The concept of the “edge” is important when it comes to networking and telecommunications. There are two concepts in particular that use this terminology: the network edge and edge computing. These are distinct and separate constructs, but they are not entirely unrelated.

In this article, we’ll look at both and see how they differ and how they are interrelated.

A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a concept that has been around for over a decade. Even so, there are still many areas of this technology that are difficult to fully understand, especially for administrators and decision-makers whose expertise lies elsewhere. However, it is important for people in management positions to be aware of the benefits of SD-WANs because they are becoming increasingly essential as cloud-based services become more ubiquitous. 

In this article, we shed light on SD-WANs and their usefulness in modern networks.

Couldn't make ITEXPO in Ft. Lauderdale last week? Here's a recap.

This year at ITEXPO we saw a number of new events and happenings. There was a good attendee and exhibitor turnout, despite the fact that all of the Chinese factories and representatives were unable to attend due to the coronavirus. Nonetheless, the products and services from these manufacturers were on full display. The attendees expected nothing less from the #TECHSUPERSHOW! 

The choice of WAN technology and how it is deployed have a huge impact on the reliability and quality of voice services. For this reason, precautions must be taken to optimize WAN services for voice. In this article, we review best practices for achieving this.

For those familiar with commercial-grade WAN technologies, connecting the internal network to the outside world may seem straightforward. However, large enterprises with thousands of employees and internal services whose existence depends on connectivity require more advanced WAN technologies, which can be far from simple. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most common high-grade WAN technologies and the characteristics of each, to help you decide which is right for you.

An enterprise network is not truly functional unless it is connected to the internet. The types of technologies that can be used for network edge connectivity can broadly be separated into two groups: commercial-grade and high-grade WAN connection technologies.

The distinction between the two has to do with available speeds, reliability, services, and cost. High-grade WAN connectivity technologies include Metro Ethernet and MPLS, while commercial-grade options include cable and xDSL.

In this article, we examine the commercial-grade WAN technologies (cable and xDSL), how they function, and their most typical implementation scenarios.