Software Updates

Editor’s Note: We’ve created this page to conveniently compile information on all of our NetEqualizer software updates into one place. As mentioned elsewhere, the NetEqualizer is constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing demands of the IT industry. For more information about any of the updates listed here, or previous updates, contact us at admin@apconnections.net.

Update 10.0 – NetEqualizer Software Update incorporates a Network Health Monitor into the NetEq, and includes the latest Security Updates for Debian

Editor’s Note: The 10.0 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that ALL customers consider updating to our 10.0 Release to ensure that your NetEqualizer has the latest security patches for the Debian OS. Also, if you are interested in trialing the Network Health Monitor, you should update to 10.0. The Network Health Monitor is a network monitoring probe bundled into the NetEqualizer, along with a cloud portal for viewing.

*** Software Update 10.0 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series. ***

May 4th, 2021

We recently released our latest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following enhancements have been implemented from the previous 9.0 version to the latest 10.0.

Network Health Monitor

In this release our key feature offering is the Network Health Monitor, which is a network monitoring probe bundled into the NetEqualizer, along with a cloud portal for viewing.

The Network Health Monitor is a fourth generation network probe that will live on your NetEqualizer system. This may be one of the most sophisticated reporting tools that we have ever included in a release. When enabled, your NetEqualizer will become a state-of-the-art network probe. It will immediately attempt to learn all the devices on your local network, and then it will monitor them. If you choose to turn it on, it will gather information inside your network and make your data available from a secure cloud portal for viewing. J

With the Network Health Monitor, you can…

Remotely and securely view the status of your network from anywhere in the world.
Quickly obtain an inventory list of all devices on your network/subnet.
Check status of individual devices, quickly identify problem devices, and view key metrics.
Receive alerts if a critical piece of hardware becomes unreachable. We support Slack, MS Team, Email and SMS texts.
Easily share access with other members of your team.
Obtain additional detailed information for devices that support SNMP.
Always up GUI database for device identification and vendor fingerprinting.

Once you have 10.0 installed, you can contact us at sales@apconnections.net to learn more about trialing the Network Health Monitor.

Debian Linux Distribution as of May 2021

This release also contains the latest security updates approved for the Debian Linux distribution as of May 2021. Our security record to-date is 100% (we have not been made aware of any breaches). This is mostly due to the fact that we do not have a customer facing interface, as the NetEqualizer should always be accessed from behind your firewall.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NSS or on the 10.0 Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 9.0 – NetEqualizer Software Update adds full IPv6 Support, and updates Debian OS and the kernel

Editor’s Note: The 9.0 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that ALL customers consider updating to our 9.0 Release to ensure that your NetEqualizer is running on the latest Debian OS and updated kernel. With 9.0, we have added full IPv6 Support capabilities to the NetEqualizer. You can now use all shaping rules, such as Pools, Hard Limits, and Connection Limits with native IPv6 devices. Additionally, RTR Reporting will contain the IPv6 traffic in all reports.

*** Software Update 9.0 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series. ***

November 19th, 2020

IPv6 Support

We are pleased to announce that we have completed our IPv6 translation engine so that you can now use all shaping rules, such as Pools, Hard Limits, and Connection Limits with native IPv6 devices. Additionally, RTR Reporting will contain the IPv6 traffic in all reports.

We have offered IPv6 Equalizing as of software update 8.2. In software update 8.2 and above, Equalizing is based on the total bandwidth across both sets of addresses, and not a separate decision for IPv6 and IPv4. As with our 8.2 software release which supported IPv6 Equalizing only, there is one caveat. All IPv6 addresses are translated into 32-bit addresses for consistency and readability. We have done this by taking the lower 24 bits of the IPv6 address and mapping that into a locally unique IPv4 address, which enables us to show and shape all the traffic in one table.

Debian Kernel Update

9.0 is running a new version of the Debian operating system (OS) and has an updated kernel.

Usability Enhancements

In addition to the features in 9.0, we have added or enhanced the following:

RTR is optimized to minimize the number of processes generated under high usage
RTR VLAN charting fix

Update 8.7 – NetEqualizer Software Update adds Scheduled Reporting, and enables Intelligent Priority Traffic

Editor’s Note: The 8.7 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that customers that utilize Real-Time Reporting (RTR) or Priority Traffic features consider updating to our 8.7 Release.

With 8.7, we have added Scheduled Reporting capabilities to enable you to automate report creation, and email the generated report as a PDF. We have also added Start Date to our Priority Traffic capability, so that you can now have a full date range associated with priority traffic.

In addition, several usability enhancements were included in this release, most notably tabbing has been cleaned up on all screens. We also added full CIDR notation to Quick Edits Pools & Hard Limits.

*** Software Update 8.7 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series. ***

September 17th, 2019

Scheduled Reporting

We are excited to announce a quantum leap in our custom reporting capability! In Release 8.7, you can now generate and manage custom reports by Calendar Date. For example, let’s say you are developing a business where you want to bill your customers for bandwidth overages. You can have the NetEqualizer automatically generate a graphical report for your customers on the last day of the month, and have that report in PDF format emailed directly to your admin, while also sending a copy directly to your end customer. We have also built in flexibility in the scheduling. For example, you could send this report every 7 days or twice monthly, and it can be customized for any customer (IP) address of your choosing.

Intelligent Priority Traffic

Have you ever wanted to define an IP address that needs to be exempt from Equalizing? Maybe you have a video server that you want to give priority to on a specific day, or you know that you have a week long conference and want to ensure that your conference rooms have priority. Using our Start Date and Expiration Date capabilities, you can now set up both of these Priority Traffic Rules in advance, so that they start in the future on the day needed, and also have them automatically expire when no longer needed.

Priority Hosts are defined when you need to ensure that bandwidth will not get equalized for a specific IP or IP subnet, even during peak usage. This is typically used sparingly, primarily for video conferencing needs. In 8.6, we added an End Date to support a lifetime for Priority Hosts. As of 8.7, we have expanded our Priority Hosts function to enable you to set a Start Date if needed, so that you can have Priority Hosts exist for whatever time period works for you.

Start Date, combined with our previous addition of End Dating, now makes for an Intelligent Priority Traffic feature.

Usability Enhancements

In addition to the features in 8.7, we have added or enhanced the following:

RTR Pools Dashboard always shows RATIO without decimal places, as this is always a whole number (1-100).
When Quota System is off, tabbing will not go through the grayed out fields.
RTR Real-time Host Data now has a Note at the top of the page to clarify color coding usage.
Manage Priority Traffic calendar drop-down lets you scroll through the calendar without changing your entry in the edit box field unless you explicitly select a new date.

Update 8.6 – NetEqualizer Software Update adds Pool Bursting, offers Time-Sensitive Priority Hosts, provides Real-Time IP Chart, enhances Traffic History Reports to use customizable ranges, supports the SNMP MIB, and Usability Enhancements

Editor’s Note: The 8.6 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that ALL customers consider updating to our 8.6 Release. With 8.6, we continue our focus on responding to customer-requested features, in addition to building out our core capabilities. These features continue to streamline your experience administering the NetEqualizer.

We added bursting to our Pool limits, which allows you to go above the maximum defined for a Burstable Pool when your box is not at peak, so that you can maximize your use of available bandwidth. We expanded our Priority Hosts function to enable you to set an expiration date for temporary priorities, so that you do not have to remember to remove priorities manually. We added a Real-Time IP/Host Chart to our RTR Dashboard, so that you can track bandwidth usage for specific IP/Hosts of interest to you in real-time. We also offer a customizable range to several of our Traffic History Reports, so that you can zoom in on any timeframe. And finally, we now offer support for the standard SNMP MIB, for those of you that would like to access that data. In addition, several usability enhancements were included in this release, most notably variable x-axis scaling on the Top Uploaders and Top Downloaders reports.

*** Software Update 8.6 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series. ***

October 23rd, 2018

Burstable Pools (Let Pools Go Above Max)

Our popular Pools feature is used to define shared bandwidth limits across a group of IPs and/or IP subnets, and is commonly used to offer shared bandwidth to buildings or user groups. One feature that has often been requested for Pools is the ability to go above the maximum bandwidth defined for a Pool when your box is not at peak, so that you can maximize your use of available bandwidth. In 8.6, we have implemented this request by offering a new capability to define pools as either “burstable” or “not burstable”. Burstable Pools are able to go above their maximum defined bandwidth when your NetEqualizer is not at peak (Pool 0 is below RATIO). This capability aligns with our burstable hard limits concept, now applied to Pools.

Time–Sensitive Priority Hosts (and Comments Fields)

Priority Hosts are defined when you need to ensure that bandwidth will not get equalized for a specific IP or IP subnet, even during peak usage. This is typically used sparingly, primarily for video conferencing needs. Prior to 8.6, once defined, Priority Hosts existed forever, unless you manually deleted them. We now support a lifetime for Priority Hosts. We have expanded our Priority Hosts function to enable you to set an expiration date if needed, so that you can have Priority Hosts expire without having to remember to delete them. We also now offer a Comments field, which may be used to give a name or other identifier to each Priority Host.

Real-Time Host/IP Data Chart

We have expanded our popular RTR Dashboard, adding a Real-Time Host Data Chart, so that you can track bandwidth usage for specific Hosts/IPs of interest to you in real-time. We think you will love this new chart! For each Host that you select to be charted, it displays upload bandwidth, download bandwidth, along with color-coded penalty information, including the number of penalties that have been applied. Our goal is to better help you with troubleshooting individual IPs, as you can now easily see up-to-the-second information by IP.

Customizable Range for Traffic History Reports

While you love our Traffic History Reports, many of you have requested better visibility into particular timeframes of data. Our current Traffic History Reports offer visibility at seven time periods (10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 12 hours, 1 day, 1 week, and 4weeks). Instead of trying to guess what increments you might want to see, we took this one step further. In 8.6, we now offer a “slider” for many of the Traffic History Reports. You can use the new slider in combination with our seven time periods to select a custom timeframe of data to view. This is a game changer for troubleshooting! You will be able to zoom in to your data for whatever time slice you need.

Support for Standard SNMP MIB

We now provide an easy way to send alarms to a back-end system via SNMP. As of 8.6, we offer support for the Standard SNMP MIB. This can be used to integrate data to a centralized Network Management System of your choice.

Usability Enhancements

In addition to all the other great features in 8.6, we have added or enhanced the following:

Variable scaling on the x-axis is now supported for both the Top Uploaders and Top Downloaders reports.
We now explicitly set focus to the 1^st field on each screen.
We have cleaned up tabbing, so that you can tab through fields on each screen.
We have updated the Country and Timezone data.

Update 8.5 – NetEqualizer Software Update adds DNS Visibility, expands Pool-specific Equalizing Parameters, enhances Penalty Reporting, offers Read-Only Reporting Access & True Login/Logout Capability, and includes Usability Enhancements

Editor’s Note: The 8.5 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that ALL customers consider updating to our 8.5 Release. With 8.5, we focus on responding to customer-requested features, in addition to building out our core capabilities. These features continue to streamline your experience administering the NetEqualizer.

We added DNS data (Domain Name Server) visibility to our reporting, which enables you to see traffic flows in either IP or DNS format. We expanded our Pools functionality by offering Pool-specific Equalizing, giving you the ability to set Ratio and Hog Minimum for every Pool. We enhanced penalty reporting, so that it is easier to see what traffic is being equalized in real-time. We now offer Read-Only Reporting access to the NetEqualizer. And finally, to enhance security, we give you a true Login and Logout capability. In addition, several usability enhancements were included in this release, most notably the ability to retain state upon reboot.

*** Software Update 8.5 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series. ***

July 26th, 2017

DNS Visibility (Domain Name Server)

In 8.5, we have built DNS data visibility into our RTR reporting, enabling you to see traffic flows in our reports in DNS format. You will be able to view data in Active Connections by DNS, and can even pop out into a Traffic by DNS Graph to see data flows over time. We also incorporated wildcard (*) searching as well, so that you can view traffic for a meaningful domain, which is useful in cases where traffic is spread across multiple sub-domains.

Pool-Specific Equalizing (Pool Level Ratio and Hogmin)

Every since we introduced Pools, which are conceptually analogous to mini “virtual NetEqualizers”, we have received requests to build out Equalizing to the Pool Level. As of 8.5, we have done so! You can now define when Equalizing kicks in at the Pool Level, by setting a Pool-specific Ratio, as well as determining the size traffic flows to be equalized, by defining Hog Minimum for each Pool. If you prefer, you can also keep the default Equalizing parameters in place to apply to any or all Pools.

Enhanced Penalty Reporting

We now display penalty information as part of the Active Connections Report, showing in real-time which data flows are being equalized. This enables you to see all the information regarding an active data flow in one place, instead of having to flip back and forth between Active Connections and the NetEqualizer Log. You should still utilize the NetEqualizer Log when you want to dig into penalty history. The NetEqualizer Log now has color-coded penalty information, to make it easier to track the penalty lifecycle.

Read-Only Reporting Access and True Login & Logout

We often have requests to help you to provide reports to different users and audiences within your organization. In order to better support these requests, you now have the ability to provide Read-Only Reporting Access to those groups, so that they login to view traffic behavior when needed. We continue to offer a separate login for web GUI Administrative Access. We now also have built out a full login/logout capability, to help secure your NetEqualizer.

Usability Enhancements

In addition to all the other great features in 8.5, we have added or enhanced the following:

You can set Preferences for retaining both RTR and Equalizing states upon a reboot.
You can select units displayed in Preferences for the Active Connections Report.
You can now Name your NetEqualizer via the NetEqualizer GUI.
Run Diagnostics now ensures that you can only run it once.
Our Support Team can run a Configuration Validation to ensure that your Traffic Limits and P2P Limits are valid. The script checks for overlapping ranges and invalid rule ordering.

Update 8.4 – NetEqualizer Software Update Provides Graphical User Interface (GUI) Redesign, Offering a New NetEqualizer Dashboard, Support for Batch Configuration, Ability to Perform Quick Edits, and Usability Enhancements

Editor’s Note: The 8.4 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that ALL customers consider updating to our 8.4 Release. 8.4 introduces a complete GUI redesign and many usability enhancements. 8.4 completes the GUI transition that we started with our 7.1 Real-Time Reporting (RTR) offering. Now the rest of the NetEqualizer GUI has the same look and feel as RTR. We have also built out our Traffic Limits configuration to offer both a batch configuration (Manage Traffic Limits, Limit P2P Traffic, and Manage Priority Traffic) and single edit mode (Perform Quick Edits).

*** Software Update 8.4 can be run on the NE3000, NE4000, and NE5000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in an NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

June 28th, 2016

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Redesign

8.4 introduces a complete GUI redesign, finishing the GUI transition that we started with our 7.1 Real-Time Reporting (RTR) offering. Our new GUI is easier to navigate and more intuitive. Our logical groupings, such as Setup and RTR, make it easier than ever to find what you need. We now also enable you to select the units that you want to see for your entire GUI via Preferences. And now the GUI includes error checking to look for common data validation errors such as properly formed IP addresses and valid positive integers where required. Additionally, we have expanded our warning and error messaging, to help ensure that your configuration is valid.

New NetEqualizer Dashboard

The new NetEqualizer Dashboard gives you a quick view into the state of your NetEqualizer and your network, while providing access to all the key features of your NetEqualizer. From here you access our four core areas:

Setup – Use this to configure your NetEqualizer
RTR – Use this to monitor network connections and report traffic history
DDoS – Use this to view possible DDoS attacks
Maintenance – Use to view documentation and troubleshoot your NetEqualizer.

You can also utilize shortcuts to four Common Tasks (Start/Stop Equalizing, Show Configuration, View Active Connections, and Run Diagnostics). On our new Dashboard, all icons are clickable, so that you can drill into each area to view more details and edit as needed. We also think that you will enjoy seeing your current network traffic right on the dashboard via our new ticker tape type live monitor.

Batch Configuration

You now will have the ability to add, delete, and most importantly, modify, all of your Traffic Limits in a spreadsheet-type format from the GUI using Manage Traffic Limits. This capability is a great feature to have in place when you are initially setting up your NetEqualizer, and also allows you to modify rules as your network changes. Manage Traffic Limits includes defining Hard Limits, Pools and VLAN Limits (Shared Limits), Masked Hosts, and User Quotas.

We also offer batch configuration for your P2P Limits (via Connection Limits) and Priority Traffic.

During batch configuration, we highlight all field changes to help you identify unsaved changes, and also include data validation error checking against your fields.

Please note: Batch Configuration changes require a full Equalizing Restart in order for your changes to take effect.

Perform Quick Edits

While batch mode can help you to initially configure your NetEqualizer and also support network changes, we also wanted to maintain your ability to make quick changes on the fly without bringing down your NetEqualizer process. Perform Quick Edits enables you to do just that. We have kept the ability for you to delete and add Individual Rules across all areas (Hard Limits, By Pool, By VLAN, Masked Hosts, User Quotas, P2P Traffic, and Priority Traffic), without needing to stop and restart Equalizing.

Please note: Perform Quick Edits do NOT require a full Equalizing Restart, as changes take effect upon saving. For this reason, Perform Quick Edits does not include rule modifications – for that you use Manage Traffic Limits, Limit P2P Traffic, and Manage Priority Traffic.

Usability Enhancements

In addition to all the other great features in 8.4, we have added or enhanced the following:

You can now set the Date and Time, as well as the Time Zone, via the NetEqualizer GUI.
Run Diagnostics now offers the ability to save the generated data as a .txt file, that you can download and email to Support.
We have removed the information-only penalty threshold from the NetEqualizer Log, as it was confusing.
We have changed the Default Penalty Unit to 1, which works better with video traffic.
We have added DNS name resolution to all tabular reports in RTR via DHCP.
We have added Password Verification to the GUI.

Update 8.3 – Expanded Real-Time Reporting (RTR), and Enabled Management Port on all new NetEqualizers

Editor’s Note: The 8.3 software update is now generally available to customers.

We recommend that customers using our Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR) upgrade to 8.3 Expanded RTR. This includes all RTR releases (software update 7.1, 7.4, 7.5, or 8.1 releases). The 8.3 Release provides our full core offering of reporting capabilities, as well as some minor fixes from our 8.1 RTR release.

Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

In this release, we complete our reporting toolset, enabling you to get additional visibility into bandwidth usage and shaping on your network. Reports added span all three core areas of RTR (traffic history, active connections, and the real-time dashboard), and represent the data most-requested by our customers.

In summary, we added a Pools Dashboard to the RTR Dashboard, Active Connections was expanded to include Active Penalties, Connection Counts, and IPv6 traffic, and finally, Traffic History now also contains Penalty Graphs, Top Talkers, and Exports. All reporting is now consolidated under Dynamic RTR.

*** Software Update 8.3 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

June 9th, 2015

1. Expanded Real-time Reporting (RTR)

In this release, we finish adding key reports to Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR). The 8.3 reports include seven (7) new tables, graphs, and dashboards, all of which further your ability to delve into your network traffic. In 8.3, you will be excited to get more visibility into your top bandwidth users (“top talkers”), see what penalties are occurring on your network in real-time or historically, and monitor connections to help you identify possible P2P users on your network. Also, as of 8.3, all reports are available via our RTR Menu, to give you access to everything you need from one convenient place.

The seven (7) new reports are described in more detail below:

1a) Real-Time Dashboard

Pools Dashboard This dashboard gives you real-time visibility into the traffic flowing in your Pools (pools are a shared bandwidth allocations for a set of IPs). You can use this to see upload and download bandwidth utilized, as well as which Pools are being equalized. The Pools Dashboard helps you to optimize your pool sizes, and also which pools you might want to dig in further. The Real-Time Pools Dashboards displays a bar chart of all Pools on your network, upload and download limits, and the equalizing limit (at ratio). You can pause and resume the display to help with your analysis.

1b) Traffic History

Top Talkers This report is a great tool to help you to see who is consuming the most bandwidth on your network, Pool or VLAN. For those of you that have used ntop in the past, this is our version of the ntop Summary Hosts Report. Top Talkers displays the top 10 bandwidth users by IP address on your entire network, Pool, or VLAN (you can view 25 or 100 as well), over our standard time periods that range from 10 minutes to 4 weeks. You can view either upload, download or both, as well as the actual bandwidth consumed by putting your cursor over each bar on the graph.
General Penalty Reports This report gives you visibility into the penalties being applied to your network. General Penalty Reports display a graph of all penalties that have been applied to your entire network over our standard time periods (10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 12 hours, 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks).
Export Data This reporting capability enables you to save off data for troubleshooting and capacity planning analyses. You can download each minute of the last 24 hours of data across your network for troubleshooting purposes, or download four (4) weeks of hourly data or penalty data by the minute to load it into a separate reporting data warehouse for capacity planning purposes. Export Data provides you with three (3) options to export data, all in CSV format.

1c) Active Connections

IPv6 Active Connections This report shows you all IPv6 data flows on your network.
Active Penalties This report gives you visibility in real-time into the penalties being applied to your network. Active Penalties shows all IPs that have penalties, either new, increased, or decreased. Due to popular demand, this report is being brought back from our first version of RTR.
Connection Counts This report helps you to monitor which IPs are using a large number of connections on your network. Connection Counts shows inbound, outbound and total connections by IP, for all IPs on your network.

2. RTR Fixes

RTR now uses the same timezone as your NetEqualizer process, instead of your browser’s timezone. For more information on setting your timezone see our User Guide, Appendix #6.
Each time RTR is started, we now check for and clear out any RTR running processes before starting a new set.
In our Traffic History reports, we were sampling data every minute and displaying on the results on the Traffic History reports. We have now fixed our algorithms to sample more often and average the results, so that the history reports are more meaningful.
We have changed the sort order of the logfile so that you see the newest data on page 1.

3. Management Port Enabled by default in all new NetEqualizers

We strive to make setting up the NetEqualizer as simple as possible. In this spirit, in Q4 2014 we moved all new NetEqualizers to a four (4) port model, and started using colored port plugs to help our customers identify the ports. Two ports (eth0 and eth1) are used for network traffic, a 3^rd port (eth2) is used as a management port, and the 4^th port is a spare. We use four colors: 1) blue (WAN), 2) orange (LAN), 3) clear (Management Port) and 4) black (unused).

Prior to 8.3, only a subset of our customers used the Management Port, typically those on VLANs. As of 8.3, we standardized so that our NetEqualizer code automatically enables the Management Port, and ALL customers will use this to configure new NetEqualizers. While not a huge change, we think this will make setup just a little bit easier for everyone.
*** Please note that this feature is only available on new NetEqualizers.***

Update 8.2 – NetEqualizer Software Update Provides Tools to both Recognize & Block DDoS Attacks, and Equalizes IPv6 Traffic

Editor’s Note: The 8.2 software update is now generally available to customers. We plan to announce GA through our monthly newsletter (subscribe to NetEqualizerNews).

Customers should update to 8.2 if they are interested in either our new DDoS functionality or IPv6 equalizing. Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

We are hearing that many of our customers need help with the onslaught of DDoS attacks on their networks. As the NetEqualizer is implemented near the network perimeter, and has visibility to all incoming and outgoing traffic, we are able to analyze traffic behavior and report on suspected DDoS attacks. Once identified as suspected DDoS, the NetEqualizer can then be used to block further traffic as needed.

For several years we have provided visibility to IPv6 traffic flowing through the NetEqualizer, to help give you a view into how much IPv6 is on your network. We now feel that IPv6 has gained enough momentum to be a noticeable percentage on our customer’s networks. Therefore, as of 8.2 we are offering equalizing for IPv6 traffic. This will ensure that your full network gets the benefit of improved QoS during peak periods, for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.

*** Software Update 8.2 Beta can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

March 9th, 2015

1. DDoS Monitor & DDoS Firewall Add-on Module
We are excited to announce our new DDoS features, which align well with our core behavior-based QoS philosophy. We have built out this capability, as DDoS attacks are becoming more prevalent, and therefore a concern that our customers need to address. In fact, some sources indicate a rate as high as 28 DDoS attacks per hour in 2013.

DDoS Monitor
As of 8.2, we analyze unrequested incoming traffic to look for inbound traffic that occurs both at high frequency and is repeated a large number of times, which is behavior typical of a DDoS attack. We then provide visibility into this traffic to help you monitor your network, through our new DDoS Monitor.

DDoS Firewall
Once identified, DDoS traffic can be blocked (until the compromised servers and computers are fixed) using our new DDoS Firewall (DFW), which is available as an Add-on Module for the NetEqualizer. There is a one-time initial activation and set-up charge for the NetEqualizer DDoS Firewall. Please see our price list for details. The software itself is covered under NSS; to get future releases, you will need to be current on your NSS. Please email sales@apconnections.net or call us at 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss your options to activate DFW on your system.

2. IPv6 Equalizing

As IPv6 traffic usage grows, we will continue to build out capabilities in our NetEqualizer releases. In this release, we have targeted our core equalizing infrastructure. We have expanded equalizing to include IPv6 traffic.As of 8.2, you can now view all traffic that is being equalized in one place. We mapped IPv6 into unique IPv4 addresses and included this traffic in our Real-Time Reporting (RTR) Active Connections report. This enables you to view, sort, search, and track all of your traffic as a whole, so that you can focus on top users, regardless of whether they are IPv6 or IPv4. For reference, you will still be able to see full IPv6 addresses on our IPv6 Active Connections table.

In December 2014, we had several customers begin to see 10% or more IPV6 traffic on their networks when they turned on their IPv4/IPv6 dual stack. If you fall into this category, and are interested in participating in the IPv6 Beta, please contact us.

Update 8.1 – Enhanced Real-Time Reporting (RTR)

Editor’s Note: The 8.1 software update is generally available to customers. We plan to announce GA through our monthly newsletter (subscribe to NetEqualizerNews).

We recommend that customers using 7.0+ RTR reports, all 7.4 RTR Beta customers, or customers on the 7.5 upgrade to 8.1. The 8.1 Release continues our investment in reporting capabilities. In this release, we focus on adding historical data – and now offer the ability to see up to 4 weeks of history in our Traffic Graphs. We also introduce our Traffic by IP/Pool/VLAN graphs, which enable you to see real-time graphs of bandwidth usage for your Pools, VLANs, or a selected IP. ntop, a 3rd party tool that we previously utilized for historical reporting, is officially deprecated in the 8.1 release.

Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

*** Software Update 8.1 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

September 17th, 2014

Enhanced Dynamic Real-time Reporting (RTR)

We continue to expand upon our investment in Dynamic Real-Time Reporting. Many of you have asked for better visibility into the types of traffic running on your network, in order to help with your capacity planning efforts. 8.1 adds exciting features to our Dynamic Real-Time Reports, including the ability to graphically view traffic at this moment and up to a 4 week period. We have also expanded your view to include the ability to graph by selected (tracked) Pools, IP addresses, subnets, VLANs, along with your entire network. And you can see all of this in the units that make the most sense for you (Mbps, MBps, Kbps, KBps). We have also added the NetEqualizer Log and Active Connections into our RTR Menu, to give you access to everything you need from one convenient place.

You can use 8.1 key features on your network to:

See the amount of data being uploaded & downloaded at this moment via our new RTR Dashboard.
Dive into your Pools, IPs, subnets, and VLANS to view traffic for any tracked IPs through our Traffic Report by IP/Pool/VLAN.
View traffic on your entire network with the General Traffic Reports.
Assess history to see trends, resolve issues, and capacity plan. We now show you up to 4 weeks of data, by IP/Pool/VLAN or your entire network.
Sort, search on, and drill into all Active Connections on your network.
View and search the NetEqualizer Log.

Update 8.0 Experimental – RTR Protocol Tracking Reports

Editor’s Note: Update: As of March 2014, the 8.0 Beta is concluded and the 8.0 software is now available to all customers upon request. We have kept this feature as “experimental”, based on what we learned in the Beta – that DPI/Layer 7 protocol matching is inherently inaccurate. Protocol Matching used for tracking and reporting can produce false positives, as this is not an exact science.

The 8.0 software update is available to all customers participating in the Beta for our new RTR – Protocol Tracking Reports. We anticipate that software update 8.0 will be Generally Available in the March/April 2014 timeframe. We plan to announce GA through our monthly newsletter (subscribe to NetEqualizerNews).

Our new Protocol Tracking Reports provide customers with the tools to monitor protocols on their network, for popular P2P applications and video streams (such as Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, and iTunes).

If you would like to participate in the Beta, you must be on an NE3000 or NE4000 unit, on software update 7.5, and be available to provide feedback and take code updates as needed. If you are interested and think you would be a good candidate for the Beta, please call 303.997.1300 x103 or sales@apconnections.net to request the 8.0 Beta.

*** Software Update 8.0 Beta can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

March 31st, 2014

Dynamic Real-time Reporting (RTR): Protocol Tracking Reports

Protocol Tracking Reports provide customers with the tools to monitor protocols on their network, for popular P2P applications and video streams (such as Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, and iTunes). These protocols can be enabled or disabled for monitoring or restricting traffic. Results display bandwidth usage by protocol, in a pie/bar chart format.

In the 8.0 release we have merged the multi-threaded Layer 7 (DPI) code base that we built out for NetGladiator into our NetEqualizer product line. We believe that our Layer 7 engine is complementary to our NetEqualizer offering, and gives us an additional tool to help you to gain visibility into your network traffic and better manage your network.

Our DPI Engine leverages state-of-the-art Linux kernel utilities and kernel threading mechanisms to optimize pattern recognition and analysis. With kernel threading, cloning, and a high-end Intel SMP processor, we achieve nearly seamless processing (latency of less than 1 millisecond). Many of our competitors have to use higher-priced, semi-custom chip sets and a technology called ASIC to achieve these speeds. You can read more about how we built-out our DPI Engine for NetGladiator in this blog article.

Update 7.5 – RTR General Release and NCO Caching Enhancements

Editor’s Note: We recommend that customers using 7.0+ RTR reports and all 7.4 RTR Beta customers upgrade to 7.5. The 7.5 RTR General Release introduces our new Traffic Reports, which enable you to see real-time graphs of bandwidth usage for your network or a selected IP. We also recommend that all customers using NCO (NetEqualizer Caching Option) update to 7.5 to get the latest caching enhancements. Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

*** Software Update 7.5 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

January 14th, 2014

We recently released our latest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following enhancements and fixes have been implemented from the previous 7.4 with RTR Beta version to the latest 7.5.

1. Dynamic Real-time Reporting (RTR): General Release
Our RTR Beta has concluded, and we are making the Traffic Reports and Enhanced IP Reporting functionality available to general release.

1a. Traffic Reports
Many of you have asked for traffic graphs, to help you better analyze and monitor bandwidth usage on your network. You asked and we are delivering! We are excited to announce our first set of real-time graphs of NetEqualizer traffic. Our Traffic Reports enable you to quickly see how busy your network has been over a period of time, or hone in on an individual IP for analysis. We are continuing our investment in our popular Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR) features, introduced in software update 7.1.

With our Traffic Reports, you can now track NetEqualizer traffic (bandwidth usage) for your whole network, as well as for selected IPs. In our first release, graphs display up to 1 day’s worth of data, and show patterns of upload and download usage, as well as how often you have hit RATIO during the selected time period. With this tool, you can get a better handle on how busy your network is on any given day, and what IPs are consuming your bandwidth. We plan to continue expanding the time interval graphed in future releases.

1b. Enhanced IP Reporting
From both the Active Connections and Top 10 Flow Reports accessible via RTR, you can now click on any IP to discover its rules, domain name, what country it is from, and view its traffic reports.

All Rules for an IP
This feature enables you to see All Rules that have been set up for an individual IP. This is great way to determine if an IP has associated hard limits, or is a member of a Pool/VLAN limit. You can determine whether connection limits apply, and whether the IP has priority or has been masked. If you have set up a quota for the IP, that is displayed as well. And most importantly, the validity of your configuration for that IP is checked, and you are warned if something is wrong.

Domain Name for an IP
We have implemented this functionality in response to a customer request to be able to see domain names in our reporting. You now have the capability to look up the domain name for any IP.

Country for an IP
You can also look up the country associated with any IP address.

1c. Active Connections Report
During the Beta we learned that if you have > 20,000 connections and select to display “ALL” records, the results will be slow to be displayed. We recommend that you only display 100 records (the default) at a time if you have a large number of connections. You can still search on any IP address and see associated results, regardless of the number of records displayed at a time. In future releases we may limit the Active Connections display to limited number of records at a time.

2. NetEqualizer Caching Option (NCO) Enhancements
In order to support better YouTube hit ratios, we have invested in technology that keeps up with the changing nature of how YouTube is delivered. YouTube URLs actually appear like dynamic content most of the time, even if it is the same video you are watching from the day before. One of the basic covenants of a caching engine is to “NOT” cache dynamic content.

In this case of YouTube videos as described above, we have built out logic to cache YouTube, as it is not really dynamic content, just dynamic addressing. For this release, we consulted with some of the top caching engineers in the world, to ensure that we are evolving our caching engine to keep up with the latest addressing schemes. This required a change to our caching logic and some extensive testing in our testing labs.

It is now economically feasible to make a jump to a 1TB SDD drive. As of 7.5, we have now increased our SSD drive size from 256GB to 1TB. All new caching customers will be shipped the 1TB SSD. For existing NCO customers, if you would like to upgrade your drive size, please contact sales@apconnections.net for pricing.

Update 7.4 – NetEqualizer Software Update fixes Jumbo Frame Packets issue and updates our Interface Driver.
(with RTR Beta) – RTR Beta includes new Traffic Reports and enhanced IP Reporting, support for SMTP email servers

Editor’s Note: We recommend that customers on 7.0+ that use Jumbo Frame Packets (non-standard MTUs greater than 1500 bytes) upgrade to the 7.4 Software Update. We have fixed an issue on our Ethernet ports that was introduced with our kernel upgrade in 7.0. Customers on 6.0 or less, and customers not using Jumbo Frame Packets, will not experience this issue.

We are also releasing 7.4 with an RTR Beta. The RTR Beta introduces new Traffic Reports, which enable you to see real-time graphs of bandwidth usage for your network or a selected IP. Customers that are on 7.0+, and are willing to upgrade to 7.4, are eligible to participate in the Beta. Contact sales@apconnections.net if you are interested in participating in the RTR Beta. For those that prefer to wait for GA, we hope to release the RTR Traffic Reports as software update 7.5 in late Q4.

Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

*** Software Update 7.4 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. The NetEqualizer Lite cannot be upgraded to run 7.4. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

October 14th, 2013

Jumbo Frame Size Fix (>= 7.0)
We have updated kernel settings on 7.0+ releases to match the defaults that existed in release 6.0 and prior. This issue was introduced with our 7.0 kernel update, as the defaults were no longer part of the new kernel. These defaults ensure that Jumbo Frame Packets (non-standard MTUs greater than 1500 bytes) are handled correctly by our interfaces. We found (and fixed) this issue on two customer systems that were processing Jumbo Frames. We recommend upgrading to 7.4 if you are running 7.0+ with Jumbo Frames.
Updated Interface Drivers
While researching fixes for the Jumbo Frame issue, we decided to port our drivers to the newer Intel e1000e Linux Base Driver for our gigabit Ethernet controllers. This applies to our standard copper 10/100/1000 network interfaces, as well as our optional 1Gbps multi-mode and single-mode fiber interfaces.

The following enhancements and fixes have been implemented in the 7.4 RTR Beta.

Dynamic Real-time Reporting (RTR): * NEW * Traffic Reports & Enhanced IP ReportingTraffic Reports
Many of you have asked for traffic graphs, to help you better analyze and monitor bandwidth usage on your network. You asked and we are delivering! We are excited to announce our first set of real-time graphs of NetEqualizer traffic. Our Traffic Reports enable you to quickly see how busy your network has been over a period of time, or hone in on an individual IP for analysis. We are continuing our investment in our popular Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR) features, introduced in software update 7.1.With our Traffic Reports, you can now track NetEqualizer traffic (bandwidth usage) for your whole network, as well as for selected IPs. Graphs display up to 1 week of data, and show patterns of upload and download usage, as well as how often you have hit RATIO during the selected time period. With this tool, you can get a better handle on how busy your network is over time, and what IPs are consuming your bandwidth.Enhanced IP Reporting
From both the Active Connections and Top 10 Flow Reports accessible via RTR, you can now click on any IP to discover its rules, domain name, what country it is from, and view its traffic reports.All Rules for an IP
This feature enables you to see All Rules that have been set up for an individual IP. This is great way to determine if an IP has associated hard limits, or is a member of a Pool/VLAN limit. You can determine whether connection limits apply, and whether the IP has priority or has been masked. If you have set up a quota for the IP, that is displayed as well. And most importantly, the validity of your configuration for that IP is checked, and you are warned if something is wrong.Domain Name for an IP
We have implemented this functionality in response to a customer request to be able to see domain names in our reporting. You now have the capability to look up the domain name for any IP.Country for an IP
You can also look up the country associated with any IP address.

Quota and Email Alerts can use SMTP
You can now set up email notices to go to a local mail server (anything supporting SMTP). While previous versions required a gmail account, we now have expanded our quota and email notices to enable you to set up either a local mail server or use gmail.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NSS or on the 7.4 Software Updates, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 7.3c — NetEqualizer Software Update fixes High Volume Hash Table issue, resolves 7.1 Dynamic RTR Chrome & Safari Browser issues, and implements a minor Kernel fix

Editor’s Note: We recommend that customers on 7.0+ running at high volumes (>=250Mbps sustained loads) upgrade to the 7.3c Software Update. We have fixed a hash table issue that appears at extremely high volumes under intense sustained loads (24hrs+).

We have also resolved an issue introduced in 7.1 with our Dynamic Real-time Reporting (RTR). You can now expect fast response times while running RTR in Chrome and Safari browsers. We recommend that you upgrade to 7.3c if you plan to use the Chrome or Safari browsers with RTR.

Other customers can wait to upgrade at their convenience.

*** Software Update 7.3c can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. The NetEqualizer Lite cannot be upgraded to run 7.2. If you would like to discuss trading in a pre-August 2011 NE2000, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

August 9th, 2013

We recently released our latest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following fixes have been implemented from the previous 7.2 version to the latest 7.3c.

High Volume Hash Table Fix (>=7.0)
We have re-architected a piece of our hash table logic in order to optimize processing under sustained heavy loads. We fixed an issue that appeared on two customer 1Gbps systems under 24hrs+ of heavy processing.To be conservative, we recommend upgrading to 7.3 if that if you are running sustained loads above 250Mbps.

Dynamic Real-Time Reporting Enhancements & Fixes (>=7.1)
In 7.1 we introduced Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR), a new reporting capability imbedded within the NetEqualizer Dashboard. With RTR, you are be able to slice and dice network usage and network process data in more meaningful ways, to help you better manage your network. See Software Update 7.1 for more details.We have fixed the issue that caused Dynamic RTR to work slowly in Chrome and Safari browsers. We have also re-architected how the reports load, which has made the Top 10 Flows and Active Connections reports much faster in all browsers. As part of our solution, we moved the “Lookup an IP by country” off each row in the result set. This now resides at the top of Top 10 Flows and Active Connections reports.
Kernel Upgrade Fix (>=7.0)
In 7.0 we upgraded to a new Linux kernel, in order to keep current on support for the latest hardware. Introducing a new kernel is a large undertaking, and while we certified the software with a full regression, load, and stress test, it is always a challenge to capture all real-world cases. Working with customers on live systems, we identified the following fix needed:Firewall Module fix to ensure that firewall modules do not automatically load into the kernel. We have removed these modules so that they do not load unless you activate the firewall on the NetEqualizer.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NSS or on the 7.3c Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 7.2 — NetEqualizer Software Update Fixes 7.0+
Ethtool bug, Autostart setting, and Updates Penalty Unit default

Editor’s Note: We have resolved an issue introduced with the new Linux kernel rolled out in 7.0. We recommend that you upgrade to 7.2 if you are running at >350Mbps, and are already running Software Update >=7.0.

If you are shaping at <350Mbps, you do not need to upgrade. However, we always recommend staying current with software updates to take advantage of new features and optimizations.

*** Software Update 7.2 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. The NetEqualizer Lite and NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 7.2. If you have either platform and would like to discuss a trade-in, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

July 22nd, 2013

We recently released our latest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following fixes have been implemented from the previous 7.1 version to the latest 7.2.

Ethtool bug fix (>=7.0)
In 7.0 we upgraded to a new Linux kernel, in order to keep current on support for the latest hardware. Introducing a new kernel is a large undertaking, and while we certified the software with a full regression, load, and stress test, it is always a challenge to capture all real-world cases. Working with customers on live systems, we have identified a fix needed for ethtool. We have edited the autostart file to add a symbolic link to ethtool, and also changed the ethtool buffer settings.
Autostart bug fix (>=7.0)
Increased the size of a connections tracking table that was added with the new Linux kernel.
Default Penalty Unit
Changed the default penalty unit to match our recommended value. Default Penalty Unit now = 2. You can read more about Penalty Unit in our User Guide.

Note: We were able to recreate these issues once identified. We have added these test cases to our load test bed, to ensure that we can recreate these scenarios in the future.

Update 7.1 — NetEqualizer Software Update Enhances Reporting with new built-in Dynamic Real-Time Reporting

Editor’s Note: We recommend that you upgrade to 7.1 if you are interested in utilizing our enhanced real-time reporting features. As we mentioned earlier this year, our faster platform and upgrade to a more robust Apache web server enable us to add more features without compromising processing power. We have now built out the first of these features, Dynamic Real-Time Reporting, to offer you enhanced reporting capabilities.

*** Software Update 7.1 can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. The NetEqualizer Lite and NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 7.1. If you have either platform and would like to discuss a trade-in, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

*** We have had reports of very slow response times with Chrome and Safari browsers. Please use Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox for now when accessing the new reporting features. We will have a patch out shortly. ***

June 18^th, 2013

We recently released our latest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following enhancements have been implemented from the previous 7.0 version to the latest 7.1.

Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR)

One of the things that has always differentiated the NetEqualizer from other monitoring and shaping tools is that we have the actual data for every user accurately updated by the second. Thus, we are able to make shaping decisions based on usage every second. With the advent of our 64-bit release (7.0) and a more robust Apache web server, we now are able to display this data in our Dashboard in real-time.

Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR) is a new capability imbedded within the NetEqualizer Dashboard. With RTR, you will be able to slice and dice network usage and network process data in more meaningful ways, to help you better manage your network.

In this first release of Real-Time Reporting, we are offering a dashboard with six key reports. All data is current as of this second, and you can set refresh on or off to keep the data updated. The reports available are as follows, and are all documented in our User Guide:

Pools: Dashboard that shows you all current Pools’ inbound and outbound bandwidth usage. Use this to see your Pool traffic, and to determine which Pools are congested.

Active Connections: Better implementation of our current active connections report. Now sortable and searchable. Use this to easily find bandwidth hogs by sorting on Wavg and displaying largest to smallest (descending). You can also search by any IP address to view all traffic for any particular user by IP.

Top 10 Flows: Focus on your key bandwidth users, for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic. Use this report to quickly isolate your bandwidth hogs.

Penalized Flows: See what penalties are being applied, removed, increased, or decreased. This report is searchable, so you can focus in on penalties for an individual user (by IP address). Use this report to see and easily search the current history of any IP connection that is being throttled due to congestion.

Top Once: Check out what processes are running on your NetEqualizer. Use this report to see how much CPU is being consumed by each process. Useful in troubleshooting efforts.

Configuration: View how you have defined the key parameters on your NetEqualizer. Use this report to validate your settings.

Some of you have tried our previous Microsoft Excel ™ version of this toolset. With 7.1, we have incorporated this capability into our GUI as Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR) and will no longer be offering the Microsoft Excel ™ version. RTR is fully supported for customers with current NSS contracts.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software Subscription (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on Dynamic Real-Time Reporting (RTR), NSS or on the 7.1 Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 7.0 — NetEqualizer Software Update Provides a Faster Platform, Enables Directory Integration, and Extends Directory Integration with our Named Quotas Offering

Editor’s Note: We recommend that you upgrade to 7.0 if you are interested in taking advantage of our new Directory Integration feature (NDI) or to participate in the beta version of Named Quotas. You should also consider upgrading if you are running a NE4000 with 10GB connectivity, to take advantage of our faster processing. While our faster platform will enable us to add more features in 2013 and beyond without compromising processing power, the current 6.0b release performs well for most implementations. The biggest benefit at this time will be to those on NE4000’s using 10GB connections.

Named Quotas is currently in Beta Test, with General Acceptance (GA) planned in May or early June, based on the adoption rate for this feature. In order to use Named Quotas, you must first activate Directory Integration (NDI), which requires some custom setup. If you would like to participate in our beta test, please contact us at sales@apconnections.net or 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss further.

*** Software Update 7.0 with 64-bit processing can be run on the NE3000 and NE4000 series, and all August 2011+ NE2000 series. The NetEqualizer Lite and NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 7.0. If you have either platform and would like to discuss a trade-in, please contact sales@apconnections.net. ***

April 9^th, 2013

1. Faster Platform (64-bit processing)

As part of our commitment to keeping our product supported on the latest hardware, we have upgraded our Linux kernel and re-certified the NetEqualizer software. This kernel upgrade was also undertaken to take advantage of 64-bit processing. This will position us to offer enhanced capabilities to our core equalizing platform, without sacrificing speed and response times. For power Linux administrators, the latest version is current and compatible with the latest Debian utilities.In previous releases, as we moved to multi-core hardware, we have split out key processes across cores, so that equalizing does not have to compete with other processing. With this 64-bit processing release, we will see increased speed for all processes across all cores.

2. NetEqualizer Directory Integration (NDI)

Over the years we have received requests from customers to integrate with their back-end domain controller systems, such as Microsoft Active Directory and other server implementations of LDAP (Apache, IBM Tivoli, etc.). We have always felt that this would be a powerful combination, as Directory Integration has the obvious benefit of utilizing known usernames from your system to identify data flows & activity in the NetEqualizer, rather than IP addresses. As you can imagine, this could make it much easier to trace activity back to a particular user. In 7.0, we are offering NetEqualizer Directory Integration (NDI) with our initial set of functionality – think of this as “Level 1” capability. We are also offering a Beta Test of our first additional “Level 2” functionality, Named Quotas.Please note that there is a one-time initial activation and set-up charge for NetEqualizer Directory Integration (NDI). Once set-up, NDI software itself is covered under NSS; to get future releases, you will need to be current on your NSS. Check our price list for details on NDI activation charge.

NetEqualizer Directory Integration (Level 1)

NDI Level 1 consists of a generic API that can be used by customers once they implement a function on their domain controller (DC) server. Once set-up and configured, the NDI API provides names and associated IP addresses to the NetEqualizer. The NetEqualizer will eventually enable the use of names in a variety of reports, as we learn where they are most useful. In Level 1, we will start by adding names to our basic live snapshot of equalizing activity, the “Active Connections” Report.

***Beta*** Named Quotas (Level 2)

Our first extension of the NDI, Named Quotas, is available for Beta Test. With Named Quotas, once the generic NDI API is setup, the data is used by the NetEqualizer to provide status for User Quotas. This makes the User Quota capability even more meaningful, as quotas are tied to a consistent user’s name rather than an IP address. This will be extremely useful in systems where customers change IP addresses frequently. Once Named Quotas are in place, quota reporting will now status bandwidth usage by username, instead of IP.

As a reminder, as of Software Update 6.0, the Professional Quota API is available through the GUI under the “Manage User Quotas” menu option. Manage User Quotas will be of interest to you if you run a business that charges customers based on bandwidth usage, or if you just want to track bandwidth usage. Now it is even easier for you to create a custom Quota solution that meets your business needs, using our flexible and powerful toolset. If you are interested in learning more, please read the Professional Quota API section of Software Update 5.8.

3. Miscellaneous Fixes

Quota Routine – fix needed so that quota restriction works in all cases as expected. If you are using quotas, you should update to 7.0 to get this fix.
Key Violations – Key Violations message on the GUI Dashboard now works as expected. Key violations message appear if you are exceeding your license level. For more information on Key Violations, please see Quick Start Guide, Appendix #2.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). However, there is a one-time activation charge to help with set-up and configuration of NetEqualizer Directory Integration (NDI). Once implemented, NDI will be covered under NSS. Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NDI, NSS or on the 7.0 Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 6.0 — NetEqualizer Software Update Releases New, Enhanced Graphical User Interface (GUI), Smarter P2P Blocking, and Kernel Optimization

Editor’s Note: Update 6.0 is currently in General Acceptance (GA), as the full User Guide has been released as of early November. If you would like to receive the 6.0 Software Update please contact us at sales@apconnections.net or 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss further.

We recommend that you upgrade to 6.0 to take advantage of our new, enhanced Graphical User Interface. The 6.0 GUI is a major redesign of the look & feel, making the GUI easier to use. You should also consider upgrading if you are interested in our Smarter P2P Blocking capability, which further penalizes P2P traffic. Finally, if you have a high-volume of VoIP traffic on your network, you should upgrade to get our VoIP kernel optimization.

*** The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 6.0. Our new hardware paradigm, the NetEqualizer Lite (not POE), can be upgraded to run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing a NetEqualizer Lite.***

October 9^th, 2012

1. New, Enhanced Graphical User Interface
The 6.0 GUI presents NetEqualizer functionality in a much more organized, intuitive, and modern way. Here are some of the exciting new features of the updated GUI:

New Dashboard Feature
Our new Dashboard provides an intuitive visual display of the status on critical data and settings within NetEqualizer. The Dashboard contains on/off status on Equalizing, ntop, Packet Capture, Quotas, and Caching, so that you can quickly tell if your key functions are running. You can also look at traffic by Pool (Pool 0 for the entire box), and whether Ratio is being exceeded.

To help keep you up-to-date on if you need to upgrade, we display the version that you are running. To make sure you know what date/time and time zone you have set, we display that as well.

Menus aligned by Key Functions
We have redesigned our menus to better support your workflow. For example, if you are setting up and configuring your unit, all key functions related to this are now in the “Setup and Configuration” Menu section. Other Key Menus are Management and Reporting, Troubleshooting and Support, and Maintenance and Reference.

Consistent Look & Feel
Just a minor design point, but one that will make the GUI easier to look at and to interpret! Where possible, we have made sure all our messaging, fonts, colors, buttons, and other design elements use the same look & feel.

Professional Quota API Incorporated
The Professional Quota API functionality introduced in 5.8 has been incorporated into our 6.0 GUI. The Professional Quota API helps you to quickly and easily utilize our NetEqualizer User-Quota API toolset commands via a GUI interface.

As a reminder, the Professional Quota API will be of interest to you if you run a business that charges customers based on bandwidth usage, or if you just want to track bandwidth usage. Now it is even easier for you to create a custom Quota solution that meets your business needs, using our flexible and powerful toolset. If you are interested in learning more, please read the Professional Quota API section of Software Update 5.8.

2. Smarter P2P Blocking
This new feature improves P2P blocking by allowing for dynamic, smart connection limits within the NetEqualizer. With Smarter P2P Blocking, limiting is done by slowly starving the P2P connections for bandwidth. The bandwidth reduction is based on a formula which takes into account two main factors:

1) the number of connections a user has open
2) the load on the network

This is implemented by turning on a new Equalizing parameter, “dynamic hogmin”, which takes into account a user’s number of connections as well as the size of their data flows. When dynamic hogmin is ON, and a user exceeds the defined number of connections, they are penalized more heavily than other users and the penalties get more severe as more connections are opened.

3. Kernel Optimization
In 6.0 we were able to further optimize kernel level processing. This will be of interest to you if you have a high volume of VoIP traffic flowing through your network, and if you were experiencing any jitter in VoIP. Our optimization has resolved jitter in high traffic VoIP installations.

Update 5.8 — NetEqualizer Software Update Releases Professional User-Quota API, Expands Prioritization to include Named Domain and Subnet capabilities, Adds VLAN Masking, and Increases Caching Drive Size

Editor’s Note: We recommend that you upgrade to 5.8 if you are interested in prioritizing bandwidth by domain name servers or by subnets, are looking to mask VLANs, or would like to build out a custom Quota Application using our new Professional Quota API web GUI interface.

*** The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.8. Our new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.***

May 8^th, 2012

1. Expanded Prioritization

Dynamic Allocation
Now you can dynamically allocate bandwidth, by giving priority on the fly, for domains like Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu. Once you have identified the domain servers via “whois”, you can then enter the name servers that you want prioritized and the amount of bandwidth you want reserved for them.

We are able to do this without violating Net Neutrality, as we do NOT use deep packet inspection (DPI) in our solution.

Priority Hosts by Subnet
We have expanded our Priority Hosts feature to enable you to prioritize an entire IP subnet. This feature is useful if you need to prioritize a section of your network, for example, a subnet where your video-streaming servers are hosted.

Professional Quota API
Our popular NetEqualizer User-Quota API goes Professional! Based on your feedback and due to popular demand, we have built out a GUI interface to help you to quickly and easily utilize our NetEqualizer User-Quota API toolset commands.

The Professional Quota API will be of interest to you if you run a business that charges customers based on bandwidth usage, or if you just want to track bandwidth usage. Now it is even easier for you to create a custom Quota solution that meets your business needs, using our flexible and powerful toolset.

The Professional Quota API is a standard pre-written quota utility imbedded in each system. You can quickly plug in IP addresses from the GUI and have a monthly quota enforced right away.

The NetEqualizer User-Quota Application Programmer’s Interface (NUQ-API) Toolkit was first released in April 2010. We are maintaining all of the features offered in the API, but now you can leverage the GUI to implement them. The Quota API still enables you to:

Track user data by IP

Specify Quotas and Bandwidth Limits Rules by IP or an entire IP subnet (quotas are then applied to each IP individually within the subnet).

Monitor real-time bandwidth utilization at any time

Set up notification alarms when users exceed their bandwidth limits

Important Note: The Professional Quota API GUI interface is covered under NSS (using the NUQ-API Toolkit is not supported under NSS).

3. VLAN Masking

VLAN Masking is an extension of our masking feature. MASKs enable you to mark traffic to be ignored by the NetEqualizer, and are used primarily to exclude Local Traffic that you do not want Equalized (masked traffic is “invisible” to the NetEqualizer). Our new VLAN Exclusion enables you to designate entire local VLANs that you want masked.

4. Larger Caching Drive for NCO

We are now shipping NetEqualizer Caching Option (NCO) with a 256 GB SSD drive to enhance our caching capability. This means we expand on and hold more and larger videos and also cache some smaller popular web pages – increasing your hit rates. To-date, caching has been popular for ensuring that trending YouTube videos play quickly, and also for educational videos used in universities and K-12 schools.

NCO activation requires an NE3000 or above, with a minimum of 4GB RAM. For better results, we also recommend a solid-state drive (SSD), which will be included in NCO as part of the implementation process. If you would like to upgrade or trade-in your NetEqualizer, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.netor 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss your options.
There is a one-time initial activation and set-up charge (NCO) for the NetEqualizer caching option. The caching software itself is covered under NSS; to get future releases, you will need to be current on your NSS. Please email sales@apconnections.net or call us at 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss your options to activate NCO on your system.

Update 5.6 — NetEqualizer Software Update Fixes 5.0
VLAN and Pool bug, 5.0 Connection Limit bug, and Optimizes 5.5

Editor’s Note: We have resolved several issues introduced with the new Linux kernel rolled out in 5.0. We recommend that you upgrade to 5.6 if you are shaping using VLANs or Pools AND are running Software Update >=5.0. We have also resolved a Connection Limit locking issue introduced with Software Updates >=5.0. Also, if you previously upgraded to our 5.5 release, we recommend upgrading to take advantage of speed optimizations introduced in 5.6.

If you are shaping via Pools or VLANs on a Software Update <5.0, you do not need to upgrade. However, we always recommend staying current with software updates to take advantage of new features and optimizations.

*** The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.6. We are offering a new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, which will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.***

January 27th, 2012

VLAN and Pool Shaping bug fix (>=5.0)
In 5.0 we upgraded to a new Linux kernel, in order to keep current on support for the latest hardware. Introducing a new kernel is a large undertaking, and while we certified the software with a full regression, load, and stress test, it is always a challenge to capture all real-world cases. Working with customers on live systems, we have identified a fix to a Pool and VLAN shaping issue. In Software Update >=5.0, Pools and VLAN shaping can experience an intermittent lockup issue. If you run Pools or VLAN shaping, you should upgrade to 5.6 to resolve this issue.
Connection Limits bug fix (>=5.0)
Similar to the issue with VLAN and Pool Shaping, we have also found and fixed an issue that could cause one or more Connections Limits to lock up. The symptom experienced in the field was that one connection limit would no longer reset correctly when full, causing all connections to be exhausted for that particular IP. If you use Connection Limits in your environment, you should upgrade to 5.6.

Note: We were able to recreate these issues once identified. We have added these test cases to our load test bed, to ensure that we can recreate these scenarios in the future.

Both the VLAN/Pool Shaping and Connection Limit bugs are very intermittent, so a small fraction of network traffic would be impacted at any time.

5.5 Optimization
We have further optimized our software to speed up the functionality added in 5.5.

Update 5.5 — NetEqualizer Software Update Adds Email Alerts & Notifications, Expanded Prioritization, and IPv6 Visibility

Editor’s Note: As of January 2012, update 5.5 is out of Beta Test and in General Release.

We recommend that you upgrade to 5.5 if you have VoIP and/or YouTube traffic, and are interested in assessing how our DiffServ Priority Feature enhances VoIP and YouTube video prioritization on your network. You may also choose to upgrade if you are running a dual stack (IPv4/IPv6) and want greater visibility into IPv6 traffic. Finally, 5.5 offers email notifications and alerts, which may benefit you if you want increased visibility into your traffic shaping.

***Release 5.5 does NOT run on the NetEqualizer POE. Release 5.5 does run on the NetEqualizer Lite. ***
The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.5. We are offering a new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, which will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.

November 8th, 2011

Expanded Prioritization – DiffServ (TOS) Priority Feature
NetEqualizer’s new Expanded Prioritization – DiffServ Priority Feature is an optional tuning parameter that can be toggled on/off on your NetEqualizer. When DiffServ Priority is “on”, we analyze the Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) field, to provide further instructions to automatically prioritize connections using our equalizing engine.

DiffServ priority complements our core behavior-based shaping algorithms. Based on our research and testing, we expect DiffServ to automatically prioritizeconnections that are utilizing services like VoIP and YouTube video to provide improved quality of service (QoS) on your network.

If too much of your traffic is using the DiffServ field, it may not be beneficial to use this feature, as it could cause all traffic to be considered high priority. To monitor how much of your traffic has the DiffServ field set, look for “on/off” in the new TOS field of the Active Connections Table.

Note: The DiffServ or“Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)” field was formerly known as, and may also be referred to, as the TOS or “Type Of Service” bit.

For more information on our DiffServ/TOS Priority Feature, and priority handling in general, check out this article from our blog: Eleven Tips to Improve VoIP & Video on the Internet Using NetEqualizer and DiffServ/TOS Bits.

For more information on setting DiffServ/TOS bits, here is a reference article showing an example on how to set up DiffServ bits for all traffic coming from an ISA server.

Increased IPv6 Visibility
We are providing enhanced visibility to IPv6 traffic, to help those running dual stacks (IPv4/IPv6) and to prepare for the migration over to full IPv6. We felt that the best way to begin this transition in our software is to provide you with a way to see how much IPv6 traffic is passing through your network. In 5.5 we have added an IPv6 Active Connections Tableto the GUI that shows all of the current IPv6 flows and their bandwidth consumption. We will also give you access to total IPv6 bandwidth currently being consumed in our Show Instant Report, by selecting the IPv6 option.

Note: Even for customers running dual stacks, we do not expect IPv6 traffic to eclipse more than a fraction of a percent of network traffic at this time.

Email Alerts & Notifications
You will now be able to set-up an email account to receive alerts and notifications from the NetEqualizer. Notifications can be sent at pre-defined intervals, based on how often you wish to receive them. This feature also enables you to select from a list of standard events (such as trunk size reaching 100% of capacity), and then sends you a notification when the event is triggered.As part of the 5.5 release, in celebration of our IPv6 visibility, one of the events that we are going to provide visibility to is “IPv6 traffic exceeding 1Mbps”. We will also be providing other popular events as standard.

Update 5.4 — NetEqualizer Software Update Increases Ethernet Receive Buffer Size; Adds Tuning Capabilities for Masks, subnet-ranged Hard Limits & Connection Limits; and Enhances Troubleshooting Tools

Editor’s Note: We recommend upgrading to 5.4 if you would like to take advantage of larger Ethernet Receive buffers. You may also choose to upgrade if you have defined a large number of Masks, or a large number of subnet-ranged Connection Limits, Pools, or Hard Limits, as 5.4 adds two tuning parameters. Additionally, 5.4 may be of interest to you for its improved troubleshooting capabilities, as we have enhanced our diagnostic output.

***Release 5.4 does NOT run on the NetEqualizer POE. Release 5.4 does run on the NetEqualizer Lite. ***
The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.2. We are offering a new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, which will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.

October 11th, 2011

We recently released our newest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following enhancements and fixes have been implemented from the previous 5.2 version to the latest 5.4.

Increased Ethernet Receive Buffers
We introduced a new Linux software kernel in software update 5.0 in order to keep current on support for the latest hardware. We have determined that our new kernel enables us to offer larger Ethernet receive buffers, and have implemented this capability in 5.4. This feature is recommended if your network size is >=100Mbps.
Tuning for a Large Number of Masks (>=32)
The masking features on NetEqualizer are intended to exclude Local Traffic crossing the NetEqualizer link (such as a computer talking to a server on your network) from being considered for any shaping decisions, as masked traffic is “invisible” to the NetEqualizer.In 5.4 we have added a tuning parameter to offer you further flexibility in your use of Masks. This parameter is used to increase the number of Mask definitions possible, from the default of 32 up to a maximum of 256.Note: This parameter does not need to be changed if you use <=32 Masks.
Tuning for a Large Number of subnet-ranged Connection Limits, Hard Limits, & Pools (>=32 subnet ranges)
The NetEqualizer currently simplifies your configuration set-up by enabling you to enter Hard Limits, Connection Limits and Pools as “subnet ranges” (i.e.. HARD x.x.x.x/24) instead of as individual rules. In 5.4 we have adding two (2) tuning parameters that enhance your use of subnet-ranged Connection Limits, Hard Limits, and Pools.
- The first parameter is used to increase the number of subnet-range definitions possible, from the default of 32 up to a maximum of 256.
- The second parameter enables you to tweak how often packets are checked to see if they are within a subnet-range.
Note: As always, the NetEqualizer continues to support an UNLIMITED number of individual Hard Limits, Connection Limits and Pools (i.e. x.x.x.x/32).

Note: These parameters do not need to be changed if you use a combined <=32 subnet ranges in total across Pools, Hard Limits, and Connection Limits.
Enhanced Troubleshooting Tools
With 5.4, we have updated our diagnostic output file (produced by running Miscellaneous->Run Live System Diag). The output now includes a dump of connections that may be suspect for P2P abuse. We also found that Key Violations in the diagnostic file were not calculated correctly and so did not match those displayed on the Main Menu GUI. This has been fixed in 5.4.

Minor Enhancements
- We have removed Global Connection Limits from the Main Menu GUI, as this capability has been replaced by subnet-ranged Individual Connection Limits.
- Enhanced the Pool Members page to enable you to see more Pools.

Update 5.2 — NetEqualizer Software Update Adds P2P Locator Tool, Fixes 5.0 VLAN and IE bugs

Editor’s Note: We recommend upgrading to 5.2 if you use VLAN shaping and previously upgraded to Release 5.0. You may also choose to upgrade if you use IE as your browser with 5.0 to fix a minor bug. Additionally, if P2P is an issue for you, 5.2 gives you access to our new peer-to-peer (P2P) Locator Tool.

***Release 5.2 does NOT run on the NetEqualizer POE. Release 5.2 does run on the NetEqualizer Lite. ***
The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.2. We are offering a new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, which will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.

June 15th, 2011

P2P Locator Tool — Although the NetEqualizer has long been able to thwart P2P behavior without any controversial layer-7 packet inspection, our new P2P Locator Tool can now automatically pinpoint and identify an individual P2P user or gamer without looking at any private data. The tool provides:

A list of users that are suspected of using P2P

A list of users that are likely hosting gaming servers

A confidence rating for each user (from high to low)

The option of tracking users by IP and MAC address

The P2P Locator Tool is available under the Reports & Graphing Menu by selecting “Show find P2P Report”.

VLAN shaping fix – With 5.0, we updated our linux kernel to the latest stable Debian version. We have determined that this update created a bug in our VLAN shaping. 5.2 fixes the VLAN shaping bug introduced by 5.0. If you are shaping by VLAN on 5.0, you must upgrade to 5.2.

Note: If you are running VLAN shaping on a previous version (<5.0), you do not need this update, as this bug was introduced in 5.0.

IE fix – With the IE browser, we found that “Run a Command” was not working in 5.0. This now works as expected.

Update 5.0 — NetEqualizer Software Update Adds NetEqualizer 3000 Caching Option (NCO), Updates Linux Kernel, Refreshes Graphical Reporting (ntop), Enhances High Volume Installations, Relaxes License Enforcement, and Enables NetEqualizer Naming

Editor’s Note: We recommend upgrading to 5.0 if you would like to take advantage of the NetEqualizer 3000 Caching feature for YouTube (“NCO” – NetEqualizer Caching Option). We also recommend upgrading if you want to take advantage of Debian utilities available with the new Linux kernel, and get an updated version of our graphical reporting tool (ntop). In addition, you may be interested in upgrading if you have Large Pools or VLANs (>==10Mbps), occasionally burst over your license level, or run multiple NetEqualizers.

***Release 5.0 does NOT run on the NetEqualizer POE, due to the port to the new Linux kernel. At this time we are assessing when and if the POE will be upgraded to run 5.0. UPDATE as of December 2011: The NetEqualizer POE cannot be upgraded to run 5.0. We are offering a new hardware paradigm (not POE), the NetEqualizer Lite, which will run 5.0 and greater. Contact us if you are interested in trading in your NetEqualizer POE for a NetEqualizer Lite.***

April 12th, 2011

We recently released our newest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following enhancements have been implemented from the previous 4.7 version to the latest 5.0.

NetEqualizer 3000 Caching Option (NCO) — We have developed an embedded caching capability for YouTube videos that runs directly on the NetEqualizer box. When NCO is activated, a squid proxy server is loaded, along with proprietary NetEqualizer Caching configuration and integration software. NCO is used to cache frequently used, static content, which are primarily YouTube videos. To learn more about this feature, read our YouTube FAQ.
- Important Note: NCO activation requires an NE3000 or above, with a minimum of 4GB RAM. For better results, we also recommend a solid-state drive (SSD), which will be included in NCO as part of the implementation process. If you would like to upgrade or trade-in your NetEqualizer, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net or 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss your options.
- There is a one-time initial activation and set-up charge (NCO) for the NetEqualizer caching option. The caching software itself is covered under NSS; to get future releases, you will need to be current on your NSS. Please email sales@apconnections.net or call us at 303.997.1300 x103 to discuss your options to activate NCO on your system.
Linux Kernel Update — In order to keep current on support for the latest hardware, we have updated our kernel to the latest stable Debian version and re-certified the NetEqualizer software. For power Linux adminstrators the latest version is current and compatible with the latest Debian utilities.
Refreshed Graphical Reporting — With the Linux kernel update, we have been able to upgrade our graphical reporting tool (ntop). Release 5.0 loads the 3.3 ntop release. Read more about ntop.
High Volume Installations — We continue to enhance our shaping for High Volume Installations. In this release, we have incorporated self-adjusting shaping that automatically responds to changing traffic patterns for Large Pools and Large VLANs (>=10Mbps), reducing the need for manual tuning. The NetEqualizer dynamically smooths our rate limits so that packets are slowed down progressively before dropping packets.Note: If you have previously run tuning commands for Large Pools or Large VLANs, there is no need to remove those commands. They will work in concert with the new automated capabilities.
Relaxed License Enforcement — We will now allow you to burst over your license level for up to 10 seconds without incurring any negative side effects. Prior to this release, tolerance was more tightly enforced.
Name Your NetEqualizer!(Feature request from a customer) — You asked and we listened! For many of you that have installed multiple NetEqualizers, it is difficult to tell which one you are administering at any given time, as you only see the IP address for the box. Now you can associate a “NetEqualizer Name” with each management IP address and see that information in the Web GUI, so you will always know which NetEqualizer you are working on!
- Note: If you have a feature request you would like considered for a future release, email Sales at sales@apconnections.net with the subject “Feature Request,” and tell us what you would like to see!
New Speed Log Tool (Feature request from a customer) — We have added a new “Speed Log Tool” that will test and report your link capacity hourly. During your busy hour, this tool will help you to validate whether you are getting the up and down link speeds that you expect from your provider.
Better Monitor Bandwidth Hogs — You can now run a command to see all current bandwidth hogs (connections that are over HOGMIN).
Reduce CPU Load — You can run “top” in non-interactive mode to reduce CPU load on the system by using the toponce command.
Enhanced Firewall — We have enhanced the NetEqualizer firewall capability, which is used only if you need to install the NetEqualizer in a public link and therefore firewall off the NetEqualizer itself. If you want to know whether your firewall is enabled, you can now “show the current firewall rules” without starting the firewall.

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. However, there is a one-time charge to activate the NetEqualizer Caching Option (NCO) module, as described above. For more information on the NCO, NSS or on the 5.0 Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 4.7 — NetEqualizer Software Update Enhances High Volume Installations, Adds Bandwidth Bursting, & Provides Instantaneous Bandwidth Reporting

July 7th, 2010

We recommend upgrading to 4.7 if you utilize Large Pools or VLANs which are greater than or equal to 10 Mbps (>=10 Mbps). You may also choose to upgrade if you would like to take advantage of our new Bandwidth Bursting or Instantaneous Bandwidth Reporting capabilities.

Large VLANs
VLAN Limits enhanced for Large VLANs (>=10 Mbps). We have smoothed our rate limits so that packets are slowed down progressively before dropping packets. In order to implement this feature, you will need to run a tuning command. Please see our write-up on how to do this in the Support Archives.
Large Bandwidth Pools
Pool Limits enhanced for Large Pools (>=10 Mbps). We have smoothed our rate limits so that packets are slowed down progressively before dropping packets.
NetEqualizer is now taking advantage of expanded kernel memory space, up to 64GB.
Bandwidth Bursting
With the new bursting feature, you can now set up a burst limit for each Hard Limit on a particular customer’s IP, which will allow you to define:
– How long a customer’s burst will last (burst duration)
– How long a customer must wait between bursts (burst delay)
– How much additional bandwidth a customer will get during their burst (burst limit)
Instantaneous Bandwidth Reporting
Curious about how much bandwidth a particular IP address, Pool, or VLAN is utilizing on your network? Instantaneous Bandwidth Reporting enables you to query in real-time right from the NetEqualizer GUI. This enables you to measure a customer’s current bandwidth utilization by IP, VLAN or Bandwidth Pool, allowing you to actually see the burst in action. This instant bandwidth reporting feature is an industry first.
Defaults increased to take advantage of additional memory.
BRAIN_SIZE increased from 3,000 to 10,000, and is editable.
HOGMAX increased to 1,000,000, and has been removed from the Modify Parameter screen, as it is not editable.
BUFFERS increased to 900, and has been removed from the Modify Parameter screen, as it is not editable.
Password checking. GUI now enforces passwords that meet our password rules.

Update 4.5 – NetEqualizer Software Update enhances Pools, Rules, and Tools

April 5th, 2010

NetEqualizer 4.5 will now support additional pools and mask rules. It provides a bits-to-bytes conversion quick reference, and enables you to set up a larger RAM disk for ntop reporting (www.ntop.org). It also contains a new User-Quota API programmer’s toolkit. These features are described in more detail below.

NetEqualizer Now Supports up to 300 Pools
We have expanded the Pools capability. Using Pools in your configuration has always enabled you to set up shared bandwidth for a group of users (each user in the pool’s bandwidth usage is additive up to the overall total). For example, a Pool defined with 10 users for 2Mbps up and 1Mbps down limits all 10 users to sharing this bandwidth. You are now able to create up to three-hundred (300) Pools via the NetEqualizer Web Graphical User Interface (GUI). In previous versions the maximum number of Pools that could be set-up was 40.

NetEqualizer Now Supports up to 256 Masks
Many of you utilize Mask Rules in your configuration to hide local server-to-server traffic that you do not want equalized or counted against your license, as well as to hide connections (like a speedtest site). We have increased the number of Mask Rules that you can set-up from thirty (30) to two hundred fifty-six (256).

Larger Capacity to Store ntop Reports (All models except NetEqualizer Lite)
We are continuing to strengthen our reporting capabilities for the NetEqualizer 2000 series and above. In this release, we have significantly increased the RAM disk size used to run reporting (via ntop). Our RAM disk is now 300Mb, versus 30Mb in previous releases. This will enable most users to keep 1 month or more of data locally on the RAM disk (you may be able to store even more, depending on your network size and traffic level). This change also increases the lifespan of the Compact Flash (CF).

For those of you that want to keep even more history, contact our Support Team support@apconnections.net to get detailed instructions on how to set up ntop on a separate server, and load it with NetEqualizer data.

Please note that the current NetEqualizer Lite no longer offers ntop reporting, as we cannot move ntop off the CF onto a RAM disk in the NetEqualizer Lite, and maintain the small form factor.

NetEqualizer User-Quota Application Programmer’s Interface (API) Toolkit
This new toolkit will allow NetEqualizer users to generate custom configurations to better handle bandwidth quotas, as well as to keep customers informed of their individual bandwidth usage.

Internet providers use bandwidth quotas as a means to meter total bandwidth downloaded over a period of time for their customer base. This can help an internet provider to identify customers that may need to increase their service level. It can also be used to provide customers with a tool to see their usage patterns.

The NetEqualizer User-Quota API programmer’s toolkit features include:

Tracking user data by IP and MAC address (MAC address tracking will be out in the second release)
Specifying quotas and bandwidth limits by IP or a subnet block
Monitoring real-time bandwidth utilization at any time
Setting up a notification alarm when a user exceeds a bandwidth limit
Utilizing an API programming interface

Important Note: Support for the NetEqualizer User-Quota API Toolkit is NOT included in our standard software support (NSS).

Bits-to-Bytes Quick Reference
On the Main Page, you can now quickly see how to convert from bits to bytes. This should help you to input the correct values for the TRUNK_UP and TRUNK_DOWN parameters. Some of you have been confused on this, so we thought this would help clarify for all.

4.0 and Above ONLY: Fix to Pools
Please note that the following fix only applies to version 4.0 or greater. If you are on 3.x version or earlier, you do not need this fix.

If you are using Pools in 4.0 or greater (4.0 – 4.3), we recommend that you apply this software update in order for Pools to work correctly. We have found that in certain cases Pool numbers were being mishandled in 4.0.

Update 4.0 — Carrier-Class Shaping

Continuing the constant evolution of the NetEqualizer line, we’re pleased to offer the most recent NetEqualizer software release – Carrier Class 4.0. In addition to providing the features and quality found in past NetEqualizer releases, among its many enhancements Carrier Class 4.0 will now support three times as many shaping buffers, translating into smoother shaping for up to tens of thousands of users.

For example, you will be able to take a one-gigabit pipe and break off 1,000 users into a subnet mask to share 100 megabits (with smoother results than current versions). Most routers that break out chunks of bandwidth use harsh rate control methods such as dropping packets when the limit is reached. Although there will be a small margin of error, the optimizations and techniques used to break off larger chunks of bandwidth and shape them smoothly without dropping packets rivals that of carrier class shapers sold for 10 times our cost.

The following features and enhancements will also be available with Carrier Class 4.0:

Full one- to 32-bit mask fields for hard limits — You can now take any IP address and specify a mask in x.x.x.x/y format where y is the number of bits you wish to mask. All IP addresses in the masked range will receive the specified hard limit (Hard limits are individual rate limits for an IP address).
Pools support masks – You can now add members to a bandwidth pool using a mask field of the form x.x.x.x/y, Y can range from one to 32. The NetEqualizer will automatically add members of the range specified as they become active and retire them if they become inactive. This optimization will allow users to specify large ranges without overwhelming the system.
Full one- to 32-bit masking for traffic masking – You can now use the NetEqualizer masking function with odd numbered mask specifications, prior to this release only /24 and /16 masks were allowed.
Pool number displayed in active connection table – You can now see if a connection is part of a pool, the pool number will be displayed in the last column of the connection table.
Release 1.0 of our URL-based blocking feature – Now you can block a list of URL’s. This feature is commonly used by libraries and private institutions where there is a mandate to block particular recreational sites. In the initial release, customers need only supply a config file with all URLs by name that they wish to block and then hit the start button. In future releases, we will be contracting with providers that supply updated lists on a regular basis. There will be no charge to enable our URL-blocking feature, however there will likely be subscription charges to use third party URL lists.
Connection limit masks now fully supported – You can specify a connection limit mask of the form x.x.x.x/y where y is an int from one to 32. Prior to this release, only /24 and /26 were supported.
New Automatic detection of license overruns – The NetEqualizer will now automatically report any new license overruns. Any time you log into the GUI, a message will be displayed indicating how many license overruns you may have incurred since your last reboot. If you do see a license overrun, you should call support and see about upgrading your license.
New license levels available for enforcement in kernel
URL-based shaping

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NSS or on the Carrier Class 4.0 Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

Update 3.32a/b — NetEqualizer Software Update Improves VLAN Shaping, NTOP

June 9, 2009

We recently released our newest NetEqualizer software update, further improving on our existing technology. The following fixes have been implemented from the the previous 2.43k version to the latest 3.32a.

Upgraded internal disk memory caching. This feature remedied an issue with NTOP that was causing disk corruptions on the CF drive.
Subnet masking was modified such that masked traffic will not count against your license level. Prior to this change, a customer with a 10-meg license who ran 100 meg local transfers across their NetEqualizer would experience a license violation. You can now mask that traffic (make it invisible to the NetEqualizer and hence not violate your license).
A bug fix was put in for customers who run asymmetric pools. Bandwidth pools with different upload and download speeds were not working correctly prior to this fix.
VLAN shaping fix. There was an issue on cold restarts.
Support for multi-core CPU
More efficient connection limit processing

This software update is available without charge for NetEqualizer customers with a current NetEqualizer Software & Support contract (NSS). Click here for details on NSS. Click here for NSS pricing. For more information on NSS or on the 3.32a/b Software Update, contact Sales at sales@apconnections.net.

6 Comments »

tim steele Says:
July 30, 2009 at 5:53 AM

we have a NETEQ where can i download this update
and how do i install it?

netequalizer Says:
July 30, 2009 at 7:11 AM

You would need to request it from our support please send the serial number from your unit so they can verify owner and license information is current.

support@apconnections.net

netequalizer Says:
November 15, 2009 at 9:16 PM

This comes on a new CF. There are quite a few low level changes

NetEqualizer

ugo Says:
January 8, 2010 at 10:37 AM

hi,

how can i view graphs of all active users on bandwidth manager

Michael Says:
December 9, 2011 at 2:40 PM

Any plans to include the ability to update firmware on the NetEqualizer without having to replace the compact flash card?

netequalizer Says:
December 9, 2011 at 2:45 PM

All the 5.x to 5.x releases should run via quick update.

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