010-151 · Question #126
Which SAN protocol uses Ethernet network without IP encapsulation?
The correct answer is D. FCoE. FCoE is the only listed SAN protocol that carries Fibre Channel frames natively over Ethernet without using IP encapsulation.
Question
Which SAN protocol uses Ethernet network without IP encapsulation?
Options
- AIFCP
- BFCP
- CiSCSI
- DFCoE
- EFC
How the community answered
(33 responses)- A6% (2)
- B6% (2)
- C15% (5)
- D70% (23)
- E3% (1)
Why each option
FCoE is the only listed SAN protocol that carries Fibre Channel frames natively over Ethernet without using IP encapsulation.
iFCP (Internet Fibre Channel Protocol) tunnels Fibre Channel traffic over TCP/IP networks, making IP encapsulation a fundamental part of its design.
FCP (Fibre Channel Protocol) is the SCSI-3 mapping layer used within a native Fibre Channel fabric and does not run over Ethernet at all.
iSCSI encapsulates SCSI commands inside TCP segments carried over IP, which explicitly requires IP encapsulation.
FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) encapsulates Fibre Channel frames directly within Ethernet frames using EtherType 0x8906, bypassing the IP and TCP layers entirely. It requires a lossless Ethernet fabric via Data Center Bridging (DCB/CEE) to replicate FC's no-drop delivery guarantee, and preserves native FC framing semantics without any IP overhead.
FC (Fibre Channel) operates over its own dedicated physical and link layer infrastructure such as optical fiber or copper, not over Ethernet.
Concept tested: FCoE Ethernet transport without IP encapsulation
Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/fcoe/config/cisco_nexus5000_fcoe_config_guide.html
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Ingrid P.Mar 31, 2026FCoE is the answer here, and it is worth burning this one into a card permanently. Fibre Channel over Ethernet carries native FC frames directly inside Ethernet frames, so there is zero IP layer involved, which is exactly what the question is testing. iSCSI and iFCP both require IP, FC runs on its own dedicated fabric with no Ethernet at all, and FCP is just the SCSI protocol mapping that rides on top of FC. The key discriminator is "Ethernet without IP," and only FCoE fits that description.
Genevieve F.Apr 6, 2026FCoE is the right call here, and the wording "without IP encapsulation" is exactly what separates it from iSCSI, which is the obvious distractor since iSCSI also runs over Ethernet but wraps SCSI in TCP/IP. FCoE encapsulates native Fibre Channel frames directly in Ethernet frames using a dedicated EtherType, so there is no IP layer involved, which is why you need DCB-capable switches and a dedicated VLAN when you deploy it in your fabric.
Nina C.Apr 10, 2026D is right, and here is what helped it click for me. FCoE takes Fibre Channel frames and wraps them straight into Ethernet frames, so there is no IP layer in the middle at all. That is the key difference from iSCSI, which does ride on Ethernet but still needs TCP/IP underneath it. The thing that really locked this in for me was learning that FCoE actually requires a special lossless Ethernet setup called Data Center Bridging, because Fibre Channel cannot tolerate dropped frames the way IP traffic can.
Bao N.Apr 24, 2026Has to be E, FC, because Fibre Channel is the only protocol here that runs natively without any IP layer involved, and if you think about what "Ethernet without IP encapsulation" is really asking, that describes how FC operates at the transport level with its own framing, no TCP/IP stack in sight.
Nina C.Apr 26, 2026Hey Bao, actually D is FCoE, which is the one that puts FC frames directly inside Ethernet without any IP or TCP layer involved, whereas plain FC has its own separate physical infrastructure and does not run over Ethernet at all.
Wesley A.May 3, 2026iSCSI runs over Ethernet and that is exactly what this question is testing.
Genevieve F.May 5, 2026Wesley, iSCSI does run over Ethernet but that alone does not make it the right pick here, D is correct because the question is asking about a protocol that natively encapsulates Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet, which is FCoE, not iSCSI.