WAN Device Aimed at Small Offices

Peribit Networks Inc. late last month launched a low-end option in its line of WAN bandwidth-saving devices and added a centralized configuration and management tool for the devices.

The startup, which applied DNA research techniques to improve expensive WAN bandwidth use in a manner akin to data compression, added a hardware option intended for branch offices.

The Santa Clara, Calif., company also enhanced its MSR (Molecular Sequence Reduction) software and added a CMS (Central Management System) to simplify deployment and management of larger installations of the devices.

"We found up to 90 percent of network traffic is highly repetitive and can be encoded more efficiently. There are very many applications and data types designed for operation across high-speed LANs that are inefficient in WANs," said co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Amit Singh.

One user working with the existing models found that in some cases, the devices were able to reduce WAN overhead by as much as 90 percent, according to Rob Edwards, senior network analyst at Idexx Laboratories Inc., in Westbrook, Maine.

Peribits Sequence Reducer devices sit on a LAN and intercept network traffic destined for the WAN. They perform code translation before sending the packets on their way. Unlike stateless data compression algorithms, the MSR software introduces minimal latency.

Vital stats for the SR-20 One rack unit Two 10/100M-bps Ethernet ports WAN links support up to 2M bps (T-1/E-1) Supports up to five nodes

For enterprises running out of WAN bandwidth or about to introduce new bandwidth-intensive applications into their production networks, the tool promises a quick payback, said Singh. Idexx Labs Edwards said his company expects to see the devices pay for themselves in nine months.

The SR-20 Sequence Reducer device is intended for branch offices and for circuits under 512K bps. The SR-50 and SR-55 Sequence Reducer devices are intended for higher-speed WAN links of up to 45M bps.

The one-rack-unit device supports up to five connections to other locations and can support WAN speeds of up to 2M bps. It is priced starting at $2,900 and will ship next month.

The CMS allows operators to configure or install new upgrades from a central location. The tool, which also provides reporting, can manage up to 500 Sequence Reducers. It starts at $5,000 and is due next month.