Group's latest cost model shows fiber and copper neck-and-neck

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: JEFF CARUSO ON HIGH SPEED LANS
09/22/05
Today's focus: Group's latest cost model shows fiber and copper
neck-and-neck

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Model claims fiber- and copper-based LANs have similar costs
* Links related to High Speed LANs
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Group's latest cost model shows fiber and copper
neck-and-neck

By Jeff Caruso

I thought I was done with cabling issues after we got through
the recent series that ended up focusing a lot on fiber optics
vs. copper wiring for LANs... oh, who am I kidding - of course I
knew I wasn't done. I hadn't yet heard directly from the Fiber
Optics LAN Section of the Telecommunications Industry
Association, the industry's foremost cheerleaders for fiber.

After seeing the series, the group called me. I have to admit I
was skeptical going into the interview that I would hear
anything new. But I did, and that's why I'm back on the topic.

FOLS has a new cost model to help users evaluate and compare the
cost of running fiber with the cost of running copper wiring in
several configurations. It's in the form of a Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet. You make a copy, plug in numbers that apply to your
building situation, and it tells you how much different
configurations would cost.

This is the third generation of the cost model, introduced this
year. FOLS rebuilt it from the ground up.

There are four different configurations that are compared in the
model. The first two you would expect: a hierarchical star
topology, where you have fiber in the risers and copper wires
leading from wiring closets out to your desktops, and an
all-fiber network, where all your network equipment is
centralized in one place in your building and you take advantage
of fiber's ability to cover great distances to bring fiber
optics right to your desktop.

In a sample configuration, the all-fiber network is just 5% more
expensive than the hierarchical star.

What really drives the cost in each scenario? As FOLS Vice Chair
Dan Harman explains, in the hierarchical star, you have a
telecom room on every floor with the desktop switches in it, and
that space has costs associated with it. In the all-fiber
network, you need a fiber NIC in every PC, and that can run you
a pretty penny.

So if you don't agree with the group's assumptions about the
size of the telecom rooms needed or their associated costs, that
could tip the balance toward copper. And the group readily
acknowledges that.

In fact, the group encourages users to plug in real numbers for
their particular setups and see for themselves how the costs
change.

The cost model is available for free (but requires registration)
from the FOLS Web site
<http://www.fols.org/resources/costmodel_reg.cfm>.

I mentioned that there were four configurations covered by the
model, and I've only highlighted two of them. The second two are
even more interesting, and I'll get to those next time.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. McAfee, Omniquad top anti-spyware test
<http://www.networkworld.com/nllansalert6933>

2. The rise of the IT architect
<http://www.networkworld.com/nllansalert7238>

3. Users discuss big VoIP rollout risks and rewards
<http://www.networkworld.com/nllan7488>

4. Cisco targets SMBs with convergence
<http://www.networkworld.com/nllan7489>

5. DemoFall preview <http://www.networkworld.com/nllan7354>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Jeff Caruso

Jeff Caruso is managing editor of online news for Network World.
He oversees daily online news posting and newsletter editing,
and writes the NetFlash daily news summary, the High-Speed LANs
newsletter and the Voices of Networking newsletter. Contact him
at <mailto:jcaruso@nww.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
infrastructure expands to support different types of traffic and
users. Most traffic management solutions have serious
limitations: too expensive, difficult to use, and overly taxing
on bandwidth. However ProCurve Networking by HP addresses these
requirements, overcomes the limitations of other solutions, and
gives you valuable insight into LAN performance. Click here to
download HP's Traffic Management Whitepaper
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115435
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

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LANs/Routers Research Center:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/lans-routers.html
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Asking More of Wireless LANs: The Rise of Multi-Service Networks

Join experts as they explore the expanding role of wireless LANs
in the enterprise, specifically the role of multiservice
networking. Learn about one company's approach to delivering a
multi-service wireless LAN.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=114706
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE

Network World Technology Insider on Security: Is Encryption the
Perspective?

Encryption won't solve all your security issues but these days
there is no excuse for not safeguarding your organization's
sensitive data. From Clear Choice product coverage to new
regulations and high-profile breaches, this Technology Insider
on Security covers it all. Click here to read now:

<http://www.networkworld.com/nllan7490>
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