What does EIGRP stand for?

EIGRP stands for Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol. This is a dynamic routing protocol used primarily within an autonomous system. EIGRP is known for its efficiency and speed in converging, which is one of the key reasons it's widely implemented in enterprise networks.

The term "Enhanced" refers to the improvements and features over the original Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), which included support for VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masking), and the use of a hybrid approach that combines the advantages of both distance-vector and link-state routing protocols. This enables it to provide more effective routing decisions and optimizes the use of network resources.

The term "Interior" specifies that EIGRP is used to route traffic inside a single organization’s network, as opposed to exterior protocols that manage routing between different autonomous systems. Understanding this context highlights EIGRP’s role in the realm of networking and its application within the borders of individual organizations or networks.