What is MPLS? (Multiprotocol Label Switching)

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a telecommunications network routing technique. When packets are sent across a network, they go through three different layers to reach their destination; MPLS bypasses one of the layers by applying MPLS labels to data packets.

A packet is a portion of data of a certain size for routing to a location. When a file such as an image is routed to its destination, it is divided into a data packet and when its delivered, it configures itself back into the original file.

When MPLS is in place and the packet first enters the network; it is assigned a label. Each router in the network is optimised to identify packets, classify them and then what action to take with them. With the label assigned, there is no need for the network to examine the full packet. So, rather than examining all data packets, the network makes a decision on routing based on the labels.

Using a MPLS solution enables businesses to use a faster, more efficient routing technique to send data which allows you to prioritise certain types of traffic such as voice.

Benefits of MPLS

• Connect Multiple Sites and Remote Workers
• Reduced Network Congestion
• Improve User Experience
• Optimise Bandwidth
• Minimal Downtime
• Easy to Migrate