4.1 Level 3 Fiber Optic Forum FAQ | DSLReports.com, ISP Information

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4.1 Level 3

What does 'Level 3' mean?

The term "Level 3" comes from the layered set of protocols, or standards that are often used in the industry to describe networks. The Company's strategy generally calls for services to be provided in the first three levels of these technical specifications.

Source: Level 3

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Interface and port speeds

Interface and port speeds available by region:

�	U.S.	Europe
Serial	DS-3	DS-3
POS	OC-3, OC-12, OC-48	STM-1, STM-4
Ethernet	100BT, Gigabit Ethernet	100BT, Gigabit Ethernet

Level 3 runs single mode fiber optic cable to the customers premise. The fiber cable can have any type of hardware on both ends.

For example:

100BT Ethernet / Gigabit Ethernet:

If a customer needs Gigabit Ethernet, Level 3 will have a Cisco router with a Gigabit port on their end.

The customer will have a Gigabit switch with a GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) connected to the fiber optic cable.

Optical Carrier Level connections and SDH:

If POS type connection is requested, expensive hardware must be used by both ends.

Level 3 will use Fujitsu Multiplexers:

The customer will need an OC level router, such as the Juniper Networks M20:

Serial Connections - DS3/T3:

The telco needs to run a dedicated DS3 circuit.

The customer needs to have a DS3 Inverse access multiplexer and a router supporting HSSI (High Speed Serial Interface).

One of the HSSI compatible routers is a Cisco 3600 Series: