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Router Technology: How to Cost-Effectively Add Network Sites and Services

33Com Router - Benefits WAN access routers have to be smart, but high intelligence does not have to come at high cost. Enterprises increasingly require smart routing of high volumes of data, video, and VoIP traffic at the perimeter of office networks. These routers must provide traffic shaping and grooming, network security, high reliability, and remote control. Standards-based 3Com® access routers deliver all these attributes. 3Com routers also interoperate with Cisco routers—but cost much less.

For an enterprise network with Cisco infrastructure that needs to connect more sites or new services, 3Com WAN access routers are independently certified to interoperate with Cisco routers; they also have a Cisco-style interface that helps customers quickly adapt to configuring them. Unlike Cisco products that force-feed customers proprietary protocols (HSCP, Skinny/SCCP, HSRP, etc.), the 3Com products are designed for compliance with widely adopted network standards. 3Com routers can be deployed in a variety of mixed-vendor networks, and immediately support services based on 802.1p QoS and 802.1Q VLAN, VRRP, and multicasting (IGMP, PIM-SIM, PIM-DIM).

Because today's routers must be able to transport converged LAN traffic over a lower-speed WAN, they require the intelligence to prioritize critical traffic. Though WAN routers are inherently slower than LAN switches, the performance of 3Com routers meets or exceeds that of comparable Cisco routers. Delivering device throughput as high as wirespeed with zero packet loss, 3Com enterprise network routers implement several technologies that accelerate performance:

  • Ample Fast Ethernet ports to accommodate the extra processing headroom needed for QoS, multicasting, and VoIP
  • An efficient and streamlined code base that maximizes packet throughput (all 3Com enterprise routers use this same OS)
  • High-density, high-performance WAN modules that optimize system configuration and network throughput between central and remote sites
  • Many include MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), speeding VoIP and VPN packet data exchange over public or private networks

Network security should be inherent in enterprise routing, not an add-on. Security and VPN control features that are built into the 3Com routers include:

  • GRE tunnels, L2TP L2 tunnels, IPSec L3 tunnels
  • PKI and X.509 digital certificates
  • Firewall, Application Layer gateways, and access control lists
  • SNMP V3, SSH
  • AAA, RADIUS, TACACs+
  • PAP, CHAP, NAT
  • Encryption (3DES and AES) in hardware or software

Low cost of ownership: from day one, 3Com enterprise routers support real-time applications and security requirements—they are fully outfitted with maximum memory and key routing and security software. Eliminating hidden add-on costs for key software, 3Com routers also eliminate the complexity and downtime of multiple upgrades. Providing a range of redundancy, management, and diagnostics capabilites, the 3Com router portfolio cost-effectively meets the specific needs of different office sites. 3Com routers offer a higher payoff, in the short-term and long-term.

  • For sites with hundreds of users, the 3Com Router 6000 family of modular routers provides full hardware and software redundancy, high resiliency, and WAN interface speeds up to ATM OC3
  • For sites with up to 250 users, the 3Com Router 5000 family of modular routers supports WAN interfaces up to T3/E3 speeds
  • For sites with up to 50 users, the 3Com Router 3000 family and the 3Com Router 3000 DSL family of fixed-format routers support T1/E1 and DSL WAN interface speeds.
  • For small business sites requiring a cable or ADSL connection, the 3Com OfficeConnect® family provides secure, reliable, and easy-to-use wired and wireless access.

Find out more about 3Com network routing solutions or call us at 1-800-638-3266.

The Tolly Group, “Enterprise WAN Strategies: The Business Case for Multi-Vendor Networks,” Document #204111, April 2004, pages 8-11

The Tolly Group, “3Com Router 5000/3000 Series: Competitive Interoperability Evaluation with Cisco 1751,” Test Summary Report #204110, February 2004, pages 3-4

3Com Secure Converged Networks