REQUEST: Fibre in SA -- Detailed Technical information

MidnightWizard

MidnightWizard

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Hi ,

Busy trying to get some clarity on everything related to fibre in SA.

Does anyone have a link to the full technical detail / specifications for the way fibre is implemented in SA ?

A sort of product spec / white paper describing the whole setup detailing all the OSI layers

I am wondering if as it seems the protocol is PPPoE and one needs to run L2TP in order to use a static IP then this is not much better than ADSL

Why not just rather get a Telkom VPN lite ?

What do corporate / business customers use ?

Diginet seems to be a lot better and simpler technology BUT runs on copper and does not have the bandwidth / throughput potential of fibre
and
Telkom is killing it ?
 
Lots of different implementations, so you're not going to get a spec.
Some are pppoe, some are not.
Why does a static IP make something better than a dynamic IP?
Why pay telkom anything if you don't have to?
 
KenB

Sinbad said:
Lots of different implementations, so you're not going to get a spec.
Some are pppoe, some are not.
Why does a static IP make something better than a dynamic IP?
Why pay telkom anything if you don't have to?
Click to expand...
Well then why not just spell out all the different implementations ( it IS the kind of info I am looking for )
Static IP does not make anything "better" it merely means that you can do stuff.
I imagine if I took out a business account I might get one for free ?

Is there ANYTHING that one does not have to pay for these days ?
 
You are asking the wrong question .....

What makes you think ADSL and Diginet do not run over fibre ---- at some point in the total scheme of things .....

Besides MickeyD already posted a thread providing info on the FTTH technologies being deployed by players in the FTTH space in SA.
 
MidnightWizard said:
Well then why not just spell out all the different implementations ( it IS the kind of info I am looking for )
Static IP does not make anything "better" it merely means that you can do stuff.
I imagine if I took out a business account I might get one for free ?

Is there ANYTHING that one does not have to pay for these days ?
Click to expand...

I don't think you understand Sinbad's answer.

The implementation type depends on the provider.
The ability for you to get fiber depends on the area you're in as well.

Telkom handle fiber pretty much the same as they do DSL. On ISP request they'll give you a static IP (depending on the ISP again).
Other providers handle it differently again. E.g. Frogfoot is rolling out here, they're rolling out a GPON network, you pick an ISP and they handle line/data etc. for you.


Your argument for static versus dynamic depends on usage. For business accounts you'd rather want static so you can VPN more easily to the work network. Again, discuss with the provider.

daniellgr said:
You are asking the wrong question .....

What makes you think ADSL and Diginet do not run over fibre ---- at some point in the total scheme of things .....

Besides MickeyD already posted a thread providing info on the FTTH technologies being deployed by players in the FTTH space in SA.
Click to expand...

Link please.
 
Vumatel = active ethernet, ISPs get their own vlan per area, DHCP allocated addresses bound to router mac address (so, essentially static, but not guaranteed not to change). No authentication or encapsulation, it's ethernet all the way.
 
daniellgr said:
You are asking the wrong question .....
Click to expand...
No such thing ( only wrong answers )
daniellgr said:
What makes you think ADSL and Diginet do not run over fibre ---- at some point in the total scheme of things .....
Click to expand...
They may well do
I am looking at end-user equipment ( as one part of the bigger story )
Diginet is normally serial and one uses an X21 serial cable to connect to the NTU
From what I can see fibre end-user equipment uses a fibre "modem" and connected to a WAN router

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/broad...ested-this-is-how-the-internet-should-be.html

daniellgr said:
Besides MickeyD already posted a thread providing info on the FTTH technologies being deployed by players in the FTTH space in SA.
Click to expand...
I did do a prior look but missed his post
Could you please provide a link to it ....
 
Knowledge

Johnatan56 said:
I don't think you understand Sinbad's answer.

The implementation type depends on the provider.
The ability for you to get fiber depends on the area you're in as well.

Again, discuss with the provider.
Click to expand...
I do not think you understand what it is I am looking for
Fibre as implemented with reference to the OSI model
I am trying to educate myself so need all the proper technical detail ( as if I was a provider )
I only want to "discuss" when I have the knowledge I need.
 
MidnightWizard said:
I do not think you understand what it is I am looking for
Fibre as implemented with reference to the OSI model
I am trying to educate myself so need all the proper technical detail ( as if I was a provider )
I only want to "discuss" when I have the knowledge I need.
Click to expand...

Again, depends on whom you go with.

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/OSI_Layers.asp

Physical (Layer 1)
OSI Model, Layer 1 conveys the bit stream - electrical impulse, light or radio signal — through the network at the electrical and mechanical level. It provides the hardware means of sending and receiving data on a carrier, including defining cables, cards and physical aspects. Fast Ethernet, RS232, and ATM are protocols with physical layer components.
Webopedia Study Guide Section Layer 1 Physical examples include Ethernet, FDDI, B8ZS, V.35, V.24, RJ45.
Data Link (Layer 2)
At OSI Model, Layer 2, data packets are encoded and decoded into bits. It furnishes transmission protocol knowledge and management and handles errors in the physical layer, flow control and frame synchronization. The data link layer is divided into two sub layers: The Media Access Control (MAC) layer and the Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. The MAC sub layer controls how a computer on the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it. The LLC layer controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking.
Webopedia Study Guide Section Layer 2 Data Link examples include PPP, FDDI, ATM, IEEE 802.5/ 802.2, IEEE 802.3/802.2, HDLC, Frame Relay.
Network (Layer 3)
Layer 3 provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.
Webopedia Study Guide Section Layer 3 Network examples include AppleTalk DDP, IP, IPX.
Transport (Layer 4)
OSI Model, Layer 4, provides transparent transfer of data between end systems, or hosts, and is responsible for end-to-end error recovery and flow control. It ensures complete data transfer.
Webopedia Study Guide Section Layer 4 Transport examples include SPX, TCP, UDP.
Click to expand...

So Telkom fiber:
Openserve manges: 1,2, and last mile 3.
ISP manages: 3+.

Most of them will work like that with differentiation on layer 3. Some that allow the ISP to manage the MAC address (allow it to connect on the network, like Vumatel) directly will be layer 2.
Sinbad/daniel can/will probably correct me, they are a lot more knowledgeable.
 
MidnightWizard said:
I do not think you understand what it is I am looking for
Fibre as implemented with reference to the OSI model
I am trying to educate myself so need all the proper technical detail ( as if I was a provider )
I only want to "discuss" when I have the knowledge I need.
Click to expand...

And the answer will always start with :

"Which provider are you interested in knowing about"...

They will all do things slightly differently depending on whether they have rolled out there own infrastructure or are piggybacking off someone elses or just reselling.
 
I have not found the thread that MickeyD started where he described the various FTTH technologies yet.

However, there is this thread also started by MickeyD, which is a sticky under the fibre sub forum. In that thread there are links to quite a few sites dealing with FTTH technologies.

Later on in that thread, there is a link to a fairly good description of the various FTTH technologies Link to that site is here

I have a diagram, which I will try and convert for publishing on the forum out of a satellite handbook (yes, like it or not, the basics of digitising and modulating optical wavelengths was derived and based on technologies developed for GSO satellite systems), that describes the relationship between the OSI stack, the TCP/IP or layer stack, and the technologies an protocols applicable to each, the best.

At the moment,

The following technologies are being used by SA Providers.

Metro Ethernet
AON
GPON.
 
Last edited:
koeksGHT said:
I fail to understand the purpose of this thread, you want network info? For what reason? PM me if you want some info.
Click to expand...
Some of us we schooled in the way of TIs (Technical Instructions), which was an excellent way to accumulate knowledge on a very detailed level. Being out of "the game" we no longer have access to them... and it makes satisfying your curiosity so much more difficult! :D
 
MickeyD said:
Some of us we schooled in the way of TIs (Technical Instructions), which was an excellent way to accumulate knowledge on a very detailed level. Being out of "the game" we no longer have access to them... and it makes satisfying your curiosity so much more difficult! :D
Click to expand...
Well it seems most providers have their own way of doing things. Active/passive etc so there is no standard really
 
koeksGHT said:
Well it seems most providers have their own way of doing things. Active/passive etc so there is no standard really
Click to expand...
The TIs would cover cover active and passive.

And there are most definitely standards! Whether all providers adhere to them is a different issue.
 
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