Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. User Perspectives, Provider Realities

2. Far More Than the Loop

3. A Manual Problem

4. Automated Solution

5. The LEC and DSL

6. DSL and the NAP

7. NSP and DSL

8. Conclusion

Self-Test

Glossary

PDF of this tutorial

ASP
application service provider

ATM
asynchronous transfer mode

CMIP
common management information protocol

CORBA
common object request broker architecture

CPE
customer premises equipment

DSL
digital subscriber line

DSLAM
digital subscriber line access multiplexer

IP
Internet protocol

ISDN
integrated services digital network

ISP
Internet service provider

LEC
local-exchange carrier

LSR
line service request

MDF
main distribution frame

MDU
multiple-dwelling units

NAP
network access provider

NSP
network service provider

POTS
plain old telephone service

PSTN
public switched telephone network

QoS
quality of service

SLA
service level agreement

SNMP
simple network management protocol

TL1
transaction language 1

VC
virtual circuit

VP
virtual path