Layer 3 switches, commonly known as multilayer switches, possess the capability to perform both routing and switching functions. While these switches can inherently handle switching, we need to enable IP routing on their interface for them to be able to handle packet routing.
In this post, I will show you how to configure EIGRP on a Layer 3 switch in Packet Tracer. EIGRP is a dynamic routing protocol that combines the characteristics of both distance vector and link-state algorithms to discover routes and build the routing table. After EIGRP configuration on layer 3 switch, hosts existing on one subnetwork will be able to communicate with hosts existing on the other subnetwork.
Network Topology
The network topology that we will be using in this post is as shown in the image below. As you can see, it consists of two-layer switches with three PCs connected to each of them.
How To Configure EIGRP on a Layer 3 Switch
Configuring EIGRP on a multilayer switch is similar to EIGRP configuration on a router, except that you need to enable IP routing on the Multilayer switch and also turn the switchports into routed ports.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to configure EIGRP on a layer switch:
Step 1: Assign IP addresses to Switch interfaces
Here, we will need to assign an IP address to the switch virtual interfaces (SVI) and also to the physical interfaces the switch is using to connect to each other.
The IP address assigned to the SVI is utilized as the default gateway for all the host devices existing on such a subnetwork.
The IP address assigned to the switch physical interfaces (fa0/1) will be utilized to identify each switch on the network. Before assigning an IP address to the fa0/1 interface on each switch, we need to turn it into a routed port.
Here are commands to assign IP address to the switch interfaces;
Multilayer Switch0
Switch>en Switch#conf t Switch(config)#hostname SW0 SW0(config)#int vlan1 SW0(config-if)#ip address 192.168.3.1 255.255.255.0 SW0(config-if)#no shut SW0(config-if)#exit SW0(config)#ip routingSW0(config)#int fa0/1 SW0(config-if)#no switchport SW0(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0 SW0(config-if)#no shut
Multilayer Switch1
Switch#en Switch#conf t Switch(config)#hostname SW1 SW1(config)#int Vlan1 SW1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 SW1(config-if)#no shut SW1(config-if)#exit SW1(config)#ip routingSW1(config)#int fa0/1 SW1(config-if)#no switchport SW1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0 SW1(config-if)#no shut
Step 2: Configure EIGRP
Configuring EIGRP involves specifying the autonomous system number (AS number), which should be consistent among EIGRP neighbors. Followed by this, the ‘network’ command is utilized to advertise the networks present on the interfaces of the Layer 3 switch.
Additionally, it is recommended to disable auto-summarization for more granular control over route advertisements. This ensures proper alignment and synchronization within the EIGRP domain.
Multilayer Switch1
Enter the following command to configure EIGRP on SW1:
SW1>en
SW1#conf t
SW1(config)#router eigrp 100
SW1(config-router)#network 192.168.1.0
SW1(config-router)#network 192.168.2.0
SW1(config-router)#no auto-summaryMultilayer Switch0
Enter the following command to configure a EIGRP on SW0:
SW0>en
SW0#conf t
SW0(config)#router eigrp 100
SW0(config-router)#network 192.168.3.0
SW0(config-router)#network 192.168.2.0
SW0(config-router)#no auto-summaryEIGRP can be confirmed as shown in the image below;
Step 3: Verify connectivity.
Open the command prompt on PC0 and ping the IP address of PC4 to verify connectivity. As shown in the image below, we got a reply.
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