Frame

Relay in
Computer
Networks

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 1

 What is Frame Relay.
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DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 2

Example Diagram of Frame Relay

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 3

How does frame relay work?
For a frame relay WAN to send data, data terminal equipment (DTE) and
data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) are required. DTEs are typically
located on the customer's premises and can include terminals, routers,
bridges and personal computers. Carriers' manager DCEs, providing
switching and other services.

Frame relay is based on older packet-switching technology that was designed for
sending analog data such as voice conversations. But, frame relay is a fast packet
technology. That means the protocol does not attempt to correct errors. When an error
is detected in a frame, it is simply dropped. The endpoints are responsible for
detecting and retransmitting dropped frames. The error incidence in digital networks
is small relative to analog networks.

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 4

What are the benefits of frame relay?

•Efficient: It does not perform error correction, which consumes time and
network resources. Its use of use variable packet sizes improves bandwidth
use.
•Cost-effective: It's cheaper than dedicated lines and less hardware is required.
•Flexible: It uses a data link connection identifier (DLCI) number. The DLCI
is a number that identifies the logical circuit between the router and the frame
relay switch. It determines which circuit to send a frame to in a frame relay
network, allowing any two stations to connect. Frame relay flexibility also
comes from its ability to buffer traffic bursts.
•Low latency: It's less prone to latency because other network components
handle error correction.

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 5

 1. Lack of QoS: Frame Relay lacks built-in Quality of
Service (QoS) mechanisms, making it less suitable for
What are the applications with stringent requirements on bandwidth,
issues with latency, and jitter.

frame relay? 2. Security Concerns: Frame Relay lacks built-in

encryption, requiring additional security measures for
data confidentiality.

3. Limited Scalability: As network requirements grow,

Frame Relay may face scalability challenges in meeting
the increasing bandwidth demands.

4. Not Suitable for Modern Demands: Frame Relay may

not meet the demands of modern networking, where
more advanced features, security, and QoS capabilities
are often required.

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 6

Frame relay's
legacy…
Although frame relay is no longer
widely used, some older networks
do still use the technology. It also
still has value as a foundation for
learning more complex or newer
networking concepts.

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 7

DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS 8