Tunnels are used by many different technologies to solve different network challenges, and the resulting variety of tunnel types makes it difficult to determine which tunneling technique to use. The different carrier protocols can be grouped according to the OSI layer model. The table below shows the different carrier protocols grouped by OSI layer. Below the table, each carrier protocol is defined, and if the tunnel configuration is not covered within this module, a link to the appropriate module is included.
Table 1 |
Carrier Protocol by OSI Layer |
Layer |
Carrier Protocol |
2 |
-
PPPoA--Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) over ATM
-
PPPoE--PPP over Ethernet
-
UDLR--Unidirectional link routing
|
3 |
-
BSTUN--Block Serial Tunneling
-
CLNS--Connectionless Network Service (CLNS)
-
GRE--Generic routing encapsulation
-
IP-in-IP--Internet Protocol encapsulated within IP
-
IPsec--IP Security
-
IPv6--IP version 6
-
L2F--Layer 2 Forwarding
-
L2TP--Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
-
MPLS--Multiprotocol Label Switching
-
PPTP--Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
-
STUN--Serial Tunneling
|
4 |
-
DLSw+--Data-link switching plus
-
RBSCP--Rate-Based Satellite Control Protocol
-
SSL--Secure Socket Layer
|
BSTUN
A Block Serial Tunnel (BSTUN) enables support for devices using the Bisync data-link protocol. This protocol enables enterprises to transport Bisync traffic over the same network that supports their Systems Network Architecture (SNA) and multiprotocol traffic, eliminating the need for separate Bisync facilities.
For more details about configuring BSTUN, see the "Configuring Serial Tunnel and Block Serial Tunnel" module in the Cisco IOS Bridging and IBM Networking Configuration Guide.
CLNS
The ISO Connectionless Network Service (CLNS) protocol is a standard for the network layer of the OSI model. IP traffic can be transported over CLNS; for instance, on the data communications channel (DCC) of a SONET ring. An IP over CLNS tunnel (CTunnel) is a virtual interface that enhances interactions with CLNS networks, allowing IP packets to be tunneled through the Connectionless Network Protocol (CLNP) to preserve TCP/IP services. CLNS can also be used as a transport protocol with GRE as a carrier protocol (GRE/CLNS), carrying both IPv4 and IPv6 packets.
DLSw+
Data-link switching plus (DLSw+) is Cisco's implementation of the DLSw standard for Systems Network Architecture (SNA) and NetBIOS devices, and it supports several additional features and enhancements. DLSw+ is a means of transporting SNA and NetBIOS traffic over a campus or WAN. The end systems can attach to the network over Token Ring, Ethernet, Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC), Qualified Logical Link Control (QLLC), or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI). DLSw+ switches between diverse media and locally terminates the data links, keeping acknowledgments, keepalives, and polling off the WAN.
For more details about configuring DLSw+, see the "Configuring Data-Link Switching Plus" module in the Cisco IOS Bridging and IBM Networking Configuration Guide .
GRE
Generic routing encapsulation (GRE) is defined in RFC 2784. GRE is a carrier protocol that can be used with a variety of underlying transport protocols, and GRE can carry a variety of passenger protocols. RFC 2784 also covers the use of GRE with IPv4 as the transport protocol and the passenger protocol. Cisco IOS software supports GRE as the carrier protocol with many combinations of passenger and transport protocols.
For more details about GRE, see the Generic Routing Encapsulation.
IP-in-IP
IP-in-IP is a Layer 3 tunneling protocol--defined in RFC 2003--that alters the normal routing of an IP packet by encapsulating it within another IP header. The encapsulating header specifies the address of a router that would not ordinarily be selected as a next-hop router on the basis of the real destination address of the packet. The intermediate node decapsulates the packet, which is then routed to the destination as usual.
IPsec
In simple terms, IP Security (IPsec) provides secure tunnels between two peers, such as two routers. You define which packets are considered sensitive and should be sent through these secure tunnels, and you define the parameters that should be used to protect these packets by specifying characteristics of these tunnels. IPsec peers set up a secure tunnel and encrypt the packets that traverse the tunnel to the remote peer.
IPsec also works with the GRE and IP-in-IP, L2F, L2TP, and DLSw+ tunneling protocols; however, multipoint tunnels are not supported. Other Layer 3 tunneling protocols may not be supported for use with IPsec.
For more details about configuring IPSec, see the "Configuring Security for VPNs with IPSec" module in the Cisco IOS Security Configuration Guide.
IPv6
IP version 6 (IPv6) is a new version of the Internet Protocol based on and designed as the successor to IP version 4. IPv6 adds a much larger address space--128 bits--and improvements such as a simplified main header and extension headers. IPv6 is described initially in RFC 2460, Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) . The use of IPv6 as a carrier protocol is described in RFC 2473, Generic Packet Tunneling in IPv6 Specification .
L2F
Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F) tunneling is used in virtual private dialup networks (VPDNs). A VPDN allows separate and autonomous protocol domains to share common access infrastructure including modems, access servers, and ISDN routers by the tunneling of link-level (Layer 2) frames. Typical L2F tunneling use includes Internet service providers (ISPs) or other access service creating virtual tunnels to link to remote customer sites or remote users with corporate intranet or extranet networks.
L2TP
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is an open standard created by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that uses the best features of L2F and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). L2TP is designed to secure the transmission of IP packets across uncontrolled and untrusted network domains, and it is an important component of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). VPNs extend remote access to users over a shared infrastructure while maintaining the same security and management policies as a private network.
For more details about configuring L2TP, see the Cisco IOS Dial Technologies Configuration Guide.
MPLS
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a high-performance packet forwarding technology that integrates the performance and traffic management capabilities of data-link-layer (Layer 2) switching with the scalability, flexibility, and performance of network-layer (Layer 3) routing. The MPLS architecture has been designed to allow data to be transferred over any combination of Layer 2 technologies, to support all Layer 3 protocols, and to scale. Using CEF, MPLS can efficiently enable the delivery of IP services over an ATM switched network. MPLS is an integration of Layer 2 and Layer 3 technologies. By making traditional Layer 2 features available to Layer 3, MPLS enables traffic engineering.
For more details about how MPLS traffic engineering uses tunnels, see the Cisco IOS Multiprotocol Label Switching Configuration Guide.
PPPoA
PPP over ATM (PPPoA) is mainly implemented as part of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). It relies on RFC 1483, operating in either Logical Link Control-Subnetwork Access Protocol (LLC-SNAP) or VC-Mux mode. A customer premises equipment (CPE) device encapsulates the PPP session based on this RFC for transport across the ADSL loop and the digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).
PPPoE
RFC 2516 defines PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) as providing the ability to connect a network of hosts over a simple bridging access device to a remote access concentrator or aggregation concentrator. As customers deploy ADSL, they must support PPP-style authentication and authorization over a large installed base of legacy bridging customer premises equipment (CPE). Using a form of tunneling encapsulation, PPPoE allows each host to use its own PPP stack, thus presenting the user with a familiar user interface. Access control, billing, and type of service (ToS) can be done on a per-user, rather than a per-site, basis.
For more details about configuring PPPoE, see the Cisco IOS Broadband Access Aggregation and DSL Configuration Guide.
PPTP
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is a network protocol that enables the secure transfer of data from a remote client enterprise server by creating a VPN across TCP/IP data networks. PPTP supports on-demand, multiprotocol virtual private networking over public networks such as the Internet.
RBSCP
Rate-Based Satellite Control Protocol (RBSCP) was designed for wireless or long-distance delay links with high error rates, such as satellite links. Using tunnels, RBSCP can improve the performance of certain IP protocols, such as TCP and IP Security (IPsec), over satellite links without breaking the end-to-end model.
SSL Tunnels
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is designed to make use of TCP sessions to provide a reliable end-to-end secure service. The main role of SSL is to provide security for web traffic. Security includes confidentiality, message integrity, and authentication. SSL achieves these elements of security through the use of cryptography, digital signatures, and certificates. SSL protects confidential information through the use of cryptography. Sensitive data is encrypted across public networks to achieve a level of confidentiality.
SSL is implemented using the Cisco Application and Content Networking System (ACNS). For more details about configuring SSL, see the latest Cisco ACNS Software Deployment and Configuration Guide .
STUN
Cisco's Serial Tunneling (STUN) implementation allows Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) protocol devices and High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC) devices to connect to one another through a multiprotocol internetwork rather than through a direct serial link. STUN encapsulates SDLC frames in either the TCP/IP or the HDLC protocol. STUN provides a straight passthrough of all SDLC traffic (including control frames, such as Receiver Ready) end-to-end between Systems Network Architecture (SNA) devices.
For more details about configuring STUN, see the "Configuring Serial Tunnel and Block Serial Tunnel" module in the Cisco IOS Bridging and IBM Networking Configuration Guide .
UDLR Tunnels
Unidirectional link routing (UDLR) provides mechanisms for a router to emulate a bidirectional link to enable the routing of unicast and multicast packets over a physical unidirectional interface, such as a broadcast satellite link. However, there must be a back channel or other path between the routers that share a physical unidirectional link (UDL). A UDLR tunnel is a mechanism for unicast and multicast traffic; Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) UDLR is a related technology for multicast traffic.
For more details, see Cisco IOS IP Multicast Configuration Guide.