Adtran Switches

Adtran provides two distinct product lines integrated with rXg: Access Switch Elements (ASE) for traditional Ethernet switching and G.fast Distribution Point Units (DPU) for high-speed delivery over existing copper infrastructure. Each product line uses a different management approach.

Supported Models

ASE (Access Switch Element)

DPU (Distribution Point Unit)

Architecture

ASE (Traditional Switching)

ASE devices operate as standard managed switches with SSH-based CLI management. The rXg connects directly to ASE devices for configuration and monitoring.

DPU (G.fast via Mosaic Cloud)

DPU devices use G.fast technology to deliver multi-gigabit speeds (up to 2.5 Gbps) over existing copper telephone wiring. Unlike traditional switches, DPU management is performed through the Adtran Mosaic cloud platform:

rXg --> Mosaic Cloud API --> DPU Device --> G.fast CPE

The Mosaic platform provides: - Centralized device management - Service provisioning and activation - Performance monitoring - Firmware management

Features Supported

ASE Features

DPU Features

Prerequisites

ASE Prerequisites

Firmware Requirements

Network Requirements

• Management IP connectivity to rXg
• SSH access (TCP port 22)
• SNMP access (UDP port 161)
• RADIUS connectivity (UDP ports 1812, 1813) for 802.1X/MAB

DPU Prerequisites

Mosaic Cloud Requirements

• Valid Mosaic cloud account credentials
• API access enabled for rXg integration
• DPU devices registered in Mosaic platform

Network Requirements

• HTTPS connectivity from rXg to Mosaic API
• DPU management network connectivity to Mosaic cloud
• SNMP access to DPU for local monitoring (optional)

Onboarding Process

ASE Onboarding

ASE devices require manual initial configuration before rXg integration:

1. Configure management IP address
2. Enable SSH service
3. Create user account for rXg access
4. Enable SNMP service
5. Configure SNMP community
6. Add device to rXg Infrastructure Devices

Initial CLI configuration:

enable
configure terminal

! Management IP
interface vlan 1
ip address <ip> <mask>
exit
ip default-gateway <gateway>

! SSH enable
ip ssh server

! User account
username <username> privilege 15 password <password>

! SNMP configuration
snmp-server community <community> ro
snmp-server enable

exit
write memory

DPU Onboarding

DPU devices are managed through the Mosaic cloud platform:

1. Register DPU in Mosaic cloud portal
2. Configure Mosaic API credentials in rXg
3. Add DPU as Infrastructure Device in rXg with Mosaic connection details
4. rXg will sync device information from Mosaic

rXg Infrastructure Device settings:

Configuration

ASE Connection Settings

The rXg connects to ASE devices via SSH using RubyExpect for CLI automation.

CLI prompts recognized: - Password prompt: Password: - Enabled prompt: # - Disabled prompt: > - Config prompt: (config)# - Interface prompt: (config-if)#

DPU Connection Settings (Mosaic API)

The rXg connects to Mosaic cloud via REST API over HTTPS.

Authentication flow: 1. Obtain bearer token using username/password credentials 2. Include token in Authorization header for subsequent requests 3. Tokens are cached and refreshed as needed

API request format: json { "Authorization": "Bearer <token>", "Content-Type": "application/json" }

DPU Service Provisioning Model

DPU subscriber services follow a three-phase provisioning model:

1. Create Service: Define service parameters (VLANs, bandwidth profile)
2. Deploy Service: Push configuration to DPU
3. Activate Service: Enable service for subscriber traffic

Service configuration parameters: - Service ID (unique identifier) - Port assignment - VLAN configuration (single or QinQ) - Bandwidth profile

VLAN Configuration

ASE VLAN Configuration

Standard VLAN configuration via CLI:

vlan database
vlan <vlan_id>
exit

interface ethernet <port>
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan <vlan_id>
exit

DPU VLAN Configuration

Single VLAN

For simple deployments with single VLAN per subscriber:

{
  "vlan": <vlan_id>,
  "type": "untagged"
}

QinQ Double Tagging

For service provider deployments requiring double VLAN tagging:

Inner Tag (C-VLAN) : Customer VLAN, unique per subscriber
Outer Tag (S-VLAN) : Service VLAN, typically per DPU or service type

QinQ configuration: json { "innerVlan": <cvlan_id>, "outerVlan": <svlan_id>, "type": "qinq" }

Bandwidth Profiles

DPU bandwidth profiles control subscriber throughput. The default profile provides symmetric high-speed service.

Default profile: GF940Mx200M (940 Mbps down / 200 Mbps up)

G.fast maximum theoretical speed: 2.5 Gbps

Bandwidth profiles are referenced by name when creating services. Custom profiles can be defined in the Mosaic platform.

RADIUS / AAA Configuration (ASE Only)

For 802.1X and MAB authentication on ASE switches:

! RADIUS server configuration
radius-server host <rxg_ip> key <shared_secret>
radius-server host <rxg_ip> auth-port 1812
radius-server host <rxg_ip> acct-port 1813

! AAA configuration
aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
aaa authorization network default group radius

! Enable 802.1X on ports
interface ethernet <port>
dot1x port-control auto
exit

Monitoring Capabilities

ASE Monitoring

DPU Monitoring

Data Gathered from DPU

The config sync process retrieves: - Device information (model, serial, firmware) - Port configurations - Active services - VLAN assignments - G.fast line statistics

Troubleshooting

Common ASE Issues

SSH Connection Failures

Symptom: Unable to establish SSH connection Resolution: - Verify SSH is enabled: show ip ssh - Check firewall allows TCP port 22 - Verify user credentials and privilege level - Check for IP lockout after failed attempts

802.1X Not Working

Symptom: Clients not authenticating Resolution: - Verify RADIUS server configuration - Check RADIUS shared secret matches rXg - Verify dot1x is enabled on port - Check rXg RADIUS logs for authentication attempts

Common DPU Issues

Mosaic API Connection Failures

Symptom: Unable to communicate with Mosaic cloud Resolution: - Verify Mosaic credentials are correct - Check HTTPS connectivity to Mosaic API endpoint - Verify API access is enabled for the account - Check for expired or invalid bearer token

Service Not Activating

Symptom: Service created but subscriber has no connectivity Resolution: - Verify service was deployed after creation - Check service activation status in Mosaic - Verify G.fast link is up between DPU and CPE - Check VLAN configuration on upstream network

G.fast Link Issues

Symptom: Poor performance or frequent disconnections Resolution: - Check line statistics in Mosaic (SNR, attainable rate) - Verify copper cable quality and distance - Check for electrical interference on the line - Ensure proper DPU and CPE grounding

Diagnostic Commands (ASE)

System information: show version show running-config

Interface status: show interface status show interface ethernet <port>

VLAN configuration: show vlan show vlan <vlan_id>

802.1X status: show dot1x show dot1x interface ethernet <port>

Diagnostic Information (DPU via Mosaic)

Device and service information is available through the Mosaic cloud portal or API:

• Device inventory and status
• Service configurations
• G.fast line statistics
• Performance history
• Event logs

Known Limitations

ASE Limitations

• Limited model support compared to other vendors
• Manual firmware upgrades required
• No SPB-m fabric support

DPU Limitations

• Cloud Dependency: All management via Mosaic cloud; no local CLI management
• No 802.1X/MAB: G.fast technology does not support port-based authentication
• Service Activation Delay: Services may take several seconds to activate after deployment
• Line Distance: G.fast performance degrades significantly beyond 250 meters
• Single Service per Port: Each DPU port supports one active service at a time

Operational Caveats

ASE Caveats

• CLI Syntax: Adtran AOS CLI is similar to but not identical to Cisco IOS
• Configuration Save: Changes must be saved with write memory to persist across reboots
• SSH Timeout: Default SSH timeout may be short; rXg adjusts as needed

DPU Caveats

• Mosaic Account Required: DPU management requires active Mosaic cloud subscription
• Service Provisioning Order: Services must be created, deployed, then activated in sequence
• CPE Compatibility: Only Adtran-compatible G.fast CPE devices work with DPU
• Bandwidth Profile Names: Profile names must match exactly as defined in Mosaic
• QinQ Upstream: Upstream switch must support QinQ if double tagging is used
• G.fast Technology: Performance varies based on copper quality, distance, and interference

External References

• Adtran Support Portal
• Adtran Mosaic Platform
• G.fast Technology Overview
• ITU-T G.9700/G.9701 Standards