Want to have both a T-1 and a DSL line? Want to use both DSL and cable or two lines of each? This new box, announced today, can do it all, with a recipe that includes a secret algorithm and a truffle.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Managing Editor [February 12, 2008]

San Diego, Calif.-based Mushroom Networks was founded in 2004 and its first and flagship product is called the TRUFFLE BBNA 6401, released today. "BBNA" stands for "broadband network aggregator" which is what the box does. With four LAN ports and six WAN ports, it allows a small business or MDU to bond multiple pipes from the same or different sources to achieve greater bandwidth.

We're talking to co-founder and CEO Dr. H. Cahit Akin. Why aggregation? Did any personal experience lead you to this problem? "At my previous company, the office had a T-1, half of which was consumed by voice traffic. At home, I had a DSL line that was four times faster than what I was getting at the office and this really bothered me. I saw an opportunity."

So, with a team of engineers, he founded Mushroom Networks and built a proprietary algorithm to aggregate traffic to and from all six WAN ports. The result, he claims, is that if you use all six WAN ports (for example, by connecting six 6 Mbps DSL connections to them) you will get all of or close to the full throughput (6 x 6 Mbps = 36 Mbps).

Also built in: a stateful firewall (that some users turn off if they prefer what they already have) and bi-directional load balancing. "These are features that you'd find in a high level enterprise router," notes Akin.

The unit is constantly checking that all WAN lines are up, and when one fails, it takes only seconds to disconnect or reconnect.

What it's for
Residential asymmetric connections are cheap; business class symmetrical connections are expensive. In its white paper, Mushroom Networks lists five possible case uses:

• Add a DSL line to a T-1
• Add a second DSL line to one business DSL line
• Upgrade from one DSL line to six DSL lines for "virtual fiber" speeds
• Use the backup connection during regular business operations
• Provide both the new connection and the old connection while switching carriers or lines

The most common scenario in early use testing, Akin says, is adding a high download DSL line or cable line to a T-1 line.

For ISPs, he says, the Mushroom solution is the easiest on the market. "Current approaches require a unit on the customer side and something in the core network, which is costly for ISPs and commits them to a particular solution. If you bond two T-1 lines, for example, you have to change the line card," he says.

The future
Later this year, the company will introduce a software add on module to improve the handling of voice traffic. This is tricky, Akin notes, because the end user has no control over VoIP, but the load balancer can make room for incoming VoIP traffic when it is detected. "Regular QoS for VoIP traffic is already built in," he notes.

Pricing and availability
The TRUFFLE BBNA 6401 is available today at a list price of $2,995. It comes with six months' hardware warranty and support. Additional warranty and support can be purchased in 12 month and 24 month increments.

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