Vyatta's Open-source Router To Take On Cisco, Juniper
Vyatta, an open-source router company, released the first beta version of its WAN router code last week, with the goal of becoming the networking equivalent of Linux or Firefox, but taking aim at Cisco instead of Microsoft. Vyatta's software is based on code developed by the eXtensible Open Route Platform (XORP), begun in 2002 as an open-source router software project. Vyatta's code combines a modified Linux operating system with XORP and runs on standard x86 PC hardware. The vendor says it is targeting small business and mid-size enterprise branch office networks with a product that can cost 50 percent to 90 percent less than mid-range commercial WAN routers from Cisco, Juniper or Alcatel.
"XORP requires someone to download the code, compile it on a Linux machine, and then integrate a lot of different parts," says Dave Roberts, vice president of strategy and marketing for the company. "Vyatta is talking on that job, by pulling things together into a more user-friendly distribution." The vendor also adds features not included in the base XORP code, such as Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), SNMP, and other network protocols.
