Qbik RIPv2 Client

Qbik RIPv2 Client is a handy tool for managing routing information. It stands for Routing Information Protocol and is explained in Internet RFC 2453. This protocol is pretty straightforward and lets routers share available routes with each other. That means devices on the internet, or more likely in a company network, can automatically update themselves when there are changes.

Why Use RIP?

This feature comes in really handy when you're dealing with VPNs that might have temporary connections. Think about remote networks or users connecting to the main network through dial-up or other non-permanent links.

Compatibility with WinGate VPN

The Qbik RIPv2 client was designed to work with WinGate VPN, but it can also pair up with any RIP server software that supports version 2 of the protocol.

Available Versions of RIP

You might find some RIP solutions bundled with certain operating systems, but if you’re not using Windows NT Server, Win2k Server, or XP Advanced Server, you’ll be stuck with version 1 of the RIP client. Unfortunately, version 1 has its limits—it doesn’t support network masks and isn’t too useful these days.

Running on Windows

The great news is that the Qbik RIPv2 client works on all versions of Windows as long as you have the IPHelper DLL installed. It listens for broadcast messages from RIPv2 servers (like those included in WinGate VPN) on UDP port 520. By catching these messages, it keeps track of which routes are active and where they’re coming from. Typically, route updates happen every 30 seconds. If a specific route doesn't get an update within 90 seconds, it’s marked as expired and taken off the list.

Monitoring Routes

You can easily check which routes are being added or removed by using the command “route print” from your command line.

No Configurations Needed

The cool part? There aren’t any settings to tweak for this RIPv2 client; it either runs or doesn’t! In future updates (if there’s demand), there might be options to control which network interfaces will accept advertisements and set timeouts—or even add a compatibility mode for version 1!