BGP: The Protocol That Routes the Internet (and Breaks It Too)

2025-07-07

In this episode of Bits and Specs, we unpack BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) — the control plane of the internet. Using insights from RFC 4271, we explore how BGP connects thousands of autonomous systems (ASes) to make global routing possible. You'll learn how BGP works, what makes it different from internal routing protocols like OSPF, and how concepts like AS_PATH, route advertisements, and policy control form the backbone of the internet. We also dive into real-world incidents like BGP h...

In this episode of Bits and Specs, we unpack BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) — the control plane of the internet. Using insights from RFC 4271, we explore how BGP connects thousands of autonomous systems (ASes) to make global routing possible. You'll learn how BGP works, what makes it different from internal routing protocols like OSPF, and how concepts like AS_PATH, route advertisements, and policy control form the backbone of the internet.

We also dive into real-world incidents like BGP hijacks and global outages, and why BGP — despite being designed in the 1980s — still powers the modern web. If you've ever wondered what keeps your packets on the right path, this episode is for you.

🧠 Researched using RFC 4271 with support from Google NotebookLM.

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