Virtual Private LAN Services: Extending Ethernet Over the WAN

The market for data networking services is constantly evolving. Demand for bandwidth grows exponentially as end users continue to look for more sophisticated features and services. In midst of this constant change, Ethernet has persevered and grown for several decades. Since the 1980s, Ethernet has evolved from a Local Area Network (LAN) protocol running at 10 Mbps over a shared coaxial cable to a ubiquitous networking technology running at speeds up to 10 Gbps over all manner of copper wire and optical fiber in networks extending worldwide. The continued acceptance and familiarity of Ethernet has led service providers to offer a variety of carrier Ethernet services to extend these networks beyond the LAN and into regional, national, and now international Wide Area Network (WAN) connections.