IPSec and IP-to-IP Tunnels Do Not Work with Routing Protocols Such as RIP and OSPF

Routing protocols such as Routing Information Protocol (RIP), RIP version 2, and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) cannot be used with IP Security (IPSec) or IP-to-IP tunnels.

The routing protocols listed in the "Symptoms" section require a numbered interface to function. Neither IPSec nor IP-to-IP tunnels provide a numbered interface and cannot be used with these protocols

If a routing protocol is required for a tunnel, you can use a Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) tunnel with or without IPSec, depending on operational requirements, or a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) tunnel. You can use routing protocols with L2TP and PPTP because L2TP and PPTP tunnels provide numbered interfaces.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.