centillion 100 tips and a question 1

[gulrich]

I'm working through battling with a centillion 100 to use as a cheap ATM switch for my CCIE lab and thought I'd make note of a few things to help the next lucky person that buys one of these things. It should do what I need it to but it is fighting me along the way.

Question: Has anyone successfully set up SVCs between two cisco routers through the Centillion? My calls are getting rejected by the Centillion and if I know it can be made to work, I will persevere.

Tips:
1. The CLI is virtually useless. Unbelievably, the GUI speedview has to be used for most tasks.

2. To set up the onboard ethernet interface with an IP address (on the MCP), use the "secondary IP". The "primary IP" can not be used to reach this mgmt interface.

3. Software is available here: ftp://ftp-support.baynetworks.com/pub/swcode/centillion/c100

4. Documentation is available here:

http://support.baynetworks.com/library/tpubs/nav/switches/cent4.htm

5. Speedview is available here:
ftp://ftp-support.baynetworks.com/pub/apps/speedview/windows/

 

[gulrich]

Update (more miscellaneous notes that may help someone someday):

0. For the record, I am using 5.0.1 code on my C100. I am using the matching speedview 5.0.1.

1. Yes, the Centillion can switch calls (SVCs) between two Cisco routers. My 2 4500s are now working through the Centillion.

2. Signalling seems to be turned off by default on the C100. Use speedview to manually turn it on. Turn on ILMI and choose the appropriate UNI (3.0, 3.1, etc.).

3. Do not select "Auto-Select" as the signalling type for a port. The IOS loads I am using on my 4500s are a little older (11.1) and were using UNI 3.0. The Centillion looked at the 3.0 messages and decided to auto-select UNI3.1. This makes the calls get rejected.

4. As soon as you get IP working on the mgmt port, use speedview over SNMP, not through the serial port. When running through the serial port, it showed cards that didn't exist, failed to make some requested changes etc.. Once I started using speedview through the mgmt IP (SNMP), speedview looked less retarded and seems to work OK.

5. As far as I can see, this is a very limited ATM switch but certainly sufficient for a CCIE lab. All PVCs must have a VPI=0. To use a VPI other than zero, you must create a PVP. As far as I can see, this switch provides no way to assign CBR, ABR or UBR types to a PVC. No cell rates. They are all just best effort PVCs. It does have a priority checkbox for a PVC but I am guessing it uses the CLP (cell loss priority) bit in the ATM header. All this being said, all you need from the atm switch for CCIE (as far as I know) is PVCs and SVCs so you can set up point to point 1483 links over PVCs and SVCs and classical IP using SVCs. LANE is removed from the exam at this point (or soon).

6. When adding new cards or ATM MDA modules to the switch, the lights may be off on the card until you run speedview to start configuring the switch. The card is not necessarily broken.

 

[scarr56]

I'd appreciate any help you can offer. We are trying to set up a CCIE practice lab and want to use the Centillion. Our main problem is limited time to work through the problems getting the switches to talk. If you have any further tips or a write-up describing 1-2-3 setup procedures, I'd appreciate the help.

 

[gulrich]

If you can describe what you are attempting to accomplish, I will try to help out when I have a chance. Routers, ATM, SVCs, PVCs, etc..