Is frame relay still used?

I'm reading up frame relay chapters for CCNA. Just to gain a bit real-world knowledge, what's the current state of frame-relay? Is this a mature technology or retired technology? Are there competing technologies for WAN connectivity?

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networker050184

It's a legacy technology. Still used in places, but widely being phased out over the years. Most of what I've seen is frame on the edge into an MPLS network rather than large frame networks remaining.

jason_miller13

Yep, still used. I work for a city and all of our buildings are connected via Frame Relay links, trying to move away though.

JasonIT

it is still on the exam, so make sure you get familiar with the technology. As stated above, most people have moved to MPLS now.

J

NetworkVeteran

The last time I passed through the CCNA, Frame Relay configuring/troubleshooting was minimal, and the focus was on the operation of routers on non-broadcast media. That's more relevant and can be applied to different access technologies.

workfrom925

networker050184 wrote: »

It's a legacy technology. Still used in places, but widely being phased out over the years. Most of what I've seen is frame on the edge into an MPLS network rather than large frame networks remaining.

Then does any Cisco course explain MPLS? If not, where to learn about MPLS?

networker050184

Look into the service provider courses. It's not something the average enterprise networking professional really needs to know much about though.

NetworkVeteran

networker050184 wrote: »

Look into the service provider courses. It's not something the average enterprise networking professional really needs to know much about though.

Aye! The CCIP, JNCIS-SP, CCNP-SP, JNCIP-SP, CCIE-SP, and JNCIE-SP cover MPLS. You will never know everything about networking, so figure out if you need to learn much about MPLS. It's a core technology in the service provider arena.

Master Of Puppets

One of the professors at my university said he hasn't seen it deployed in a production network for a little more than 2 years but pointed out that you can run into it. As far as I know the concepts from FR can be applied to MPLS so no worries.

networker050184

Master Of Puppets wrote: »

As far as I know the concepts from FR can be applied to MPLS so no worries.

I wouldn't go that far. Vastly diferent technologies.

SteveO86

Working for a consultant I came across maybe 3 frame-relay networks in the last few years.

That's it though. As mentioned before it's a fading technology.

prtech

We have several frame relay circuits but they are all going to be phased out this year.

volume

I seem to remember someone saying, 'When the Armageddon comes, the only things that will be left are roaches and frame-relay.' Not sure, might have been Jeremy @ CBTNuggets.

workfrom925

I've seen different WIC for smart serial, T1, ISDN, or DSL on a router. Does MPLS require its own special WIC on Cisco routers? What kind of physcial connection does MPLS have on a router?

NetworkVeteran

workfrom925 wrote: »

I've seen different WIC for smart serial, T1, ISDN, or DSL on a router. Does MPLS require its own special WIC on Cisco routers? What kind of physcial connection does MPLS have on a router?

MPLS is not a data-link protocol, so there's no "special WIC" for it anymore than you use a special WIC to run the Routing Information Protocol. Also, typically only the service provider configures or runs any processes related to MPLS.

If you want to know how to use an MPLS service--

http://www.netcraftsmen.net/resources/archived-articles/510-enterprise-buyers-guide-to-layer-3-mpls-vpn-services.html

workfrom925

Thank you all. That's all my questions about MPLS as far as CCNA is concerned.

SteveO86

volume wrote: »

I seem to remember someone saying, 'When the Armageddon comes, the only things that will be left are roaches and frame-relay.' Not sure, might have been Jeremy @ CBTNuggets.

Haha, that's awesome!