Because some connections are built to last
Old-school reliability still delivers in today’s massively accelerating digital world. Call it what you may: old hat, yesterday’s news, retro… we call it tried and true. You’d be hard-pressed to find a company that doesn’t use Wi-Fi, USB, or PDFs; similarly, Ethernet still confidently connects the world’s most cutting-edge organizations because it works.
Introduced in the 1970s, Ethernet revolutionized how computers communicated over local area networks, and it quickly became the backbone of networks worldwide due to its reliability, speed, and efficiency. To be honest, not much has changed in Ethernet’s key selling points, aside from huge growth in its capabilities. And it’s far from over: Ethernet speeds continue to increase, with 100 Gbps and even 400 Gbps on the horizon.
Let’s explore why Ethernet is far from obsolete.
While Ethernet and Wavelengths can solve similar needs, they offer distinct advantages. Many businesses seek redundancy with both an Ethernet and Wavelengths solution.
1. Stability – we’re talking durable
It’s resilient, it’s flexible, it’s self-healing. It’s Ethernet.
Ethernet is renowned for its reliability. Ethernet provides consistent, uninterrupted connectivity. This reliability is crucial for industries where uptime is critical, such as healthcare, finance, and data centers.
Likewise, Ethernet operates on our expansive, self-healing MPLS network; so even if there’s a cut in the fiber, your data will automatically reroute and continue unabated. There’s so much confidence in its stability, it’s no surprise so many carriers use Zayo’s Ethernet to connect their customers. Not to mention the sheer simplicity in implementation and management.
Furthermore, Ethernet’s reliability is bolstered by its simplicity. The straightforward design of Ethernet networks minimizes potential points of failure, ensuring a robust and durable solution. For IT professionals focused on building dependable networks, Ethernet offers a tried-and-true framework.
2. Speeds that can keep up
Is “quick and steady wins the race” a saying? If not, it should be. Ethernet connects you with a range of bandwidth options, from 10M to 40G, with dedicated options offering even greater throughput.
High-speed, reliable connections with low latency and maximum predictability are appealing to businesses that don’t quite need the extreme data transfer capabilities of dark fiber or Wavelength solutions. These businesses still need strong, consistent bandwidth – which is why we see such a high utilization of Ethernet for mid- and large-size financial institutions.
Moreover, Ethernet is the most popular form of data transport supporting Zayo’s CloudLink solution – private, low-cost connectivity to major cloud service providers all while leveraging Zayo’s expansive, independent core fiber network. Bridging speed, reliability, and security, it’s a no-brainer. And to that point…
3. Let’s talk security
Knock knock. Who’s there? Not cybercriminals, that’s for sure.
We’d say data is worth its weight in gold, but that would be selling it short – regardless, your data is critical and extremely valuable. A key factor driving Ethernet’s popularity is that it’s inherently quite secure – your traffic is separate from other customer traffic. Private Ethernet connections do not have the vulnerabilities of sending data across the public Internet such as data breaches, or DDoS attacks.
Network architects trust Ethernet’s security capabilities, again a reason it’s widely used by financial institutions – among other businesses requiring secure data transport including healthcare and fintech. With Ethernet, your confidential data stays confidential.
4. Scalability, flexibility, agility
Sometimes, you need to start fast and trust that when the time comes, you can stay agile and pivot quickly. Quick to turn up and simple to adjust, Ethernet from Zayo is your scalable, flexible, agile data transfer solution. Featuring diversity, link aggregation groups (LAGs), and burstable options, you can painlessly adjust bandwidth as your needs change and be protected from surges in traffic.
Zayo’s Ethernet has the right solution for your business, no matter how simple or complex: we’ve got you covered no matter if you’re looking for a simple point-to-point connection between two office locations; a hub and spoke to consolidate multiple branch office circuits; private cloud connections on a single port at the corporate office or data center; or improving scalability and ease of adding new office locations to a multi-enterprise meshed network with an E-LAN topology.
Zayo is an expert at leveraging Ethernet’s capabilities to tailor a solution to best fit your networking requirements and budget, including path diversity and redundant options.
5. Won’t break the bank
Ethernet is known for being cost-effective, making it an attractive choice for businesses of all sizes. It especially shines on long-haul routes to connect two or multiple locations spread across the map.
Ethernet’s longevity also contributes to its cost-effectiveness. With a proven track record spanning decades, businesses can trust Ethernet to provide reliable performance over time. This longevity reduces the need for frequent upgrades or replacements, ensuring a solid return on investment. Downtime can also mean huge costs to your business – luckily, Ethernet’s got you covered there as well, backed by Zayo’s uptime and performance service level agreements.
6. Proven performance, across decades
No surprises. We’ve seen Ethernet’s performance year over year over year.
With a private Ethernet connection, dropped packets, data retransmissions, and fluctuating latency caused by the dynamic nature of the public Internet routing are all avoided. When you get low latency and reduced jitter in your connection, you’ll finally know the meaning of smooth. Whether relying on real-time communication or high compute, low latency AI tools, Ethernet is the cost-effective solution that ensures your data is transmitted quickly and consistently.
7. With a future so bright…
You’ll need shades.
As mentioned in the introduction, Ethernet’s not going away. Quite the contrary, it’s keeping pace with the rapid-fire modernization we’re seeing.
The Ultra Ethernet Consortium, working with major contributors including Intel, Oracle, and Microsoft, is focused on enabling Ethernet for our expanding digital age, empowering it with maximum scalability and minimum latency to support high-performance computing workloads. We’re right there with them, pushing the boundaries – with 100G Ethernet from Zayo becoming more widely available.
That means great news for Ethernet users today and tomorrow. Connect your business with confidence on Ethernet, since it’ll be your reliable partner ready to scale with you each and every year.
So what’s it all mean? Let’s take it home.
Ethernet is far from obsolete in the digital age. Its reliability, speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, security, low latency, and future-proofing capabilities make it an indispensable tool for network engineers, architects, and IT professionals.
Whether you’re optimizing an existing network or planning a new one, Ethernet remains a powerful ally in achieving your networking goals.
Seeking maximum, ultra-capable bandwidth with redundancy? Consider a combination of Ethernet and Wavelengths connectivity.
