Ethernet/FastEthernet ports

SysAdmin4066

I'm currently getting my CCNP lab ready for the CCIE in prep for the CCIE lab work i'll be starting just as soon as I've completed the ONT. My question is this; I have 6 core routers these are 3 2620XMs, 1 2610XM, 1 3640 and 1 3620. I need to add either a FE or an E port to at least 4 of them. What would be the best way to go?

qplayed

I have NM-2E2W's on my 3640's or you can get the FE version but those are still pretty pricey. You can get away with the regular ethernet

Kaminsky

FE can go the 100. E can go the 10. Obvious answer would be to go FE all the way but you could be missing a trick here. A couple of Es instead of FEs might come in handy with the routing to watch the slower links get dumped in favour of the faster links and then watch the E routes being taken up when you deliberately shutdown the FE interfaces. As you go through the different routing protocols, this could be one of your main tests to watch how they react to links falling over.

Forsaken_GA

My preferred method of choice to adding FE ports has always been NM-1FE-TX's when I only need to add one, it tends to be the most cost effective

(and before tiersten chimes in, I'll disclaim that the NM-1FE-TX isn't officially supported on any router in the 2600 line, but they will handle it)

tiersten

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

My preferred method of choice to adding FE ports has always been NM-1FE-TX's when I only need to add one, it tends to be the most cost effective

(and before tiersten chimes in, I'll disclaim that the NM-1FE-TX isn't officially supported on any router in the 2600 line, but they will handle it)

Considering the OP had issues with getting a WIC-2A/S and WIC-2T working in a NM-1E2W which is unsupported, I'd say avoid that NM

Forsaken_GA

yeah, i've never tried the combo ethernet/wic NM's in a 2600, as those were always pretty much meant to be 3600 modules, but he does have 2 3600 series, so those at least can take the NM-1FE-TX, and if he grabs a couple of those for the 3600's, he can test them in his 2600xm's to see if they'll work, and if so, grab some more

SysAdmin4066

Great points Kam, I had thought of that.

Forsaken, I like your thinking. With the FX ports, is there an RJ45 converter or something?

What is the best way to add another E or FE port to the 2600 series, the models I mentioned via NMs or WICS? I've wracked my brain trying to figure out what is best and I've got some ideas, but I wanna know what others are doing?

tiersten

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

What is the best way to add another E or FE port to the 2600 series, the models I mentioned via NMs or WICS? I've wracked my brain trying to figure out what is best and I've got some ideas, but I wanna know what others are doing?

The Ethernet WIC i.e. WIC-1ENET doesn't work in a 2600/2600XM. It is only for 1700 routers.

The combo NMs that do Ethernet + WIC slots i.e. NM-1E2W don't work in a 2600/2600XM.

The FE only NMs aren't officially supported but they should work (YMMV) in a 2600/2600XM.

If you want to do 802.1q/ROAS then you'll want a FE interface or the built in Ethernet on the 2600 routers.

tiersten

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

With the FX ports, is there an RJ45 converter or something?

You can get media converters that do 100BASE-FX <--> 100BASE-TX. Unless the NM-1FE-FX is especially cheap you'd be better off just getting a NM-1FE-TX.

tiersten

Hmm. Guess I didn't actually answer your question ><

For a 2600XM, the options are:

NM-1E - 1 Ethernet. Won't do 802.1q.
NM-4E - 4 Ethernet. Won't do 802.1q.
NM-16ESW - 16 Fast Ethernet EtherSwitch NM - Copper. Will do 802.1q.
NM-1FE-TX - 1 Fast Ethernet - Copper. Will do 802.1q.
NM-1FE-FX - 1 Fast Ethernet - Fiber. Will do 802.1q.

For a 3600, you can use the above NMs and the combo NMs like the NM-1E2W.

SysAdmin4066

Awesome Tierstein, that answers my question and it's exactly what I thought. Not a lot of options for the 2600s. I wonder why they didnt make the combo NMs for the 2600s, maybe because they already had 2 WIC slots built in? Sucks though, cause I have 2 extra WIC 2T cards I'd like to use in a 2610 non XM for a frame relay router but instead I'll have to buy a more expensive 4 serial NM. Any idea what the part number of a very cheap media converter? That seems to double the cost of the FX NM.

SysAdmin4066

Alright, so I just figured out my 3620 wont run 12.4 so it wont work as a core router, but I will be able to use it for my frame relay switch. So I've purchased 1 NM-1FE1R2W for my 3640 and 2 NM-1FE-TXs, 1 for my 3640 also, and another to test with a 2620xm. I will also purchase a NM-1E2W for the 3620 and putting 2 of the my extra WIC 2Ts I have for a total of 8 serial in that router. That will work out perfectly. I'm going to buy another core router, this time i'll buy a 26x1xm for the second FE port and i'll need one more NM-1FE-TX if it works in one of my 2600xms.

tiersten

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

Not a lot of options for the 2600s. I wonder why they didnt make the combo NMs for the 2600s, maybe because they already had 2 WIC slots built in?

Didn't want to compete with the more expensive 3600 series routers I guess.

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

Any idea what the part number of a very cheap media converter? That seems to double the cost of the FX NM.

No idea about a part number but trawling around eBay has them going for about $60 excluding P&P. The other option is if your switch has a GBIC or SFP slot and just get one of those to plug in + a piece of fiber with the correct connectors. It will still probably cost more than just buying the NM-1FE-TX in the first place though but you can play with fiber.

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

Alright, so I just figured out my 3620 wont run 12.4 so it wont work as a core router, but I will be able to use it for my frame relay switch.

Yeah. The 3620 got dropped during 12.3. Depending on how much RAM/flash you've got in it and if you can find a small 3600 featureset IOS then it might be possible to get 12.4 running. I've not tried it though so have no idea if it will or won't work but the 3600 architecture can't be that different between the models.

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

So I've purchased 1 NM-1FE1R2W for my 3640

Mmm... Token ring...

SysAdmin4066

For some reason the one with token ring was the cheapest lol. Go fig. Yeah I figured they didnt want to compete with the 3640, marketing is such a bother sometimes. Its really the total memory for the 3620. Its not enough to run even the smallest 12.4 feature set. I think all along I planned on using the 3620 as a frame switch though because the NMs for it are abundant and cheap. I can literally buy a NM-1E2W for 8 bucks!

Forsaken_GA

SysAdmin4066 wrote: »

Awesome Tierstein, that answers my question and it's exactly what I thought. Not a lot of options for the 2600s. I wonder why they didnt make the combo NMs for the 2600s, maybe because they already had 2 WIC slots built in?

The 2600's were intended to be access routers and that's about it, which is why they have one or two built in ethernet ports (these are meant to take uplinks from a switch) and the WIC slots to put it out to whatever WAN media you happen to have. They recognized that folks wanted to do more stuff with their routers, which is why the XM series are called multi-service routers, but they're still pretty much intended to be deployed to something like a remote branch where it it'll take one or two uplinks from local switches and then route them out to the WAN, whether that's a T1, DSL line, or what have you. There wasn't a pressing need for ethernet ports back in the day because there weren't a whole lot of WAN options that gave you an ethernet drop and you don't need port density on a router, you use your switches for that. The wheel has turned to the point where that's no longer the case, ethernet drops are common for LAN and WAN deployments, and the successors to the 2600 line gives you better options.

3600's, otoh, were intended to be fairly beefy routers (and for their time, they were) which is why they support damn near everything

SysAdmin4066

Excellent info Forsaken, thanks.

burbankmarc

From what I see on ebay a NM-2FE-2W ranges from $99 - $100. Getting a couple of those shouldn't be too bad.

Also, 3640s are on the cheap these days, I'd recommend grabbing another one or two of those.