We have a hub and spoke network that we are changing to include some 20MB Metro Optical Ethernet connections. Currently we have T1 lines to the remote site. Can we use our Cisco 2811 router to handle and route the 20MB connection?
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Yes, no problem but if the handoff is optical you will need the following WIC and the appropriate SFP for the connection type.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US
Alternatively, if you already have a switch with a fiber interface, you can put that in front of the router to take in the metro connection and use one of the existing 100Mb interfaces on the router.
Our provider is simply handing me the link via ethernet off their 3750 switch. My Cisco rep is telling me that I will need enhanced licensing on my switch to make the connection work right with the other sites. (4 total high speed links that mesh). I asked whether we can use the 2811's 100MB port and I was told the backplane wouldn't handle it.
The 2811 can easily hand 20MB connections. The WIC slots alone can handle up to 400MB. Your concern is going to be what all you are running on your 2811. CPU and memory are what you would be concerned about. Keep an eye on your normal loads during peak hours and make sure the CPU and memory are not being maxed out.
Here is the data sheet on the 2800 series routers
http://cisco.com/en/US/pro
Not to argue or anything. I appreciate your comments. I found this on Cisco's site concerning the WIC's.
http://www.cisco.com/web/p
1800/2800/3800 Modules Overview
WIC Slots: WAN Interface Card (data only)
" Current architecture and physical characteristics on existing
1600/1700/2600/3600/3700 to support WIC modules (ex.: WIC-1T).
" A WIC slot cannot provide in-line power or PoE (802.3af) to a WIC card.
" A total of 8Mbps of bandwidth is shared between all WIC slots present in
a chassis.
Sorry, let me step back here and give some more detail.
We currently run a hub and spoke system with 9 remote sites attached via T1's connected to the hub 3825 router. We have committed to the metro optical ethernet links in 4 sites and will move some of the t1 lines to sites closer to them. A typicall MOE site will have a 20 MB connection back to the corporate network with a dual port HWIC card running two t1's which each go to a remote site.
Can someone put this in perspective for me? This is from http://www.cisco.com/en/US
Q. What is the performance of the Cisco 2800 Series?
A. The Cisco 2800 Series of integrated services routers are designed to deliver multiple concurrent services at wire-speed performance up to multiple T1/E1/xDSL speeds. Chassis performance has been increased up to fivefold, and security and voice performance has been increased up to tenfold. The multiple T1/E1/xDSL value quoted here represents IMIX packet sizes in higher-than-typical Cisco 2800 Series services configurations. In less service-heavy environments, actual WAN throughput will be higher. Table 1 shows recommended performance levels for the Cisco 2800 Series.
Table 1. Cisco 2800 Series Performance
Platform
Recommended Performance with Services Enabled (IMIX traffic)
Cisco 2801
Up to 1 T1/E1/xDSL
Cisco 2811
Up to 2 T1/E1s/xDSL
Cisco 2821
Up to 4 T1/E1s/xDSL
Cisco 2851
Up to 6 T1/E1s/xDSL
Q. Does the Cisco 2800 Series support a T3/E3 interface?
A. The Cisco NM-1T3E3 is supported on the Cisco 2811, 2821 and 2851 platforms. This module provides customers with a connectivity option for a DS3 interface, but only at sub-line rates. As shown Table 1, the Cisco 2800 Series routers are designed to be T1/E1 routers, not DS3 routers. Although some customers may achieve line rate or near line rate on a DS3 with no services, the addition of common services such as access control lists (ACLs), quality of service (QoS), and IP Security (IPSec) will each cause performance degradation. The recommended platform for T3/E3 connectivity is the Cisco 3800 Series.
In a nutshell, the more services you are running on the router, the less performance you will achieve. So if you are doing NAT, IOS Firewall, QoS, IPSEC, access-control, you will achieve less performance than if you were running no services on the line, i.e. the 2800's will support a DS3 but you may never achieve 45Mbps if running services over the line. In order to achieve full-rate peformance with services, you should be running a 3800.
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by: RPPreacherPosted on 2008-10-29 at 07:38:37ID: 22831577
Yes. We use one with a 45 MB direct fiber connect from our ISP.