To exercise the frame relay access devices (FRAD) we tested, we connected two 10Base-T Ethernet LANs through a back-to-back frame relay link as well as a 56K bit/sec telephone company leased line.
The back-to-back connection let us eliminate variable switching delays and bandwidth bottlenecks for our performance tests, while the leased line let us examine the operation of the FRADs in production conditions. We established a 16K bit/sec committed information rate with bursting up to 56K bit/sec for the leased line.
We focused on 56K bit/sec traffic in most tests, but performed some tests at T-1 speeds. Paradyne 9124 FrameSaver external DSUs/CSUs with V.35 interfaces tied each FRAD to its local network.
We focused on data communication in our tests but also spent a small amount of time evaluating the devices' voice communication capabilities.
In the data communication tests, we transmitted LU 6.2 SNA traffic as well as several gigabytes of uncompressed TCP/IP and IPX. We repeated each test with compression enabled.
E-mail, Web page (including Java applets) and file copy applications provided the TCP/IP and IPX traffic, and a client/server Advanced Peer to Peer Communications application written in C supplied the LU 6.2 SNA traffic.
Network Associates' Sniffer software generated traffic and monitored throughput and response times.
We also used Ganymede Software's Chariot network benchmark software to generate traffic and measure throughput.
RELATED LINKS
Back to the FRADs review
Talk is cheap with frame relay
A look at where the FRAD market is heading. Network World, 1/18/99.
Interactive FRADs buyer's guide
Use our database to find the FRAD that best meets your requirements.
Network World Fusion Focus on Frame Relay
Archive for our twice-weekly newsletter on frame relay.
Frame relay Net Resources
Additional links to frame relay info.
Nance, a computer analyst and consultant for 28 years, is the author of Introduction to Networking, 4th Edition (Que, 1997) and Client/Server LAN Programming (Que, 1994). He can be reached at barryn@ erols.com.
