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From: BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F. Bruce)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Alternatives to Traditional Multi-Drop 4-Wire Data Lines
Message-ID: <14868@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 20 Nov 90 07:33:10 GMT
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In article <14764@accuvax.nwu.edu>, ac220@cleveland.freenet.edu
(Richard Szabo) writes:

> What are the alternatives to the following: My shop runs a data
> network over multi-drop four-wire leased lines to ~80 branch locations

If you have DDS II filed there you should find that you can do the
whole thing with digital ckts. Digital multidrop nets are what the
bank cash machines and lottery agents all use.

x.25 may be viable. There are IBM related issues there that I don't
know about, but the LECs are installing x.25 switches (getting ready
for x.25 on ISDN) and here in MA, a 9.6kb port into their x.25 switch
is about $40/mo. You then need to rent some sort of channel from that
CO (may be a few COs away) to you.  The typical choices are: DDS II
(which may include some DOV class hardware at lower speeds), DOV over
an existing dialup phone line, or (yuk) even a four wire analog ckt
with a v.29 modem on it. You will pay SOOO much to rent a telco v.29
for the CO end (95/mo here) that this latter one is a silly choice.

If you go with DDS, look for NRS (network reconfig service) or any
sorts of CO multiplexing that may be offered. The T1 that starts at
one end of the state goes to some far point and then gets broken down
to 24 DS0s. In NRS, you get to control and reconfigure the CO DACSs
remotely. Great for testing and emergency backup site switching. With
the CO muxing, they just break it up for you and it sits quite static
until you pay to change something.

It is possible that NEITHER is available, but ask.

Is there a single or a few cable companies that cover all this area?
Are many of your sites covered by the same cable headend? Are there
any fiber bypass carriers making any headway? If so, the phone company
should be getting more creative in providing what you have long
needed.