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RTP is a transport-layer protocol that can
guarantee ordered delivery of EIGRP packets to all neighbors. On an IP
network, hosts use TCP to sequence packets and ensure their timely
delivery. However, EIGRP is protocol-independent (i.e., it does not
rely on TCP/IP to exchange routing information the way that RIP, IGRP, and
OSPF do). To stay independent of IP, EIGRP uses its own proprietary
transport-layer protocol to guarantee delivery of routing information: RTP.
EIGRP can call on RTP to provide reliable
or unreliable service as the situation warrants. For example, hello
packets do not require the overhead of reliable delivery because they are
frequent and should be kept small. Nevertheless, the reliable delivery of other
routing information can actually speed convergence because EIGRP routers
are not waiting for a timer to expire before they retransmit.
With RTP, EIGRP can multicast and unicast
to different peers simultaneously, allowing for maximum efficiency.
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