Fiber/Metro-E
iTelNet can provide a fiber connection for your medium-large business at the lowest possible price. To speak with someone about our fiber service, call us now at 404-531-9915 or click
here to email us.
What is the rationale behind fiber ring service? Both private businesses and governments are becoming increasingly and totally reliant on the transfer of data over computer networks. As the data files continue to get larger, special high-speed networks are needed to keep information flowing efficiently.
Fiber technology provides the basis for these high-speed networks. A fiber ring is a circular pattern of fiber optic cables that transmits data and information at very high speeds within a defined geographic area.
A fiber ring network is created when a fiber optic cable connects nodes around the ring to a Metropolitan Area Network. Think of the MAN as a racetrack, the fiber ring as the infield, and the fiber connection network the pit crew lanes!
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As it relates to the Fiber Ring, what is a MAN?
Let's start with a review of area networks.
The term Local Area Networks describes computers that are geographically near one another, such as in a home or office setting. A LAN can be wired via cables, or wireless (WLAN).
Wide Area Networks (WAN) are a collection of LANs that cover large geographical areas. A LAN is connected to a WAN by a router, which is a mechanical device that forwards data packets between computers and along networks.
So what is a MAN, and how does it relate to the fiber ring? A MAN is bigger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN and typically covers a range of between three to thirty miles. A MAN is usually owned by a network service provider or a group of users, not by any individual company. Metropolitan area networks can act as high-speed networks and can provide a shared connection to other networks linked to a WAN. Fiber optic cables are used to link MAN and the LANS. |
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A metropolitan area network (MAN) connects computer resources within a geographic area, such as a city, college campus or even a group of office buildings. The term MAN sometimes describes the interconnection of citywide networks into a single master network. That master network in turn is connected to a Wide Area Network, such as the Internet. A metropolitan area network can also refer to the interconnection of several local area networks, or LANs, using high speed backbone technologies. This is sometimes called a campus network because it's a system frequently used by universities, but businesses as well. |
Ethernet and the Fiber Ring
MANs are Ethernet networks. Ethernet technology has been used since the 1970s and is now ubiquitous. The thick cable you plug into your laptop to get broadband service is an Ethernet connection. Standard computer network cards are all Ethernet, unless the customer specifically requests a different protocol.
Small business DSL
usually uses an Ethernet connection.
In networking terms, a protocol is a defined set of rules that control communication between devices. Just as two people in the same country need to speak the same dialect to understand one another even though they are both of the same citizenship, two devices must speak the same dialect - or have the same protocol - to successfully communicate. So any device using the Ethernet protocol can communicate, and that includes nearly every device in the world. Ethernet is a wired technology; there is no "wireless Ethernet." The first Ethernet standard, 10Base-5, used thick coaxial cable; a subsequent standard, Ethernet 10Base-2, ran over a much thinner coaxial cable. As a result, these two versions were commonly called thicknet and thinnet
Simply put, Ethernet is a protocol that controls the way data is transmitted over a LAN. Ethernet wires typically have a RJ-45 jack, which looks like a double-wide version of a standard telephone jack. Some large LANs may use coaxial cable, but that's not very common. Ethernet is the most widely used network technology in the world. It is powerful, with current standards capable of speeds up to 100 megabits per second and inexpensive.
The first Ethernet standard, developed in 1973, referred to all the devices sharing a single cable. Once on that cable's network (by the way, iTelNet also does voice
cabling and data cabling), all the devices could communicate with one another. The enabled the network to expand as more devices were added without having to modify any of the pre-existing devices on the network.
A local area technology, Ethernet networks were typically used to connect devices within a small geographic area, such as an office building. The size of the Ethernet networks was limited because the devices had to be within a certain distance from one another. That meant Ethernet was not a solution for connecting remote locations.
Ethernet is a local area technology, with networks traditionally operating within a single building, connecting devices in close proximity. At most, Ethernet devices could have only a few hundred meters of cable between them, making it impractical to connect geographically. However, new technologies have increased the area an Ethernet network can cover.
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Metro-E and Fiber Ring
Metro Ethernet, or Metro-E, is an Ethernet-based computer network covering a city, or metropolitan area. Most often, Metro-E is used as a MAN to connect subscribers and businesses to a larger network such as the Internet or Public Safety network. Likewise, businesses can use Metro-E to connect branch offices to their Intranet, or can be used by businesses to create a private corporate WAN.
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Fiber Ring Metro-E Service
Fiber Ring Metro-E combines the speed of a fiber connection with the efficiency of a Metro-E network. This system gives businesses the ability to integrate multiple services and applications including video conferencing, voice, data, fax and messaging on secure, dedicated, high-speed line. The fiber technology can be easily upgraded should more bandwidth be needed.
Metro-E is a 10 Mbps connection with burst up to 100 Mbps possible. The fiber connection provide extra security for businesses located in areas prone to bad storms or hurricanes - since fiber rings are optical that means they work using light and not electricity.
Fiber also receive power from the carrier's central office so if the power goes out in a storm, it is highly likely the fiber connection will keep working. Moreover, since Metro-Ethernet can connect remote offices, data back-up systems can be established so that if one office loses data, it can be quickly retrieved from another.
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Fiber ring service plans
There are two types of service plans. The first is a flat rate for sustained bandwidth at a pre-determined rate. The second is a bursting rate, which means the customer pays for bandwidth bursting capability if needed, instead of having to subscribe to a monthly rate.
To speak with an iTelNet representative about a fiber connection for your business, call us now at 404-531-9915 or click
here to email us.
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