A common discussion I hear among seasoned network geeks and newbies alike is what is different between the ideas of tagging/labeling, tunnels, and “regular” encapsulation. Usually the newbies are trying to grok the entire concept while the old hands are trying to wing curveball exception cases at one another. While it seems nothing is absolute in networking and the astute engineer can always find a case that violates the usual rules, here are the working definitions I use which I think are right for about 98% of cases.
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