VPN Protocols
The three most popular tunneling protocols used for VPNs are Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), and Internet Protocol Security (IPSec).
> PPTP is a Microsoft-designed protocol that can handle IP, and AppleTalk packets. PPTP is
included with Windows, starting with Windows 95, and is also supported by all versions of
Windows servers.
> L2TP will probably become the most widely supported tunneling protocol because it operates at
layer 2 of the OSI model, and thus can handle all layer 3 protocols, such as IP, IPX, and
AppleTalk.
> IPSec while probably the most secure tunneling protocol, seems to be most popular for LAN-to-
LAN VPNs and for UNIX-oriented VPNs, due to its reliance on IP. IPSec is a layer 3 protocol and
is limited to handling only IP traffic.
The three most popular tunneling protocols used for VPNs are Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), and Internet Protocol Security (IPSec).
> PPTP is a Microsoft-designed protocol that can handle IP, and AppleTalk packets. PPTP is
included with Windows, starting with Windows 95, and is also supported by all versions of
Windows servers.
> L2TP will probably become the most widely supported tunneling protocol because it operates at
layer 2 of the OSI model, and thus can handle all layer 3 protocols, such as IP, IPX, and
AppleTalk.
> IPSec while probably the most secure tunneling protocol, seems to be most popular for LAN-to-
LAN VPNs and for UNIX-oriented VPNs, due to its reliance on IP. IPSec is a layer 3 protocol and
is limited to handling only IP traffic.
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