Dose frame relay need Internet connection?

Hi All,
I'm wondering if frame relay need internet connection to work like VPN or its can work with out it ??
And if it need ,then ,what is the difference between it and VPN?

Because we can connect two offices to make WAN with out need internet (am I get it right !!!!

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CiskHo

If you are talking about connecting 2 or more geographically seperated networks (2 office buildings lets say) then yes, both sites would require an internet connection. Otherwise there would be no cabling to attach the 2 networks together.

VPN would also require internet connections if used for the same buildings. VPN is just the way to encrypt/secure the data as it passed through the WAN. Frame-relay is just a method of transporting data through the WAN.

Technically neither require going through the WAN though as you could set up routers in your room to run their own FR and/or VPN networks. However, both methods would be about pointless if all devices were in the same room/network.

notgoing2fail

sniper_here wrote: »

Hi All,
I'm wondering if frame relay need internet connection to work like VPN or its can work with out it ??
And if it need ,then ,what is the difference between it and VPN?

Because we can connect two offices to make WAN with out need internet (am I get it right !!!! )

I'm slightly confused by your post.

The biggest difference really between frame relay and VPN's is cost. But I'm not sure how your offices are setup. You said you can connect both of them together without any WAN? So I assume they are right next to each other physically?

networker050184

No, you don't need an internet connection for frame-relay. You can have a frame-relay circuit as your internet connections though.

Dilbert65

The frame you really dont care about. An ISP is setting up the frame and maintaining the cloud. You just need to care about the isp feed into the building (d-mark). THen you have VPN goes over the internet. VPN will be a secure tunnel between your two offices which rides on top on the internet connection. Now to do this right you want a router in each office that has VPN built in. Then you "link" the 2 routers over the internet which in turn will make the 2 office on 1 network, if that is what you want.

Here is some reading which will help you out.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns171/ns142/networking_solutions_sub_solution_home.html

hermeszdata

CiskHo wrote: »

If you are talking about connecting 2 or more geographically seperated networks (2 office buildings lets say) then yes, both sites would require an internet connection. Otherwise there would be no cabling to attach the 2 networks together.

VPN would also require internet connections if used for the same buildings. VPN is just the way to encrypt/secure the data as it passed through the WAN. Frame-relay is just a method of transporting data through the WAN.

Technically neither require going through the WAN though as you could set up routers in your room to run their own FR and/or VPN networks. However, both methods would be about pointless if all devices were in the same room/network.

Basically, a frame relay is a shared lease line (in a very loose interpretation) where multiple users/companies share the bandwidth. The frame realy is also a Virtual circuit(s) between 2 or more points. Also, frame realy circuits DO NOT provide direct internet access. In order to have internet access, one of the points/Sites would have to have a dedicated Internet Connection and open access to the internet for other sites within the company. Sites set up within a F.R. cloud have no need for use of VPN becaus they are already PRIVATE Virtual Circuits.

VPNs were designed to provide secure connections between geographic different locations with the corporate infrastructure over the Internet. These locations could be specific corporate branchs or, as we see more and more, employees who tele-commute!

So, in answer to the orignial question, Frame relay circuits and VPNs are two different technologies that effectively accomplish the same thing. Frame relay circuits use DLCis configured by the service provider to create a Private network. VPNs use tunneling technology to create private networks over the internet.

Another observation:
over the past 5 to 7 years, I have seen more and more companies moving away from Frame Relay Circuits and even T1 leased lines and migrating their infrastructure to VPN over DSL/Cable. The reason is simple! The cost for FR and T1 circuits far exceeds the cost of DSL and with the improvements in DSL technology, DSL Bandwidth frequently exceeds T1 in both directions. I am also seeing a great deal of migration to 3G Wireless connections (most are used as a failover for other broadband connections.)

I suspect, much like ISDN, that Frame Relay will soon be a thing of the past and will no longer be a part of the CCNA Scope.

John