< PreviousPerformance Impact on Cabling Infrastructure CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 40Ethernet cables Copper ethernet cable technology evolved in parallel with the ethernet standard, working on a twisted pair of copper wires and maintaining, as a constant parameter, 100m as the maximum distance covered by a point-to-point link. The supported speed is 10Mbps over Cat3 cables, 100Mbps over Cat5 cables, 1Gbps on the Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6e cables, and up to 10Gbps over the Cat7 cable. The standard also enables the support for 10Gbps over Cat6 and Cat6e cables with a limited distance of 55m and support for higher speed with the introduction of CAT8 cables. Different cables come with different prices, so a Cat6 cable costs around 20% more than a Cat5 or Cat5e - and a Cat7 cable is twice as expensive. Ethernet network For a typical Ethernet data network composed of core, aggregation and access/edge switches, the most used technology is gigabit ethernet for the device connected to the access equipment. Multiple aggregated gigabit interfaces between the access and the aggregation and 10Gbps between aggregation and core. Gigabit connections use copper ethernet cables but in some specific situations, typically where the distance between the access and aggregation equipment does Chris Dyke Sales Director UK & Ireland Allied Telesis Almost all new devices and applications require more and more bandwidth. To understand how that challenge must be met, it can be useful to look back and map how we got to this point before evaluating how best to move forward. Network rformance on Cabling astructure CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 41not permit the use of copper cable, fibre is typically used. For this reason - and considering the increased cost of high-grade cables and the cost associated with the network cable upgrade - large parts of Ethernet infrastructures are still based on Cat5e and Cat6 cable, and, only in recent implementations, Cat6e or above. Service and access device challenges Over the years, the use of Ethernet infrastructure has changed, and more and more devices require a network connection to work properly. Video surveillance, access control, wireless access points and many other devices rely on a wired network to provide services to organisations. The challenge related to this evolution is that new devices and applications require more and more bandwidth but are connected to a network designed to support a fraction of the need. Taking as an example the evolution of access points, it’s easy to recognise that a legacy WiFi 4 access point's maximum throughput is around 1Gbps, a WiFi 5 access point will support more than 2Gbps and the last released WiFi 6 more than 4Gbps. But connecting these devices to the same 1Gbps port means not being able to take advantage of the new technology speeds. At the same time, the growing diffusion of video content in almost all fields, creates another level of complexity for the whole architecture, adding pressure on the links between the access and the aggregation equipment. For this reason, the access and aggregation equipment need to be upgraded with more capable devices and the core equipment replaced with new high-performance systems, but this solves only half the problem. The impact on the cable infrastructure While replacing the active equipment is relatively simple, with a limited and well-defined impact on costs and a fast implementation, it is not the same for the infrastructure. Supporting 10Gbps on 100m requires a Cat7 cable. Cat6 or Cat6e is only enough for limited distances under 55m. In a typical installation, all the cables are shorter than 100m, but it is often hard to know if they are also shorter than 55m. So, to have an infrastructure in line with technology evolution, the solution is to replace the whole infrastructure, changing the current cables to Cat7. However, this is an expensive solution that results in a lot of time and disruption to be implemented. The intermediate speed solution To overcome these limitations, and at the same time enable a fast transition to a higher performant network without replacing the whole infrastructure, it is possible to rely on equipment supporting intermediate ethernet CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 42speeds between 1Gbps and 10Gbps and without replacing the passive infrastructure. Access points, NIC cards and media converters are now available from the best providers to support 1Gbps, 2.5Gbps, and 5Gbps, and in some models also 10Gbps on the same physical interfaces. The advantage of these new intermediate rates - 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps - is the capability to use legacy infrastructure, while still maintaining the distance limitation at 100m. Look for a network infrastructure vendor that allows 2.5Gbps to be supported starting from Cat5e cable, and 5G on Cat6 cables (and limited distance over Cat5e). With this approach, it’s possible to reuse legacy infrastructure to increase performance several times and only replace active equipment. These advantages are most evident in two specific scenarios: an access point technology upgrade and an access-aggregation link bottleneck. Access point technology upgrade Wireless technology becomes the main access technology in almost all scenarios, replacing copper cables in mobile devices, and a large number of modern laptops are now provided without the RJ45 Ethernet interface onboard. This progression is, at the same time, a consequence of and the reason for the exponential evolution of WiFi technology and related equipment. WiFi 4 access points, which were at the top of the technology tree a few years ago are now obsolete, replaced by WiFi 5 and then by WiFi 6, while the WiFi 7 standard is already in the pipeline. Performance improved greatly to over 1Gbps with WiFi 5 and grew again with WiFi 6 devices. When considering legacy gigabit access switches, it is necessary to aggregate two interfaces for each access point to obtain more throughput and increase the available bandwidth from 1Gbps to 2Gbps. This is the typical solution when WiFi 5 Access Points are used. For WiFi 6 access points, this is no longer enough, and the interfaces are changed from 1Gbps to 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps, enabling 5Gbps of traffic between the access point and the access switch with a single 5Gbps link or via 2x 2.5G using aggregated links. Access-aggregation bottleneck The increased traffic coming from the new access points, as well as other new applications and devices, dramatically increases the traffic within the access switch, so that the link between the access switch and the aggregation switch becomes the new bottleneck. Considering a correctly dimensioned network composed of gigabit switches, the traffic between the access switches and the aggregation switches is managed with 4x1Gbps aggregated links. With the new technology, this is equivalent to the traffic generated by a single access point and is no longer enough to support the new applications. The new generation of switches available provides multi-gigabit interfaces also on the uplink, so that (depending on the cable type and link distance) 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps or 10Gbps on the existing infrastructure can be provided. By installing these new switches, the aggregation of four links can improve throughput from the current 4Gbps to 10Gbps, 20Gbps or even 40Gbps, and this is achieved by only replacing the active devices. The impact on other equipment The same argument applies to any other equipment connected to the network. It is possible to upgrade almost any link by introducing a new multi-gigabit NIC card or using a multi-gigabit media converter but still using the available infrastructure. The upgrade process In almost any enterprise increased data rates and the desire for enhanced WiFi performance puts a lot of pressure on the IT department. To satisfy user requests, a lot of companies start to replace their current access point installations with new-generation models without taking the whole picture into account. Replacing an access point able to support 1Gbps of traffic with a new one able to support 4Gbps of traffic and connecting it to the same 1Gbps port does not provide any practical benefit to the user. It only moves the bottleneck within the network. The right approach for upgrading network performance - while waiting to replace all cables with Cat7 - is to start at the switches, upgrading installed ones with new multi-gigabit devices that provide the best possible throughput on current infrastructure as well as with future Cat7 infrastructure. Once the process is concluded, or in parallel with this process, replace the access points to obtain maximum benefit and always partner with a leading networking provider. CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 43With every new generation of WiFi, there are always huge claims regarding speeds and feeds. And, while some of it is true, there are always misconceptions about each generation of WiFi. But what's the truth? Here, we shed light on some of the biggest misconceptions. Myth #1 - WiFi 7 is already here Everyone should understand that WiFi 7 does not yet exist because there is yet to be certification testing of the technology. The WiFi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association whose main task is ensuring WiFi products’ interoperability by providing certification testing. The goal is to ensure compatibility between WiFi devices. In May 2022, the WiFi Alliance announced that work is underway to define requirements for WiFi 7 certification. The technical phase of the certification is under development; however, there is no WiFi 7 certification yet for interoperability. Markus Nispel Chief Technology Officer EMEA Extreme Networks Five Common Myths and Misconceptions About WiFi 7 Every four to five years, a new generation of WiFi debuts with promises of faster speeds, bigger channels, enhanced reliability, and a better user experience for WiFi users across the globe. WiFi 7 is based upon the IEEE 802.11be draft amendment, Extremely High Throughput (EHT) and is coming soon to the marketplace. CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 44mmon and ptions WiFi 7 CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 45Now, this does not mean that the technology is not being developed. And very often, WiFi products hit the marketplace before the certification program is in place, especially consumer-grade WiFi products. On April 12, 2022, Broadcom announced its WiFi 7 ecosystem of WiFi 7 chipsets and radios for residential APs and client devices, such as smartphones. What’s more, they also announced WiFi 7 enterprise access point chips. We expect WiFi 7 smartphones to debut as early as Q2 of 2023, with consumer-grade WiFi routers following closely behind. Enterprise-grade WiFi 7 access points could debut as early as Q4 in 2023, but 2024 is a safer bet. Myth #2 – Bigger 320MHz channels are better The promise of ultra-wide 320MHz channels gets a lot of hype when discussing WiFi 7. A larger channel allows you to modulate more data on additional frequency space, resulting in incredibly high potential data rates. A 320MHz channel in 6GHz can transmit 16 times more data than a 20MHz channel commonly used in 2.4 and 5GHz. Sounds great, right? However, because multiple access points (APs) are deployed in an enterprise, channel reuse patterns will be needed in the 6GHz band — just like in the legacy bands. WiFi 6E marked a new beginning with more frequency space in 6GHz, and the new power spectral density rules actually make it advantageous to use larger channels. In countries where the entire 1,200MHz of 6GHz frequency space is available, 80MHz channel reuse patterns will become common in enterprise networks. In Europe, 40MHz will probably be more common because there are twelve 40MHz channels available for reuse, and only six 80MHz channels. So why not 320MHz channels? Well, depending on the region and available 6GHz spectrum, you will only have one or three 320 channels available. While this might work well for one AP in an isolated area, this will not work in an enterprise channel reuse pattern because of co-channel interference (CCI) and the resulting medium contention overhead. By the way, 160MHz channels will not be used in the enterprise except in corner cases for the same reasons. Mesh backhaul is a potential use case for 160MHz wide channels. A 320MHz channel is a WiFi 7 consumer-grade feature for one AP deployed in a household. As a matter of fact, I fully expect 320MHz channels to be the default setting when consumer-grade home WiFi routers hit the market. The only problem with this is that consumer-grade routers set to that default will likely cause primary/secondary OBSS interference when located near enterprise deployments. Bigger is not always better. Myth #3 – WiFi 7 will bring us wireless throughput of 46Gbps You might have heard that WiFi 7 is the fastest generation, capable of speeds of up to 46Gbps. WiFi 7 is indeed based upon the IEEE 802.11be draft amendment, Extremely High Throughput (EHT), whose very name implies that we are destined for faster speeds. And we will see faster speeds, but is 46Gbps realistic? The two WiFi 7 features that currently get a lot of buzz are the previously mentioned 320MHz wide channels and 4K-QAM modulation. Both features contribute to some of the shocking claims of theoretical speeds of up to 46Gbps. However, 4K-QAM and 320MHz wide channels are consumer-grade features. With every generation of WiFi, a new complex modulation is introduced that promises greater data rates and increased throughput. 4096-QAM, also known as 4K-QAM, will probably need a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment of 40DB or more. Achieving this requires a pristine RF environment with an extremely low noise floor. This is likely possible in a residential environment with 6GHz channels deployed on 1-2 access points. And possible, when the WiFi 7 client CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 46is within 5m and in direct line-of-sight of the WiFi 7 AP. However, this deployment type is not practical in enterprise deployments with numerous access points, mobile clients with greater distances from the APs, or variable noise floors depending on the deployment vertical and location. But are we destined for greater speeds with WiFi 7? The short answer is yes due to a combination of features, including the possible aggregation benefits of multi-link operation (MLO). Recently, Intel’s Carlos Cordeiro and Broadcom’s Vijay Nagarajan collaborated on a video of a cross-vendor WiFi 7 demonstration with over-the-air speeds greater than 5Gbps. Only 5Gbps? First, let’s be honest, there will not be real-world speeds of 46Gbps. When you digest that marketing claim, please take it with many grains of salt. Defined data rates are always theoretical, and due to medium contention, the actual TCP throughput is usually about 50-60% of any advertised WiFi data rate being used. That being said, the Intel and Broadcom video demo was impressive, with speeds of 5Gbps under controlled conditions. Real-world multi-gig WiFi speeds will indeed become more common, especially in the consumer market where multi-gig broadband initiatives are being driven. Myth #4 - WiFi 7 is strictly a consumer-grade generation of WiFi I have already mentioned 4K-QAM and 320MHz wide channels, the two WiFi 7 capabilities that hold promise for consumer-grade WiFi. But are there any WiFi 7 features that will have value in the enterprise? Yes, multi-link operation (MLO) has enormous potential. When discussing MLO, think of multiple bands and multiple-channel connectivity between a WiFi 7 AP and a WiFi 7 client device at the same time. The multi- link operation has many potential methods where multiple WiFi links could be used for link steering, link redundancy, and link aggregation. The respective goals are lower latency, increased reliability, and higher throughput. Multi-link operations can be potentially synchronous or asynchronous. MLO will have a future impact in supporting mission-critical and industrial enterprise applications that require reduced latency and jitter. Although often hyped, we will see a renaissance of innovation in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications whose primary access method will be WiFi. The lower latency enhancements promised as a result of MLO and other WiFi 7 features will be critical for AR/VR. Myth #5 – WiFi 7 will make WiFi 6E obsolete There has been talk in some corners that WiFi 6E is a “niche” generation of WiFi. Nothing could be further from the truth. WiFi 6E is the foundational generation of WiFi to bring the technology to the 6GHz frequency band. Countries across the globe continue to adopt the new 6GHz superhighway that has debuted with WiFi 6E. This 1200MHz frequency superhighway provides a reliable path for the evolution of enterprise WiFi. The advent of WiFi in the 6GHz frequency band guarantees that WiFi will continue to grow as the predominant solution for secure wireless connectivity and mobility in the enterprise. Sometimes we get too caught up with the new “bells and whistles” of various generations of WiFi. It’s not always about features and updates, and the most significant thing happening in WiFi right now is that it’s all about the 6GHz spectrum. WiFi 7 will bring us both consumer-grade and enterprise features, but the real value is when these futuristic features begin to prosper in 6GHz. In the meantime, think of WiFi 6E as the foundational generation of WiFi that offers 6GHz connectivity. WiFi 7 will be the next generation that leverages 6GHz to even greater heights. CONNECTIVITY AND CABLES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 47Eamonn O’Neill CTO Lemongrass Consulting There are three primary drivers behind the Cloud arms race: IT operational innovation, business process innovation, and market innovation. Organisations often don’t have the expertise internally to guarantee these objectives, at least not to their full extent, so many enlist the help of a system integrator (SI). The Criticality of Choosing the Right System Integrator Partner SYSTEM INTEGRATION www.networkseuropemagazine.com 48Historically, companies defaulted to a global integrator brand to mitigate the risk associated with complex technology projects. However, more and more organisations are recognising the capabilities and value of smaller SIs in the same space. Choosing the right partner for Cloud adoption is absolutely critical. Given the uniqueness of each business’s situation, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and each SI has its own specialisms and expertise that best suit certain briefs. Having a clear map of what you’re setting out to achieve is imperative and will ultimately determine which type of SI you partner with. Whether it be the larger, global integrators – including the likes of Deloitte, Accenture, and Capgemini – or more niche, specialist SIs, the key point is to choose someone who will increase your chances of success. Here are six questions every business should ask: before deciding on an SI. f Choosing the tegrator Partner SYSTEM INTEGRATION www.networkseuropemagazine.com 49Next >