A provider edge router (PE router) is a
router between one
network service provider's area and areas administered by other network providers. A network provider is usually an
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...
as well (or only that).
The term ''PE router'' covers equipment capable of a broad range of
routing
Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a Network theory, network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched ...
protocols, notably:
*
Border Gateway Protocol
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a standardized exterior gateway protocol designed to exchange routing and reachability information among autonomous systems (AS) on the Internet. BGP is classified as a path-vector routing protocol, and it ...
(BGP) (PE to PE or PE to CE communication)
*
Open Shortest Path First
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It uses a link state routing (LSR) algorithm and falls into the group of interior gateway protocols (IGPs), operating within a single Autonomous syste ...
(OSPF) (PE to
CE router communication)
*
Multiprotocol Label Switching
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a routing technique in telecommunications networks that directs data from one node to the next based on labels rather than network addresses. Whereas network addresses identify endpoints, the labels iden ...
(MPLS) (CE to PE (
ingress eLSR) or PE to CE (
egress eLSR),
also PE to P (and visa versa))
PE routers do not need to be aware of what kind of traffic is coming from the provider's network, as opposed to a
P router that functions as a transit within the service provider's network. However, some PE routers also do labelling.
See also
*
Customer edge router
*
Provider router
References
Routers (computing)
MPLS networking
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