What is ISDN? 1

[YWCA]

I asked a question earlier about making a 804ISDN into a plain ole switch. I guess I should have started out with what is ISDN?

 

[burtsbees]

It is a WAN technology that allows integration of voice and data at 64Kbps, or 64,000bps (NOT 65,536, like in ethernet would be). It consists of two bearer (B) channels at 64Kbps each and one D channel for data (signaling). There is basic rate (BRI) and primary rate (PRI). PRI=24 channels, basically a T1=1.536Mbps. It stands for Integrated Services Digital Network, and it's not used really anymore. It is really the business preference over dialup (56K) back in the day. Some businesses may still use it with DDR profiles (Dial on Demand, which allows them to only get charged when the line is in service on an active call) for a backup circuit or modem connection for consoles. It can also stand for I Still Don't Know or It Still Does Nothing...lol

Plenty of tutorials out there in Google Land.

/

tim@tim-laptop ~ $ sudo apt-get install windows
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package windows...Thank Goodness!

 

[YWCA]

LOL..I needed a laugh.

 

[burtsbees]

Do I get a star for the laugh?

/

tim@tim-laptop ~ $ sudo apt-get install windows
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package windows...Thank Goodness!

 

[YWCA]

Sorry never gave a star before.

 

[burtsbees]

Thanks mayn!

/

tim@tim-laptop ~ $ sudo apt-get install windows
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package windows...Thank Goodness!

 

[PeterHurst]

As usual (;-)) BurtsBees is absolutely spot on - just to add that in Europe PRI (Primary Rate) is actually 30B+D which comes out a 2048kbs (commonly known as E1)

Unusual for the Europeans to have the biggest one!

PRI Is still used a lot for bulk lines into PABX's as it offers so many facilities over analogue and is digital to boot. Often PRI is the more trusted breakout onto the main PSTN network for an organisation. Ast Burt says BRI is pretty dead for data use now as ADSL/VPN tends to be faster, easier and cheaper.