Computers interact to warrant the transfer of information from one device to another. One such connectivity occurs on a Wide Area Network (WAN). WAN is characterized by the networking of computers within a wide geographical coverage. Computers that are connected by WAN do so via public networks such as leased lines, satellites, or telephone systems. Although the underlying functionality is similar across the board, the efficiency, model of transfer of information, prices, and coverage differ markedly. Some of the most popular wide area networks are frame relay, MPLS, and 3G–4G. This research paper endeavors to explore the protocols and functionality of each of the networks and elucidate which connection type is more cost-effective.
Frame Relay
Although several WAN services have been deployed over the last decade, Frame relay has emerged as the most popular service. Frame Relay was initially designed and deployed for usage in the Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) interface (Cheng, Han, & Pan, 2018). However, its functionality as efficiency has propagated the adoption of the WAN service in a myriad of network interfaces. Frame Relay is similar to X.25; they are both simplified Packet Switching that works by routing synchronous frames of data to different destinations based on the header information specified on the message. Although Frame Relay facilitates speedy switching of packets from end-to-end, the service does not guarantee that the data will be free from corruption.
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The frame relay service puts data in a frame, and necessary corrections of the data can only be made at endpoints. Such a configuration speeds up the transmission of data from one device to another (Cheng, Han, & Pan, 2018). The service also provides and permanent virtual circuit that implies that the customer enjoys a dedicated and continuous connection without necessarily having to pay for a leased line. The provider is responsible for figuring out the route that should be taken by each frame as it travels to its predetermined destination. The services encompass switched virtual circuits as well, which are typically destroyed after particular data has been relayed to the recipient. For the purpose of data transfer, the two main techniques used to attain packet switching in frame relay WAN are variable-length packets and statistical multiplexing. Variable-length packets are mainly preferred because of the level of efficiency and flexibility that the technique guarantees in data transfer. The approach encompasses packet switching between different segments in a particular network until a predetermined destination is reached. The network can accommodate frame size of up to 9000 bytes, thus, allowing the service to house local area network frames.
In a bid to allow the Frame relay WAN to transport data across a network, terminal equipment, as well as data circuit-terminating equipment are required. Data terminal equipment is usually installed on the recipients’ residence, and it can encompass routers, terminals, personal computers, and bridges (Cheng, Han, & Pan, 2018). Conversely, data circuit-terminating equipment, on the other hand, is managed and overseen by the carrier, and this equipment provides switching and other related services. Different providers offer frame relay WAN at a different price, some of which are T1 at a price of $379 per month, satellite internet at $79.95 billed monthly, and Ethernet at $1286.76 per month.
Multi-Label Protocol Switching (MLPS)
MLPS is a technology or mechanism that is used in the transfer or routing of traffic within a telecommunication network, as the conveyed data travels from a network node to another. Packets, in the case of MLPS, are directed through the network depending on the assigned labels. Each label is usually associated with an absolute path that warrants a higher degree of control as opposed to the transfer of data in a packet-switched network (De Ghein, 2016). The high level of efficiency associated with this LAN model stems from the fact that Quality of Service characteristics and priorities can be assigned to the conveyed data. Moreover, the inclusion of fallback paths ensures that the data will still be able to reach the determined destination even if the data has to be rerouted due to a problem or glitch in the initially determined path.
Notably, MPLS employs label distribution protocols as a means of creating and maintaining the correlation of labels that subsequently yield (Label Switched Path) LPS dynamically. Typically, a label distribution protocol is responsible for the negotiation of labels and switching traffic based on predetermined destinations. In the context of MPLS WAN, the two most commonly used label distribution protocols include the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) and the Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) (De Ghein, 2016). RSVP was included in the MPLS service in a bid to facilitate the transportation of opaque objects. The integration of this protocol into the MPLS WAN has been instrumental in expanding the functionality of the MPLS by allowing the maintenance of databases.
The transfer of information in an MPLS service occurs somewhat differently from the earlier discussed frame relay. In MPLS WAN, data is transported through the network from one node to the subsequent node base on short part labels rather than relying on long network destinations. The reliance on short path labels reduces the risk of lookups in routing tables, thus increasing the speed through which information is relayed across the network. The transfer of information is made possible by the ability of the labels to identify virtual paths or links between two nodes instead of trying to elucidate a predetermined path between endpoints.
Several pieces of equipment is used to facilitate the transfer of traffic from one node to the subsequent node until the final destination is reached. PSB/NFV Pod network-based Firewall & VPN Cloud port is used to allow mobile phone users and remote employees to have access to the information in the network (De Ghein, 2016). Customer Premise Equipment is also installed at the client’s home or office to facilitate the functionality of the system. Network POP private ports are used to link branch offices with the network used by the head office. Different providers offer MPLS WAN with different characteristics or attributes. For example, BT Business is a Tier 1 carrier that offers Broadband, MPLS, Point to Point, and SD-WAN. Conversely, COLT is a Tier 1 carrier that offers Colocation alongside the aforementioned services offered by BT Business.
3G–4G
The challenge that telecommunication engineers have battled with for years is to develop effective approaches to packing more digital data into a radio signal. The importance of this adjustment is the speed, and the efficiency of the network would have been maximized. 3G and 4G networks are typically internet protocol-based, and this implies that a standard communication approach or rather a protocol is used in the sending and receiving of information packets (Patel, Shah, & Kansara, 2018). The most notable difference between 3G and 4G stems from the fact that 4G uses IP even when transferring voice data. The all-IP standard synonymous with 4G allows data to traverse all sorts of networks without being corrupted or scrambled. In a bid to facilitate the sending and receiving of packets, a phone communicates with a base station. The base station relays then relays information to and from the phone and the internet, thus, propagating the transfer of information.
The linkage between the base station and the internet can be developed through a myriad of approaches. The most commonly adopted model of transmitting information is through air interphase. The primary protocol used in 3G and 4G networks is SIP. SIP is a generic session establishment model that allows media streams to occur. The originator of the information has to explicitly inform the other party the kind of media that would be transmitted, either voice, voice video, and so forth. The property of the message to be conveyed is usually described on the “invite” message (Patel, Shah, & Kansara, 2018). The essential parameters associated with 3G and 4G WAN are the connection information parameter, media attribute, and the media description parameter. The originator uses the connection information parameter to inform the other party that the information is intended to be sent to, determined through a specific IP address. The media description parameter outlines the type of media to be relayed. In contemporary times, the looming rolling out of the 4G network has necessitated an in-depth exploration of 3G and 4G.
While 3G and 4G differ is so many regards, the difference in the price of the two networks stems from the fact that 3G networks are expected to have a data transfer rate of at least 200 kilobits per second while 4G networks are expected to peak at a transfer rate of 100 megabits per second (Patel, Shah, & Kansara, 2018). Despite the fact that 4G is the most effective and fast of the two, Wireless providers incur relatively reduced costs in supplying 4G as opposed to availing 3G.
In conclusion, providers have a myriad of WAN services to consider. Although each network has its benefits and shortcomings, there is no one-fit-all option. In this accord, it is integral that providers evaluate their level of need and which connection they should use to promote efficiency, warrant data security, and speed of transfer. For instance, while some entities may prefer frame relay, they fact that it does not guarantee the integrity of the information means that entities that deal with sensitive data may shy away from this type of WAN.
References
Cheng, D., Han, G., & Pan, Y. (2018). Analysis and Application of Frame Relay. Journal of Networking and Telecommunications (TRANSFERRED) , 1 (1).
De Ghein, L. (2016). MPLS Fundamentals: MPLS Fundamentals ePub _1 . Cisco Press.
Patel, S., Shah, V., & Kansara, M. (2018). Comparative Study of 2G, 3G and 4G. International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science. Eng. Inf. Technol , 3 , 55-63.
