Jargon Buster

Jargon Buster

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GigE)

10 Gigabit Ethernet or 10GE or 10GbE or 10 GigE standard defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of up to 10 Gbit/s (10,000 megabits per second), ten times as fast as Gigabit Ethernet.

1000BASE-LX

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmission over multi-mode fiber (max 550m) or transmission over single-mode fiber (max 5km).

1000BASE-LX10

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmission using single-mode fiber 1,310 nm wavelength (max 10 km).

1000BASE-SX

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmission over multi-mode fiber (distance 220m to 550m).

1000BASE-T

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmissi

1000BASE-TX

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmission over copper twisted-pair cabling (Cat 6, Cat 7) max 100 m.

1000BASE-X

Refers to a set of physical layer standards, or interfaces, for Gigabit Ethernet (Gig-E) delivered over twisted pair copper cable.

1000BASE-ZX

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) physical layer standard, or interface, for transmission using single-mode fiber 1,550 nm wavelength (max 70 km).

100BASE-F

100BASE-F refers to several Fast Ethernet standards for delivering up to 100Mbps over optical fiber.

100BASE-FX

Fast Ethernet over optical fiber for transmission over 1,310 nm wavelength. Multi-mode fiber distance up to 2km, Single-Mode fiber distance up to 10km.

100BASE-SX

Fast Ethernet, for transmission of 100Mbps, over multi mode optical fiber (max 550m).

100Base-T

100BASE-T is refers to several Fast Ethernet standards for delivering up to 100Mbps over copper twisted pair cables. 100BASE-TX is the most common. The segment length for a 100BASE-T cable is limited to 100 metres.

100BASE-TX

Fast Ethernet (FastE) standard for transmission up to 100Mbps over copper twisted-pair cabling (Cat 5).

10G LAN PHY

The 10G LAN PHY service offers the freedom and flexibility for businesses to manage their own data networks. With its plug-and-play Ethernet interface LAN PHY can be plugged directly to the corporate LAN, making it a significantly lower cost alternative to the traditional interfaces. LAN-PHY provides higher data speed connectivity at a line rate of 10.31 Gbps against 9.95 Gbps on standard 10G.

10G WAN PHY

10G WAN PHY operates at a data rate compatible with SONET OC-192c and SDH STM-64. WAN PHY is used when an enterprise user wishes to transport 10G Ethernet over SDH/SONET (OC-192/STM-64 SDH/SONET) delivering 9.953 Gbps (9,953 mbps). 10G LAN PHY delivers 10.31Gbps. 10G LAN PHY has proven to be more cost-effective and in demand than 10G WAN PHY interfaces.

Carrier Ethernet

Carrier Ethernet refers to a group of high speed Wide Area Networking (WAN) Ethernet services for Metropolitan, National, International Networks.

Carrier Ethernet services offer businesses a more cost-effective, scalable and flexible alternative to traditional leased line services.

Carrier Ethernet offers businesses the potential for guaranteed 24 x 7 high speed connectivity to the Internet or as part of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connecting offices and data centers.

The MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum) defines Carrier Ethernet as having five service attributes that differentiate it from Local Area Networking (LAN) Ethernet.

Carrier Ethernet is a set of standardized services with common standards used by carriers and equipment vendors.
Carrier Ethernet offers scalability in terms of both bandwidth, from 1 mbps to 10,000 mbps, maing it ideal for businesses looking to run a multitude of voice, video and data applications either directly over the Internet, or between LANs and Data Centers.
Carrier Ethernet offers reliability in that it can enable networks to automatically recover from incidents within 50ms without impacting users.
Carrier Ethernet allows for Quality of Service choices for different applications. Service providers can offer different SLAs for different applications running over a single Carrier Ethernet connection.
Carrier Ethernet offers Service Management, giving the service provider visibility into service affecting issues and the ability to monitor and diagnose problems.

CIR / CDR

Committed Information or Data Rate. This refers to the amount of bandwidth the customer commits to paying for and that is consequently guaranteed as being available 24x7 by the carrier or service provider.

CPE

Customer Premises Equipment, most often refering to a router installed at the customer premises.

Data Centre, Data Center

A data centre (or data center or datacenter), is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Data Centres are the hubs of the networking world, where the big users of bandwidth house their servers and equipment in a secure and carefully controlled environment.

EFM Copper

See Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM).

E-LAN

E-LAN is an Ethernet service type that is based on a Multipoint-to-Multipoint EVC.

E-Line

E-Line is an Ethernet service type that is based on a Point-to-Point EVC.

EPL

Ethernet Private Line (EPL) is a data service defined by the Metro Ethernet Forum, providing a point-to-point Ethernet connection between a pair of dedicated User-Network Interfaces (UNIs), with a high degree of transparency.

Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM)

Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM), is a generic term covered by standard IEEE 802.3ah, is a collection of protocols defining Ethernet in the access networks, i.e. first or last mile of delivery into the customer premises.

EFM has the following Physical Layer (PHY) interfaces:

EFM Copper (EFMC): Delivered to the customer premises over copper pairs using advanced DSL technologies:

2BASE-TL (based on SHDSL) - supports up to 6 mbps over voice-grade copper (telephone line) at distances 3km from nearest exchange.
10PASS-TS (based on VDSL) - supports up to 100 mbps over voice-grade copper (telephone line) at distances 750m from nearest exchange.

EFM Fibre (EFMF):

100BASE-LX10 - providing point-to-point 100 mbps Ethernet links over a pair of single-mode fibres up to at least 10 km.
100BASE-BX10 - providing point-to-point 100 mbps Ethernet links over an individual single-mode fibre up to at least 10 km.

1000BASE-LX10 - providing point-to-point 1000 mbps Ethernet links over a pair of single-mode fibres up to at least 10 km.

1000BASE-BX10 - providing point-to-point 1000 mbps Ethernet links over an individual single-mode fibre up to at least 10 km.

EFM PON (EFM Passive Optical Network):

1000BASE-PX10 - providing P2MP 1000 mbps Ethernet links over PONs up to at least 10 km.
1000BASE-PX20 - providing P2MP 1000 mbps Ethernet links over PONs up to at least 20 km.

Ethernet mbps

A generic way of describing the bandwidth that can be delivered over an Ethernet connection. The total bandwidth that can be delivered is determined by the port speed, typically 10/100/1000 mbps, with the term ethernet mbps referring to the Committed Information Rate (CIR) for guaranteed Internet bandwidth or LAN to LAN connectivity bandwidth.

Ethernet over Bonded Copper

or PME Aggregation is a technique where multiple 2BASE-TL (SHDSL) or 10PASS-TS (VDSL) lines are combined to create a single logical link with a higher bandwidth. Bundling copper pairs to offer a higher aggregated bandwidth also offers customers a higher degree of resilience in that if one copper pair fails, the other copper pairs will be able to maintain connectivity albeit at a lower total bandwidth.

EVC

Ethernet virtual connection (EVC) is a logical relationship between Ethernet user-to-network interfaces (UNI) in a provider-based Ethernet service.

Fast Ethernet

Fast Ethernet is a term for a number of Ethernet standards that carry traffic at the nominal rate of 100 megabits per second or 100 Mbps.

Fiber to the x (FTTx)

Fiber to the x (FTTx) is a generic term for any broadband network architecture that uses optical fiber to replace all or part of the usual metal local loop used for last mile telecommunications.

Fiber to the Cabinet (FTTC)

Fiber to the Curb (FTTC) or Fiber to the Cabinet refers to a situation where service is delivered to the nearest cabinet over fiber optic cables, and delivered to the customer over existing copper, or twisted pairs, using advanced DSL technologies, like VDSL.

Fiber to the Premises (FTTP)

Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) refers to a situation where optical fiber is delivered directly to the customer premises. FTTP enables a potentially much higher data throughput compared to twisted pair FTTC services. FTTC is regarded as a lower cost and quicker to deliver Ethernet based services for the large number of businesses without access to optical fiber.

Fiber Optic Broadband

Also known as Fibre To The Cabinet or FTTC with access to the home or office being over coaxial copper using Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) standard 10PASS-TS (based on VDSL) - supports 40 mbps (with 100 mbps potential) down and 10 mbps upload over voice-grade copper (telephone line) at distances 750m from nearest exchange. Fibre Broadband is delivered over a standard telephone line, or bundles of copper phone lines. Unlike ADSL it requires special equipment installed in street cabinet to connect back to the local telephone exchange using high speed fibre optic cables. This means that the broadband signal only has to travel a short distance between the customer premises and the street cabinet and hence a much faster service is possible than with normal ADSL broadband.

Fiber Optic Internet

Fiber Optic Internet refers to Internet Access services delivered over fiber optic cables, offering the user much higher Internet bandwidth than possible compared to Internet Access services delivered over copper phone lines. Bandwidth rates of up to 100mbps, 1000mbps and 10,000mbps are possible for Internet Access whereby the customer is given a dedicated connection to the Internet at their preferred CIR rate, and IP Transit, where the customer is managing the Border Gateway Protocols (BGP) with at least one other IP Transit provider. Fiber Optic Internet can therefore apply to both Internet Access or IP Transit and be suited to users looking for a guaranteed 24x7 CIR, probably in the region of in excess of 50mbps. For lower CIR rates, Ethernet services delivered over existing copper phone lines might suit or Fiber Optic Broadband.

Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of 1000 megabits per second or 1000Mbps or 1Gbps.

Gbps (Gigabit per second or Gb/s)

A data throughput rate of 1 Gigabit per second, or 1000 mbps or megabits per second, or 1 million kilobits per second, or 1 billion bits per second.

Internet Access: Broadband

Internet access refers to the means by which users connect to the Internet over existing copper phone lines and as a contended service: Broadband essentially means the service is shared, hence the "upto" x Mb/s claims by the service provider. Its not guaranteed to always be at the CIR rate.

Internet Access: Dedicated

Internet access refers to the means by which users connect to the Internet: Dedicated means the bandwidth is guaranteed to the CIR rate, 24 hours a day and can be delivered over SDH/Sonnet or Ethernet private lines to the customer premises.

Internet Access: Ethernet

A form of Dedicated Internet Access typically delivered over fiber as an Ethernet circuit to the customer premises. Benefits of Ethernet Internet Access are that the user can opt to select the CIR Bandwidth they want but delivered over a 100Mbps Fast Ethernet or 1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port, thereby allowing them to easily upgrade their CIR level.

IP Transit

IP Transit refers to a form of Internet Access, where a larger Internet backbone operator will advertise the global IP routing table to a customer, but where the buyer is typically a service provider or a heavy Internet bandwidth user who manages their own BGP sessions across at least one IP backbone network. A buyer of IP Transit will need a higher level of technical understanding and be required to have their own AS (Autonomous System) number acquired from either RIPE (Europe and Middle East), ARIN (USA), APNIC (Asia Pacific), LACNIC (South America) or AfriNIC (Africa). IP Transit is predominantly a Data Center service whereas Internet Access is predominantly a customer premises service, although also available at Data Centers. IP Transit is not a Carrier Ethernet service, as it Layer 3, but it is typically delivered over an Ethernet connection, either FastE, GigE or 10GigE, with a minimum Committed information rate (CIR) of 10mbps or even 100mbps depending on the provider.

LAN (Local Area Network)

A local area network (LAN) consists of two or more computers connected together in the same building. A LAN is contrasted to a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, which covers a large geographic area. By creating a LAN in the home or office, computers on the LAN can share files, resources and Internet bandwidth. A wired LAN requires Ethernet cable to physically connect all computers on the network to a switch.

LAN Extension

LAN Extension Services are high-speed, dedicated Ethernet circuits that run between separate offices to create a single corporate network, or WAN.

Latency

Latency is the time taken for a packet to pass from one point of a network to another. Measured in milliseconds (thousanths of a second).

Layer 1

OSI model reference to the underlying Physical Layer which defines the relationship between a device and physical medium. Eg signalling and transmission over physical cabling (eg copper and fibre). Some Physical Layer Ethernet (PHY) standards are also in this layer; Ethernet incorporates both this layer and the Data Link Layer (Layer 2).

Layer 2

OSI model reference to the Data Link Layer which provides the functional and procedural means to transfer data between network entities and to detect and possibly correct errors that may occur in the Physical Layer. Most point to point and multi point Ethernet services are Layer 2 services, whereby data packets are encoded and decoded into bits. The Layer 2 layer furnishes transmission protocol knowledge and management and handles errors in the physical layer. Layer 2 is divided into two sub layers: The Media Access Control (MAC) layer and the Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. The MAC sub layer controls access to the data and permission to transmit it. The LLC layer controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking.

Layer 3

OSI model reference to the Network Layer. Sometimes referred to as the IP layer, Layer 3 provides switching and routing, using logical paths, or virtual circuits, for transmitting data between nodes. Routing, forwarding, addressing, internetworking, error management and packet sequencing are Layer 3 functions.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network of computers within a small area, either within an office, or a campus where because distances are so small no leased lines or circuits need to be ordered for the computers to communicate. Carrier Ethernet can be used to connect geographically diverse LANs, effectively creating one large LAN.

Mb/s (Mbps, Megabits per second)

A measure of data transfer equating to 1,000,000 bits per second.

Metro Ethernet

Refers to a computer network connecting across a single city, or metropolitan area, that is based on Ethernet connections. Metro Ethernet can be implemented as pure Ethernet, Ethernet over SDH/Sonnet, Ethernet over MPLS or Ethernet over DWDM.

Metro Ethernet Forum

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), founded in 2001, is a nonprofit international industry consortium, dedicated to worldwide adoption of Carrier Ethernet networks and services.

MPLS

MPLS, or Multiprotocol Label Switching, integrates Layer 2 information about specific network links (bandwidth, latency, utilization) into the Layer 3 within a particular autonomous system, or IP network. In doing so, simplifying and improving IP-packet exchange. MPLS gives network operators a great deal of flexibility to divert and route traffic around link failures, congestion, and bottlenecks as well as the ability to prioritise traffic and offer different classes of services, or QOS, to customers.

MSP

Managed Service Provider, Managed Solutions Provider or Managed Systems Provider. MSP is a generic term covering a variety of different types of services that can be offered to clients over and above raw connectivity. Application management, Network Security and monitoring, database management, storage and DR services.

Next Generation Networks (NGN)

A Next Generation Network is a network designed using IP and QoS (Quality of Service) technology to reliably and efficiently support all types of customer traffic including Voice, Video, Data. NGNs often use Carrier Ethernet as a means to offer a multitude of services in addition to connectivity.

NNI

Network to Network Interface refers to the interface between two networks. The purpose of the NNI is to offer compatible standards for signalling and management between the two networks.

Optical broadband

see: Fibre optic broadband.

Optical fiber

Optical fiber refers to fiber optic cables that are able to transmit data through beams of light. Optical fiber is the perfect medium for transmitting very high data rates over longer distances. Each fiber strand is typically encased in a cable with upto 100 fiber strands and each fiber strand can have the light multiplexed to offer multiple light waves, each capable of carrying 1Gbps, 10Gbps, 40Gbps and 100Gbps.

OSI model

Part of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for itemising the different layers for any communications system. Each layer receives "services" from the layer below it and provides services to the layer above it. See references to Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3.

PHY Ethernet

PHY is a reference to the physical layer, or Layer 1, of the OSI model. A PHY connects a MAC device to a physical medium such as an optical fibre or copper cable.

PME Aggregation

See Ethernet over Bonded Copper.

QoS

Quality of Service is the ability to provide different priority to different applications, users, or data flows, or to guarantee a certain level of performance to a data flow.

RTT (Round trip time)

RTT (Round Trip Time) refers to the time for a packet to pass from one point of a network to another, and back again. Measured in milliseconds (thousanths of a second).

T1

A SDH/Sonnet private line connection, US standard for high-speed digital transmission at a rate of 1.544 Mbps.

UNI

User Network Interface (UNI) is a demarcation point between the responsibility of the service provider and the responsibility of the subscriber. This is distinct from a Network to Network Interface or NNI that defines a similar interface between provider networks.

VLAN

VLAN, or virtual LAN, is a group of hosts with a common set of requirements that communicate as if they were attached to the same broadcast domain or LAN. VLANs can be configured to run separate, segmented, services over the same physical connection thereby not requiring separate physical connections for each service and consequently saving costs.

VPLS

Virtual private LAN service. An any to any, or multipoint to multipoint, Ethernet service provided over IP/MPLS networks. VPLS providers enable connectivity to all of the customer LANs over a single bridged LAN VPN.

VPN

Virtual Private Network is a form of communication over networks that are public in ownership, but emulate a private network in terms of security.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network of computers within a large geographical area (across cities, countries, continents). Carrier Ethernet is a WAN technology.