VRRP is normally employed for two different uses:
- In the simple backup case with two routers, one device under normal operation establishes the connection to the Internet. The second device is only operated in wait mode as a "standby device" and takes over the function of the main router should it fail.
- In the second case, two or more devices function parallel to each other as routers in the same network and distribute the incoming data connections using static load balancing. If one of these devices fails, the other router in the group can take over the failed device's functions.