T-Carrier, DSL, and SONET Types and WAN Characteristics

 

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T-Carrier Types and Characteristics 

DSL Types and Characteristics 

SONET Types and OC Levels 

WAN Technology Comparison Table 

 

T-Carrier Types and Characteristics

Digital Signal
(DS) Level
T-Carrier
Name
Number of
Channels
Throughput (Mbps)
DS0 – 10.064
DS1T1241.544
DS1CT1C243.152
DS2T2966.312
DS3T367244.736
DS4T44,032274.176

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DSL Types and Characteristics

DSL Type Max Upstream
Capacity (Mbps)
Max Downstream
Capacity (Mbps)
Max Distance
to POP (feet)
ADSL1818,000
G.Lite0.5121.54425,000
HDSL1.544 or 2.048 1.544 or 2.04812,000
SDSL1.5441.5449,000
VDSL1.6, 3.2, or 6.4 13, 25.9, or 51.81,000–5,000

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SONET Types and OC Levels

OC LevelThroughput (Mbps)
OC151.84
OC3155.52
OC12622
OC241,244
OC482,480
OC964,976
OC1929,953
OC76839,813

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WAN Technology Comparison Table

WAN
Technology
AvailabilityThroughput ReliabilitySecurityCost
PSTN
(Dial-up)
High56 KbpsLow LowVery Low
X.25Low64 Kbps to
2.048 Mbps
MediumMediumLow
Frame RelayMedium45 MbpsMedium MediumMedium
ISDNMedium64 Kbps (BRI) to
1.544 Mbps (PRI)
MediumMediumLow
T-carrier
(Fractional T1
to T3)
High 64 Kbps to
45 Mbps
MediumMedium Medium
DSLMedium
to High
1.544 Mbps to
52 Mbps
Medium MediumLow to
Medium
CableMedium
to High
36 (down),
10 (up) Mbps
Medium MediumLow to
Medium
SONETHigh51 Mbps to
39 Gbps
HighHighHigh
ATM*High9953 MbpsHighHigh Medium
FDDI*Medium100 MbpsHighHigh Medium
VPNHigh<56 KbpsLowHigh Low
FASTNone8.6 GbpsMediumMedium Medium

*  Not really a WAN technology, more of a logical topology or transport system that is often run on top of a WAN.

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