cfan73
asked on
CIrcuit "turn-up" process - T1/PRI, DSL, etc.
I have some basic questions about deploying or upgrading WAN & PSTN links for business use. I'm 100% on TCP/IP and the general technologies (DSL/cable/PSTN/TDM), so this thread is completely about carrier information, and what a technical engineer has to know & be prepared for when out in the field...
Specifically:
1) a customer has an existing T1 voice circuit, and we're wanting to replace the current T1 termination box (Adtran) w/ a Cisco router. I've learned that you can't simply replace the existing box with a Cisco router and T1 card (as I was hoping) - it's not a simple "swap" the connection to the new box process. WHY?? Please explain why the carrier has to be involved in such replacements, and what information the engineer must know before deploying the new router.
2) same for a DSL business line. Recently, our company sent an engineer out w/ a Cisco ASA to replace an existing (Nortel?) appliance - the site had a DSL connection, and once the engineer was on-site, nothing worked. I'm ridiculously naive when it comes to "business" DSL connections - I'd figured that it was a "plug & play" solution (similar to consumer cable/DSL), where you could swap the device behind the DSL box and be done.
So - WHAT information should be scoped about a DSL router (from the carrier?) before going onsite?
Launching some guy out there – what does he have to know? Existing WAN (T1/whatever) circuit, or maybe some DSL (routers?) business?? We want to put some ASA’s in front of these DSL boxes – pass-through? - WHAT questions should be asked????
When transferring a TDM/IAD (WHATEVER) circuit from one box to another – does it require carrier scheduling /intervention?//
Thank you
Specifically:
1) a customer has an existing T1 voice circuit, and we're wanting to replace the current T1 termination box (Adtran) w/ a Cisco router. I've learned that you can't simply replace the existing box with a Cisco router and T1 card (as I was hoping) - it's not a simple "swap" the connection to the new box process. WHY?? Please explain why the carrier has to be involved in such replacements, and what information the engineer must know before deploying the new router.
2) same for a DSL business line. Recently, our company sent an engineer out w/ a Cisco ASA to replace an existing (Nortel?) appliance - the site had a DSL connection, and once the engineer was on-site, nothing worked. I'm ridiculously naive when it comes to "business" DSL connections - I'd figured that it was a "plug & play" solution (similar to consumer cable/DSL), where you could swap the device behind the DSL box and be done.
So - WHAT information should be scoped about a DSL router (from the carrier?) before going onsite?
Launching some guy out there – what does he have to know? Existing WAN (T1/whatever) circuit, or maybe some DSL (routers?) business?? We want to put some ASA’s in front of these DSL boxes – pass-through? - WHAT questions should be asked????
When transferring a TDM/IAD (WHATEVER) circuit from one box to another – does it require carrier scheduling /intervention?//
Thank you
ASKER
Thanks for the feedback (and sorry for the delayed response) - to follow-up:
1) I'm not sure either on the T1 circuit either (since I heard about the problem 2nd-hand), but it seemed as if we had all of the circuit info, but it still required the carrier to be on hand during the turn-up. ALL we were doing is swapping a Nortel router w/ a Cisco router - it's not like different DID's were being ported to a new circuit or anything. So, in YOUR experience --- the carrier side doesn't care about the MAC address, or anything unique about the customer equipment? You've been able to simply unplug from one device, plug into a similarly-configured different device, and the circuit comes right up??
2) I don't know - it was a business DSL circuit (assuming ADSL - this matters?) I've learned since that authentication was somehow enabled on the link (PPPoE??), which may have caused the problem.
Any additional insight to the above, and I'll close out. Thanks again!
1) I'm not sure either on the T1 circuit either (since I heard about the problem 2nd-hand), but it seemed as if we had all of the circuit info, but it still required the carrier to be on hand during the turn-up. ALL we were doing is swapping a Nortel router w/ a Cisco router - it's not like different DID's were being ported to a new circuit or anything. So, in YOUR experience --- the carrier side doesn't care about the MAC address, or anything unique about the customer equipment? You've been able to simply unplug from one device, plug into a similarly-configured different device, and the circuit comes right up??
2) I don't know - it was a business DSL circuit (assuming ADSL - this matters?) I've learned since that authentication was somehow enabled on the link (PPPoE??), which may have caused the problem.
Any additional insight to the above, and I'll close out. Thanks again!
1) Does your phone care what language you speak? What MAC address are you talking about? The carrier has no clue what layer two protocols you are running: ATM, Frame Relay, X.25, SDLC, and so and so on. Only the device on the other end cares about the layer 2 protocols. The T1 is going into the CSU/DSU and the T1 circuit has its own protocol.
2) Here is a link to information on PPPoE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Protocol_over_Ethernet
Although called PPPoE it is also used in xDSL which actually uses ATM. If a new router is installed on a PPPoE connection then the router must be configured to use the correct security, which PPPoE normally requires.
2) Here is a link to information on PPPoE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Protocol_over_Ethernet
Although called PPPoE it is also used in xDSL which actually uses ATM. If a new router is installed on a PPPoE connection then the router must be configured to use the correct security, which PPPoE normally requires.
ASKER
1) k, so the T1 is pure L1... cool. I don't know why there was a problem... I'd heard something at one point where, if the CPE wasn't yet plugged in/ready, that the carrier had to "loopback" the circuit because there wasn't anything terminating the far end. Hearing this, it made me wonder if the carrier circuit was sensitive to what was on the other side, or to gaps/interruptions in service, where they'd have to be on-call when any kind of change was made, equipment-wise.
2) Thank you for the link - I'll look into it.
Any additional comments on 1)? Respond either way, and I'll close & award points.
Thank you!
2) Thank you for the link - I'll look into it.
Any additional comments on 1)? Respond either way, and I'll close & award points.
Thank you!
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ASKER
Thank you!
Was the DSL line a ADSL, SDSL, or HDSL? Which part did not work? To get IP up and working on a xDSL link you have xDSL connection, then typically ATM (requires knowing the vc numbers), and then IP.