Leading network test lab puts EdgeConnect through its paces; maintains toll-quality VoIP service over broadband, even with more than 55 percent packet loss
Silver Peak®, the global SD-WAN leader, delivering the transformational promise of the cloud with a self-driving wide area network, today announced that the Unity EdgeConnect™ SD-WAN edge platform has earned the Miercom Performance Verification certification following a series of punishing real-world Voice over IP (VoIP) test scenarios. The EdgeConnect platform successfully maintained high-quality VoIP performance over consumer-grade broadband links as increasing levels of packet loss and network congestion were introduced across single and bonded dual link configurations.
Silver Peak engaged Miercom, a leading independent network test lab, to design a series of real-world VoIP test scenarios to simulate the various conditions broadband links exhibit when increasing levels of packet loss and network congestion are introduced. Voice quality was measured over the links using the MOS (Mean Opinion Score) industry standard for each scenario to determine if EdgeConnect could sustain a business-acceptable MOS performance score of greater than 3.0 using single and dual consumer broadband links. The tests were conducted with and without the advanced Silver Peak High Availability (HA) tunnel bonding and path conditioning capabilities enabled.
As enterprises increasingly leverage the internet to connect users to cloud applications, they face a trade-off in their ability to deliver reliable high-quality voice over broadband. Basic SD-WAN offerings force compromise as they require higher cost transport services such as MPLS or Direct Internet Access (DIA) to deliver an acceptable user experience. This ultimately holds enterprises back from realizing the transformational promise of SD-WAN and the Cloud. The Miercom test validates the clear differentiation of Silver Peak EdgeConnect as the only SD-WAN edge platform to deliver toll-quality voice over consumer broadband under real-world network conditions, ensuring the highest quality of experience (QoEx) for end users and IT.
“Silver Peak is once again placing the industry on notice following last year’s grueling network Torture Test, challenging any vendor to submit their product to the same MOS test scenarios for VoIP performance over consumer-grade broadband,” said Derek Granath, vice president of product marketing at Silver Peak. “Only EdgeConnect consistently delivers the highest QoEx for VoIP over broadband, maintaining a MOS of greater than 3.0 even under severely impaired WAN conditions.”
Key Test Findings (access full Miercom Test Report):
Test Scenario 1: Baseline Voice Performance Over a Single Broadband Link
Low quality even with low loss - A baseline test without EdgeConnect path conditioning features enabled was intended to represent the expected performance of a basic SD-WAN solution. End user voice quality was almost immediately impaired with packet loss of less than two percent on a single broadband underlay link.
With path conditioning enabled, business-acceptable voice call quality was maintained with more than seven percent packet loss, representing an improvement of nearly four times.
Test Scenario 2: Two Broadband Links with One Link Impaired
High quality service even with greater than 55 percent packet loss - With one link performing normally and one experiencing severe packet loss, EdgeConnect provided sustained high VoIP quality of service. End users experienced no voice service interruption or degradation at any point during this test scenario with path conditioning enabled.
Test Scenario 3: Two Broadband Links with Both Links Equally Impaired
Strong connections despite high loss - The third test scenario injected equal amounts of packet loss onto both broadband underlay links. Even with as much as 40 percent total packet loss, 20 percent on each link, the end user experienced only good quality service because of path conditioning implemented by the HA tunnel bonding policy, effectively counteracting packet loss and service blackouts.
“The Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform provides proven quality voice communications in times of peak congestion or a complete service blackout condition using its High Availability tunnel bonding and path conditioning,” said Miercom CEO Rob Smithers. “Based on our testing, even with consumer-grade internet links, the EdgeConnect platform can tolerate upwards of 20 percent loss on both connections, setting an impressive bar.
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About Miercom
Miercom has published hundreds of network product analyses in leading trade periodicals and other publications. Miercom’s reputation as the leading, independent product test center is undisputed. Private test services available from Miercom include competitive product analyses, as well as individual product evaluations. Miercom features comprehensive certification and test programs including: Certified Interoperable, Certified Reliable, Certified Secure and Certified Green. Products may also be evaluated under the Performance Verified program, the industry’s most thorough and trusted assessment for product usability and performance.
About Silver Peak
Silver Peak is the global leader in broadband and hybrid WAN solutions. Silver Peak offers a high-performance SD-WAN solution that provides secure and reliable virtual overlays to connect users to applications with the flexibility to use any combination of underlying transport without compromising application performance. This results in greater business agility and lower costs. More than 3,000 globally distributed enterprises have deployed Silver Peak broadband and hybrid WAN solutions across 80 countries. Learn more at silver-peak.com.
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