Configuring Frame Relay ?

Hi everyone,

I'm working on the Frame Relay Lab provided by packettracernetwork.com and I seem to be misunderstanding a concept.
The understanding I had was that DLCI numbers were locally relevant and when setting up point-to-point connections, that I would just provide the local DLCI number in the configuration.

So,

New York has a DLCI number of 110
Mexico has a DLCI number of 120
Paris has a DLCI number of 130

So here's the correct router configuration for Mexico according to the Activity Results.

interface Serial0/0/0
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay lmi-type q933a
!
interface Serial0/0/0.110 point-to-point
ip address 10.6.0.2 255.255.255.252
frame-relay interface-dlci 110
clock rate 2000000

Why am I using DLCI 110 for Mexico's router instead if 120 to get out? I thought the DLCI number was locally significant.

Out of all the topics for ICND2, Frame Relay still confuses me the most.

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Comments

Ltat42a

Here's a 4 part series on how to set up Frame Relay in Packet Tracer. HTH

Cisco CCNA 4 - YouTube

djfunz

Thanks Ltat42a. I've seen all Dan's Videos and understand his Frame Relay topology but the one on packettracernetwork.com is the one in question.

djfunz

So, I've apparently confused everyone...

Forsaken_GA

I don't have packet tracer, so I can't see the task involved or the requirements, but it looks like those are labs not supplied by Cisco, but by someone running a website. It's entirely possible that they made a mistake and misprinted something. I find mistakes in my CCIE prep material all the time.

Bottom line - when you configure it the way you think it should be configured, does it work?

Then try configuring it the way they think it should be configured. Does it work?

If the former works and the latter doesn't, it usually means the vendor made a mistake. You can either move on and overlook it, or if you have a way to report the mistake to the vendor, you can do that and help them improve their offering.

boredgamelad

It's tough to say how that lab is meant to work since they locked access to the Frame Relay cloud config. Let me dig around in my files and see if I can find one of my saved Frame Relay labs, and I can throw it up here for you. It sounds to me like you have the concept right, the lab does seem to be mistaken or at least poorly labeled.

MrXpert

Hard to tell without seeing the topology but perhaps global DLCIs are being used or its a typo by the originator?
Just to clarify there are two types of DLCIs local and global. Local is what I think/assume you alluded to earlier.
If you need further advice on frame relay you should check out the packetlab website. Very good vids and pdf docs on there. Wendell Odom has a good section about local and global addressing on his website also (he actually explains it better here than in his book) Sorry forgot the real name of it but search for it.

thedrama

djfunz wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm working on the Frame Relay Lab provided by packettracernetwork.com and I seem to be misunderstanding a concept.
The understanding I had was that DLCI numbers were locally relevant and when setting up point-to-point connections, that I would just provide the local DLCI number in the configuration.

So,

New York has a DLCI number of 110
Mexico has a DLCI number of 120
Paris has a DLCI number of 130

So here's the correct router configuration for Mexico according to the Activity Results.

interface Serial0/0/0
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay lmi-type q933a
!
interface Serial0/0/0.110 point-to-point
ip address 10.6.0.2 255.255.255.252
frame-relay interface-dlci 110
clock rate 2000000

Why am I using DLCI 110 for Mexico's router instead if 120 to get out? I thought the DLCI number was locally significant.

Out of all the topics for ICND2, Frame Relay still confuses me the most.

Are you sure that this configuration belongs to Mexico? i do not think so.

djfunz

So here's some pictures to help clarify some of the mystery.

The Lab

The Activity Results

On a side note: Maybe someone can clarify to me what Route0 is supposed to be. I tried a static default route and an EIGRP route of 10.6.0.0 0.0.0.255 and 10.6.0.2 0.0.0.0 both rendering the awful red x in the activity results.

Mexico's running configuration.

Firstly strike that term global dlci from your memory, this is a fluff term and one of the most stupid concepts i've ever heard in networking.A dlci is locally significant to a port.If you choose to make all the dlci's on every port of your router the same they are still locally significant, if you FR provider decides to reserve this specific dlci for you, they are still locally significant, it's just you are the only one using that dlci. So global dlci = FAIL.

In your above example you send data over dlci 110 from newyork to mexico, the frame arrives at the FR cloud with dlci 110, the frame-relay cloud consists of frame-relay switches, what do switches do? they switch, what do FR switch? dlci's.When the frame exists the FR clound it now has dlci 120 which is expected at mexico.
Your FR service provider will configure the mapping in the FR clould and tell you what dlci's to put on the end points.

Regarding your static routes, you are confusing access-list wildcard masks with a network mask.More subnetting practice needed i'm afraid!

boredgamelad

I just downloaded the lab and I see what they're doing. What they want is for you to use 110 as the DLCI for New York--meaning the DLCI leading TO New York. So from Mexico and Paris, use DLCI 110. From New York to Paris, DLCI 130, and from New York to Mexico, DLCI 120. It's labeled differently than I personally would label it, but it makes sense once you start configuring the lab.

And all they want from your EIGRP statements is "network 10.0.0.0".

djfunz

boredgamelad wrote: »

I just downloaded the lab and I see what they're doing. What they want is for you to use 110 as the DLCI for New York--meaning the DLCI leading TO New York. So from Mexico and Paris, use DLCI 110. From New York to Paris, DLCI 130, and from New York to Mexico, DLCI 120. It's labeled differently than I personally would label it, but it makes sense once you start configuring the lab.

And all they want from your EIGRP statements is "network 10.0.0.0".

Thanks a lot for the clarification boredgamelad. I completely agree. The labeling is really confusing compared to the way the concepts of DLCI's are taught. I relabeled it to make more sense.

One last question however.

Regarding the EIGRP network configuration, I overlooked the CIDR notation listing /30. So in essence I could also configure:

network 10.6.0.2 0.0.0.3 right?

EdTheLad wrote: »

Regarding your static routes, you are confusing access-list wildcard masks with a network mask.More subnetting practice needed i'm afraid!

I didn't list my static route configuration, but it was the standard ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 s0/0/0 with the serial interface in this case.

frame relay.JPG

Roguetadhg

Yes. You can enter Wildcard or Subnet mask for EIGRP:

R1(config)#no router eigrp 1
R1(config)#router eigrp 1
R1(config-router)#network [COLOR=#b22222]12.23.45.0[/COLOR] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]255.255.255[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#B22222][B].0[/B][/COLOR]  [Subnet Mask]
R1(config-router)#network 12.45.0.0 [B]0.0.255.255[/B] [WildCard]
R1(config-router)#do show run | s eigrp
router eigrp 1
 network [COLOR=#b22222]12.23.45.0[/COLOR] [COLOR=#b22222][B]0.0.0.[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#ff0000][B]255[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#B22222][/COLOR]
 network 12.45.0.0 [B]0.0.255.255[/B]
 auto-summary

As you can see. It translates the subnet into wildcard mask. Automagically!

It doesn't add the colors. I did that.

Whooosh!

djfunz

That's pretty neat. I didn't know it converted to wildcard bits for you.

I find myself saying automagically now too ever since Jeremy said it in one of his videos.

I remember a NAT video of his in particular where he was talking about how it was a rainy day, he had his cup of coco, and he just wanted to curl up and talk about NAT. I literally laughed out loud.

boredgamelad

One tip: don't rely on automagic when you're taking ICND2. Cisco expects you to enter the proper network statements when configuring routing protocols during their tests. So make sure you're using the network ID and proper subnet/wildcard mask. I read this in more than one CCNA prep book.

Roguetadhg

He says that a lot. He Makes up words, talks about Apple, you know and football players stomping on flowers.

boredgamelad

The video where Jeremy starts by showing you his new iPhone app cracks me up every time. "I can log in and configure my routers while I'm sitting at a red light... or even at a green light, who cares?!" There should really be a Jeremy smiley on this forum.

alliasneo

lol I've seen this video as well - so funny. I just tried this lab out as well and it's very confusing with the DLCI's - also the instructions do not tell you to create the subinterfaces with number .130 for example. and if you configure these with your own numbers your percentage does not go up. Still, it helps with the concepts I guess.