Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a "high speed transmission protocol in which data blocks are broken down into small cells that are transmitted individually and possibly via different routes in a manner similar to packet switching." ATM is a form of data transmission, which allows voice, video and data to be sent along the same network. Previously, voice, video and data were transferred using separate networks, because these traffic types have different characteristics. For instance, data traffic tends to be 'bursty,' – not needing to communicate for an extended period of time and then needing to communicate large quantities of information as fast as possible. Voice and video, on the other hand, tend to be more even in the amount of information required but are very sensitive to when and in what order the information arrives.
             ATM is a method of communication, which can also be used as a basis for both Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN) technologies. Over time, as ATM continues to be deployed, the line between local and wide networks will blur to form a seamless network based on one standard ATM. It is the emerging standard for communications, which is possible because ATM is available at various speeds from Megabits to Gigabit speeds.
             Using ATM, information to be sent is segmented into fixed length cells, transported to and re-assembled at the destination. The ATM cell has a fixed length of 53 bytes. Being a fixed length, allows the information to be transported in a predictable manner, which accommodates different traffic types on the same network. A cell is made up of a 'header' and a 'payload.' The payload (48 bytes) being the portion which carries the information to be transmitted (voice, data, video) and the header (5 bytes) being the addressing mechanism.
             ATM is a switched based technology- it is a cell-switching and multiplexing technology, designe
             ...