Finding the Right DS1 Provider
Telecommunications contracts can be much like a marriage and as we all know there are good and bad marriages. The fact is, when you enter into a telecommunications contract with a DS1 provider for reasonalble amount of bandwidth or voice service you will have to enter into a long term contract. Telecommunications contracts for DS1's and T3's typically range from 1 years to 3 years. Anything longer than a 3 year contract is usually only seen in very large applicatons like OC3 and OC12 or complex frame relay connections with many nodes. While the term of the contract will not be a problem if you have the right provider, the contract could prove extrememly burdomsome with the wrong provider.

How to Tell You Need DS1 Service
Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the internet then reliability of your connection is critical. If your employees depend on your connections because you host the e-mail server in house or host web servers or ASP type products, your connections is considered critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a lifeline, without which your business would be negatively impacted. Your monthly savings of having a sub-par connections will not make up for the loss in productivity of your employees or loss of customers when your DSL connections gets bogged down or cut off. To reiterate, ciritcal connections should be supported with a DS1.

1.54 MBPS = DS1 Speed!
Switching to a more reliable connection is not only less expensive than a few years ago, the implementation has been streamlined. Companies quote a minimum of 30 days to perform an installation but some can perform the implementation in as few as 20 days! While this is possible with some companies not all companies are capable of this speed yet. Much of the imlementation process is handled by the LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) and is out of the hand of your service provider. With the reduced price and streamlined implementation available you may want to reconsider your current connections and get a large company service at a small company price.

The Art of Pricing a DS1 Line
While some people may enjoy a trip to the local shopping mall, shopping for telecommunication services like a DS1 line has never been fun. If you happen to be looking for a dedicated voice line you may call the local phone company. Chances are you'll be passed around to three or four different people who can't handle your request for a DS1 line. When you finally speak with someone who can answer your questions you'll go through a litany of questions that don't get to the point of your call which is, "How much do I have to pay".

DS1 Internet Access for Dummies
Many of the desperate companies are putting together inferior products they claim are DS1 products. Be leary of products with the funny titles like "burstable" and "reach". These products are oversubscribed much like a DSL product. This means the provider put's a singled DS1 connnection in a CO (Central Office) and sells DS1 connections to 3 or 4 customers hoping they don't all use the service at the same time. True DS1 access means dedicated access to the internet and you always have access to 1.54Mbps.

T3 Connection FAQ
Although anybody can purchase a burstable T3, this type of connection can be costly, even as costly as a full 45Mbps connections. Burstable lines can be found at their lowest cost at a colocation facility. At a colocation facility, or "colo", many users share a large OC3 or OC12 pipe. As a customer you will not have to pay for a the fixed cost of such a large pipe, but will have the benefit of being able to burst up to very high speeds if necessary. If you need the reliability of a large pipe fur busty traffic but don't have the capital consider a colo. If you have a steady volume and are consistent, you may consider keeping services in house and going with a T3 connection. Whether you're considering a colocations facility or a T3 to the door, make sure you use a broker to help guide you through the providers and plans available.

Is a DS1 Connection Better than DSL?
Is a DS1 connection better than a DSL connection? A more appropriate questions might be "Is a DS1 connection MORE APPROPRIATE than a DSL connections. A DS1 connection and DSL connection both offer bandwidth at high speed but have two factors that greatly differentiate them from one another. Those factors are price and realiability. A DSL connection has a low price and is less reliable than a DS1 connection. A DS1 is much more expensive than a DSL connection but is also much more reliable.

Frame Relay Multisite Survey
'Today's LANs and computing equipment have the potential to run at much higher speeds and transfer very large quantities of data. With the diversity and complexity of today's networks, management can be a mammoth task if you don't have the proper tools. Each environment is a unique combination of equipment from different vendors. Frame Relay uses a packet-switching technology, similar to X.25, but is more efficient. As a result, it can make your networking quicker, simpler, and less costly.

Finding a Quality DS1 Service Provider
Want a step up from the average agent? An agent who carries no bias for one particular carrier AND gives immediate feedback! While this was not possible a few months ago, we have found a service that can offer real time information on many DS1 service providers. A real time quote gives you information NOW. There is no waiting to find pricing. Simply enter your information and compare pricing immediately. Real time pricing will do for telecommunications shopping what Expedia and Travelocity did for travel. So why wait? If you're searching for a DS1 line make sure you use a broker that can help you with your search in real time.

T3 Line Vendor Review
Sprint also came up high in our review of T3 service plans. Sprint offers an incredible SLA (Service Level Agreement) with their service standing behind the product they offer 100%. While this may seem like something all providers do, further research will show that not all providers offer an SLA like Sprint. The third provider offering a great T3 plan is Telepacific. Unfortunately Telepacific is a regional player and only offers service in California and Las Vegas. Because of their focus they are extremely specialized and offer incredible customer support and reliability. If you're not in California you may consider moving there just to get this service!

Cheap Rates.com
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Cognigen.com
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