A network device identifies an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) link between the network device and a layer 2 network as one of a point-to-multipoint over broadcast interface or a point-to-multipoint over non-broadcast multi access (NBMA) interface, and performs database synchronization and neighbor discovery and maintenance using one of a broadcast model or a NBMA model. The network device also generates a link-state advertisement for the network device, where the link-state advertisement includes a separate link description for each point-to-point link within the layer 2 network; and sends the link-state advertisement to each fully adjacent neighbor in the layer 2 network.