Advantages of Frame Relay | disadvantages of Frame Relay

This page covers advantages and disadvantages of Frame Relay. It mentions Frame Relay advantages or benefits and Frame Relay disadvantages or drawbacks. It also describes Frame Relay basics.

What is Frame Relay?

Introduction:
The frame relay is used for data transmission at higher speed similar to ISDN. It is packet switchinn technology which operates at layers 1 and 2 of OSI protocol.

Frame relay establishes connection between DTE and DCE using two modes.
• PVC-Permanent Virtual Circuit (Static like leased lines)
• SVC-Switched Virtual Circuit (Dynamically established)

Frame Relay network

The figure-1 depicts frame relay network which consists of Frame relay switches between DTEs and DCEs. Each connection is identified using unique DLCI (Data Link Connection Identifier) in frame relay which is carried in frame relay frame. Refer Frame Relay Tutorial >>, ATM vs Frame Relay >> and X.25 vs Frame Relay >>.

Benefits or advantages of Frame Relay

Following are the benefits or advantages of Frame Relay:
➨It offers higher speeds. This is because of no error detection is incorporated and hence overhead is less. It offers high throughput compare to X.25.
➨The bandwidth can be allocated dynamically as per need.
➨The network overhead is less due to incorporation of congestion control mechanism.
➨It allows bursty data which do not have fixed data rate.
➨It operates at layer-1 (physical) and layer-2 (datalink). Hence it is easy to integrate with devices having layer-3 (i.e. network) layer functionalities.
➨It allows frame size of 9000 bytes which is enough for all the LAN frame types.
➨It is less expensive compare to traditional WAN networks.
➨It offers guaranteed throughput and delay.
➨It provides secured connection as it is difficult to break into PVCs between the sites.

Drawbacks or disadvantages of Frame Relay

Following are the disadvantages of Frame Relay:
➨The flow control and error control is not available in frame relay. This should be taken care by upper layer protocols.
➨Packets incur additional delay with every node they pass through.
➨It involves data overhead and processing overhead with every packet.
➨It allows variable length frames and hence may create varying delays for different users.
➨Due to varying delay, it is not suitable to send sensitive data like real time voice or video.
➨It can operate at 44.376 Mbps and hence it is not suitable for protocols requiring higher data rates.
➨It is more expensive compare to internet service.



Advantages and Disadvantages of other wireless technologies

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Networking Links

• Circuit Switching vs Packet switching   • Packet Switching vs Message switching   • What is an IP address   • What is MAC Address   • Basics of OSI and TCP-IP Layers   • What is Hub   • What is Switch   • What is Bridge   • What is Router   • What is Gateway   • Firewall basics   • TCP-IP Packet format   • ARP Protocol format  

What is Difference between

FTP vs HTTP  FTP vs SMTP  FTP vs TFTP  hub Vs. switch  TCP vs UDP 

RF and Wireless Terminologies