MPLS Basics

[georgecharlesk]

Could you please tell me whether MPLS VPN's are Layer 2 VPN or Layer 3?

[jmia]

You can have MPLS L2 & L3 VPNs. More info can be found here:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/732/Tech/mpls/

Hope this helps,

Jay

[Harold Ritter]

MPLS VPN refers to L3VPN. There is other Cisco terminology for L2VPN such as AToM or EoMPLS.

Hope this helps,

[crahbari]

There are both layer 3 (MPLS over an IP network), and layer 2 MPLS ( MPLS over FR or ATM network). MPLS itself is considered to provide a layer 2 type of security whether it is carried over a layer 3 or a layer 2 network.

[mithil_r]

Hi George,

The most significant difference is in how PE-CE router relations are handled. In a Layer 2 MPLS VPN, the PE router is not a peer to the CE router and does not maintain separate routing tables. Rather, it simply maps incoming Layer 2 traffic onto the appropriate point-to-point tunnel. The result is best described as an "overlay" model as opposed to the Layer 3 "peer" model.

Check this link for more clarification:

http://www.foundrynet.com/solutions/appNotes/MPLS_L3vsL2.html#i