ATM interface design issues for IP traffic over ATM/ADSL access networks

摘要

Abstract: The combination of ATM and ADSL is fast becoming an attractive alternative for Internet access for home and small business. ADSL modems allow the use of the existing copper plant at speeds much higher than those afforded by traditional modem technologies. The use of ATM both enables the long-sought goal of an ATM end-to-end network, and allows, through the use of QOS guarantees, efficient use of the limited upstream bandwidth of ADSL. Although the client- server model, which typified classical Internet traffic and newer multimedia IP services, fits well an asymmetric network model, performance can be greatly impacted unless the interactions between ADSL, ATM, and Internet protocols are well understood an taken into account in the design of ATM interfaces. In this paper we investigate the potential limitations on performance in IP/ATM/ADSL networks and explain how, in our ATM interface designs, we have ameliorated these problems and optimized the use of IP services over such networks. We discuss the importance of 'traffic shaping', heretofore afforded little importance for IP traffic, and the impact of latency and asymmetric bandwidth of ADSL, on both traditional and multimedia IP services, in our implementations. !10