Netlink Blog

Another Excellent Guest Post from ADTRAN uber-SE, Alex Raskin.  Here it is - and Thanks Alex!!

I'd have to say the most common technical discussions I've been having lately with my customers are switch layout/stacking scenarios.   Like - what switches to put in the wiring closet on the 3rd floor; how about the core of my network, Layer 2 versus Layer 3 switches, terminating fiber runs between switches, etc.

Standard Layer 2 switching is pretty straightforward; ADTRAN's suite of Layer 2 Fast Ethernet (10/100) and Gigabit (10/100/1000) switches cover that environment very well:

• NetVanta 1234 (part number 1700594G1) 24-Port Managed Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Switch with quad Gigabit uplinks.
• NetVanta 1234 PoE (part number 1700594G1) 24-Port Managed Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Switch with quad Gigabit uplinks, supporting 802.3af & Legacy Power over Ethernet.
• NetVanta 1238 (part number 1700598G1): 48-Port Managed Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Switch with quad Gigabit uplinks.
• NetVanta 1238 PoE (part number 1700599G1) 48-Port Managed Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Switch with quad Gigabit uplinks, supporting 802.3af & Legacy Power over Ethernet.
• NetVanta 1534 (part number 1700590G1) 26-Port Managed Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet Switch.
• NetVanta 1534 PoE (part number 1700591G1) 26-Port Managed Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet Switch supporting 802.3af & Legacy Power over Ethernet.

However, what I am finding to be more and more common is the use of Layer 3 switches; specifically Layer 3 gigabit & Layer 3 gigabit fiber switches. 

When do we use Layer 3 switches?  When we need to contain broadcast traffic or in a multi-network approach utilizing multiple VLANs (such as those networks utilizing VoIP for example) it is appropriate and much more efficient to implement Layer 3 switches.

These Layer 3 gigabit switches are used primarily at the core of a network to ‘aggregate’ links from the multiple wiring closets located throughout a building / campus / office park; although, I have also seen them used in large remote wiring closets.

ADTRAN has a full line of Layer 3 gigabit switches to technically address these applications; ADTRAN’s line comes in 3 flavors:

• NetVanta 1544 (part number 1700544G1, list price $2,795)  28-Port Managed Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet Switch.  Includes 24 - 10/100/1000Base-T access ports and 4 - Enhanced SFP (1Gbps/2.5Gbps) Gigabit Ethernet Ports.
• NetVanta 1544 PoE (part number 1700545G1, list price $3,795) 28-Port Managed Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet Switch supporting 802.3af & Legacy Power over Ethernet.  Includes 24 - 10/100/1000Base-T access ports and 4 - Enhanced SFP Gigabit (1Gbps/2.5Gbps) Ethernet Ports.
• And my favorite, the NetVanta 1544F (part number 1700546G1, list price $3,995)  28-Port Managed Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet Switch supporting 802.3af & Legacy Power over Ethernet.  Includes 24 - SFP Gigabit (1Gbps) access ports and 4 - Enhanced SFP Gigabit (1Gbps/2.5Gbps) Ethernet Port.

As always, ADTRAN continues to include features in ALL our switches that not commonly found in switches (yes, included for free!):

• Wire-speed routing / fully non-blocking switching
• Wi-Fi access controller to centrally manage ADTRAN Wi-Fi access points
• Cable Diagnostics
• Port scheduler to power down devices and/or disable ports on a time basis
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Next business day advanced replacement

All this at a price / performance/ features / warranty / support combination that cannot be beat in the industry! 

Alexander C. Raskin
ATSP - IPT, ATSP - IN
CCENT, CCNA, CCDA
Systems Engineer

Well here's an excellent set of questions to assist you in making the right product decision.

1. Will the communication between points be point-to-point or point-to-multipoint?
2. In case of being point-to-multipoint, how many simultaneous remote locations are required?
3. Are the VC units being placed in meeting rooms, class rooms or private offices?
4. Do you own any videoconferencing equipment - if so, what model and make?
5. Are LCD's or projectors required for the VC rooms?
6. Do the different locations have a dedicated Internet link?  If so, what type and speed?  Are they IP or ISDN?
7. Are you interested in sharing ppt, xls, doc and additional collateral through videoconferencing?

Check out Sony's line of HD videoconferencing products.  The PCS-XG80 and PCS-XG80S HD Video Conferencing solutions, cameras, microphones and more are now available at NetLink.  Sony Videoconferencing Solutions Brochure.

Brian Elder
NetLink Technologies
belder@netlinkweb.com
727-437-3042 DID
888-677-0712 x3042 Toll Free
727-533-9516 FAX

NetLink Technologies, Inc., is pleased to introduce their latest line of products and first venture into the highly popular and ever-growing market of High Definition Video Conferencing Solutions from Sony.

Whether you are a doctor or nurse, TV broadcast announcer, professor or teacher, or even a local/state police agency interested in capturing the license plate number of a red light offender...Sony has the solution for you.

Sony is the innovator of the HD video and only HD VC solution that broadcasts today in "true" 1080p digital format.  Give NetLink a call and we'll gladly put something together for you that suits your Vertical marketplace.

PCS-XG80

SG-XG80BCST

Sony Video Conferencing Solutions

 

Brian Elder
NetLink Technologies
belder@netlinkweb.com
727-437-3042 DID
888-677-0712 x3042 Toll Free
727-533-9516 FAX

If you have a minute, take a look at Grandstream's flash demo highlighting all the innovative features of their new IP Multimedia Phone (Grandstream GXV3140).  Access realtime information through an integrated web browser.  Free video and voice calling worldwide with just one simple step:  plug in.

Grandstream also announced new High Definition (GXV3601 HD) and Low-Light (GXV3601 LL) IP surveillance cameras that offer mission critical high quality video solutions at a very competitive price-perfomance point.

Jacquie

Sony just introduced a new form of high definition (HD) visual communication with the PCS-XG80.  It has a dedicated HD camera (PCSA-CXG80) that adopts Sony's newly developed BrightFace technology, providing clear images even in dimly lit rooms.  The use of an intuitive GUI interface makes this videoconferencing system extremely user friendly.

Key Features:

• 1080i High Definition Images (resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels)
• Natural Stereo Sound (built-in stereo echo canceller)
• ITU-T H.239 Support (presentation data transferred at 30fps)
• BrightFace Technology (optimize brightness of each pixel to highlight shadows)
• Intuitive GUI (translucent cascading menus)

Sony Video Conferencing Solutions

Sony PCS-XG80

 

Jacquie

I was scanning the ADTRAN Home Page (as I often do) and came upon ADTRAN's new 'Trade-In' promotion.  It appears they are willing to take back used equipment in exchange for case towards the purchase of their new ger.  Take a look at the links below for more information on the program.

Trading in ADTRAN Gear?
Trading in Cisco Gear?
Trading in Other Gear?

Excellent News.  On September 7, 2009, Radwin will release its new 2.3 software for the very popular Radwin 2000 multi-band radios.  The four new functions of 2.3 will not only appeal to carriers - but to all customers requiring easy installation, reliability and flexibility in congested, unlicensed air space.

Spectrum Viewer

The first and perhaps the flashiest of the new features is a spectrum viewer that offers four windows (one for each transmitter on both ends of the hop) with a view of the RF activity in a given band.  In less than 10 seconds, the viewer displays a color-coded snapshot of the RF noise, highlighting and distinguishing radar interference, weather radar, and other unlicensed radios including dB levels.  This snapshot allows the installer to choose a clean channel and even setup fall-back channels for the automation channel selection feature, should that be necessary at a future time.  The spectrum viewer can also be used in trouble shooting the radios at a later date to determine if interference is the issue causing a problem.  Since the Radwin 2000 is a multi-band radio offering all the bands between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, the spectrum viewer makes this radio the most flexible on the market - by far.

Hub Site Synchronization

Radwin has been offering its software-based hub site synchronization (HSS) in the WinLink 1000 radios for the past 2 years. This feature allows installation of multiple radios (8) at a hub site and prevents the radios from interfering with each other.  The new HSS extends the feature to the Radwin 2000 radios and expands the number of radios to 16. Also, it allows the user to mix and match WinLink 1000 radios with Radwin 2000 regardless of band or channel width.

Monitored Hot Standby

Most of the licensed radio vendors offer customers with mission-critical links the option of installing two links and automatically 'failing-over' to the second link if the first link becomes disabled.  However, up until now, none of the unlicensed vendors have offered this feature.  Radwin is the first to introduce this function across both the Radwin 2000 and the WinLink 1000 for both Ethernet and T1 traffic.

Therefore, it is possible to use the less expensive WinLink 1000 to back-up the Radwin 2000.  Or, a Radwin 2000 with 16 T1 circuits can be backed up by another Radwin 2000 with 16 T1 circuits.  The time for fail over is less than 50ms and in most cases, it really is less than 25ms. 

Diversity.

The last, but perhaps one of the most useful of the new features is the ability to support diversity with both dual pole and single pole antennas.  Diversity is the ability to transmit the same data over two or more diverse paths, thus increasing the likelihood that the information will be received.  The Radwin 2000 can now be configured to send the same data stream over two different paths or different data over two different paths.  The former cuts the throughput by 50% but overcomes interference and LOS obstacles.  The latter increases the throughput under good conditions and maximizes the radio's utilization.  There may be many instances where a user only needs 50 Mbps throughput, but has a difficult hop and diversity is the answer.  In other situations, there may not be any transmission challenges and the user can take advantage of the full 100 Mbps throughput of the Radwin 2000.

The four new features will make the Radwin 2000 impossible to beat on feature, function or price.  List prices for a full hop start at $4660.

Here's the Radwin 2000 Datasheet.

Motorola is offering PTP 400 customers an opportunity for great savings - A limited number of PTP 400 in 4.9GHz and 5.4GHz are still available.

The following part numbers are included in this promotion:

Part Number	Description
WB1920A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty, 1 Additional Year
WB1930A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty, 2 Additional Years
WB2588A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty, 4 Additional Years
WB1940A	PTP 400 Upgrade to All Risks Advanced Replacement Program During 1st Year Warranty
WB1950A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty & All Risks Advanced Replacement Program, 1 Additional Year
WB1960A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty & All Risks Advantage Replacement Program, 2 Additional Years
WB2589A	PTP 400 Extended Warranty & All Risks Advanced Replacement Program, 4 Additional Years

UPGRADE Part Numbers included in this promotion are:

Part Number	Description
WB2404C	PTP 400 Series Lite to Full Upgrade - End Only
BPSGVPNL5730-2CC	PTP 400 Series Lite to Full Upgrade - Link
WB2404A	PTP 400 Series AES Encryption Key - End Only
WB1910A	PTP 400 Series AES Encryption Key - Link

You may be aware that the PTP 300 and PTP 500 series of wireless Ethernet bridges have replaced the PTP 400 series. These products offer a great deal of flexibility and throughput per dollar and can provide an overall better connectivity value.

Contact me to learn more about the promotional details and discount info.

  Brian - NetLink Technologies
  727-437-3042

Radio Waves recently announced the release of their LPA Broadband Antenna.  I read the press release, and it appears that the new LPA antenna can handle a frequency range of 1GHz all the way up to 18GHz. I found this feat to be impressive so I clipped the article to share with you:

'N. Billerica Massachusetts (August 2009) Radio Waves, Inc., The Leader in Microwave Antenna Innovation®, has announced the availability of a new Radio Waves LPA Antenna, the LPA-1-18. This Log Periodic Dipole Array antenna is very broad banded in nature and operates from 1 -18 GHz in a single antenna. This antenna is a directive array similar to a yagi, but covering a very broad frequency range. The LPA has 7 dBi gain which remains relatively constant across the band of 1 – 18 GHz. The LPA has a female SMA connector on the back.

Andy Singer, President of Radio Waves stated “The new LPA-1-18 is ideal for quick deployment applications and comes complete with a mount that allows mounting for vertical or horizontal orientation. This amazing antenna is also great for those calls our distributors get for antenna requirements at “unusual” frequencies since it covers 1 – 18 GHz. By keeping a dozen of these on the shelf a distributor can be reactive to these unusual inquires.”

The new LPA antenna is encased in a tough and durable radome for both commercial and extreme homeland security antenna applications. Like all of Radio Waves antennas the new LPA antenna is Made in the USA and comes with a 5-year warranty."'

As always, we need subscribers.... Be sure to RSS us.
Andrew Hermann
Account Manager

High capacity RADWIN 2000 is now available from Netlink at a great price!

Ideal for extended range and IP and TDM networks with a flexible combination of Ethernet and up to 16 T1/E1 interfaces.

• 1000Mbps Net Throughput (50Mbps Full Duplex)
• 2.4, 4.9, 5.3, 5.4 and 5.8 GHz Multi-band
• 128 bit encryption
• MIMO and OFDM Air Interface
• Easy to Install

The radio is a multi-band radio that supports user selectable sub-6GHz radio bands in a single platform.  With the multi radios inside, you don't have to choose a single frequency when you purchase. You can even change the frequency after deployment.

The RADWIN 2000 is a great complement to the highly successful WINLINK 1000 series sub-6GHz radio with 36Mbps of Net Throughput (18Mbps Full Duplex).

RADWIN is the fastest growing point-to-point radio manufacturer with over 110,000 radios deployed in over 110 countries standardized by carriers worldwide.

Call us for a quote today.