The TCP/IP Guide  9  TCP/IP Lower-Layer (Interface, Internet and Transport) Protocols (OSI Layers 2, 3 and 4)       9  TCP/IP Network Interface Layer (OSI Data Link Layer) Protocols            9  TCP/IP Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)                 9  Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) 1 PPP Overview, History and Benefits

The problem with the Serial Line Internet Protocol was that it was too simple and didn't include enough features. As the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for”, especially when the complaint is too much simplicity. J The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) corrects the lack of features in SLIP, but you could figure out, without really trying, what the cost is: significantly more complexity. Where the operation of SLIP can be explained in a few paragraphs, PPP is much more involved, including a number of specific processes that need to be explained.

Before discussing the individual protocols that comprise PPP, I want to take a high-level look at the protocol suite. I start with an overview, history and discussion of the benefits of PPP. I provide a high-level breakdown of the main components of the PPP suite, and a general description of how PPP operates. I then describe the steps involved in setting up and configuring a link, and the phases a PPP link passes through during its “lifetime”. Finally, I categorize and list the standards that define different aspects of PPP's functionality.

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) 1 PPP Overview, History and Benefits