Dedicated and Frame Relay

A dedicated line is a permanent connection between two points. Typically these lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. Unlike normal dial-up connections, a dedicated line is always active. For example, a T1 is a type of dedicated line that provides a maximum transmission speed of 1.54 Mbps. The connection can be divided into different lines for data and voice communication, or used for one high speed data circuit. Dividing the connection is called multiplexing.

Frame Relay is a packet-switching protocol for connecting devices on a Wide Area Network (WAN). Frame Relay networks support data transfer rates at T1 & T3 speeds. In contrast, normal telephone service is based on circuit-switching technology, in which a dedicated line is allocated for transmission between two parties. Circuit-switching is ideal when data must be transmitted qickly and must arrive in the same order in which it's sent. Packet-switching is more efficient and robust for data that can withstand some delays in transmission, such as email messages and Web pages.

* Equipment needed = Router and CSU / DSU
*Does not include local telephone comapny access charge.