Broadband News
News, views and analysis
Entanet's WBC launch encounters some teething problems
23 Jul 2008 | 10.44 Europe/London
The introduction of BT's 21CN network and Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC) has caused unexpected problems for some Entanet customers who have found their connection being migrated over to the new system.
It appears that Entanet have taken the opportunity at some WBC equipped exchanges to move IPStream customers onto the new infrastructure. About 4% of customers experienced problems according to a forum posting by Entanet, although others have suggested the proportion is higher as the faults reporting process was also down at the time. The migrations happened on Friday meaning the problems ran through the weekend without resolution.
It appears that lines have been moved onto the new WBC product rather than just having their IPStream traffic routed over the 21CN using the IP Stream Connect product which BT are developing as a transitional measure. IPStream Connect provides interconnect links between the legacy BRAS nodes and the nearest 21CN node but leaves the end user link unchanged. Further details of 21CN systems are available here.
Some of the problems have arisen from the wiring to the new equipment, or from the MSANs behaving differently with customers' modems. A number of features of the IPStream service control panel have also stopped working on lines moved to WBC. Some customers have been upset by the disruption which was done at the request of their ISP and not themselves.
It appears that Entanet have taken the opportunity at some WBC equipped exchanges to move IPStream customers onto the new infrastructure. About 4% of customers experienced problems according to a forum posting by Entanet, although others have suggested the proportion is higher as the faults reporting process was also down at the time. The migrations happened on Friday meaning the problems ran through the weekend without resolution.
It appears that lines have been moved onto the new WBC product rather than just having their IPStream traffic routed over the 21CN using the IP Stream Connect product which BT are developing as a transitional measure. IPStream Connect provides interconnect links between the legacy BRAS nodes and the nearest 21CN node but leaves the end user link unchanged. Further details of 21CN systems are available here.
Some of the problems have arisen from the wiring to the new equipment, or from the MSANs behaving differently with customers' modems. A number of features of the IPStream service control panel have also stopped working on lines moved to WBC. Some customers have been upset by the disruption which was done at the request of their ISP and not themselves.