What does the acronym EIGRP stand for?

EIGRP stands for Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol. This routing protocol was developed by Cisco and is designed to facilitate efficient routing within an autonomous system. EIGRP combines the advantages of both distance vector and link-state protocols. It uses a distance vector mechanism to determine the best path to a destination network but also incorporates some link-state features, such as keeping track of the state of the network's links.

The term "interior" in the name indicates that it is used for routing within a single autonomous system, differentiating it from exterior gateway protocols that typically manage routing between different autonomous systems. The "enhanced" part implies that it offers improvements over previous protocols, notably in terms of convergence time and administrative ease.

Understanding the specific terminology in EIGRP is essential. For example, unlike the alternatives presented, the focus on "interior" clarifies that it is not applicable for routing tasks between different organizational networks, which is a function of exterior routing protocols. This distinction highlights EIGRP's intended use case, making it more efficient for internal routing scenarios.