Networking

The year in networking was not only about speeds and feeds but also about managing increasing volumes of application traffic and using the Internet to deliver corporate apps. As streaming audio and video — as well as voice and other forms of rich media — continue to join the mix, gigabit Ethernet to the desktop will no longer be a luxury but a necessity. Cisco’s new stackable Catalyst 3750 promises to help on that front, as do offerings such as Procket’s high-speed PRO/8801 IP router. 10GbE switches arrived in 2003 to address the need for bigger, faster backbones, and we tested two first-generation 10GbE switches — from Force10 and Foundry Networks — at the University of Hawaii’s Advanced Network Computing Lab in late April; look for our second round of 10GbE reviews in our Jan. 19 issue.

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In 2003, we also tested two effective solutions for speeding the delivery of Web applications — one from Redline Networks, the other from Warp Solutions — and a number of good solutions for routing Internet traffic from vendors such as Coyote Point, F5 Networks, and FatPipe. In an interesting development, Dell introduced a line of managed 10/100 switches, PowerConnect 3300, which bundles very capable — and in some ways Cisco-like — network management software at no extra cost. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2004.

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Internet Traffic Management
Coyote Point Equalizer E-350 Version 7.0
Coyote Point Systems
Excellent (8.6)
Cost: $5,995
Bottom Line: This version of the E-350 Equalizer switch-based load balancer adds layer 7 capability, giving Web site architects more flexibility as to how traffic is routed to servers in a cluster. The product is mature, full-featured, and easy to set up. Priced much lower than a switch-based load balancer, it should more than satisfy the needs of companies with T3 or 100Mbps Internet connections.

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F5 Link Controller 2400 Version 4.5
F5 Networks
Excellent (9.0)
Cost: $19,900 as tested; installation, $2,000
Bottom Line: F5 Link Controller, a WAN link manager, delivers excellent support, simple management, rapid link fail-over, and functional cost-based routing. The excellent Web-based management tool is all you need to set up the box and keep it running, but solid CLI (command line interface) tools exist for those who favor the command line.

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FatPipe IPVPN
FatPipe Networks
Very Good (7.6)
Cost: $6,500, 2Mbps; $14,500, 50 Mbps
Bottom Line: The FatPipe IPVPN WAN link combines leased lines and Internet connections to provide more bandwidth and more reliability than a single connection. The smaller feature set is suited to companies with networks and capabilities already in place. It comes from a line of proven products and is priced reasonably.

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FiberLogic OptiQroute 2180
FiberLogic Communications,
Very Good (7.9)
Cost: $6,000
Bottom Line: This WAN link combines the ability to aggregate leased line and Internet connections with a multitude of other functions, including Web server load balancing, firewall protection, and bandwidth shaping. With its low price, the 2180 would even be a good bet as a load balancer only.