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The MGW 2400 allows three types of users: guests, administrators and a supervisor. Guests can view channel parameters and user profiles. Administrators can create, edit and delete channels as well as start and stop them. A supervisor determines those rights plus he or she can create, edit and delete users. Only a supervisor can restart the MGW 2400 without power-cycling the device.
I tested the MGW 2400 by connecting it to a Windows 2000 PC over an RS-232 serial cable. Using HyperTerminal, I logged in with the default user name and password and was presented with a menu-driven interface that asked for host name, network settings and user authentication. I could also invoke FTP to send software upgrades and configure shared access to media clips using a preformatted external SCSI disk. Once the network is set up, the same command menu is available via telnet but not SSH.
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Good
Multiple multicast and unicast targets per channel (6)
Dynamic bit-rate adjustment Real-time uploading to a Windows Media Server External SCSI disk support Bad
Multiple network interfaces require separate network configuration
No load-balancing on multiple NICs 10-user limit for unicast channels No native scheduling options |
The unit comes with two 10/100-Mbps NICs--one for streaming services, one for management. The NICs must be assigned to different networks; if they're assigned to the same network, the host name of the device will be associated with both NICs, and the device will be unreachable.
I set up streaming services on one network interface and dedicated the other for management using MGW 2400's management console, the Element Management System (EMS). The EMS runs on a separate PC and requires a Pentium III with Windows NT 4 or Windows 2000 Pro and 128 MB of RAM. The only information required is the IP address of the MGW 2400; however, if you don't input the device's IP address, the EMS will search the local subnet for devices to manage.
The EMS console provides a display of the installed MGE-400 or MGE-400D modules. I connected a Marantz DVD player (DV4100) to the MGW 2400 using a stereo minijack audio cable and a video BNC cable. The display showed that the MGE-400D was connected to the DVD player and automatically detected the Composite video source.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
