Covad Bonded Business T1 Service

Frequently Asked Questions

How does bonded T1 work?
How many T1s are bonded?
What T1s can be bonded?
What is the bonded Business T1 coverage area?
Is the SLA different for bonded Business T1?
Do I order multiple T1s?
How do I know which speed is right for me?
What hardware is required?
If I already have a Cisco 1841 CPE, can I use it with a Covad bonded T1 service?
If I already have Netopia or Siemens CPE running T1, can I use it in place of the Cisco 1841?


How does bonded T1 work?
Covad uses multi-link point-to-point protocol (MLPPP) to combine multiple T1s to deliver up to 6.0 Mbps of symmetrical bandwidth. There is no need for you to implement load balancing over multiple T1s.

How many T1s are bonded? 
Depending on what speed of bonded T1 service you order, up to four T1s are bonded. 

What T1s can be bonded?
T1 lines must be from the same POP going to the same customer location.

What is the bonded Business T1 coverage area?
Bonded T1 3.0 has the same nationwide coverage area as Business T1. Our Bonded T1 4.5 and 6.0 services are available in our top major metropolitan areas nationwide. Click on Check Availability above to see if your location pre-qualifies for service.

Is the service level agreement (SLA) different for bonded Business T1?
No. Bonded Business T1 is backed by the same industry-leading SLAs as a single T1. The only difference is in the installation timeframe, which is 30 calendar days for Business T1 384, 768, 1.5 and 3.0, and 45 calendar days for Business T1 4.5 and 6.0. 

Do I order multiple T1s?
No. When you place your order for bonded T1 service, select 'Business T1 3.0M', 'Business T1 4.5M' or 'Business T1 6.0M'.

How do I know which speed is right for me?
The Covad sales consultants will help you determine exactly which speed is best for your needs. Some of the things you should take into account are: applications you are running, number of employees using the connection, and how much of your current bandwidth you use.

What hardware is required?
Covad-approved CPE is required for Business T1. Specific CPE models will be presented at the time you place your order.

If I already have a Cisco 1841 CPE, can I use it with a Covad bonded T1 service?
If you already have a Cisco 1841 CPE you may use it with Covad Business T1 3.0M, and your CPE must have the configuration below. The Cisco 1841 is not certified for use with the Covad 4.5M or 6.0M bonded T1 service. Please note that Covad does not provide support for non-Covad issued CPE.
 

• Flash 64 MB
• DRAM 256 MB
• Two RJ-45 WICs (WAN interface cards) with integrated CSU/DSU (Cisco Part# WIC-1DSU-T1-V2)
• Two autosensing 10/100 Fast Ethernet ports
• One RJ-45 asynchronous serial console port
• Built-in VPN accelerator
• Advanced security IOS 12.4(6)T3

If I already have Netopia or Siemens CPE running T1, can I use it in place of the Cisco 1841?
No. Business T1 3.0M requires the Cisco 1841 with a 2nd WAN interface card or the Samsung Ubigate iBG1000. For Business T1 4.5M and Business T1 6.0M, the Samsung Ubigate iBG1000 is the approved CPE.