QoS

Network traffic, especially from the Internet, has seen a dramatic increase in growth. The simplicity of the Internet and IP allows more and more services to be added. In an IP network, all applications are treated equally so no one application gets higher priority. Internet applications were traditionally web-based traffic and could tolerate some delay in response, but now more voice, video and other real-time applications have begun streaming across the Internet to compete with web traffic.

Internet for voice

We all want great voice quality when we make a phone call. Telephone lines have offered the quality needed, but more and more users are looking for lower overall costs. Moving away from the traditional phone company land lines and towards alternative services, we find that the Internet is being used for VoIP.

Using the Internet for voice is becoming more common. Nearly every telephone service provider now offers an alternative phone service from the traditional circuit-switched voice networks. Even providers you may have never heard of are joining the choice of alternatives. These providers now offer affordable telephone service to customers and businesses that have broadband Internet access.

Many providers are looking to offer consolidated services called triple-play: high-speed Internet, telephone (VoIP) and television (video on demand or broadcast) from one company over a single broadband connection. Cable companies started this trend across their coaxial cable but many of the traditional telephone companies are offering these services over their DSL twisted pairs or optical fiber to the residence or business.
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Interview

The Kentrox vision - a moment with Jeff Estuesta

Jeff Estuesta, Chief Executive Officer at Kentrox, is responsible for devising long-range operating plans while setting organizational objectives and strategic plans to maximize company value. In addition, he oversees both the enterprise and wireless businesses to ensure short and long-range objectives are met.

Recently Kentrox Connection spoke with Jeff to gain a better understanding of Kentrox and its future plans.

Please tell me a little bit about Kentrox and its products and services.

Kentrox was founded in the late 1960s just outside of Portland, Oregon where we are still headquartered. We're known in the telecom industry worldwide for our Data Service Unit/Channel Service Unit (DSU/CSU) product line. The company was an early pioneer in the multi-service access concentrator technology that connects voice, video and data traffic with public ATM services and private WANs. More recently, Kentrox developed a line of Quality of Service (QoS) access products (including an appliance and routers) to address the growing need for QoS for converged IP networks. The products provide an affordable, easy-to-use solutions for small and medium businesses as well as branch offices. Leveraging Kentrox's expertise supplying CSUs and cross connects to thousands of wireless networks since the late 1980s, we are deploying the CrossPATH product family in high-density wireless cell sites.
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Case Study

Flower wholesaler adds QoS to VoIP network

B&H Flowers, a national provider to wholesalers, is dedicated to strict standards of excellence, a trait that has been passed down through five generations of professional growers. From the origins of the smallest seed to customer service, the company earns respect by consistently producing the highest quality at every level.

B&H has two farms in California, and communication between them is critical in order to maintain excellence. Being able to provide information to wholesalers such as order status, inventory and account status when they are on the phone is imperative. In order to manage both voice and data network traffic efficiently and cost-effectively, they reviewed their existing network with Gsolutionz, a reseller and provider of communications systems, to determine if any changes were needed.
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Software

QoS routers add new functionality

Kentrox just announced the software release of version 1.35 of the Q-Series Quality of Service (QoS) Access Routers. They protect and prioritize applications of small and medium offices. In a single device, the router combines QoS, VPN, firewall, WAN access and a QoS appliance to protect and prioritize VoIP and other critical applications.

The release includes these new major features:
· Load balancing - enables load sharing over multiple WAN interfaces to efficiently utilize bandwidth.
· VPN enhancements - VPN client supports Microsoft Windows XP to eliminate the need for an additional Windows client.

"This new software release from Kentrox will be beneficial for many of our customers and my business. By adding support for the Windows XP client, our customers will not need to buy additional software and equipment when adding QoS to their networks," says Hien Nguyen, CTO at Safari Telecom, a Kentrox MVP reseller. "Additionally, the product has become easier to deploy with added IP configuration enhancements such as support for vendor-specific DHCP options and the ability to implement Windows XP VPN client. The Kentrox routers definitely make it easy to manage an integrated VoIP/data network."

The software release is available for all Kentrox QoS access routers: Q2200-T1 QoS, Q2300-Ethernet QoS and Q2400-Dual T1/Ethernet.

Channel Service Unit

The Case for External CSUs

An external Channel Service Unit (CSU) doesn't receive much attention these days. The proliferation of integrated (internal) CSUs has made telecom managers consider an external one as an additional point of failure and unnecessary expense. However, there are some issues with that thinking.

First, the external CSU offers additional failure protection and fault isolation. With integrated, a T1 failure is often indistinguishable from a component failure. With external communication to the failed device cut off, diagnostics will result in a costly and time-consuming outage. With many of the modern external CSUs offering plug-and-play functionality, the replacement of a failed unit is a matter of minutes, not hours. Further, replacing a costly internal T1 line card requires an experienced technician and increases duration of the outage. Adding the extra insurance offered by the external makes sense.

Second, an external provides an independent diagnostic point with enhanced functionality. Many carriers, due to the high backlog of T1 orders, are no longer offering conditioned lines. This means customers will need to deal with a number of T1 issues, and an external CSU is the ideal point in the network to check these errors. For example, an external gives T1 metrics such as bit errors and receives signal levels that can be read and displayed, providing the technician with information needed to work with the carrier to improve signal quality. In addition, loopback functionality in conjunction with internal Bit Error Rate Tests is available to test the capabilities of the local loop.
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Calendar

Kentrox Training (web-based)

LAN/WAN Fundamentals and Router Basics - May 5, Jun 9, Jul 28, Aug 4

QoS Routers and Appliance Basic Training - May 9-10 & 23-24, Jun 20-21, Jul 11-12 & 25-26

QoS Routers and Appliance Advanced Training - May 11-12 & 25-26, Jun 22-23, Jul 13-14 & 27-28, Aug10-11 & 24-25

QoS Routers and Appliance Basic Training - Aug 8-9 & 22-23

Classes also available at the Kentrox campus. Check www.kentrox.com/training for current schedule.

About Kentrox Connection

Kentrox Connection is a special reporting on Kentrox products. We welcome news, product news, case studies and other coverage of the Kentrox community. Please review our submission guidelines for details on how to send an article, or email publisher@usernews.com for information about advertising in the hardcopy edition.

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