Frame Relay is a protocol standard for WAN internetworking which provides a fast and efficient method of transmitting packets through the network. Frame Relay offers an attractive alternative to both dedicated lines and X.25 networks for WAN links. The success of the Frame Relay protocol is based on the following two factors:
- Virtual circuits consume bandwidth only when they transport data. Consequently, many virtual circuits can exist across a given transmission line, which is an improvement compared to dedicated leased lines. In addition, each device can use more than the allowed bandwidth as necessary, and thus operate at higher speeds.
- The increased error-handling sophistication at end stations and the improved reliability of communication lines allows the Frame Relay protocol to discard bad frames and thus eliminate time-consuming error-handling processing.
Packet Tracer 5.3 includes a "Cloud-PT" device for WAN emulation. This device can be configured as a Frame Relay switch. Router are connected to the Frame Relay switch using serial connections. Virtual circuits, LMI types, and DLCI are configured using the Serial and Frame Relay tabs of the "Cloud-PT" device.
Frame Relay configuration - WAN cloud
Configure the LMI type and DLCI of virtual circuits on each serial interface of the cloud used for Frame Relay operation.
Create the virtual circuits one the "Frame Relay" tab. DLCI's need to be configured on the "Serial" tabs before creating virtual circuits.