Final answer:
EIGRP offers equal-cost load balancing, auto-summarization, and faster recovery from link failures. Unlike OSPF, EIGRP is not an open standard and does not natively support a hierarchical design with areas. Compatibility with non-Cisco routers may require additional configuration with EIGRP.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering a switch from OSPF to EIGRP on your network, there are several potential benefits that you could gain. EIGRP offers features that may provide advantages depending on the specific requirements of your network environment. Here are three benefits of using EIGRP that you might gain:
- Equal-cost load balancing - EIGRP can perform load balancing over multiple paths that have an equal cost.
- Auto-summarization - EIGRP is capable of automatically summarizing routes at network boundaries, which can simplify the routing table.
- Faster recovery from primary link failure - EIGRP has a feature known as DUAL (Diffusing Update Algorithm) that allows for rapid convergence and recovery from topology changes.
It's important to note that, unlike OSPF, EIGRP is not an open standard, despite its wide adoption in many networks that use Cisco equipment. EIGRP does not provide 'multprotocol support' directly, but it does allow for the redistribution of routes from other routing protocols. In addition, EIGRP is not designed with the same hierarchical design using areas as OSPF is known for. Lastly, while EIGRP works very well with Cisco devices, compatibility with other brands of routers may require additional configuration or might not be supported.