MPLS
What is MPLS?

MPLS, or Multiprotocol Label Switching, is a type of networking technology that is commonly used in modern-day telecommunications. MPLS is a way of routing network traffic across telecommunication networks by using labels instead of IP addresses. It can be used with any networking protocol, including Ethernet, ATM, and Frame Relay.

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  • MPLS explained
  • How does MPLS work?
  • Pros and cons of MPLS
  • MPLS vs SD‑WAN
MPLS explained
An MPLS label is 32 bits in length.
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MPLS explained

MPLS was developed in the 1990s to accelerate network traffic. Unlike traditional network protocols that use source and destination addresses to route traffic, MPLS adds labels to network traffic to send packets along predetermined network paths, eliminating the need for routers to perform time-consuming route lookups for each packet and allows for faster packet forwarding.

MPLS also provides a high level of scalability as it can support large numbers of network nodes and can be used with a variety of network protocols. MPLS is often used to connect branch offices to the corporate data center. It operates at an OSI layer, often referred as layer "2.5", between layer 2 (data link layer) and layer 3 (network layer).

Related topics

Secure SD-WAN

SSE (Security Service Edge)

Intelligent Edge