Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Well, I have my new Windows 2000 Advanced Server up and running, specifically to take a look at the terminal services, but I did notice the slick "use IPSEC button" in the networking setup. Cool me thinks, but hey wait a minute WTF.It turns out that this little "feature" is a combination of IPSEC and L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol.) Now it works, but it also adds on average 10% network overhead. That is a significant amount. What is the L2TP for? Yes, its a tunneling protocol but someone please explain to me why it is used in the year 2000? Tunneling what? If you are using IP why do you need a tunnel, this is a double tunnel. IP inside IP? What? Now if you need to tunnel another protocol, dont get upset with me, get to work and fix your network. I dont want to go out on a limb here, but I am willing o predict that TCPIP will be very popular and adaptable in the next last few years and beyond (sarcasm and paradox intended.)After all that, the real problem begins not with slower, saturated, wasted bandwidth laden networks, but because every vendor in the world is now scrambling to ADD L2TP (which is NOT a good thing) to their VPN implementations. Some new specs for IPSEC (which is admittedly not yet fully interoperable) are encouraging and may have avoided this issue altogether. But NO! Microsoft in a rush to market has adopted an inferior technology that will now be thrust upon us for years to come just because "its in there." Yep, ever hear of NetBIOS or WINS (not a Microsoft invention either, but how many OTHER NetBIOS implementations have you done?!?)Check out the Network Fusion linked article for further details and more and more ranting.Mini-Rant-ReviewSide Note* I actually really LIKE what I have seen of Win2K so far (which is mostly peripheral, I have not gotten into technical details to any degree, yet.) I just cant imagine anyone actually PAYING what they want for it (outrageous, especially if you include the CALs.) I also cant believe the new really stupid this copy does 2 (Server) processors this one does 4 (Advanced), this one does 8 (DataCenter) and so on licensing scheme. Add to that the fact that the 2 processor version can do 4 IF YOU UPGRADE, and the 4 can do 8 and so on again, what kind of stupid crap is this?? Sorry, but this is ludicrous, make a product pick a price and get on with it! This is not only confusing but it actually ENCOURAGES pirating. After all, who is going to buy the 8 processor version when they can use an old copy of NT with the 4 processor version to in essence get the more expensive product (and so on for all of them.) This will be a nightmare for some time to come. BAD IDEA MICROSOFT. Look for more comprehensive and technical reviews of Win2K on ToTSP sometime soon.   Win2K LT2P-IPSEC Article