What Is the Difference Between a DTE and a DCE

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The Answer is The customer's endpoint device on the WAN is called the DTE (data terminal equipment), and the carrier's endpoint device for the WAN is called the DCE (data circuit terminating equipment). For example, if you have DSL service, you connect a home router with a DSL modem. A modem is a modulation/demodulation device that converts between digital and analog signals. In this case, the router is the DTE, usually owned by the customer, and the modem is the DCE, usually owned by the ISP. Generally, the DTE is the responsibility of the customer and the DCE is the responsibility of the ISP. The DTE communicates on the LAN, and the DCE communicates on the WAN. Sometimes the DTE and DCE are combined in the same device. For example, a router might have one WAN network adapter, or WIC (WAN interface connector), that connects to a fiber-optic or frame relay WAN and one LAN network adapter that connects to an Ethernet, twisted-pair LAN.

What Is the Difference Between a DTE and a DCE

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