Evaluating the features of the BGP protocol within

an emulated network
Chira Carmen Alexandra
Advanced Wireless Communications
Master Program
University Politehnica of Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania
[email protected]

Abstract— The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a crucial internetwork (e.g. the Internet) until it reaches its destination
component of the Internet's routing backbone. It is in charge of node.
sharing routing information between routers in various A router is connected to two or more data lines from
autonomous systems (ASes) and identifying the most effective different IP networks. When a data packet comes in on one of
way for data to travel between networks. The Internet has the lines, the router reads the network address information in
grown rapidly in recent years, increasing the number of ASes the packet header to determine the ultimate destination. Then,
and the complexity of BGP routing. As a result, more advanced using information in its routing table or routing policy, it
methodologies for analyzing BGP features and their influence
directs the packet to the next network on its journey. [7]
on network performance are required.
The utilization of simulated networks is one method for There are a number of varieties of routers, the most
evaluating BGP features. Emulated networks offer a controlled important of which are listed below:
environment for testing and assessing network protocols
including BGP. Researchers and system administrators can Core routers: are generally used by service providers (i.e.
simulate numerous network configurations and examine the AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone) or cloud providers (i.e. Google,
impact of network modifications on BGP behavior by Amazon, Microsoft). They provide maximum bandwidth to
constructing a virtual network environment. connect additional routers or switches. Most small businesses
This thesis examines the properties of the BGP protocol in a will not need core routers. But very large enterprises that have
series of simulated networks. The purpose is to offer a thorough many employees working in various buildings or locations
examination of the major characteristics of BGP and their may use core routers as part of their network architecture.
influence on network performance. To accomplish this, a BGP
simulated network will be built with the GNS3 network Edge routers: also called a gateway router or just
simulator. The simulation will comprise many routers "gateway" for short, is a network's outermost point of
representing various ASes, each of which will be configured to connection with external networks, including the Internet.
emulate real-world network conditions. Edge routers are optimized for bandwidth and designed to
This thesis will be divided into two chapters: the first will connect to other routers to distribute data to end users. Edge
introduce the technologies used to implement the topologies, as routers don't usually offer Wi-Fi or the ability to manage local
well as the background of the BGP protocol and its role in the networks fully. They typically have only Ethernet ports—an
Internet's routing infrastructure, and the second will describe input to connect to the Internet and several outputs to connect
the methodology for creating the emulated networks and additional routers.
running the simulations, as well as the results and comments
based on the results. Distribution router: or interior router, receives data from
The findings of this study will shed light on the behavior of the edge router (or gateway) via a wired connection and sends
the BGP protocol and its influence on network performance. it on to end users, typically via Wi-Fi, though the router
Network managers may utilize this data to enhance the setup of usually also includes physical (Ethernet) connections for
their networks and improve the overall operation of the connecting users or additional routers.
Internet's routing system.
Overall, the goal of this thesis is to improve knowledge of the Wireless router: Wireless routers, or residential
BGP protocol and its function in the Internet's routing gateways, combine the functions of edge routers and
infrastructure. This study will give useful insights into the distribution routers. These are commonplace routers for home
behavior of the protocol and its influence on network networks and Internet access. Most service providers provide
performance by assessing the characteristics of BGP within an full-featured wireless routers as standard equipment. [8]
emulated network.
Keywords—BGP, network, GNS3, routing, protocols,
switch,

I. ROUTERS
A router is a networking device that forwards data packets
between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic
directing functions on the Internet. Data sent through the
internet, such as a web page or email, is in the form of data
packets. A packet is typically forwarded from one router to
another router through the networks that constitute an Figure 1 – Cisco Router
 II. SWITCHES It manages how packets get routed from network to
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging network through the exchange of routing and reachability
hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware information among edge routers. BGP creates network
that connects devices on a computer network by using packet stability by guaranteeing routers can adapt to route failures:
switching to receive and forward data to the destination when one path goes down, a new path is quickly found.[3]
device. In absence of any policies, BGP operates like if routes
have metric equal to the length of the AS_PATH attribute.
A network switch is a multiport network bridge that uses BGP routing polices may override this simple monotonous
MAC addresses to forward data at the data link layer (layer 2)
metric and potentially create divergence conditions in non-
of the OSI model. Some switches can also forward data at the
network layer (layer 3) by additionally incorporating routing trivial BGP topologies. Like any distance-vector protocol,
functionality. Such switches are commonly known as layer-3 BGP routing process accepts multiple incoming routing
switches or multilayer switches. Switches for Ethernet are the updates, and advertises only the best routes to its peers. BGP
most common form of network switch. [9] does not utilize periodic updates, and thus route invalidation
is not based on expiring any sort of soft state information (e.g
prefix-related timers like in RIP). Instead, BGP uses explicit
withdrawal section in the triggered UPDATE message to
signal neighbors of the loss of the particular path. In addition
to the explicit withdrawals, BGP also support implicit
signaling, where newer information for the same prefix from
the same peer replaces the previously learned information.[4]
BGP sends updated router table information only when
Figure 2 – Network switch something changes, and only the affected information. BGP
has no automatic discovery mechanism, which means
connections between peers must be set up manually, with peer
III. ROUTING PROTOCOLS addresses programmed in at both ends. It makes best-path
decisions based on current reachability, hop counts and other
A routing protocol specifies how routers communicate path characteristics. In situations where multiple paths are
with each other to distribute information that enables them to
available -- as within a major hosting facility -- BGP policies
select routes between nodes on a computer network. Routers
perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet; data communicate an organization's preferences for what path
packets are forwarded through the networks of the internet traffic should follow in and out.
from router to router until they reach their destination BGP in networking is based on TCP/IP. It operates on the
computer. Routing algorithms determine the specific choice OSI Transport Layer (Layer 4) to control the Network Layer
of route. Each router has a prior knowledge only of networks (Layer 3). As described in RFC4271 and ratified in 2006, the
attached to it directly. A routing protocol shares this current version of BGP-4 supports both IPv6 and Classless
information first among immediate neighbours, and then Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR), which enables the continued
throughout the network. This way, routers gain knowledge of viability of IPv4. [3]
the topology of the network. The ability of routing protocols
to dynamically adjust to changing conditions such as disabled
connections and components and route data around B. BGP Characteristics
obstructions is what gives the Internet its fault tolerance and Inter-autonomous System Configuration: BGP’s inter-
high availability. autonomous system configuration allows it to make two
autonomous systems communicate with each other.
The specific characteristics of routing protocols include Otherwise, they would not be able to connect and share
the manner in which they avoid routing loops, the manner in information.
which they select preferred routes, using information about
hop costs, the time they require to reach routing convergence, Supports Next-hop Paradigm: The next-hop paradigm
their scalability, and other factors such as relay multiplexing dictates that a packet of data goes to the next or most optimal
and cloud access framework parameters. Certain additional choice among all the potential routers it can be sent to.
characteristics such as multilayer interfacing may also be Because BGP supports next-hop, connections can be
employed as a means of distributing uncompromised optimized for faster network performance, instead of having
networking gateways to authorized ports. This has the added to navigate far, disparate routing BGP points, wasting
benefit of preventing issues with routing protocol loops.[10] valuable time.
Coordination Among Multiple BGP Speakers Within
an Autonomous System: BGP is able to scan all the available
A. BGP - Border Gateway Protocol options before deciding which one is the best choice for the
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a standardized exterior next stop of data. This requires its ability to coordinate among
gateway protocol designed to exchange routing and more than one BGP speaker at the same time.
reachability information among autonomous systems (AS) on Path Information: Within the BGP advertisement system
the Internet. BGP is classified as a path-vector routing is the path information that includes the next destination and
protocol, and it makes routing decisions based on paths, which destinations are reachable.
network policies, or rule-sets configured by a network
administrator. [2] Policy Support: An administrator can design and
implement policies by programming them into the BGP
system. This can be used, for example, to choose between or issues with ISP networks. When troubleshooting BGP route
routes that exist within the autonomous system and those that flapping, the first step is identifying whether the problem is
exist outside it. local or external. Running BGP commands such as "show ip
bgp neighbours" and "show ip bgp summary" can provide
Runs Over TCP: Because BGP runs over Transmission information about neighbouring networks and routing
Control Protocol (TCP), it is compatible with the rest of the activity.
internet, which uses TCP for communications. TCP makes
sure data packets get sent and delivered across networks. BGP
2) BGP route hijacking
also interfaces well with secure sockets layer (SSL), a virtual
private network (VPN), and transport layer security (TLS). BGP route hijacking, also known as IP hijacking or BGP
network hijacking, is when a malicious actor takes control of
BGP Conserves Network Bandwidth: The conservation routing information and redirects internet traffic to their own
of network bandwidth allows an organization to get the most servers. This can have catastrophic consequences for
out of its network, and because BGP supports this, it can be businesses, causing downtime and loss of sensitive data.
used to facilitate efficient network transmissions. Fortunately, there are steps that companies can take to
BGP Supports CIDR: Classless Inter-Domain Routing troubleshoot and prevent BGP route hijacking.
(CIDR) refers to a way to allocate Internet Protocol (IP) It's important to monitor your BGP sessions regularly,
addresses so they can be used for IP routing. Because BGP looking for any unexpected changes in routing or variance
supports CIDR, it does not interfere with how IP addresses get from agreements with service providers. In addition,
assigned or managed. employing various control measures such as Resource Public
Key Infrastructure (RPKI) can help to validate the
BGP Also Supports Security: While BGP does not have
any security features inherent to it, it supports the existing authenticity of routing information. Taking these precautions
security tools and protocols that various networks use. This can protect against the damaging effects of BGP route
enables administrators to secure their networks and use BGP hijacking.
simultaneously. [5]
3) BGP configuration error
C. Functions of BGP BGP configuration errors might be one of the most
Initial Peer Acquisition and Authentication: BGP common problems that require BGP troubleshooting. It
allows the right peer to be identified, authenticated, and occurs when the Border Gateway Protocol is not set up
connected to, making the network run more efficiently. correctly. This can result in network communication issues
Sending of Negative or Positive Reachability and decreased performance. The first step in troubleshooting
Information: BGP sends information regarding whether or a BGP configuration error is to review the settings and
not a peer is reachable. This saves time by eliminating errant confirm that all necessary parameters have been inputted
connections. correctly. It may also be helpful to check for any recent
changes or updates that could have affected the configuration.
Verification That the Peers and the Network Additionally, examining routing tables and performing a
Connection Between Them Are Functioning Correctly: traceroute can provide further insight into where the issue
Once a connection happens, BGP is able to verify the health
may lie. Sometimes, it may be necessary to contact internet
of the communication. In this way, BGP facilitates more
service providers to assist with resolving the error. With
consistent, reliable connections.
careful review and investigation, BGP configuration errors
Route Storage: With route storage, individual BGPs keep can usually be successfully resolved.
information regarding how to connect with networks within a
set of databases. Databases are also used to store routing 4) BGP RIB-Failure
information that can be accessed by BGP. BGP rib-failure occurs when a router is unable to install a
Route Update: BGP delivers update messages to route into the routing table, causing network outages. The first
advertise pertinent routing information. These are stored in a step in troubleshooting this issue is to check the BGP
routing table that becomes available after the system has neighbour table and verify that the correct neighbours are
started up. configured. If not, the issue may be related to incorrect
configuration or firewall settings. Next, check all BGP
Route Selection: The BGP speaker, which advertises attributes, such as local preference, AS path, and MED, to
routes, only conveys information about the best route to peers. ensure they are properly set. If there are any discrepancies,
Route Advertisement: When there is more than one adjusting these attributes may solve the issue.
feasible route, BGP only advertises the best one to peers. This Additionally, it's important to verify that the route being
helps the network function more efficiently because only installed has an active next hop and is being advertised by at
viable routes are advertised. [5] least one neighbour. If not, there may be an issue with the BGP
peering or routing policies. A simple BGP troubleshooting
process can successfully resolve rib-failure. [6]
D. BGP common issues
1) BGP route flapping
BGP route flapping occurs when a neighbouring network IV. GNS3 SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT
continuously sends updates regarding changes to IP address
Hundreds of thousands of network engineers
routing, causing instability in the network. This can happen
throughout the world use GNS3 to mimic, configure, test, and
due to faulty hardware or software, misconfigured BGP filters,
debug virtual and real networks. GNS3 enables you to operate
topologies ranging from a few devices on your laptop to The steps are as follows:
numerous devices hosted on several servers or even in the 1. After powering on the virtual machine and GNS3
cloud. It is actively developed and supported, and its client, create a new project.
community of over 800,000 members is increasing. GNS3
consists of two software components: 2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Dynamips > IOS routers
• The GNS3-all-in-one software (GUI) and click on New
• The GNS3 virtual machine (VM)

GNS3-all-in-one is the client part of GNS3 and is

graphical user interface (GUI). You install the all-in-one
software on your local PC (Windows, MAC, Linux) and
create your topologies using this software. An example of one
topology created using the client part is depicted in Figure3.
[1]

Figure 4. – Router creation template

3. It is advised to install the device on the GNS3 VM to
provide a better environment for the device but
running it on the local computer is not frowned upon,
especially if the machine's technological qualities
enable it to run many virtual images at once.
Therefore, we choose the VM.
Figure 3. – GNS3 topology 4. Choose the image that will be used for the router. For
this thesis the C7200 Cisco router image will be
When you create topologies in GNS3 using the all-in-one used. The same step applies for other devices as well.
software GUI client, the devices created need to be hosted and 5. Next, choose the name of the device.
run by a server process. You have a few options for the server
part of the software: 6. The next step is to allocate the IOS's default RAM.
Too much or too little RAM may prevent the IOS
1. Local GNS3 server
from booting. The program offers 512MiB by
2. Local GNS3 VM default, which is plenty for a standard running router,
but this may be changed.
7. 7After configuring the RAM, the following step is to
A. Remote GNS3 VM select the types of ports you want to utilize. There are
The local GNS3 server runs locally on the same PC where several types to choose from, including FastEthernet,
you installed the GNS3 all-in-one software. If for example GigabitEthernet, and Serial, depicted in Figure 4.
you are using a Windows PC, both the GNS3 GUI and the
local GNS3 server are running as processes in Windows.
Additional processes such as Dynamips will also be running
on your PC:
If you decide to use the GNS3 VM (recommended), you
can either run the GNS3 VM locally on your PC using
virtualization software such as VMware Workstation,
Virtualbox or Hyper-V; or you can run the GNS3 VM
remotely on a server using VMware ESXi or even in the
cloud.[1]

V. INSTALLATION
Following the installation of the GNS3 client component
and server, which is powered by VMware Workstation, the
next step is to install and configure the network devices that
will be utilized. The following Cisco OS images will be Figure 4. – Choosing the ports of the device
utilized to construct the topology for this thesis: C7200 router
with the VIOS L2 layer 2 switch suite.
 8. Finally, the program will assign an Idle-PC value [5] “What Is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)?”, Fortinet [Online].
Available: https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/bgp-
to the device being built. This setting is required to border-gateway-protocol [Accessed February 2023]
prevent the IOS from using the entire CPU or one of [6] “BGP Troubleshooting: Most Common BGP Errors and How to Solve
its cores. Them”, OrhanErgun [Online]. Available: https://orhanergun.net/bgp-
troubleshooting [Accessed February 2023]
[7] “Router (computing)”, Wikipedia [Online]. Available:
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2022]
[1] “Getting Started with GNS3”, GNS3 Documentation [Online]. [8] “What is a router?”, Cisco [Online]. Available:
Available: https://docs.gns3.com/docs/ [Accessed: August 2022]. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business/resource-
center/networking/what-is-a-router.html#~types-of-routers [Accessed
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[4] Petr Lapukhov, “Understanding BGP Convergence | INE”, ine.com
[Online]. Available: https://ine.com/blog/2010-11-22-understanding-
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