FTTH network delivering primary-line VoIP, IP video, broadband Internet
Telco Systems announced that Broadweave Networks has selected Telco Systems' Active Ethernet products for deployment in a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) community of 8,000 homes and 4.5 million square feet of office and retail space currently under construction in Utah, to deliver primary-line VoIP, IP Video, and broadband Internet.
Broadweave works with developers to build future-proof, connected communities. No copper lines are installed. Fiber is the only installed infrastructure, making Broadweave the first to deliver primary-line Ethernet and VoIP to residences in the U.S.
Broadweave Networks will be using Telco Systems' Optical Ethernet products to deploy FTTH networks that support Broadweave's Telephone, Digital TV, and high-speed Internet access under Broadweave's "Triple-Weave" Services brand.
Following an initial field trial which began in 2003, Broadweave has now exclusively selected Telco Systems equipment for the commercial roll-out of their Triple-Weave Services at speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) to the estimated 8,000 homes and the 4.5 million square feet of business and retail space planned for the community.
The Telco Systems' EdgeGate CPE IP gateway product line and the T5 Compact IP Ethernet aggregation switch will build the backbone of the network. The Telco Systems' EdgeGate CPE triple-play gateways are located outside subscribers' premises and connected to a T5 Compact IP switch located in the neighborhood to aggregate voice, video, and data traffic.
Larry Asten, Telco Systems President, said, "We're honored to be selected for this historic FTTH deployment in which traditional copper infrastructure is being replaced with Broadweave's fiber-optic "Triple-Weave" Services.
Steve Christensen, Broadweave's CEO and Chairman, said, "We selected an Active Ethernet FTTH solution and the Telco Systems products because they are standards-based, carrier-grade reliable, cost-effective, and field-proven."
Founded by an all-star team of veterans from AOL, Bain Capital, and Novell, Broadweave Networks has already proven itself as a leader. Broadweave's value proposition is simple: "Why build today's cities on yesterday's infrastructure?"
Homeowners in a Broadweave-Connected Community receive their telephone, television, broadband Internet, movies on demand, enhanced data services, and much more via an IP network, delivered over a single fiber-to-the-subscriber (FTTS) line.
Businesses in a Broadweave-Connected Community can order bandwidth by the slice at speeds up to 10Gbps, as well as enhanced data services such as messaging and collaboration, voice services such as unified communications and hosted Telephony, and even video services like business TV and video telephony. Broadweave's long-distance and 1-800 number rates are competitive with any carrier.
Broadweave is using the EdgeGate CPE outdoor extended temperature units, which provide separate locking access for the customer and service provider. The EdgeGate CPE supports various combinations of 2 and 4 analog voice lines (VoIP FXS ports), 8 10/100BaseTX Ethernet ports for data and video, and optical Fast/Gigabit Ethernet uplinks. The EdgeGate CPE outdoor cabinet supports Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and offers battery backup and Lifeline POTS. It also supports all current VoIP signaling protocols including SIP, MGCP, and H.323, as well as IGMP for IP video.
The T5 Compact is a carrier-class IP Ethernet switch that provides high performance in a super-compact package. Only 1 RU in height, the T5 Compact boasts the capacity of physically larger backbone switches at price points associated with workgroup switching. This versatile switch is used in FTTH applications, Metro Ethernet Access Rings, data aggregation, and delivery of a wide variety of IP-based Ethernet services such as Virtual Private Networks, VoIP, and video.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
A Smarter Home Network - Industry Trend or Event
Broadband and the Internet could spark a home networking revolution, but who will lead the way?
We've had the dream of an intelligent house dangled before us for a very long time. After all, what has Bill Gates been building for himself all these years if not the nonpareil of smart homes? If recording a TV show seems a fatuous use of future-tech, visionaries see it as much more than that. In those dreams, everything that can be--entertainment centers, PCs, lights, heating and cooling, even our security systems--will be connected and accessible both in the house and away from home by remote control, the Internet, or a WAiP-enabled cell phone. And our homes will be nodes on a very WAN run on fat, broadband pipelines around the world.
"The Americans call it the Jetson home but that sort of vision is still a dream really," laughs David Mercer, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
Is it a vision which time's finally come? "Two things will drive home networking. One is pervasive Internet, which is Internet on multiple devices, and the other is broadband," Mercer said. "With a combination of those, you'll see rapid growth in home networking." Mercer's two factors, pervasive Internet and broadband connections, are beginning to penetrate American homes now.
Whether the smart home of the near future has a central-access point and what that device will be are still up in the air. Companies like West Yorkshire, England-based Pace Micro Technology think the focus of our home networks will be found in digital TV set-top boxes (STBs). Increasingly, STBs are being referred to as "gateways;" Pace Micro believes they will act as the connection point to the broadband line linking a house's appliance network to external networks.
The utopian ideal of a single gateway around which the family and home network revolves is dismissed by others. "Multiple gateways seem likely," said Rolf Johansson, strategic marketing manager, home communications, at Ericsson Mobile Communications. "They will compete in and service different areas."
This notion of just how everything will be connected together is an important issue with many potential home network solutions. Different connection schemes--multi- or uni-gateway solutions, competing connection technologies and standards--are backed by different companies and organizations. Several suitable technologies exist, each with its own pros and cons. Yet the general consensus is that wireless will rule within the home, simply due to consumer reluctance to connect wires between electronic equipment in the home, especially in different rooms.
The trouble with the intelligent home network solutions pitched so far is some of them have the potential to interfere with each other. Remember when remote-control devices first became popular and just about everyone had an anecdotal story of a neighbor's garage-door remote changing TV channels up and down the street? Hone family's network interferes with its neighbor's systems, home consumers will understandably become disillusioned with the whole business. For a market that is expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2005, according to Allied Business Intelligence Inc., Oyster Bay, N.Y., such incompatibility is not only confusing but unnecessary.
Like the best of late-night infomercials, the home networking market needs to prove to consumers that the smart home network is not only a good idea but necessary. Strategy Analytics' Mercer believes a golden opportunity exists for someone to become the friendly face of broadband and the home network.
"At the moment the technology is pretty complex and you're asking consumers to do rather a lot," Mercer said. "For it to become a mass market, it needs somebody to get hold of the whole concept of the broadband home and market its advantages, to take the whole thing away from the technology."
Mercer expects it will be one of the big network operators that takes up the challenge sometime in the next few years. "We'll see somebody trying to pull all of this together and present it as a great new thing that evervbodv needs to have."
We've had the dream of an intelligent house dangled before us for a very long time. After all, what has Bill Gates been building for himself all these years if not the nonpareil of smart homes? If recording a TV show seems a fatuous use of future-tech, visionaries see it as much more than that. In those dreams, everything that can be--entertainment centers, PCs, lights, heating and cooling, even our security systems--will be connected and accessible both in the house and away from home by remote control, the Internet, or a WAiP-enabled cell phone. And our homes will be nodes on a very WAN run on fat, broadband pipelines around the world.
"The Americans call it the Jetson home but that sort of vision is still a dream really," laughs David Mercer, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
Is it a vision which time's finally come? "Two things will drive home networking. One is pervasive Internet, which is Internet on multiple devices, and the other is broadband," Mercer said. "With a combination of those, you'll see rapid growth in home networking." Mercer's two factors, pervasive Internet and broadband connections, are beginning to penetrate American homes now.
Whether the smart home of the near future has a central-access point and what that device will be are still up in the air. Companies like West Yorkshire, England-based Pace Micro Technology think the focus of our home networks will be found in digital TV set-top boxes (STBs). Increasingly, STBs are being referred to as "gateways;" Pace Micro believes they will act as the connection point to the broadband line linking a house's appliance network to external networks.
The utopian ideal of a single gateway around which the family and home network revolves is dismissed by others. "Multiple gateways seem likely," said Rolf Johansson, strategic marketing manager, home communications, at Ericsson Mobile Communications. "They will compete in and service different areas."
This notion of just how everything will be connected together is an important issue with many potential home network solutions. Different connection schemes--multi- or uni-gateway solutions, competing connection technologies and standards--are backed by different companies and organizations. Several suitable technologies exist, each with its own pros and cons. Yet the general consensus is that wireless will rule within the home, simply due to consumer reluctance to connect wires between electronic equipment in the home, especially in different rooms.
The trouble with the intelligent home network solutions pitched so far is some of them have the potential to interfere with each other. Remember when remote-control devices first became popular and just about everyone had an anecdotal story of a neighbor's garage-door remote changing TV channels up and down the street? Hone family's network interferes with its neighbor's systems, home consumers will understandably become disillusioned with the whole business. For a market that is expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2005, according to Allied Business Intelligence Inc., Oyster Bay, N.Y., such incompatibility is not only confusing but unnecessary.
Like the best of late-night infomercials, the home networking market needs to prove to consumers that the smart home network is not only a good idea but necessary. Strategy Analytics' Mercer believes a golden opportunity exists for someone to become the friendly face of broadband and the home network.
"At the moment the technology is pretty complex and you're asking consumers to do rather a lot," Mercer said. "For it to become a mass market, it needs somebody to get hold of the whole concept of the broadband home and market its advantages, to take the whole thing away from the technology."
Mercer expects it will be one of the big network operators that takes up the challenge sometime in the next few years. "We'll see somebody trying to pull all of this together and present it as a great new thing that evervbodv needs to have."
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Secure the network the same as a home: basic rules apply to keeping unwanted visitors out of prized possessions at home and at work - Wireless - Indus
Imagine a home, filled with prized possessions. All of the windows are open, and all the doors are unlocked. The owner then announces on a bullhorn that his domain is wide open and invites anyone to come in and go through those prized possessions anytime they want.
This is essentially what happens when the available wireless security that comes with wireless systems today is not turned on. The issue is not that hackers (burglars) can break security measures, but that they can walk right in and take what they want. Only about 30% of the market is using security appropriately, because people just plug in a wireless access point right out of the box and do not change the default settings. Or users become frustrated trying to set up a system's wireless security features and turn them off.
On a wireless LAN (WLAN), the drop lines and Ethernet adapters of a wired LAN are replaced with radio access points and a radio card in the end devices. Anyone with a radio that can receive WLAN radio signals (called sniffing) can potentially connect to any system. Hackers gain access by intercepting signals carrying specific information about a company WLAN, manipulate that information to present themselves as valid participants of that network (called spoofing) and use that information to break in.
Hackers typically have interest in data and access. Depending upon a company's situation, analyzing each of these areas will help determine the level of security needed.
WLAN security can be categorized into three types: basic, active and hardened. The first thing to do to secure a home is to close the windows and doors and lock them. This is equivalent to the basic security standard established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). One of the first IEEE task groups focused on bringing the equivalent level of security found in a wired network to the wireless world. The result was the Wired-Equivalent Protocol Standard (WEP) 128.
Sometimes, a good watchdog is needed in the yard. Unless that dog recognizes the person wanting access to its owner's house, he is not getting inside. That is the IEEE 802.1x security standard, which covers two distinct areas: network access restriction through the use of authentication, and data integrity through WEP key rotation. Without the proper key and authentication, unauthorized users do not get in.
A small number of enterprises manage data and access to other trading partners that could be considered top secret. These firms may need wireless security that is more difficult to crack, similar to having an alarm system and armed guards patrolling the grounds. Many of these firms may need to employ a security solution that is certified as Federal Information Protection Standard 1.40. Products in this category provide point-to-point security for wireless network communications and include IPSec virtual private networks.
Completely eliminating the risk that someone will hack into a system may not be possible, but the threat can be significantly reduced. To provide a reasonable level of network security based on a company's specific situation:
* Turn all available security features on. Thieves like unlocked doors and will pass by locked areas for the easy pickings.
* Assess what level of security is really needed. How important or confidential is the company data? Do network connections with trading partners have even more sensitive data? Implement security measures in proportion to needs.
* Stick with the standards. Standards not only ensure others have tested the waters, but protect a company's investment for future changes and expansion. Do not use default settings, obvious passwords or keys. Rotate WEP keys often-at least once per day or every 10,000 packets of information to foil hackers' efforts.
Finally, monitor, monitor, monitor. Do not just turn a network on and assume it will always stay the same. Check and sniff the network for possible hidden access points. Be aware of the physical environment. Look for any unfamiliar car along the street with a driver just sitting in it. He might be trying to break into the house.
This is essentially what happens when the available wireless security that comes with wireless systems today is not turned on. The issue is not that hackers (burglars) can break security measures, but that they can walk right in and take what they want. Only about 30% of the market is using security appropriately, because people just plug in a wireless access point right out of the box and do not change the default settings. Or users become frustrated trying to set up a system's wireless security features and turn them off.
On a wireless LAN (WLAN), the drop lines and Ethernet adapters of a wired LAN are replaced with radio access points and a radio card in the end devices. Anyone with a radio that can receive WLAN radio signals (called sniffing) can potentially connect to any system. Hackers gain access by intercepting signals carrying specific information about a company WLAN, manipulate that information to present themselves as valid participants of that network (called spoofing) and use that information to break in.
Hackers typically have interest in data and access. Depending upon a company's situation, analyzing each of these areas will help determine the level of security needed.
WLAN security can be categorized into three types: basic, active and hardened. The first thing to do to secure a home is to close the windows and doors and lock them. This is equivalent to the basic security standard established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). One of the first IEEE task groups focused on bringing the equivalent level of security found in a wired network to the wireless world. The result was the Wired-Equivalent Protocol Standard (WEP) 128.
Sometimes, a good watchdog is needed in the yard. Unless that dog recognizes the person wanting access to its owner's house, he is not getting inside. That is the IEEE 802.1x security standard, which covers two distinct areas: network access restriction through the use of authentication, and data integrity through WEP key rotation. Without the proper key and authentication, unauthorized users do not get in.
A small number of enterprises manage data and access to other trading partners that could be considered top secret. These firms may need wireless security that is more difficult to crack, similar to having an alarm system and armed guards patrolling the grounds. Many of these firms may need to employ a security solution that is certified as Federal Information Protection Standard 1.40. Products in this category provide point-to-point security for wireless network communications and include IPSec virtual private networks.
Completely eliminating the risk that someone will hack into a system may not be possible, but the threat can be significantly reduced. To provide a reasonable level of network security based on a company's specific situation:
* Turn all available security features on. Thieves like unlocked doors and will pass by locked areas for the easy pickings.
* Assess what level of security is really needed. How important or confidential is the company data? Do network connections with trading partners have even more sensitive data? Implement security measures in proportion to needs.
* Stick with the standards. Standards not only ensure others have tested the waters, but protect a company's investment for future changes and expansion. Do not use default settings, obvious passwords or keys. Rotate WEP keys often-at least once per day or every 10,000 packets of information to foil hackers' efforts.
Finally, monitor, monitor, monitor. Do not just turn a network on and assume it will always stay the same. Check and sniff the network for possible hidden access points. Be aware of the physical environment. Look for any unfamiliar car along the street with a driver just sitting in it. He might be trying to break into the house.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
DSL Comes Home-with a Network - Industry Trend or Event
Just when the communications industry finally seems to be getting handle on the numerous flavors of Asymmetical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology, new questions are arising about how ADSL relates to another hot technology: home networking.
First, let's clear up any confusion that may be lingering. The various types of ADSL and home networking technologies ultimately concern pumping Internet data at faster and faster speeds into and throughout consumers' homes. It is our belief that the technologies are complementary and will be two of the key engines driving the mass deployment of broadband services in consumers' homes.
The newest specification for consumer DSL service, G.Lite, can be thought of as a consumer-installable form of DSL. It can be deployed economically because it does not require installation in the home of a piece of equipment called a voice/data splitter. G.Lite converts analog telephone lines into digital lines by adding a line-interface device in the telephone company's central office and a DSL modem at the subscriber's home. Customers also must subscribe to DSL service from their telephone service provider. G.Lite can transmit Internet data into peoples' homes at up to 1.5Mbits/sec., about 25 times faster than today's fastest analog modems.
Home networking uses existing copper home phone wiring to create a consumer-friendly home network that allows for simultaneous access of the Internet using two or more PCs. In addition to the outside-the-home broadband, there is the growing need to move data between devices within the home. Home networking also allows two or more PCs within a home to share printers or other peripherals. All of this can be done at initial speeds of 1Mbit/sec. and eventually at 10Mbit/sec. using one modem connection, one telephone wire, and one Internet Service Provider.
Broadband to the home via ADSL and broadband in the home via home networking are certainly inter-related in that both are enablers in the digital connectivity application space. However, ADSL and home networking deliver different benefits to consumers and use different technologies to achieve these benefits.
G.Lite aims to provide Internet services to homes in the 28KHz to 1.5MHz frequency spectrum. Home networking uses the frequency band between 4MHz to 10MHz to provide connectivity for multiple devices within the home. Home networking technology is about creating a local area network and using that network for simultaneous, multiple device, and high-speed Internet connectivity within a home.
Broadband to the home via DSL and home networking via phone lines are both designed to be plug-and-play technologies which enable the consumer to get the capability by simply plugging in the equipment without needing a visit from a service technician. Broadband to the home and broadband in the home are synergistic from a use perspective as well. With a bigger pipe into the house, multiple PCs can access the Internet simultaneously at faster rates using G.Lite technology.
As an emerging standard for DSL, G.Lite has a feature called fast retrain that allows the modem to adapt to events on the phone line such as ringing, answering the phone, and hanging up the phone. The data rates will momentarily change and then settle out as the modem quickly retrains for the changes in the home wiring impedance and noise levels. These changes to the phone line by design do not translate into significant changes in the data rates, nor in most cases are the data rate changes that may occur noticeable by the user from a perceived throughput perspective.
The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA), an industry consortium driving toward a standard for home networking, has developed home networking protocols. Some may wonder whether these protocols will affect DSL transmissions. The answer is no, provided your design-band limits itself properly and presents a proper impedance to the phone line. Home networking boards need to be designed with DSL and analog services in mind, while DSL boards must be designed with analog voice and home networking in mind.
Some in the industry have expressed concern that when supporting all three services voice, ADSL and home networking-that lines might suffer from cross-talk, which happens when signals bleed over from one line to adjacent lines in the wiring bundle. But since the voice, ADSL and home networking signals run at different frequencies, they do not clash on the line.
A protocol developed by Lucent Microelectronics Group, which has been submitted to the HomePNA, addresses the cross-talk issue. Under the protocol, home networking signal traffic operates in the 4 to 10MHz band range. DSL traffic runs at 26 to 550KHz for G.Lite, and at 1.1MHz for full rate ADSL, a faster flavor of DSL that runs at speeds of up to 8Mbit/sec. Voice traffic runs in the 300 to 3,300Hz range. A reasonable guard band between each operating bandwidth provides isolation and prevents cross-talk.
First, let's clear up any confusion that may be lingering. The various types of ADSL and home networking technologies ultimately concern pumping Internet data at faster and faster speeds into and throughout consumers' homes. It is our belief that the technologies are complementary and will be two of the key engines driving the mass deployment of broadband services in consumers' homes.
The newest specification for consumer DSL service, G.Lite, can be thought of as a consumer-installable form of DSL. It can be deployed economically because it does not require installation in the home of a piece of equipment called a voice/data splitter. G.Lite converts analog telephone lines into digital lines by adding a line-interface device in the telephone company's central office and a DSL modem at the subscriber's home. Customers also must subscribe to DSL service from their telephone service provider. G.Lite can transmit Internet data into peoples' homes at up to 1.5Mbits/sec., about 25 times faster than today's fastest analog modems.
Home networking uses existing copper home phone wiring to create a consumer-friendly home network that allows for simultaneous access of the Internet using two or more PCs. In addition to the outside-the-home broadband, there is the growing need to move data between devices within the home. Home networking also allows two or more PCs within a home to share printers or other peripherals. All of this can be done at initial speeds of 1Mbit/sec. and eventually at 10Mbit/sec. using one modem connection, one telephone wire, and one Internet Service Provider.
Broadband to the home via ADSL and broadband in the home via home networking are certainly inter-related in that both are enablers in the digital connectivity application space. However, ADSL and home networking deliver different benefits to consumers and use different technologies to achieve these benefits.
G.Lite aims to provide Internet services to homes in the 28KHz to 1.5MHz frequency spectrum. Home networking uses the frequency band between 4MHz to 10MHz to provide connectivity for multiple devices within the home. Home networking technology is about creating a local area network and using that network for simultaneous, multiple device, and high-speed Internet connectivity within a home.
Broadband to the home via DSL and home networking via phone lines are both designed to be plug-and-play technologies which enable the consumer to get the capability by simply plugging in the equipment without needing a visit from a service technician. Broadband to the home and broadband in the home are synergistic from a use perspective as well. With a bigger pipe into the house, multiple PCs can access the Internet simultaneously at faster rates using G.Lite technology.
As an emerging standard for DSL, G.Lite has a feature called fast retrain that allows the modem to adapt to events on the phone line such as ringing, answering the phone, and hanging up the phone. The data rates will momentarily change and then settle out as the modem quickly retrains for the changes in the home wiring impedance and noise levels. These changes to the phone line by design do not translate into significant changes in the data rates, nor in most cases are the data rate changes that may occur noticeable by the user from a perceived throughput perspective.
The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA), an industry consortium driving toward a standard for home networking, has developed home networking protocols. Some may wonder whether these protocols will affect DSL transmissions. The answer is no, provided your design-band limits itself properly and presents a proper impedance to the phone line. Home networking boards need to be designed with DSL and analog services in mind, while DSL boards must be designed with analog voice and home networking in mind.
Some in the industry have expressed concern that when supporting all three services voice, ADSL and home networking-that lines might suffer from cross-talk, which happens when signals bleed over from one line to adjacent lines in the wiring bundle. But since the voice, ADSL and home networking signals run at different frequencies, they do not clash on the line.
A protocol developed by Lucent Microelectronics Group, which has been submitted to the HomePNA, addresses the cross-talk issue. Under the protocol, home networking signal traffic operates in the 4 to 10MHz band range. DSL traffic runs at 26 to 550KHz for G.Lite, and at 1.1MHz for full rate ADSL, a faster flavor of DSL that runs at speeds of up to 8Mbit/sec. Voice traffic runs in the 300 to 3,300Hz range. A reasonable guard band between each operating bandwidth provides isolation and prevents cross-talk.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Silicon Opportunities in Powerline Home Network Market - In-Stat/Insights
POOR POWERLINE. AFTER THE MUCH-HYPED launch of HPNA phoneline networking products in 1999 and the success of wireless LAN products for the home based on 802.11b, there hasn't been much room for another physical media to elbow its way into the attention spans of system designers looking to develop networking, CPE and convergence products for the home. Part of the problem has been a lack of a widely adopted standard, but with the arrival of HomePlug, that is about to change.
So what does HomePlug mean for system and chip vendors looking to cash in on potential opportunities on this newest of no-new-wires technologies? Before we answer that, let's first take a look at the recent past.
On this eve of the arrival of HomePlug-compliant products, many are skeptical. They believe that HomePlug will experience the same problems that have plagued HPNA, which is by most accounts a disappointment from a sales and end-user adoption standpoint. Because of this belief, many are taking a wait-and-see approach with powerline networking.
It's instructive to examine why HPNA has fared poorly. There are a few reasons, the most basic of which is that consumers just didn't understand it. No matter how many times you told them that you can network over the same copper wires that your phone communications go over, even at the same time, most folks outside of the technology industry would look at you with glazed eyes (and you can forget about telling them the definition of multiplexing).
But it wasn't just a lack of understanding. Another problem that HPNA products faced was a limited product line. Think about it: NICs alone do not n market make. The success of home routers from companies such as Netgear and Linksys have validated our research that shows consumers' No. 1 reason for home networking is broadband sharing. You can't expect more than a very few early adopters to network PCs using hybrid Ethernet and HPNA products if they have to use multiple NICs per PC (a scenario that would be necessary with no HPNA ports on a home router or an Ethernet to HPNA bridge). HomePlug, for all of its doubters, has gotten this part right as IC vendors such as Intellon, Conexant and Cogency are looking to provide MII interfaces for connecting their chipsets into a router system and are also providing reference designs for routers and bridges. Both Netgear and Linksys have announced they will release HomePlug routers and bridges in 2002.
All that being said, Cahners In-Stat Group believes that the powerline networking market will create opportunities for companies in the access, local connectivity and digital convergence space. Some access silicon players will want to obtain functional blocks to add powerline connections to their offerings, as most have realized that being simple modem providers isn't going to cut it anymore. Those selling ICs and into set-top box and other markets have heeded the call for wireless connections from their customers, and soon powerline may be on those RFPs coming in from service market for home networking to grow from just $5 million in providers. These dynamics will result in the powerline IC 2001 to more than $157 million by 2006. Not n huge market, but if you consider the value of access and convergence silicon that will incorporate interfaces to powerline transceivers, this market is going to be potentially much bigger and one that most IC vendors would be wise to pay attention to.
Mike Wolf is the director of enterprise and residential networking at Cahners In-Stat Group. Keep an eye out for his forthcoming report, "Power to the People: What HomePlug Means to Home Networking", which will include forecasts for HomePlug equipment and silicon as well as market analysis and vendor profiles.
So what does HomePlug mean for system and chip vendors looking to cash in on potential opportunities on this newest of no-new-wires technologies? Before we answer that, let's first take a look at the recent past.
On this eve of the arrival of HomePlug-compliant products, many are skeptical. They believe that HomePlug will experience the same problems that have plagued HPNA, which is by most accounts a disappointment from a sales and end-user adoption standpoint. Because of this belief, many are taking a wait-and-see approach with powerline networking.
It's instructive to examine why HPNA has fared poorly. There are a few reasons, the most basic of which is that consumers just didn't understand it. No matter how many times you told them that you can network over the same copper wires that your phone communications go over, even at the same time, most folks outside of the technology industry would look at you with glazed eyes (and you can forget about telling them the definition of multiplexing).
But it wasn't just a lack of understanding. Another problem that HPNA products faced was a limited product line. Think about it: NICs alone do not n market make. The success of home routers from companies such as Netgear and Linksys have validated our research that shows consumers' No. 1 reason for home networking is broadband sharing. You can't expect more than a very few early adopters to network PCs using hybrid Ethernet and HPNA products if they have to use multiple NICs per PC (a scenario that would be necessary with no HPNA ports on a home router or an Ethernet to HPNA bridge). HomePlug, for all of its doubters, has gotten this part right as IC vendors such as Intellon, Conexant and Cogency are looking to provide MII interfaces for connecting their chipsets into a router system and are also providing reference designs for routers and bridges. Both Netgear and Linksys have announced they will release HomePlug routers and bridges in 2002.
All that being said, Cahners In-Stat Group believes that the powerline networking market will create opportunities for companies in the access, local connectivity and digital convergence space. Some access silicon players will want to obtain functional blocks to add powerline connections to their offerings, as most have realized that being simple modem providers isn't going to cut it anymore. Those selling ICs and into set-top box and other markets have heeded the call for wireless connections from their customers, and soon powerline may be on those RFPs coming in from service market for home networking to grow from just $5 million in providers. These dynamics will result in the powerline IC 2001 to more than $157 million by 2006. Not n huge market, but if you consider the value of access and convergence silicon that will incorporate interfaces to powerline transceivers, this market is going to be potentially much bigger and one that most IC vendors would be wise to pay attention to.
Mike Wolf is the director of enterprise and residential networking at Cahners In-Stat Group. Keep an eye out for his forthcoming report, "Power to the People: What HomePlug Means to Home Networking", which will include forecasts for HomePlug equipment and silicon as well as market analysis and vendor profiles.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
The Home Office Network Quiz - Buyers Guide
SHOPPING FOR A HOME NETWORK? A dizzying array of choices makes it harder than ever. A few years ago, when Ethernet ruled the roost, the only thing you had to decide was how much cabling to buy. These days, a hodgepodge of wireless, phone-line, AC power, and USB products promises more flexibility than traditional Ethernet. Which is best? Take our quiz to find out. Each of the following five questions addresses a different aspect of your networking needs. Answer each, tally up your points, then see what kind of home LAN is best for you.
(1) Some networks are designed for just a pair of PCs, while others can handle dozens of computers with ease. How many systems do you want to connect on your network?
a. I have two PCs, and I network them infrequently. Typically, I only connect them to transfer files onto my laptop before I head out on a business trip.
b. I have two PCs--one is mine, the other my spouse's. Connecting them will let us share files, a printer, and an Internet connection. (10 points)
c. I have four computers--one for me, one for my intern, one spare, and one I use exclusively for faxing and scanning. I want them connected all the time. (10 points)
d. I have five PCs now and expect that number to keep growing. Although I need to connect them all to share peripherals, files, Internet access, and games, expandability is also very important to me. (15 points)
(2) Choosing a network is no different than finding the right software or peripherals. Your computer must be able to support the hardware you choose. What kind of computers do you have?
a. At least one of my PCs is an older model 486. It doesn't have any USB ports, so I'll have to install an ISA-based expansion card. It's running Windows 3.1, so it doesn't have any of the nifty Windows 95/98 networking or plug-and-play features. (15 points)
b. I have several PCs, and connecting them to a network seems straightforward. One of my computers is a Macintosh, however. I'd like to give the Mac the same data access as the PCs. (15 points)
c. My computers are all fairly new. They have PCI slots, USB ports, and plenty of horsepower. (10 points)
d. Although my computers are all fairly modern, I don't feel comfortable opening them to install PCI cards. I'd prefer to try something that I can plug into the outside of the computer. (5 points)
(3) Not all data is created equal. Slow network hardware can be frustrating if you work with large files, games, or video. What kind of data will you network most frequently?
a. I have several computers in my home office and perform a variety of different tasks on each. I need to access documents stored on any PC from any other PC. I'd like to access my Quicken database from any computer and edit PowerPoint slides from anywhere in the house. I'd also like to use one system to download files from the Internet, then access them from any other PC. (5 points)
b. I want to access files from any PC on the LAN, but I also want to play games with my kids. We have several programs that support multiplayer contests on a network. (10 points)
c. While I want Internet access, I don't need each computer to connect to the Internet directly. With only one PC offering Web access, I can download a file from the Web to that system and the other PCs can access the file via the network. (5 points)
d. I need each of my PCs to have a direct connection to the Internet. That way my spouse, my assistant, and even my kids can all surf the Web and check e-mail simultaneously from their own PCs. (10 points)
(4) The proximity of your PCs is a factor that affects the kind of network you choose. How close together are your computers?
a. I have several computers, all located within 12 feet of one another in one room. I don't expect to add more computers to the network, and I have no plans to put computers elsewhere in the house. (5 points)
b. My PCs are scattered all over the house. My home office has a pair of systems that are fairly close to each other, but there is also a computer in the study upstairs, as well as one in the kids' bedroom. (10 points)
c. I have a few PCs in various rooms, and I move around a lot. I sometimes use a notebook in the dining room, sometimes carry it up to the bedroom, and once in a while take it out to the back deck. Ideally, the laptop would be able to connect to the network regardless of where it is. (10 points)
d. The loft over our detached garage serves as my home office. Even though it's in a different building, we'd like to network the office PC with computers in several locations in the main house. (10 points)
(5) After your network is up and running, connecting to the Internet can be an important element of your office productivity. To choose the right network, it helps to know how you plan to use the Internet.
a. I rarely spend much time online. When I do, my time is spent reading and sending e-mail messages, and I visit Web pages occasionally.
(1) Some networks are designed for just a pair of PCs, while others can handle dozens of computers with ease. How many systems do you want to connect on your network?
a. I have two PCs, and I network them infrequently. Typically, I only connect them to transfer files onto my laptop before I head out on a business trip.
b. I have two PCs--one is mine, the other my spouse's. Connecting them will let us share files, a printer, and an Internet connection. (10 points)
c. I have four computers--one for me, one for my intern, one spare, and one I use exclusively for faxing and scanning. I want them connected all the time. (10 points)
d. I have five PCs now and expect that number to keep growing. Although I need to connect them all to share peripherals, files, Internet access, and games, expandability is also very important to me. (15 points)
(2) Choosing a network is no different than finding the right software or peripherals. Your computer must be able to support the hardware you choose. What kind of computers do you have?
a. At least one of my PCs is an older model 486. It doesn't have any USB ports, so I'll have to install an ISA-based expansion card. It's running Windows 3.1, so it doesn't have any of the nifty Windows 95/98 networking or plug-and-play features. (15 points)
b. I have several PCs, and connecting them to a network seems straightforward. One of my computers is a Macintosh, however. I'd like to give the Mac the same data access as the PCs. (15 points)
c. My computers are all fairly new. They have PCI slots, USB ports, and plenty of horsepower. (10 points)
d. Although my computers are all fairly modern, I don't feel comfortable opening them to install PCI cards. I'd prefer to try something that I can plug into the outside of the computer. (5 points)
(3) Not all data is created equal. Slow network hardware can be frustrating if you work with large files, games, or video. What kind of data will you network most frequently?
a. I have several computers in my home office and perform a variety of different tasks on each. I need to access documents stored on any PC from any other PC. I'd like to access my Quicken database from any computer and edit PowerPoint slides from anywhere in the house. I'd also like to use one system to download files from the Internet, then access them from any other PC. (5 points)
b. I want to access files from any PC on the LAN, but I also want to play games with my kids. We have several programs that support multiplayer contests on a network. (10 points)
c. While I want Internet access, I don't need each computer to connect to the Internet directly. With only one PC offering Web access, I can download a file from the Web to that system and the other PCs can access the file via the network. (5 points)
d. I need each of my PCs to have a direct connection to the Internet. That way my spouse, my assistant, and even my kids can all surf the Web and check e-mail simultaneously from their own PCs. (10 points)
(4) The proximity of your PCs is a factor that affects the kind of network you choose. How close together are your computers?
a. I have several computers, all located within 12 feet of one another in one room. I don't expect to add more computers to the network, and I have no plans to put computers elsewhere in the house. (5 points)
b. My PCs are scattered all over the house. My home office has a pair of systems that are fairly close to each other, but there is also a computer in the study upstairs, as well as one in the kids' bedroom. (10 points)
c. I have a few PCs in various rooms, and I move around a lot. I sometimes use a notebook in the dining room, sometimes carry it up to the bedroom, and once in a while take it out to the back deck. Ideally, the laptop would be able to connect to the network regardless of where it is. (10 points)
d. The loft over our detached garage serves as my home office. Even though it's in a different building, we'd like to network the office PC with computers in several locations in the main house. (10 points)
(5) After your network is up and running, connecting to the Internet can be an important element of your office productivity. To choose the right network, it helps to know how you plan to use the Internet.
a. I rarely spend much time online. When I do, my time is spent reading and sending e-mail messages, and I visit Web pages occasionally.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
New Network, New Home - networks add functionality and future value to new homes - Industry Trend or Event
LUCKY YOU: PLANNING A CUSTOM-BUILT home complete with a brand-new home office. Soon you'll be scooting your chair across static-resistant, scratch-proof laminate floors to grab books from built-in shelves. You'll have so many convenient wall outlets that you'll give away all your power strips to plug-hungry friends on moving day.
But as you're dreaming up all the bells and whistles your budget can hold, make sure to include a home network. By now the hype surrounding off-the-shelf home networking kits is burned into your brain--sharing Internet access, files, and peripherals, among other things. But adding a network to new home construction is even more compelling. While the walls are open, network contractors can lay a customized, structured wiring system throughout your home for about a third of the cost of a similar setup in an existing house.
Wire your home with the future in mind, and you'll have all the bandwidth and connection options you could want for years if not decades to come. Here's everything you need to know about building a wired home from the ground up.
WIRING 101
Because networks add functionality and future value to new homes, Home Automation EMagazine (www.hometoys. com) editor Bob Hetherington predicts that home networks will become as commonplace as plumbing in new construction: "The question is no longer, `Is cabling necessary?', but `What's the minimum cabling requirement?'"
Although proposed data-savvy revisions to the Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunications Wiring Standard have yet to be ratified by the Telecommunications Industry Association, most network equipment vendors and installers agree that a good basic setup--one that affords plenty of room to grow--includes two coaxial video cables (RG-6 cables) and two Category 5 network cables, run to every room of the house.
Category 5 cabling is preferred over less-expensive Category 3 wiring, because it can carry data and voice signals at speeds up to 100Mbps, making it ideal for Ethernet networking and high-speed Internet technologies like DSL. Dual coax cables let you run cable TV and video anywhere in the house, and are also useful for delivering cable modem service and future technologies such as HDTV.
While traditional telephone installations are daisy-chained in a linear configuration, the ideal layout for network cabling is a star pattern, with the wires from each room running directly back (or home-run) to a centrally located control panel or wiring box. The box is typically located in a closet or basement near the point of entry for phone and cable service, which makes tying these into the network more convenient.
There are several advantages to wiring your house this way. For one, your phones will never again be subjected to the spaghetti-style installation of new extensions. Because each Category 5 cable can support up to four voice or data lines simultaneously, it's easy to activate phone extensions throughout the house or in specific rooms with just a few tweaks at the wiring closet.
The jacks are modular, so you can add phones, PCs, televisions, and other devices to your network anywhere at any time. And from a maintenance standpoint, home-run cables are more reliable than a daisy-chained network setup, and make it easy to change your network configuration or address problems from a central location.
A JOB DONE RIGHT
If you're sold on the idea of adding a structured wiring network system, Hetherington says you should be willing to spend extra time and dollars on design: "Alteration by eraser is a whole lot cheaper than by sledgehammer."
Be sure to consult with a system integrator or network consultant, especially if you have plans to incorporate other future-looking elements, such as speaker wire, a security system, home automation features, or conduits in the walls for future cable installations.
Master-planned communities that advertise networked homes have their own specific wiring requirements. For instance, if you're building a home in Sienna Plantation, a master-planned community in Missouri City, Tex., you must have at least one Category 5 cable and one RG-6 coax cable star-wired to a minimum of four room outlets in the home, as well as cabling for Sienna fire and alarm systems. Make sure the contractor you hire is aware of any such rules. Whenever possible, work with someone who has experience installing networks in the community.
If you're on your own--building outside a planned community, or working with a general contractor who has little experience with home networks--visit the Web sites of vendors such as Lucent, IBM, or OnQ Technologies to get referrals to local certified installers. Once you have a list, sit down with two or three different contractors and design a system that suits your budget and future networking needs.
Final costs for a complete home networking system vary with the complexity of the wiring, number of outlets, and labor costs in your location. In the Boston area, for example, running coaxial video cable and Category 5 cabling for telephone and data throughout a new home costs between $150 and $200 per outlet, or roughly $1,200 for an average-size home.
But as you're dreaming up all the bells and whistles your budget can hold, make sure to include a home network. By now the hype surrounding off-the-shelf home networking kits is burned into your brain--sharing Internet access, files, and peripherals, among other things. But adding a network to new home construction is even more compelling. While the walls are open, network contractors can lay a customized, structured wiring system throughout your home for about a third of the cost of a similar setup in an existing house.
Wire your home with the future in mind, and you'll have all the bandwidth and connection options you could want for years if not decades to come. Here's everything you need to know about building a wired home from the ground up.
WIRING 101
Because networks add functionality and future value to new homes, Home Automation EMagazine (www.hometoys. com) editor Bob Hetherington predicts that home networks will become as commonplace as plumbing in new construction: "The question is no longer, `Is cabling necessary?', but `What's the minimum cabling requirement?'"
Although proposed data-savvy revisions to the Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunications Wiring Standard have yet to be ratified by the Telecommunications Industry Association, most network equipment vendors and installers agree that a good basic setup--one that affords plenty of room to grow--includes two coaxial video cables (RG-6 cables) and two Category 5 network cables, run to every room of the house.
Category 5 cabling is preferred over less-expensive Category 3 wiring, because it can carry data and voice signals at speeds up to 100Mbps, making it ideal for Ethernet networking and high-speed Internet technologies like DSL. Dual coax cables let you run cable TV and video anywhere in the house, and are also useful for delivering cable modem service and future technologies such as HDTV.
While traditional telephone installations are daisy-chained in a linear configuration, the ideal layout for network cabling is a star pattern, with the wires from each room running directly back (or home-run) to a centrally located control panel or wiring box. The box is typically located in a closet or basement near the point of entry for phone and cable service, which makes tying these into the network more convenient.
There are several advantages to wiring your house this way. For one, your phones will never again be subjected to the spaghetti-style installation of new extensions. Because each Category 5 cable can support up to four voice or data lines simultaneously, it's easy to activate phone extensions throughout the house or in specific rooms with just a few tweaks at the wiring closet.
The jacks are modular, so you can add phones, PCs, televisions, and other devices to your network anywhere at any time. And from a maintenance standpoint, home-run cables are more reliable than a daisy-chained network setup, and make it easy to change your network configuration or address problems from a central location.
A JOB DONE RIGHT
If you're sold on the idea of adding a structured wiring network system, Hetherington says you should be willing to spend extra time and dollars on design: "Alteration by eraser is a whole lot cheaper than by sledgehammer."
Be sure to consult with a system integrator or network consultant, especially if you have plans to incorporate other future-looking elements, such as speaker wire, a security system, home automation features, or conduits in the walls for future cable installations.
Master-planned communities that advertise networked homes have their own specific wiring requirements. For instance, if you're building a home in Sienna Plantation, a master-planned community in Missouri City, Tex., you must have at least one Category 5 cable and one RG-6 coax cable star-wired to a minimum of four room outlets in the home, as well as cabling for Sienna fire and alarm systems. Make sure the contractor you hire is aware of any such rules. Whenever possible, work with someone who has experience installing networks in the community.
If you're on your own--building outside a planned community, or working with a general contractor who has little experience with home networks--visit the Web sites of vendors such as Lucent, IBM, or OnQ Technologies to get referrals to local certified installers. Once you have a list, sit down with two or three different contractors and design a system that suits your budget and future networking needs.
Final costs for a complete home networking system vary with the complexity of the wiring, number of outlets, and labor costs in your location. In the Boston area, for example, running coaxial video cable and Category 5 cabling for telephone and data throughout a new home costs between $150 and $200 per outlet, or roughly $1,200 for an average-size home.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Maxtor Bypasses PC With Home Network Drive
Maxtor Corp., the world's No. 3 disk-drive maker, sees a promising new market selling hard disks that act as home-entertainment hubs whether or not they are connected to a personal computer.
The new system, which Maxtor is set to unveil on Wednesday, makes the company the first hard-disk supplier to begin marketing its product as a home-entertainment center that can bypass PCs and allow consumers to watch movies or play music or video games.
"It is truly an entertainment device without a PC in the equation," said Paul Streit, director of product management at Maxtor's branded products group.
Maxtor, based in Milpitas, California, is best known for making the 3.5-inch disk drives that store data on desktop computers. With the launch of its Shared Storage Plus storage hardware, the company is bypassing the personal computer, traditionally the heart of home computing.
"They are preparing themselves for being a digital hub for the home," said David Reinsel, director of storage research at market research firm IDC.
When connected to a home network, the new drive acts as a digital entertainment media center. For example, one family member could listen to music in a room upstairs while another watches a movie in the living room and a third views a slide show of vacation photos on a laptop in the kitchen, Maxtor said.
Consumers can use the hard drive to manage different music playlists in up to 10 rooms of a house. For movies, separate family members could be watching up to four different movies at a time, Streit said of the multi-tasking capacity of the device.
The Shared Storage Plus drive relies on media-management software from Mediabolic. By relying on industry standards that allow an increasing number of consumer electronics gadgets to easily connect together, the hard drive and related software can essentially do without a PC as its central intelligence.
About 18 million U.S. households use home networks, Maxtor said, with another 7 million planning to own one by 2007.
The Shared Storage Plus drive comes in three sizes: 200 gigabytes, or billion bytes, costing $300; 300 gigabytes for $400 and a higher-capacity 500 gigabyte model to be introduced in October for $500.
The new product is essentially a software upgrade of existing 200 or 300 gigabyte hard drive models introduced earlier this year, which were marketed as a means for home and small business PC users to automatically back up data.
Owners of these existing hard drives can download the home entertainment hub capability for free, the company said.
The home network function puts Maxtor ahead of disk-drive competitors such as Seagate Technology Holdings and Western Digital Corp., Streit said. "We are definitely the first product out with this," Streit said.
The new system, which Maxtor is set to unveil on Wednesday, makes the company the first hard-disk supplier to begin marketing its product as a home-entertainment center that can bypass PCs and allow consumers to watch movies or play music or video games.
"It is truly an entertainment device without a PC in the equation," said Paul Streit, director of product management at Maxtor's branded products group.
Maxtor, based in Milpitas, California, is best known for making the 3.5-inch disk drives that store data on desktop computers. With the launch of its Shared Storage Plus storage hardware, the company is bypassing the personal computer, traditionally the heart of home computing.
"They are preparing themselves for being a digital hub for the home," said David Reinsel, director of storage research at market research firm IDC.
When connected to a home network, the new drive acts as a digital entertainment media center. For example, one family member could listen to music in a room upstairs while another watches a movie in the living room and a third views a slide show of vacation photos on a laptop in the kitchen, Maxtor said.
Consumers can use the hard drive to manage different music playlists in up to 10 rooms of a house. For movies, separate family members could be watching up to four different movies at a time, Streit said of the multi-tasking capacity of the device.
The Shared Storage Plus drive relies on media-management software from Mediabolic. By relying on industry standards that allow an increasing number of consumer electronics gadgets to easily connect together, the hard drive and related software can essentially do without a PC as its central intelligence.
About 18 million U.S. households use home networks, Maxtor said, with another 7 million planning to own one by 2007.
The Shared Storage Plus drive comes in three sizes: 200 gigabytes, or billion bytes, costing $300; 300 gigabytes for $400 and a higher-capacity 500 gigabyte model to be introduced in October for $500.
The new product is essentially a software upgrade of existing 200 or 300 gigabyte hard drive models introduced earlier this year, which were marketed as a means for home and small business PC users to automatically back up data.
Owners of these existing hard drives can download the home entertainment hub capability for free, the company said.
The home network function puts Maxtor ahead of disk-drive competitors such as Seagate Technology Holdings and Western Digital Corp., Streit said. "We are definitely the first product out with this," Streit said.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
CopperGate and Ucentric team up for home IP network entertainment applications solution
CopperGate Communications, a developer of chipset solutions for home networking, and Ucentric Systems, a leading provider of home media networking software for the digital home, has announced a joint Internet Protocol (IP) network solution for delivering whole-home entertainment applications using existing coaxial cable and phone lines. CopperGate's CopperStream technology, in production today, has been integrated with Ucentric's Whole-Home Media Software Suite to enable a highly reliable IP network capable of distributing high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) broadcast quality video sessions.
The resulting system is ideally suited to Ucentric's highly popular Whole-Home DVR (digital video recording) application, Whole-Home Music, and distribution of photos to multiple display devices throughout the home. The integrated solution, which enables telco and satellite service providers to significantly cut consumer premises equipment and installation costs while increasing entertainment service offerings, will be featured at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas, January 6-9.
"Ucentric has built a home entertainment platform that greatly enhances the consumer's digital home entertainment experience, and at a cost that operators and manufacturers can easily adopt," said Gabi Hilevitz, CopperGate CEO. "We are pleased to work with them to deliver a flexible system that uses a high speed IP backbone in the house to deliver high quality video, data and voice services on a secure and dependable network."
CopperGate's CopperStream products can carry 128 megabits per second of data over both coaxial cables and phone lines with up to 90% user data throughput. Guaranteed QoS provided by Automatic Bandwidth Allocation (ABA) ensures delivery of data streams with predefined bandwidth, latency and jitter. These products are the first to comply with the HomePNA 3.0 specification, an extension of HomePNA 2, an ITU Standard.
"CopperGate's industry-leading home networking products allow the distribution of multiple broadcast quality HD video streams--the essential and most difficult challenge for physical layer technologies to meet--over combined phoneline/coax networks. The availability of a mature, cost-efficient technology to support multi-session HD is a significant enabler for the New Digital Home," said Michael Collette, Ucentric chief executive officer. "Our combined IP-based system for the Digital Home can now deliver a future-proof solution that meets today's requirement and is built to expand to allow providers to support growing consumer demand for applications and services in the home that require this sort of bandwidth."
Ucentric's Whole-Home DVR application creates a single recording library, shared among multiple television sets that allows users to independently record, pause, play, rewind and fast forward live or recorded programming from any TV in the network. Additional applications available from Ucentric include Whole-Home Music and Whole-Home Photo applications that allow users to access, share, and transfer their complete digital music and photo collections to any connected device in the home.
Ucentric is a provider of networked media server software and applications for the new digital home. Its patented technology enables the secure, high quality digital distribution of HD and SD video signals from broadcast, satellite or cable sources to all connected rooms in the home. The Ucentric solution is uniquely capable of unifying networked television, including whole-home DVR with networked personal media (music, photos, home movies) and networked communications (broadband internet access and telephony)--all on a standards-based, cost efficient, interoperable IP networking platform that can easily scale to support any array of applications.
The resulting system is ideally suited to Ucentric's highly popular Whole-Home DVR (digital video recording) application, Whole-Home Music, and distribution of photos to multiple display devices throughout the home. The integrated solution, which enables telco and satellite service providers to significantly cut consumer premises equipment and installation costs while increasing entertainment service offerings, will be featured at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas, January 6-9.
"Ucentric has built a home entertainment platform that greatly enhances the consumer's digital home entertainment experience, and at a cost that operators and manufacturers can easily adopt," said Gabi Hilevitz, CopperGate CEO. "We are pleased to work with them to deliver a flexible system that uses a high speed IP backbone in the house to deliver high quality video, data and voice services on a secure and dependable network."
CopperGate's CopperStream products can carry 128 megabits per second of data over both coaxial cables and phone lines with up to 90% user data throughput. Guaranteed QoS provided by Automatic Bandwidth Allocation (ABA) ensures delivery of data streams with predefined bandwidth, latency and jitter. These products are the first to comply with the HomePNA 3.0 specification, an extension of HomePNA 2, an ITU Standard.
"CopperGate's industry-leading home networking products allow the distribution of multiple broadcast quality HD video streams--the essential and most difficult challenge for physical layer technologies to meet--over combined phoneline/coax networks. The availability of a mature, cost-efficient technology to support multi-session HD is a significant enabler for the New Digital Home," said Michael Collette, Ucentric chief executive officer. "Our combined IP-based system for the Digital Home can now deliver a future-proof solution that meets today's requirement and is built to expand to allow providers to support growing consumer demand for applications and services in the home that require this sort of bandwidth."
Ucentric's Whole-Home DVR application creates a single recording library, shared among multiple television sets that allows users to independently record, pause, play, rewind and fast forward live or recorded programming from any TV in the network. Additional applications available from Ucentric include Whole-Home Music and Whole-Home Photo applications that allow users to access, share, and transfer their complete digital music and photo collections to any connected device in the home.
Ucentric is a provider of networked media server software and applications for the new digital home. Its patented technology enables the secure, high quality digital distribution of HD and SD video signals from broadcast, satellite or cable sources to all connected rooms in the home. The Ucentric solution is uniquely capable of unifying networked television, including whole-home DVR with networked personal media (music, photos, home movies) and networked communications (broadband internet access and telephony)--all on a standards-based, cost efficient, interoperable IP networking platform that can easily scale to support any array of applications.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
D-Link Rolls Out High-End Network Hub for Home/SOHO Market - D-Link DI-714P+ 2.4 GHz broadband router - Brief Article
Testimony to the increasing sophistication of home networking options, hardware vendor D-Link announced its new DI-714P+, a 2.4 GHz broadband router with support for enhanced 802.11b+ offering speeds of up to 22 mbps. The $189.99 router also includes an integrated wireless access point, dedicated print server, four-port Ethernet switch and hardware firewall. It also includes parental control and filtering features, as well as stateful packet inspection (which checks incoming packets and rejects those not requested by a client on the network) to resist hacking attempts. The unit is part of Irvine, Calif.-based D-Link's AirPlus line, which uses chipsets and Packet Binary Convolutional Coding technology from Texas Instruments [TXN] to boost Wi-Fi speeds while maintaining compatibility with existing 802.11b networks.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Wireless in minutes - B.E. Reviews - setting up home network - Brief Article
Looking for a quick, pain-free way to set up a home network? Consider the Actiontec Wireless-Ready Cable/DSL Router and 802.11b Wireless Card. Actiontec has made it simple for those who quake at the thought of setting up a home network. The router has color-coded cables and ports, so you can easily see which connection goes where. Additionally, the product comes with an "installation buddy" that guides you through the process with detailed, step-by-step instructions and photos that give users visual as well as verbal cues on setting up the router. The process was so easy, we were finished before we even realized it.
We also connected the Actiontec 802.11b PC Card, which let us roam and surf with ease. As with the router, setup was a snap, taking roughly 10 minutes for both products as long as you carefully follow the installation instructions. If you've been thinking about building a home network, but think it might be difficult, consider the combination of the Actiontec Wireless Ready Cable/ DSL Router and 802.11b Wireless PC Card.
Don't rush out to purchase the latest wireless network products until you make sure your PC can handle the job. Check for the following:
1. A network interface card (NIC) in all the PCs you plan to network
2. The necessary hard disk and memory space
3. The right operating system (check the box for requirements)
4. High-speed Internet connection
We also connected the Actiontec 802.11b PC Card, which let us roam and surf with ease. As with the router, setup was a snap, taking roughly 10 minutes for both products as long as you carefully follow the installation instructions. If you've been thinking about building a home network, but think it might be difficult, consider the combination of the Actiontec Wireless Ready Cable/ DSL Router and 802.11b Wireless PC Card.
Don't rush out to purchase the latest wireless network products until you make sure your PC can handle the job. Check for the following:
1. A network interface card (NIC) in all the PCs you plan to network
2. The necessary hard disk and memory space
3. The right operating system (check the box for requirements)
4. High-speed Internet connection
Friday, May 05, 2006
Home networking annoyances; how to fix the most annoying things about your home network
This troubleshooting guide offers solutions to the hundreds of little problems that can arise when installing and running a Windows-based home computer network connected via Ethernet, phone line, power line, or wireless antenna. It covers routers, managing users, mapped drives, file sharing, network printing, shared internet, firewalls, wireless security, the backup process, and compatibility issues.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Cisco joins partnership to introduce outdoor Wi-Fi mesh network in Cleveland
A new public-private partnership to introduce free outdoor Wi-Fi mesh services to neighbourhoods in Cleveland, in the US, has been announced by Cisco Systems Inc (Cisco) (Nasdaq:CSCO), a supplier of networking equipment & network management, and OneCommunity, a non-profit organisation.
Cisco said the mesh network will provide a 'digital bridge' for residents, enabling them to access education, job placements, healthcare and government services online.
The company is working with OneCommunity, Time Warner and Sprint to establish the network, which will allow residents, organisations and businesses to access the Internet and use OneCommunity's services, free of charge.
OneCommunity is working with local universities, libraries, hospitals and churches to provide an on-ramp to the project for those without computers. It claimed the network will provide access to new services, such as remote healthcare management, which will have a positive and quick effect on the local community.
Cisco said the mesh network will provide a 'digital bridge' for residents, enabling them to access education, job placements, healthcare and government services online.
The company is working with OneCommunity, Time Warner and Sprint to establish the network, which will allow residents, organisations and businesses to access the Internet and use OneCommunity's services, free of charge.
OneCommunity is working with local universities, libraries, hospitals and churches to provide an on-ramp to the project for those without computers. It claimed the network will provide access to new services, such as remote healthcare management, which will have a positive and quick effect on the local community.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Install your own wireless network: access your computer, printer and peripherals without cables
Would you like to access the Internet, your printer and your other computers, including laptops, without stringing wires throughout your office or home? The solution is a wireless local area network (WLAN) and we'll tell you how easy it is to install one yourself at a nominal cost.
WLANs replace conventional wires with devices called wireless access points that plug into any electrical wall socket. WLAN hardware contains miniature transmitters and antennae that send and receive radio signals to and from your computers and other peripherals.
In order to determine how many access points you will need and where they should be placed, sketch the layout of your home or ofrice. Consumer-grade access points have an average effective indoor range of up to 150 feet, though thick concrete walls, metal wall studs and appliances can reduce that range. A small office may need just one access point, which can cost as little as $70. Powerful commercial devices, which provide coverage of extended areas, either indoor or outdoor, cost as much as several thousand dollars.
You also will need to install in each computer, printer and peripheral a wireless network interface card (NLC), which contains a transmitter and antenna to send and receive signals from an access point. Wireless NICs cost from $40 to several hundred dollars. A $40 model is adequate for a home or small office WLAN.
SELECT THE STANDARD
When you shop for wireless equipment, you will be asked which of three industry WLAN industry standards you plan to employ--802.11b, 802.11a or 802.11g. All wireless equipment uses one or more of these standard specifications. The 802.11b designation was the first to be deployed and is the most widely used. The "a" standard was introduced next but is not widely used because it isn't compatible with "b" devices. The "g" standard is the newest and the most versatile; it's compatible with both "a" and "b" (see
For our example, we will use equipment designed for the "g" standard, a Linksys Wireless Access Point Router, which costs about $70, and two Ethernet cables, costing about $5 each.
Configuring the WLAN takes no more than an hour or so. Follow along with us as we provide the steps.
The Linksys does multiple tasks. As a wireless access point it creates the connection to your network. Its four ports also let you connect wired devices. And as a router it allows the office network (wireless and wired) to share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection; a dial-up connection is not recommended because it is too slow.
Since the Linksys provides both wired and wireless local area network (LAN) access, you also can plug a desktop computer into it for a wired connection.
Even though our example is hardware-specific, the guidance we present can be followed with slight modifications when using other brands.
LOAD LAPTOPS
We will prepare laptop wireless equipment first.
Step I. Many new laptops come with a NIC already installed. If your laptop lacks it, you will need to install one by following the instructions provided by the vendor. Usually you can slide the credit-card-sized NIC into the laptop's PC-card slot. You'll also have to load the wireless software, which will be provided on a CD-ROM with the NIC, onto the laptop.
Step 2. Plug one end of the first Ethernet cable into the network port on the desktop PC. You usually can find the slot on the back of the computer (it looks like an oversize telephone jack).
Step 3. Plug the other end into any one of the four ports labeled LAN on the wireless access point router (see exhibit 1, at right). Nearly all new desktop computers have built-in network ports. If yours is more than a few years old and doesn't have them, you may need to install an Ethernet 10/100 NIC into one of the expansion slots.
Step 4. To allow multiple wired and wireless users to access your high-speed Internet connection simultaneously, plug one end of the second Ethernet cable into your DSL or cable modem and the other end into the Internet port on the access point router. Be sure to review the policies of your Internet service provider (ISP) to determine the maximum number of concurrent users allowed on your Internet connection.
Step 5. Plug in the access point router, wait a few minutes and then turn on the PC and laptop. To verify connectivity between the PC and the access point router, check to be sure the tiny light-emitting diode lights are illuminated; they're usually situated on the network port on the back of your desktop PC. If they aren't illuminated, you probably failed to connect the desktop PC to the access point router or to turn on the computer or access point router.
The laptop now is configured. Next we prepare the network devices, which need two pieces of information to communicate: an Internet protocol (IP) address on the network (four sets of numbers) and a subnet mask. Some network devices are configured automatically, but doing it manually is not difficult, although, as you'll see, it involves many steps.
WLANs replace conventional wires with devices called wireless access points that plug into any electrical wall socket. WLAN hardware contains miniature transmitters and antennae that send and receive radio signals to and from your computers and other peripherals.
In order to determine how many access points you will need and where they should be placed, sketch the layout of your home or ofrice. Consumer-grade access points have an average effective indoor range of up to 150 feet, though thick concrete walls, metal wall studs and appliances can reduce that range. A small office may need just one access point, which can cost as little as $70. Powerful commercial devices, which provide coverage of extended areas, either indoor or outdoor, cost as much as several thousand dollars.
You also will need to install in each computer, printer and peripheral a wireless network interface card (NLC), which contains a transmitter and antenna to send and receive signals from an access point. Wireless NICs cost from $40 to several hundred dollars. A $40 model is adequate for a home or small office WLAN.
SELECT THE STANDARD
When you shop for wireless equipment, you will be asked which of three industry WLAN industry standards you plan to employ--802.11b, 802.11a or 802.11g. All wireless equipment uses one or more of these standard specifications. The 802.11b designation was the first to be deployed and is the most widely used. The "a" standard was introduced next but is not widely used because it isn't compatible with "b" devices. The "g" standard is the newest and the most versatile; it's compatible with both "a" and "b" (see
For our example, we will use equipment designed for the "g" standard, a Linksys Wireless Access Point Router, which costs about $70, and two Ethernet cables, costing about $5 each.
Configuring the WLAN takes no more than an hour or so. Follow along with us as we provide the steps.
The Linksys does multiple tasks. As a wireless access point it creates the connection to your network. Its four ports also let you connect wired devices. And as a router it allows the office network (wireless and wired) to share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection; a dial-up connection is not recommended because it is too slow.
Since the Linksys provides both wired and wireless local area network (LAN) access, you also can plug a desktop computer into it for a wired connection.
Even though our example is hardware-specific, the guidance we present can be followed with slight modifications when using other brands.
LOAD LAPTOPS
We will prepare laptop wireless equipment first.
Step I. Many new laptops come with a NIC already installed. If your laptop lacks it, you will need to install one by following the instructions provided by the vendor. Usually you can slide the credit-card-sized NIC into the laptop's PC-card slot. You'll also have to load the wireless software, which will be provided on a CD-ROM with the NIC, onto the laptop.
Step 2. Plug one end of the first Ethernet cable into the network port on the desktop PC. You usually can find the slot on the back of the computer (it looks like an oversize telephone jack).
Step 3. Plug the other end into any one of the four ports labeled LAN on the wireless access point router (see exhibit 1, at right). Nearly all new desktop computers have built-in network ports. If yours is more than a few years old and doesn't have them, you may need to install an Ethernet 10/100 NIC into one of the expansion slots.
Step 4. To allow multiple wired and wireless users to access your high-speed Internet connection simultaneously, plug one end of the second Ethernet cable into your DSL or cable modem and the other end into the Internet port on the access point router. Be sure to review the policies of your Internet service provider (ISP) to determine the maximum number of concurrent users allowed on your Internet connection.
Step 5. Plug in the access point router, wait a few minutes and then turn on the PC and laptop. To verify connectivity between the PC and the access point router, check to be sure the tiny light-emitting diode lights are illuminated; they're usually situated on the network port on the back of your desktop PC. If they aren't illuminated, you probably failed to connect the desktop PC to the access point router or to turn on the computer or access point router.
The laptop now is configured. Next we prepare the network devices, which need two pieces of information to communicate: an Internet protocol (IP) address on the network (four sets of numbers) and a subnet mask. Some network devices are configured automatically, but doing it manually is not difficult, although, as you'll see, it involves many steps.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Network Device targets cellular backhaul applications
Providing Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, DS1/E1 and DS3/E3 client interfaces, RadioNode is used for multiplexing TDM and Ethernet traffic between cell sites and base station controllers. It offers support for Low Order UPSR/SNCP rings, up to 28 DS1/E1 ports, and 8 Ethernet ports. Device's 0:2 SONET/SDH interface protection used in conjunction with VCAT and LCAS allows Ethernet traffic to be split over 2 diverse links for resiliency to radio link interruptions.
New product optimized for Radio Transmission and Cellular Backhaul applications
OTTAWA, Canada - August 29, 2006 - Galazar Networks[R] Inc., announced the expansion of its broad portfolio of multi-service transport solutions with the introduction of its RadioNode(TM) product. This multiprotocol infrastructure solution is targeted at carrier grade networks for radio transmission and cellular backhaul applications.
Service providers are migrating their radio based access network from copper facilities carrying DS1/E1 to fiber facilities utilizing SONET/SDH signals to deliver richer packet services to their cellular customers. An efficient method of transporting a mix of Ethernet and TDM traffic between cell sites and base station controllers is required for a smooth transition from ATM over DS1/E1 connectivity to Ethernet over SONET/SDH connectivity in the radio access network.
Radio transmission products that primarily provided DS1/E1 or DS3/E3 transport over radio links are now being required to support the proliferation of Ethernet interfaces on today's network equipment to increase bandwidth capacity and add support for Ethernet services. Next generation SONET/SDH features such as the Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) are ideal for multiplexing TDM and Ethernet traffic for transmission over radio links. SONET/SDH capable radio transmission products inherit all of the carrier grade attributes of SONET/SDH such as reliability, performance monitoring and secure remote management while providing the capability to mix radio and wireline segments to form a SONET/SDH ring network.
"New packet-based services are placing higher bandwidth demands on cellular backhaul networks and radio transmission links," said Richard Deboer, CEO, Galazar Networks Inc. "The world is migrating to Ethernet interfaces and the ability to transport Ethernet simultaneously with existing TDM signals is critical to the migration of the transport network infrastructure required to support new services."
The unique combination of Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, DS1/E1 and DS3/E3 client interfaces make RadioNode ideally suited to providing efficient multiplexing of the variety of signal formats in today's radio access networks. Inherent support for Low Order UPSR/SNCP rings allows efficient sharing of bandwidth and minimizes ports at the Radio Network Controller (RNC) and the Base Station Controller (BSC) when aggregating traffic from multiple cell sites. Support for up to 28 DS1/E1 ports and 8 Ethernet ports allows for continued growth of the existing DS1/E1 infrastructure while supporting the transition to Ethernet capable cell station equipment. SONET/SDH fiber infrastructure in the radio access network also provides increased immunity to costly service interruptions caused by tower lightning strikes.
In radio transmission applications, RadioNode's 0:2 SONET/SDH interface protection used in conjunction with VCAT and LCAS allows Ethernet traffic to be split over two diverse links providing resiliency to radio link interruptions and effectively doubles the contiguous transmission capacity to 311 Mbps.
Building on Galazar's reputation of delivering more than just devices with rudimentary software, our co-located team of experienced IC, hardware, software and system designers minimize customer time to market by working together to define, develop, verify and support these solutions as end-to-end systems. Through proprietary tools and processes we are able to provide extensive software, documentation, troubleshooting tools, reference platforms and application design information to customers.
Galazar offers comprehensive device management software, including advanced capabilities such warm start, interrupt management and a wide variety of troubleshooting tools that are field proven by our customers' deployments. This device management software, extensive hyperlinked documentation and customer system support have established Galazar's reputation as a design partner and supplier of choice to our customers.
New product optimized for Radio Transmission and Cellular Backhaul applications
OTTAWA, Canada - August 29, 2006 - Galazar Networks[R] Inc., announced the expansion of its broad portfolio of multi-service transport solutions with the introduction of its RadioNode(TM) product. This multiprotocol infrastructure solution is targeted at carrier grade networks for radio transmission and cellular backhaul applications.
Service providers are migrating their radio based access network from copper facilities carrying DS1/E1 to fiber facilities utilizing SONET/SDH signals to deliver richer packet services to their cellular customers. An efficient method of transporting a mix of Ethernet and TDM traffic between cell sites and base station controllers is required for a smooth transition from ATM over DS1/E1 connectivity to Ethernet over SONET/SDH connectivity in the radio access network.
Radio transmission products that primarily provided DS1/E1 or DS3/E3 transport over radio links are now being required to support the proliferation of Ethernet interfaces on today's network equipment to increase bandwidth capacity and add support for Ethernet services. Next generation SONET/SDH features such as the Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) are ideal for multiplexing TDM and Ethernet traffic for transmission over radio links. SONET/SDH capable radio transmission products inherit all of the carrier grade attributes of SONET/SDH such as reliability, performance monitoring and secure remote management while providing the capability to mix radio and wireline segments to form a SONET/SDH ring network.
"New packet-based services are placing higher bandwidth demands on cellular backhaul networks and radio transmission links," said Richard Deboer, CEO, Galazar Networks Inc. "The world is migrating to Ethernet interfaces and the ability to transport Ethernet simultaneously with existing TDM signals is critical to the migration of the transport network infrastructure required to support new services."
The unique combination of Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, DS1/E1 and DS3/E3 client interfaces make RadioNode ideally suited to providing efficient multiplexing of the variety of signal formats in today's radio access networks. Inherent support for Low Order UPSR/SNCP rings allows efficient sharing of bandwidth and minimizes ports at the Radio Network Controller (RNC) and the Base Station Controller (BSC) when aggregating traffic from multiple cell sites. Support for up to 28 DS1/E1 ports and 8 Ethernet ports allows for continued growth of the existing DS1/E1 infrastructure while supporting the transition to Ethernet capable cell station equipment. SONET/SDH fiber infrastructure in the radio access network also provides increased immunity to costly service interruptions caused by tower lightning strikes.
In radio transmission applications, RadioNode's 0:2 SONET/SDH interface protection used in conjunction with VCAT and LCAS allows Ethernet traffic to be split over two diverse links providing resiliency to radio link interruptions and effectively doubles the contiguous transmission capacity to 311 Mbps.
Building on Galazar's reputation of delivering more than just devices with rudimentary software, our co-located team of experienced IC, hardware, software and system designers minimize customer time to market by working together to define, develop, verify and support these solutions as end-to-end systems. Through proprietary tools and processes we are able to provide extensive software, documentation, troubleshooting tools, reference platforms and application design information to customers.
Galazar offers comprehensive device management software, including advanced capabilities such warm start, interrupt management and a wide variety of troubleshooting tools that are field proven by our customers' deployments. This device management software, extensive hyperlinked documentation and customer system support have established Galazar's reputation as a design partner and supplier of choice to our customers.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Digital Lightwave announces the addition of Virtual Concatenation and Network Delay Simulation in the NIC platform - New Products/New Services - Netwo
Digital Lightwave announced the addition of Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) testing capability and Network Delay Simulation to its Network Information Computer (NIC) product line. VCAT is being implemented broadly around the world, most notably in Asia and Europe. VCAT enables a more efficient and flexible use of SONET/SDH bandwidth for packet-oriented traffic. The feature set includes control and measurement of all related alarms and errors as well as sub-rate channel delay.
Network Delay Simulation allows customers to create delays on sub-rate channels to simulate different physical path lengths without having to use actual fiber and racks of equipment. This feature meets the newest standards and allows users of the NIC to fully test their equipment at all levels of design, manufacturing and installation. VCAT and Network Delay Simulation are available on all new NIC products or available as a software upgrade to existing NICs.
Network Delay Simulation allows customers to create delays on sub-rate channels to simulate different physical path lengths without having to use actual fiber and racks of equipment. This feature meets the newest standards and allows users of the NIC to fully test their equipment at all levels of design, manufacturing and installation. VCAT and Network Delay Simulation are available on all new NIC products or available as a software upgrade to existing NICs.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Computer Network Time Synchronization: The Network Time Protocol
Mills (electrical and computer engineering, computer and information sciences, U. of Delaware), the original developer of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), describes the maintenance of accurate computer time, and the technological infrastructure of time dissemination, distribution, and synchronization, with attention to the architecture, protocols, and algorithms of NTP. He details the components of an NTP client and how it works; principles guiding network configuration and resource discovery; performance, radio, satellite, and telephone modem dissemination; kernel software that improves accuracy; security and cryptographic algorithms; errors; modeling and analysis of the computer clock; international timekeeping; and the technical history of NTP. The book is intended as a reference for NTP administrators or for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in computer engineering and computer science.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Student honored for defense of computer network
A University of Colorado at Boulder student named Student Employee of the Year was cited for special praise last month by university Chancellor Richard Bynny for his role in preventing the university's network from being compromised by the invasive "Blaster" worm last fall.
It took Davis Chen 36 hours of last-minute computer programming to rescue the school's network from serious harm when the worm created an operating system vulnerability to allow hackers complete access to infected computers. A senior biology major and a member of CU-Boulder's Information Technology Services staff, Chen led the university's effort to prevent the worm from spreading just as students returned for the start of the fall 2003 semester.
"It was a big problem. We have departments at CU-Boulder with sensitive data that shouldn't be leaked, and the worm could've compromised all of that. There was a lot more at stake than a bunch of money," Chen says.
CU officials say Chen's expertise did save CU-Boulder a lot of money particularly in light of what happened at other campuses. The CU-Boulder ITS staff, including Chen, spent only $9,000 and 465 hours to repair about 265 computers--the smallest impact felt of 19 research universities polled in an informal survey published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In contrast, Stanford University spent $806,000 and took 18,420 hours to repair almost one-third of its entire campus network.
The survey reported an average expense of nearly $300,000 at the 19 schools infected by the worm.
CU-Boulder's success in dealing with the Blaster worm was recognized at schools around the nation. Several requested Chen's solution and instructions on how to implement his program on their own networks.
"I'm thrilled that Davis was recognized as the campus' Student Employee of the Year," said Dennis Maloney, executive director of ITS. "His efforts with regard to our response to the Blaster worm showed a lot of innovation. He very quickly came up with a creative solution to help the campus mitigate what could have been a disaster."
It took Davis Chen 36 hours of last-minute computer programming to rescue the school's network from serious harm when the worm created an operating system vulnerability to allow hackers complete access to infected computers. A senior biology major and a member of CU-Boulder's Information Technology Services staff, Chen led the university's effort to prevent the worm from spreading just as students returned for the start of the fall 2003 semester.
"It was a big problem. We have departments at CU-Boulder with sensitive data that shouldn't be leaked, and the worm could've compromised all of that. There was a lot more at stake than a bunch of money," Chen says.
CU officials say Chen's expertise did save CU-Boulder a lot of money particularly in light of what happened at other campuses. The CU-Boulder ITS staff, including Chen, spent only $9,000 and 465 hours to repair about 265 computers--the smallest impact felt of 19 research universities polled in an informal survey published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. In contrast, Stanford University spent $806,000 and took 18,420 hours to repair almost one-third of its entire campus network.
The survey reported an average expense of nearly $300,000 at the 19 schools infected by the worm.
CU-Boulder's success in dealing with the Blaster worm was recognized at schools around the nation. Several requested Chen's solution and instructions on how to implement his program on their own networks.
"I'm thrilled that Davis was recognized as the campus' Student Employee of the Year," said Dennis Maloney, executive director of ITS. "His efforts with regard to our response to the Blaster worm showed a lot of innovation. He very quickly came up with a creative solution to help the campus mitigate what could have been a disaster."
Monday, April 03, 2006
KVM-over-IP - Network access and management products - Raritan Computer IP-Reach M - Brief Article
Digital KVM-over-IP solution for small to midsize data centers offers anytime, anywhere access to servers. The IP-Reach M Series comes in one- and two-port configurations and provides multiplatform, BIOS-level, KVM console access to multiple servers over IP. The 1U system features 128-bit SSL encryption, a dedicated modem port and real-time performance adaptation to bandwidth constraints. For users with multiple IP-Reach products, the Navigator feature enables one-click access to view real-time port status of all IP-Reach products in their data center operations. The M series is SNMP-enabled to interface with remote-management software.--Raritan
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Computer Networking Business: Start-up and Hiring Key Employees
Hiring employees in the computer networking business is an exact science. Many computer networking business owners don't have the knowledge required to hire the best and most experienced employees, even though hiring these people is one of the most beneficial factors of business growth. There is a formula to follow that can help you, as a business owner hire the right employees for your computer networking business.
Hiring is a very systematic process, and each computer networking business has to be ready for a very long process. Once you make a list of the most useful candidates for the jobs, the interview process begins. Be prepared to conduct second and even third interviews to ensure you get the right people to help you in your computer networking business.
Classified Ads That Emphasize Opportunity
Job postings for your computer networking business should advertise an opportunity, not simply a job or a position. The words you use to describe the opportunity should reflect the full scope of your company and attract those looking for a career, not just a shorter-term job.
The Job Description
The employees you want will expect a clear description of the job and its responsibilities. In your description, include definitions, expectations, salary, bonuses and all perks.
Honest And Open Reference Conversations
Establish an open and friendly relationship right off the bat with candidate references in order to open up communication. Ask about the applicant's strengths and weaknesses after you've put the reference at ease, and keep in mind that most often a reference is only trying to protect himself when he is guarded with information.
Resumes And Applications
You should demand an applicant fill out completely both an application and a resume. A computer networking business will find out much more about a candidate by expecting both items. Applications provide the answers to important questions regarding felony arrest, citizenship, etc., and make work history easier to determine than a resume alone.
Listening Skills
The ability to listen is a critical skill in the computer networking business, and if a candidate cannot stay focused or truly process what you are saying in an interview, chances are he will not listen as a service-oriented employee.
Following specific guidelines when hiring all employees will guarantee your hires are consistently of the best quality and best fit for your particular computer networking business.
Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Hiring is a very systematic process, and each computer networking business has to be ready for a very long process. Once you make a list of the most useful candidates for the jobs, the interview process begins. Be prepared to conduct second and even third interviews to ensure you get the right people to help you in your computer networking business.
Classified Ads That Emphasize Opportunity
Job postings for your computer networking business should advertise an opportunity, not simply a job or a position. The words you use to describe the opportunity should reflect the full scope of your company and attract those looking for a career, not just a shorter-term job.
The Job Description
The employees you want will expect a clear description of the job and its responsibilities. In your description, include definitions, expectations, salary, bonuses and all perks.
Honest And Open Reference Conversations
Establish an open and friendly relationship right off the bat with candidate references in order to open up communication. Ask about the applicant's strengths and weaknesses after you've put the reference at ease, and keep in mind that most often a reference is only trying to protect himself when he is guarded with information.
Resumes And Applications
You should demand an applicant fill out completely both an application and a resume. A computer networking business will find out much more about a candidate by expecting both items. Applications provide the answers to important questions regarding felony arrest, citizenship, etc., and make work history easier to determine than a resume alone.
Listening Skills
The ability to listen is a critical skill in the computer networking business, and if a candidate cannot stay focused or truly process what you are saying in an interview, chances are he will not listen as a service-oriented employee.
Following specific guidelines when hiring all employees will guarantee your hires are consistently of the best quality and best fit for your particular computer networking business.
Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
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