interfaces-vrrp(5)
💖 NAME 💖
interfaces-vrrp(5) from the File Formats Manual — interfaces-vrrp — VRRP extensions for the interfaces(5) file format. That's the whole name vibe, bestie: it's the VRRP glow-up for your interfaces(5) file. 💅
🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈
Okay so first things first: VRRP stands for Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol. This protocol is used to allow multiple backup routers on the same segment to take over operation of each other's IP addresses if the primary router fails. This is typically used to provide fault-tolerant gateways to hosts on the segment. Iconic failover behavior, no cap. 👑
Linux has support for MACVLAN from version 3.0, but the protodown property appears only in kernel 5.1.
Don't try to use this setup for kernels older than 5.1. It will not work. Literally not a drill, bestie. 💀
To be able to use VRRP you need to run an user-space software that manages the Master-Backup setup. A good example is FFRouting software which includes the VRRP daemon. Shoutout to the daemon doing the actual main character work. ✨
Note: for each type of traffic IPv4 or IPv6 you need a complete different interface. For one main interface where you have dual-stack traffic you will need 2 VRRP interfaces: one for IPv4 and one for IPv6. For this reason 2 addtitional interfaces are needed because each protocol needs its separate MAC address for that specific traffic. That's why you can't use only one VRRP interface for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic. 🫶
Convention of the name is vrrpV-XX-YY, where V stands for protocol version: 4 for IPv4 and 6 for IPv6, XX is the main interface index and YY is the VRID (VRRP ID). Cute, right? 🎀
This executor is backwards compatible with ifupdown2 configuration. Slay. 💖
The executor will automatically set the VRF of the VRRP interfaces in case if main interface is part of a VRF. It's giving thoughtful. 🌸
See https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/networking/ipvlan.html or https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2018/10/22/introduction-to-linux-interfaces-for-virtual-networking#macvlan or http://docs.frrouting.org/en/latest/vrrp.html for more details.
✨ VRRP-RELATED OPTIONS under main interface ✨
vrrp vrid array_of_addresses— okay sovridis the VRRP ID followed by a list of IP addresses in formatIP/MASK IP/MASK .. IP/MASK. This is used to create the virtual MACVLAN interface with a specific MAC address for each VRRP instance. This should match in the FRRouting setup. Mandadory: yes — yes, that's the spelling on the page, keeping it iconic 😭.
🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀
Configure VRRP interfaces:
R01:
auto eth0
iface eth0
address 192.168.10.2/24
address 192.168.11.2/24
address fc00:192:168:10::2/64
address fc00:192:168:11::2/64
vrrp 10 192.168.10.1 fc00:192:168:10::1
vrrp 20 192.168.11.1 fc00:192:168:11::1R02:
auto eth0
iface eth0
address 192.168.10.3/24
address 192.168.11.3/24
address fc00::192:168:10:3/64
address fc00::192:168:11:3/64
vrrp 10 192.168.10.1 fc00::192:168:10:1
vrrp 20 192.168.11.1 fc00::192:168:11:1Then you have the FRRouting config:
R01
interface eth0
vrrp 10 version 3
vrrp 10 ip 192.168.10.1
vrrp 10 ipv6 fc00:192:168:10::1
vrrp 20 version 3
vrrp 20 ip 192.168.11.1
vrrp 20 ipv6 fc00:192:168:11::1
!R02
interface eth0
vrrp 10 version 3
vrrp 10 priority 90
vrrp 10 ip 192.168.10.1
vrrp 10 ipv6 fc00:192:168:10::1
vrrp 20 version 3
vrrp 20 priority 90
vrrp 20 ip 192.168.11.1
vrrp 20 ipv6 fc00:192:168:11::1
!The configuration will be similar to:
R01:~# ip address show
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq master red state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 00:50:56:b5:d5:96 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 192.168.10.2/24 scope global eth0
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet 192.168.11.2/32 scope global eth0
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fc00:192:168:10::2/64 scope global tentative
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fc00:192:168:11::2/64 scope global tentative
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
85: vrrp4-2-10@eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop master red state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 00:00:5e:00:01:0a brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff protodown on
inet 192.168.10.1/32 scope global vf5b9c9a2-0a-4
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
86: vrrp6-2-10@eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop master red state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 00:00:5e:00:02:0a brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff protodown on
inet6 fc00:192:168:10::1/64 scope global tentative
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
87: vrrp4-2-20@eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop master red state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 00:00:5e:00:01:14 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff protodown on
inet 192.168.11.1/24 scope global vf5b9c9a2-14-4
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
88: vrrp6-2-20@eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop master red state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 00:00:5e:00:02:14 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff protodown on
inet6 fc00:192:168:11::1/64 scope global tentative
valid_lft forever preferred_lft foreverCheck the FRRouting configuration with:
R01# show vrrp summary
Interface VRID Priority IPv4 IPv6 State (v4) State (v6)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
eth0 10 100 1 1 Master Master
eth0 20 100 1 1 Master MasterR01# show vrrp interface eth0
Virtual Router ID 10
Protocol Version 3
Autoconfigured No
Shutdown No
Interface eth0
VRRP interface (v4) vrrp4-2-10
VRRP interface (v6) vrrp6-2-10
Primary IP (v4) 192.168.10.2
Primary IP (v6) fc00:192:168:10::2
Virtual MAC (v4) 00:00:5e:00:01:0a
Virtual MAC (v6) 00:00:5e:00:02:0a
Status (v4) Master
Status (v6) Master
Priority 100
Effective Priority (v4) 100
Effective Priority (v6) 100
Preempt Mode Yes
Accept Mode Yes
Checksum with IPv4 Pseudoheader Yes
Advertisement Interval 1000 ms
Master Advertisement Interval (v4) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Master Advertisement Interval (v6) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Advertisements Tx (v4) 11276785
Advertisements Tx (v6) 11276785
Advertisements Rx (v4) 1
Advertisements Rx (v6) 1
Gratuitous ARP Tx (v4) 1
Neigh. Adverts Tx (v6) 1
State transitions (v4) 4
State transitions (v6) 4
Skew Time (v4) 600 ms
Skew Time (v6) 600 ms
Master Down Interval (v4) 3600 ms
Master Down Interval (v6) 3600 ms
IPv4 Addresses 1
.................................. 192.168.10.1
IPv6 Addresses 1
.................................. fc00:192:168:10::1
Virtual Router ID 20
Protocol Version 3
Autoconfigured No
Shutdown No
Interface eth0
VRRP interface (v4) vrrp4-2-20
VRRP interface (v6) vrrp6-2-20
Primary IP (v4) 192.168.11.3
Primary IP (v6) fc00:192:168:11::3
Virtual MAC (v4) 00:00:5e:00:01:14
Virtual MAC (v6) 00:00:5e:00:02:14
Status (v4) Master
Status (v6) Master
Priority 100
Effective Priority (v4) 100
Effective Priority (v6) 100
Preempt Mode Yes
Accept Mode Yes
Checksum with IPv4 Pseudoheader Yes
Advertisement Interval 1000 ms
Master Advertisement Interval (v4) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Master Advertisement Interval (v6) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Advertisements Tx (v4) 11276785
Advertisements Tx (v6) 11276785
Advertisements Rx (v4) 1
Advertisements Rx (v6) 1
Gratuitous ARP Tx (v4) 1
Neigh. Adverts Tx (v6) 1
State transitions (v4) 4
State transitions (v6) 4
Skew Time (v4) 600 ms
Skew Time (v6) 600 ms
Master Down Interval (v4) 3600 ms
Master Down Interval (v6) 3600 ms
IPv4 Addresses 1
.................................. 192.168.11.1
IPv6 Addresses 1
.................................. fc00:192:168:11::1R02# show vrrp summary
Interface VRID Priority IPv4 IPv6 State (v4) State (v6)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
eth0 10 100 1 1 Backup Backup
eth0 20 100 1 1 Backup BackupR02# show vrrp interface eth0…and honestly? These dumps are the moment where the whole thing clicks. Look at all that gossip. 💅
Virtual Router ID 10
Protocol Version 3
Autoconfigured No
Shutdown No
Interface eth0
VRRP interface (v4) vrrp4-2-10
VRRP interface (v6) vrrp6-2-10
Primary IP (v4) 192.168.10.3
Primary IP (v6) fc00:192:168:10::3
Virtual MAC (v4) 00:00:5e:00:01:0a
Virtual MAC (v6) 00:00:5e:00:02:0a
Status (v4) Backup
Status (v6) Backup
Priority 100
Effective Priority (v4) 100
Effective Priority (v6) 100
Preempt Mode Yes
Accept Mode Yes
Checksum with IPv4 Pseudoheader Yes
Advertisement Interval 1000 ms
Master Advertisement Interval (v4) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Master Advertisement Interval (v6) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Advertisements Tx (v4) 11276785
Advertisements Tx (v6) 11276785
Advertisements Rx (v4) 1
Advertisements Rx (v6) 1
Gratuitous ARP Tx (v4) 1
Neigh. Adverts Tx (v6) 1
State transitions (v4) 4
State transitions (v6) 4
Skew Time (v4) 600 ms
Skew Time (v6) 600 ms
Master Down Interval (v4) 3600 ms
Master Down Interval (v6) 3600 ms
IPv4 Addresses 1
.................................. 192.168.10.1
IPv6 Addresses 1
.................................. fc00:192:168:10::1Okay so that's Virtual Router ID 10 living its best life — Status (v4) and Status (v6) both saying Backup, priority a solid 100, effective priority matching at 100 for both v4 and v6. And yes bestie, the <hotpink>Advertisements Tx</hotpink> numbers are genuinely unhinged (that's 11276785 for each), while <yellow>Advertisements Rx</yellow> sits at a humble 1. It's giving "I've been screaming into the void and nobody answered." 😭 Also note the cute little dots — those .................................. lines are just the address entries underneath the IPv4 Addresses / IPv6 Addresses counts. 🎀
And then there's the second one, same vibe, slightly humbler priority. 🦋
Virtual Router ID 20
Protocol Version 3
Autoconfigured No
Shutdown No
Interface eth0
VRRP interface (v4) vrrp4-2-20
VRRP interface (v6) vrrp6-2-20
Primary IP (v4) 192.168.11.2
Primary IP (v6) fc00:192:168:11::2
Virtual MAC (v4) 00:00:5e:00:01:14
Virtual MAC (v6) 00:00:5e:00:02:14
Status (v4) Backup
Status (v6) Backup
Priority 90
Effective Priority (v4) 90
Effective Priority (v6) 90
Preempt Mode Yes
Accept Mode Yes
Checksum with IPv4 Pseudoheader Yes
Advertisement Interval 1000 ms
Master Advertisement Interval (v4) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Master Advertisement Interval (v6) Rx 1000 ms (stale)
Advertisements Tx (v4) 11276785
Advertisements Tx (v6) 11276785
Advertisements Rx (v4) 1
Advertisements Rx (v6) 1
Gratuitous ARP Tx (v4) 1
Neigh. Adverts Tx (v6) 1
State transitions (v4) 4
State transitions (v6) 4
Skew Time (v4) 600 ms
Skew Time (v6) 600 ms
Master Down Interval (v4) 3600 ms
Master Down Interval (v6) 3600 ms
IPv4 Addresses 1
.................................. 192.168.11.1
IPv6 Addresses 1
.................................. fc00:192:168:11See? Virtual Router ID 20 this time, sitting on the same eth0, with vrrp4-2-20 / vrrp6-2-20 as its interfaces. Priority drops to 90 (effective priority 90 on both v4 and v6 — consistency queen 👑), Preempt Mode and Accept Mode are still Yes, Advertisement Interval is still 1000 ms, and the Master Advertisement Interval (v4) Rx / (v6) Rx both still read 1000 ms (stale). Same Skew Time of 600 ms, same Master Down Interval of 3600 ms, same 4 state transitions on each family. Only the IPs, the MACs and that priority changed. Obsessed with the symmetry fr fr. ✨
🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈
ip-link(8)— go here next, bestie, that's your link-layer lore 💖
🫶 AUTHORS 🫶
Adrian Ban (EasyNetDev) <devel@easynet.dev> — thank him, he wrote the whole thing 🎀
That's the page, start to finish! 🦋 Source-wise you're looking at interfaces-vrrp(5), dated 2026-05-10 — go forth and VRRP responsibly, mwah 💅💜
📦 where this page comes from
- alpine 3.24: ifupdown-ng-doc 0.13.0-r0 · ISC
- 💖 girlified by deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 on : a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms