News

Network protocols and standards

• September 18, 2019 18 Sep'19

  Wi-Fi Certified 6 launches new era for wireless connectivity

  The Wi-Fi 6 wireless standard is now ready for deployment, thanks to the debut of a certification effort that helps guarantee interoperability.

• May 20, 2019 20 May'19

  Marconi Mainnet launched for building, scaling complex networks

  The Marconi Mainnet platform provides blockchain security, multi-cloud connectivity, advanced firewalls and secure gateways for decentralized networks.

• October 04, 2018 04 Oct'18

  Wi-Fi Alliance introduces Wi-Fi 6 as part of new naming system

  In networking news, Wi-Fi 6 now connotes 802.11ax technology, Aerohive Networks introduces machine learning analytics tools and Viavi releases a platform update.

• September 28, 2018 28 Sep'18

  FCC 5G ruling tries to speed up small cell deployments in cities

  The Federal Communications Commission has ordered cities to move faster in deciding on small cell deployments. Telecom firms praise the new FCC 5G rules while cities denounce them.

• September 14, 2018 14 Sep'18

  Verizon 5G rollout could change broadband competition

  Verizon launches Oct. 1 a 5G internet service in four U.S. cities. The Verizon 5G rollout could give the company an edge against cable companies in the high-speed internet market.

• September 07, 2018 07 Sep'18

  Juniper-Ericsson partnership aimed at 5G market

  Juniper Networks has partnered with Ericsson to sell 5G gear and software to carriers. The Juniper-Ericsson alliance arrives as Cisco's partnership with Ericsson weakens.

• August 29, 2018 29 Aug'18

  Cisco adds LTE modem to Meraki MX security appliance

  Cisco adds a built-in 4G wireless broadband modem to two Meraki MX security appliances. Cisco launched the Meraki MX67C and the MX68CW devices with an integrated CAT 6 LTE cellular modem. The company also introduced four faster MX models without LTE.

• October 06, 2017 06 Oct'17

  ETSI industry group publishes six NFV specifications

  The ETSI Industry Specification Group for NFV is living up to its name with the publishing of six new NFV specifications. Also, NSS Labs puts SD-WAN products to the test.

• August 04, 2017 04 Aug'17

  Riverbed, Talari, Cisco bolster SD-WAN vendor product lines

  Developing Talari, Riverbed and Cisco SD-WAN products reflect trends in SD-WAN market, which IDC predicts will top $8 billion by 2021.

• July 20, 2017 20 Jul'17

  MEF looks to SD-WAN standards with open APIs, orchestration framework

  MEF has made the move to establish consistent SD-WAN standards for its service provider members through a set of open APIs and a lifecycle service orchestration framework.

• December 20, 2016 20 Dec'16

  Networking decides between modern Ethernet standards

  This week, bloggers discuss the debate between modern Ethernet standards, compare network management to landlords and examine 2017 cybersecurity threats.

• September 29, 2016 29 Sep'16

  New IEEE Ethernet standard ups CAT5e, CAT6 bandwidth to 5 Gbps

  The latest IEEE Ethernet standard gets more life out of CAT5e and CAT6 cables by raising bandwidth from 1 Gbps to as much as 5 Gbps.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  Group begins work on 400 Gbps QSFP interfaces

  Thirteen networking and electronics industry suppliers said they would work together to develop a new generation of double-density quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) interfaces that would ...

• August 25, 2015 25 Aug'15

  Xirrus unveils high-capacity 802.11ac Wave 2 access point

  Xirrus plans to release in October an 802.11ac Wave 2 access point. The device is expected to fill a niche in the wireless market.

• May 01, 2015 01 May'15

  Will 802.11ac speeds redefine network architectures?

  After months of anticipation, the first 802.11ac Wave 2 access points are hitting the market, ushering in the era of multi-gigabit speeds on wireless LANs.

  This second and final phase of the latest Wi-Fi standard boasts a theoretical maximum ...

• March 11, 2015 11 Mar'15

  SN blogs: Android for Work ready for prime time

  In this week's SN blogs, analysts discuss Google's new BYOD platform and give support to user activity monitoring applications.

• December 11, 2014 11 Dec'14

  802.11ac Wave 2 may force Ethernet switch upgrades as early as 2015

  The high bandwidth of 802.11ac Wave 2 might force enterprises to upgrade to faster Ethernet switches in 2015.

• December 05, 2014 05 Dec'14

  SN blogs: Major IPv6 business drivers propel adoption rates

  This week, analysts discuss business incentives for adopting IPv6; another says a consumer-privacy revolution is on its way.

• October 03, 2014 03 Oct'14

  IPv6 connectivity up; enterprises begin to take note

  The 2014 North American IPv6 Summit showcased the growth of the protocol and shed some light on what enterprises are doing to (finally) adopt it.

• April 16, 2014 16 Apr'14

  VMware, Microsoft end encapsulation protocol turf war with GENEVE

  Microsoft, VMware, Intel and Red Hat have submitted the GENEVE encapsulation protocol to the IETF for network overlay standardization.

• April 14, 2014 14 Apr'14

  Unlike Elvis, IPv6 is in the building

  As the large group of IT administrators and engineers filed into the IPv6 session at this year's Interop Las Vegas, they probably were expecting to hear yet another boring lecture about the ...

• April 10, 2014 10 Apr'14

  Competitors on Cisco SDN protocol OpFlex: Show me the code!

  Cisco will submit its OpFlex SDN protocol to the IETF for standardization, but will the technology promote a closed, hardware-centric version of SDN?

• April 02, 2014 02 Apr'14

  HP and Meru add OpenFlow wireless LAN support on access points

  HP and Meru announced support for OpenFlow on wireless LAN access points.

• April 02, 2014 02 Apr'14

  Cisco OpFlex: A southbound SDN protocol for network policy control

  Cisco proposed OpFlex as an alternative, southbound SDN control protocol that relies on distributed network intelligence.

• March 03, 2014 03 Mar'14

  Brocade OpenFlow 1.3 is everywhere: ICX, VDX and NetIron get upgrade

  The Brocade OpenFlow approach goes big, as the vendor adds version 1.3 support of the protocol to all its products.

• January 30, 2014 30 Jan'14

  IBM's alleged SDN business sale: Pricing exercise or a new direction?

  Analysts speculate on IBM's strategy regarding the company's rumored plan to sell its young SDN business unit.

• December 06, 2013 06 Dec'13

  ONF Northbound Interface Group chair: No need for standards yet

  The ONF's new chair of the Northbound Interface Working Group says there's no need for standards yet, but common interfaces will help developers proliferate.

• October 25, 2013 25 Oct'13

  SDN research: How OpenFlow controllers can work across network domains

  New software lets OpenFlow controllers work across network domains, sharing programmability between unique sets of infrastructure over long distances.

• September 25, 2013 25 Sep'13

  Not all OpenFlow hardware is created equal: Understanding the options

  In this Q&A, Ixia's Mike Haugh explains why OpenFlow hardware support varies so much from vendor to vendor.

• September 10, 2013 10 Sep'13

  802.11ac range issues: Overcoming wireless signal shortcomings

  802.11ac range is shorter than previous Wi-Fi standards. Enterprises can overcome range shortcomings with range extenders, additional access points.

• July 29, 2013 29 Jul'13

  OpenFlow testing: ONF will lead conformance program for SDN protocol

  The ONF has launched an OpenFlow testing program that certifies hardware and software conformance with the SDN protocol.

• July 29, 2013 29 Jul'13

  IETF SDN standards emerge: Southbound protocols, NFV, service chains

  The new IETF SDN standards group, I2RS, will work on southbound programming protocols, NFV and network service chains. And that''s just the start.

• July 24, 2013 24 Jul'13

  IPv4 to IPv6 conversion thwarted by ISP peering issues

  There aren't enough IPv6 users to report broken routing when ISP peering issues develop, so firms must track their website performance on their own.

• June 06, 2013 06 Jun'13

  Big Switch abandons OpenDaylight after controller spat with Cisco

  Big Switch has left the OpenDaylight Project over the perceived influence of incumbent vendors like Cisco and IBM.

• May 21, 2013 21 May'13

  Overheard on Twitter: SDN standards; SDN vs. network virtualization

  SearchSDN explored Twitter and saw users discussing vendor opportunities surrounding SDN, as well as SDN standards and SDN vs. network virtualization.

• April 24, 2013 24 Apr'13

  Curran: 'Not on Internet' unless on IPv6

  John Curran, the voluble president and CEO of the American Registry for Internet Numbers, didn't waste any time exhorting attendees at last week's North American IPv6 Summit in Denver to break the ...

• April 24, 2013 24 Apr'13

  North American summit: IPv6 implementation still facing roadblocks

  Although ISPs and enterprises continue to roll out IPv6, the protocol has a long way to go before it's fully implemented.

• March 26, 2013 26 Mar'13

  SDN blog roundup: SDN use cases, OpenFlow standards and Embrane

  SDN bloggers discuss a Cisco-Embrane partnership, early SDN use cases -- including the WAN -- and why ONF OpenFlow standards are necessary for SDN.

• March 21, 2013 21 Mar'13

  Dell and Object Management Group to launch an SDN standards body

  Dell hopes SDN standards from the Object Management Group will ensure open and fair competition -- unlike those from other SDN standards bodies.

• March 05, 2013 05 Mar'13

  IPv6 training: A helping hand for an enterprise IPv6 transition

  The IPv4-to-IPv6 transition will challenge many IT organizations. IPv6 training can help administrators master IPv6 configuration and new protocols.

• February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

  IP address management solutions: Overlay vs. replacement

  IP address management (IPAM) solutions are generally considered low preference, but they can make enormous change for a little investment.

• February 18, 2013 18 Feb'13

  ONF fees block engineers from contributing to the OpenFlow protocol

  Many engineers can't contribute to OpenFlow protocol development because they can't afford the Open Networking Foundation's $30,000 membership fee.

• October 17, 2012 17 Oct'12

  Midokura network virtualization: Layer 2-7 services, OpenStack

  Japanese startup Midokura unveils its Layer 2-7 network virtualization with network overlay and OpenStack integration.

• September 12, 2012 12 Sep'12

  Government could miss IPv6 deadline; enterprises make IPv6 transition

  The federal government might miss the IPv6 deadline for Internet-facing servers, but a gradual IPv6 transition for government and enterprises is OK.

• August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12

  IEEE explores new standards: 400 Gigabit Ethernet or Terabit Ethernet

  With bandwidth demand growing, the IEEE formed a new consensus group to determine next Ethernet speed: 400 Gigabit Ethernet or Terabit Ethernet.

• June 13, 2012 13 Jun'12

  World Launch Day: IPv4 to IPv6 conversion proves 'business as usual'

  The Internet Society and content providers share the results of their IPv4 to IPv6 conversion, results from World IPv6 Launch Day.

• June 13, 2012 13 Jun'12

  IPv6 timeline: The road to a new protocol

  IPv6 migration and development has been ongoing for more than 15 years. This IPv6 timeline notes some of the key milestones on the road to establishing a new IP address protocol.

• June 01, 2012 01 Jun'12

  What does World IPv6 Launch Day mean for you?

  What is World IPv6 Launch Day all about? Find out in this Q&A with IPv6 expert Silvia Hagen.

• June 22, 2011 22 Jun'11

  No fireworks on World IPv6 Day, but IPv6 migration challenges remain

  No, nothing blew up on World IPv6 Day. But wide area network (WAN) managers still have plenty to worry about with their own IPv6 migration planning and preparation.

• June 13, 2011 13 Jun'11

  OpenFlow hype and the software-defined network

  The OpenFlow protocol, and the software-defined networks it enables, have a lot of potential for solving problems like virtualization.

• June 08, 2011 08 Jun'11

  WAN managers share their IPv6 migration strategies on World IPv6 Day

  SearchEnterpriseWAN.com asked WAN managers about where they stand today with their IPv6 migration strategies as well as their thoughts on World IPv6 Day.

• June 08, 2011 08 Jun'11

  Finding IPv6-capable network appliances

  IPv6-capable network appliances are few and far between, especially WAN optimization accelerators. Find out in this Q&A why that is and what features to look for.

• June 08, 2011 08 Jun'11

  What World IPv6 Day is all about

  Learn what World IPv6 Day is, what it will accomplish and why it matters to enterprise network engineers and managers dealing with the new Internet Protocol version 6.

• May 26, 2011 26 May'11

  How to move to IPv6

  Learn how to move to IPv6 with these steps provided by ARIN president and CEO John Curran from his Interop Las Vegas 2011 session, 'How do we finally get to IPv6?'

• May 24, 2011 24 May'11

  Is OpenFlow networking bunk? What vendors don't want to discuss

  OpenFlow networking may offer programmable switching in distributed networks, but there are drawbacks, including the fact that someone has to develop using the specification.

• May 20, 2011 20 May'11

  InteropNet can deploy IPv6, and you should too

  At Interop Las Vegas 2011, lead network engineer Glenn Evans of InteropNet—the network that supports the conference—learned to deploy IPv6. See what he learned in this Q&A.

• April 25, 2011 25 Apr'11

  Why prepare for IPv6 now?

  If your business hasn't begun moving to the new Internet protocol, then you're already too late, according to expert Scott Hogg. Learn why enterprises should prepare for IPv6 now.

• April 25, 2011 25 Apr'11

  2011 IPv6 Summit from the Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force (RMv6TF)

  Get conference coverage from the Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force's (RMv6TFs) 2011 IPv6 Summit to learn what's going on with the Internet Protocol version 6.

• April 25, 2011 25 Apr'11

  IPv6 learning: What enterprises need to know before migrating

  Find out what makes learning IPv6 difficult for enterprises and what they should know about migrating to the new protocol, from Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force Chairman Scott Hogg.

• March 09, 2011 09 Mar'11

  Why you shouldn't care that Cisco is more expensive than competitors

  Asked multiple times at the Cisco Partner Summit last week what the channel and users should do about the fact that Cisco switches are more expensive than the competition, Cisco execs basically ...

• February 07, 2011 07 Feb'11

  Extreme offers software workaround for spanning tree bandwidth trouble

  As the IETF and the IEEE finish baking their similar, but competing standards - Transparent Interconnects of Lots of Links (TRILL) and Shortest Path Bridging (NPB) - Extreme Networks is offering a ...

• January 28, 2011 28 Jan'11

  TRILL versus Shortest Path Bridging: Hard feelings?

  Is TRILL a "terrible idea?" Does Shortest Path Bridging rule? I have no clue. TRILL (Transparent Interonnection of Lots of Links) and 802.1aq (AKA Shortest Path Bridging or SPB) are very similar ...

• June 08, 2010 08 Jun'10

  What will IPv4 address exhaustion mean for your network?

  Will IPv4 address exhaustion affect your enterprise network? What will happen when IPv4 address space runs out in two years, and what is accelerating IPv4 address depletion? Is a transition to IPv6 really necessary? Find out the answers to these ...

• June 08, 2010 08 Jun'10

  Does your business network need an IPv6 transition? Who needs IPv6?

  Is your company one that needs to start thinking about an IPv6 transition today? Who needs IPv6?

• January 28, 2010 28 Jan'10

  2010 predictions: What IT trends will change networking fundamentals?

  What IT trends and standards will change the face of networking technology this year? Network fundamentals expert Chris Partsenidis gives his 2010 prediction.

• December 17, 2009 17 Dec'09

  From slots to robots: Vegas resort runs it all on converged IP network

  Plug and play isn't just a figure of speech for The M Resort in Las Vegas, which deployed a Brocade converged Internet Protocol (IP) network to power and connect thousands of devices in the resort casino.

• December 08, 2009 08 Dec'09

  Virtual switch standards: Let the fighting begin (again)

  New virtual switch standards offer networking admins a way to reclaim visibility and management of virtual machines, but they could also intensify the struggle between data center and networking teams.

• July 23, 2009 23 Jul'09

  802.11n ratification planned for Sept., draft products to interoperate

  The IEEE will hold a vote on Sept. 11 for 802.11n ratification. The Wi-Fi Alliance says that all products certified to the most recent draft version of the high-throughput wireless LAN technology will be compatible with the final specification. ...

• January 19, 2009 19 Jan'09

  Maintstream IPv6 is inching closer

  Over the last year I've written about the importance of developing your IPv6 skills now, and about how you should be looking at what kind of IPv6 support your vendors of choice have to offer. Some ...

• September 11, 2008 11 Sep'08

  10 Gigabit Ethernet driving a wave of innovation in network switching

  The emergence of 10 Gigabit Ethernet and other new standards is driving a new wave of innovation in network switching and shaking up a mature market.

• July 23, 2008 23 Jul'08

  Get IPv6 skills now rather than later

  Networking professionals are in no hurry to build up their IPv6 skills, but experts say they should start now, before IPv4 addresses run out.

• March 22, 2007 22 Mar'07

  802.11n will require upgrades

  802.11n, the new Wi-Fi standard on the cusp of being ratified by the IEEE, offers greater throughput and better range than other standards but may require companies to upgrade their wireless network infrastructure.

• September 16, 2006 16 Sep'06

  TCP/Internet Protocol and OSI

  This explains the layers in TCP/IP and the OSI model, and what the differences are.

• July 22, 2004 22 Jul'04

  IPv6 offers more than extra addresses

  Even though the U.S. isn't likely to run out of Internet addresses anytime soon, one expert at the Burton Group Catalyst Conference said there are many good reasons to use IPv6.

• October 14, 2003 14 Oct'03

  IPv6 Glossary

  Use this handy clickable, printable guide for definitions relating to IPv6.

• October 02, 2003 02 Oct'03

  Size matters: Using jumbo packets on Gigabit Ethernet

  Learn about network idiosyncrasies and degradations as Dr. Jorgenson discusses both the benefits and hidden perils of using jumbo packets on Gigabit Ethernet.

• August 26, 2003 26 Aug'03

  Implementing CIFS: Protocol negotiation

  Learn about protocol negotiation in Microsoft's The large installed base of CIFS (Common Internet Filesharing System) protocol suite.

• June 06, 2003 06 Jun'03

  Understanding Layer 2, 3, and 4 protocols

  This chapter excerpt explains the layers of the OSI model, switching, TCP, UDP, and VRRP.

• May 14, 2003 14 May'03

  Implementing Cisco IPv6 Networks: IPv6 Addressing

  Learn about IPv6 addressing and see sample configurations using the Cisco IOS technology to acquire basic knowledge to configure and operate routers in an IPv6 environment.

• May 14, 2003 14 May'03

  OSPF Network Design Solutions: Redistribution

  When routing information from one routing protocol, such as OSPF, is redistributed into IGRP, you must be mindful of possible routing loops.

• March 21, 2003 21 Mar'03

  Traffic Engineering with MPLS: Quality of service

  This chapter excerpt focuses on quality of service (QoS) in traffic engineering, specifically covering the DiffServ architecture and interaction, EXP for packet forwarding, the Modular QoS CLI, and the emerging DiffServ-Aware Traffic Engineering ...

• March 21, 2003 21 Mar'03

  Cisco OSPF Command and Configuration Handbook: Route redistribution

  This chapter excerpt focuses on route redistribution commands, including concrete examples and diagrams.

• January 16, 2003 16 Jan'03

  Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols

  Read about debugs, configurations, and useful show commands to help you diagnose your router problems.

• January 08, 2003 08 Jan'03

  IPv6 addressing: Format, types, ranges

  In this article on IPv6 addressing, learn about address types, address prefixes, special addresses and more.

• December 19, 2002 19 Dec'02

  Learn IPv6: Understanding the IPv6 transition

  An overview of what's new in IPv6 with Silvia Hagen, author of IPv6 Essentials.

• September 16, 2002 16 Sep'02

  IPv6: Seven killer capabilities

  What is the purpose to the provisioning of IPv6? What will the new infrastructure give to the masses that IPv4 cannot? IT-Director.com outlines the killer capabilities of IPv6.

• May 20, 2002 20 May'02

  New Internet protocol simplifies network administration

  Internet Protcol Version 6 (IPv6) is going to make the job of network administrators easier says Margaret Wasserman, principal technologist at WindRiver Technologies, Alameda, Calif. Wasserman is co-chairman of the IPv6 working group, an ...

• May 13, 2002 13 May'02

  Nortel puts VOIP into the 'blender'

  Nortel is spreading its bets between pure Internet Protocol devices pitched at both businesses and carriers, building in migration capabilities for converged networks and continuing to support its legacy infrastructure.

• April 10, 2001 10 Apr'01

  Quick Takes: Runtop and FalconStor form strategic partnership

  Among the items in this week's installment of searchNetworking Quick Takes: Runtop and FalconStor are partnering to deliver next generation storage solutions based on Internet Protocol (IP) and the emerging iSCSI standards, TELOS and AudioCodes team...

• April 03, 2001 03 Apr'01

  QoS software: An enterprise necessity?

  A host of quality of service (QoS) software packages promise to manage network bandwidth, but are they necessary? Yes, says an analyst, as more users need guaranteed service quality and better performance.

• February 09, 2001 09 Feb'01

  Quick Takes: OIF creates new working group