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Foundry Introduces Compact All-Fiber Edge Switch For Ethernet In The First Mile And Metro Ethernet Deployment

All-Fiber Metro Switch Maximizes Metro Fiber Utilization with Support for Single Strand Optics and Wire-speed Delivery of 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps Ethernet Services

Chicago, IL, June 9, 2005 – Foundry Networks®, Inc. (Nasdaq: FDRY), a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced the addition of an all-fiber model to its FastIron Edge® X-series family of compact layer 2/3 edge switches at the SuperComm trade show which opened this week in Chicago, IL. The FastIron Edge X424F (FES X424F) is a compact (1.5 rack units) layer 2/3 edge switch that supports twenty-four small form factor hot-pluggable (SFP) ports and options for one or two ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10-GE). The switch is designed to provide network operators with a versatile solution for delivering high-value Ethernet to the business (ETTB) and Ethernet to the home (ETTH). The switch will support a wide range of optics, including Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) using single fiber bidirectional SFPs to provide a simple way to deliver Fiber to diverse customer environments and long reach transceivers. With its all-fiber design, the FES X424F provides a powerful aggregation platform for fiber-based network operators including Metro service providers, Internet service providers, cable network operators, universities, government, and other organizations.

"Metro Ethernet is no longer a question of when, but a question of how service providers can cost-effectively deliver high-capacity and high-value Ethernet services to their customers," said Bob Schiff, Vice President of Product Marketing for Foundry. "The FastIron Edge X424F, with its compact form-factor and all-fiber support, provides a versatile, scalable and high-performance platform for cost-effective delivery of metro Ethernet services. The FastIron Edge X424F enables operators to maximize the utilization of their fiber plant, improve return on investment, and help spur metro Ethernet deployments."

The FastIron Edge X424F supports twenty-four hot-pluggable, small form-factor pluggable (SFP) ports and optional one or two ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10-GE). The SFP ports are configurable with 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps (i.e., 1 Gbps) transceivers providing service providers with the flexibility to support a range of fiber and service deployments including Gigabit Ethernet over 10 km of single strand single-mode fiber and Gigabit Ethernet over 2 km of dual-strand FDDI-grade multimode fiber, to name a few. Long reach SFP optics supporting fiber lengths to 120 km are also available.

The FastIron Edge X424F 10-GE ports use XFP hot-pluggable, small form-factor pluggable transceivers, providing a cost-effective solution for 10-GE fiber transport. A flexible mix of XFP transceivers is available supporting short reach and extended reach applications to distances of 40 km over single-mode fiber.

About the FastIron Edge X-series Layer 2/3 Switch Family
The FastIron Edge X-series family of layer 2/3 switches (FES X-series) extends the power and performance of Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Ethernet to the network's edge. The FastIron Edge X-series switches are 1.5U high compact Gigabit Ethernet edge switches with options for one or two ports of 10-GE. The switches are available in three base configurations, 24-port 10/100/1000 Mbps gigabit over copper configuration, 48-port 10/100/1000 Mbps gigabit over copper configuration and 24-port SFP fiber configurations. Each model supports four ports that are implemented as combination copper-SFP ports to provide additional flexibility. All models are configurable with redundant AC or DC power supplies.

The FastIron Edge X-series switches feature advanced layer 2 services and protocols including IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, Q-in-Q encapsulation, Metro Ring Protocol (MRP) and Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol (VSRP). These advanced layer 2 features enable providers to deliver scalable and resilient Ethernet services to their customers. Additionally, the switches are software upgradeable to support full layer 3 routing services, including IP multicast and BGP-4 routing with scalability to 100,000 BGP routes. The routing services further extend the range of applications in which these products can be used.

About Foundry Networks

Foundry Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) is a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing, security and Web traffic management solutions, including Layer 2/3 LAN switches, Layer 3 Backbone switches, Layer 4-7 application switches, wireless LAN and access points, metro routers and core routers. Foundry's customers include the world's premier ISPs, metro service providers, and enterprises, including e-commerce sites, universities, entertainment, health and wellness, government, financial and manufacturing companies. For more information about the company and its products, call 1.888.TURBOLAN or visit www.foundrynet.com.

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