Cisco IOS OSPF Hidden Command: show ip ospf route

I saw this Cisco IOS hidden command show ip ospf route for OSPF in this post. I tried to create a running example for myself so I can learn more about this hidden command.

【Output at R4】

R4#show ip ospf route

            OSPF Router with ID (1.0.0.4) (Process ID 1)


                Base Topology (MTID 0)


    Area 4

    Intra-area Route List
*   4.0.1.0/24, Intra, cost 64, area 4, Connected
      via 4.0.1.4, Serial1/0
*   4.0.2.0/24, Intra, cost 64, area 4, Connected
      via 4.0.2.4, Serial1/1

    Intra-area Router Path List
i 1.0.0.2 [64] via 4.0.2.2, Serial1/1, ABR, Area 4, SPF 8
i 1.0.0.1 [64] via 4.0.1.1, Serial1/0, ABR, Area 4, SPF 8

    Inter-area Route List
*>  3.0.1.0/24, Inter, cost 128, area 4
      via 4.0.1.1, Serial1/0
*>  3.0.2.0/24, Inter, cost 128, area 4
      via 4.0.2.2, Serial1/1
*>  3.0.0.3/32, Inter, cost 129, area 4
      via 4.0.2.2, Serial1/1
      via 4.0.1.1, Serial1/0
R4#
R4#show ip ospf database

            OSPF Router with ID (1.0.0.4) (Process ID 1)

                Router Link States (Area 4)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum Link count
1.0.0.1         1.0.0.1         632         0x80000006 0x00F099 2
1.0.0.2         1.0.0.2         946         0x80000008 0x000D76 2
1.0.0.4         1.0.0.4         1512        0x80000007 0x006E64 4

                Summary Net Link States (Area 4)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum
3.0.0.3         1.0.0.1         632         0x80000003 0x00BD34
3.0.0.3         1.0.0.2         682         0x80000003 0x00B739
3.0.1.0         1.0.0.1         632         0x80000003 0x00C62E
3.0.1.0         1.0.0.2         946         0x80000003 0x004370
3.0.2.0         1.0.0.1         632         0x80000003 0x003E75
3.0.2.0         1.0.0.2         946         0x80000003 0x00B53D
R4#

【Output at R1】

R1#show ip ospf route

            OSPF Router with ID (1.0.0.1) (Process ID 1)


                Base Topology (MTID 0)


    Area BACKBONE(0)

    Intra-area Route List
*   3.0.1.0/24, Intra, cost 64, area 0, Connected
      via 3.0.1.1, Serial1/0
*>  3.0.2.0/24, Intra, cost 128, area 0
      via 3.0.1.3, Serial1/0
*>  3.0.0.3/32, Intra, cost 65, area 0
      via 3.0.1.3, Serial1/0

    Intra-area Router Path List
i 1.0.0.2 [128] via 3.0.1.3, Serial1/0, ABR, Area 0, SPF 3

    Area 4

    Intra-area Route List
*   4.0.1.0/24, Intra, cost 64, area 4, Connected
      via 4.0.1.1, Serial1/1
*>  4.0.2.0/24, Intra, cost 128, area 4
      via 4.0.1.4, Serial1/1

    Intra-area Router Path List
i 1.0.0.2 [128] via 4.0.1.4, Serial1/1, ABR, Area 4, SPF 9
R1#
R1#show ip ospf database

            OSPF Router with ID (1.0.0.1) (Process ID 1)

                Router Link States (Area 0)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum Link count
1.0.0.1         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000004 0x00CCC2 2
1.0.0.2         1.0.0.2         1019        0x80000006 0x00E89F 2
1.0.0.3         1.0.0.3         617         0x80000008 0x00368C 5

                Summary Net Link States (Area 0)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum
4.0.1.0         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000003 0x00B93A
4.0.1.0         1.0.0.2         1534        0x80000004 0x00347D
4.0.2.0         1.0.0.1         1729        0x80000004 0x002F82
4.0.2.0         1.0.0.2         1019        0x80000003 0x00A849

                Router Link States (Area 4)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum Link count
1.0.0.1         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000006 0x00F099 2
1.0.0.2         1.0.0.2         1019        0x80000008 0x000D76 2
1.0.0.4         1.0.0.4         1585        0x80000007 0x006E64 4

                Summary Net Link States (Area 4)

Link ID         ADV Router      Age         Seq#       Checksum
3.0.0.3         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000003 0x00BD34
3.0.0.3         1.0.0.2         755         0x80000003 0x00B739
3.0.1.0         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000003 0x00C62E
3.0.1.0         1.0.0.2         1019        0x80000003 0x004370
3.0.2.0         1.0.0.1         703         0x80000003 0x003E75
3.0.2.0         1.0.0.2         1019        0x80000003 0x00B53D
R1#

【My Observation】

From my observation, this command is helpful when I am not familiar to other OSPF commands such as “show ip ospf database”. This command provides more readable information about ip prefixes themselves, instead of cryptic link state objects.

Because this is a hidden command, do not rely on it when you are preparing for exams.

【My Configurations】

! R1

hostname R1

interface Loopback0

 ip address 1.0.0.1 255.255.255.255

!

interface Serial1/0

 ip address 3.0.1.1 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

interface Serial1/1

 ip address 4.0.1.1 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

router ospf 1

 network 3.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 0

 network 4.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 4

!

! R2

hostname R2

!

interface Loopback0

 ip address 1.0.0.2 255.255.255.255

!

interface Serial1/0

 ip address 3.0.2.2 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

interface Serial1/1

 ip address 4.0.2.2 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

router ospf 1

 network 3.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 0

 network 4.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 4

!

! R3

hostname R3

interface Loopback0

 ip address 1.0.0.3 255.255.255.255

!

interface Loopback1

 ip address 3.0.0.3 255.255.255.0

!

interface Serial1/0

 ip address 3.0.1.3 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

interface Serial1/1

 ip address 3.0.2.3 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

router ospf 1

 router-id 1.0.0.3

 network 3.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 0

!

! R4

interface Loopback0

 ip address 1.0.0.4 255.255.255.255

!

interface Serial1/0

 ip address 4.0.1.4 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

interface Serial1/1

 ip address 4.0.2.4 255.255.255.0

 no shutdown

!

router ospf 1

 network 4.0.0.0 0.0.255.255 area 4

!

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