Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) is emerging as a competing technology to ATM for high-speed transmission of data over carrier networks. Most carrier network are already SONET-based. Most ATM networks require SONET interfaces. So the natural question is whether we need ATM as the intermediate layer or can we run IP over SONET directly?

To run IP over SONET, one normally runs IP over PPP in a HDLC like framing and transmits those frames over SONET. In this talk, we provide a brief overview of the SONET technology, the point- to-point protocol (PPP), and HDLC framing. We then explain the pro and cons of this approach. The recent work being done in IETF and ANSI T1X1 on this topic will also be reviewed.

This is a tutorial talk and everyone is welcome.

Presentation slides in Adobe Acrobat 3.0 Format (76,114 bytes, 1 slide/page)