The Importance off MLPPP for Bonded T1 MPLS Networks

Written by: Dennis Green - Dec 2, 2008

This article will discuss why it is important to use MLPPP for bonding T1 circuits which will be included in an MPLS network. Multiprotocol-label-switching (MPLS) is a relatively new technology, which has led to major advancements in the convergence of telecommunication networks. With MPLS, one network of a company can now facilitate virtually all needed applications on one bandwidth pipe. For example, one network could carry VoIP (Voice over internet protocol), video conferencing, and all routine data transfer simultaneously. With the use of Quality of Service (QoS), the data packets of each of these applications would be prioritized so that they do not compete, or interfere with each other as they pass through the network. The use of one pipe to accommodate many applications, is commonly referred to as convergence.

One of many advantages of an MPLS based network over networks based on frame relay or point to point circuits, is that MPLS is much more scalable. With MPLS, you can easily scale the bandwidth of each location of your network up from fractional T1, to full T1, to bonded T1, to fractional DS3, to full DS3, and/or on up to OC3, depending on the needs of your company. For small to medium locations, bonded T1 provides a popular bandwidth range. Rather than needing to jump from a T1 to a T3 (the equivalent of 28 T1s), with the use of bonded T1, a company can scale from one T1 (1.54 megabits per second (mbps)), to a dual bonded T1 (3 mbps), triple bonded, and incrementally on up to eight bonded T1s (12 mbps) as bandwidth needs grow.

Bonded T1 is an extremely important aspect of many networks, because of the relative expense of skipping from T1 to T3. T1 and bonded T1 are commonly provided over the same copper wires which provide telephone service. For this reason, in most cases, T1 and bonded T1 can be installed at a business location for free. T3 (DS3) however, requires special wiring. For this reason, it often costs tens of thousands of dollars to provide the wiring to each business location to accommodate a DS3 circuit. Providing this wiring is commonly referred to as build-out. There are almost never build-out charges associated with T1 or bonded T1. Another reason that bonded T1 can be much more efficient in cost, is that in order to provide fractional DS3, virtually the same facilities are needed as would be required for full DS3. For this reason, the monthly cost of fractional DS3 (T3) is not proportional to the cost of full DS3. Because of this, when equivalent bandwidth below 12 mbps is compared, the monthly cost of bonded T1 is far less expensive than fractional DS3.

In the past, to achieve bonded T1, multiple T1s were bonded via load balancing. Load balancing worked great for companies which needed more bandwidth than a single T1 could provide. By bonding T1s, if a company’s need for bandwidth exceeded the capabilities of a single T1, applications would be shared with a second, third or fourth T1. The downside of load balanced bonded T1s however, is that each T1 in a load balanced bonded T1 actually function as separate pipes, rather than all T1s functioning as a single pipe. With load balancing, if one single application needed more bandwidth than a single T1 could accommodate, then major challenges would result. Also, load balancing presented many challenges toward convergence. Many applications could not be efficiently coordinated or prioritized over a load balanced bonded pipe, because with load balancing, bonded T1s actually functioned more like a grouping of single bandwidth pipes.

With the recent introduction of MLPPP technology, T1s can now be bonded, so that all function as a single pipe. With MLPPP, applications no longer need to be divided as evenly as possible across a series of single T1s. MLPPP results in a significant improvement in the ability of MPLS networks to utilize QoS to coordinate and prioritize applications over a single bonded circuit. This advancement provides profound advantages; both financially and functionally, to small and medium sized companies, or large companies with medium sized locations in their network.

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