What is the purpose of HSRP?

The primary purpose of Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) is to provide high availability for IP traffic. HSRP allows multiple routers to work together as a single virtual router, creating redundancy in the network. If the active router (the one designated to handle traffic) fails, one of the standby routers takes over its role without interrupting the flow of data. This failover mechanism ensures that there is always a functional path for traffic, thus enhancing the resilience and uptime of the network.

While load balancing can be a feature in other protocols, HSRP focuses specifically on maintaining uninterrupted service by having backup routers ready to take over immediately if the primary fails. Packet switching and traffic routing are functions associated more with the core operation of routers rather than the redundancy and high availability that HSRP provides.