When transparent LAN service may be right for you
 
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In the previous issue, we explained what a transparent LAN service (TLS) is and why it's becoming popular. Now we'll tell you when it may be an attractive option to consider, if you can find it.
First of all, you might find TLS a suitable choice if you don't have someone on your staff who is familiar with frame relay (and don't have the resources to hire someone with this expertise). When subscribing to a basic frame relay service, you still maintain responsibility for designing, planning and optimizing the network. When subscribing to a TLS, you simply hand your service provider a LAN segment from each site that you would like to have interconnected. The service provider then interconnects the sites. From your perspective, the WAN becomes as easy to manage as a LAN. And since you would only need to work with familiar LAN technology, no in-house WAN expertise is required.
Second, if you don't want to purchase or manage WAN access equipment, you may want to take a look at TLS. With most frame relay services (managed frame relay services are an exception), the end user is responsible for testing, installing and implementing WAN equipment to interface with the service provider's network. With TLS, the WAN access equipment is often included with the service price and the service provider assumes responsibility for managing and maintaining this equipment.
Third, consider TLS when you want the wide area to be "invisible." Transparent LAN service is usually a protocol-independent service. It is not restricted to only routed IP and may eliminate the need to encapsulate other protocols into IP for transmission across the WAN. LAN protocols can continue to run in their native form across the WAN.
Finally, if you want your WAN to operate at the same speed as your LANs, then know that TLS comes in several different flavors. The most common speeds are 10M bit/sec and 16M bit/sec, but you can also find services at 100M bit/sec Ethernet, 4M bit/sec token ring and 100M bit/sec FDDI. If low-speed frame relay is too slow and DS3 frame relay is too fast, transparent LAN service may be just right.
RELATED LINKS
Transparent LAN service as an alternative to frame relay
The first part of this series; describes just what a transparent LAN is.
Native LAN Services White Paper
This TeleChoice white paper explains the technology in more detail and includes cost comparisons with ATM and frame relay services.
Native Mode LAN Overview
From Bay.
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