By Chris December 21, 2015 09:05

#HSRP solves one of many design issues by avoiding a single point of failure in a network by having two or more routers share the role of default gateway in a subnet. This lab takes a look at a basic HSRP config, for the usual reason: to get some reps in for practicing basic CCNA configs.


Configure HSRP on R1 and R2 for a typical case of HSRP, providing a redundant default gateway for PC1 in the figure. The lab begins with all interfaces shown in Figure 1 working, and with IPv4 addresses configured. You can use the design in Figure 1 or Figure 2; on the LAN, just make sure both routers and both hosts are in the same VLAN and can ping each other. For this lab, you will focus on the router configurations, not the switch configurations.

Your job is to add the HSRP configuration per the following rules:

  • Use the lowest available IP address in the shared subnet for the HSRP virtual IP address
  • Use the HSRP group number 10
  • Make R2 act as HSRP active under normal conditions
  • Use only the required commands

Figure 1: HSRP Design, One LAN Switch

Figure 2: HSRP Design, Two LAN Switches


Initial Configuration



Example 1: R1 Config

Example 2: R2 Config


Additionally, note that the switches need to create a working VLAN so that both routers’ G0/1 interfaces and both PCs can communicate over that VLAN. If you built the lab like Figure 1, with a single switch, the switch could have all default configuration, with all devices in VLAN 1. With two switches, if you use VLAN 1, you should be fine with default configuration regardless. Examples 3 and 4 provide some initial configuration in case you need to use another VLAN (VLAN 2) instead of VLAN 1, and you need to ensure that VLAN trunking is used.

Example 3: SW1 Config

Example 4: SW2 Config


Answer on Paper, or Maybe Test in Lab


Verifying HSRP can be done with a command and a little testing. To verify, use the show standby brief command on both routers. One router should be in a state of “Active”, the other as “Standby”. Both should list the same virtual IP address.

For testing, if you have a host, change its default gateway to the HSRP IP address. Then start a long-running ping command on your host for one of the IP addresses on the link between the two routers that sits in another subnet ( or This ping should work no matter which router acts as HSRP active. Start the ping, go to the router that is currently active, and shutdown the G0/1 interface. HSRP should failover to the other router, your ping command should have a brief interruption, and then the ping should start working again.

To create a long-running ping, on Windows, add a –t to the end of the ping command. On OSX and Linux, the ping command needs no extra parameters – it should run until you stop it (Ctrl-c).


Do this Lab with Cisco’s VIRL


Download this lab’s VIRL file!

Note that while many Cisco switches no longer support ISL as a trunking protocol, the layer 2 switch image in VIRL does, so it needs to be configured to know whether to use ISL or 802.1Q. The lab exercise does not mention this fact. So, FYI, the .VIRL file includes this command (already configured) so trunking will work:


Network Device Info

This table lists the interfaces changed in this lab to work well in VIRL.

Device Lab Port VIRL Port
SW1 F0/2 G0/2
SW1 F0/1 G0/3
SW2 F0/2 G0/2
SW2 F0/1 G0/3


Host device info:


Device IP Address Mac Address User/password
PC1 02:00:11:11:11:11 cisco/cisco
PC2 02:00:22:22:22:22 cisco/cisco


Handy Host Commands:

To see PC IP address: ifconfig eth1

Ping example: ping -c 4

Trace example: tracepath

To connect to another node within the topology: telnet




Think. Config. Config Labs
Answers: HSRP 1
By Chris December 21, 2015 09:05
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