The core difference between Frame Relay and a leased line lies in how connections are established and billed, significantly impacting cost-effectiveness.
Understanding the Core Differences
A traditional leased line provides a dedicated, point-to-point physical connection between two locations. If an organization needs to connect multiple sites using leased lines, they would need a separate, dedicated line from a central point (like a headquarters) to each remote site. This results in many individual physical connections.
Frame Relay, on the other hand, utilizes a shared network infrastructure to create virtual connections between endpoints. According to the provided reference, "Frame relays differ from leased lines in that they do not need separate connections for each router." Instead, "The router connects instead via virtual network sharing and transmits between endpoints."
Key Distinction: Connection Method
- Leased Line: Requires distinct physical circuits for each required point-to-point link. Think of it like having a dedicated private road built between every pair of buildings that need to communicate.
- Frame Relay: Uses permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) or switched virtual circuits (SVCs) over a shared network medium. It's more like using a public highway system, where different vehicles (data packets) from various users share the road but travel to their specific destinations via designated routes (virtual circuits).
Cost-Effectiveness
This difference in connection methods has a direct impact on cost. The reference states that Frame Relay is "more cost-effective since customers do not need bandwidth on all the lines." With leased lines, you often pay for dedicated bandwidth on every single physical link, regardless of whether you are fully utilizing it at all times. Frame Relay allows organizations to pay for access to the network and then potentially purchase a Committed Information Rate (CIR) for their virtual circuits, sharing the underlying physical infrastructure costs with other users of the network provider.
Frame Relay vs. Leased Line Comparison
Here's a simple table summarizing the main difference based on the reference:
| Feature | Frame Relay | Leased Line |
|---|---|---|
| Connection Type | Virtual circuits over a shared network | Dedicated physical circuit per link |
| Physical Need | Does not need separate connections for each router | Needs separate physical connections for each endpoint pair |
| Cost Factor | More cost-effective (shared bandwidth/infrastructure) | Less cost-effective (dedicated bandwidth per link) |
In essence, Frame Relay offered a more flexible and often less expensive way to connect multiple sites compared to the rigidity and cost of numerous dedicated leased lines, particularly when full-time, guaranteed bandwidth wasn't needed on every single link simultaneously.
