OSPF-4-ERRRCV Error Message

"OSPF-4-ERRRCV" Error Message

This message means that OSPF received an invalid packet.

Three common types of this message can occur:

• Mismatch area ID

• Bad checksum

• OSPF not enabled on the receiving interface

Mismatched Area ID

This message looks like this:

 %OSPF-4-ERRRCV: Received invalid packet: mismatch area ID, from backbone area must be virtual-link but not found from 170.170.3.3, Ethernet0 

This means that the neighbor's interface connecting to this interface is in area 0 but that this interface is not in area 0. In this situation, the router will not form an OSPF adjacency with the neighbor that this packet comes from. This also happens if one side's virtual link is misconfigured.

To avoid these messages, make sure that both sides have the same area ID by checking the network statement under OSPF in the router configuration. For example, if the link 10.10.10.0/24 between two routers should be in area 1, make sure that the network statement on both routers includes this particular link in area 1.

The network command would look like this:

  router ospf 1   network 10.10.10.0 0.0.0.255 area 1  

If a virtual link is configured, double-check the configuration for virtual link.

Bad Checksum

The message looks like this:

 %OSPF-4-ERRRCV: Received invalid packet: Bad Checksum from 144.100.21.141, TokenRing0/0 

This means that OSPF encountered an error in a packet that was received. This is because the OSPF checksum does not match the OSPF packet that was received by this router.

This problem has three causes:

• A device between the neighbors, such as a switch, is corrupting the packet.

• The sending router's packet is invalid. In this case, either the sending router's interface is bad or a software bug is causing the error.

• The receiving router is calculating the wrong checksum. In this case, either the receiving router's interface is bad or a software bug is causing the error. This is the least likely cause of this error message.

This problem can be difficult to troubleshoot, but you can start with the following solution, which is effective in 90 percent of cases. It's important that you follow the steps in order:

Step 1. Change the cable between the routers. For the example given in this section, this would be the router that is sending the bad packet (144.100.21.141) and the router that is complaining about these bad packets.

Step 2. If Step 1 doesn't fix the problem, use a different port on the switch between the routers.

Step 3. If Step 2 doesn't fix the problem, connect the routers directly using a cross-over cable. If you receive no further messages, the switch most likely is corrupting the packet.

If none of these steps solves the problem, contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) and work with an engineer to look for a bug in Cisco IOS Software or to obtain a possible Return Material Authorization (RMA) for partial or full parts replacement.

OSPF Not Enabled on the Receiving Interface

The message looks like this:

 %OSPF-4-ERRRCV: Received invalid packet: OSPF not enabled on interface from 141.108.16.4, Serial0.100 

The router generating this message received a packet from 141.108.16.4 on Serial0.100, but OSPF is not enabled on the Serial0.100 interface. This message is generated only once for a non-OSPF interface.