Distance Vector vs. Link State vs. Hybrid Routing
Routers direct traffic between networks or subnetworks to transport a packet to its destination. Distance Vector routing uses the hop count as its routing metric. Link State routing use statistics like distance, link speed, and traffic to calculate the cost of different routes through the Internet. More ...
Introduction to SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking)
SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking) standards were developed to take advantage of low-cost transmission over optical fibers. It defines a hierarchy of data rates, formats and optical signal specifications. More ...
Wireless or Wired Network?
Do you want the freedom of a wireless network, or do you want the security and reliability of a wired network? Both networks can provide you with great service and expandability, but each one varies in size, reliability, cost and speed. More ...
Understanding Basic Terms in Indoor Fiber Optic Cable Installation
Fiber optic cables are exposed to electrical, mechanical, chemical and environmental elements, so proper installation is critical for the long-term stability and survival of fiber cables. Cable installation must also meet the NEC (National Electric Code) and local building codes. More ...
Routing Technologies, Bandwidth Management and Traffic Shaping
Bandwidth is the overshadowing issue for most network quality problems. The response to that problem is often to add more bandwidth. However, more bandwidth often comes at a relativel high cost. More ...
What is an Ethernet Bridge?
Bridges are used to divide larger networks into smaller sections. A bridge reads a frame's MAC address, and decides to either forward or filte the frame from crossing the bridge to the other part of the network. More ...
System Area Network Interface Cards
Whereas the standard network may use twisted-pair cabling, the System Area Network may use separate fiber-optic cabling. System Area Network interface cards are special high speed circuits that provide communications between the servers over the System Area Network. More ...
Data Center Networking
In recent years, companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have built massive data centers, each housing tens to hundreds of thousands of hosts, and concurrently supporting many distinct cloud applications. Each data center has its own data center network that interconnects its hosts and interconnects the data center with the Internet. More ...
Introduction to ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Networks
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) is a network technology to provide broadband services for the transmission of voice, video, and data at speeds up to 1Gbps. More ...
Hubs, Switches and Routers - What's the Difference?
The terms "hub", "switch", and "router" are often used interchangeably and - in fact, the devices are quite different. Hubs are used to simply interconnect individual computers. Switches do the same more efficiently. However, routers interconnect different networks (as opposed to individual machines). More ...
How to Set up a Private Network
A private network is one which does not connect directly to the internet, but does allow you to connect to other computers that are on the same physical network. More ...
LAN Network Protocols - Ethernet, STP, Fiber
Spanning Tree is an algorithm that runs on Layer 2 campus switches for preventing Layer 2 loops and broadcast storms on a network with at least 2 switches or bridges. The algorithm determines what ports at each switch or bridge must be blocked to create a loop free topology. More ...
What is FTTP, FTTH, FTTB, and FTTD?
Some FTTx such as FTTN (fiber to the node), FTTC (fiber to the curb) depend on copper wires for final connection to the customers premises which contrasts with FTTP. FTTP can be further categorized into FTTH (fiber to the home), FTTB (fiber to the building), etc. More ...
