Networks

Networks / Recently Commented

Treating Different Types of Communications Differently

A friend who read my Creating Sustainable Network Neutrality paper wrote to say, "Help me understand what is so bad about treating different types of communications differently." That's a really good question! If you want to offer vertically integrated services on special purpose networks, such as video entertainment or pager service or telephony, I do not have a problem with that, provided you don't use your market power to impede Internet applications that offer competing services... more

More on Broadband Router Insecurity and Being Proactive

Fergie replied on NANOG to my recent post on the subject of broadband routers insecurity: "I'll even go a step further, and say that if ISPs keep punting on the whole botnet issue, and continue to think of themselves as 'common carriers' in some sense -- and continue to disengage on the issue -- then you may eventually forced to address those issues at some point in the not-so-distant future..." He is right, but I have a comment I felt it was important - to me - to make. Not just on this particular vulnerability, but on the "war"... more

Broadband Routers and Botnets: Being Proactive

In this post I'd like to discuss the threat widely circulated insecure broadband routers pose today. We have touched on it before. Today, yet another public report of a vulnerable DSL modem type was posted to bugtraq, this time about a potential WIRELESS flaw with broadband routers being insecure at Deutsche Telekom. I haven't verified this one myself but it refers to "Deutsche Telekom Speedport w700v broadband router"... more

Examining Two Well-Known Attacks on VoIP

VoIP is here to stay. In fact many incumbent telecommunication carriers have started offering VoIP service for sometime and several new VoIP service providers have emerged. Aside from issues such as quality of service, the aspect of security, or lack thereof, is misunderstood by some of the VoIP service providers. This purpose of this article is to discuss two of the most well known attacks that can be carried out in current VoIP deployments. more

ENUM: Mapping the E.164 Number Space into the DNS

Many communications networks are constructed for a single form of communication, and are ill suited to being used for any other form. Although the Internet is also a specialized network in terms of supporting digital communications, its relatively unique flexibility lies in its ability to digitally encode a very diverse set of communications formats, and then support their interaction over the Internet. In this way many communications networks can be mapped into an Internet application and in so doing become just another distributed application overlayed on the Internet. From this admittedly Internet-centric perspective, voice is just another Internet application. And for the growing population of Voice over IP (VoIP) users, this is indeed the case... more

What If They Simply Made Communications Technology Better?

Rob Hyndman has a pointer to Mark Cuban's latest: Think the Internet Will Replace TV? Think Again. Cuban's post can be summarized as: Today's broadband networks are too slow. The insatiable appetite for on-demand rich media content will soon overwhelm them. Telco's aren't putting in upgraded networks quickly enough to meet that demand. Cuban also provides some facts and figures to back up that claim. In the comments, readers have a number of viewpoints, including the view that Mark has ignored cable, and that cable can provide the required speeds and feeds... more

Today’s Carrier Networks as Trollways?

As I keep pointing out -- there is indeed a viable alternative of a real marketplace not a fake one. Today's system is a fake because it depends on capturing the value of the application - communications - in the transport and that is no longer possible because with the Internet the value is created OUTSIDE the network. One example of the collateral damage caused by today's approach is the utter lack of simple wireless connectivity. Another is that we have redundant capital intensive bit paths whose only purpose is to contain bits within billing paths. more

Examining the Reality of Convergence

If there is one word in the telecommunications that has suffered from over-abuse for many years now, it's convergence. The term has been liberally applied to each successive generation of communications technology for their supposed ability to solve a myriad of service delivery problems within a single unifying converged carriage and service delivery solution. Unfortunately, the underlying reality has always been markedly different from these wondrous promises, and we continue to see an industry that deploys a plethora of service delivery platforms and an equally diverse collection of associated switching and service delivery technologies. One can't help but wonder at the collective gullibility of an industry that continues to herald the convergent attributes of each new generation of communications technology, while at the same time being forced to admit that previous convergent promises have never been realized. more

Submarine Cable Resilience Faces Growing Threats From Aging Fleets and Concentrated Ownership

Submarine cables underpin global communications, yet shipping accidents, sabotage risks and aging repair fleets threaten their resilience. Growing private ownership and fragmented international oversight raise difficult questions about infrastructure security, maintenance and accountability. more

Intel Driver Defect Disrupts IPv6 Connections Across Multiple Laptop Brands

An Intel networking software defect disrupts IPv6 connections to cloud services. Researcher testing identifies a corrected release, while affected driver packages remain listed across multiple laptop manufacturers in Microsoft's Update Catalog. more

Candle Submarine Cable Reaches Indonesia on Route Across Six Asian Markets

The 8,000-kilometre Candle submarine cable has landed in Batam, advancing a six-market Asian system designed for 570 Tbps capacity, 24 fiber pairs and geographically diverse routes ahead of commercial service in 2028. more

Amazon Taps Qualcomm for AI Chips and Optical Data Center Networking With $60 Billion Purchase Milestones

Amazon's Qualcomm deal spans custom AI inference chips and optical networking, with equity warrants tied to purchasing milestones reaching $60 billion, potentially expanding competition across the data-center compute and connectivity supply chain. more

G7 Cyber Agencies Urge Immediate Post-Quantum Migration Planning

G7 cybersecurity agencies are pressing governments and organizations to inventory cryptographic dependencies and accelerate post-quantum migration as long transition timelines and future quantum attacks threaten Internet security infrastructure. more

AWS Plans 420 Tbps Subsea Cable Between United States and Japan

AWS plans a 420 Tbps transpacific subsea cable linking Washington state and Japan by 2029, adding a geographically distinct route designed to strengthen cloud connectivity and reduce reliance on concentrated Pacific landing corridors. more

The Effects of AI Expansion on Testing Models and Infrastructure

AI workloads are exposing the limits of traditional network planning and testing, pushing operators toward better traffic visibility, workload-aware policies and production-like testing before adding capacity to infrastructure they may not fully understand. more