11/12   SBC says that if i switch from my t-1 to a 1.5Mbs Frame relay
        connection I can save bucks (just under 50%).  Is my Frame relay
        connection going to be less reliable?  Or just (as they say) slightly
        more laggy?
        \_ with frame relay, you are guaranteed to get your full bandwidth.
           With frame-relay it is really a packetized data protocol on a shared
           frame-relay network.  It's cheaper for them to provide because
           they assume few people really use all their bandwidth capacity.
           They can tie many T1's worth of bandwith through trunks of smaller
           size.  Typically they will oversubscribe the trunks to save money.
           This isn't a problem until everyone starts using all their bandwidth,
           at which point its's X T1's worth of bandwidth fighting for Y T1's
           worth of capacity (where X << Y).
           Do you trust SBC to keep their FR  trunks ahead of bandwidth
           demands, and not heavily oversubscribe?  With a direct point to
           point T1, they cannot oversubscribe.
           Oversubscription is the data communications companies dirty little
           secret.  The more they do it, the bigger their profit margins.
           OH and while they claim they'll set your data rate (CIR) to T1
           levels, in reality they rarely do...
            \_ So you are saying with a Frame Relay i'm likeley to NEVER
               see T1 speeds ?
               \_ No, he's saying there is no guarantee.