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Secure Information Sharing for Layer 2 Networks
There was a time when Layer 2 was thought to be limited to LAN services, requiring a Layer 3 transport to
traverse the WAN. In fact, the bandwidth, flexibility and scalability advantages of Layer 3 drove the
development and broad adoption of Layer 3 WAN services.
However, recent improvements in both technology and hardware have made Layer 2 WAN services a viable, scalable and cost effective alternative to traditional WAN services. For those still using legacy LAN protocols, and there are many who do, the ability to transport LAN traffic across the corporate backbone is a welcomed feature extension. This technological advancement has helped to drive the increased usage of Layer 2 WAN services, allowing multiple geographically dispersed sites to appear as if they are on the same LAN.
There are multiple Layer 2 services available today, with the primary three being Metro-Ethernet, Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) and private Ethernet Line Services
Metro Ethernet is typically limited to metropolitan areas, typically connecting LANs or branches with a fiber ring. While some claim the Metro Ethernet can be extended to a larger geographic area, it is usually accomplished by backhauling the traffic over high-speed fiber.
VPLS is a Layer 2 version of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VLPS is a managed service offering which provides multi-protocol support over a fully meshed network.
Private Ethernet Line Services are basically point-to-point LAN services that allow users of ATM or Frame relay to connect sites over a private (or segmented) fiber connection. While this type of service is losing ground to Metro Ethernet and VPLS, it is still in use in many places.
While the networking advantages of Layer 2 WAN services have been met with approval, there are some major security deficiencies with Layer 2. These issues are discussed in the detail...
Read More - Download the entire whitepaper
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