Metro Ethernet redefines the MAN/WAN/LAN boundaries

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: STEVE TAYLOR AND JIM METZLER ON WIDE
AREA NETWORKING
08/16/05
Today's focus: Metro Ethernet redefines the MAN/WAN/LAN
boundaries

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Metro Ethernet MAN services redefining the notion of "fast"
* Links related to Wide Area Networking
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Avaya
Network World Executive Guide: Evaluating VoIP in the Enterprise

Got VoIP? More and more companies are answering yes...the
reasons vary from cost savings, network flexibility, and ease of
administration. Yet others are drawn to the promise of advanced
VoIP applications such as unified messaging and collaboration.
Register now and get a free copy of Network World's Got VoIP?
Executive Guide, which outlines the keys to successful VoIP
deployments.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=110563
_______________________________________________________________
VOIP SECURITY THREATS: FACT OR FICTION?

Although it's difficult to find a company that has suffered at
the hands of VoIP abusers, viruses, spam and phishing have run
rampant on other IP-based communications systems. Will similar
threats find their way to VoIP? Find out what the experts say
and how should prepare your network against such potential
abuses. Click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=110072
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: Metro Ethernet redefines the MAN/WAN/LAN
boundaries

By Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler

Historically, access links have been the great bottleneck for
wide-area networking, and, by extension, these same access links
have also limited the feasibility of metro networks. Since the
transmission technology from the premise to the central office
has been limited to copper - and occasionally fiber - the speeds
for these links have been more along the traditional WAN speeds
of 56K bit/sec to T-3 (45M bit/sec) while LAN connectivity has
exploded from 10M bit/sec to 100M bit/sec to gigabits per second
any beyond.

Now, however, metropolitan-area networks (MAN) based on metro
Ethernet services are redefining the preconceived notions of
what "fast" means. At the same time, the availability of what
was previously considered extreme bandwidth is making a
significant impact on defining the importance of various
networking functions.

This fact was driven home for Steve recently when he spent some
time with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina,
one of the larger school systems in the country. The system,
like others across the state and across the country, is quickly
moving to interconnecting the schools and supporting offices via
metro Ethernet, essentially resulting in "one large LAN" for the
entire system.

In the case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, by mid-September the
school system will have converted all of its connectivity from
frame relay (using 256K bit/sec fractional T-1) and a scattering
of NMLI (Native Mode LAN Interface) services to BellSouth's
metro Ethernet service. High schools and some administrative
offices will have 100M-bit/sec connectivity with the ability to
burst to 1G bit/sec. Elementary and high schools will have a
10M-bit/sec connection, with the ability to burst to 100M
bit/sec.

Admittedly, this connectivity does not leave the county at these
speeds. However, as noted in the most recent newsletter, this
does provide the infrastructure for accessing high-speed MPLS
services and other similar services for the wide area without
the limit of getting to the WAN through a very narrow pipe.

And, by the way, the monthly cost for this service is actually
less than the prior traditional services. The affordability is a
key point. The big pipes have been available for a while, but
we're not approaching affordability for more users.

This ultimately will redefine many of our traditional ways of
thinking about traffic management. Traditionally, we've often
had to apply strict traffic management to deal with the
bottleneck between massive bandwidth on the LAN and semi-massive
WAN bandwidth. But the exact impact on traffic management is
definitely a "bigger than a breadbox" topic, so that discussion
will be deferred to a later date. Suffice it to say that in a
few years, we won't be in Kansas any more.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan5181>

2. Cisco to double Catalyst 6500 switch capacity in coming
months, report says
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan5182>

3. Test: CipherTrust tops encryption field
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan5183>

4. Microsoft tool to simplify Vista deployment
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan5184>

5. Future-proof your network
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan3746>

Today's most-forwarded story:

Cisco to juice 6500 switch
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwan5185>
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates
and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed
information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter,
connect to Webtorials <http://www.webtorials.com/>, the premier
site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and
market research. Taylor can be reached at
<mailto:taylor@webtorials.com>

Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler &
Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging
technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine
product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and
services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure.
He can be reached at <mailto:jim@ashtonmetzler.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Avaya
Network World Executive Guide: Evaluating VoIP in the Enterprise

Got VoIP? More and more companies are answering yes...the
reasons vary from cost savings, network flexibility, and ease of
administration. Yet others are drawn to the promise of advanced
VoIP applications such as unified messaging and collaboration.
Register now and get a free copy of Network World's Got VoIP?
Executive Guide, which outlines the keys to successful VoIP
deployments.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=110562
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the WAN newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/frame/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
HARD WORK, GOOD PAY

According to Network World's 2005 Salary Survey, network
professionals are enjoying substantial increases in pay,
especially at the highest- and lowest-tier job titles. But are
those increases coming with higher titles, more work or both?
Find out if compensation alone is keeping network professionals
happy in their careers - or is something else? Click here:
<http://www.networkworld.com/you/2005/072505-salary-survey.html>
_______________________________________________________________
May We Send You a Free Print Subscription?
You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered
at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by
receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply
today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2

International subscribers click here:
http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html
_______________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail
newsletters, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx>

To change your e-mail address, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx>

Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to
this message.

This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com
Please use this address when modifying your subscription.
_______________________________________________________________

Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor,
at: <mailto:jcaruso@nww.com>

Inquiries to: NL Customer Service, Network World, Inc., 118
Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772

For advertising information, write Kevin Normandeau, V.P. of
Online Development, at: <mailto:sponsorships@nwfusion.com>

Copyright Network World, Inc., 2005