CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes

CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes
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Sunday, October 27, 2024

Understanding GRE: How It Works, Benefits, Limitations, and Use Cases

 GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation)

Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) is a protocol that allows data packets to be transported over a network by wrapping one packet inside another:

How it works

GRE encapsulates a payload packet inside a GRE packet, which is then encapsulated in a transport protocol like IP. The packet is then redirected to an intermediary host, where it is de-encapsulated and routed to its final destination.

Benefits

GRE can simplify connections between separate networks and enable the use of protocols that are not normally supported by a network.

Limitations

GRE tunnels are stateless, meaning the tunnel's endpoint has no information about the far end. GRE also adds two headers to the packet, which could violate maximum transmission unit (MTU) rules.

Use cases

GRE tunnels are ideal for forwarding internet-bound traffic from a corporate network to a service.

GRE is similar to a VPN, but without encryption. It can be used to bypass open filtering systems, which hackers can use to set up distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

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