MPLS - Multiprotocol Label Switching.

Multi-protocol - MPLS can be used to route data packets regardless of which protocols are being used, in the same way that Christmas wrapping paper (with labels!) can be applied to anything from a teddy bear to a PlayStation. So MPLS can be applied to Ethernet frames to allow a point-to-point layer 2 circuit to be set up over an MPLS network. MPLS can also be applied to IP traffic too.

Why MPLS networks are used and how they are used. Why they're often used in place of VPNs and how MPLS is used in traffic engineering.

UK-based MPLS provider spills the beans on some of the things you're not being told.

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is an approach to routing data through a network, primarily by relying on labels affixed to packets, rather than by inspecting packets' contents, except at the network's edges.

When packets enter an MPLS network, any packets that are not immediately discarded have one or more labels added to them. As these labelled packets pass through the MPLS network, 'label switch routers' within the network examine the outer-most label. These routers can add, swap or remove labels.

The differences between SD-WAN and MPLS WAN are centralised control, deep packet inspection, the role of network providers, connection bonding, integration of traffic shaping/blocking, internet-related performance issues, hardware costs and technology maturity.

hSo

Founded in 2000, hSo is a carrier-independent MPLS provider that delivers networking, cloud and IT security services.

We can combine circuits from a wide range of UK network operators, including BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and Colt, to create a single MPLS network that can support both voice and data services.

Learn more about hSo's MPLS WAN services.

MPLS has many advantages. It can improve network utilisation, deliver consistent network performance, obscure the underlying complexity of your network and make large-scale changes easier to implement. Other MPLS advantages include reduced network congestion, increased uptime and the ability to create scalable VPNs.