Wireless Networking

TREND Networks improves its VDV II cable verifier range

TREND Networks has announced that the VDV II basic, plus, and pro copper cable verifiers will now be Bluetooth-enabled to support enhanced test reporting with the company’s AnyWARE Cloud app and test management system. The new cloud connected verifiers will enable users to quickly, easily, and accurately create and manage test reports, making them ideal for technicians working in voice, data, and video applications.  “All too often, industry-leading test management capabilities are only available for users of the most complex cable testers,” explains Dan Barrera, Director of Product Innovation, TREND Networks. “However, with the latest update to VDV II, we are bringing advanced reporting benefits to an affordable, entry level wire mapper, a type of tester that the majority of installers or technicians need to have in their bag.”  Dan continues, “By covering users from basic to pro, we are ensuring that all users can experience the same time and cost savings, alongside the dependability and accuracy they expect from TREND Networks.” The new models connect reliably to its AnyWARE Cloud app using Bluetooth, storing the test results on the user’s phone in real time. It is as simple as creating a job folder in the app, connecting the tester to a cable, and then sending the test results. Once these are in the app, users can upload to transfer the results to the online system in seconds. There, the test results can be organised, and professional PDF reports can be exported.   This seamless data transfer also benefits project managers. With access to a wider range of test results from their co-workers in the field, in a single web-based test management system, they can now standardise their workflow and improve efficiency. The app already supports testers from TREND Networks, including PoE Pro, LanTEK III/IV/IV-S cable certifiers, and SignalTEK 10G bandwidth tester.   The latest version also uses AnyWARE EXPLORER, offering project managers a simple navigation user interface, like those used on desktop operating systems. This makes it easier to find the specific job needed, sort results, or build out subfolders to organise results by building, floor, room, rack, or panel.   The new VDV II Series retains all the dependable functionality of previous models, which helps users document proper operation and eliminate guesswork when installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting data, voice, and video cabling.  “Wire mapping and cable verification is commonplace, so we already had a great solution for that in the VDV II series,” says Dan. “However, this game-changing update enables a large proportion of installers and technicians to depend on us to change the way they work for the better, maximising efficiencies, even on the simplest jobs.” 

Wireless LAN backlogs pile up to 10 times normal levels

According to a recently published report from Dell'Oro Group, the overall market is expected to exceed £10 billion by 2026 and see a healthy CAGR over the next five years. Enterprise Wireless LAN backlogs will balloon to over 100% of revenues in 2022, leaving companies to get inventive in their search for Wi-Fi coverage. A boost in unit shipments is not expected until late 2023, with a return to normal unit growth still two years away. "Wireless LAN market sales are being dragged down by manufacturers' record-breaking backlogs," says Siân Morgan, Wireless LAN Research Director at Dell'Oro Group. "Our recent interviews have revealed that the lead time for receiving Wireless LAN access points has stretched to between six months and a year - a significant change from the 'weeks-to-months' that enterprises were waiting at the end of 2021. Supply constraints have shifted, including not just the main Wi-Fi chips but also secondary or even tertiary components. With a limited ability to fulfil the orders flooding in, manufacturers will focus their late 2022 and early 2023 shipments on working down outstanding backlogs: mainly orders for Wi-Fi 6. Unit shipments should start to loosen up later in 2023, about the time Wi-Fi 7 appears on the market. "Enterprises are going to creative lengths to procure Wi-Fi solutions, such as prolonging existing support contracts, using older equipment or even repurposing consumer-grade routers. Systems integrators are recommending ways to enable more applications, squeezing more value from the existing network infrastructure. In sum, now is a time characterised by invention," adds Siân.

Why visibility is important for NetOps, and why it’s in short supply

By Thomas Pore, Director of Product Marketing, LiveAction Network visibility is critical to the success of NetOps and SecOps teams. They’re the ones below deck inspecting packets, troubleshooting application problems, fighting back congestion, and identifying threats to the network.  To run an optimised network requires in-depth visibility of multiple considerations - devices, traffic flows, class of service policies, and anomalous activity detection. However, internal and external challenges can compromise this needed access. The changing nature of enterprise IT One of the biggest challenges that NetOps teams face surrounds the remote worker transformation that has spiked in recent years. This digital-first transformation requires that the network now be formed of cloud instances, APIs, IoT deployments, and other components that reach outside the traditional network to accommodate a more distributed workforce. In fact, it has been estimated that APIs account for 84% of network traffic. With increasingly complex network configurations, higher data output, growing application usage, and climbing network device volume, true network visibility requires addressing new situations. The growing amount of devices and apps on a network bring further complications, changing traffic patterns and complicating visibility. A report on this topic revealed that 81% of network operations professionals deal with network blind spots. The changing nature of work We’ve witnessed a mass migration of entire workforces from stable office infrastructures to dispersed locations: homes, cafes, co-working spaces, and anywhere else there’s Wi-Fi. Seeing into those remote Wi-Fi/LAN connections and the public cloud can be a real challenge for some traditional monitoring tools. For example, SNMP polling, ping, and NetFlow can be used in IaaS clouds but won’t work in PaaS or SaaS deployments.  Cyber threats, noise and false positives Network Visibility is the greatest advantage a SecOps team can use in proactive cyber threat identification. But 91.5% of malware reported in Q2 2021 was sent through encrypted traffic. Legacy tools like DPI and IPS can’t see into encrypted traffic, and decryption methods like SSL verification are often resource-intensive, time-consuming and can pose compliance risks. The solution is in a modern threat detection tool that uses deep packet dynamics (DPD) to scan encrypted traffic for risks without the need for decryption. Another obstacle to achieving network visibility is working within systems that do not offer targeted or audience-based alerting. Systems that use SIEM alerts can experience a regressive effect on network visibility, losing sight of critical issues through alert fatigue caused by waves of benign alerts. A 2019 report from FireEye found that 37% of large enterprises receive an average of 10,000 alerts each month, of which over half were redundant alerts or false positives. Tool sprawl Similarly, the very tools which are supposed to illuminate the network often obscure it when combined. The average NetOps team uses between four and 10 tools to monitor their network. But according to one estimate, almost 25 percent of large enterprises rely on anywhere between eight and 25 network performance monitoring tools. These different technologies, programming languages, and user interfaces require a large time commitment in training from NetOps and SecOps teams. Mixing and matching metrics from different reporting tools can create discrepancies and gaps in reporting knowledge. Once organisations pass a functional tool threshold, budget is wasted, efficiency declines, and ultimately visibility is hampered.  Bringing concision to network visibility Security and network professionals need tools that empower them to function at their highest ability. A LiveAction survey found that 42% of network professionals spend excessive hours troubleshooting across the network and 38% are so backlogged, they don’t identify network performance issues when they arise. When network performance and security suffers, the entire organisation is impacted. To harness the visibility needed for successful network operations, organisations must evaluate monitoring performance metrics in several key scenarios, including a multi-vendor network, a multi-cloud network, a hybrid cloud network, data centre visibility, and distributed remote site visibility. Engineers should prioritise their search for a single monitoring solution and dashboard powerful enough to deliver complete network visibility. This convergence into one view simplifies workflows, makes troubleshooting and network visualisation easier and improves the efficiency of NetOp and SecOps teams.  Amid the constant evolution of changing network architectures, ways of working, devices, apps, tools, and threats, NetOps and SecOps teams must adapt and find solutions that allow them to deliver the same optimal network results. The importance of network visibility cannot be understated in the rise of new cyber threats and the elevation of end-user expectations for network services. Simplifying the job of your network and security professionals improves performance levels and security resilience. Consider the importance of complete network visibility today to allow your engineers and network to reach their optimal potentials.

Choosing high quality optical transceivers

By Marcin Bala, CEO of Salumanus Advancements in technology have led to an even greater need for reliable and stable data transmission, resulting in transceivers becoming an essential part of any network's hardware configuration. Optical transceivers are often regarded as one of the simplest pieces of hardware in a network, but this is not true. Selecting the wrong transceiver or one of poor quality could lead to a number of unforeseen issues. There are many important factors to consider when choosing an optical transceiver for your application, such as data rates, wavelengths and transmission distance. To help narrow down this search, here are three categories of transceivers - SFP, QSFP and CFP - and their core benefits. Compact and flexible Small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceivers are the most popular optical transceiver type, mainly due to their compact size. The small size allows these transceivers to be compatible with various applications, which is especially useful for tight networking spaces that still require fast transmissions. The SFP module is also hot-pluggable, meaning it can be easily adjusted to existing networks without the need for cable infrastructure redesign. SFP transceivers are very flexible and are compatible with both copper and fibre networks. In copper networks, these transceivers are perfect for connecting transmissions between switches that are up to 100m apart. However, when used in fibre optics, they can have a communication range of around 500m to over 100km. These transceivers are mainly used in Ethernet switches, routers and firewalls. There is also a more advanced version of the SFP, called the SFP+, that is faster than its original counterpart and can support speeds up to 10Gbps. SFP+ are not the only advanced versions of the SFP transceiver - there are also the SFP28 and the SFP56. The SFP28 differs as it can support up to 28.1Gbps, whereas the SFP56 has double the capacity of SFP28 when combined with PAM4 modulation. The SFP transceivers support both single-mode and multi-mode fibre and can transmit data over a duplex or a simplex fibre strand. The flexibility of SFP transceivers makes them compatible with almost all applications that require high speed over long ranges, such as dark fibre, passive optical networks and multiplexing. High density and compact Quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceivers are used for 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) data transmission applications. Like SFP transceivers, QSFP ones are also hot-pluggable. However, in comparison to SFP+ optic modules, QSFP ones have four transmission channels, each with a data rate of 10Gbps, allowing for the port-density to be four times higher than that of SFP+ transceivers. The QSFP transceiver, like the SFP, can support bother single-mode and multi-mode applications but is capable of doing this over a 100km distance. QSFP transceivers are ideal for networks that require higher data rates. QSFP28 transceivers can support both high speed and high-density data transmissions, thanks to their ability to provide even higher data rates of 28Gbps on all four channels. QSFP transceivers use four wavelengths that can be enhanced using coarse wavelength division multiplexing (such as CWDM and LanWDM) technology. A popular configuration of the transceiver is the 100G QSFP28 DWDM PAM4 solution. This configuration is capable of connecting multiple data centres within over a distance of 80km. The advantage of using this configuration is that it enables an embedded dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network to be built using the transceiver directly in the switch. Like the SFP transceiver, this one also has a more advanced version, the QSFP dual density (QSFP-DD). This essentially provides double the channels and double the speed, meaning the transceiver has eight channels capable of 400G (8x50G). Ultra-high bandwidths and high speeds The C form-factor pluggable (CFP) transceiver is a common form factor used for high speed digital signal transmissions. There are four different types of CFP transceivers - CFP, CFP2, CFP4 and CFP8 - all of which can support ultra-high-bandwidth requirements, including next generation high speed Ethernet. The most recent module, CFP8, can support a broad range of polarisation mode dispersions at 400G and is already made to support 800Gbs. On the other hand, the most frequently chosen one is still CFP2. The 100G CFP coherent module supports a range of applications such as 80km interfaces or 2,500km DWDM links. This module is also configurable to optimise power dissipation for a given application. CFP transceivers are mainly used in wide area networks (WANs), wireless base stations, video and other telecommunication network systems. They are widely used in data centres, high performance computing and internet provider systems as they have a long transmission distance and fast speeds. The high variety of transceivers on the market can make it difficult to find the most suitable one for our application, but whether network owners require high bandwidths or strong connections over long distances, there is a transceiver to deliver that. Salumanus has delivered over 500,000 optical modules in the last few years, offering support in choosing the most suitable transceiver for clients’ networks.

Westermo PoE switch supports networks with high power demands

Westermo has introduced a new compact industrial Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch designed to support the ever-growing networking requirements for devices, such as security cameras, wireless access points and monitors. The Lynx 3510 PoE series is capable of supporting networks with greater power demands and is ideal for handling big data, high bandwidth, mission-critical applications typically found within transportation, manufacturing, energy and smart cities. With power and data provided over the same cable, PoE helps to reduce network complexity and offers greater installation flexibility, reliability, and time and cost savings. The Lynx 3510 PoE enhances network capability by supporting the needs of more powered devices, with eight copper ports each providing gigabit speeds and up to 30W output. This is ideal for connecting HD IP CCTV cameras in industrial settings and other power-hungry applications. The Lynx 3510 PoE also offers redundant and fast failover connectivity, with Westermo’s FRNT ring protocol ensuring rapid network recovery should a node or connection be lost. Ensuring the security of industrial data communication networks is of paramount importance, especially with cyber attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated. To reduce risk and increase cyber resilience, the Lynx 3510 PoE has an extensive suite of advanced cyber security features. These can be used to build networks in compliance with the IEC 62443 standard, which defines technical security requirements for data communication network components. “The Lynx 3510 PoE is the first product based on a new very powerful platform. Available both as switch and a router with impressive performance capable to handle the bandwidth of future networks,” says Henrik Jerregård, Senior Product Manager at Westermo. “The Lynx 3510 PoE is extremely reliable and designed to maintain uninterrupted data communications in even the most challenging environmental conditions, and by offering a total power output of 240W, this will help expand the capability of PoE networks.” The DIN rail-mountable Lynx 3510 PoE has been extensively tested to meet a broad range of industry standards relating to electromagnetic compatibility, isolation, vibration and shock. With an IP40-rated fan-less all-metal housing, the ultra-robust switch has a wide operating temperature range. Superior build quality, industrial-grade components, a high level of isolation between interfaces and a redundant power supply helps to extend service life and creates an extremely reliable solution that contributes to a lower total cost of ownership. Helping to reduce complexity, the Lynx 3510 PoE is powered by the WeOS operating system, which ensures continuous operation and support for an expanding range of communication protocols and features, and simplifies installation, operation and maintenance. WeOS provides future-proofed network solutions with high levels of resiliency and security.

Senet and IotaComm partner to deliver advanced wireless networks

Senet and Iota Communications have announced a partnership to deliver LoRaWAN through both 915MHz unlicensed spectrum and through IotaComm’s unique 800MHz FCC-licensed spectrum network connectivity. The initial use cases will be focused on smart building, smart city, and critical infrastructure applications. With this collaboration, and in addition to its use of the Senet platform for application and device management, IotaComm has also become a Senet Radio Access Network (RAN) operator and Senet LPWAN Virtual Network participant. Through a combination of sensors, meters, and its Delphi360 wireless connectivity and data analytics platform, IotaComm provides an end-to-end smart building and smart city solution used by building managers, industrial site managers, and city planners to better manage the health, safety, and sustainability goals of their organisations and facilities. In addition, IotaComm uniquely combines its FCC-licensed spectrum within the LoRaWAN standard to enable carrier-grade, low power wide area connectivity for critical infrastructure applications, such as smart metering and predictive maintenance. To support growing customer demand for power efficient, battery operated indoor and outdoor smart building sensors, IotaComm operates more than 140 tower sites nationwide and plans to deploy 150 LoRaWAN gateways by 2023. For customers preferring added levels of network and application performance, Senet and IotaComm are collaborating to create a new LoRaWAN service using the 800MHz licensed spectrum. IotaComm already owns enough 800MHz spectrum to cover about 90% of the US and plans to deploy multi-access gateways to deliver a premium smart building connectivity offering. IotaComm will use Senet’s cloud-based platform to manage both its public LoRaWAN network and private on-premises networks and application deployments using the 800 MHz FCC-licensed spectrum. “We’re honoured to be working alongside of Senet in the quest to provide the wireless connectivity efficiency and flexibility that industries are requiring,” says Terrence DeFranco, CEO, President of IotaComm. “This partnership fully supports our goals of building the largest national, carrier-grade LPWAN dedicated to the IoT. Together with Senet’s network architecture expertise, we’ll deliver real-time data that results in high value and actionable insights while filling an existing connectivity gap.” By opening their LoRaWAN gateways to data traffic from all solution providers connecting to the Senet Low Power Wide Area Virtual Network (LVN), IotaComm is contributing to the rapid expansion of public carrier-grade LoRaWAN networks across the US and generating new IoT services revenue streams. Unique to the Senet LVN are innovative business models designed to deliver unified LoRaWAN connectivity without the need for roaming contracts and the opportunity for participants, like IotaComm, to share in the revenue generated by all end devices connecting to the gateways they’ve deployed regardless of end customer origin. “Innovation has always been at Senet’s core and our partnership with Iota Communications is another example of Senet leading the market through innovative technology and unique business models that allow users to improve operations and address sustainability goals,” says Bruce Chatterley, CEO at Senet. “Iota Communications brings significant value and differentiation to our portfolio of RAN Provider and LVN partners, and we look forward to collaborating to deliver ground-breaking network solutions to the commercial building energy management and facility operation markets.”

COMSovereign expands 5G IP portfolio with additional enabling technologies

COMSovereign has outlined its going efforts to expand the value of its intellectual property (IP) portfolio as part of its ongoing business transition. As an innovator in advanced wireless transmission technologies underlying both 4G and 5G wireless networks, it continues to pursue opportunities to monetise the value of its IP. To date, the company holds approximately 130 patents and approximately 25 patent applications pending. These pending patents cover an array of critical wireless networking technologies supporting the latest 5G Mobile Broadband Standard. This includes meeting future wireless network system requirements for increased bandwidth through the support for simultaneous radio transmission and reception utilising approaches such as the Company's Lextrum in-band full duplex (zero division duplex) technology. "As an early player in the 4G and 5G space, COMSovereign's business was built on a solid IP foundation, one that powers the market leading performance of our DragonWave and Fastback products. As part of our ongoing review of the business, we believe our IP portfolio represents an untapped opportunity to create value for our stakeholders. That is why our Board of Directors and our leadership team is actively exploring ways to monetise our IP through multiple paths," says David Knight, interim CEO of COMSovereign.