Unified Communications: Click to talk » Gigabit ethernet

Next-Generation IPS From Cisco

Tony Bradley — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:41:17 +0000

For organizations that have high-volume networks, such as networks that are used to stream audio or video, or networks that are used to process large quantities of transactions, monitoring can be a problem. The functionality of the network, and the security of the network, are in conflict. From a functionality standpoint, you want the fastest possible throughput, but from a security perspective, you want to monitor the traffic for suspicious or malicious behavior. The monitoring process is a bottleneck for many networks. Cisco hopes to relieve some of that bottleneck with their new IPS 4270 Intrusion Prevention appliance. With speeds up to 4Gbps, the IPS 4270 can monitor and protect your network while still allowing for exceptionally fast network speeds. Check out Cisco Unveils Next-Gen Intrusion Prevention System for more about Cisco’s new appliance.

Google Rumored to Develop 10Gbps Switches

Tony Bradley — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:57:14 +0000

When you’re an Internet juggernaut like Google, you can’t let simple things like the fact that a technology hasn’t been invented get in your way. Google has to transport a lot of data from Point A to Point B within their data center very quickly in order to work all of the magic they do that keeps the users coming back. The mortal world of networking has 1Gbps Ethernet networks, but that is the max for now. IEEE is working on developing both 40Gbps and 100Gbps standards, but it could be years before the standards are ratified and actual, functioning equipment hits the streets. Iconic organizations like Google can’t be sitting around, twiddling their thumbs waiting for standards to be ratified. The rumor is that their is evidence to suggest that Google has developed their own 10Gbps switches in-house for their data centers. Check out this Networkworld.com article for more about the story.

Wired Networks R.I.P.

Tony Bradley — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:00:21 +0000

According to a recent report from Burton Group Senior Analyst Paul DeBeasi, the end of wired Ethernet networking is at hand. Comparing the features and functionality of the latest standards- 802.11n wireless vs. wired Gigabit Ethernet- DeBeasi concludes that the benefits of an 802.11n network will establish it as the default network type and chip away at the dominance of wired networks over the next few years. You can read more about the report in this Computerworld.com article.