[SPAM-HEADER] - Re: Point to Point Ethernet - Email has different SMTP TO: and MIME TO: fields in the email addresses

Wed Jul 8 16:52:22 UTC 2009

> The reality is that is an SDH/SONET backbone underlying most of these Ethernet networks.

That may be so (however, numbers for the national provider I work for do
not tend to bear this out). But does it matter? People presumably use
Ethernet because it is inexpensive, easily available, well known, etc.

Yes, if the underlying technology is SDH *or* DWDM with an SDH type
interface, I know *I* would prefer to use the SDH interface - because
it gives me the SDH OAM we all know and love. But if my router vendor
charges me a 10-30% premium for using cards with an SDH interface, then
Ethernet is going to win every time...

There are vendors that supply cards where the optics can be reconfigured
for 10Gig Ethernet LAN *or* WAN (SDH) interface, and where you don't have
to pay a premium. The Juniper MX series is an example. But real SDH cards
with the corresponding lower encapsulation overhead still come at (high)
price.

Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug at nethelp.no