Broadband access for virtual private networks

A first interface device of a virtual private network (VPN), the first interface comprising:

• at least one circuit configured to receive a data packet from a source device;
• the at least one circuit is further configured to determine a destination address of a destination device from the received data packet;
• the at least one circuit is further configured to determine whether the destination address is mapped to a second interface device of the VPN;
• the at least one circuit is further configured to, on a condition that the destination address is not mapped to a second interface device, encapsulate the data packet in a multicast packet and add a multicast address of the VPN to the encapsulated packet;
• the at least one circuit is further configured to, on a condition that the destination address is mapped to a second interface device, encapsulate the data packet in a unicast packet and add a unicast address of the second interface device to the encapsulated packet;
• the at least one circuit is further configured to add a VPN identification to the encapsulated packet and to add a destination option type to the encapsulated packet, wherein the destination option type includes a value indicating to discard the encapsulated packet on a condition that an interface device does not recognize the destination option type;
• and
• the at least one circuit is further configured to transmit the encapsulated packet.