What are your high bandwidth loop options?
A new client called this morning. They were a smaller sized business and were looking for a 45Mbps MPLS network. When I asked what they needed that bandwidth for, they explained that they were in the online printing business. “Now I understand!” They needed to be able to grow to over 100Mbps in the future. So this […]
When you think you need MPLS but perhaps do not
We had a conference call with a potential client today that is interested in an MPLS network for their twenty offices in the USA and Canada. As usual, I asked them “why”? “Our network performance is poor and we understand MPLS is the best for WANs”. After a series of questions, I learned that this company does […]
Satisfaction with Global Wholesale Carriers Up as Price Becomes Major Differentiator
ATLANTIC-ACM, a leading telecommunications research consultancy and benchmarking firm, announced today the general availability of its 2008 Global Wholesale Carrier Report Card, the fifth edition of the international wholesale communications industry’s chief benchmarking study. “Overall satisfaction with carriers has increased,” said Fedor Smith, ATLANTIC-ACM Vice President. “As the gaps in key service and operational areas […]
Is VPLS a better solution than MPLS
Virtual private LAN service (VPLS) is a way to provide Ethernet based multipoint to multipoint communication over IP/MPLS networks. It allows geographically dispersed sites to share an Ethernet broadcast domain by connecting sites through Pseudo-Wires. VPLS is a switched network, not a routed network. This results in lower latency and dramatically lower jitter, on the order of […]
What are your requirements for network resiliency?
When planning your Wide Area Network, resiliency or backup options are something to consider. Depending on the resultant impact that a network failure might cause, your options are different. As well, your budget will affect your decision on this subject. 1. Backup via internet VPN is one cost effective option, depending on your company size […]
First Direct UK to India Cable to Start Construction
A construction and maintenance agreement (C&MA) to build the first direct, high-bandwidth optical-fiber submarine cable system from the UK to India, has been signed by 16 telecom companies. The Europe India Gateway (EIG) Cable is forecast to cost over $700 million and will dramatically improve capacity and diversity of these regions. The companies investing in […]
Using DSL for the MPLS local loop. Perfect for retailers.
When a company needs an MPLS network for a large number of domestic locations (think retail) the cost of T1 local loops can make the cost of such an implementation cost prohibitive. For many areas, DSL loops might be the perfect solution. Using DSL for the local loop is not the same as your DSL internet connection. The […]
Should you Out-source your MPLS Implementation?
Some companies realize that they can reduce their WAN costs by moving to a different MPLS carrier, but the thought of managing such a project can be overwhelming with limited IT staff resources. But inertia takes hold and it is human nature to just keep things the way they are and make no changes at all. Outsourcing this entire […]
Reusing your routers on a new MPLS network
When obtaining price quotations for new MPLS networks, intuition may tell you to reuse the routers that you may already have installed on your network. What is common sense is not always true, if you want managed services. Carriers provide managed services to remove the headache of network management (and add money to their bottom line). Many […]
Future-Net MPLS and Ethernet Conference – April 14 – 17 in Boston
FutureNet: MPLS, Ethernet and Beyond (formerly MPLScon) will be held in Boston from April 14 – 17. This conference addresses the future of communications services from enterprise, service provider, and vendor prospectives. Now in its eighth year, FutureNet continues to evolve from its roots as an event focused strictly on MPLS and related technologies. This year’s […]
