# Cisco IOS/XR OSPFv2 Not-So-Passive Interfaces

DevFeed: [Cisco IOS/XR OSPFv2 Not-So-Passive Interfaces](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/cisco-ios-xr-ospfv2-not-so-passive-interfaces-11325.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ipspace.net/2026/02/iosxr-ospfv2-not-so-passive/>)

Published: 2026-02-19T06:46:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [ipSpace.net blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ipspace-net-blog.md>)

Topics: [Cisco](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cisco.md>), [Testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/testing.md>), [Network](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/network.md>), [Protocol (disambiguation)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/protocol.md>)

Tags: [cisco](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cisco.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [netlab](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/netlab.md>), [network](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/network.md>), [open](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open.md>), [ospf](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ospf.md>), [script](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/script.md>), [test](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/test.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>)

## AI overview

The article reports that Cisco IOS/XR 25.2.1 sends two OSPFv2 hello packets shortly after configuration on an interface marked passive, then stops sending them. This behavior caused a netlab integration test to fail with a neighbor in the Init state; the author worked around it by clearing the OSPF neighbor on the connected FRRouting container.

## Source excerpt

What's wrong with me? Why do I have to uncover another weirdness every single time I run netlab integration tests on a new platform? Today, it's Cisco IOS/XR (release 25.2.1) and its understanding of what "passive" means. According to the corresponding documentation, the passive interface configuration command is exactly what I understood it to be: Use the passive command in appropriate mode to suppress the sending of OSPF protocol operation on an interface. However, when I ran the OSPFv2 passive interface integration test with an IOS/XR container, it kept failing with neighbor is in Init state (the first and only time I ever encountered such an error after testing over two dozen platforms). Read more ...