5G vs Wi-Fi 6

Network Infrastructure, Network Management

Article | July 27, 2023

The second quarter of 2020 was the strongest second quarter the data center market has ever recorded. Server shipments in what is seasonally a weak period exceeded 3.4 million units. Despite this record baseline, first data points on 2Q21 indicate server shipments exceeded 3.4 million units yet again. Demand for data center compute continues to be strong and we believe 2Q21 would have been even stronger had it not been for semiconductor supply shortages. We saw strong indication that shortages in CPU substrate materials and other components impacted server supply in 2Q21. This seems to have impacted Intel in particular with AMD gaining share in the quarter. AMD set their own record, for the first time crossing the 15% server market share threshold. It looks like demand from hyperscale cloud service providers, and Google in particular, has been a big contributing factor for AMD’s strong performance. The historic best AMD performance in the data center server market was in 2006 when 14% of the servers shipped were configured with an AMD CPU. 2Q21 indeed proves that the EPYC roadmap is highly competitive. In 2Q21, servers with arm-based CPUs again made up a

Network Management, Network Security

Article | July 17, 2023

Applications and workloads have been moving to the cloud for some time. This transition has been putting a lot of pressure on IT organizations to support the trend by extending their networks to support cloud connectivity. Cisco SD-WAN enables your hybrid connectivity to the cloud We at Cisco have innovated on multiple fronts to help our customers with this transition by providing a deep level of integration with many of the leading cloud service providers (CSPs), including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Here, we highlight one key aspect of this innovation that allows private cloud links to be available as part of the SD-WAN network, enabling hybrid connectivity to the cloud and multicloud. Now our customers can benefit from all the rich features that our Cisco SD-WAN solution offers including application-aware routing, intent-based path selection, and security policy enforcement. Private direct cloud connectivity to CSPs such as AWS Direct Cloud Connect, Google Cloud Interconnect, and Azure ExpressRoute are becoming popular lately, as they provide customers with optimal connectivity similar to what MPLS did in the past, but in a more agile and on-demand fashion. The only problem is those services are normally acquired separately and customers must determine how to manage them as part of a larger WAN solution including configuration, monitoring, and so on. The on-demand nature of these circuits provides customers with major savings, but also turns automation into a key requirement for management. Enter Cisco SD-WAN release 20.6 Beginning with Cisco SD-WAN release 20.6, a Cisco SD-WAN customer may use Cloud OnRamp for Mutlicloud to automate and simplify cloud connectivity across private and public transports. What is great is this task, that used to require hours and days to setup, now only takes minutes as outlined by the following integration documents for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud respectively: Configure AWS Direct Connect as a Transport with SD-WAN in a Click Configure Azure Express Route as Transport with SD-WAN in a Click Configure Google Cloud Interconnect as a Transport with Cisco SD-WAN in a Click Once a customer implements such connectivity, they will have the ability to steer any type of traffic through it with a customizable and flexible SD-WAN policy. This solution also allows customers to eliminate some limitations imposed on them by the CSPs, such as restricting the number of prefixes advertised via BGP over private links, thus providing better scalability and control. For customers who already use Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect at middle-mile POPs, such as with Equinix or Megaport, rolling out this solution as a test can be extremely simple given the automation discussed above. The best way to find out how easy this solution is, is to try it.

Data Center Networking

Article | July 5, 2023

Advancements inconnectivity have fueled the rapid progress in digitalization. From 1G in the 1980s to 4G in the last decade, wireless connectivity has constantly contributed to the transformation of businesses and the global economy. Today's 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies provide exciting features that are critical to increasing corporate productivity and improving people's digital experiences. When we refer to the 5G and Wi-Fi 6 revolutions, we're not talking about undisturbed movie streaming or faster downloads; we're talking about making sci-fi movie fiction a reality. Things you used to only see in movies, like robots doing chores, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, virtual reality gaming experiences, remote surgeries, telemedicine, automated assembly line production, augmented reality marketing strategies, and the way you shop, travel, work, and get medical consultations, will undergo a transformation beyond imagination, and 5G will make it happen. 5G VS Wi-Fi 6 5G and Wi-Fi 6 Carving the Future of Businesses Together When it comes to addressing particular needs, both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 are competitive depending on the industry vertical business environment, operation, devices, and applications. While Wi-Fi will be the dominant technology for indoor operations, as well as non-critical applications and the usage of unlicensed spectrum, 5G cellular networks will be used for outdoor coverage, mission-critical applications, highly guarded settings, and the anticipation of various QoS features. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, the priorities of companies were 5G and Wi-Fi 6, the importance of which isonly anticipated to grow in the future years. Adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G is regarded as a strategic requirement, leading businesses into a new era of wireless connectivity. With the convergence of Wi-Fi and 5G, organizations can do business everywhere while being highly productive and providing the greatest user experience. Businesses will attain the following primary goals by transitioning to this enhanced wireless 5G technology: increased effectiveness enhanced security Taking advantage of the benefits of these two forces, such as big data analytics, AI, and edge computing. The overall objective of leveraging this deadly mix is to unlock the possibilities of other emerging technologies such as IoT, cloud, Edge computing, big data analytics, VR, AR, robots, and others. Together, 5G and Wi-Fi 6 operate as a revolutionary multiplier. Closing Note 5G and Wi-Fi 6 are two separate technologies that can work in tandem. They share the following characteristics: low latency, faster data rates, increased capacity, and excellent performance. Even though 5G and Wi-Fi 6 complement each other's capabilities, the environment, sensitivity of the application, and business use cases will determine which is the best match. A holistic approach of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G is the optimum method for developing a smart city that is entirely networked or offering powerful Internet connectivity for families and businesses. Both technologies are critical in today's world, and every breakthrough in connection, whether it's 5G or Wi-Fi 6, contributes to our society's overall growth and innovation.

Article | May 7, 2021

Antennas are fundamental to the performance of connected devices, but are often implemented as an afterthought, resulting not only in sub-optimal performance, but also in less-than-ideal form factor. It can also have a negative impact on cost for the device as a whole. It is therefore essential that organisations prioritise antenna design as part of a holistic device design philosophy – bear in mind that it is practically impossible to fix bad antenna design. Early decisions need to be made regarding the relative merits of embedded or external devices and then attention can turn to optimising antenna integration.