Question

Difficulty: MediumVirtual Private Networks and Remote Access Security

A network engineer is configuring a remote access Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution using Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol over IPsec (L2TP/IPsec) for corporate users. Which of the following technical characteristics and operational requirements correctly apply to this deployment? (Select TWO.)

  1. L2TP relies on the IPsec Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) protocol to provide payload confidentiality and encryption.Answer
  2. The initial Internet Key Exchange (IKE) negotiation phase operates over UDP port 500.Answer
  3. C
    L2TP provides native payload encryption over TCP port 443 without requiring additional security headers.
  4. D
    L2TP frame encapsulation operates over connection-oriented TCP port 1701 to guarantee reliable transport.

Answer

L2TP relies on IPsec ESP for encryption, and the initial IKE key exchange negotiation phase operates over UDP port 500.
L2TP provides multi-protocol tunneling mechanisms but relies on IPsec ESP to encrypt packet contents. Furthermore, IPsec uses IKE over UDP port 500 to establish the initial security associations necessary for secure communication.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the encryption architecture of L2TP/IPsec.
Identify that L2TP handles Layer 2 frame tunneling but relies on IPsec (specifically ESP) for encryption and integrity.
L2TP lacks built-in cryptographic mechanisms.
2
Analyze the port requirements for IPsec phase 1 negotiation.
Confirm that IKE uses UDP port 500 for authentication and key exchange.
UDP port 500 is the standard port for establishing IKE Security Associations.
3
Evaluate distractor protocols and transport modes.
Reject the statements asserting TCP port 443 usage for native L2TP encryption and TCP port 1701 for encapsulation.
L2TP uses UDP port 1701 for tunneling, lacks native encryption, and TCP port 443 is used by SSTP/SSL VPNs.

Key Concept

L2TP/IPsec VPN Protocol Requirements and Port Usage
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