Frame Relay

Frame relay is a means of transporting data to different locations in your company, or to partners outside your company that need to communicate. Frame Relay networks are private by nature.

Frame relay sends packets of data through a frame cloud to transmit your company’s information. There are 3 components to frame relay: the access loop, port, and PVC or permanent virtual circuit. The port is the “gateway” into the frame relay cloud. Frame Relay port speeds can vary from 56K through T1, and all the way to T3. The PVC is the path through the cloud from one port to the next port. PVC’s are sized according to the amount of data that needs to flow through. A CIR or committed information rate is the speed that the carrier will guarantee through its network if congestion occurs.

Each frame relay network offered through the various carriers has its own set of rules to govern data transport. Open loop, closed loop, CIR speeds-- What do all these mean when you are looking at different carriers’ frame relay networks? Depending on how information flows through your company, there may be several frame providers that have networks better suited to your company’s specialized data requirements.

By presenting choices and having an understanding of your company’s unique data environment and budget, Telecom Source Group will work with you and your staff to determine the right frame solution for your company.