This research paper compares two popular backbone network technologies – Gigabit Ethernet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). ATM has been a popular choice for years for providing multimedia applications over the network effectively by making use of its features like Quality of Service (QoS). Gigabit Ethernet matches ATM’s functionality by providing higher bandwidth at lower cost, less complexity and easier integration into the existing Ethernet technologies. Hence, it becomes important to compare these two technologies against various network performance metrics to find out which technology performs better for what type of applications under what circumstances. This research paper will analyze and compare the performance of those two technologies based on the throughput, end-to-end delay for Voice and Video conferencing and jitter for the Voice applications. For this purpose, two different simulations were created, one for the Gigabit Ethernet and the other one for the ATM network, using the popular commercial and academic simulation software – OPNET modeler.
Effect of Asynchronous Transfer Mode Adaptation Layers and Service Class on Network Performance
