Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

In a Frame Relay network, the classification of devices is based on their roles in the communication process. The customer's router is classified as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE). The DTE device is typically the endpoint in a network communication, which in this case is the customer's router that connects to the service provided by the ISP. The DTE is responsible for converting the data from the format used by the user devices into a format suitable for transmission over the network. In contrast, Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE) is often the equipment provided by the service provider that terminates the communication circuit. While Network Interface Device (NID) and Access Terminal Equipment (ATE) are terms used in other contexts, they do not directly apply to the traditional classifications within the Frame Relay framework. Therefore, recognizing the customer's router as DTE aligns with the industry standards for defining roles within a Frame Relay network.