Guiding Principles for Network Operation

by @troutman
~
Bandwidth needs will always grow
(Internet traffic 29% CAGR over last 4 years)

2015 FCC Definition of “broadband Internet” is 25Mbit down, 3Mbit up.
In 2021 it should be 100Mbit symmetric minimum.

Fiber optic cable to the premises is the only viable long term solution.

Wave division multiplexing is your friend.

Almost all of the costs to service a customer are in the first Bit delivered.

Bits cost almost nothing and it is not worth the overhead to meter or cap them.

Automation of common operations is not optional.

Latency matters.

If it does not support IPv6, we don’t want it.

If it does not have 10GigE ports, we don’t want it.

Use of 1 GigE links for backbone or servers is deprecated.

If it needs more than 2x10GigE, look to 100GigE.

Your network will be DDoSed. Plan accordingly.

Redundancy in all things.

Single points of failure are to be eliminated.

This is the Way.