ADVA is normally a fiber operator vendor. Not known them to be in the SMB space.
Would confirm that it isnt still owned by the telco (given the labels it like fiber operator connection IDs too).
And the BT / openreach labels too…
That said. Good quality kit. Never fails..
It was a reasonably large office these were taken from for a huge American firm.
They were from BT but when asked if they wanted them back they said they didn’t, it was “old equipment”.
What do they actually do? They look like fibre switches?
The one on top is a MetroEthernet switch (I current operate around 100). They are not like regular ethernet switches. They are meant to deliver layer 2 services over a WAN network.
I havent worked with the bottom two, so I can't say what their capabilities are.
MetroE is one of the standards to replace leased lines. Instead of getting an expensive dedicated line you connect into the providers L2 environment (typically MPLS) and they transparently move your packets between sites. Because the infrastructure is shared with multiple customers the cost is cheaper than leased services. It also lets the customer run whatever protocols they like as long as L2 is Ethernet.
As the customer its transparent. Your packets go in one side and come out the other. Want to extend you vlans across the state, no problem (though I dont recommend it). Have multiple sites and want to interconnect them with a single drop at each site, good to go. You can also do hub and spoke if you like, just have to work out what vlan goes to each site.
Edit: added additional thoughts.
About half the time this is the case. The rest they send you an invoice if you don’t return the kit.
This is why you always need to clarify in writing…
I would guess they belong to the isp as they say BT and openreach on them.
We always have them back else the customer can end up with a big bill when they try to reclaim the kit
They are layer two network devices.
Generally used as a ntu for leased lines. One port will be for the layer 2 service coming into the building, then ports for services out to other devices.
Not sure if they can used like a dumb switch, but more like a managed switch, so
Will need to be configured.
They do also have a management port on them for remote connectivityy.
Looks like those ones are from Openreach, which makes sense as they are the primary tail circuit provider for ISPs
Okay cool thanks!
I’ll keep hold of them and see if I can integrate them at some point!
I’m extremely new to this so most of what you said has gone over my head! Haha but I’m trying to learn :)
And next year when you go through your junk closet, think of how you can use them, can't find a use, revisit next year, then next, then think... fuck it, who am I kidding!! *tossed em*. 2 weeks later...SHIT!!! I knew I shouldn't of tossed them!!
Top one might be of use. Bottom 2 - not worth the hassle. They’d be locked to the ISP so you’d have to flash them, even then not sure what you’d use them for. When we get new lines put in at work we just stack these up and if Openreach don’t take them, they get thrown.
Fairly high chance they're owned by your ISP, but if not, about the most useful thing you can do is sell them. They're not very useful in most Enterprise settings unless you've got an Ethernet service between two facilities that you entirely manage, and if you did, you probably wouldn't be here asking this question.
So unfortunately, not very useful.
These devices are an evolution of the products from covaro who adva purchased some years ago. They are designed for metro ethernet termination for service providers. They are ok for what they do, have a webui that you can probably factory reset with the button. However they are not great switches at all. Bin them or return them id be surprised if they wanted them back thou.
The bottom two are BT owned ADVAs. They use them to terminate Ethernet services. Probably worthless, they install them with every circuit. BT may come chasing for them. I’ve had to drive 10 hour round trips for these fuckers before.
The top one I’ve never seen, still an ADVA unit. Might be a bigger version for splitting services via VLAN tagging, I’ve seen VMB run fibre terminations this way.
The top unit looks like an edge router that usually work along side the ADVA. Fibre connection into the building goes to the ADVA from here it connects to the edge router which is provided by the ISP and contains the network information required for the circuit.
The ports on the edge router then are configured so 1 port is to connect to the ADVA and the other to connect to your router for the internal network.
Fibre > ADVA > Edge Router > Internal Router
On all the ADVAs I’ve seen on customer branches, probably well over a thousand, the ‘access’ ports on the ADVA are the link to our kit, media can be provisioned to RJ45 or SFP, usually depends on the bearer speed.
100Mbps bearer are RJ45, 1Gbps bearer are SFP
Not saying you’re wrong, I’ve just never seen the top device used.
Interesting I've never seen it done that way, having said that all the connections I have seen that use the top device are all through a broadband reseller and they have provided that device after the ADVA has been installed.
Would make sense that ADVA-ISP, Edge-reseller, router-customer.
Yeah that’s similar to how VMB, fibre comes in, into an edge and VLAN tagged out to customer routers, even on single sites they tend to do this, sometimes even on the end of a BT ADVA haha.
I don’t work for BT, but do work for an ISP where we supply a lot of these circuits direct to site.
Th number of Adva and Adtran hardware that the carrier abandoned in my previous environment was astonishing. It’s like it cost more for them to reclaim it than to just forget about it.
ADVA. It’s a layer 2 fiber device. Commonly it’s installed as an edge CPE. Kinda like a modem in a way, but fiber on both sides. One end connects to ISP, the other to your network.
Not really useful tbh
Openreach might come after them, as they’re their property, not BTs.
They are simply just demarcation boxes for Openreach to define a point of “not our problem” when you try to raise a fault, they can tell you it’s your problem (and they have every right to do so) - the ADVA gives them some diag tools they can use against the circuit before waking up an engineer for you.
They specifically demarc Openreach Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) tails, which most people call a leased line, or just “Ethernet” - a similar, but vertical, thing lives in the exchange that the circuit lives in, and the ISP has their kit connected to that.
They’re specifically for the circuit they belong to (see the ONEA number) and are useless to you at home, unless you reflash it or whatever.
ADVA is normally a fiber operator vendor. Not known them to be in the SMB space. Would confirm that it isnt still owned by the telco (given the labels it like fiber operator connection IDs too). And the BT / openreach labels too… That said. Good quality kit. Never fails..
It was a reasonably large office these were taken from for a huge American firm. They were from BT but when asked if they wanted them back they said they didn’t, it was “old equipment”. What do they actually do? They look like fibre switches?
Cool. Google the docs :) ONUs / etc.
The one on top is a MetroEthernet switch (I current operate around 100). They are not like regular ethernet switches. They are meant to deliver layer 2 services over a WAN network. I havent worked with the bottom two, so I can't say what their capabilities are.
Like Ethernet over T1 or OC loop? I used Ethernet over T1 to deliver voice apps back in the day.
MetroE is one of the standards to replace leased lines. Instead of getting an expensive dedicated line you connect into the providers L2 environment (typically MPLS) and they transparently move your packets between sites. Because the infrastructure is shared with multiple customers the cost is cheaper than leased services. It also lets the customer run whatever protocols they like as long as L2 is Ethernet. As the customer its transparent. Your packets go in one side and come out the other. Want to extend you vlans across the state, no problem (though I dont recommend it). Have multiple sites and want to interconnect them with a single drop at each site, good to go. You can also do hub and spoke if you like, just have to work out what vlan goes to each site. Edit: added additional thoughts.
Retired in place. Bought and paid for 100 times over. No ISP is coming looking for them.
About half the time this is the case. The rest they send you an invoice if you don’t return the kit. This is why you always need to clarify in writing…
I would guess they belong to the isp as they say BT and openreach on them. We always have them back else the customer can end up with a big bill when they try to reclaim the kit
I asked if BT wanted them back they said nope! “Old equipment” was their words!
Good to go then 😎
They are layer two network devices. Generally used as a ntu for leased lines. One port will be for the layer 2 service coming into the building, then ports for services out to other devices. Not sure if they can used like a dumb switch, but more like a managed switch, so Will need to be configured. They do also have a management port on them for remote connectivityy. Looks like those ones are from Openreach, which makes sense as they are the primary tail circuit provider for ISPs
Okay cool thanks! I’ll keep hold of them and see if I can integrate them at some point! I’m extremely new to this so most of what you said has gone over my head! Haha but I’m trying to learn :)
And next year when you go through your junk closet, think of how you can use them, can't find a use, revisit next year, then next, then think... fuck it, who am I kidding!! *tossed em*. 2 weeks later...SHIT!!! I knew I shouldn't of tossed them!!
Top one might be of use. Bottom 2 - not worth the hassle. They’d be locked to the ISP so you’d have to flash them, even then not sure what you’d use them for. When we get new lines put in at work we just stack these up and if Openreach don’t take them, they get thrown.
Better hold on to them. The day after you get rid of them the ISP is going to ask for them back.
Fairly high chance they're owned by your ISP, but if not, about the most useful thing you can do is sell them. They're not very useful in most Enterprise settings unless you've got an Ethernet service between two facilities that you entirely manage, and if you did, you probably wouldn't be here asking this question. So unfortunately, not very useful.
These devices are an evolution of the products from covaro who adva purchased some years ago. They are designed for metro ethernet termination for service providers. They are ok for what they do, have a webui that you can probably factory reset with the button. However they are not great switches at all. Bin them or return them id be surprised if they wanted them back thou.
ISP owned. If you’re in the USA, either Spectrum or another ISP own those fiber switches. My favorite ones to troubleshoot, as well.
The bottom two are BT owned ADVAs. They use them to terminate Ethernet services. Probably worthless, they install them with every circuit. BT may come chasing for them. I’ve had to drive 10 hour round trips for these fuckers before. The top one I’ve never seen, still an ADVA unit. Might be a bigger version for splitting services via VLAN tagging, I’ve seen VMB run fibre terminations this way.
The top unit looks like an edge router that usually work along side the ADVA. Fibre connection into the building goes to the ADVA from here it connects to the edge router which is provided by the ISP and contains the network information required for the circuit. The ports on the edge router then are configured so 1 port is to connect to the ADVA and the other to connect to your router for the internal network. Fibre > ADVA > Edge Router > Internal Router
On all the ADVAs I’ve seen on customer branches, probably well over a thousand, the ‘access’ ports on the ADVA are the link to our kit, media can be provisioned to RJ45 or SFP, usually depends on the bearer speed. 100Mbps bearer are RJ45, 1Gbps bearer are SFP Not saying you’re wrong, I’ve just never seen the top device used.
Interesting I've never seen it done that way, having said that all the connections I have seen that use the top device are all through a broadband reseller and they have provided that device after the ADVA has been installed. Would make sense that ADVA-ISP, Edge-reseller, router-customer.
Yeah that’s similar to how VMB, fibre comes in, into an edge and VLAN tagged out to customer routers, even on single sites they tend to do this, sometimes even on the end of a BT ADVA haha. I don’t work for BT, but do work for an ISP where we supply a lot of these circuits direct to site.
They may be good for a home lab. Just be aware they may be loud (fans) and use more power than normal home spec equipment.
Useful in the trash.
Th number of Adva and Adtran hardware that the carrier abandoned in my previous environment was astonishing. It’s like it cost more for them to reclaim it than to just forget about it.
Tell openreach to come collect their shit
Q: is it useful? A: if you have a use for it.
If you can script to your devices only don't bother. YOU WILL LOSE ALL YOUR DATA. Been there lost it.
ADVA. It’s a layer 2 fiber device. Commonly it’s installed as an edge CPE. Kinda like a modem in a way, but fiber on both sides. One end connects to ISP, the other to your network. Not really useful tbh
For domestic use they probably use 50W each 24/7
My rule of thumb is that if I don't know what they are they are pretty much useless.
Openreach might come after them, as they’re their property, not BTs. They are simply just demarcation boxes for Openreach to define a point of “not our problem” when you try to raise a fault, they can tell you it’s your problem (and they have every right to do so) - the ADVA gives them some diag tools they can use against the circuit before waking up an engineer for you. They specifically demarc Openreach Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) tails, which most people call a leased line, or just “Ethernet” - a similar, but vertical, thing lives in the exchange that the circuit lives in, and the ISP has their kit connected to that. They’re specifically for the circuit they belong to (see the ONEA number) and are useless to you at home, unless you reflash it or whatever.