Introduction to BGP on VyOS
This lesson explains how to configure BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) on VyOS 1.4.x/1.5 rolling release. BGP is the standard dynamic routing protocol for large networks, ISPs, and multi-provider connectivity.
1. BGP fundamentals
- AS (Autonomous System): A distinct administrative routing domain.
- iBGP vs eBGP: iBGP (internal), eBGP (external peering).
- Path Selection: Rules to choose the best path.
2. Basic BGP configuration
set protocols bgp 65001 parameters router-id 1.1.1.1
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 remote-as 65002
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 address-family ipv4-unicast
set protocols bgp 65001 network 192.168.10.0/24
set protocols bgp 65001 network 10.10.10.0/24
- Route-map, prefix-list, AS-path:
set policy prefix-list PL-OUT rule 10 action permit prefix 192.168.10.0/24
set policy route-map RM-OUT rule 10 action permit
set policy route-map RM-OUT rule 10 match ip address prefix-list PL-OUT
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 route-map export RM-OUT
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 as-path-prepend '65001 65001'
3. BGP Communities, Route Reflector, and IPv6
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 3.3.3.3 remote-as 65001
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 3.3.3.3 route-reflector-client
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 address-family ipv6-unicast
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 extended-nexthop
set protocols bgp 65001 neighbor 2.2.2.2 soft-reconfiguration inbound
4. Verify BGP status
show ip bgp summary
show ip bgp
show ip bgp neighbors
5. Example network diagram
+---------+ +---------+
| VyOS 1 |-----| VyOS 2 |
| AS65001| | AS65002|
+---------+ +---------+
6. Hands-on lab: BGP peering between 2 ASes
- Configure BGP on two VyOS routers with different AS numbers.
- Set neighbor, route-map, prefix-list, and as-path-prepend.
- Commit and save the configuration:
commit
save
- Verify BGP status and routes.
show ip bgp summary
show ip bgp
7. Summary
You now know how to configure BGP on VyOS and apply it to large, multi-provider networks with policy-based dynamic routing control.