Customer edge router
A customer edge (CE) router is the router at the customer's location that connects to the provider’s edge (PE) router in the service provider’s IP/MPLS network.
How it works:
- The CE may connect to the PE to use L3VPN services by exchanging routes with the PE’s VRF, or it may connect to use an L2VPN service provided by the provider.
Routing options:
- The CE can use static routes or dynamic routing protocols, such as OSPF (an interior gateway protocol) or BGP (an exterior gateway protocol).
Who owns it:
- The CE router can be owned by the customer or by the service provider.
Home broadband note:
- In residential broadband, ISPs often use MPLS inside their network to carry your traffic to the core and back to their edge. In this case, the customer’s router is usually called customer premises equipment (CPE), typically a Layer 3 routing device, though CE router is also correct.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:42 (CET).