T1: A Survival Guide

Overture for Book in Black and White, Opus 3

Most of this book is theoretical. In parallel with describing T1 engineering, it discusses how engineering features apply to T1 systems as they are built and deployed in the real world. All the theory comes together in the final chapter on troubleshooting, which applies the theory to solving problems. Here is a breakdown of the chapters.

Chapter 1, traces the history of the telephone network in the U.S. from Alexander Graham Bell’s first patent to the modern digital network that carries a great deal of Internet data.

Chapter 2, provides a short overview of all the components that must work together to get a T1 running.

Chapter 3, describes the basic building block of the T-carrier system in the U.S., the single voice channel.

Chapter 4, explains how the building blocks are put together to form a T1.

Chapter 5, presents the need for tightly controlled timing relationships between T1 components and explains several common timing architectures.

Chapter 6, clarifies the role of the CSU/DSU, one of the most important, yet least understood, pieces of equipment in the T1 system.

Chapter 7, walks you through the process for turning up a T1.

Chapter 8, describes one of the oldest link layer framing protocols ever standardized, the High-level Data Link Control protocol. With this chapter, the book shifts from the hardware realm of the physical layer to the software realm of packets, addressing, and framing.

Chapter 9, describes the Point-to-Point ...