Quoting Matt Palmer <mpalmer@hezmatt.org>:
On Fri, Sep 14, 2007 at 07:35:26AM +1000, Steven Haigh wrote:
From the web site: uvlan is a User-space Virtual Local Area Network. In other words, uvlan peers act as nodes on a network switch. Routing ethernet traffic between peers inteligently. Thus allowing for multiple networks to share resources and even IP address space. Some may call it a VPN (Virtual Private Network) application, but it's much more powerful. Differences with traditional VPN technology:
It's a VPN. None of these supposed "differences" are different from the fundamental characteristics of a VPN:
1. It is peer-to-peer
invoke_buzzword_of_the_month();
Yeah - I don't quite agree with this in the traditional P2P sense, however I think they mean that they can connect multiple sites and have data transit between them. I'll cut them a break here because it's hard to describe how it works in so few words :)
2. It doesn't require licensing
Plenty of VPN products out there are FOSS;
Yeah - I wasn't too sure about this either. I haven't seen any VPN software that requires licensing in years. I didn't know anyone still required this?
3. It is much simpler
Simpler than what?
Routing?
4. It operates at Layer-2 (Ethernet), VPNs generally operate at Layer-3 (IP)
Generally, perhaps, but it's not a requirement of the term "VPN" that it be an L3 transition.
Layer-2 applications like gaming can't be supported with Layer-3 tunneling.
Plenty of games can successfully use IP.
I was thinking more the case of joining lans. Obviously its not a solution for all causes, as anything with more than 5-10 nodes per site and more than 2-3 sites would get pretty ugly. I think a nice thing would be for things that can ONLY use a local LAN due to either software or developer restrictions.
From my understanding, this software is pretty much acting like a bridge, but with endpoints over a routed IP network.
Has anyone actually used this? Thoughts? Criticisms?
I haven't used this particular software, but I've used OpenVPN (software of the Gods, by gum) in it's L2 mode, and it's OK as long as you observe all of the usual restrictions on LAN-like traffic over a low-bandwidth, high-latency link. Most things that need to use Ethernet assume all sorts of things that just don't hold over the Internet, and it causes some painful hassles. But, engineered properly, in the correct circumstances, it can be handy to bridge two or more segments over a routed network.
I've used a lot of VPN stuff in the past, but I've usually always ended up doing it on a router, then had to NAT over it and all sorts of nasty stuff. I think this is a nicer solution if it could be implemented right :)
A criticism of uvlan in particular is that I wouldn't trust my network security to people who sound so clueless. Their derision of VPNs, as you quoted above, shows either a lack of sense or a blind hatred, using libpcap in this situation gave me some chuckles, and their "What algorithms are used?" page scares me a little. I'll stick with OpenVPN, myself.
I think it's come about of a case of wanting to do stuff that won't work properly over a routed network (xbox games etc) - however could be nicer for a lot more things.
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