Simon,
You missed the question. Timothy is interested in finding companies who have deployed the latest generation of edge devices. These devices specialize in QoS, VPNs and more intelligent(CPU intensive) features. A GSR is not in the same classification since this router is meant for the core. Vendors competing in the edge space are Shasta, Ennovate, Cosine and Unisphere to name a few.
CF
Hi, just piping up for myself a little bit. Yes, Chris is correct. I am interested in the VSR 15K as a non-core device (e.g., distribution) for regional hub(s). There is no particular reason I could not use a Cisco GSR. Perhaps it is best to make it clear what I am looking for. I want a chassis-based solution able to provide regional connectivity to a number of access-level routers. There is a need to provide incredible density (well, incredible for me, but I don't run a big network) over disparate access technologies (frame, E-1/T-1, ATM). I don't have a very solid understanding of many optical technologies just yet, but I am under the impression I can lay my own dark fiber and put some sort of box on either end, not necessarily a VSR 15K, and run data across it without any telco intervention. Cisco has a line card (apparently for the GSR) which supposedly does this, their OC-48/STM-16 bidirectional regenerator. Requirements for the chassis-based solution are the ability of the company providing it to encrypt the data passing over the line (including such things as routing updates, etc). I know this sounds weird, and I may not be explaining it all properly. The box has to rock-solid - you can assume I will be placing it somewhere where I can't go and fix it every time it breaks. In the past, I have understood that Cisco's reliability record on devices doing "weird things" has been better than Nortel's. So, the questions are: - Does it break under real production loads? - Is Nortel's engineering team the type to do custom solutions? (e.g., I provide encryption, they integrate it into their code?) - Can it terminate(?) dark fiber? - Does it speak everything it has to? What about non-IP traffic? - Is the GSR a better solution? - Is there any other box that can terminate a ghastly amount of frame, T-1/E-1, DS-3, and OC-48+ circuits? Regards, Timothy