tunnelsende

Tunnelsende is a term used in information technology to describe the practice of sending data through a tunnel—an encapsulated path that connects two endpoints over an intermediate network. The tunnel creates a logical link that can traverse networks that would normally be unable to communicate directly, providing privacy, security, and protocol compatibility.

In networking, tunneling encapsulates a payload inside another protocol header, so the original packet travels within a "tunnel" to its destination. Tunnels are widely used for virtual private networks, remote access, or connecting separate networks across public networks. Common tunneling technologies include IPsec, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE), and SSL/TLS or SSH-based tunnels. WireGuard is another modern tunnel protocol.

Tunnels can operate at different layers and configurations. They may be site-to-site or remote-access, and they can be transport mode (where only the payload is encapsulated) or tunnel mode (where the entire IP packet is encapsulated). They can be unidirectional or bidirectional and may use encryption to ensure confidentiality and integrity.

Security considerations include the need for strong authentication, proper key management, and protection against tunnel leaks or misconfiguration. Performance concerns include additional header overhead and potential latency, as well as MTU fragmentation.

Tunnelsende is thus a foundational concept in modern networking, enabling secure connections over untrusted networks and the seamless integration of disparate networks.