After PPP Multilink is configured, how is data allocated to member links?

When PPP Multilink is configured, the data is allocated based on both source and destination addresses. This means that the Multilink Protocol (MLP) uses header information from the frames to make more intelligent routing decisions regarding how to distribute traffic among the available links.

By taking both source and destination addresses into account, MLP can optimize load balancing by ensuring that packets from the same source to the same destination can be sent through the same link. This method enhances efficiency and maintains order, as it prevents packet reordering that could occur if traffic were merely allocated randomly or equally among links.

Allocating data based solely on destination addresses would not consider the source traffic's characteristics, potentially leading to inefficiencies in how the links are utilized. Similarly, a purely random allocation could result in packets from the same session taking different routes, which would complicate reassembly and could impact performance. Hence, the use of both the source and destination addresses provides a balanced and efficient way to manage traffic across the links.