using mixed technologies over WAN

[awaldbart]

Greetings,

Please help us settle a dispute between two very new CCNA's.

3 locations of a company , (50 mi apart) want to connect to each other but each location has access to a different techonology, T1, ISDN, DSL. I say it doesnt' matter as long as the data link protocol is the same, HDLC or PPP.

I've got $5 riding on it!

[thisisshanky]

Hi,

The only way you can have this is through the internet, or if all the 3 services are provided by the same service provider.

sol 1: all 3 sites uses appropriate tech. to access the internet and all 3 sites can communicate over the internet.

sol 2: all 3 sites uses the tech. provided by same service provider. SP will route packets coming from one site to another.

Also, all 3 can run any different data link protocol.

[awaldbart]

Thanks for your quick reply!

So we could go with your sol 1, it would look like this...

Location 1 connects over the T1 line to it's CO then across the cloud to the CO near location 2, which then connects via ISDN to location 2 and so on? With the right switches we could use a VPN as well!

So, looks like I win the $5! Thanks for your help!

[thisisshanky]

If you use sol1, all 3 sites would need public ips to connect to internet. THere would be no dedicated bandwidth guaranteed over the internet, for connections over the internet. Also all 3 sites can use their own data link protocol on the wan links. Yes, you can use VPN over the internet, between the sites (For this u need public ips again)

[awaldbart]

If we did want dedicated bandwidth and VPN what would you suggest?

Location 1(main office) =access to T1, internet access for all 3 locations

Location 2 = access to ISDN

Location 3 = access to DSL

Locations presently have 56K point to point from main to location 2, 3.

[thisisshanky]

You might want to consider using the same Service provider. or atleast a tie up between the service providers, to guarantee you the required bandwidth.

[awaldbart]

Hi,

There are three different service providers involved, go figure!

What do you mean about a "tie-up" between the service providers?

Thanks for your help!

a

[thisisshanky]

Some times, its impossible for a provider who is providing for a customer , say a FR service in one part of the country, to run a pipe to another part of the country. For this, they would tie up (cowork) with another LEC who is available in the remote site, and put a pipe between their telco switches, so that an end to end pipe could be laid. This involves more cost, sometimes the LEC does say to the customer that it would cost you xxxxx dollars, for them to provide the service, as to provide this service, they have to incur the cost for tie up with the LEC in the remote area.

The same way , all the 3 providers can have a tie up, to run a pipe between the 3 sites, as per your request.