The FRAD is dead. Long live the FRAD!

Frame relay use is growing, but the number of frame relay access device (FRAD) products is shrinking. As we surveyed the current state of the art in FRADs, we noticed a significant trend toward the consolidation of multiple WAN functions, including frame relay packet assembly and disassembly, into one hardware device - typically a router. Vendors are making upstream WAN devices more capable so you have to buy and connect fewer individual network components. ADC Kentrox, for example, didn't participate in our review because it has discontinued its FRAD and, early this quarter, will announce new network devices that combine frame relay and other functions into one box.