| Home | Articles | Providers | Internet |
Ethernet Everywhere is The Future
Ethernet took over the LAN decades ago. The MAN and WAN are next.By: John Shepler
One of the big developments in network connectivity the last couple of years has been the emergence of Carrier Ethernet services nationwide. That move is accelerating. Here’s why you should gain more bandwidth and less costly metro, long haul and last mile connections running the Ethernet protocol.
Why Carrier Ethernet?
You may be wondering what all the hoopla is about Carrier Ethernet. After all, bonded T1, DS3 and SONET fiber optic services have been around for years and steadily decreasing in price. Do we really need yet another technical standard? Yes, if for no other reason than Ethernet-everywhere is the future.What Does Ethernet Replace?
The legacy transport technology, T1, DS3 and SONET, was developed by the telephone companies long before computer to computer communications became the dominant network traffic worldwide. As such, they are based on a design that makes it easy to carry lots and lots of small bandwidth telephone conversations. Each channel is 64 Kbps. You string together multiple channels, like cars on a freight train, to create T1 lines at 1.5 Mbps, DS3 bandwidth at 45 Mbps and SONET fiber optic services from 155 Mbps on up to 10 or 40 Gbps. That’s called TDM or Time Division Multiplexing.Data Has Displaced Voice
Digitized phone calls are no longer the primary traffic carried on networks. Today it is data, VoIP voice and video. The protocols are all based on IP, a packet-switching technology that also forms the basis of Ethernet. Thus, in the modernization of networks to support packet protocols rather than switched circuit TDM, the core networks are being re-engineered to support IP directly. Carrier Ethernet has emerged as a standard carrier service to replace the earlier telco-provided options.Standards Drive The Process
Solidifying this move to Carrier Ethernet is the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). This is the standards body that provides the technical specs to ensure that providers are compatible with one another. Otherwise, you’d have chaos and few networks could connect to each other to exchange traffic.That’s one of the big secrets driving Carrier Ethernet. The MEF has defined a E-NNI or Ethernet Network to Network Interface standard. Any carrier that implements E-NNI can easily exchange traffic with other E-NNI carriers so that each expands its reach into the other’s territory. This turns many small regional or national carriers into much larger worldwide carriers without the need for every provider to have assets in every possible location.
Carriers On The Move
Most carriers are in an expansion mode now. Two notable ones are tw telecom and Integra Telecom. tw telecom is now offering national Ethernet service that includes their E-Access product, a “one to many” connection. This is particularly valuable to content producers and others who need to distribute large amounts of data quickly and at reasonable cost. As a wholesale service, it is also valuable to carriers who want to connect to businesses nationwide without having to build their own fiber plants.Integra Telecom is now offering E-LAN or Ethernet LAN service. This is a standardized MEF Ethernet service that offers multipoint to multipoint Layer 2 VPN. Connecting multiple LANs at multiple locations at the OSI Layer 2 level allows corporations and others to create large bridged networks that include locations all over the country.
Wide Ranging Ethernet Service
Other providers offer low latency fiber optic connections to Europe and Asia from the United States. Running point to point Ethernet connection or E-LAN allows multinational corporations to easily do business worldwide.Would you be interested in the improved performance and lower cost of Carrier Ethernet services? You’ll likely find that the Carrier Ethernet Provider expansions of recent years give you more options than you might expect.
Free Consulting Support & Pricing
Find Ethernet over Copper twisted pair connectivity for business users from 1 Mbps to 20 Mbps. Ethernet over DS1, DS3 & FIber, plus DOCSIS cable business broadband to gigabit bandwidths are also readily available in most locations in the USA, with Managed SDN Software Defined Networking and SD-WAN, as desired. Find out in seconds what network services and pricing are available now for your commercial business building anywhere in the U.S. Simply use this handy form...Our extensive cloud and telecom line services are provided by Telarus, Inc., a premier cloud broker and master agency. Please provide accurate phone & email contact information or call toll free for support anytime at 1-888-848-8749. All information you provide will be used only to support your inquiry and will not be shared.
|
View John Shepler's profile