- 2069 Asar · 5 marks
Frame relay vs X.25
Short answer
X.25 provides hop-by-hop error/flow control at layers 2 and 3, suitable for noisy lines, with slower speeds (up to 64 kbps). Frame relay removes network error correction, relying on upper layers; operates at layer 2 only, using DLCI, and reaches 45 Mbps. Frame relay is faster and designed for reliable digital links.
Distinguish between frame relay and X.25.
Frame relay was developed from X.25 to exploit reliable digital links, removing most of X.25's processing.
| Point | X.25 | Frame relay |
|---|---|---|
| Layers | Physical, data link (LAPB), network (packet) | Physical and data link only |
| Switching unit | Packets | Frames |
| Error control | At every hop (ACK, retransmission) | None in the network; bad frames dropped, end systems recover |
| Flow control | Hop by hop at layers 2 and 3 | None (only congestion bits FECN, BECN) |
| Speed | Up to 64 kbps (to 2 Mbps) | 56 kbps to 45 Mbps |
| Processing / delay | High, since layer-3 processing | Low |
| Circuit multiplexing | At layer 3 (LCN) | At layer 2 (DLCI) |
| Address field | LCN (12 bits) | DLCI (10 bits) |
| Link quality | Designed for noisy analog lines | Designed for reliable digital / fibre lines |
| Traffic | Low-speed terminals | Bursty LAN-to-LAN data, CIR |
Frame relay is faster because it drops error and flow control in the network and routes by DLCI at layer 2.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Sonnet 5.5
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