Going Gonzo for Gigabit
May 17, 1999
Award: ATM Backbone Switch
FORE Systems continues to raise the bar for performance, functionality, and standards compliance in the ATM switching market. In our lab tests, FORE's devices consistently scored three to four times higher than competitive products in signaling-performance tests. Likewise, FORE leads the pack with support for soft permanent virtual circuits (soft PVCs), which greatly enhance the reliability of PVC-based ATM networks.
FORE has proven its dedication to the ATM LAN and WAN markets. The ForeRunner ASX-1000 has kept up with the standards where other vendors lag. With support for full hierarchical, MPOA (Multi-Protocol over ATM) support and soft-PVCs, the ASX-1000 is your best choice for ATM backbone networks.
--Joel Conover
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ATM Edge Device
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Winner
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Hi Speed 160 ATM Fast Ethernet (HS 160), Hitachi Internetworking, (888) 48-HISPEED, (408) 986-9770
www.internetworking.hitachi.com
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Finalists
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SmartSwitch 2200 Series 10/100 Fast EthernetWorkgroup Switch with ATM Uplinks, Cabletron Systems, (603) 332-9400
www.cabletron.com
Centillion 100, Nortel Networks, (800) 4-NORTEL, (905) 863-0000
www.nortelnetworks.com
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Award: ATM Edge Device
A newcomer to the ATM edge device market, Hitachi Internetworking has introduced a product that's light-years ahead of the competition. The Hi Speed 160 ATM Fast Ethernet (HS160) is a 12-port Ethernet switch with dual ATM uplinks. Ideal for the edge of an ATM network, this device supports advanced features and is managed entirely from its web-based GUI.
The HS160 is packed with features suitable to today's Layer 3 frame-based products. It includes advanced VLAN features, including VLANs by protocol, port, or MAC address; IP, IPX, and AppleTalk routing; support for RIP and OSPF routing protocols, and bootp/dhcp relay support. For troubleshooting, you can mirror traffic by VLAN, IP address, or port number.
In addition to its VLAN and filtering capabilities, the HS160 keeps per-flow statistics on TCP and UDP traffic. CBR and UBR traffic prioritization can be mapped to TCP port numbers, to allow end-to-end quality of service both on Ethernet and ATM. Hitachi's switch wins this award for its features, functionality, and value.
--Joel Conover
Award: High-Density Switching Solution
Each year, we review and evaluate more than 100 switching solutions from large and small vendors. Choosing one product that sets the standard for enterprise backbone connectivity is difficult. This year, Cisco Systems holds its reign over the competition with the Catalyst 5500 series of high-density switching solutions. In our labs, Cisco showed consistent real-world performance, and offered the features, options, security, and functionality that make its Catalyst platform the best choice for your high-density switching needs.
While Cisco isn't the top dog in LAN performance benchmarks, it continues to be one of only a few vendors that supports switching and routing among multiple technologies. Its Catalyst 5509 can support hundreds of Ethernet interfaces, but also provides a clear migration path between Gigabit Ethernet and FDDI, ATM, and token ring networks. No other vendor offers a product that can make these claims. The Catalyst's versatility and high-port density earn it a Well-Connected Award for best high-density switching solution.
--Joel Conover
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Layer 2 Switch
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Winner
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HP Procurve Switch 8000M, Hewlett-Packard Co., (800) 752-0900, (650) 857-1501
www.hp.com/go/procurve
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Finalists
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SuperStack II Switch 3900, 3Com Corp., (800) NET-3COM, (408) 326-5000
www.3com.com
Cisco Catalyst 2924M XL Switch, Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-4000
www.cisco.com
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Award: Layer-2 Switch
Hewlett-Packard is ahead of the curve in value and management for Layer 2 switches, and the Procurve 8000M, a modular 10-slot chassis, is at the front of the pack. The Procurve 8000M performed well in our Real-World Labs tests, and earned high marks for flexibility and management. Furthermore, the Procurve leads the industry with its $99 price per port for 10/100 switching. Gigabit Ethernet is a standard option on this versatile switch, making it an ideal device for the edge of the network. Its 3.8-Gbps backplane packs plenty of punch into this small box. Although it is a Layer 2 switch, the Procurve has intelligence which extends into Layer 3 and Layer 4, allowing you to define protocol filters and policy-based VLANs.
HP's TopTools Network Management software and embedded Web-agent round off this prize-winning switch. Both the embedded management and the TopTools add-on provide management features that are truly useful to the enterprise network manager.
The HP Procurve 8000M matches performance with the other nominees for this award. It offers significantly better value, both in features and in price point, and boasts higher port density and multiple configurations to meet the needs of almost any network.
--Joel Conover
Award: Layer 3 Switch
In 1998, we awarded 3Com's CoreBuilder 3500 the Product of the Year award for its modularity, flexibility, performance, and feature set as a Layer-3 switch. This year, Extreme Networks earns the award for best Layer 3 switching solution. In our labs, Extreme repeatedly beat the competition, hands-down. Extreme's Summit48 switch offers all the features and functionality you could ask for in an Ethernet switch, and does so at a price that leaves the competition scrambling. Extreme has been setting a value precedent with this product for more than a year. For about $12,000, you get Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 IP routing, including RIP and OSPF support, Layer 4-aware QoS and filtering, 48 ports of 10/100 autonegotiating fast Ethernet, and two Gigabit Ethernet uplinks. Two additional redundant gigabit ports further enhance network reliability.
Extreme earns the award for its Summit48 for more than just value. This switch is packed with features ideal for enterprise networks. Intuitive Web-based management will help you get the Summit48 up and running in minutes. Port trunking lets you put a full two gigabit of bandwidth out to the edge of the network, where it's most needed. Software routing support for IPX helps integrate this product into existing environments. And with Layer 4 awareness on every port, this product will easily adapt to policy-based management schemes in the years to come.
--Joel Conover
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Load Balancer/Load Balancing Switch
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Winner
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ACEdirector 2, Alteon Networks, (888) ALTEON-1, (408) 360-5500
www.alteon.com
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Finalists
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Arrowpoint CSS-100 Switch, ArrowPoint Communications, (978) 692-5875
www.arrowpoint.com
ServerIron, Foundry Networks, (888) TURBOLAN, (408) 731-3800
www.foundrynet.com
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Award: Load Balancer/Load Balancing Switch
Alteon Networks is the sultan of switch-based load balancers--and ACEdirector 2 hits a home run. Alteon's overall product lineup includes Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, making it a worthwhile investment for your enterprise load balancing needs. And ACEdirector 2 combines the best Web user interface, outstanding reliability and configuration options with blazing performance.
Alteon's switches also tout robust failover mechanisms, which allow a redundant setup to fail over internally from Gigabit to Fast Ethernet interfaces before they hand off load-balancing duties to the hot spare. Cisco shops can take advantage of the EtherChannel support built into each switch for super-high-bandwidth needs. Other features are Layer 4 filtering, including the ability to allow, deny or redirect traffic, non-serial failover and Gigabit Ethernet support.
Our runners-up ran a tight race. Foundry Networks' ServerIron line of switches was a close second, followed by newcomer ArrowPoint Communications CSS-100. Although theses two products have strong features sets and performance Alteon Network's switches edge them out with superior performance and load-balancing features.
--Gregory Yerxa
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Wireless LAN Solution
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Winner
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Aironet 4800 Series, Aironet Wireless Communications, (800) AIRONET, (330) 664-7900
www.aironet.com
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Finalists
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RangeLAN802, Proxim, (800) 299-1630
www.proxim.com
Spectrum24 Wireless LAN, Symbol Technologies, (800) 722-6234, (516) 738-2400
www.symbol.com
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Award: Wireless LAN Solution
Ask a typical network manager for an opinion about wireless LANs and you're likely to get the following response: too slow, too expensive and too proprietary. While that may have been true in the past, times have changed. The IEEE has delivered a standard in the form of 802.11 and the speed of products has been ratcheted a notch or two.
It's true that prices are still quite high, but they're falling fast, and we expect that trend to continue over the next couple of years. The reason? Standards-based wireless LANs offer speeds that come very close to Ethernet, and are likely to result in a greatly expanded market for commodity-priced products.
Leading the way into that future is Aironet Wireless Communications, whose 4800 Turbo DS series wireless LAN products provide a raw data rate of 11 Mbps, the fastest we've seen. Using direct sequence spread-spectrum radio technology pioneered for military applications, Aironet's Turbo DS 4800 operates in the unlicensed 2.4-GHz frequency range. It's well-engineered and easy to install. The Turbo DS 4800 product line includes an access point that bridges wireless and wired networks as well as network interface cards in a variety of form factors, including PC Card, PCI, and ISA interfaces. As for standards compliance, these products are compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard at 1 and 2 Mbps. Aironet claims that products will be firmware-upgradable to the emerging 802.11, 11-Mbps standard scheduled to be complete by the end of 1999.
Honorable mentions go to Symbol Technologies' Spectrum24 and Proxim's RangeLAN802. Both products are 802.11-compliant, using frequency-hopping spread-spectrum technology. Although they don't offer data rates as high as Aironet's Turbo DS 4800, they are solidly engineered robust offerings.
--Dave Molta
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