frame Relay vs. Poin to Point 4

[Lane]

What is the difference between frame relay and a poin to point connection? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of conection?

 

[vinman]

One of the main differences is in the topology. In point to point you have a physical connection from "point to point" hence the name. In frame relay each point on your WAN has a physical connection to an entity called "the cloud" which is located at the telco's central office. The phone company will set up PVC's (Permanant Virtual Connections)in software to connect up your sites.<br>
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Hardware is another issue. The old CSU/DSU's serving on dedicated lines need to be replaced with FRADs (Frame Relay Access Devices)to play on a Frame Relay circiut.<br>
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Pricing is another issue. Frame is cheaper than point to point. Other things to consider are the concept of CIR (Committed Information Rates). In point to point a 256k line is 256k at all times. A frame 256k line might have a CIR of 56K which means that you will get 256K of bandwith if it is available but you are only guarenteed 56k! You need to check with your data line provider to get the details pertinent to their service.<br>
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So far we have used a mix of point to point and frame relay circuits on our WAN ( a county government organization) and have saved an appreciable ammount of money with no discernable performance issues. <br>
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