--- title: Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network «... description: A practical guide on when and how to combine BGP and IGP in enterprise networks. Covers scenarios where BGP is warranted (Internet connectivity, EVPN, IGP... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network « ipSpace.net blog | daily.dev og:description: A practical guide on when and how to combine BGP and IGP in enterprise networks. Covers scenarios where BGP is warranted (Internet connectivity, EVPN, IGP... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/mXKLXFebh.png og:image:alt: Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network « ipSpace.net blog og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network « ipSpace.net blog **[ipSpace.net Blog](https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace)** · 6 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A practical guide on when and how to combine BGP and IGP in enterprise networks. Covers scenarios where BGP is warranted (Internet connectivity, EVPN, IGP scaling limits, large DMVPN deployments, complex routing policies, MPLS/VPN services, and routing with servers). Strongly advises against two-way redistribution, recommending instead running IGP in parallel with BGP or making BGP the core routing protocol. Also explains default routing as an alternative to full BGP deployment, with a caveat about potential forwarding loops if transit routers lack sufficient routing information. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### When should I use BGP instead of just running OSPF or another IGP in my enterprise network? BGP is warranted in enterprise networks when you need redundant Internet connectivity, run services like EVPN, hit IGP scaling limits, connect thousands of routers to the same subnet (e.g., DMVPN), need complex routing policies across regions, use MPLS/VPN services, or run routing protocols with servers or VMs. For simpler networks, a pure IGP is often sufficient. _Network architects weighing BGP vs IGP trade-offs for new designs track discussions like this on daily.dev._ ### Why is two-way redistribution between BGP and OSPF considered bad practice? Two-way redistribution between BGP and IGP introduces significant complexity and creates difficult troubleshooting scenarios when things go wrong. Better alternatives exist: run IGP in parallel with BGP carrying relevant prefixes in both, or make BGP the core routing protocol and advertise only a default route or aggregate prefixes into the IGP, eliminating the need for redistribution entirely. _Engineers designing enterprise routing architectures find peer-level debate on these trade-offs on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [BGP-Free Core with SR-MPLS « ipSpace.net blog](https://daily.dev/posts/bgp-free-core-with-sr-mpls-ipspace-net-blog-h7kronzy3) · ipSpace.net Blog · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [MPLS/VPN with SR-MPLS Core « ipSpace.net blog](https://daily.dev/posts/mpls-vpn-with-sr-mpls-core-ipspace-net-blog-nw3uwiphe) · ipSpace.net Blog · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#bgp](https://daily.dev/tags/bgp) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network « ipSpace.net blog","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh"},"datePublished":"2026-08-11T08:52:52.991Z","dateModified":"2026-08-11T09:02:16.032Z","description":"A practical guide on when and how to combine BGP and IGP in enterprise networks. Covers scenarios where BGP is warranted (Internet connectivity, EVPN, IGP...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--CxzD6vbw--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2005","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--CxzD6vbw--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2005","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"ipSpace.net Blog","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ipSpace.net Blog","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--xS7E82MT--/f_auto,q_auto/v1786438303/logos/ipspace?_a=BAMAMicg0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"bgp","timeRequired":"PT6M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"ipSpace.net Blog","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Combining BGP and IGP in an Enterprise Network « ipSpace.net blog"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/combining-bgp-and-igp-in-an-enterprise-network-ipspace-net-blog-mxklxfebh#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"When should I use BGP instead of just running OSPF or another IGP in my enterprise network?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"BGP is warranted in enterprise networks when you need redundant Internet connectivity, run services like EVPN, hit IGP scaling limits, connect thousands of routers to the same subnet (e.g., DMVPN), need complex routing policies across regions, use MPLS/VPN services, or run routing protocols with servers or VMs. For simpler networks, a pure IGP is often sufficient. Network architects weighing BGP vs IGP trade-offs for new designs track discussions like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why is two-way redistribution between BGP and OSPF considered bad practice?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Two-way redistribution between BGP and IGP introduces significant complexity and creates difficult troubleshooting scenarios when things go wrong. Better alternatives exist: run IGP in parallel with BGP carrying relevant prefixes in both, or make BGP the core routing protocol and advertise only a default route or aggregate prefixes into the IGP, eliminating the need for redistribution entirely. Engineers designing enterprise routing architectures find peer-level debate on these trade-offs on daily.dev."}}]} ```