Different network devices

Linux IPv6 HOWTO (en)
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# 5.1. Different network devices

On a node, there exist different network devices. They can be collected in classes

- Physically bounded, like eth0, tr0

- Virtually existing, like ppp0, tun0, tap0, sit0, isdn0, ippp0

## 5.1.1. Physically bounded

Physically bounded interfaces like Ethernet or Token-Ring are normal ones and need no special treatment.

## 5.1.2. Virtually bounded

Virtually bounded interfaces always need special support

### 5.1.2.1. IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel interfaces

These interfaces are normally named sitx. The name sit is a shortcut for Simple Internet Transition. This device has the capability to encapsulate IPv6 packets into IPv4 ones and tunnel them to a foreign endpoint.

sit0 has a special meaning and cannot be used for dedicated tunnels.

### 5.1.2.2. PPP interfaces

PPP interfaces get their IPv6 capability from an IPv6 enabled PPP daemon.

### 5.1.2.3. ISDN HDLC interfaces

IPv6 capability for HDLC with encapsulation ip is already built-in in the kernel

### 5.1.2.4. ISDN PPP interfaces

ISDN PPP interfaces (ippp) aren't IPv6 enabled by kernel. Also there are also no plans to do that because in kernel 2.5.+ they will be replaced by a more generic ppp interface layer.

### 5.1.2.5. SLIP + PLIP

Like mentioned earlier, this interfaces don't support IPv6 transport (sending is OK, but dispatching on receiving don't work).

### 5.1.2.6. Ether-tap device

Ether-tap devices are IPv6-enabled and also stateless configured. For use, the module “ethertap” has to be loaded before.

### 5.1.2.7. tun devices

Currently not tested by me.

### 5.1.2.8. ATM

01/2002: Aren't currently supported by vanilla kernel, supported by USAGI extension

### 5.1.2.9. Others

Did I forget an interface?...

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