A hybrid protocol has the advantages of both distance vector and link state protocols and merges them into a new protocol. Typically, hybrid protocols are based on a distance vector protocol but contain many of the features and advantages of link state protocols. Example: EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol).

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) is considered as a Hybrid Routing Protocol because EIGRP has characteristics of both Distance Vector and Link State Routing Protocols. Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) doesn’t send Link State Advertisement (LSA) packets as OSPF does, but Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) sends traditional Distance Vector updates containing information about networks plus the cost of reaching them from the perspective of the advertising router. Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) has link-state characteristics also. Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) synchronizes routing tables between neighbors at startup, and then it sends specific updates when a network topology change happen.