Ultra-High Performance IP Core Router

Foundry Networks's newest iron delivers up to 256 Gbps of switching capacity / 90 million packets per second throughput.

by Wayne Kawamoto [February 1, 2000]

Foundry Networks announced its NetIron400 and NetIron800 Internet core routers. Delivering up to 256 Gbps of switching capacity, the NetIron800 8-slot (NI800) and NetIron400 4-slot (NI400) modular chassis will, according to the company, alleviate performance bottlenecks with wire-speed IP routing, and reliably deliver up to 90 million packets per second (Mpps) under the heaviest of Internet traffic loads. The NetIron 400/800 was designed to satisfy the exploding bandwidth requirements of growth-oriented Internet Service Providers and Web hosting firms.

The NetIron400 and NetIron800 provide support ranging from 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet to OC-48c/STM-16 with scalability to OC-192c/STM-64 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. All-fiber WAN switch modules provide Short (2 Km), Medium (15-20 Km) and Long (20-70 Km) reach distances, which enables an ISP to design a networking topology that's applicable to its current and future needs. Also, Foundry Networks offers a cost efficient way to incrementally add Gigabit Ethernet to the Internet core by adding a GBIC into the management module.

"Foundry was the first to ship high performance, low-cost Layer 3 Gigabit Ethernet switching routers for the LAN and has expanded into the Layer 4-7 Internet Traffic Management systems market to build a complete high availability E-commerce solution," says Bobby Johnson, President and CEO of Foundry Networks. "With the introduction of NetIron 400/800, Foundry is leveraging its Internet edge routing expertise to deliver higher performing core platforms and is well positioned as the end-to-end switching solutions provider for the LAN, MAN and WAN."

Pricing and availability
The NetIron 400/800 Internet router will be available in late March directly from Foundry Networks. The list price for the 4-slot NetIron400 will start at $27,995, and pricing for the 8-slot NetIron800 will start at $33,995. Both include the new Redundant Management IV module with four unpopulated GBICs, dual PCMCIA slot type II cards, and the choice of either AC or DC power supply options.

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