| Confusion about VRAD/DSLAM/IPDSLAM... I'm confused about the difference or relationship between a VRAD and a DSLAM.
According to the FAQ, VRADs are the only things providing VDSL, and so in theory, they are the newest equipment being installed in neighborhoods, but from various things that I've learned, AT&T is currently installing IPDSLAM various areas, but this only provides ADSL.
Do neighborhoods that get IPDSLAMs not get Uverse video? |
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 trparkyApple... YUMPremium,MVM
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
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| That is a good question And one that I hope to be able to answer for you.
VRAD stands for Video Ready Access Device. Basically it's a cabinet that houses a series of VDSL2 interface cards. Those cards are then used to supply uVerse video, phone, and Internet access to AT&T customers.
I'm going to assume that the IPDSLAMs are going to be installed in the same cabinets that the VDSL2 cards are installed in to provide services similar to what the older Project Pronto wanted to do.
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Tom |
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| reply to supercheetah
A DSLAM is a whole class of hardware that provides DSL service.
Traditionally DSLAMs were fed off of DS1 and DS3s. IPDSLAMs use gigabit ethernet instead of DS1 or DS3. Basically ATM vs IP. VRAD just describes a DSLAM that is set for video based content (Uverse TV). The IPDSLAMs refer to the ADSL2+ set DSLAMs that are set to the Uverse (Litespeed) network but are not provisioned for video services but technically a VRAD is a type of IP based DSLAM |
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| reply to supercheetah
Thank you, that actually clears a lot of things up for me! Both of those answers were helpful.
However, I don't understand why IPDSLAMs and VDSL2 cards are going into the same cabinet if it's all going into the same neighborhood. Can I assume that the IPDSLAMs must service Prems that are too far out for VDSL2? |
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 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
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1 edit | reply to supercheetah
No, currently IP-DSLAM users can't get TV or U-Voip.
My impression is that AT&T is just upgrading traditional ADSL with ADSL2+. While they're at it, they're changing some of the under-the-hood details. They've just added the U-verse branding to make everything extra confusing.
IP-DSLAM (according to FAQ) is currently only coming out of the CO. I expect this will also expand to the existing ADSL RTs at some point.
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AT&T U-Hearse
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| They want one network. They have two. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
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| said by bogey780:They want one network. They have two. Sure. That makes sense from an engineering standpoint, but it would have been less confusing for people if they gave IP-DSLAM some other marketing name, maybe just AT&T HSI.
I suppose this gives them wiggle-room to add U-verse VOIP, or maybe even some low end U-verse SD only IPTV over CO-based ADSL2+, but I just think it's going to be a nightmare for AT&T's customer service people. It's no wonder the OP is confused.
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AT&T U-Hearse
Your funeral. Delivered.
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 ILpt4UPremium
join:2006-11-12
Lisle, IL
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| AFAIK, both the neighborhood VRADs & the IPDSLAMs in the COs are Alcatel-Lucent 7330s. The Neighborhood VRADs have VDSL2 cards in them, whereas the CO IPDSLAMs have ADSL2+ cards in them
VoIP will be offered to IPDSLAM customers at some point. The IPDSLAM RGs (2Wire 2701s?) have embedded VoIP ports
U-Verse is becoming a brand name for residential/small business class IP services |
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| reply to djrobx
said by djrobx:I suppose this gives them wiggle-room to add U-verse VOIP, or maybe even some low end U-verse SD only IPTV over CO-based ADSL2+, but I just think it's going to be a nightmare for AT&T's customer service people. It's no wonder the OP is confused. That is actually pretty confusing. I do get why they want to do it though. |
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| reply to djrobx
The IPDSLAM IS the Uverse system. The legacy ADSL is the other network. |
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tel601
join:2005-08-11
Picayune, MS | reply to supercheetah
The newest vrad shelves I have seen installed are not marked as 7330's. Most of the others had this marked on them as a model / series number. Now after the combination of Alcatel and Lucent the shelves are marked as ARAM-D or ARAM-E. The "D" and "E" indicates the size of the shelf. The "D" shelf supports 192 ports and I think the "E" will support 432 ports. The company website has more info if needed. »www.alcatel-lucent.com |
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| reply to supercheetah
djrobx, you got it all wrong, the correct marketing term is still AT&T High Speed Internet (HSI) but only those in the IP-DSLAM areas are being put onto AT&T U-Verse HSI (see, marketing! It's U-Verse without the TV!).
Anyways, another differences between typical ADSL lines that was used before and IP-DSLAM using ADSL2+ is that it's all IP based, meaning it no longer uses a PPPoE connection.
So, in the "old days" the DSLAM housed the ADSL stuff which used Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology
Now we have the Internet Protocol Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (IP-DSLAM or just IP-DSLAM) which is mostly IP based so it doesn't use typical ATM circuits (meaning you don't need to update your PPPoE information).
AT&T sells the 2Wire 2701HG-B gateways for those on normal ADSL1 networks while people getting signed up for AT&T U-Verse HSI IP-DSLAM service will be getting the 2Wire 2701HGV-B gateways which does allow you to get VoIP service (unlike the 2701HG-B gateways). The reason for this is because AT&T is selling there VoIP service in some markets for IP-DSLAM customers and expecting to do so a lot more in the future. Mind you that AT&T also sells Motorola modems as well but they're just a dumb modem, that's all it is. |
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