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Ethernet

WAN evolution can be a challenge. Our Ethernet services help you untangle your network using a tried-and-tested technology to deliver scalable connectivity with the flexibility of EVPL and ELAN topologies to simplify your network. Ethernet is a private network connection with a high level of security and bandwidths from 10Mbps to 40Gbps.

High-speed
Flexible
Scalability & Affordable

Ethernet business services

Take the speed and simplicity of your Local Area Network (LAN) into your Wide Area Network (WAN), to support your evolving business needs. Configure and shape your network with different Ethernet topologies using our EVPL and ELAN services. Our Ethernet services also underpin other solutions we offer, such as Smart IP-VPN and Cloud Connect.

Ethernet business services, based on high-speed connectivity and dedicated bandwidth, are a perfect fit for business segments where security and reliability are of highest importance.

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Ethernet topologies

With Ethernet, you can rely on high-speed connectivity to distribute your critical data. We guarantee speeds of up to 40Gbps, for the topology you choose; easy to scale up and always able to meet your growing capacity demands.

Ethernet over MPLS 

Ethernet over MPLS facilitates transparent Layer 2 Ethernet frame transport across an MPLS network, with services benefitting from the inherent reliability and resilience of the network underlay. Additional benefits include multiple topologies support, such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and any-to-any VPLS. 

EVPL and ELAN

In point-to-point and point-to-multipoint topologies, we can support EPL (Ethernet Private Line) when configured in port-mode as well as EVPL (Ethernet Virtual Private Line) when configured in VLAN-mode. Arelion's collective name for these service configurations is EVPL.
Ethernet LAN (ELAN) topology is more common for multiple sites connection via any-to-any connectivity at high bandwidth.

Benefits of ELAN and EVPL services:

  • Control of the IP addressing
  • Utilization of the same port for multiple services (ELAN/EVPL service and Cloud Connect or IPT service on one port)
  • Service protection built-in and at lower cost than protected Wavelengths
  • Performance and stability well above a public Internet solution
  • Fast implementation with unrivaled bandwidth flexibility
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MEF 3.0 certified services

Our Ethernet services are MEF 3.0 certified, and are underpinned by our high-capacity, top-ranked MPLS backbone and highly-skilled Operation team . We guarantee the service quality from the ground up so that you can benefit from the carrier-grade Ethernet quality.

MSOP

Arelion’s Ethernet solutions leverage our extensive, high-capacity Tier-1 global network, delivering guaranteed bandwidth up to 40Gbps with Multiple Services over One Port (MSOP) support, for more design flexibility and more cost efficiency. 

Customers can combine multiple products on 1GE, 10GE or 100GE interfaces taking advantage of existing infrastructure and saving Cross Connect costs.

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Ethernet Use Cases

Networking around business models

Ethernet is a ubiquitous and versatile technology that scales efficiently and flexibly to meet specific business needs.

Future-proof technology backbone

Ethernet has become the indispensable backbone technology for organizations across multiple industries. It is simple to operate, administer and maintain.

Supporting business expansion

Ethernet offers unparallel flexibility and can be upgraded to meet evolving customer needs — connecting new branch offices, data centers, and cloud service providers quickly and easily.

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Arelion Ethernet MEF 3.0 certified

Apelby, a global provider of ICT and telecommunications services, has been utilizing Arelion's IT services for their IP transit and EVPL needs. (...) Arelion's expertise in providing these services has been crucial in helping Apelby to maintain a reliable and efficient network infrastructure. Arelion's technical support team has been exceptionally helpful in resolving any issues that have arisen, and their fast response time has ensured minimal downtime for Apelby's business operations. Apelby is extremely satisfied with the quality of Arelion's services and the reliability of their network infrastructure. With Arelion's assistance, Apelby has been able to focus on their core business while having peace of mind knowing that their IT needs are taken care of by a trusted partner. Arelion's commitment to providing high-quality IT services has resulted in a strong and successful partnership with Apelby.

Jan Doricak, IT&Cyber Security Manager
Technical highlights
Ethernet Topology Arelion Product MEF-defined services Also known as

EVPL

E-LINE - EVPL

E-LINE - EPL

Point-to-point

Hub-to-spoke

ELAN

ELAN – EP-LAN

ELAN – EVP-LAN

Any-to-any

VPLS

Features
Ethernet over MPLS
High availability incl. end-to-end visibility with optional Network Interface Device (NID)
10Mbps – 40Gbps
Global reach with managed Network Interface Device (NID) in >120 countries
Multiple Services on One Point (MSOP)
Comprehensive SLAs and Ethernet CoS for traffic prioritization
Security highlights

Solid network security requires full traffic visibility. We offer various monitoring tools to check and maintain traffic performance.

Secure by design
Private connectivity – logically separated from any other traffic
Near real-time & historical bandwidth usage views
Network performance parameters, including latency in our MyArelion portal
NOC situated in a well secured and connected building with multiple power sources
Physical and logical security from design to deployment
Customer Service authentication procedures
Clear customer data handling policies

Build you core network on the world's #1 Internet backbone with Arelion!

Watch this video to learn more. 

Why Ethernet – find out more

Learn more about our high-speed private connectivity with low latency. The solution is aimed for customers with business-critical connectivity that require high level of flexibility and scalability. 

Below you can download our Ethernet infographics, Ethernet FAQ, Ethernet solution brief and read the What is Ethernet guide. Scroll down further to read the frequently asked questions about Ethernet.

Ethernet frequently asked questions

10 quick questions for Anna Maslewska, Ethernet Product Managerat Arelion.

What speed / bandwidth options are available - min, max and increments?

Arelion offers a wide range of Ethernet bandwidth options from 10Mbps all the way up to 40Gbps in granular 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps and 10Gbps increments and with selection of standard optical and electrical interfaces for 1GE, 10GE and 100GE (Gigabit Ethernet).

 

Ethernet Virtual Circuit (EVC) bandwidth options Mbps:

 

EVC bandwidth (Mbps) in increments 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000
10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000

 

 

 

 

 

Port types (standard interfaces supported):

 

Port types
Electrical RJ45  100/1000Base-T
 
Optical1G LC
1000Base-SX  1000Base-LX 1000Base-EX
Optical10G LC 10GBase-LR 10GBase-ER
Optical 100G LC 100GBase-LR4 100GBase-ER4 100GBase-CWDM4
Does Arelion support jumbo frames and Layer 2 control protocol transparency, even in the last mile?

Arelion’s Ethernet solution supports jumbo frames up to 9100 bytes acrossour MPLS backbone network.


Layer 2 control protocol transparency requirements are fully supported on Arelion’s network and include last mile access with our Advanced Ethernet option, where a NID (Network Interface Device) is installed at customer site to terminate the service. We configure the NID in tunnelling mode which enables Layer 2 control protocol transparency.

 

For our Basic Ethernet option which does not include a NID device, Layer 2 control protocol transparency can be validated on Individual Case Basis (ICB) for both on-net and last mile requirements.

 

Arelion has also introduced a very strict process for onboarding last mile thirdparty access providers. This means that all our supplier partners need to go through a rigorous certification process, although not all of them are able to provide last mile support for jumbo frames. However, if this is a customer requirement, Arelion will endeavour to source an appropriate supplier at the time of order.

What SLA availability guarantees does Arelion offer, without & without the last mile & a NID?

Arelion's MPLS backbone offers built-in resilience and 99.999% backbone availability for any services running acrossit. Protecting customer traffic from network faults and fibre cuts provides additional peace of mind.

 

In addition, for the Ethernet services, we offer twolevels of service availability:

  • 99.99% PoP to PoP availability for our Basic Ethernet product where customers do not require managed network interface devices (NIDs). For the purpose of SLA measurement, the demarcation point of the service is the customer-facing port on the Arelion aggregation switch or router in Arelion's MPLS PoP - excluding any cross connects or 3rd party access tails
  • For our Advanced Ethernet product with a network interface device, we offer 99.5% end-to-end availability. NIDs are usually located at a customer's premises and the service levels typically apply between these devices. For the purpose of SLA measurement, the service demarcation point is the LAN-side port on the NID, including any cross connects, 3rd party access tails and the device itself

What is the latency SLA on both primary and/or the protected paths?

We have designed our core MPLS backbone network for low latency applications, and we offer latency SLA commitments for EVPL and ELAN Ethernet services in accordance with figures published on our portal. For standard configurations, the SLA applies to both primary and secondary paths.

Is Arelion's Ethernet MEF certified?

Yes - Arelion Ethernet Services are MEF 3.0 certified: MEF Services Certification Registry. We follow industry standards to make it easy for our customers to implement and deploy our suite of Ethernet products. Additionally, we offer design flexibility for different topologies.

 

Our EVPL service provides point-to-point or hub-and-spoke configuration options in line with MEF E-Line EPL and E-Line EVPL definitions in Port-Mode or VLAN-Mode configurations. The Arelion EVPL service with Port-Mode UNIs provides a compliant EPL service with partial L2CP transparency on certain routes. L2CP transparency may be requested as an option and can be configured when the Advanced Ethernet service, including a NID, has been ordered by a customer.

 

Our ELAN service provides any-to-any configuration in line with MEF ELAN EP-LAN and ELAN EVP-LAN definitions in Port-Mode or VLAN-Mode configurations.

 

For Wholesale customers who have an ENNI with Arelion, we offer E-Access services with handover on the ENNI UNI.

What is the difference between Ethernet over SDH and Ethernet over MPLS?

Ethernet services can be provided over circuit switched technologies such as SDH, orpacket switched technologies like MPLS.

 

Circuit switched networks such as SDH require dedicated physical point-to-point connections - supporting EPL (Ethernet Private Line) point-to-point topology. These are more susceptible to fibre cuts and other network related failures.

 

MPLS is a protocol for efficient network traffic flow between multiple locations - it uses label switching for fast data forwarding and routing within a network.

 

The main benefit of MPLS networks is reliability and the primary benefit of Ethernet is affordability and simplicity.

 

Ethernet over MPLS facilitates transparent Layer 2 Ethernet frame transport across an MPLS network, with services benefitting from the inherent reliability and resilience of the network underlay. Additional benefits include multiple topologies support, such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and any-to-any VPLS.

 

In a point-to-point set-up, we can support EPL* (Ethernet Private Line) when configured in Port-Mode as well as EVPL (Ethernet Virtual Private Line) when configured in VLAN-Mode. Arelion's collective name for these service configurations is EVPL.

 

*EPL service with partial L2CP transparency on certain routes. When Advanced Ethernet is ordered, L2CP transparency can be achieved by configuring the NID device in tunnelling mode.

How fast can Arelion provision the solution?

Our on-net Ethernet EVPL and ELAN services can be delivered in as little as three weeks, including the physical connections (such as port or cross connects*) required to deploy the initial service.

 

Once physical connections are in place, furtherlogical services (including additional VLANs or Cloud Connect) can be provisioned in seven calendar days.

 

Where third party access has been requested together with the order, the lead time will vary in accordance with supplier lead times. This is generally in the range of sixty to ninety calendar days. Where delivery is impacted by way leaves or civils, it may take longer time.

 

*Cross Connect delivery lead time is dependent on access arrangements and LOA

Is Ethernet a protected service?

Ethernet services delivered over Arelion's MPLS backbone network are inherently resilient by the very nature of the underlay network and as such are protected against network failures or fibre cuts. With multiple diverse physical routes between each Arelion PoP, we are committed to providing the best performance for our customers - four diverse routes between Singapore and Europe and four diverse routes across Atlantic demonstrate the robustness of our network.

From a pricing perspective, is Arelion's Ethernet a competitive solution?

Ethernet is one of the most affordable network technologies available - it is simple to operate, administer and maintain. Arelion serves customers in 129 countries and with more than 180 third party ENNI agreements, so we are well positioned to offer competitive pricing almost anywhere.

 

Additionally, our MSOP (Multiple Services on One Port) proposition allows customers to configure multiple Arelion services on a single interconnected port. This maximizes the customer value of existing interconnection points and multiple products such as EVPL, Cloud Connect or IP can then be added without the need for new interconnects.

Ethernet Service Performance Portal

Gives our customers visibility of the latency, frame loss, and Inter-frame delay variation for the Ethernet Advanced services. See the demo and read more in our Ethernet service performance blog.

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