Nortel Networks' Contivity Extranet Switch Recognized for Superior Performance in Independent Third-Party Tests
-- Test results released by The Tolly Group benchmark the Nortel
Networks Contivity Extranet Switch 4000's zero packet-loss L2TP
throughput --
BOSTON, Ma, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ - Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT/TSE: NTL) today announced that its Contivity Extranet Switch (CES) 4000 significantly outperformed the Cisco 7206 router in a series of comparative tests conducted by The Tolly Group, an independent testing and strategic consulting organization based in Manasquan, NJ. The test summary issued by The Tolly Group concluded that ISPs and large enterprises looking for VPN-specific solutions would find the Nortel Networks CES 4000 offers a significantly-superior Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) Network Server (LNS) solution than the Cisco 7206.
The Tolly Group test, performed during December 1998 and January 1999, compared the zero packet-loss (+/- 2%) Fast Ethernet-to-Fast Ethernet L2TP throughput of Nortel Networks' CES 4000 and Cisco's 7206 router. The test configuration imitated VPN solutions that are categorized as LAN-to-LAN or branch-to-headquarters VPN solutions. Nortel Networks delivered substantially higher zero packet-loss L2TP throughput in all tests conducted, including the forwarding of 1,450-byte and 512-byte IP datagrams across two tunnels, 50 tunnels, 500 tunnels and 2,000 tunnels.
The ability to handle a high number of tunnels with an acceptable level of performance is a key evaluation criterion for LNS devices,'' said Kevin Tolly, president and CEO, The Tolly Group. ''Nortel Networks' Contivity Extranet Switch 4000 demonstrated high-levels of performance with relatively little packet loss.''
Furthering its testing parameters, The Tolly Group also evaluated the Nortel Networks' Contivity Extranet Switch 4000 to determine the impact that encryption has on L2TP performance. Conducting the same series of tests with encryption enabled, the Nortel Networks' CES 4000 continued to deliver consistent throughput.
As measured in The Tolly Group's report, the Nortel Networks' CES 4000 delivered 64 times greater throughput than the Cisco product during tests with two VPN (L2TP) tunnels established (forwarding 1,450-byte IP datagrams). The Nortel Networks' CES 4000 also delivered significantly greater throughput when the number of tunnels was increased to 50, 500 and 2,000; delivering 62, 66, and 47 times greater throughput.
In addition, with its encryption capabilities enabled, the Nortel Networks' CES 4000 provided higher levels of throughput than the unencrypted Cisco product. The Nortel Networks' CES 4000 delivered between 46.4 Mbit/s and 50.6 Mbit/s of throughput while routing 1,450-byte IP datagrams through 2,000 and two L2TP tunnels, respectively.
L2TP currently exists as a draft standard with the IETF, but remains a major emerging standard for establishing VPNs.
Enabling business partners and employees to build Extranets/VPNs for private communication, commerce, and collaboration, the Nortel Networks Contivity Extranet Switch products combine a unique set of key technologies for IP tunneling, authentication, encryption, routing, firewall filtering, bandwidth management and system management into a highly-scalable solution. Providing connectivity for up to 2000 simultaneous connections for both individual dial-in users and routed branch offices, the Contivity product line offers support for the widest variety of tunneling (L2TP, PPTP, IPSec, L2F), authentication (hard and soft tokens, Radius, X.509, internal/external LDAP, NT domain) and security standards (DES, 3-DES, RC4) in the industry.
For a copy of The Tolly Group's test summary, visit the Nortel Networks' Web site at www2.nortelnetworks.com.
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