Home  Why ADSL?  The protocol stacks  References   DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) The DSLAM is a device that combines many modems in one, located at the phone compny. It multiplexes several ADSL links coming from customers' premises and transmits them to their ISPs through an ATM or an Ethernet network and vice versa. Continuing the journey... The DSLAM forwards the packet to the ISP over an Ethernet or an ATM network using one of the protocol stacks mentioned earlier. In the ATM case, ATM Address Resolution Protocol is used to determine the right VC of the ISP. In the Ethernet case, the arriving packet from the ATM layer is the Ethernet frame that has been created by the virtual Ethernet interface at the modem. ARP is used and the frame is finally transmitted to the ISP.   The ISP is connected to the Internet backbone and forwards the packet on, at last the packet will reach its destination.   Network Components