An Easier Upgrade from T1 to T3

New inverse multiplexer from Astrocom combines 4 WAN data links to deliver data rates up to 8Mbps.

by Wayne Kawamoto [May 1, 2000]

Astrocom Corporation recently announced its IMUX-2000/4, the first in the company's family of MultiLink Access devices (inverse multiplexers) that can aggregate up to 4 serial connections (T1, E1, V.35, DSL etc.) over a single bundled line. The IMUX-2000 family was designed to meet the increasing WAN bandwidth requirements in business and ISP environments by bridging T1 and T3 services. Astocom says that ISPs can resell the MultiLink Access devices to customers who want to consolidate services.

According to Astrocom, the IMUX-2000/4 will allow users to upgrade their existing T1/E1 lines to higher bandwidths (up to 8Mbps) without having to install T3/E3 lines, and can bond up to 4 serial connections. The company also says that the IMUX-2000/4, with an integrated or external CSU/DSU, offers additional WAN bandwidth without the cost of a higher speed connection.

Astrocom claims that bandwidth aggregation results in increased Internet access speed, load balancing, and redundancy (if one line goes down, the others remain in service). Should one line be lost, the hot swappable individual WAN interface modules allow real-time trouble shooting and repair without interruption of the remaining WAN connections. The IMUX-2000 is standards compliant and supports Multi-Link PPP and Multi-Link Frame Relay and can be configured as a bridge or as a router.

"With more than 1.5 million T1 lines in the United States, there are a growing number of companies where existing copper lines are not meeting the current bandwidth demands," said Ron Thomas, Astrocom's CEO. "The IMUX-2000 is positioned to meet these existing demands by allowing users to bridge the gap between T1 and T3 efficiently and cost effectively."

Availability/Pricing
The MultiLink Access devices are available in different configurations for between $6500 and $10,000.

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