aoe is a layer 2 protocol running at the data-link layer, unlike some other san protocols which run on top of layer 3 utilizing ip. while this reduces the significant processing overhead of tcp/ip, this means that routers cannot route aoe data across disparate networks (such as a campus network or the internet). instead, aoe packets can only travel within a single local ethernet storage area network (e.g., a set of computers connected to the same switch or in the same lan subnet or vlan).