What is ISDN?

INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK

ISDN is a set of standards which define
an end to end Digital Network
WAN Technology

Features of ISDN
Uses Digital Signal
Uses Existing telephone wiring
Charges are generally based on the duration of
call (How long the WAN link was used)
Alternate to using leased lines
Can transport many types of Network traffic
(Voice, Data, Video, Text, Graphics etc)
Faster Data transfer rate than modems
Faster Call setup than Modems

ISDN Components
Terminal Equipment type 1 (TE1)
* ISDN compatible device (Router with ISDN Interface)
* TE1s connect to the ISDN network through a four-wire,
twisted-pair digital link
Terminal Equipment type 2 (TE2)
* ISDN Non-compatible devices.
* Will require a terminal adapter.
Terminal Adapter (TA)
* Converts standard electrical signals into the form used by ISDN
* Needed for connection with TE2 devices
* The ISDN TA can be either a standalone device or a board inside
the TE2
ISDN Components
Network termination type 1 (NT1)
* Network-termination devices that connect the four-wire
Subscriber wiring to the conventional two-wire local loop
* Is a customer premises equipment (CPE) device (North America)

Network termination type 2 (NT2)
* Intelligent device that performs switching & concentrating.
* Provides multiple ISDN interfaces on an ISDN line. The NT2
may be as simple as a bridging device connected to an NT1 unit
or it may be as complicated as a PBX (Private Branch
exchanges)


ISDN Reference points
ISDN specifies a number of reference points that define logical
interfaces between functional groupings, such as TAs and NT1s.
ISDN reference points include the following:

R---The reference point between non-ISDN equipment and a TA.
S---The reference point between user terminals and the NT2.
T---The reference point between NT1 and NT2 devices.
U---The reference point between NT1 devices and line-termination
equipment in the carrier network. The U reference point is
relevant only in North America, where the NT1 function is not
provided by the carrier network

ISDN Reference points
Reference points are a series of specifications that
define the connection between specific devices,
depending on their function in the end-to-end
connection

ISDN Components
ISDN device (TE1)
with built-in NT1
To ISDN
service
U
NT1
ISDN
device
(TE1)
S/T U
NT1
To ISDN
service
Non-ISDN
device
(TE2)
S/T U
TA NT1
R
4-wire
circuit
2-wire
circuit
To ISDN
service
ISDN
device
(TE1)
T
U
NT1
To ISDN
service
NT2
S
ISDN Encapsulation
HDLC
(High-Level Data Link Control)

PPP
(Point to Point Protocol)

LABP
(Link Access Procedure Balance)

ISDN interfaces allow only a single encapsulation type

Telecommuter/Remote User


Using Modem>





Using ISDN>

Telecommuter/Remote Office
Components & Considerations
ISDN Router
Multiple remote users at the same location
ISDN Interfaces
23B or 30B
D
1.544 Mbps in U.S.
2.048 Mbps in
Europe
Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
64 Kbps



64 Kbps
}
64 Kbps
64 Kbps


16 Kbps
144
Kbps
2B
D
}
Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
ISDN Service
BRI (Basic Rate Interface)
Connection from the ISDN office to the user location provides for
access to three channels. The channels are two 64Kb B-channels and
one 16Kb D-channel
The B-channels and the D-channel provide the user with access to the
circuit switched network

ISDN Service
PRI (Primary Rate Interface)
ISDN Primary Rate Interface service provides digital access via a T1
line. A T1 line provides a 1.544 bandwidth. This bandwidth is divided
into 24 64Kb channels. The ISDN PRI service uses 23 B channel
access and uses the 24th (D) channel for signaling purposes


ISDN Protocols
Protocols which start with the following letter:

E - Protocols recommend telephone network standards for ISDN

I - Protocols for Concepts, terminology and general methods

Q - Protocols, how switching and signaling should operate, call
setup etc.
Dial on Demand Routing
ISDN LAN routers provide routing between ISDN BRI and the LAN
by using dial-on-demand routing (DDR)

DDR automatically establishes and releases circuit-switched calls,
providing transparent connectivity to remote sites based on
networking traffic

DDR also controls establishment and release of secondary B channels
based on load thresholds

ISDN Setup
ISDN Switch
You need to be aware of the switch types used at the CO.
This information is needed for the router configuration,
before you can connect it to an ISDN service.


Service Profile Identifiers (SPIDs)
The ISDN carrier provides a SPID to identify the line
configuration of the ISDN service. SPIDs are a series of
characters (that can look like phone numbers) that identify
you to the switch at the CO. After you're identified, the
switch links the services you ordered to the connection.

ISDN Setup
ISDN Switch
Use the isdn switch-type command in global configuration
command mode
The full syntax of the command is: isdn switch-type switch-type


ISDN Setup
Service Profile Identifiers (SPIDs)
The SPIDs are processed during each call setup operation
The spid -number argument indicates the number identifying the
service to which you have subscribed and assigned by the ISDN
service provider for the B2 channel


Point to point, wired data link easier to manage
than broadcast link: no Media Access Control
Several Data Link Protocols: PPP, HDLC,
SLIP(RFC 1055)
PPP (Point to Point Protocol) is very popular:
used in dial up connection between residential
Host and ISP; on SONET/SDH connections, etc
PPP is extremely simple (the simplest in the Data
Link protocol family) and very streamlined
RFC 1661,1662, 1663
Ppp(point to point protocol)
Use for Router-to-router and home user-to-
ISP traffic



PPP requirements
Pkt framing: encapsulation of packets
bit transparency: must carry any bit pattern in the data field
error detection (no correction)
multiple network layer protocols
connection liveness
Network Layer Address negotiation: Hosts/nodes across the link must
learn/configure each others network address

PPP non-requirements
error correction/recovery
flow control
sequencing
multipoint links (eg, polling)



PPP - preamble
Handles Error detection
Supports multiple protocols
IP address to be negotiated at connection time


Permits authentication
1. Framing methods is used
2. Link Control Protocol (LCP) for bringing up/down
, testing and negotiation
3. Network Control Protocol (NCP) for each network
layer
PPP Data Frame
Multiprotocol framing mechanism over modems
Similar to HDLC (but Character oriented)
Flag: delimiter (framing) HDLC flag byte
Address: does nothing (only one option) - 11111111
Control: does nothing; in the future possible multiple control fields
Protocol: upper layer to which frame must be delivered
What kind of packet is in payload field (0- IP, IPX, OSI-CLNP, XNS 1-
Negotiate other protocol; LCP ,NCP etc.)
Payload field default 1500

For data transparency, the data field must be allowed to include the
pattern <01111110> ; ie, this must not be interpreted as a flag
to alert the receiver, the transmitter stuffs an extra < 01111101> byte
after each < 01111110> data byte
the receiver discards each 01111101 after 01111110, and continues
data reception

Byte Stuffing
PPP Link Control Protocol
PPP-LCP establishes/releases the PPP connection; negotiates options
Starts in DEAD state
11 types LCP Options: max frame length; authentication protocol
Once PPP link established, IP-CP (Contr Prot) moves in (on top of
PPP) to configure IP network addresses etc.

Transition Phases
Refer forouzan for ppp, pg no:346 - 351