The “Internet of Things (IoT)” is a phrase to describe any network of devices that utilize connectivity to an internet or other devices to exchange data. These devices appear in an incredibly wide range of environments in our world today, such as in your home, in a hospital, within factories, or on a farm. Due to the fact that IoT devices exist in so many different aspects of our lives, each device has to fulfill different requirements to achieve its...
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The ‘Roaming’ World We Live In
By Nathan Miner - November 6, 2024
Most end users don't need to think about Wi-Fi roaming. They use their devices, and they ‘just work’ even as they move around the home, workplace, campus, or industrial environment. A seamless internet connection is no longer a luxury in today’s on-the-move society; it is necessary. Wi-Fi roaming is the unsung hero of this seamless connection between access points. I will give a brief overview of what roaming is and how it affects the user’s experience with a device. I...
Enhancing User Experience: The Vital Role of Wireless Device Testing
By Nathan Miner - October 7, 2024
To ensure that a device facilitates as intended for use, two main performance tests are conducted: RvR covers the performance in terms of distance, while Spatial Consistency covers the performance in terms of rotation. While these tests are not exhaustive, they play a significant role in guaranteeing a good user experience.
Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, and its application space is expanding rapidly, with an estimated 29.3 billion networked devices in 2023 1 . As the usage of Wi-Fi products increases,...
5 Lessons Learned in Hosting a CI Test Lab at IOL For Open Source Projects
By Patrick Robb - September 26, 2024
Today’s open source landscape features an ever-expanding number of mature projects with development activity spanning across multiple organizations. Developers on these projects come from large and small enterprises, educational institutions, and a pool of unaffiliated, open source developers. This diverse group of contributors work together to enable their projects’ core goals or use cases. However, with this diversity of projects, developers, and outcomes, there are challenges. How can we reliably meet the needs of all stakeholders? When setting up a...
Manual RDMA Testing Using the OFA FSDP Cluster
By Jeremy Spewock - September 17, 2024
A common roadblock RDMA developers face is the need for access to required hardware. With multiple types of RDMA fabrics, each requiring specific kinds of Network Interface Cards (NICs) to support them, a growing “paywall” blocks developers from testing their RDMA software. The Fabric Software Development Platform (FSDP) provided by the OpenFabrics Alliance (OFA) was created to support RDMA developers struggling with this issue by granting access to a cluster of machines that host RDMA-capable hardware.
Since September 2021,...
IOL INTACT®: What's New, Coming Soon, and on the Roadmap for IPv6 Testing
By Kyle Ouellette - August 28, 2024
It’s been a while since we last updated you on the current state of the IOL INTACT® software and future plans. We routinely publish release notes for INTACT and the playlists, but we’d like to highlight some key features and upcoming developments we think will pique your interest. If you have feedback on the mentioned features or any feature/improvement requests, please don’t hesitate to share them with us via our support portal.
What’s NewThe...
How PON and Fiberoptics are the Future of Broadband
By Jake Tobin - April 11, 2024
Imagine your internet connection being like a well-orchestrated, optical symphony of speed and reliability. Meet PON, a high-tech communication marvel that uses cutting edge fiberoptics to bring you lightning-fast broadband access. It's not just any network – it's designed to cater to your needs, servicing anywhere from hospitals to high-density residential complexes. PON has revolutionized how we transmit data, enabling high-speed connectivity and efficient delivery of services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video streaming, ultra-bandwidth for HDTV experiences, and...
The Evolution of Power for Single Pair Ethernet
By Craig Chabot - November 13, 2023
Don't forget to watch the 'Demystifying the Powers of Single-Pair Ethernet' webinar. Click here.
10 years ago, in IEEE 802.3, a working group of standard specifications for Ethernet, issued a Call for Interest or CFI to propose a new Ethernet powering solution called “Power over Data Lines” (PoDL). This new standard was designed to improve upon 1000BASE-T1, another Ethernet standard that had just been introduced, which offered gigabit speeds over a single copper twisted pair, instead...
PoDL and SPoE: What it Means for Industrial and Automotive Conformance Testing
By Mara Johnson - September 13, 2023
The latest IEEE 802.3 standard has enhanced power capabilities and data transports for both industrial and automotive markets. With this breakthrough, PoDL and SPoE technologies have been making their way into the market. Learn more about these technologies in this brief overview.
What is PoDL?
PoDL stands for Power over Data Lines (PoDL) and delivers from 0.5 to 50 watts of power from 12, 24 or 48 volts DC power classes. This technology was originally designed...
Virtual Machines with Bridges on VMware vSphere
By Lincoln Lavoie - March 6, 2023
In a recent project, we decided to explore using the Cisco NX-OS 9000v virtual switch as part of our pre-deployment testing infrastructure. The virtual switch functions identical to our actual NX-OS hardware switches, but with the benefit of running purely as a virtual machine (VM) or appliance on top of our cloud infrastructure. That cloud infrastructure is a multi-node vSphere deployment, that uses distributed vSwitches, each having multiple uplink port groups, to provide high availability across the network domains. Figure...
The DPDK Community Lab: Reflecting on 2022 and Looking Ahead
By Patrick Robb - February 28, 2023
Hosted by The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), the DPDK Community Lab exists to provide prompt and reliable continuous integration(CI) testing for all new patches submitted to DPDK by its community of developers. Every time a patch is submitted to DPDK Patchwork, it is automatically applied to the main DPDK branch, or the appropriate next- branch, and run across our test beds. Now entering its 6th year in operation, the Community Lab has progressed beyond its initial goal...
To everything there is a season...
By Christina Dube - April 13, 2012
Spring is generally seen as a season of transition, as well as a season of opportunity. In New Hampshire, the weather gradually transitions from bitterly cold to cool and raw, finally landing on warm and sunny. The grass, trees and flowers come back to life, heralding the warm days to come. The daylight stretches out, opening doors and opportunities that were previously closed -- cooking on the grill, eating dinner on the deck, staying outside until the streetlights come on or mosquitos come out.
Looking for a Unique Summer Internship Opportunity?
By Pamela Woodland - March 30, 2012
Are you or someone you know a high school student interested in technology? If so, the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) has a unique opportunity for you! Each summer, the UNH-IOL recruits the brightest and most ambitious high school students for paid internships at our state-of-the-art networking facility. The UNH-IOL requires students to apply for the program by April 20, 2012. Application materials include a completed application and essay, two letters of recommendation and an official transcript. Any additional materials, such as a resume, are optional.
I'm a home gateway and want an IPv6 Ready Logo, but which one?
By Erica Johnson - March 22, 2012
Over the past couple of months, I have been receiving inquiries from home gateway (CPE) manufacturers about the existing IPv6 Ready Logo Phase-2 Core and the soon to be released CPE (November 2012) Logos. Some of these inquiries include: do I need a CPE Logo if I all ready have a Phase-2 Core Logo? Or, what's the difference in requirements between the two programs? To much of the existing logo holders disappointment, the IPv6 Ready Logo Phase-2 Core testing will not satisfy all the requirements that the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has defined in RFC 6204bis, "Basic Requirements for IPv6 Customer Edge Routers." Thus, the IPv6 Ready Logo committee created a new program called CPE Logo including the CE Router Test Specifications currently under public review. These test specifications include test cases for the added functionality necessary to ensure seamless connectivity to the home user.
Lab's YouTube Channel Provides Insight for Customers, Students and Staff
By Samantha Martell - March 15, 2012
Did you know the UNH-IOL has launched a YouTube channel to share our knowledge and expertise with customers, vendors, potential students and staff? There are already several videos live on the channel, with many more to come. One goal of the YouTube channel is to assist customers with scheduling and testing processes. For customers, available how to videos include: "Entering Equipment using the IOL's My Vendor Login" and "Scheduling Testing using the IOL's Website." These videos have been designed to help navigate the "My Vendor Login."
History of the UNH-IOL
By Samantha Martell - February 29, 2012
After working at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) for less than a year and learning about the lab as a whole, I can say that I am happy to be a part of this growing organization. In passing, when mentioning my position at the UNH-IOL, I am never surprised by responses such as, "You are so lucky to be working there" because I know just how true the statement is. The UNH-IOL began more than two decades ago in a small room at UNH and was founded by: Bill Lenharth, Former Director of Research Computing Center (RCC), and Barry Reinhold, President of Lamprey Networks. In 1988, the UNH-IOL started off as a branch of the University's Research Computing Center (RCC). The RCC was testing Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) equipment with the intention of deploying it in its network. Once finding that equipment from two vendors was not interoperable, the RCC contacted the vendors in an attempt to find an answer. After some debate, the two vendors came together to solve the problem, which stemmed from differences between the draft and final versions of the FDDI specification. During the same time period, the RCC was testing 10BASE-T Ethernet interfaces for another, unrelated project. Over the next decade, the lab continued to expand its testing efforts into many new technology areas. In the 1990s technologies tested at the lab ranged from FDDI, token ring, ATM and 10 Base-T and 10-Gig.
Non-Technical Students Have a Place in Technology Too
By Pamela Woodland - February 23, 2012
I believe it is safe to say that when the majority of people think of the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), they think technical. They likely envision employees with an engineering or computer science discipline. This was my initial interpretation. I found myself in my freshman year of college wondering what I could find for a job. I was working for a supermarket, but wanted to take on a new challenge; one that did not involve "paper or plastic." A friend and now present day colleague of mine suggested that I look into the UNH-IOL. I thought there was simply no way I could fit into an organization of such high-technical caliber. I was a business major at the time with a very basic computer knowledge skill set. Nonetheless, I went ahead and applied for a Student Technician position. A couple of weeks later, I was called in for an interview. Initially, I was being considered for a testing position. Then, to my surprise, my soon-to-be boss suggested that I would be a good fit in the Communications Department. Without hesitation I accepted the offer.
IOL Student Employees: Gaining Experience, Making Connections and Building a Future
By Michael Klempa - January 31, 2012
It's common for a college student to have some sort of job. But how many of them actually enjoy what they do? How many have positions that relate to what they want to do in the future? I am one of the lucky few that can say I look forward to coming to work each day, to a job that is preparing me for the future. The InterOperability Lab (IOL) is a place where students, like myself, can explore cutting edge communication technologies, while interacting with world leaders in the industry. As students, we are encouraged to learn and absorb as much information and skills as we can during our short tenure at the Lab. Whether it's reading specifications, writing test suites, testing products, or creating test tools, the full spectrum of any technology is explored.
Complications of DCB Interoperability Testing
By Daniel Shea - January 9, 2012
iSCSI over Data Center Bridging (DCB) interoperability testing verifies the functionality of the DCB protocol when integrated with iSCSI traffic among a set of devices from a variety of vendors. Throughout the testing process, several device topologies are incorporated to observe behavior in a collection of scenarios. Since the technology is still in a relatively early stage, the protocols defining its implementation are subject to change. As a result, this creates a small set of complications that must be addressed in order to successfully carry out the testing procedure.
CE Routers - What's Going on with the M and O Flags?
By Timothy Winters - December 22, 2011
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has recently been discussing the possibility of using the M and O flags in Router Advertisements to control the CE Router's DHCP client. After hosting our third IPv6 Customer Edge (CE) Router Interoperability Test Event, held November 7-11, 2011, the UNH-IOL documented the findings below.
Training the Engineers of Tomorrow—Today.
By Jennifer Royce - September 16, 2011
The UNH-IOL has a dual mission to provide a neutral environment to foster multivendor interoperability, conformance to standards and improvement of data networking, while educating students and preparing them for future employment in the industry. As a full-scale, non-profit test lab, the UNH-IOL employs approximately 150 personnel, over 100 of which are undergraduate and graduate students. Student employees (or technicians as they are sometimes referred to at the lab) often emerge from the academic fields of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and continue to attend classes at UNH while working at our facility.