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

Hello all, Background: I am the platform architect of a new, very high projected volume, web-site. Initial troughput numbers are greater than 1Gbps with a TB of online disk space. Initial site-backbone capacity is expected to exceed 5Gbps. Thois includes both HTML and streaming multi-media content. Projections are estimated to increase radically on commencement of service. Some of your organization will be approached, by the General Contractor, within the next few months. We will issue an RFP in 1Q2000. I am not at liberty to reveal more than this at the moment. What I need are links to vendors that provide instrumentation for multi-Gbps backbones (aggregated 1000baseSX), local directors, and firewall support (yes, I know about Checkpoint). Can some of you help me out here? What have you used and what works, as well as what doesn't? Please respond in private e-mail or the on-topic wardens will cast a hex on me <grin>. BTW, I also need (later) a list of providers that have a substantial "dark fiber" network and can support cold-potato routing options. We will need colo space with multi-Gbps feeds (Cisco 6500 series, our end).