Why Serial Connections?

yukky

Hello,

I hope I won't look too silly posting this

I'm going through my Sybex book, and I've even bought lots of hardware including serial connections, but I'm wondering why we use mostly serial connections to connect the hardware together (instead of over Ethernet/FastEthernet connections, etc.) I also saw another post with someone trying to use T1 connections instead.

For home lab purposes, does the speed of the serial matter? async/sync (a/s), normal, high speed (hssi)? How about with regards to CCNA, CCNP, CCIEs?

Thanks in advance!

Netstudent

Nah speed isn't an issue with homelabs. Serial interfaces in a lab simulates WAN interfaces. When you have a db60 connection to a CSU/DSU, that goes our to your telco. That is a form of serial communication which has different encapsulation protocols, different encoding standards, and different framing standards than ethernet.

If you have the dough, then T1 cards are cool and maybe even a little more "real-world". But aren't a necessity and definitely more expensive. PPP or HDLC over a T1 line is a form of synchronous serial communication.

So to make a long story short, the serial interfaces are used to practice configuring WAN connections.

yukky

Wow, thanks for the super fast reply

Is there any other type of connections I might want to start looking into, out of interest? or are Serial and T1 for WAN connections, whats on the CCNA/CCNP exams?

networker050184

You should be good with that for the CCNA and CCNP. Most of it is just point-to-point serial and frame-relay over serial. You could use the T1 if you want though, but I don't think you need it.