Metropolitan/access optical network architecture to supply virtual private network, integrating layer-2&3 routings by optical/electrical hybrid switching

A novel optical network architecture to integrate layer 2 and 3 routings by optical/electrical hybrid switching is proposed. One node router and 8 edge routers were prepared and connected with single-mode fibers so as to form an optical ring, and the transmission experiments were conducted. It was successfully confirmed in the performance examination that layer 2 and 3 transmission could be integrated through the network, by using 8 wavelengths in 1550 nm band for the layer 2 transmission and 1310 nm wavelength for the layer 3 transmission.