Frame Relay Router Help Please

TBickle

I'm building my lab and ordered a Cisco 3620 Frame Relay Router. It is running 12.3, and I'm unsure if this will work. Could someone please advise? I'm considering exchanging it out for an 1841, but i'm not sure if an 1841 can be used as a Frame Relay Router.

Thanks for the help.

[h=1][/h]

networker050184

You really only need to be concerned about it having enough serial interfaces. There isn't much in the way of IOS version with frame relay switching as far as I know. An 1841 would be overkill.

gorebrush

You could get a 2522 and just use that and it'd be OK.

Personally I'm getting a 3640 with a kit I've bought, and someone has promise me one, so I may well end up with a spare

I'll probably sell the spare frame card.

TBickle

Thanks for the suggestions. I think i'll just stick with what I have ordered or use an extra 2610xm I ordered as a Frame Relay Switch.

DCD

Frame -relay is more a configuration then the type of equipment. As networker050184 said you just need enough interfaces to do what you want.

theodoxa

You can use pretty much any IOS-Based Cisco router for Frame Relay. I used my 2821 mainly because it had 4 HWIC Slots, allowing me to install 4 x WIC-1DSU-T1 V2. Anything with 2 or more Serial Ports (WIC-1T, WIC-2T, NM-4A/S, NM-4T, NM-8A/S, etc...) or Serial T1 (WIC-1DSU-T1, WIC-1DSU-T1 V2, etc...). On a side note the NM-4T1-IMA (which is an NM with 4 x T1 designed for ATM) won't work. I got a router that came with one installed, so I gave it a try and the router wouldn't take the "frame-relay route" commands. But, when I tried it with a couple of WIC-1DSU-T1s it took the commands and I was able to use it as a Frame Relay Switch.

TBickle

Great! So, it sounds like I can just install 2 wic-2t cards on my 2160xm rather than look for a NM-4A/S slot. Is that correct?

Thanks for the help.

ande0255

The only real consideration in regards to what type of cards to use is your cables, as WIC-2T cards will have connectors for smart serial cabes, where as the A/S ports will be a female 60-pin port I believe - so you'd need smart to async cables (~$8 on ebay).

TBickle

I see. But what i mean is rather than buy a NM-4A/S slot, could i just use two wic-2t cards on the frame relay switch?

ande0255

Yep, will serve the exact same purpose.