What is Network Infrastructure?

Network infrastructure is the hardware and software resources of an entire network that enable network connectivity, communication, operations and management of a network.

Network infrastructure provides the communication path and services between users, processes, applications, services and external networks, including the Internet. Network infrastructure is part of the IT infrastructure. The entire network infrastructure is interconnected, and can be used for internal communications, external communications or both.

A typical network infrastructure includes:

Networking Hardware:

• • Routers/FireWalls
• • Switches
• • LAN cards
• • Wireless routers
• • Cables

Networking Software:

• • Network operations and management
• • Operating systems
• • Firewall
• • Network security applications

Network Services:

• • T-1 Line
• • DSL
• • Satellite
• • Wireless protocols
• • IP addressing

ECS is a Network Infrastructure company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

Structured Cabling is a cabling infrastructure that can support Servers, PCs, network appliances, phones and other devices. It’s the backbone that links everything together, from voice and data to multimedia and network services such as SIP, ISDN, ADSL, WAN, and LAN.

Horizontal Cabling includes the outlets/jacks, horizontal cable, patch panels, physical terminations and patch cords. (or jumper wire, that comprises the horizontal cross-connect)

Data Cables are any media that allow baseband transmissions (binary 1,0s) from a transmitter to a receiver.

Backbone Cabling is inter-building and/or intra-building cabling connections in structured cabling between entrance facilities, equipment rooms and telecommunications closets. Backbone cabling consists of the transmission media, main and intermediate cross-connects and terminations at these locations.

An organized structured cabling system provides the following benefits:

• • MAC’s are much quicker due to organization
• • Potential for downtime is reduced drastically due to organization.
• • Time savings; cable and port tracing becomes a much easier job with a structured cabling system.
• • Aesthetics; Never underestimate the looks! A structured cabling system always looks much cleaner.

ECS is a Structured Cabling company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

What is Internet Protocol (IP) ?

Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal set (or communications protocol) of digital message formats and rules for exchanging messages between computers across a single network or a series of interconnected networks, using the Internet Protocol Suite (often referred to as TCP/IP). Messages are exchanged as datagrams, also known as data packets or just packets.

IP is the primary protocol in the Internet Layer of the Internet Protocol Suite, which is a set of communications protocols consisting of four abstraction layers: link layer (lowest), Internet layer, transport layer and application layer (highest).

The main purpose and task of IP is the delivery of datagrams from the source host (source computer) to the destination host (receiving computer) based on their addresses. To achieve this, IP includes methods and structures for putting tags (address information, which is part of metadata) within datagrams. The process of putting these tags on datagrams is called encapsulation.

Think of an analogy with the postal system. IP is similar to the U.S. Postal System in that it allows a package (a datagram) to be addressed (encapsulation) and put into the system (the Internet) by the sender (source host). However, there is no direct link between sender and receiver.

The package (datagram) is almost always divided into pieces, but each piece contains the address of the receiver (destination host). Eventually, each piece arrives at the receiver, often by different routes and at different times. These routes and times are also determined by the Postal System, which is the IP. However, the Postal System (in the transport and application layers) puts all the pieces back together before delivery to the receiver (destination host).

Note: IP is actually a connectionless protocol, meaning that the circuit to the receiver (destination host) does not need be set up before transmission (by the source host). Continuing the analogy, there does not need to be a direct connection between the physical return address on the letter/package and the recipient address before the letter/package is sent.

Originally, IP was a connectionless datagram service in a transmission control program created by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn in 1974. When format and rules were applied to allow connections, the connection-oriented Transmission Control Protocol was created. The two together form the Internet Protocol Suite, often referred to as TCP/IP.

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) was the first major version of IP. This is the dominant protocol of the Internet. However, iPv6 is active and in use, and its deployment is increasing all over the world.

Addressing and routing are the most complex aspects of IP. However, intelligence in the network is located at nodes (network interconnection points) in the form of routers which forward datagrams to the next known gateway on the route to the final destination. The routers use interior gateway protocols (IGPs) or external gateway protocols (EGPs) to help with making forwarding route decisions. Routes are determined by the routing prefix within the datagrams. The routing process can therefore become complex. But at the speed of light (or nearly so) the routing intelligence determines the best route, and the datagram pieces and datagram all eventually arrive at their destination.

ECS is a Network Infrastructure company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

What is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ?

Transmission control protocol (TCP) is a network communication protocol designed to send data packets over the Internet.

TCP is a transport layer protocol in the OSI layer and is used to create a connection between remote computers by transporting and ensuring the delivery of messages over supporting networks and the Internet.

Transmission Control Protocol is one of the most used protocols in digital network communications and is part of the Internet protocol suite, commonly known as the TCP/IP suite. Primarily, TCP ensures end-to-end delivery of data between distinct nodes. TCP works in collaboration with Internet Protocol, which defines the logical location of the remote node, whereas TCP transports and ensures that the data is delivered to the correct destination.

Before transmitting data, TCP creates a connection between the source and destination node and keeps it live until the communication is active. TCP breaks large data into smaller packets and also ensures that the data integrity is intact once it is reassembled at the destination node.

ECS is a Network Infrastructure company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

What is a Firewall ?

A Firewall is software used to maintain the security of a private network. Firewalls block unauthorized access to or from private networks and are often employed to prevent unauthorized Web users or illicit software from gaining access to private networks connected to the Internet. A Firewall may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of both.

A Firewall is recognized as the first line of defense in securing sensitive information.

Firewalls generally use two or more of the following methods:

• Packet Filtering: Firewalls filter packets that attempt to enter or leave a network and either accept or reject them depending on the predefined set of filter rules.
• Application Gateway: The application gateway technique employs security methods applied to certain applications such as Telnet and File Transfer Protocol servers.
• Circuit-Level Gateway: A circuit-level gateway applies these methods when a connection such as Transmission Control Protocol is established and packets start to move.
• Proxy Servers: Proxy servers can mask real network addresses and intercept every message that enters or leaves a network.
• Stateful Inspection or Dynamic Packet Filtering: This method compares not just the header information, but also a packet’s most important inbound and outbound data parts. These are then compared to a trusted information database for characteristic matches. This determines whether the information is authorized to cross the firewall into the network.

ECS is an authorized Dell SonicWall reseller located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

Connect Your Small Business with Affordable, Reliable, IP Office Intuitive Communications

Future-ready IP Office Business Communications Built for Your Needs

Quickly and reliably connect your people and customers using IP Office, an efficient and affordable phone system.

We know the phone is the lifeblood of a small business, and the IP Office Platform supports phone basics but also delivers powerful communications typically found in large businesses.

Help your staff become more efficient and more productive.

IP Office functionality includes:

• • Full-featured, high-quality audio speaker phones and voice messaging
• • A versatile receptionist console that speeds call handling
• • Mobile capabilities that make it easy be as productive and responsive on the road as in the office

Get an all-inclusive solution at a price and scope designed for small businesses.

IP Office scales with your business growth and uses VoIP to reduce communications costs.

Choose the ideal deployment. IP Office can be installed on your premises, fully in the cloud, or as a combination of both. You decide what best suits your needs and budget.

Start with the Basics and Grow

IP Office expands as you do, easily supporting more users and new capabilities. User admin is fast and seamless. And it’s easy to turn on new productivity features as they’re needed to keep pace with your customers.

Communicate More Effectively

Give each user one number to connect with co-workers, partners, and customers from anywhere, at any time, on any device.

Be Always Open for Business

Never let a call go unanswered. IP Office capabilities range from simple voicemail to email to full office capabilities available on the go or at home.

ECS is an authorized AVAYA Business Partner located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

ECS offers comprehensive design and installation services for projects requiring new or modified structured cabling systems.

Our custom-designed structured cabling systems integrate the voice, data, video, and IP security networks into your office, building, or campus environment.

Through early planning ECS can provide a cost-effective, streamlined design and implementation solution for your facility’s structured cabling system.

We have the capabilities and expertise to deliver one integrated cabling system versus multiple cable delivery methods that can otherwise increase costs and decrease flexibility.

We collaborate, design and create a customized solution that can positively sustain future moves, additions and changes for your network wiring needs

ECS complies with the rigorous standards for engineering and installing structured cabling systems set forth by organizations such as TIA/EIA and BICSI. These standards ensure manufactured products and installations meet specific quality, safety, and performance standards.

We also understand that the highest set of standards and expectations come from you our customer, and our goal at ECS is to exceed your expectations.

ECS is a Structured Cabling company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

Efficient Communication Solutions assists building owners & property management firms to ensure their buildings’ risers are secure and properly organized.

ECS provides:

• • Circuit Extension or Relocation
• • Vertical Cabling Installation
• • Horizontal Cabling Installation
• • Building Management Consultation
• • Third Party Circuit or Cable Installation Verification
• • Fire Stopping/Firewall Systems
• • Communications Cabling Abatement
• • Reduce building overhead
• • Lower operating costs
• • Informed status of orders
• • Create a traceable order process
• • Emergency Staff On-Call
• • Additional Security
• • Quick Response Time
• • Cable Audit

ECS is a leading Cable Infrastructure company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

A building’s telecommunication riser is the vertical infrastructure that connects your tenants’ spaces starting from the Telco Point of Entry through each floor. 

The riser extends, typically, through a shaft or series of shafts, connecting to a telecom closet or room on each floor. Telecom contractors and Telco companies access these shafts and closets to extend a tenant’s circuit to their suite. From the telecom closet, cabling is run overhead through common building areas.

It is up to the building owners and management to keep these risers organized, labeled and systematic.  Having a good riser system can lead to revenue for the building owner and a potential rise in property value.  A bad, disorganized riser system can lead to dangerous situations as well as a huge liability and building code violations.

ECS helps by verifying, organizing and correctly installing riser cables and components and by taking the guess work out of your buildings riser infrastructure

ECS is a Cabling installation company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.

CAT5

“Slow & Obsolete”

Supports Speeds up to 10/100Mb speeds (Fast Ethernet) at up to 100 MHz bandwidth.

We/ECS do not sell CAT5 cable.

CAT5e

CAT5e (CAT5 enhanced) is currently the most commonly used cable for new installations.

CAT5e is designed to greatly reduce crosstalk

(reducing crosstalk means that CAT5e is better at keeping signals on different circuits or channels from interfering with each other)

Supports Speeds up to 10/100/1000MB speeds (gigabit Ethernet) at 100 MHz.

CAT6

CAT 6 is a major improvement over CAT5e

Supports Speeds up to 10GB Ethernet at 250 MHz.

(CAT6 cable has an internal separator that isolates pairs from one another, reducing crosstalk even more than CAT5e)

CAT 6 (up to 250 MHz) allows 10G to be run over distances of up to 55 meters

CAT6A

CAT6A outdoes its predecessors in performance & crosstalk prevention

Supports Speeds up to 10GB Ethernet at 500 MHz

CAT6A (up to 500 MHz) allows 10G to be run over distances of up to 100 meters

ECS is a Network Cabling Infrastructure company located in Seattle, WA & Portland, OR.

ECS provides local technicians for on-site work installing and servicing a variety of voice/data equipment, ie; Avaya Aura Servers, Gateways, Messaging, Telephones, Firewalls, Ethernet Switches, Low Voltage Cabling, WiFi, CCTV, POS, Paging, etc. 

ECS provides services in the states of Washington & Oregon, primarily in the greater Seattle & Portland areas.