Intermediate distribution frame
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Intermediate distribution frame (IDF): In a central office or customer premises, a frame that (a) cross-connects the user cable media to individual user line circuits and (b) may serve as a distribution point for multipair cables from the main distribution frame (MDF) or combined distribution frame (CDF) to individual cables connected to equipment in areas remote from these frames. IDFs, as they are called in the industry, can hold devices of different types including backup systems (Hard Drives or other media as self-contained or as Raid Arrays, CD-ROM, etc.), Networking (Switches, Hubs, Routers), and Connections (Fiber Optics, coaxial, category cables) and so on...
IDFs are used for telephone exchange central office, customer-premise equipment, Wide Area Network (WAN), and Local Area Network (LAN) environments, among others.
In central office environments the IDF may contain circuit termination equipment from various auxiliary components. In WAN and LAN environments IDFs, can hold devices of different types including backup systems (Hard Drives or other media as self-contained or as Raid Arrays, CD-ROM, etc.), Networking (Switches, Hubs, Routers), and Connections (Fiber Optics, coaxial, category cables) and so on.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from Federal Standard 1037C. General Services Administration. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22.