L2TPv3

<p>Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol version 3 is an <a href="/facts/IETF/tIcCsFhX">IETF</a> standard related to <a href="/facts/Layer_2_Tunneling_Protocol/50sRGptx">L2TP</a> that can be used as an alternative protocol to <a href="/facts/Multiprotocol_Label_Switching/k7cx1PWw">Multiprotocol Label Switching</a> (MPLS) for <a href="/facts/Encapsulation_(networking)/xttAQnu0">encapsulation</a> of <a href="/facts/Multiprotocol_Encapsulation/kmEStPS4">multiprotocol</a> <a href="/facts/Layer_2/K9yPufbt">Layer 2</a> communications traffic over <a href="/facts/Internet_Protocol/Qq6VeEal">IP</a> networks. Like L2TP, L2TPv3 provides a <a href="/facts/Pseudo-wire/7yEkTGCj">pseudo-wire</a> service, but scaled to fit carrier requirements.
</p><p>L2TPv3 can be regarded as being to MPLS what IP is to <a href="/facts/Asynchronous_Transfer_Mode/SzA8ewFL">ATM</a>: a simplified version of the same concept, with much of the same benefit achieved at a fraction of the effort, at the cost of losing some technical features considered less important in the market. In the case of L2TPv3, the features lost are <a href="/facts/Teletraffic_engineering/vTKnPRfs">teletraffic engineering</a> features considered important in MPLS. However, there is no reason these features could not be re-engineered in or on top of L2TPv3 in later products. The <a href="/facts/Communications_protocol/5uady7cB">protocol</a> <a href="/facts/Engineering_overhead/5FeIRFG8">overhead</a> of L2TPv3 is also significantly bigger than MPLS.
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L2TPv3 open-in-new

L2TPv3