What conditions cause route flapping in unstable provider circuits?

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What conditions cause route flapping in unstable provider circuits?

Asked on Nov 19, 2025

Answer

Route flapping occurs when a network route becomes intermittently available and unavailable, often due to unstable provider circuits, causing frequent route updates. This instability can be triggered by physical layer issues, such as faulty cables or hardware, or by excessive load leading to congestion and packet loss.

Example Concept: Route flapping is a condition where a network route repeatedly transitions between being available and unavailable. This can be caused by unstable provider circuits due to factors such as intermittent connectivity, hardware failures, or excessive network congestion. Route flapping can lead to increased CPU load on routers and instability in routing tables, as protocols like BGP and OSPF continuously update to reflect the changing state of the network.

Additional Comment:

Route flapping can cause significant network instability and increased load on routers.
BGP dampening can be implemented to mitigate the effects of route flapping by suppressing unstable routes.
Monitoring tools can help identify the root cause of flapping by analyzing link performance and error rates.
Ensuring redundancy and failover paths can help maintain network stability during provider circuit issues.

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