Reseller Bulletin Tech Tips

Reseller Bulletin Tech Tips

What are HTTPS, SSL, and SSH security protocols?

In this article from Zach Sherman, Transition Networks Sales Engineer, we take a look at a number of network security protocols that are being widely deployed today. Even though these protocols are primarily being used to assure secure finacial transactions over the internet, there are other real life benefits that HTTPS, SSL, and SSH may bring to your network. This article serves as an overview of these important security protocols.

What are HTTPS, SSL, and SSH?

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Video Demonstration of Advanced Features: Link Pass Through & Automatic Link Restoration

Generally media converters are low-level devices on the OSI model, with no IP or Mac addresses and therefore are quite transparent to the network. This “transparency” makes them very inexpensive and easy to use, but also can make troubleshooting the network very difficult. In an effort to overcome this difficulty and to make media converters “visible” to network managers, Transition has designed their full-featured products to include the most advanced features on the market today. Product Manager, Curt Carlson, demonstrates two very important advanced features that many of our media converters come equipped with: Link Pass Through and Automatic Link Restoration.

The Value of a Network Demarcation between Operator and Customer

This informative article from My TN Connection sheds some light on the importance of network demarcation points between providers and customers. It touches on some of the issues that an operator faces while providing service and makes a strong business case for utilizing NIDs and UNIs.

The Value of a Network Demarcation between Operator and Customer

Intelligent Demarcation and Carrier Ethernet

Service Providers are looking for ways to offer new and differentiated Ethernet services to increase revenues and remain competitive, all while meeting the demands of enterprise customers. Network Interface Devices from Transition Networks offer many benefits to service providers that are looking to offer Carrier Ethernet services. By providing tools for remote troubleshooting and SLA monitoring, the NID can reduce OpEx and lower CapEx, enabling the ability to offer tiered service on the same equipment.

This application note from Transition Networks illustrates that NIDs not only provide the functional demarcation point between customer and service provider, but also enable service providers to take advantage of additional revenue streams that customers are requesting.

Download App Note > Intelligent Demarcation

Network-Powering Next Generation Network Devices

Transition Networks Product Manager, Art Feltgate, takes an in-depth look at the new generation of Gigabit Power-over-Ethernet media converters. He explains how the combination of Gigabit speeds and PoE capability in today's media converters enables manufacturers next generation of bandwidth-hungry and latency-sensitive devices to be easily added to existing networks at a low cost.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE - CLICK HERE >

802.3at (aka PoE+)

With the networking world merging everything and anything into Internet Protocol (IP) for increased ease of use and management, it was only a matter of time until the Closed Circuit TeleVision (CCTV) industry caught on. Now with CCTV camera manufacturers able to balance, or even overcome, the picture quality vs cost issue, the demand for IP based security cameras has increased exponentially in the past couple years.

By utilizing PoE, fixed IP cameras can be installed throughout office buildings, in parking lots, at traffic intersections, and along highways without having to call in an electrician to wire power to camera locations. PoE enables existing power outlets within 100 meters of the equipment to be used and a minimum of Cat3 cable can be installed directly to the camera location. PoE offers similar advantages in the wireless networking world because most Wireless Access Points (WAPs) are PoE capable and are deployed at physically higher locations then most typical 120VAC outlets.

In addition to WAPs and IP cameras, another major market for PoE has developed in recent years: Voice over IP (VoIP). VoIP phones have many manufacturers including Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks. VoIP presents an interesting question for the electrician in each of us, how many power strips do we need at our desks? With PoE capable phones, an AC/DC power supply can be eliminated which will help to isolate the phone systems from power surges, and allows phones to continue operation using battery backup systems already in place to support the network.

An independent study conducted by Venture Development Corporation (VDC) is anticipating that the average number of PoE capable switch ports within an enterprise network environment will increase from 47 in 2007 to over 132 in 2012. That is an amazing 280% growth rate over the next 4 years.

While this amazing growth projection is very positive for the outlook of PoE, PoE is about to reach, or in some cases, has recently reached its limits set forth in the 802.3af standard. New WAPs like the Cisco 1250 series require extra power beyond the 15.4W standard of 802.3af in order to run multiple antennas and to control all the security features. In addition to that the new Cisco VoIP phones, like the Cisco 7971G-GE, require upwards of 17W of power to be delivered in order to run the color screen at full brightness. Also consumers using IP cameras are no longer satisfied with fixed cameras and are now looking into IP cameras with Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) capabilities. The PTZ capabilities also require additional power in order to function and provide the quality video required.

Developments in symbiotic technologies and the increased demand for those PoE products has led network technicians and electrical engineers to evaluate other options for delivering power over copper networking cable. IEEE has responded by assigning a task force to formulate 802.3at in order to address the need for PoE+ power.

Currently the task force is attempting to make the PoE+ standard backwards compatible to PoE while delivering roughly 30W of power to devices should they require it. The same basic principles behind 802.3af will apply to 802.3at. A PoE Powered Device (PD) will communicate a need for power to a Power Source (PSE) and power will be delivered with over-current protection and only in the amounts asked for by the PD. A non-PoE device will not ask for power and thus will not be supplied power protecting the circuitry from unnecessary damage.

Some important things to note about PoE+ is that only Category 5 cabling with a DC loop resistance of less than 25Ω or better will support PoE+. PoE+ will also be supplying considerably more current (600MA rather than 350mA) and the voltages will remain about the same. The increase in electrical current does cause a significant heat-rise on the cabling. The recommended temperature rating for installing PoE+ is anticipated to be 0C to 50C. The heat could also cause the premature aging of the cable’s jacketing materials. The generated heat will not, however, pose a safety risk or melt the cables or jacketing.

It is important to note that IEEE 802.3at is a project in motion and is not completed yet. Many details may change before 802.3at is ratified and equipment is developed around those standards. One thing is clear though, the need for delivering more power over networking cable infrastructures exists and a standard will be made to meet those immediate and future needs.

Getting Longer Distances with Gigabit Networks

More and more organizations are requiring longer distances on 1000BASE networks, especially in the Telco, Service Provider, utilities and transport market sectors. We are all aware of the limitations on multimode fiber and that distances of up to 125km can be achieved by using single mode fiber. But what options do organizations that require 400km distances, yet only have multimode fiber interfaces (1000BASE-SX) on their devices have?

They could put expensive high port fiber switching devices at certain locations in the link. But this will require delivering power to the equipment and there is the potential that many of the fiber ports could go unused and therefore be wasted. This is an unfavorable scenario, especially if you are working on a cost per port budget.

A better option is to use a media converter which can also retime and regenerate the signals, like Transition Networks’ SFMFF13xx-280. It should be noted that there are many different models based on the distances required on the single mode fiber, from 10km to 125km. By cascading two or more devices together, hundreds of kilometers of distance can be achieved. While using the SFMFF13xx-280 in conjunction with other Transition Networks devices allows you to fan out the networks and drop off multimode connections at certain points. Take a look at the diagrams below for typical applications.

As with most Transition Networks products there are options available for mounting the converters and also the ability to use a piggyback power supply to deliver DC power rather than AC power.

Fig. 1 - Basic Connection

Switching Glossary: The Networking Acronym Decoder Ring

When talking to your customers about Switching Technology or Networking in general, are you ever faced with acronyms or terms that you are not familiar with? In a recent post on My TN Connection, Jon Collins, Transition Networks Product Manager, touched on this topic and offered a quick reference for when you are faced with an unfamiliar acronym.

> Read Jon’s Switch Sense Article on My TN Connection
> Download the Switch Glossary [PDF]

Using Non-Intrusive Echo Function on OAM/IP Based Remotely Managed NIDS

Transition Networks xFBRM and xBFFG devices offer a non-intrusive means of testing link connectivity called the ni-echo. On rare occurrences there may be a need for checking the segment performance without disturbing the customer’s data traffic. Despite a clear indication that the customer traffic is flowing and the device is not displaying any errors, service providers may need to perform the management channel test. In performing such test, service providers need to keep customer’s throughput requirements in mind and give it maximum priority.

The non-intrusive test is typically limited to the provider’s management channel, as any intervention in data traffic may cause degradation to customers’ traffic performance and adversely affect the Service Level Agreements. Non-Intrusive Echo allows service providers to check the physical link performance without compromising a large portion of customer’s throughput, yet still allowing the provider to test link quality.

The service provider can initiate a echo on an OAM Active peer by the ‘set niecho’ command and set the number of echo’s to send to the passive device [0 – 100 frames]. The passive responds with an echo reply for each request. ‘show niecho’ would give the statistics of sent/received frames.

The benefit of the Non-Intrusive Echo is that it provides another tool to verify link integrity without disturbing customer’s traffic. Also the echo packets are minimal in size, so there is no significant impact on the customer’s throughput.

10 Gig Overview from an Electronics Manufacturers Perspective.

In a recent post on my TN Connection, Todd Duberstein (Supervisor of Product Management) gave an overview of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard and the evolving list of electronics that are supporting 10 Gig. Click on the diagram below to read Todd's valuable insights on this emerging technology.

Remote Management: The Network Administrator's Key to Managing Equipment in Remote Offices.

All chassis-based converters from Transition Networks, Inc. can be managed through SNMP. Now, select stand-alone products can also be managed through SNMP when used in conjunction with a chassis based converter. While chassis based products tend to be placed in the telecommunications room, stand-alone converters are generally placed in remote locations away from network administrators. Remote in-band management over fiber allows administrators access to the remote device to check status and enable/disable features or the device itself.

This visibility of remote converters for network administrators allows for centralized management of all media converters without the necessity of making the trip from building to building. This also increases the speed with which administrators can detect problems within their networks and make necessary adjustments.

Manage Multiple Ethernet Switches with a Single IP Address

In a recent post on My TN Connection, Jon Collins (Product Manager) covered the benefits of stacking multiple switches together and managing them through a single IP address. Click on the diagram below to read Jon’s valuable insights.

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Video Security - Power Over Ethernet

Power over Ethernet (PoE) has obvious advantages in video security. The remote nature of security cameras makes it difficult to bring an extra line to the installation just for power. PoE greatly simplifies camera installation, and is a huge benefit of IP camera installations vs. the analog equivalent. There's no need for an electrician to install a power receptacle in a difficult location, which saves both time and money.

Most IP cameras can be Powered Devices (PD) using PoE technology. That said, how can we make use of PoE when using fiber optics for distance extension or data security? PoE media conversion can provide the data link, as well as inject the power onto the UTP interface with the camera, while providing the fiber link back to the central location.

Transition Networks provides several POE options. POE switches are copper to copper devices, where the power is inserted on the unused pairs in the UTP cable. PoE injectors are also copper to copper devices, which take data in one port, and send out data on another port with power inserted on the unused pairs again. Transition's PoE media converters are copper to fiber devices, with power inserted on the unused pairs from the RJ-45 port.

For a more in-depth look at PoE and how it can be utilized in video security applications, go to our self paced online training: Video Security Networking at My TN Connection.

Get Software Upgrades Online

If you’ve added new converter modules to your customer’s network recently, software upgrades are most likely close behind.

Transition Networks can help make this process as painless and quick as possible. Our website posts NIC drivers, software upgrades, and installation manuals, and all are available for free.

These can be found in the Software Upgrades section of the Transition Website. This page can be found under “Tech Support” and “Downloads” in the drop down menu.