On Wed, 22 Sep 1999, Richard Newcomb wrote:
Peter,
What is your configuration need, and capacity(payload) requirement regarding bandwidth. Also, one would need to understand how many DS0's (zeros) per DS1 you wish to split, and if any of them will need to be paired, as in dual channel ISDN.
Richard Newcomb
Richard, Thanks for your response. I should have provided more details in my message. I am CC'ing this response to the group so that these details are clear. I have already received several useful responses and will issue a summary when the message frequency drops. We will be splitting T1's into 128's, 256's, ... (not 56Kb lines because the lower bandwidth lines have 56Kb local loops). The T1 lines would typically be split into a maximum of eight various speed ports (128-512, occasionally 56, but not typically). I am assuming that products exist to split directly into a 256Kb without requiring that multiple 56's to be bundled, but this may not be the case (I would appreciate clarification on this point). We may subsequently use it for 56K lines, so a chassis that supports both 8-way and 24-way cards is helpful. Approximately 50 T1's are currently candidates for splitting to lower bandwidth. Our preference is to use multiple small capacity DACS rather than larger 'megaDACs' to minimize the impact of a chassis failure. We will have at least one unpopulated hot spare in each location. Thanks, Pete
Original Message: ----------------- We are considering using Digital Access Cross Connect units (DACS) to split T1 local loops into fractional T channels. Given that our current knowledge of DACS does not extend significantly beyond the ability to spell the acronym, I am soliciting advice from the network group for recommended hardware vendors. Cost is not an object, we are primarily concerned with choosing the 'industry standard' manufacturer with the highest reliability and knowledgeable technical support. Please share your experiences (positive or negative) with DACS equipment. In an effort to minimize traffic on the NANOG list, I request that responses be sent to my e-mail address and I will submit a summary when all the votes are in. The vendors under consideration now are Adtran, Eastern Research, StarDAX, and Fisher Price (we have some reservations about the latter product).
Thanks in advance, Peter Polasek pete@brass.com