MPLS International VPN
MPLS-based VPN infrastructures either have, or are being deployed by most network service providers around the world. Flashnet already has more than three years experience in operating an MPLS VPN infrastructure. As part of the international expansion of Flashnet� MPLS backbone, MPLS Nodes have been deployed in London, New York and Hong Kong. Flashnet has also established Interconnect agreements with strategic partners to facilitate extending our MPLS footprint to 85 countries around the world. Whether a site is connected directly to a Flashnet Node or to a partner node, the entire VPN service is managed by Flashnet from South Africa.
MPLS VPN networks provide all the benefits provided by Frame Relay, presenting a customer with a virtual network, based on a shared networking infrastructure. Additionally, MPLS provides the ability to manage differentiated quality of service within a single customer VPN. The Flashnet MPLS network infrastructure caters for 3 Data Classes as well as a low latency queuing class to run voice and video. Since the recent announcement allowing VAN�s to be able to run Voice across their networks, Flashnet can now legally run voice services across the local and international MPLS network infrastructure.
MPLS provides the same level of separation and security as Frame Relay,. MPLS separates different IP address spaces in the shared network infrastructure by creating each network in a customer specific VRF (VPN Routing and forwarding table), allowing customers to run private address spaces within their own network or VPN, and also not be visible to Internet based attacks such as DOS attacks since the VPN and Internet are logically separated.
It is possible to allow breakout from MPLS to the World Wide Web, however, it is advisable that this is only achieved by using a Firewall.

Frame Relay International VPN
A Frame Relay VPN solution provides virtual separation at a layer two level, while still providing all the advantages of using a shared, packet-switched network. A Frame Relay VPN guarantees the separation of IP address space, thus providing a greater degree of security from network intrusion and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Frame Relay solutions lend themselves to �burst� data applications, where the provision of a �burst� capability allows guaranteed bandwidth, which has been provisioned, to be exceeded for short periods of time, provided that other customers are not using all of the bandwidth provisioned to them. In order to provide international Frame Relay solutions, Flashnet has deployed a Frame Relay node in London. From the Flashnet London POP, it is possible to either connect a leased line to Flashnet� Frame Relay switch, or to continue via a �network to network interconnection� (NNI) into a partner Frame Relay network. Thus, Flashnet can provide its customers with Frame Relay solutions on a global basis.

Unlike a Guaranteed Internet Bandwidth solution, a Frame Relay VPN solution does not provide connectivity to the public Internet. Where a user of a Frame Relay VPN solution requires a VPN to have access to the public Internet, this would need to be provisioned separately, usually via a firewall, in order to preserve the security of the VPN.