Virtual Network

Connect to ports anywhere on the NL-ix fabric on MPLS

Virtual Network gives you a low-latency, high-bandwidth Ethernet network with the resilience of MPLS (automatic rerouting). Your network can run on multiple backbone paths with fast re-routes and uses a single multi-point VLAN with fully-meshed topology. A Virtual Network is easy to set up and expand and is very cost-efficient compared to a private line network. You can manage it through a single contact and will receive a single invoice.

The difference between a Virtual Leased Line and Virtual Network is that a Virtual Network connects multiple ports on a single VLAN. This allows easy communication between all ports on the VLAN. The ports are interconnected in a cloud topology.

Metro Ethernet supports standard size ethernet packets with 1500 bytes ethernet packet payload, (and 14 bytes ethernet header plus 4 byte ethernet CRC trailer) which means that dot1.q trunking, Q-in-Q, jumbo frames and MPLS are not supported.

Technical features

  • One Mac per VLAN/port;
  • Metro-Ethernet requires customers to connect only one single MAC address per port, which is enforced using port security.
  • Any distance: NL-ix hides the distance between endpoints and repeats the signal along the way if needed.

Key Features

  • Pan-European PoPs NL-ix operates a purpose-built, resilient, pan-European Layer 2 Ethernet fabric, which interconnects around 100 datacenters in the most important European metropolitan markets. Virtual Network customers can order and connect to ports at any point on this fabric

  • Stability, latency & transparency Stability and latency are central to the NL-ix offering. We exercise complete control over the design, specification and management of our interconnection fabric. We constantly monitor latency times over key routes. This data feeds directly into our NOC to accelerate response times and is also published in real time on our website

  • End-to-End management NL-ix builds, manages and monitors the end-to-end connection for you, offering availability guarantees, and 24/7/365 NOC monitoring and support

  • Flexible capacity You can burst up to your maximum port speed without overbooking on pre-reserved capacity

Use Case:

Virtual presence in major DC’s all over Europe

If you want to provide your services in locations you do not have a presence yet, you know extending your network, can be a costly affair. But if you want to grow your business, one of the things you need to do is to grow your coverage, extend your reach.

The distributed, resilient, stable and low-latency nature of the NL-ix platform is extremely well suited to distribute applications and services and gives you an immediate virtual presence and services provisioning capability in all major European datacenters. For a fraction of the costs it will take you to do it yourself.

The Virtual Leased Line (VLL) and Virtual Network (VPLS) services (or a combination of these) are well suited to provide you with these capabilities. Our specialist can assist you making the right choice for you situation.

  1. Transport technologies explained

    VLAN, Ethernet, Wave, DWDM... Getting a bit confused?

    Read more about the different Transport Technologies

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