Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a high-speed, fully digital telephone service that can be used over the existing analog telephone network. A standard analog telephone line and modem connection typically transfers data at a maximum of 28.8 kilobits per second. ISDN can dramatically speed up transfer of information over the Internet or over a remote wide area network (WAN) link, because ISDN transfers data at rates of 64 to 128 kilobits per second.
ISDN is a powerful and complex telecommunication service that can be used to support many different types of telecommunication needs. It can provide connections to the Internet that support World Wide Web browsing, multimedia, and video presentation applications.
This chapter is limited to information about using ISDN to connect to the Internet with a computer running Windows NT Server version 4.0 with Internet Information Server. The information in this chapter is intended for network administrators and support personnel who need information about ISDN and how ISDN can be used to connect to the Internet. This chapter includes the following sections:
"Introduction to ISDN." This section covers ISDN basics, including its data transfer rate, channel configuration, availability, and quality of connection. The section discusses two ISDN services, Basic Rate Interface and Primary Rate Interface, and describes hardware required for ISDN. It also briefly describes Microsoft support for ordering ISDN.
"Windows NT Architecture Supporting ISDN." This section describes the Windows NT services and the application programming interfaces that support ISDN. It also discusses the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), Remote Access Service, and PPP Multilink as they relate to ISDN.
"Configuring Windows NT Server for ISDN." This section tells you how to configure your Windows NT Server to work with ISDN and describes equipment and protocols required.
"Alternatives to ISDN." This section briefly discusses some alternatives to ISDN.