discover and adapt to topology changes automatically. First-hop redundancy protocols (HSRP, VRRP, GLBP) keep the default gateway alive when a router dies. All of these are foundational to every enterprise network in 2026, even as SD-WAN and cloud routing change the surface.
The pillar emphasizes both the mechanics (how each protocol elects neighbors, computes paths, and reacts to changes) and the operational discipline (how to verify, troubleshoot, and harden). By the end you will configure OSPF or EIGRP across a multi-router topology and read the show output to identify the root cause of common failures.
What you will learn across this cluster
- Static routing in two forms (next-hop vs exit-interface) and when each is right
- Floating static routes - the AD-manipulation pattern for backup paths
- RIPv2 essentials for historical context and exam coverage
- Single-area OSPF: process, router-id, network statements, FULL adjacency
- Multi-area OSPF: backbone, ABRs, inter-area routes (O IA), external routes (O E1/E2)
- OSPF network types: BROADCAST vs POINT_TO_POINT and when to override
- DR and BDR election on broadcast segments - priority, non-preemption, the IP tiebreaker
- OSPF MD5 cryptographic authentication for control-plane security
- EIGRP named-mode AS configuration with address-family hierarchy
- EIGRP DUAL: Successor, Feasible Successor, Feasibility Condition, Active/Passive states
- HSRP active-standby with priority and preemption
- VRRP as the open-standard alternative to HSRP
- GLBP active-active load balancing with AVG and multiple AVFs
Lab categories in this pillar
Static routing (3 labs)
The simplest routing - and the most explicit. Lab ipc-01: Default Static Route + Floating Backup configures the canonical 0.0.0.0/0 plus a floating backup at AD 200. Lab ipc-02: Floating Static Routes applies AD manipulation to specific destinations and demonstrates failover. Lab ipc-09: Static Route to a Remote Loopback shows how to verify reachability end-to-end with loopback-sourced ping and traceroute.
RIPv2 - historical context (1 lab)
Lab ipc-03: RIPv2 Essentials covers the simplest dynamic routing protocol. RIP is dead in production (replaced by OSPF and EIGRP) but the CCNA exam still includes it because the concepts (distance-vector, hop count, periodic updates, AD 120) transfer to every other protocol.
OSPF (5 labs)
The dominant link-state protocol. Lab ipc-04: OSPF Single-Area (the free preview) configures Area 0 across three routers and walks through DR/BDR election and the FULL state. Lab ipc-05: OSPF Multi-Area adds Area 30 with R4 across a P2P link, demonstrating the ABR role and inter-area route advertisement. Lab ipc-06: OSPF Network Types compares BROADCAST and POINT_TO_POINT and shows why the P2P override is the production default on Ethernet /30 links. Lab ipc-07: OSPF DR/BDR Election walks through priority-based election with non-preemption. Lab ipc-08: OSPF MD5 Authentication configures cryptographic authentication on a P2P link.
EIGRP (2 labs)
Cisco's Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol. Lab ipc-10: EIGRP Named-Mode AS 100 uses the modern named-mode syntax with address-family hierarchy. Lab ipc-11: EIGRP Feasible Successor and DUAL covers the Diffusing Update Algorithm and the math that makes EIGRP converge faster than OSPF when an FS exists.
First-hop redundancy (3 labs)
How a network keeps the default gateway alive when one router dies. Lab ipc-12: HSRP Active-Standby covers Cisco's proprietary FHRP with virtual IP, virtual MAC, priority, and preemption. Lab ipc-13: VRRP vs HSRP compares the IETF open-standard alternative. Lab ipc-14: GLBP Load Balancing introduces active-active load balancing with the AVG/AVF role split.
The full lab library, in reading order
| # | Lab | What it teaches | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| ipc-01 | Default Static Route + Floating Backup | 0.0.0.0/0, AD 200 floating, "Gateway of last resort" | Pro |
| ipc-02 | Floating Static Routes | AD manipulation for backup paths, live failover | Pro |
| ipc-03 | RIPv2 Essentials | Distance-vector basics, no auto-summary, hop count | Pro |
| ipc-04 | OSPF Single-Area | Area 0, FULL adjacency, DR/BDR, O-coded routes | Free |
| ipc-05 | OSPF Multi-Area (ABR) | Area 30, ABR, Type-3 LSA, inter-area routes | Pro |
| ipc-06 | OSPF Network Types | BROADCAST vs POINT_TO_POINT, the P2P override pattern | Pro |
| ipc-07 | OSPF DR/BDR Election | Priority, non-preemption, incumbents stay | Pro |
| ipc-08 | OSPF MD5/SHA Authentication | Per-interface auth, per-area auth, mismatched-key debug | Pro |
| ipc-09 | Static Route to Remote Loopback | End-to-end verification with loopback source | Pro |
| ipc-10 | EIGRP Named-Mode AS 100 | Named mode, address-family, neighbor formation | Pro |
| ipc-11 | EIGRP Feasible Successor and DUAL | FD, AD, Feasibility Condition, Active vs Passive | Pro |
| ipc-12 | HSRP Active-Standby | Virtual IP, HSRPv2 MAC format, priority, preempt | Pro |
| ipc-13 | VRRP vs HSRP | Open-standard alternative, side-by-side comparison | Pro |
| ipc-14 | GLBP Load Balancing | AVG + AVF, three load-balancing methods, active-active | Pro |
What you will need
- Cisco Modeling Labs Free.
- PingLabz CCNA Base Topology .yaml. Used by ipc-01 through ipc-04, ipc-09, ipc-10, ipc-11, ipc-12, ipc-13, ipc-14.
- PingLabz OSPF Reference Lab .yaml. Used by ipc-05, ipc-06, ipc-07, ipc-08. Four IOL-XE routers across Area 0 and Area 30 with the ABR, BDR, and ASBR all pre-configured.
- 30 to 120 minutes per lab. The OSPF labs (ipc-04 through ipc-08) lean longer because OSPF has more knobs.
How these labs map to CCNA 200-301
IP Connectivity is Domain 3 of the official Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam blueprint, worth 25% - the largest weighted domain.
| Blueprint sub-domain | Labs that cover it |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Routing table components, longest match | All ipc labs |
| 3.2 Static routing (default, floating) | ipc-01, ipc-02, ipc-09 |
| 3.3 OSPFv2 single area | ipc-04 |
| 3.4 OSPFv2 multi-area | ipc-05, ipc-06, ipc-07, ipc-08 |
| 3.5 First-hop redundancy protocols | ipc-12, ipc-13, ipc-14 |
| EIGRP (in some blueprint versions) | ipc-10, ipc-11 |
| RIP (legacy / occasional question) | ipc-03 |
Frequently asked questions
Should I learn OSPF or EIGRP first?
OSPF. It is on the exam in much more depth, it is the dominant protocol in modern enterprises (especially heterogeneous-vendor networks), and the link-state concepts transfer cleanly to IS-IS and to OSPFv3 for IPv6. EIGRP is fine after OSPF if you work in a Cisco-heavy environment, but the time investment is higher per dollar of practical return.
Why does the PingLabz OSPF Reference Lab use priority 100 on R2?
To force R2 to win the DR election on the broadcast segment. Default OSPF priority is 1; setting R2 to 100 guarantees it becomes DR regardless of router-ID tiebreakers. This is the production pattern - never let the network elect a DR based on a router-ID accident. Always specify which device should be DR with explicit priority. Lab ipc-07 covers this in depth.
What is the difference between O E1 and O E2 in the routing table?
Both are external routes redistributed into OSPF (typically from a static or another protocol). The difference is in metric calculation. O E2 (the default for redistributed routes) has the same metric regardless of how far inside the OSPF domain you are - the ASBR sets the metric and every receiving router uses that value. O E1 adds the internal OSPF cost to the external metric, so the metric grows the further you are from the ASBR. O E2 is simpler; O E1 is closer to "true" total cost. Cisco defaults to E2; you can change with the redistribute command's metric-type 1 option.
HSRP, VRRP, or GLBP - which should I use?
For new deployments: VRRP if you have multi-vendor (Cisco + non-Cisco), HSRP if you are pure Cisco and want the most documentation/tooling. GLBP is rarely the right answer in 2026 - multi-chassis link aggregation (vPC, MLAG, VSS) replaces it in modern designs because it gives true active-active forwarding without protocol overhead. Inherited networks: leave whatever is working alone until you have a reason to migrate.
Is RIP really still on the CCNA exam?
It depends on the exam version, but yes, RIPv2 syntax recognition tends to appear in current blueprints. The PingLabz coverage is intentionally light (just one lab) because the concepts transfer to better protocols. If you are short on time, skim ipc-03 rather than deeply study it.
How do I verify end-to-end connectivity after configuring OSPF or EIGRP?
Three commands in order: show ip ospf neighbor (or show ip eigrp neighbors) to confirm adjacencies are FULL/Established. show ip route ospf (or show ip route eigrp) to confirm routes are learned. ping <remote-loopback> source <local-loopback> to confirm end-to-end IP reachability. If all three pass, the routing layer is healthy.
Key takeaways
- IP Connectivity is the routing-protocol pillar - the largest CCNA exam domain at 25%.
- Fourteen labs covering static, RIP, OSPF (5 labs), EIGRP, and FHRP (3 labs).
- One lab (ipc-04 OSPF single-area) is free preview.
- OSPF deep-dives use the dedicated PingLabz OSPF Reference Lab; everything else uses the Base Topology.
- Production discipline runs throughout: explicit priorities on broadcast segments, MD5 authentication on transit links, named-mode EIGRP, AD-manipulation for backup paths.
Ready to start?
Start with Lab ipc-01: Default Static Route + Floating Backup. From there work in numerical order; the labs build on each other - particularly the five OSPF labs (ipc-04 through ipc-08), which are best done sequentially.
When you finish IP Connectivity, move to Pillar 4: IP Services - DHCP, NAT, NTP, Syslog, SNMP, and QoS - the operational services that make a routed network usable.