PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet)

PP.1 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 Types of Point to Point
Protocols

• SLIP over async

– Very simple
– IP only
– Unreliable - no checksum
• HDLC over sync
– various proprietary versions
– frames have checksum
• PPP
• PPPoE

PP.2 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPP

• “SLIP done right”

• Used for synchronous and asynchronous
transmission
• Extended negotiation mechanism
• Multiple protocol support

PP.3 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPP

PP.4 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPP and OSI model

IPCP IPXCP others Network Layer

PPP Network Control Protocol Data Link Layer

LCP - Link Control Protocol

Synchronous or Asynchronous Physical Media Physical Layer

PP.5 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 LCP Configuration Options

Feature Protocol
Authentication PAP, CHAP
Compression Stacker, ..
Error Detection Quality
Multilink MPPP

PP.6 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PAP/CHAP

• PAP
– Password required
– Unencrypted password sent via the link
– Allows storage of encrypted passwords
• CHAP
– Challenge handshake
– No passwords sent via the link
– Need for storing unencrypted secrets

PP.7 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 Multilink PPP

• Combining physical links into one logical

bundle
• Result: higher speed and lower latency
• MPPP / Bonding
– MPPP assembles/disassembles frames on the Data
Link Layer
– MPPP used for synchronous and asynchronous
physical links
– Bonding assembles/disassembles on the bit level

PP.8 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

PP.9 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• PPP designed for serial communications

• Now adapted to Ethernet called PPP over
Ethernet (PPPoE)
• Since PPP was designed to do things that
were either impossible or unnecessary with
Ethernet, users are often confused as to why
one would want to use PPP over Ethernet at
all

PP.10 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• Compare TCP/IP traffic to vehicle traffic

– Basic TCP/IP protocol would be comparable to a
network of city streets
– Streets can serve many access points
– It is easy to get on to and off of the street
– Additional access points can be added with little
disruption
– It is hard to tell how many cars are actually using each
street

PP.11 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• PPP, on the other hand, would be

comparable to a railway
– Travel is generally between two well defined
points
– You can't get on and off anywhere
– It is relatively easy to count and monitor
passengers
– You need a ticket to board.

PP.12 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• If this is true, then isn't PPPoE like running

railway tracks down main street?
• In fact, yes, it is.
– That is what tramways do
– Without disturbing main street traffic, they bring
the advantages of railways
– They offer speedy access between two well
defined points and allow you to count passengers
– And you need a ticket to board.

PP.13 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• PPP over Ethernet brings this sort of

functionality to ISPs that do not use serial
links to connect their users
• Serial ISPs already use PPP over modem
communications

PP.14 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• DSL providers on the other hand use

Ethernet, not serial communications
– Because of this, many require the added
functionality of PPP over Ethernet, which
allows them to secure communications through
the use of user logins and have the ability to
measure the volume of traffic each user
generates.

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 PPPoE

• At this time the only users of PPPoE seem

to be DSl Internet Access Providers
– Mostly Telcos and CLECS

PP.16 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• DSL providers that require the use of

PPPoE generally supply software to their
subscribers
– This is fine if you are connecting a single
computer to the Internet via DSL

PP.17 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• For users that connect an entire LAN to the

Internet via DSL, the software supplied by
the DSL provider may be insufficient
– There may be compatibility problems with the
router or Internet sharing software in use
between the LAN and the DSL connection
– You will need to consult your DSL provider

PP.18 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

• The PPoE standard requires that an additional

header be added to the beginning of each TCP/IP
packet
• This may cause the packet to become larger than
the maximum allowable size
• Some software solutions handle this transparently,
but some require you to modify the TCP/IP
settings on all of the client computers on the LAN

PP.19 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services
 PPPoE

PPPoE over a LAN

PP.20 CEENet ‘2000 - Understanding and using Remote Access and VPN services