Top 5 reasons you want Ethernet for carrier-grade connectivity

It might be turning 40 next year, but seminal network protocol Ethernet is as relevant and important as ever for organisations seeking a ‘carrier-grade’ option for upgrading their communications to adapt to today’s highly mobile, dispersed, cloud-app driven and security conscious business world.

Ultimately, successful organisations today need to know their network can scale in response to fluctuating bandwidth requirements, experience minimal outages and support high levels of security that reflect growing cyber threats and tighter regulations around data protection.

So let’s have a look at Ethernet’s top 5 benefits in more detail.

1. SECURITY
   With Ethernet, the delivery switch is present in the service functions at ‘Layer 2’, which is not accessible through the Layer 3 network. That’s bad news for hackers and very good news for Ethernet-reliant organisations as their systems are largely insulated from attack.
   
   Furthermore independent carriers, like Superloop, with control of their own networks can provide truly ‘independent’ services giving customers complete control of their traffic and data, which doesn’t have to pass through multiple exchanges, which is the case for most services currently on the market. Customers also enjoy further peace of mind, knowing these carriers have no visibility of layer 3 traffic, presenting a major roadblock to hackers.
   
   
2. SCALABILITY
   Services delivered on the 1GE port allow for low bandwidth solutions to be quickly and easily scaled up without the need for intensive and expensive upgrades, nor the costly disruptions that often follow.
   
   Ethernet can also deliver significant new capacity to businesses quickly, without the need for extra onsite equipment, as their capacity needs grow. It’s also possible to achieve very-fast delivery times depending on the specific location of data centres in metro areas.
   
   
3. FLEXIBILITY
   Ethernet also affords companies more flexibility to design and build their own networks to suit their specific needs. They simply buy P2P links and overlay whatever network protocols they want on top, where the layer 2 ethernet network becomes transparent to the end users.
   
   
4. DC CONNECTIVITY
   Businesses needing services to connect separate datacentres can’t go past Ethernet, especially for speed and reliability. This is because Ethernet supports very high bandwidth, typically on fibre access, with even higher speeds available, especially with carriers that own their infrastructure end-to-end.
   
   
5. SIMPLICITY  
   Ethernet lets organisations seamlessly connect multiple locations and avoid the additional overheads compared to other connectivity options owing to the fact that it is pure layer 2. As all organisations experience sharply rising volumes of voice, video and corporate data on their networks, Ethernet is looming as an appealing option for many.

Every organisation has different requirements from a networking point of view. But the 5 points above should be top of mind for anyone hoping to create an architecture that maximises the opportunities for success now and into the future. And despite the fact – or perhaps because of it – Ethernet has now been around for four decades, its place as an essential and core technology isn’t in doubt for the foreseeable future given its unique capabilities for allowing companies to build exactly the network they need.

Superloop's carrier-grade Ethernet service is backed by one of the most technically advanced, independently-operated network infrastructures in the APAC region. Connect with us today and learn how to optimise your business communications for the future.