What is the definition of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)?

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Networking help desk What is network infrastructure and what is a hybrid network? Which are the most valuable networking certifications? Wireless vs. Wi-Fi: What is the difference between Wi-Fi and WLAN? How can I sign up for SearchNetworking.com contest notifications? What is IP? Can I get monthly updates of IT networking content? Can I read SearchNetworking.com's information in other languages? Bridge vs. switch What is network latency? Is going from one Web site to another a download? IP Networking Do I have to disable DHCP on my router to create a DHCP server? Windows Server 2008 IP routing configuration: Static and dynamic RIPv2 What is IP? Connect your LAN to the Internet using static or dynamic NAT Using tracert and TTL to troubleshoot network connectivity problems Test your TCP/IP protocol stack to troubleshoot network connectivity IP addressing and subnetting explained Checking IP configuration to troubleshoot Windows network connectivity Does IPv6 abandon TCP/IP fragmentation? VLANs versus IP subnets: Why use a VLAN over IP subnetting?

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary 32-bit IP addressing  (SearchNetworking.com) fixed-length subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com) GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol)  (SearchNetworking.com) route aggregation  (SearchNetworking.com) route summarization  (SearchNetworking.com) routing table  (SearchNetworking.com) subnet  (SearchNetworking.com) subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com) variable-length subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com) wildcard mask  (SearchNetworking.com)

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary

Whatis.com has a great definition of ATM (asynchronous transfer mode). But to pare it down, here's an even simpler version of it: ATM is a switching technology that organizes digital data into 53-byte cell units -- as opposed to packets which are used in TCP/IP. These units are then sent over a physical medium, like cable, at very high speeds (like 10 Gbps) using digital signal technology.

Our infrastructure and project management expert, Carrie Higbie, explains how ATM differs from existing networking technologies here:

ATM differs mostly in that the ATM specification covers all layers and switches differently than Ethernet. ATM is a cell relay that encodes data traffic in small 53 byte cells. It also provides for prioritization.

She also provides a great explanation, in this Ask the Expert response, of how ATM and EoATM work and can be applied to networks.

For more information, this expert response from Tom Pisello on our sister site, SearchUnifiedCommunications.com, explains how ATM networks compare with IP networks, specifically: Comparing IP with ATM networks. RAD University, also, has an ATM tutorial generated by students at leading universities in Israel that you may find useful.