Metro Ethernet is the use of Carrier
Ethernet technology in metropolitan area networks (MANs).
Because it is typically a collective endeavor with numerous financial contributors, Metro Ethernet
offers cost-effectiveness, reliability, scalability and
bandwidth
management superior to most proprietary networks.
Metro Ethernet can connect business local area networks (LANs) and
individual end users to a wide area network (WAN) or to the
Internet.
Corporations, academic institutions and government agencies in large cities can use Metro Ethernet
to connect branch campuses or offices to an intranet. A
typical Metro Ethernet system has a star network or mesh network
topology with individual routers or servers
interconnected through cable or
fiber optic
media.
"Pure" Ethernet
technology in the MAN environment is relatively inexpensive compared with Synchronous Digital
Hierarchy (SDH) or
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
systems of similar bandwidth. However, the latter technologies can be applied to Metro Ethernet in
urban areas willing to devote the necessary financial resources to the task.
This was last updated in August 2009
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