How to recognise a MPLS multicast frame by MAC address?

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a routing technique which provides extra features for the data transport across the enterprise-wide area and service provider networks.

Summary

Detection rule 1

Each label-switching router (LSR) sets the MAC destination address to the value of 01:00:5E:8X:XX:XX, where X:XX:XX might be 0 or 20-bit value of one of the MPLS lables on the packet's label stack. If the value is 0, an LSR mustn't filter the packet, otherwise an LSR can filter packets in a random manner.

Detection rule 2

The address 01:00:5E:90:00:00 is reserved for the MPLS Transport Profile. According to RFC 7213, an MPLS-TP implementation must use this MAC address while passing any MPLS packets from a point-to-point Ethernet link to the MPLS sub-system.

References

• http://www.iana.org/go/rfc5332
• http://www.iana.org/go/rfc7213