Layer 0, 1, 2, 3

At the Layer 0 or photonics layer, we have extensive experience and a wide breadth of technical expertise supporting technologies like DWDM, CWDM, and other wavelength division multiplexing technologies. We realize Layer 0 has rapidly evolved over the past few years, and there are many new solutions on the market within the photonics space. We currently support everything from 10 Gig links over DWDM all the way up to 400+ gigabit. We can handle flex grid technology (CDC as part of the flex grid suite as well as offshoots of CDC), and some Direct Attach configurations as well. We support—or have exposure to—major vendors and OEMs within this space, including Ciena, Adtran, Infinera, and Cisco, as well as BTI Systems and Cyan Systems. We’re also familiar with Alcatel DWDM solutions.

At the physical layer, we support assets including SFPs, SONNET/SDH, etc. Decades of combined experience working with service providers has given us exposure to the intricacies of cable validation and working with field teams to ensure we're conducting effective cable tracing as well as a variety of critical checks when supporting Layer 1 assets (checking for kinks, micro bends, macro band, damaged, dirty fibers, scoping fibers, scoping bulkheads and ports, SFP replacements, QSFP, replacements, and so on).

At Layer 2, we routinely support standard NEF networking operations, as well as VLANs, spanning tree, switching, etc. We have exposure to virtually every major enterprise vendor currently on the market, including Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, and Extreme Networks. Our extensive experience gives us a uniquely valuable troubleshooting perspective—helping service providers ensure common issues are checked first—and handled at the appropriate Tier—prior to escalating to higher Tier support resources. This comes down to ensuring we’re learning and properly documenting MAC addresses on VLANs, that VLAN ports are actively assigned to physical ports on a device, ensuring customers have that connectivity and many other basic competencies that vastly accelerate the speed and quality of support.

Our Layer 3 support for service providers is typically focused in some of the more common routing protocols, such as MPLS, BGP, and OSPF. We draw on a mastery of support basics, such as establishing and confirming basic connectivity, confirming that Layer 3 neighbors are established and logical connectivity is in place, as well as learning proper routes to and from customers or in between backhaul. Our support capabilities span all major layers with a vast amount of experience in each, making us uniquely capable of moving from one to another in troubleshooting and investigation.