OSPF and Multi-Site Routing Lab

The free simulation platform used for the other labs on this site does not support OSPF. That means this entry cannot be backed by console output the way the VLAN and inter-VLAN lab can. Rather than show example configurations copied from a textbook or another engineer’s write-up and call them lab results, this project is presented as what it is: a design and study exercise.

The area plan, addressing, router roles and expected verification output are all worked out and documented. The moment a platform that supports OSPF is available — a licensed simulator, a hardware lab or a supported cloud lab — the run happens and the real output replaces the design.

• Design a multi-area OSPF topology for a head office, a branch office and a satellite site.
• Plan area boundaries, router roles and the links that form adjacencies.
• Document route propagation between areas and the paths traffic takes.
• Plan failover behaviour for a failed WAN link and the convergence that follows.
• Define the verification commands that prove adjacency, routes and failover.

• OSPF
• Multi-area design
• Neighbour adjacency
• Route propagation
• Failover and convergence
• Route verification
• Static routing
• Route summarisation

• Neighbour table showing FULL adjacency on each intended link.
• Routing table per router: OSPF routes marked, next hops correct.
• Traceroute between sites showing the expected path.
• Link-failure test: the route disappears, the backup path takes over, and the original route returns when the link comes back.