Cisco Cisco Catalyst 4000 Supervisor Engine II White Paper
Satellite Guide
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
Page 1 of 16
Accelerated Internet over Satellite Solution
Overview
This document provides deployment guidance for Cisco
®
Accelerated Internet over Satellite, a
solution that combines the IP connectivity of Cisco Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) and the
satellite wireless WAN (WWAN) link acceleration capabilities of the Cisco Network Capacity
Expansion (NCE) service module. The document presents performance results achieved by
combining the two products, outlines the required Cisco IOS
®
Software configuration, and
describes deployment in a typical branch office. The goals of this guide are the following:
●
To demonstrate that Cisco NCE, combined with a Cisco Integrated Services Router,
achieves significantly higher HTTP transfer rates, webpage load times, and streaming video
experience over a native satellite WWAN connection
●
To make the deployment of this solution fast and predictable
Satellite Link Limitations
Whether used for primary access or as a backup link to a traditional wireline connection, satellite
WWAN connectivity offers anywhere access to the Internet. For enterprises, the primary benefits
of satellite WWAN include:
●
Secure wireless connectivity to the enterprise network and the Internet
●
Stationary or mobile network access from any location around the globe
●
Greater network availability from divergent wireless and wireline network paths
Despite these benefits, sending data through a high-altitude satellite introduces a significant signal
propagation delay that has a noticeable effect on the quality of user experience with satellite links.
For geostationary orbit satellites (GEO), the round-trip delay is 500 to 600 milliseconds. This high
latency and other technical factors, such as asymmetric data rates and high packet loss, affect the
response time of content-rich and interactive Internet applications. The problem is further
exacerbated by economic factors. Bandwidth can cost two to three times as much per month as
other broadband alternatives, often forcing enterprises to settle for the minimum acceptable data
rate. The Cisco NCE service module accelerates data transfer rates on WAN links that have
limited bandwidth, high latency, and high error rates such as satellite, WiMAX, and third-
generation (3G) wireless. This document shows that by combining Cisco Integrated Services
Routers and Cisco NCE, you can increase the data rate on a satellite link by 400 to 2000 percent
of its typical rate.
Cisco Integrated Services Routers
Cisco award-winning Integrated Services Routers combine data, voice, video, and wireless
networking services into a single, secure platform that provides a one-stop solution for small
offices, branch offices, and teleworkers. Designed to be a long-term, adaptable platform, Cisco
Integrated Services Routers provide built-in capacity to support new applications and services that
you can use today or activate in the future without incurring significant costs. These routers run the