Consolidating Network Infrastructure with Edge 8000 Family: The Ideal Solution for Branch Offices

Advantages of Consolidating Network Infrastructure with the Edge 8000 Family

In today’s business environment, where branches and remote offices are becoming an integral part of the corporate structure, effective management of the network infrastructure is critical. Disparate systems, multiple individual devices, and complex administration not only increase operating costs but also reduce network flexibility and resilience. The Edge 8000 Family from Ribbon Communications offers a comprehensive solution for consolidating network infrastructure, combining the functionality of a router, gateway, and SBC (Session Border Controller) in a single platform.

Cost Reduction and Simplified Management

Traditionally, providing reliable communication and security in branch offices requires separate devices for routing traffic, connecting to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and protecting against VoIP threats. The Edge 8000 Family eliminates the need to purchase and maintain multiple devices, significantly reducing capital and operating expenses.

• Reduced equipment costs: Instead of multiple devices, only one is purchased, reducing purchasing and installation costs.
• Lower electricity and cooling costs: Fewer devices consume less energy and generate less heat, reducing electricity and server room cooling costs.
• Simplified management: A unified management platform simplifies configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting, reducing the need for highly skilled personnel.
• Reduced maintenance costs: Fewer devices mean fewer points of failure and, therefore, lower maintenance and repair costs.

Single Point of Management vs. Multiple Utilities

Instead of switching between multiple management interfaces for different devices, IT professionals gain access to all functions through a single platform. This greatly simplifies monitoring, diagnostics, and troubleshooting. An intuitive web interface and automation capabilities allow you to quickly and efficiently respond to any changes in the network.

Increased Fault Tolerance and Reliability

Fault tolerance is a key factor in ensuring business continuity. The Edge 8000 Family offers a range of features that ensure high availability and network reliability.

• Redundancy: Hardware and software-level redundancy support automatic failover to backup equipment in the event of a primary failure.
• Load balancing: Distributing traffic across multiple communication channels avoids congestion and ensures optimal network performance.
• Automatic failover: In the event of a failure of one of the communication channels, traffic is automatically redirected to another channel, ensuring continuous communication.

Ensuring Business Continuity

Thanks to built-in redundancy and automatic failover mechanisms, the Edge 8000 Family minimizes downtime and ensures the continuity of mission-critical business processes. This is especially important for companies operating 24/7 or with high service availability requirements.

Edge 8000 Family Functionality

The Edge 8000 Family is a multifunctional platform that combines routing, gateway, and SBC functions. This integration provides the flexibility and scalability needed for modern network infrastructures.

Routing

The Edge 8000 Family supports a wide range of routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and RIP, allowing it to be integrated into existing networks of any scale.

• Support for static and dynamic routing: Provides flexibility when configuring routes based on network requirements.
• Quality of Service (QoS): Traffic prioritization ensures optimal performance for mission-critical applications such as VoIP and video conferencing.
• VPN: VPN tunnel support provides secure connectivity for remote offices and employees to the corporate network.
• Bandwidth Management: Tools for controlling and managing channel usage, which helps to avoid overloads.

VoIP Gateway

The built-in VoIP Gateway allows you to connect analog phones and faxes to an IP network, providing a smooth transition to modern IP telephony. This is especially relevant for companies that want to preserve their investment in existing analog equipment. A router with SBC provides the best compatibility between devices.

• SIP and H.323 support: Ensures compatibility with a wide range of VoIP equipment.
• Transcoding: Support for various codecs ensures compatibility between different devices and networks.
• Call Features: Support for a wide range of call functions, such as forwarding, hold, and conferencing.

Session Border Controller (SBC)

The built-in SBC provides protection against VoIP threats such as DoS attacks, fraud, and eavesdropping. The SBC also provides protocol normalization and compatibility between different VoIP networks.

• Protection against DoS attacks: Filtering malicious traffic protects the network from overloads and failures.
• Fraud prevention: Detecting and blocking suspicious calls helps prevent fraudulent activity.
• Encryption: Traffic encryption ensures the confidentiality of conversations.
• Protocol normalization: Ensures compatibility between different VoIP networks using different protocols.

Edge 8000 Family Models

The Edge 8000 Family includes several models designed for different scales and requirements of network infrastructure. The two most popular models are the Edge 8100 and Edge 8300.

Edge 8100

Edge 8100 is a compact and cost-effective solution ideal for small branch offices and remote offices. Despite its small size, the Edge 8100 offers a full set of routing, gateway, and SBC features.

• Support for up to 8 analog FXS/FXO ports.
• Two Gigabit Ethernet ports.
• Built-in Wi-Fi (optional).
• VPN support (IPsec, PPTP, L2TP).
• Energy-efficient design.

Edge 8300

Edge 8300 is a more powerful solution designed for medium and large branch offices. The Edge 8300 provides the high performance and scalability needed to support a large number of users and applications.

• Support for up to 24 analog FXS/FXO ports.
• Four Gigabit Ethernet ports.
• PoE (Power over Ethernet) support.
• Two expansion module slots.
• Redundant power supply (optional).

Edge 8100 vs. Edge 8300 Comparison

Feature	Edge 8100	Edge 8300
Number of analog ports	Up to 8	Up to 24
Number of Ethernet ports	2	4
PoE support	No	Yes
Expansion module slots	No	2
Redundant power supply	No	Optional
Target audience	Small branches, remote offices	Medium and large branches

Edge 8000 Family Use Cases

The Edge 8000 Family can be used in a variety of scenarios, depending on the needs of the company.

Connecting Remote Offices

The Edge 8000 Family provides secure and reliable connectivity for remote offices to the corporate network. The built-in VPN client allows you to create an encrypted tunnel between remote offices and the central office, ensuring data confidentiality. Connection to the PSTN allows employees in remote offices to make and receive phone calls over the traditional telephone network.

Infrastructure Unification

The Edge 8000 Family allows you to unify the network infrastructure of branches, replacing multiple individual devices with a single platform. This simplifies network management, reduces costs, and increases fault tolerance.

Hybrid Communication

The Edge 8000 Family allows you to create a hybrid communication system, combining the traditional telephone network and IP telephony. This provides the flexibility and scalability needed for modern business communications. The built-in SIP Gateway ensures compatibility between different VoIP networks.

Conclusion

The Edge 8000 Family is a comprehensive solution for consolidating the network infrastructure of branches and distributed companies. By combining the functions of a router, gateway, and SBC, the Edge 8000 Family reduces costs, simplifies management, and increases network resilience. Thanks to its flexibility and scalability, the Edge 8000 Family can be adapted to any business needs.