Tools make dumb bandwidth smart  Intelligent routing can monitor
the network, balance speed and cost, and choose the best route
ATLANTA'Network administrators need to work smarter'not just
harder'at managing bandwidth, speakers said last week at the
Networld+Interop and Comdex trade show.  'In the late 1990s,
folks threw bandwidth at every problem,' said Madeline Chan,
vice president of strategic marketing for Proficient Networks
Inc. of San Francisco. Also, carrier bankruptcies and a surge of
interest in continuity of operations have led organizations to
acquire multiple connections to the Internet.  That means
there's a lot of dumb bandwidth that does not necessarily
deliver data any faster. Proficient Networks and other vendors
are promoting so-called intelligent routing, either by a
customer premises appliance or as a network service.
Intelligent routing chooses the best network route depending on
user criteria. It monitors network performance, then balances
speed and cost based on billing structures an