Netavo launches broadband gateway software for operators

Netavo has commercially launched its Broadband Network Gateway and L2TP Network Server software, which it says is the same software it uses on its own network.

The launch makes available a platform that, according to Netavo, handles subscriber termination, carrier-grade NAT and routing on standard x86 servers. The company said its own benchmarking showed the software could reach 200 Gbps of subscriber traffic from a single commodity server.

The product is aimed at broadband operators seeking a subscriber edge platform as older systems reach end of support and network costs come under review. Netavo cited the end-of-life of Cisco's ASR1000 fixed-configuration edge routers, pressure from IPv4 scarcity and the removal of Chinese-origin BNG platforms from Western networks on security grounds.

Netavo said the software supports PPPoE, IPoE and L2TP, including both LAC and LNS, and can handle dual-stack services with one session per access circuit. It added that the system supports up to 100,000 concurrent subscribers on a single server.

According to Netavo, its integrated NAT44 function is included in every licence, alongside endpoint-independent filtering and RFC 5424 port-block logging. The same software can also run as a standalone CGNAT appliance.

The routing stack includes BGP with VPNv4 and VPNv6, IS-IS or OSPF, MPLS L3VPN, per-service VRFs and equal-cost multipath. For authentication and accounting, the software supports RADIUS or direct SQL database authentication, with accounting to RADIUS or Azure Service Bus.

Management options include a REST API, a browser-based web interface with two-factor authentication and a Junos-style command line interface with commit and rollback. Netavo said the data plane continues forwarding traffic while the control plane restarts or upgrades.

Performance focus

Under the software architecture, the data plane can run in DPDK mode on bare-metal servers or in AF_XDP mode on a wider range of network interface cards, including in virtual machines. Netavo said the forwarding software is the same across both options.

The company said its benchmark used internet-mix traffic rather than large packet sizes and was measured with quality of service and CGNAT enabled. Netavo added that the free evaluation version includes the benchmark so operators can test the result on their own hardware.

Licence model

Netavo is licensing the software by concurrent subscribers rather than charging separately for NAT, routing or throughput. It said moving the software to a larger server does not change the licence.

A free evaluation build is available with support for up to 50 concurrent subscribers and all features enabled. Optional support packages range from business-hours cover to 24x7 support with response-time commitments.

Chris Byrd, Chief Technology Officer at Netavo, said the software had already been used internally before the commercial launch.

"We built this to run our own network, and we have been operating it in production over the past year, so we rely on it every day, exactly as our customers will," said Chris Byrd, Chief Technology Officer at Netavo.

"Most BNG vendors have never had to operate their own product. We are releasing the exact software we run ourselves, licensed on one number (subscribers), with carrier NAT included, not sold back to you as an add-on," Byrd said.