purpose of a serial cable

Hi i done an experiment at home using my internet.
Basically i have a modem which connects to my router (normal wireless router) so i thought i would use one of my cisco 2600 routers to act as my router instead. I plugged my modems ethernet in to the 2600 and configured it and everything worked i setup NAT wit overload and could successfully ping out to the internet. Now i realized if i want to use my switches i would need another 2600 router as mine only has 1 ethernet port so i connected another one up using serial dce dte cables and ethernet up to my switch. I connected my computer and everything worked i had internet connection using my cisco routers.

Now the problem i realized serial cables bandwidth is extremly slow! even on maximum clockrate. I don't understand why would anyone use it in a live environment when theirs heavy data moving around the network.

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Comments

Michael2

I guess serial cables are better for ensuring that data is delivered correctly.

NetworkVeteran

Often, serial cables are used for console connections, e.g. where you are typing configuration and show commands onto a router or switch. Most network devices support a data rate of 9600 bps by default, which is faster than any human can type. Serial cables are convenient in the sense that most computers have a serial port, cables are cheap, and they don't require any special network configuration (unlike Ethernet) to make them successfully talk to another device.

Serial is also used for narrowband WAN links where its speed is sufficient.

George89

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

Often, serial cables are used for console connections, e.g. where you are typing configuration and show commands onto a router or switch. Most network devices support a data rate of 9600 bps by default, which is faster than any human can type. Serial cables are convenient in the sense that most computers have a serial port, cables are cheap, and they don't require any special network configuration (unlike Ethernet) to make them successfully talk to another device.

Serial is also used for narrowband WAN links where its speed is sufficient.

Thanks for the reply but i aint talking about the serial roll over cable that you connect to the console port. I am talking about the DTE DCE cables that connect router to router

JeanM

He did state they are used for links where fast speed isn't needed. There also different types of serial links..

George89

thank you everyone, i guess my router has the slowest serial links you can possibly have!

QHalo

rates are adjustable.

Serial Interface Cards [Cisco Interface Cards] - Cisco Systems

theodoxa

Serial (DCE/DTE) Cables date back to when a T1/E1 (1.544 Mbps/2.048 Mbps) was considered "High-Speed" Internet...which wasn't all that long ago. I remember lusting after a "Super Fast" T1 [or better "Unimaginably Fast" T3] connection. But, at $1,000 a month [$10,000 for T3] that was never going to happen. I even looked into ISDN and it's fast 128 Kbps. But, even that was a bit expensive. They are slow nowadays (my cable internet speed tests at 16.5 Mbps Down/8 Mbps Up), but many companies still use them for whatever reason. Let's call it "Corporate Inertia". Hopefully, Serial Cables will eventually go the way of the Do-Do Bird.