WHAT IS FRAME RELAY??? 1

[edossa]

Everytime I ask someone about Frame Relay they come with the Frame Relay cloud explanation. Well, can i say that this public network runs parallel to the internet (like a VIP "internet", if you know what i mean)?



...What type of network do banks use?

 

[scraig84]

Actually, the cloud is a bit of a misconception. There really is no "Frame cloud" like everyone likes to believe. A better term would be to call it the "carrier cloud" This is because FR is actually a local technology only. In other words it is a layer 2 technology - similar to Ethernet but with a different use. It's purpose is to get a customer device connected to the carrier. However, on the inside of the carrier's network, they can use whatever they want to transport accross (generally ATM), until it hits the link on the other side where the carrier needs to transmit to the end customer device. Typically, this is another FR connection, but not always. It is public in the sense that the carrier may have data from many customers traveling over the same links inside their network. However, there are safeguards to keep the traffic on the correct end FR links. Because only the carrier controls the internal links, the connection stays "private". This is very different from the Internet in that the traffic can be routed over many public devices, each of which is "hackable" and each having owners that you may or may not trust. Also, because a FR circuit stays within the confines of a few carriers (two LECS and an ILEC), the blame for misuse is much easier to define.

As to what banks use - that depends on the bank and the use for the particular line. For large organizations, it is typical to use many different types of technologies. I will say though that X.25 (A parent technology to Frame) is used a lot in the banking industry for automatic tellers etc from my understanding.

I hope that helps.

 

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Keith Fort
360-906-9932