What equipment do I need to sell bandwith using Frame Relay? 1

[jhguru]

We are a brand new ISP, and I have a problem. After connecting to our Telco (Bell Atlantic), we lost our rep that was also helping us to configure our network. (Coincidence?) Anyhow, we would like to sell bandwidth to customers, but now I do not know what additional equipment we need to do so.<br>
We chose Frame Relay because as a new ISP, we cannot afford to run a new Point to Point line in to our place everytime we get a new client, and with Frame Relay (If I understand it correctly) we don't have to do that. My question is simple. What additional equipment do I need to purchase to enable us to start selling bandwidth to clients? I would greatly appreciate help from any ISP out there. Bell Atlantic is ABSOLUTELY NO HELP. Thanks in advance.<br>

 

[Salvalinus]

This is difficult to answer without knowing what router equipment you have currently. Also, is your upstream connection via FR or is it a PTP to your provider?<br>
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That said, all you need (hardware wise) is a router that supports FR, an available serial port (synchronous WAN port) and a CSU/DSU. Then you order a circuit from your telco. In the most simple case you start with two locations and tell the telco that you want to connect the two locations together using FR. They should set you up with physical circuits at each location and do all of the FR magic. Then when you sell another customer you just tell the telco the address and phone number of the site you wish to add and give them them the circuit ID for your connection to the frame cloud and ask that they add a PVC (Permanent Virtual Circuit) from the new site to your location.<br>
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I have only just begun to touch upon the things involved in providing FR services to ISP customers. You'll also want to think about IP address space, DNS services, routing issues, bandwidth considerations, etc.,

 

[jhguru]

Thanks for you help. Your explaination was right on the money! ( I called the Telco, and they understood what I was asking.)<br>
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The kind of router we have now is a Osicom Routermate Plus. It was provided by the ISP. Our upstream connection is FR. Is that bad, or rather is it better to have a upstream connection via PTP?<br>
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Right now we are provided our own DNS, but the ISP still has to do the reverse DNS for us (I don't know why, but that's how we are doing in now.) Forgive my ignorance, but can you explain the IP Address space, and routing issues further? I appreciate it. If it would be easier to corespond via email, I will provide that, just let me know in your next post. AND THANKS!!!

 

[Salvalinus]

Yes, I would agree that an upstream of PTP is better, but only in the sense that you know at any given time how much bandwidth is available to you. With FR you are relying on your CIR and the congestion on the service provider's frame network.<br>
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They are doing the reverse because either they have not assigned the<br>
entire address block to you, or they have chosen not to assign you as the designated server for the reverse lookups.<br>
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What I meant by IP address space was that you will need to have additional IP address blocks (or preferably subnet blocks) to assign to your customers. They will need these addresses so they can assign IP addresses to the hosts on their network.<br>
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What I meant by routing issues revolves mostly around how you are going to tell your router(s) where each of your customers' networks are. That is are you going to statically route every network or are you going to use a routing protocol? In the beginning statically routing everything may be the easiest to administer, but at some point you may need to move to a dynamic routing protocol (at least with in your backbone).

 

[jhguru]

I checked with both my tech and our ISP. Your right, they are not giving us the full block of IP #'s, we have half a class C. And I do not believe we have any additional subnet IP Blocks. I was wondering how this is handled.<br>
Also, we didn't touch the subject at all about the routing issues here in my office. I guess first we need additional IP address blocks and subnet blocks, then we can go further with the routing issue. <br>
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Again, I really appreciate your help with all of this. You have given me more help than ANY OTHER PERSON we have asked, included vendors of some of the routers we are looking at, and other ISP's that want us to switch providers.<br>
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Do I ask our ISP for a full class C of IP address blocks and subnet blocks? I just want to get the lingo straight before I call them back and the act like the cannot help me because they are not sure what I am asking. Thanks again in advance for your help.

 

[jfk]

jhguru:<br>
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Yes, I would ask for a Class C. Read up on variable subnet masking and then you can break that Class C up for your customers (much as was done to you with your current address space). As a service provider yourself, you have a legitimate claim for the address space. Don't let the ISP hem and haw about how little address space there is... there's plenty available.