The customer edge (CE) router generally refers to the router at the customer premises that is interconnected with the
provider edge (PE) router of a service provider's
IP/
MPLS
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 identi ...
network.
The CE router may peer with the PE router and exchanges routes with the corresponding
VRF inside the PE for
L3VPN services, or it may be connected to utilise
L2VPN service provided by the provider. The routing protocol used could be static or dynamic (an
interior gateway protocol
An interior gateway protocol (IGP) or interior routing protocol is a type of routing protocol used for exchanging routing table information between gateways (commonly routers) ''within'' an autonomous system (for example, a system of corpor ...
like
OSPF
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 sys ...
or an exterior gateway protocol like
BGP
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a standardized exterior gateway protocol designed to exchange routing and reachability information among autonomous system (Internet), autonomous systems (AS) on the Internet. BGP is classified as a path-vect ...
).
The customer edge router can either be owned by the customer or service provider.
Residential broadband
In the case of residential broadband internet services, the service provider or ISP, will often use MPLS internally to transport the broadband customer's layer 2 traffic over the MPLS core, back to their
BNGs. In this case, the customer's router can be referred to as a ''
customer premises equipment
In telecommunications, a customer-premises equipment or customer-provided equipment (CPE) is any terminal and associated equipment located at a subscriber's premises and connected with a carrier's telecommunication circuit at the demarcation po ...
'' (''CPE'') ''device'',
where CPE is typically a layer 3 routing device; however, CE router is also valid.
See also
*
Provider edge router
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 as well (or only that).
The term ''PE rout ...
*
Provider router
In Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), a P router or provider router is a label switch router (LSR) that functions as a transit router of the core network. The P router is typically connected to one or more PE routers.
Here's one scenario: A c ...
References
Further reading
*
Routers (computing)
MPLS networking
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