Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

I set up an Adtran Atlas 800 integrated access device as a frame relay cloud and connected two IQ 710s on either side. On the LAN side, I set up two Express 5210 FRADs (frame relay access devices) as routers and connected them to the IQ 710s. A few PCs were set up on either side to generate traffic and run the N-Form management software for the IQ 710s. I then connected each IQ 710 to the local Ethernet segment for monitoring and configuration. I tested the units with simple FTP, HTTP and telnet traffic. Although the amount of traffic generated wasn't spectacular, the devices ably monitored the traffic and reported back what had occurred over the link.



Adtran continues to produce easy-to-install devices with the IQ 710. The hardest part of the install was configuring the IP address for each device, and that took less than a minute. Initial configuration can be done from the front panel, the built-in console port or an Ethernet connection. The IQ 710 autodetects LMI or Annex-D on the network side and configures itself accordingly. The device monitors up to 100 PVCs simultaneously, though it will pass up to 200. If you have more than 100 PVCs on a particular connection, you can configure the device to monitor 100 PVCs and to take only frame relay stats from the rest.

While these features are just like those offered by some of IQ 710's competitors, including those devices offered by Paradyne Corp. and Visual Networks, Adtran has implemented technology from Packeteer to monitor Layers 4 through 7. Layer 7 statistics are shown for the application and for the response time of the application. Bandwidth can be monitored based on application utilization as can top talkers and listeners for an application. For those interested in keeping a watchful eye over their employees, the IQ 710 also can track URLs that are visited, though the device does not provide firewall capabilities.

Because the IQ 710 is designed for frame relay networks, the interfaces available are geared toward the most common of those networks. A T1/FT1 interface will serve the majority of enterprise users; a 56/64-Kbps interface is also available. For those who need to check a T1 electrical interface, a T1/FT1 with a DSX-1 interface is ready to serve.

The IQ 710 also includes the ubiquitous V.35 connection to your router. One interesting item about this port: Because the IQ 710 is much more than a CSU/DSU, the device can be configured to run LMI on the network interface and Annex-D on the V.35 or vice versa. This would be best used if you have an old router that supports only one protocol while your carrier network supports the other.

The IQ 710 has a second network port on the back that can be used for backup network connections. Modules that support V.34/PRI/BRI/switched 56 or V.35 can be installed for use if the network connection or individual PVCs go down. It works in a master-slave relationship with one side of the connection being responsible for initiating the backup. You can prioritize the PVC connections so the most important one is reconnected first via the backup interface.

Managing the IQ 710

I accessed the IQ 710 through a normal telnet session that required only my user name and password. Once I was in, I was shown a textual interface to view statistics and from which I could make configuration changes to the box. I could scroll through and select options using the arrow keys or typed commands.

If you need more reporting capabilities and an easier way to configure your IQ devices from one location, Adtran's N-Form management software is an option. I used N-Form to view the statistics from my two test IQ 710s and was impressed with its abilities. Statistics can be viewed via the telnet or Java connection, but N-Form can compile the data into reports over a period of time--all statistics are stored in a Sybase database and accessed via a built-in Apache Web server. Reports can be generated and saved in PDF format, which is great for e-mailing to others within an organization and makes for a prettier report than the plain text that other devices deliver. The biggest selling point for N-Form is the $5,995 price for unlimited devices; most competitors charge depending on the number of devices to be monitored.

To keep building on the already cool features of the IQ 710, Adtran says it plans to add traffic-shaping capabilities to the units in the first quarter of 2002. This firmware update will not require a hardware swap and will cost $600 per IQ 710. This will let customers not only monitor the traffic traversing the connection, but also limit the amount of less important traffic in congested situations.