Quick Eagle launches WAN access box with service-level verification pack

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. - Business customers looking for a way to track carriers service-level agreements could try a new hardware platform and software from Quick Eagle that monitors performance of T-1 links.

The company says its new 4230 Access Platform can save customers money by combining the functions of individual devices that sit between corporate sites and service provider networks. With the appropriate software, it can function as a router, multiplexer, inverse multiplexer, DSU/CSU and monitoring probe.

The device comes configured as an enterprise WAN router and multiplexer with a single T-1 port, but it also contains software that can be activated to turn on a second T-1 port. The software then lets these ports run as independent 1.5M bit/sec connections or be bonded into a single logical 3M bit/sec pipe. The individual T-1 ports can be adjusted to support fractional T-1 services.

The device can be configured so each T-1 is connected to a separate service, such as two different ISPs. Or both T-1s can be connected to the same provider as independent T-1s. The two links also can be bonded together using the multilink point to point protocol.

The 4230 offers the same number of ports as a Cisco 1720 router, but the Cisco box is modular, so supports more WAN interfaces such as DSL, ISDN and Ethernet in addition to T-1. The Cisco box also supports priority queuing. The Cisco 1720 costs more, at about $2,200 vs. about $1,700 for Quick Eagle's 4230.

The Quick Eagle device supports Java-based management and monitoring software called ChoiceView that runs on any network-attached PC. It can verify and track a variety of parameters that can be used to help customers determine whether or not service providers are living up to SLAs for either frame relay or IP services. The device supports the standard Frame Relay Forum set of parameters to measure the quality of frame relay services.

ChoiceView can track the top users of a link, status of the link and how much of it is being used. This information can be used to plan for future bandwidth needs.

ChoiceView software can also be used to configure 4230 access platforms from the PC running the software.

One drawback is that the software doesn't let users prioritize traffic. Quick Eagle has such traffic-shaping on its drawing board, but there is no set time for when that capability will be ready, says Alan Rice, Quick Eagle's vice president of marketing.

Access Platform is available now. Upgrading it to turn on the second T-1 port costs $700 extra.