Frame Relay - reason for hub and spoke

Hi guys. I have been wondering about this for a while and even asked a guy at my work who came up with a possible reason.

Basically, when using frame relay, all the materials I have read/watched speak of having a hub and spoke topology. So if we have 2 sites we want to connect with FR, one in the UK and one in the USA. Can we not just have the UK router connected to a frame switch and the USA router connected to the same frame switch? Without a third router? Is this third router necessary to route from one site to another? Or is it more for larger FR networks to cut down on the amount of DLCIs needed? So that each site only needs one DLCI to one router?

I hope this makes at least some sense.

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Comments

MrD

If you only have 2 locations you just need a point-to-point network. Hub & Spoke is basically a partial mesh topology when there are 3 or more sites, so as to cut down on the cost of having a full mesh.

cambei

SWEET! Thank you.

That's what the guy from work thought it would be, but we were unsure.

PS: I am wearing a T-shirt with your avatar on

MrD

I'll be back...

Yankee

You probably don't want a long distance point to point between the US and the UK as it is very expensive. A PVC between the two ain't cheap either but is the more affordable solution between the two choices.

Yankee

EdTheLad

Yankee wrote:

You probably don't want a long distance point to point between the US and the UK as it is very expensive. A PVC between the two ain't cheap either but is the more affordable solution between the two choices.

Yankee

I think you are confusing a leased line with FR point-to-point pvc.

rossonieri#1

ed_the_lad wrote:

I think you are confusing a leased line with FR point-to-point pvc.

nice answer ed:)

dont mixed up with topology and DLCI usage.

Yankee

I'm not mixing anything up, as I control a large US network connected to the UK, Europe and India amongst other places. We used frame-relay for years, but are now in the process of changing to save cost. Perhaps he misspoke in the phrasing of the initial response as a hub and spoke network is still point to point frame-relay in a well designed network. You don't use the phrase point to point and not mean a leased line when speaking to a carrier in any nation.

Yankee

EdTheLad

Yankee wrote:

You don't use the phrase point to point and not mean a leased line when speaking to a carrier in any nation.
Yankee

Yes,but we are not carriers and we were discussing FR.Anyway, the important thing is that somebody unfamiliar with FR doesnt read this thread and get all confused.

mp3spy

ed_the_lad wrote:

Yankee wrote:

You don't use the phrase point to point and not mean a leased line when speaking to a carrier in any nation.
Yankee

Yes,but we are not carriers and we were discussing FR.Anyway, the important thing is that somebody unfamiliar with FR doesnt read this thread and get all confused.

thats right!

Yankee

Then it would be important that people learn to use proper terms, so they don't get confused.

Yankee

mgeorge

mp3spy, you're avatar is soo cute ^_^ reminds me about how I feel some times when I'm working on a 75,000 node+ network lol >.< oh yeah and of course, 10,000 of those people are complaining lol...