What is Metro Ethernet?

We’re all familiar with Ethernet, the packet switched network standard that runs on our LANs. But what is Metro Ethernet and how does it differ from Carrier Ethernet? Is Metro Ethernet the same protocol running on local networks but just going longer distances?

From a users standpoint, Metro Ethernet really is just like local Ethernet. In fact, the connection to the Metro Ethernet Network is a standard Ethernet connector. There are no special interface modules needed to convert protocols or establish signal levels. You simply plug one network into the local Metro Ethernet connection and another network into the Metro Ethernet connection across town and they are connected together.

Actually, it has taken quite a bit of effort to make Metro Ethernet so simple. That work has been done by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a industry standards group. The beauty of standards is that both providers and users know exactly what they are dealing with. There aren’t the ugly surprises that come from trying to engineer basically incompatible products and services.

The terms Metro Ethernet and Carrier Ethernet tend to be used interchangeably. Carrier Ethernet is meant to describe standard switched Ethernet adapted for use over much longer spans than within a building or corporate campus. Carrier Ethernet can be deployed on IP core networks, over SONET/SDH, or over MPLS networks. The end user isn’t generally aware of the transport mechanism. From the customer’s standpoint, it’s just Ethernet ports at each location.

Metro Ethernet is the term that is used to refer to Ethernet services limited to a particular city or metropolitan area of city and suburbs. It’s a popular service for companies that have two or more separate business locations locally. Medical groups consisting of several hospitals, diagnostic centers and clinics are also find Metro Ethernet attractive because of its high bandwidths, ease of connection and lower costs compared to traditional telecom line services.

The customer service connection is made at a User-Network Interface (UNI) installed by the service provider. On one side is the Customer Equipment (CE) and on the other side is the Metro Ethernet Network (MEN). The path between UNIs is made through an Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). The EVC maintains the Ethernet MAC address and frame contents unaltered, so it is possible to establish Layer 2 connectivity between locations. It also ensures that traffic goes between the proper UNIs and nowhere else. Think of an EVC as similar in function to a “wired” network connection between two locations.

There are two Metro Ethernet services you’ll be interested in. One is Ethernet Line or E-Line service. This is the equivalent of point to point private line service using T1 or DS3. The other is Ethernet LAN or E-LAN service. This is a multipoint to multipoint service that can be used in place of private proprietary networks, Frame Relay, or MPLS networks to connect multiple locations in a mesh network. Both of these services are suitable for linking offices, factories, warehouses, data centers and other sites within a metropolitan area.

Could your organization benefit from Metro Ethernet? If you have need to connect two or more locations within a city or small geographical area, you may be able to get more bandwidth for less money than you can with other connectivity solutions. To find out, check Metro Ethernet Network availability and pricing for your business locations.

Your Point to Point Ethernet Connection

Any company with two or more locations that need to be interconnected to share data have a need for point to point line service. The traditional solution is a T1 data line with 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth. Today, you have more options.

If it’s just a matter of increasing bandwidth on a T1 service that works just fine, you do have the option to bind in additional T1 lines. An extra T1 gives you 3 Mbps, 4 T1s are good for 6 Mbps, and 7 T1’s will get you up to 10 Mbps. Outside of metro areas, this may be your best bet. But if you are located within a large metropolitan area, point to point Ethernet might be a better choice.

Why? It’s a matter of cost and service options. Bonding T1 lines incrementally increases bandwidth and cost by about the same amount. Ethernet, however, is generally lower on a per Mbps basis, especially as bandwidth increases. That 10 Mbps connection might cost you half or less than you’ll pay for bonded T1.

Ethernet sounds like a perfect fit for linking two LANs, and it is. Your data starts off as Ethernet, continues through the WAN service as Ethernet, and is back on your far end LAN as Ethernet. Not only is that inherently efficient, but you also get the option to make that connection at layer 2 rather than layer 3. In short, you can treat your two locations as being on the same bridged Ethernet LAN rather than completely separate networks that happen to have a telecom link.

What you are looking for is called E-Line service. It’s a direct replacement for TDM private lines, such as T1. It is implemented as a single EVC or Ethernet Virtual Connection between two UNIs or User Network Interfaces. Think of it is a very long Ethernet cable between Location A and Location B.

While E-Line service is the most popular Ethernet bandwidth connection, there are some other Ethernet services that you may also want to know about. One is EVPL or Ethernet Virtual Private Line. Why would you want a virtual rather than an actual Ethernet line? The difference is that multiple Ethernet services can be carried on the EVPL. You’ll have one physical connection to your building, but you may be bringing in a dozen or so Ethernet virtual private lines.

If you have multiple locations that all want to communicate with each other, you need more of a meshed network that simple point to point lines. That’s where E-LAN or Ethernet LAN service shines. Each location connects to the “cloud” network via an Ethernet line service. All locations can then communicate as if they were on the same LAN.

A third service is called E-Tree. This is a point to multipoint connection that is useful for content delivery to multiple users. The users have no interaction with each other and simply get their content from the “root” organization.

Is one or more of these Ethernet services right for your organization? Why not price out the options and then decide. Get your inquiry in now and see how much you can save over your other networking choices.

EVPL Ethernet Virtual Private Line Service

You are probably familiar with private line services for business. A private line is one where you have exclusive use. An analog telephone line is a private line. So is a T1 voice or data line. Now there is something new is the mix. It’s the VPL or Virtual Private Line.

Telephone lines weren’t always private. Remember the party line? Decades ago, several houses in a neighborhood would be connected to the same physical line. If you picked up your phone to make a call, you might hear one of your neighbors already engaged in conversation. In the pre-Twitter days, listening-in on other phone conversations was often a form of amusement.

That lack of privacy is long gone for telephones. But shared digital services exist today, especially with public access Internet. No, you can’t casually eavesdrop on your neighbors email or Web activities, but if some of the users start heavily downloading large files, your Internet service will slow down. There are also tools available that allow anyone to monitor everything going over a particular WiFi hotspot. The whole Internet is one big party line in the sense that you can’t be sure who’s monitoring the traffic and what they might be doing with information they skim.

It’s the security risk and the lack of consistent bandwidth that have driven businesses to private line service. T1 lines are private lines. They offer the advantages of rock solid 1.5 Mbps bandwidth and exclusive use of the line. The disadvantage is that you pay for that line even when traffic is light or non-existant.

Ethernet also offers a private line service called EPL. It works like T1 in that it is a physical line connection between you and your service provider. The difference is that the protocol is Ethernet and you can often get scalable bandwidth, typically 10 Mbps.

If you have a private line service, why would you want a virtual private line service? For one reason, you may want private lines running from your headquarters out to a number of branch offices. With dedicate private lines, you need separate physical circuits for each of these lines. You pay for the exclusive full time use of each circuit and there may or may not be enough pairs of wire into your headquarters office to give you the number of private lines you desire.

Ethernet Virtual Private Line service, EVPL, uses a single physical copper or fiber circuit to connect you to the service provider. Within that circuit are multiple EVCs or Ethernet Virtual Connection. This is not a party line arrangement. Each EVC carries its own traffic to and from another location without any cross-talk or interference from other EVCs.

The power of EVPL is not only that you only need one network interface at each of your facilities, including headquarters, but that those virtual connections can be extended to other cities or states over the provider’s MPLS core network. The MPLS is a cloud network that carries traffic for many users, but the integrity of each user’s virtual circuit is maintained from point to point regardless of distance.

EVPL is also a switched layer 2 service, which means that you can use it to extend your LAN network across town or across the country. It’s the simplest way to bridge multiple LANs when they are not located in the same facility.

Can EVPL service be of benefit for your organization? Find out with a quick inquiry about Ethernet Virtual Private Line service. Our expert Telarus consultants will be happy to get you price comparisons and service level agreements so you can make the best decision for your company.