METHODS AND ROUTERS FOR CONNECTIVITY SETUP BETWEEN PROVIDER EDGE ROUTERS

A router receives, from a BGP peer, a BGP update message including NLRI (VPN-NLRI) specific to a virtual private network, as well as path information including an address of a next hop for the VPN-NLRI. The router determines that there is no route to the next hop, modifies the filtering information to permit propagation of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the modified filtering information to BGP neighbours. Alternatively, a router determines that such a BGP update message is due to be sent to a BGP peer. The router determines that the filtering information does not allow propagation, to the peer, of NLRI including the address of the next-hop, modifies the filtering information so as to permit propagation, to the BGP peer, of NLRI including the address of the next hop, and sends the BGP update message to the peer.