IS IPSEC FEATURE REQUIRED IN THE CUSTOMER EDGE ROUTER ?

it depends.

MPLS doesnt need IPsec or any other tunnelling to work, and the edge router only needs simple IP forwarding - all that label stuff happens in the network core, on the PE and P routers.

if this is a "private" MPLS service, and you dont consider the risk of the carrier tapping the traffic a big problem then no security is needed.

The Q you didnt ask is whether you should use encryption - you dont have to but you can if you want (the same answer as for a VPN across the Internet really).

Thank you so much really, you gave me a great answer, just one thing more raised up in my mine

what about the voice cpmression across MPLS ?

thanks again

ConceptZone

stephen wrote:

Thank you so much really, you gave me a great answer, just one thing more raised up in my mine

what about the voice cpmression across MPLS ?

thanks again

ConceptZone

stephen wrote:

voice compression in IP? - its just IP......

headers (for voice specifically because it is lots of small packets) - see below

can you do data (not just voice) compression across a serial link? - yes - but most carriers (at least here in UK) dont because: they sell bandwidth for a living the hit on the aggregation / PE router for processing is painful.

Also data compression gives a "variable return" - in particular the more pre processing (compression, encryption), the less the improvement in thruput. Try writing that into an SLA.......