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Silk Ethernet
Ethernet Standard and Ethernet TLS are available in speeds up to 1Gbps. Ethernet Direct is available up to 10Gbps. Also, note that it is a Layer 2 network, and so does not have the extra latencies caused by IP table look up.
Ethernet is the protocol that customers use for themselves, so it is no surprise that it matches their needs.
Because Silk’s Ethernet Service is a Layer 2 network, customers don’t have to change their IP addressing when they get it. Similarly, customers can change their IP addressing schemes without telling Silk. By contrast, when a customer gets a Layer 3 VPN from a provider they need to notify the provider when they change their IP address scheme. This issue is very important for the many customers who need the independence to change their own IP networks, or who have security concerns about sharing their IP configuration with their provider.
Ethernet is any-to-any, so the customer can add, move or remove their sites and the new network will simply work of its own accord. Contrast this with frame relay where an explicit connection must be set up for each pair of sites. (For example, to upgrade from 4 to 5 sites needs 4 more connections).
Changing bandwidths is easy with Ethernet and in most cases Silk can provide upgrades remotely. (For example, to allow more customer domains, or increase the speed).
When Silk Ethernet is installed, it is available immediately. The customer simply plugs in an Ethernet lead at each end and their LANs are linked – true plug-and-play.
Ethernet is secure: customer data is held within its own domain and cannot leak to any other domain. It is more secure than a carrier’s Layer 3 network because: The customer can manage their own Layer 3 network without needing to inform the provider what their IP addressing scheme looks like (see also the discussion above Ethernet compared to IP). It has no IP equipment with IP addresses that could act as hooks for hackers.
Ethernet needs very little management. The only thing the customer usually needs to do is ensure the connections to the Silk network are set up properly. All IT people in Australia are familiar with Ethernet, so it is easy to find and train staff.
Not necessarily cheap – but very cost effective.
Silk Ethernet – Silk's Mac-in-Mac advantage Silk’s use of modern Mac-in-Mac technology in its Ethernet TLS network is a significant differentiator. Most other providers use the traditional Ethernet Address Learning technology, but this can lead to problems for carriers or multiple customers operating over large networks. Silk’s Mac-in-Mac Technology gives Ethernet TLS networks the following important and advantageous features:
Mac-in-Mac allows Silk to have SDH type resilience in the core – that is – better than 50 milliseconds fail-over when fibres are cut, and the same 50 milliseconds time to recover when fibres are restored. Because of this resilience of its network Silk can offer a better SLA than its competitors. Providers who use Ethernet Learning need to use spanning tree, which at best (Rapid Spanning Tree) means a total freeze for seconds when a fibre is cut, and another freeze of ten times that duration (tens of seconds) when it is restored.
Mac-in-Mac is more reliable because it is not susceptible to the Denial Of Service (DOS) attacks that other providers are. Please note – with traditional Ethernet learning networks, a malicious user can rapidly send many messages, each with a new address, and overwhelm the network.
If customers send traditional learning networks many new addresses in quick succession, they can overload the switches in that network. Because Silk does not use customer addresses inside its network, the switches cannot get overloaded in this way. Also, even if they were overloaded they could not possibly send customer machine addresses. Other providers’ networks are vulnerable to both of these effects.
Silk’s Mac-in-Mac networks are transparent. That is, the customer can send any Ethernet frames, including Spanning Tree control packets. Other providers cannot allow their customers such freedom, because some frames could disrupt their networks.
Silk’s Ethernet Transparent LAN Service (TLS) offers point-to-point and point-to-multipoint Layer 2 protocol independent connectivity at speeds of up to 1Gbps. The TLS Service allows businesses to securely connect multiple sites using either Transparent or Tagged LAN options, via standard Ethernet interfaces. TLS allows customer networks at geographically diverse locations to communicate with each other as if they were directly attached. Security is achieved using the IETF TLS standard and MPLS 'Virtual Circuits', similar to ATM or Frame Relay PVCs. It is provided with two configuration options; CIRCUIT or PATH. TLS with the CIRCUIT option provides a protocol independent Layer 2 Transparent Network where the management of the virtual circuit (VLAN) occurs internally to the Silk Network. Customers can purchase multiple Virtual Circuits to provide a point-to-multipoint topology. In traditional telecommunications networks this is similar to an ATM Virtual Circuit. TLS with the PATH option again provides a protocol independent Layer 2 Network, but the customer has full network transparency and can self manage their Virtual Circuits between sites. In traditional telecommunications networks this is similar to an ATM Virtual Path. The Ethernet technology adopted by Silk has the ability to continuously scale bandwidth spectrum in a cost effective manner. With its inherent flexibility, simplicity, and cost effectiveness, this leased data service is ideally suited for Wide Area Networks and LAN to LAN connectivity.
Other features of Silk TLS
Ethernet TLS is available at up to 1Gbps. Most other providers provide up to 1Gbps. Some providers have delivery or cost problems over 100Mbps in many locations.
Ethernet TLS allows the customer to keep all their VLANs and encapsulates these in a Silk Ethernet frame. Most, but not all, other Ethernet providers allow this.
Silk’s carrier-grade redundant network provides better than 99.95% availability. The Silk Network Operations Centre monitors the Ethernet network 24/7. Silk provides a comprehensive Service Level Agreement as part of the customer contract, with rebates for most aspects of the service.
The Silk IP MAN offers a fully meshed Layer 3 IP network that delivers connectivity at speeds of up to 1Gbps. The IP MAN Service allows businesses with many sites to create and manage their own IP meshed network delivering any-to-any network topology at costs much lower than the traditional ATM, Frame or leased line networks. Using an IP routing protocol, you can self manage the style and amount of meshing that you want between the sites. And, using Ethernet interfaces presents the same Ethernet technology that you use in your Local Area Network today. This makes it easy to interface your network into ours, delivering services cheaper and faster. Silk IP MAN integrates all your telecommunications requirements into a single Virtual Private Network (VPN), allowing you to interoperate different applications with other branches, suppliers, and business partners. Voice, data and video applications can be sent straight to the desktop, so you can share information, anywhere in your network, in an instant. IP MAN is a product delivered using a MPLS based network that allows businesses to securely connect many sites together using standard IP routing and Ethernet interfaces. Being a Layer 3 solution, customers maintain complete control over their routing and since all the customer routers in the private network are part of the same subnet, the result is a simplified IP addressing plan. At Silk we know how important flexibility is to your business. IP MAN allows you to choose the bandwidth required for each site. Customers can choose from two access options: 100Mbps or 1Gbps; and a multitude of throughput speeds from 2Mbps up to 1Gbps. You can also statically or dynamically classify different applications into delivery priorities.
SDS – Specialised Data Services If your business has a need for specialised data services please contact us on 1800 011 090 for more information. Silk Data solutions are offered at competitive rates and form part of Silk's strategy to ensure its business customers have access to the latest technical solutions to improve office communications and productivity. Silk's SDH Service provides permanent, secure and reliable digital data connectivity with extensive coverage for larger corporate customers. SDH offers point-to-point capacity for voice, data and IP applications at a variety of speeds. It is a carrier-grade product designed to connect various points of presence (PoPs) and to provide a wide range of other connectivity with the capacity for voice, data and IP applications at a variety of speeds. Typical applications include:
The SDH service is delivered to your equipment using either an electrical or an optical interface. The standard SDH deployment is as a point-to-point service however Silk offers the option to have services delivered using diverse fibre paths in a ring topology. Bandwidth is reserved in STM-1, STM-4, or STM-16 blocks, but you build your network requirements in smaller, affordable E1, E3, DS3 & STM-1 increments. Because bandwidth can be increased incrementally, solutions can be tailored economically without sacrificing future requirements.
Silk Internet Silk Internet is an affordable, faster, and more reliable alternative to ADSL Internet access for business and corporate customers. Silk Internet services use an efficient optical fibre network, providing a communications medium with a greater capacity than any other currently in use. So, if you need to shift big files fast, Silk Internet could be exactly what you are looking for, while still using your current corporate infrastructure. Silk provides an industry standard Ethernet port that you can plug directly into your computer or firewall. This improves reliability, reduces set up time and simplifies the hardware interfaces. Silk Internet offers a range of features including a Static IP address and a target Service Level Agreement for network uptime of 99.9%.
Service Level Agreement It's Going to Become Even Easier. Silk telecom is currently reviewing its Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Products in conjunction with establishing a Standard Form of Agreement (SFOA). The new SLAs will be easier to understand and will identify response times, fault rectification and goals, as well as liabilities if these goals are not met. For clarification on the SLA that applies to your service(s), please contact the appropriate sales team on our contacts page.
SFoA and Master Service Agreements Silk telecom provides a competitive Standard Form of Agreement ("SFoA"). For Carriers, ISPs and Resellers, Silk can provide a customised Master Service Agreement to meet your requirements. Please contact us on 1800 011 090 for more information. |
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