Data Center Networking Equipment and Solutions
All Products
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Cisco Optical Networking is a suite of products supporting data center networking, including the NCS 1000, 2000, 4000, 4200, and the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (Cisco EPN Manager), as well as Cisco ONS 15000 series platforms and devices.
Cisco Nexus Dashboard provides a simplified, centralized data center dashboard that enables businesses to manage their hybrid cloud network operations.
Flexential IP Bandwidth offers an IP transit service with fixed and burstable bandwidth options up to 40 Gbps.
Presented as a more advanced and sophisticated service than standard Direct I…
Flexential Fabric is a software-defined interconnection solution that enables direct, secure connectivity to distributed infrastructure and digital ecosystems through a single port.
Flexential Fabric changes the way interconnection services are consumed by leveraging multiple virtual connections through a single physical port. It opti…
Connects where users are located for optimized and efficient use of bandwidth costs.
Flexential Network Hubs bring connectivity closer to end users with geographically distributed locations that satisfy latency requirements and provide better application performance.
Flexential Network Hub gives user…
Cradlepoint in Boise offers a range of routers supporting cellular or wireless failover, branch and IoT networks, and related needs, available through a variety of appliances, and via the Cradlepoint virtual edition router.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) offers the FlexFabric product line of data center networking equipment.
Use Azure ExpressRoute to create private connections between Azure datacenters and infrastructure on premises or in a colocation environment. ExpressRoute connections don't route through the public internet, and they offer more reliability, faster speed, and lower latency than typical…
CenturyLink® Wavelength service delivers dedicated bandwidth and the full network tran…
Larch Networks designs and provides full set of devices for the datacenter: 10-Gigabit based devices for a small corporate Data Center TOR switches with 10/25Gbps downlinks and 100Gbps uplinksLEAF/SPINE switches with 400Gbit cross-links and 12.8Tbps total performance EBOF high-performance…
Apstra in Menlo Park offers a multi-vendor network operating system. Apstra’s Intent-Based Networking aims to empower organizations to automate all aspects of the network design, build, deploy, and operate phases. The vendor states their solution leverages advanced intent-based analytics…
The vendor states users can improve a network’s flexibility and cut costs with the Cisco NCS Optical Series. With its Circuit Emulation technology, the NCS Optical Series offers any-to-any connectivity, along with savings over traditional TDM transport architectures. Network operators…
Based on the former Force10 switches, the Dell PowerSwitch S Series are a varied series of data center switches.
Alcatel-Lucent provides the OmniSwitch family of switches, providing data center switching, Ethernet & LAN switches, support for IoT and edge solutions, SDN, ruggedization and industrial-grade solutions, and WebSmart switches.
Lumen Ethernet services (formerly CenturyLink Ethernet services) power secure, high-availability network solutions that enable high-performance voice, video and data applications. Lumen Ethernet’s private connectivity, scalable bandwidth and configuration options make it ideal for high-speed connections among corporate headquarte…
The Arista 7000 series is a line of networking switches, from Arista in Santa Clara, California.
The Huawei NetEngine series of DC switches is, the vendor states, a diversified product portfolio that supports flexible networking ranging from 500 to over 50,000 servers, with a unified open architecture that supports seamless evolution from the traditional data center network…
Lenovo ThinkSystem Rackswitches support SMB and larger enterprises with data center networking.
The Arista 7800R3 Series is a family of high density Spine platforms with programmable support for over 2.5 million routes, 400/100G density and flexible table sizes with cloud-grade architecture. The Arista 7800R with up to 460Tbps of performance with embedded MACsec is a platform…
The Arista 7500R3 Series is a family of high density Spine platforms with support for high density 400G and 100G Ethernet and internet scale tables. The Arista 7500R3 Series is an optimized platform with up to 230Tbps of performance for data center networks, DCI and universal spine,…
The HP A-Series was a brand of switches developed by Comware, acquired by Hewlett-Packard and divested. The technology is now supported by Chinese company New HC3.
Apollo Optical Systems, beginning with the ECI TM1200 launched in 2018, are a family of optical transport and switching platforms that aim to provide scalable, high-density and energy-efficient solutions from access to core. The vendor states Apollo enables service providers to deploy…
Learn More About Data Center Networking Equipment and Solutions
What is Data Center Networking Equipment?
Data center networking solutions include devices that connect computing and storage resources, enabling the delivery of shared computer applications and data.
Network equipment is required for communication and interaction between hardware on a computer network. Networking equipment combines, splits, switches, boosts, or directs packets of information across a computer or telecommunications network.
Networking equipment supports different protocols to allow a variety of devices to communicate. Network protocols are a set of rules, conventions, and data structures that dictate how devices exchange data across networks. Protocols allow devices to understand the electronic signals they send and receive while communicating over network connections.
Data center networking equipment include:
NIC – Network interface card also known as a network adapter card, an Ethernet card, or a LAN (Local Area Network) card, allow networking devices to communicate with other networked devices.
Switches - Connect devices on a network to send and receive data. They use MAC (Media Access Control) addresses (unique identifiers) to send data packets to destination ports.
Routers – Connect different networks and receive, analyze, and forward data packets. They connect different network segments, different network protocols, connect smaller networks into a large network, break large networks into smaller ones, and connect different network architectures, and media types. Central routers are the high-speed backbone of a network with the ability to support many LANs. Routers can also be local, remote, internal, external, and peripheral. Router types include wireless, broadband, core, edge, and brouters (bridge routers).
Gateways – Nodes that connect networks, including those operating with different transmission protocols, act as a protocol converter providing compatibility between the different protocols. They forward data packets from a local network to a remote network. They can be unidirectional or bidirectional. Types of gateways include traditional network gateways, cloud storage gateways, email gateways, internet to orbit (satellite) gateways, IoT gateways, and VoIP gateways.
Multiplexers - Combine multiple signals into one output signal.
Repeaters – Amplify and retransmit signals to ensure signals are transmitted clearly throughout the network. They can be digital or analog, wired or wireless, local, or remote.
Firewalls – Safeguard a network against unauthorized access.
Transceivers – Connect nodes and send and receive both analog and digital signals. This functionality is built into network cards but is also available as a physical device. They can convert electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa.
Bridges –Break down larger networks into smaller segments, connect different media types, and network architectures.
Hubs - Connect multiple devices in a single LAN. Hubs can be passive, active (providing repeater functionality), or intelligent (supporting network management functions) and are primarily used in older networks.
Data Center Networking Solutions Features
Data center networking equipment includes these features:
- Connect multiple computers in a network
- Connect network devices to send and receive data
- Connect different networks
- Connect networks with different transmission protocols
- Combine multiple signals into one output signal
- Amplify and retransmit signals to ensure clear signal transmission throughout a network
- Convert electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa
- Safeguard networks against unauthorized access
Data Center Networking Equipment Comparison
Consider the following when purchasing data center networking equipment:
New vs. Refurbished Equipment: Budget-conscious businesses may wish to consider purchasing refurbished data center networking equipment, which offers reduced costs, warranties, and easy access to replacements.
Short Term vs. Long Term Goals: In addition to meeting your current requirements, evaluate where you expect your business to be over the next five to ten years. The products you select should have a clear upgrade path to enable longer-term goals.
Public Cloud-based Service Options: Depending on your goals and IT strategy, a move to the cloud could eliminate the need for any networking equipment.
Pricing Information
Pricing for data center networking equipment depends on the scale of resources. Switches start at a few hundred dollars and go over $10,000. Small business routers range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Enterprise routers can run over $50,000. Hardware firewalls for small businesses usually range from $1,500 to $4,000. Enterprise-level firewalls range from $25,000 to over $50,000. Free demos and trials are available.