Is the VRRP protocol proprietary to Cisco?

The Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) is a standardized protocol defined in RFC 5798, which means it is not proprietary to any single vendor, including Cisco. This protocol is designed to promote high availability by allowing multiple routers to work together to present the appearance of a single virtual router to hosts on the network. The use of standards for protocols like VRRP ensures interoperability between devices from different manufacturers, allowing organizations to implement redundancy solutions regardless of the vendor of their networking equipment.

In contrast to proprietary protocols, which are developed and controlled by a single vendor, VRRP can be used by any equipotential device that complies with the protocol specifications. This allows for a more flexible network design, as it enables the use of routers from various vendors in a mixed environment without compatibility issues. Therefore, the assertion that VRRP is proprietary to Cisco is incorrect, reinforcing that the correct answer is that it is not proprietary.