Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer

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What Does Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer Mean?

A digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) is a networking device that connects multiple DSL subscribers to one Internet backbone. DSLAM is used by Internet service providers (ISP) or telecommunication providers to share high-caliber Internet bandwidth between DSL subscribers through multiplexing techniques.

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Techopedia Explains Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer

Designed to manage the incoming and outgoing Internet connectivity of DSL subscribers, DSLAM is installed at an ISP or central telco office. It is connected to the primary Internet backbone/router via a high-speed network connection, such as a frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) or IP network. When a typical Internet request is sent by a subscriber’s modem, it reaches the DSLAM device. DSLAM aggregates many different user requests that are passed to the primary Internet backbone/router, which eventually provides dual data transfer or the Internet itself. Further, DSLAM broadcasts and separates the incoming requests of individual users to their unique DSL modems.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.