One of the major topics on your CCNA and CCNP exams is Frame Relay. Additionally, Frame Relay is one of the most popular WAN technolgies in today's networks. Getting hands-on experience with Frame Relay in Cisco networks isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. Let's face it, your employer is going to get a little touchy if you start experimenting with your network's Frame Relay setup.
Laptop Battery To practice all your important Frame Relay commands for your exams, you need a working Frame Relay cloud in your home lab. A production network's Frame cloud consists of a lot of Frame switches, but if you choose wisely, a single Cisco router can act as your home lab's entire Frame cloud!
Occasionally, during your CCNA and CCNP studies, you'll run into a term that just doesn't quite make sense to you. (Okay, more than occasionally!) One such term is "reverse telnet". As a Cisco certification candidate, you know that telnet is simply a protocol that allows you to remotely connect to a networking device such as a router or switch. But what is "reverse telnet", CCNP home lab setup
Thinkpad Before we look at the configuration of such a router (hereafter referred to as a "frame relay switch"), let's look at the physical requirements.
CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition ( 0470148942)-- on practice with routers and switches is critical for success on the CCNA exam, yet the costs associated with the required hardware are prohibitive. drop technology, the CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition allows users to create a simulated lab using an unlimited number of routers and switches. Users can then either follow the lab exercises provided or experiment with the hundreds of configuration commands built into the simulator. An extensive Help menu is available to guide users through complex tasks.
Microsoft The more serial ports you have, the better. You should get a router with at least four serial ports. For frame switching purposes, it doesn't matter if the ports are synchronous or asynchronous - you just need the ports.
Errata Description Table of Contents Author Information Perfect Your Cisco(r) Networking Skills on a Virtual Network! If you're serious about passing the CCNA exam, on experience with routers and switches. This unique software product offers unlimited opportunities for you to practice your skills on a virtual network. -or design your own custom networks and labs. An affordable alternative to products and courses costing hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, the CCNA Virtual Lab, -and in the real world.
Laptop Computers You will also need some DTE/DCE cables. The DCE end of the cables will be connected to the frame switch.
Before making a major investment into a computer certification, consider the steps that a vendor does or does not make to protect your investment. Computer certifications have helped me tremendously in building my IT career. By asking the right questions, and taking a hard look at your motives and plans before pursuing a given certification, they can do the same for you. Chris Bryant, 12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage ( //www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, Ultimate CCNP Study Packages, and CCNA CBT video training. Pass the CCNA exam, BSCI exam, and BCMSN exam with Chris Bryant, 12933!
Laptop Computer A great configuration for a CCNA practice lab is three routers that serve as "production" routers, and a 4th router as a frame relay switch. (You'll want an access server as well, but that's another article.)
Interesting traffic brings the link up; by default, any traffic can cross the link once it's up; a lack of interesting traffic is what brings the link down. In Part II of this tutorial, we'll take a look at some common scenarios that make the ISDN link stay up, and what can be done about it. Chris Bryant, 12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage ( //www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, Ultimate CCNP Study Packages, and CCNA CBT video training. Pass the CCNA exam, BSCI exam, and BCMSN exam with Chris Bryant, 12933!
Desktop Computer What I use in my student and customer pods is a setup where R1 is connected to the frame switch's S1 port, R2 is connected to S2 on the frame switch, and R3 is connected to the frame switch's S3 port.
Notebooks Now comes the tricky part - the configuration. A frame relay switch's config can be hard to find, so here's a copy of mine. Pay particular attention to the config on ports s1, s2, and s3.
Lenovo version 12.0
Hard Drive service timestamps debug uptime
Travelstar service timestamps log uptime
Gateway no service password-encryption
Laptop Parts !
Software hostname FRAME_SWITCH
Hard Drives !
Electronics !
Canon ip subnet-zero
Desktop Pc no ip domain-lookup
Desktop Computers frame-relay switching
Think Pad !
Repair !
Data Recovery !
Cisco interface Ethernet0
Keyboard no ip address
Monitor no ip directed-broadcast
Desktop shutdown
Infosys !
Refurbished Laptops interface Serial0
Wipro ip address 10.1.1.2 255.255.255.0
Lap Top clockrate 56000
Refurbished !
Memory interface Serial1
Intel no ip address
As400 no ip directed-broadcast
Averatec encapsulation frame-relay
Hardware logging event subif-link-status
Dual Xeon logging event dlci-status-change
Storage clockrate 56000
Seagate no frame-relay inverse-arp
Computer Sales frame-relay intf-type dce
Computer Hardware frame-relay route 122 interface Serial2 221
Printers frame-relay route 123 interface Serial3 321
Technology !
Mainframe interface Serial2
Samsung no ip address
Computer Repair no ip directed-broadcast
Used Computers encapsulation frame-relay
Network logging event subif-link-status
Digital Cameras logging event dlci-status-change
Desktops clockrate 56000
Cognos no frame-relay inverse-arp
Hosting frame-relay intf-type dce
Netfinity frame-relay route 221 interface Serial1 122
Internet !
Cheap Computer interface Serial3
Digital Camera no ip address
Printer no ip directed-broadcast
Xseries encapsulation frame-relay
Maxtor logging event subif-link-status
Data Storage logging event dlci-status-change
Hitachi clockrate 56000
Rational no frame-relay inverse-arp
Websphere frame-relay intf-type dce
Battery frame-relay route 321 interface Serial1 123
It Support !
Western Digital interface BRI0
Music ip address 150.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
Networks no ip directed-broadcast
Toner encapsulation ppp
Cheap Laptops dialer map ip 150.1.1.2 name R2 broadcast 2335552221
Wholesale dialer-group 1
Brother !
Netvista ip classless
Camera !
Networking dialer-list 1 protocol ip permit
Sharp !
Cheap line con 0
Windows exec-timeout 0 0
Monitors logging synchronous
Linux transport input none
Computer Support line aux 0
Used Laptops line vty 0 4
Cameras login
Scanners !
Panasonic end
Workstation The key command in the global configuration is frame-relay switching. You must have this configured before you can configure the interfaces.
Iseries The interfaces will be configured with the frame route command. Let's take a look at what each value means in the command frame-relay route 122 interface Serial2 221.
Backup frame-relay route - the command
Information Technology 122 - the incoming DLCI on this interface
Routers interface serial2 - the interface the data will be sent out
180gxp 221 - the outgoing DLCI
Notebook Battery This command on S1 means that anything that comes in on this port on DLCI 122 will be sent out interface serial2 on DLCI 221.
Security It's a good idea to hard-code the interfaces to act as DCEs with the frame intf-type dce command. Since these interfaces are acting as DCEs, the clockrate command is needed for the line protocol to come up.
Lotus Once you've configured your frame switch as shown and have configured the frame map statements on the "production" routers, you can test the frame switch configuration. On the frame switch, run the command show frame route.
Virus FRAME_SWITCH#show frame route
Thinkpad T42 Input Intf Input Dlci Output Intf Output Dlci Status
Thinkpad 600 Serial1 122 Serial2 221 active
Thinkpad 600e Serial1 123 Serial3 321 active
Thinkpad 570 Serial2 221 Serial1 122 active
Thinkpad 600x Serial3 321 Serial1 123 active
Thinkpad 390x You should see "active" for all the interfaces. If you see "deleted", make sure your frame switch interfaces are open if they are, check the router configs.
Thinkpad A31 Keep in mind that you can still configure routing protocols to run on ports that you're not using for frame switching. The router we used here had an ethernet port and BRI port, and the BRI port has been configured as part of the production network. Running frame switching does not disable IP routing.
Thinkpad X20 Purchasing and configuring your own frame relay switch is an invaluable part of your Cisco education. By practicing your frame commands and configuring frame connections over your own frame relay cloud, you're polishing your Cisco skills and gaining knowledge that cannot be duplicated by simulator programs.
Bios Update
Laptops Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, Ultimate CCNP Study Packages, and CCNA CBT video training. Pass the CCNA exam ,BSCI exam , and BCMSN exam with Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933!
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