DATAPAC

DATAPAC was Canada's packet switched X.25-equivalent data network. Operated first by Trans-Canada Telephone System, then Telecom Canada, then the Stentor Alliance, it finally reverted to Bell Canada when the Stentor Alliance was dissolved.

Use

One of the uses of DATAPAC network was to transmit debit card transactions between retailers and the financial institutions (banks) through the Interac Direct Payment EFTPOS network. Some automatic teller machines also used the DATAPAC network.

It was also used to transmit lottery ticket numbers that are purchased by customers.

Types of connections

• DATAPAC 3101 Teletype (ASCII) connections, both dial and leased.
• DATAPAC 3201 connections were made by using leased line connections in a speciality financial industry code.
• DATAPAC 3000 X.25 connections

Future use

With the advent of lower-cost WAN technologies like IP/MPLS, the importance of DATAPAC diminished in the marketplace. Bell phased out support for DATAPAC, discontinuing the service at the end of 2009.

See also

• Internet in Canada
• Telenet
• Tymnet

External links

• [1] : Canadian Banknote Company: An example of a Datapac 3201 modem produced by CBC's WANN Connection Devices division.
• [2] - Phrack Magazine: A discussion about the DATAPAC network
• [3] - Another discussion about the DATAPAC network
• "The Canadian Point of Sales (POS) Market" (PDF). Eicon. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2009-12-31. - conversion equipment for Datapac 3101 and 3201 hardware
• [4] - Precidia Technologies Inc.: Another DATAPAC conversion box
• [5] - SANS Institute: Security considerations for using networks like Datapac
• [6] - University of Waterloo: How DATAPAC was used in the university setting
• [7] - Comments about using DATAPAC to access Compuserve circa late-1980s
• [8] - Evidence of DATAPAC usage as late as 2011/2012