Encapsulation Protocols ============================ These protocols play key roles in network communication by encapsulating data for transmission across various network mediums and infrastructures. .. toctree:: :maxdepth: 1 :hidden: :includehidden: PPPoE PPP GRE MPLS .. list-table:: :widths: 20 60 20 :header-rows: 1 * - Protocol - Description - Use Case * - PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) - Encapsulates PPP frames within Ethernet frames, enabling ISPs to manage individual subscriber sessions over a shared Ethernet infrastructure. PPPoE supports authentication protocols (PAP, CHAP), IP address assignment, and session management. *Widely used for broadband Internet access via DSL lines.* - DSL broadband subscriber management * - PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) - A data link protocol that encapsulates network layer packets for transmission over serial links. Supports authentication, compression, and encryption. *Common for dial-up and VPN links.* - Dial-up and VPN connections * - GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) - Encapsulates a variety of network layer protocols over IP, enabling the creation of VPN tunnels between networks. *Useful for connecting remote sites securely.* - VPN tunneling and site-to-site links * - MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) - Uses labels to encapsulate and route packets efficiently through complex networks. *Supports quality of service (QoS) and traffic engineering.* - WANs and service provider networks .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) **RFC:** RFC 2516 **Main Features:** - Encapsulates PPP frames within Ethernet frames - Supports authentication protocols like PAP and CHAP - Enables per-user session identification and accounting - Operates on standard Ethernet (Layer 2) - Provides dynamic IP address assignment - Used by ISPs for subscriber session management **Use Cases:** - DSL broadband subscriber authentication and management - Session-based IP address leasing by ISPs - Accounting and usage-based billing for residential internet - Point-to-point virtual connections over Ethernet infrastructure **Alternative Protocols:** - IPoE (IP over Ethernet) – A simpler alternative without PPP overhead - L2TP – For tunneling PPP over IP networks in broadband aggregation - 802.1X + RADIUS – Secure enterprise authentication at Layer 2 - DHCP + VLANs – For IP provisioning with logical segmentation .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: What You Will Learn in This Section **Let us learn more about PPPoE:** * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`PPPoE Version&RFC Details ` * :ref:`PPPoE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`PPPoE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`PPPoE Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`PPPoE Usecases ` * :ref:`PPPoE Basic Features ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Encapsulation ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Authentication ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Session Establishment ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Dynamic IP Assignment ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Bandwidth Management ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Error Detection ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Support for IPv4&IPv6 ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Accounting ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Compatiblity ` * :ref:`PPPoE Feature : Scablity ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. button-link:: ./PPPoE.html :color: primary :shadow: :expand: Jump to "PPPoE" .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) **RFC:** RFC 1661 **Main Features:** - Encapsulates Layer 3 protocols over point-to-point links - Supports authentication (PAP, CHAP) - Includes error detection and framing - Optional compression and encryption - Multi-protocol support (e.g., IP, IPX, AppleTalk) - Link negotiation and teardown mechanisms **Use Cases:** - Dial-up modem internet access - Point-to-point leased lines (ISDN, serial links) - Tunneling PPP over IP networks (e.g., PPP over L2TP) - Remote user VPN and secure access **Alternative Protocols:** - HDLC – Simpler point-to-point encapsulation - SLIP – Outdated protocol replaced by PPP - L2TP – Encapsulates PPP for tunneling - Ethernet – For LAN and broadband access .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: What You Will Learn in This Section **Let us learn more about PPP:** * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`PPP FAQs ` * :ref:`PPP Version&IEEE Details ` * :ref:`PPP Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`PPP Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`PPP Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`PPP Usecases ` * :ref:`PPP Basic Features ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. button-link:: ./PPP.html :color: primary :shadow: :expand: Jump to "PPP" .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) **RFC:** RFC 2784, RFC 2890 **Main Features:** - Encapsulates any Layer 3 protocol over IP - Adds GRE and IP headers to original packet - Stateless and simple configuration - Optional support for keys and sequence numbers - Transports multicast, IPv6, or non-IP traffic over IPv4 - Creates virtual point-to-point tunnels **Use Cases:** - Site-to-site VPN tunneling - Connecting remote networks across the Internet - Carrying multicast across incompatible networks - Overlay networking in hybrid cloud setups **Alternative Protocols:** - IPsec Tunnel Mode – Adds encryption and authentication - L2TP – Provides Layer 2 tunneling with PPP support - VXLAN – For encapsulating Layer 2 over Layer 3 in data centers - WireGuard / OpenVPN – Secure alternatives for tunneling .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: What You Will Learn in This Section **Let us learn more about GRE:** * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`GRE FAQs ` * :ref:`GRE Version&IEEE Details ` * :ref:`GRE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`GRE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`GRE Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`GRE Usecases ` * :ref:`GRE Basic Features ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. button-link:: ./GRE.html :color: primary :shadow: :expand: Jump to "GRE" .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) **RFC:** RFC 3031 **Main Features:** - Forwards packets based on short labels, not IP headers - Sits between Layer 2 and Layer 3 (Layer 2.5) - Supports QoS, traffic engineering, and VPN services - Efficient for large-scale networks with fast failover - Works with IP, Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay backbones - Label-Switched Paths (LSPs) simplify routing logic **Use Cases:** - ISP and enterprise core networks - Layer 3 VPNs for enterprise interconnection - QoS-sensitive services like VoIP and video - Highly available, low-latency paths with redundancy **Alternative Protocols:** - SD-WAN – Internet-based alternative to MPLS - Segment Routing (SR-MPLS/SRv6) – Simpler MPLS evolution - IP Routing + DiffServ – For policy-driven routing - VXLAN + EVPN – For modern data center overlay networks .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: What You Will Learn in This Section **Let us learn more about MPLS:** * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`MPLS FAQs ` * :ref:`MPLS Version&IEEE Details ` * :ref:`MPLS Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`MPLS Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`MPLS Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`MPLS Usecases ` * :ref:`MPLS Basic Features ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. button-link:: ./MPLS.html :color: primary :shadow: :expand: Jump to "MPLS"