WAN Connectivity Options

Dedicated : Leased Line : T1/E1 : ▪ Point-to-point lines that could be leased from a service provider
T3/E3 ▪ The organization pays a monthly lease fee to the ISP to use the line.
▪ Available in different fixed capacities
▪ Generally priced based on the bandwidth required and the distance
between the two connected points.
▪ Systems used to define the digital capacity of the link :
▪ T-carrier : Used in North America. ▪ T1 links up to 1.544 Mbps
Traditional : ▪ T3 links up to 43.7 Mbps.
▪ Too expensive ▪ E-carrier : Used in Europe. ▪ E1 links up to 2.048 Mbps
▪ Limited bandwidth ▪ E3 links up to 34.368 Mbps.

Circuit Switched : PSTN : ▪ Public Service Telephone Network

▪ Provided by (PSTN) carriers. ▪ Dialup WAN access used the PSTN as its WAN connection.
▪ CPE to CO is copper media. ▪ Could transport binary computer data through the voice
▪ Establishes a dedicated telephone network using a voiceband modem.
Circuit (or channel) between ▪ The physical characteristics of the local loop and its
endpoints before the users can connection to the PSTN limit the rate to less than 56 kbps.
Switched : communicate.
▪ All communication uses the same path. ISDN : ▪ Integrated Services Digital Network
▪ Enables the PSTN local loop to carry digital signals.
▪ Provides higher capacity than dialup access.
▪ Data rates from 45 Kbps to 2.048 Mbps.

Packet Switched : Frame : ▪ Simple Layer 2 (NBMA) WAN technology .

▪ Most commonly implemented. Relay ▪ used to interconnect enterprise LANs.
▪ Segments traffic data into packets that ▪ Creates PVCs uniquely identified by a (DLCI).
are routed over a shared network.
▪ Much less expensive and more flexible ATM : ▪ Stands for Asynchronous Transfer Mode.
than Circuit switched. ▪ Can transfer voice/video/data through private/public networks.
▪ Built on a cell-based architecture rather than on a frame-based.
▪ ATM cells are always a fixed length of 53 bytes.
Note: Frame relay and ATM networks have been largely replaced by faster
Metro Ethernet and internet-based solutions.
 Dedicated : Broadband : Fiber : ▪ ISPs use fiber-optic infrastructures to transport user data.
▪ Fiber cables are far superior in speed and distance to copper cables.
▪ TWO OSI layer 1 standards available to service providers:
SDH - Synchronous Digital Hierarchy : the global standard.
SONET-Synchronous Optical Networking :North American standard.
▪ SDH/SONET define how to transfer multiple data, voice, and video
communications over optical fiber.
▪ Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) : newer techno-
logy that increases the data-carrying capacity of SDH and SONET.

Modern : Switched : Packet Switched : Ethernet : ISPs now offer Ethernet WAN service using fiber-optic cabling.
▪ Faster WAN Ethernet WAN service can be any of the following:
▪ More flexible •Metropolitan Ethernet (Metro E)
▪ More options •Ethernet over MPLS (EoMPLS)
•Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS)
Ethernet WANs are now replacing the traditional WAN links.

MPLS : ▪ Multiprotocol Label Switching

▪ High-performance service
provider WAN routing technology.
▪ Interconnect clients without regard to access method or payload.
▪ Supports a variety of client access methods (Ethernet,DSL, Cable .. )
▪ Can encapsulate all types of protocols including IPv4/IPv6 traffic.

Internet-Based : Broadband : Wired : DSL : Digital Subscriber Line

VPN ▪ High-speed, always-on, connection technology
▪ Uses existing twisted-pair telephone lines to provide IP services to users.
▪ Categorized as either : Asymmetric DSL or Symmetric DSL
ADSL (ADSL2+) : provide higher downstream than upload bandwidth.
Modern WAN connections SDSL : provides the same capacity in both directions.
▪ Rates dependent on the actual length of the local loop and cabling.
DSL Connections :
▪ Service providers deploy DSL connections in the local loop.
▪ The connection is set up between the DSL modem and the DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM).
▪ The DSL modem converts the Ethernet signals from the teleworker device to a DSL signal, which is transmitted to
DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) at the provider location.
▪ DSLAM is located at the Central Office (CO) of the ISP and concentrates connections from multiple DSL subscribers.
▪ DSL is not a shared medium. Each user has a separate direct connection to the DSLAM.
▪ Adding users to the DSLAM does not impede performance.
DSL and PPP :
▪ ISPs use PPP as the Layer 2 protocol for broadband DSL connections.
▪ PPP can be used to authenticate the subscriber.
▪ PPP can assign a public IPv4 address to the subscriber.
▪ PPP provides link-quality management features.
▪ There are two ways PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) can be deployed:
▪ Host with PPoE Client : The PPPoE client software communicates
with the DSL modem using PPPoE and the modem communicates
with the ISP using PPP.
▪ Router PPPoE Client : The router is the PPPoE client and obtains
its configuration from the provider.

Cable Technology :
▪High-speed always-on connection technology.
▪ Uses a coaxial cable from the cable company to provide IP services to users.
▪ The optical node converts RF signals to light pulses over fiber-optic cable.
▪ The fiber media enables the signals to travel over long distances to the provider headend
where a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) is located.
▪ The headend contains the databases needed to provide internet access.
▪ The CMTS is responsible for communicating with the cable modems.
Note: All the local subscribers share the same cable bandwidth. As more users join the service, available bandwidth
may drop below the expected rate.

Optical Fiber : Many municipalities, cities, and providers install fiber-optic cable to the user location.
▪ This is commonly referred to as Fiber to the x (FTTx) and includes the following:
▪ Fiber to the Home (FTTH) : Fiber reaches the boundary of the residence.
▪ Fiber to the Building (FTTB) : Fiber reaches the boundary of the building.
▪ Fiber to the Node/Neighborhood (FTTN) : Fiber reaches an optical node that converts optical signals to
a format acceptable for twisted pair or coaxial cable to the premise.
Note: FTTx can deliver the highest bandwidth of all broadband options.

Wireless : Municipal Wi-Fi : Municipal wireless networks are available in many cities providing high-speed internet access for free,
▪ Wireless or for substantially less than the price of other broadband services.
technology
uses the
unlicensed
Cellular : Used to connect devices to the internet using radio waves to communicate through a nearby mobile phone tower.
radio spectrum ▪ Common cellular technologies : 3G, 4G, 5G and Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
to send and
▪ Less expensive Satellite Internet : Typically used by rural users or in remote locations where cable and DSL are not available.
▪ A router connects to a satellite dish which is pointed to a service provider satellite in Geosynchronous orbit.
▪ Trees and heavy rains can impact the satellite signal.
WiMAX : Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
▪ Provides high-speed broadband service with wireless access.
▪ Provides broad coverage like a cell phone network rather than through small Wi-Fi hotspots.