UNH-IOL at the forefront of evolving Ethernet technologies

DURHAM, USA: The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance services for the networking industry, is continuing to expand the capabilities of its 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet testing services. Members of the UNH-IOL’s 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet Consortium now have devices available that are ready for testing, and the enhancements to the testing services will allow members to prepare their products for market in advance of widespread industry adoption.

IEEE Std 802.3baTM-2010, ratified in June 2010, was created to address business and consumer demands for increased bandwidth by granting access to unprecedented Ethernet speeds. In addition, the standard is backward compatible, enabling devices that implement the 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet standard to be installed in an existing network, avoiding the costs associated with upgrading network components.

With devices now ready to test, UNH-IOL member companies are leading the advancement of 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet technology, and the lab, as the de facto standard for Ethernet testing, is helping companies prepare their products for the continuing demands for speed and accessibility on the network.

The UNH-IOL 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet Consortium decreases research and development and quality assurance expenses and reduces product time to market for test system, network system, development system, transceiver and active and passive cable vendors.

Since the consortium’s launch in September 2010, the UNH-IOL has increased the number of devices in its comprehensive test bed and all test suites have been made available on-line. By granting on-line access to the test suites, the UNH-IOL allows companies to prepare their products in advance of on-site testing at the lab. The on-line access also gives companies an opportunity to provide the lab with input into the testing procedures.

To date, testing services in the consortium have focused on the MAC and Flow Control layers, and the lab is currently developing a custom test tool for the lower layers as well. Upon introduction of the test tool, which is anticipated by the end of the third quarter of 2011, the UNH-IOL will be the only independent laboratory to offer lower layer testing.

“Like all new technologies, repeated multi-vendor testing is imperative to speeding the development of 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet devices, as well as driving industry acceptance of the technology,” said Jeff Lapak, senior engineer for the UNH-IOL. “Our members are leading the market with these devices, and rely on the lab’s experience in offering reliable interoperability testing results that can get working products to the market quickly.”