Frame Relay upgrade on Cisco 1700 routers w/ WIC

[redletterrocko]

We have three locations, each with a Cisco 1700 router w/ WIC on them, connected with a frame-relay T1. Both remote locations are on 384k connections, and the main location is on 768K connection. They want to upgrade the 768k location to a full T1, and the remote offices from 384K to 768K. My question is: Will the routers need to be configured for the upgrade, or will it happen automatically. I have NO knowledge of frame relay, so I guess you could say this is my "first." If the answer is no, could someone specify how to set this up?

 

[ADB100]

It should just happen automatically - the Service Provider will increase the clock-rate of the X.21/V.11 interface (or V.35 or RS449?) and the routers should just carry on. Your routing metrics may be wrong as the interface should also have a 'bandwidth' statement configured - this isn't the actual clock-rate but a value that is used by the router for such things as calculating routing metrics, statistics, QoS policies etc. If you have any service-policies configure you should also re-write these to take into consideration the new bandwidth.

HTH

Andy

 

[redletterrocko]

No service-policies. We inherited responsibility for these routers when our client fired their last IT company. They had no idea how to configure them, and the main office has a T1 internet connection with a Cisco 1700 router that was completely unconfigured. It might as well been a cable modem. I configured it (which I learned how to do by reading MILLIONS of posts on how to configure Cisco routers...) and took out that cheap NAT "firewall." ADB100, you are awesome! Thanks!

 

[plshlpme]

I believe there will be config changes required on the routers.
The T1 Wic card is the CSU and you have to tell it which timeslots to use on the T1... so in order to increase the speed you must change the number of time slots its looking at clock on.

 

[redletterrocko]

Well, that doesn't help me. I have NO IDEA how to do that. That's why I asked for specifics on how configure it. I know NOTHING of these routers, or their configuration needs. Can someone tell me how to "change the number of time slots its looking at clock on?" I can only guess what that sentence even means...

 

[plshlpme]

well i would suggest you start by logging into the router and doing a "show run"
which will show you what the current configuration is on the router

from there it will be quite easy to change to the new setup.
if you could do that and paste the config here.. excluding any passwords or ips that you wish to keep private we can figure out what you need to do.

here is a reference from cisco's website

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products..._feature_guide09186a0080194a32.html#wp1032260

 

[redletterrocko]

Cut and paste ain't so easy, since I have to RDP into a server, and then telnet into the router. Here's the configuration file. Hopefully I've removed all the needed confidential information

Current configuration:
!
version 12.0
service timestamps debug uptime
service timestamps log uptime
service password-encryption
!
hostname Foo
!
logging buffered 4192 debugging
enable password MD5ENCRYPTEDPASSWD
!
memory-size inmom 25
ip subnet-zero
no ip domain-lookup
!
!
!
!
interface Serial0
no ip address
no ip directed-broadcast
encapsulation frame-relay
service-module t1 timeslots 13-24
service-module t1 remote-alarm-enable
frame-relay lmi-type ansi
!
interface Serial0.1 point-to-point
description Frame to Remote Office 1
ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.252
no ip directed-broadcast
frame-relay interface-dlci 201 IETF
!
interface Serial0.2 point-to-point
description Frame to Remote Office 2
ip address 10.0.1.1 255.255.255.0
no ip directed-broadcast
shutdown
frame-relay interface-dlci 101
!
interface Serial0.3 point-to-point
description Frame to Remote Office 3
ip address 10.0.2.1 255.255.255.0
no ip directed-broadcast
frame-relay interface-dlci 203 IETF
!
interface Serial0.4 point-to-point
description Frame to Remote Office 4
ip address 10.0.3.1 255.255.255.0
no ip directed-broadcast
shutdown
frame-relay interface-dlci 202 IETF
!
interface FastEthernet)
description connected to EthernetLAN
ip address 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0
no ip-directed-broadcast
!
router rip
version 2
passive-interface Serial0.1
network 10.0.0.0
network 192.168.0.0
no auto-summary
!
ip classless
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.0.250
ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2
ip route 192.168.6.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.2.2
ip route 192.168.8.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.3.2
no ip http server
!
snmp-server engineID local 00000009020000B0C28818C9
snmp-server community public RO
!
line con 0
exec-timeout 0 0
login
transport input none
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
password MD5ENCRYPTEDPASSWD
login
!
no scheduler allocate
end

Now, I really have no idea what most of this crap means. I do, however, see that Serial0.2 and Serial0.4 are not needed anymore. They were to offices that are currently closed. I know very little about Cisco, and that we inherited these when we were brought in as a replacement for the previous vendor. I did know enough to go to the enable prompt, but please, from now on, consider me a CISCO dummy and be very specific... Please be detailed as to why I put in certain commands as well.

I might also add that this router is at the location that is going to 1.5 from 768K. I have the data sheets, but they make little sense to me. However, I can kinda see where it talks about time slots...maybe. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jneiberger]

If you no longer need Serial0.2 or Serial0.4 then do the following:

Router> enable
Router# config t
Router(config)# no interface serial0.2
Router(config)# no interface serial0.4

Then you need to change the T1 config on Serial0:

Router(config)# int serial0
Router(config-int)# service-module t1 timeslots 1-24
Router(config-int)# end
Router# write mem

That will make the necessary changes and save them to memory. You can't make the timeslot change ahead of time, though. That has to be done when your provider makes the change on their side. This can be tricky if you're telnetting to the router through the serial interface because your connection is going to drop as soon as a change is made to either side.

The safest way to do this is from the console port on the router, and you must schedule the change so that you can be on-site when the provider makes the change.

HTH,
John

 

[redletterrocko]

Thanks John!

Can they make the change and then I follow behind later with configurations? I mean, they open up the timeslots, but they just aren't used until I get there and open them up? This seems like a pretty alright option, but I have no WAN understanding.

 

[jneiberger]

Nope, not going to work. Both ends need to be changed before the link will function. I'm actually suprised that they'll do this for you. Our provider would require us to order a new circuit. They frown on changing circuit speeds like this.

 

[ADB100]

Ahh... Fractional T1 - I misunderstood the original question. I assumed you had serial interfaces such as X.21/V.11 etc, in which case my answer still stands true. If you have fractional T1 circuits and you are effectively going to increase the number of DS0 timeslots from 12 (768Kbps) to 24 (1536Kbps) then you will have to modify the router configurations as John (jneiberger) says.

If your service provider is happy to do this then you should get an enginee at each location for the change (I assume the SP can do the work remotely on their equipment?). You will need to update the timeslots config (service-module t1 timeslots 1-24) on each of your routers to reflect the new timeslot arrangement.

HTH

Andy

 

[plshlpme]

the service provider can make the change and you can follow up with the configs...

it will continue to work at the current speed.
of course there will be a small interruption when they make the change

but you will need to do both ends of the cct at the same time in order to bring it back up.

(i work at a telco.. and have done this many times)
we have a customer who orders say 512kbit cct but tells us that they will open it to 768k in the future.. so we make sure to provision the 768k.. then just configure the routers at the ends for the 512k

the other 2 time slots are there and crossconnected.. just not being utilized.

 

[jneiberger]

plshlpme, you've done this with frame relay circuits or just point-to-point circuits? I can see how this might be possible with point-to-point but wouldn't it be a bit more complicated with frame relay?

 

[plshlpme]

jneiberger,
you really made me think on this one...
i have done point to points this way... works no problem..

and my frame relay will be different then
this example.

we use Frame Relay but the local T1 is usually delivered over HDSL.. and is Full T1.
HDSL goes from prem to the CO where there will be a passport with a FRATM card.
Fratm converts to ATM and we have CIR and other policing at that point...

so the routers would be setup as ADB100 first thought and wouldn't need anythnig changed except the bandwidth statement to adjsut the routing metrics....

sorry for the confusion there...

 

[jneiberger]

So, in the case of T1 delivered over HDSL, how does the provider resize the circuit? Do they simply reconfigure the terminating equipment at the demarc to provide all timeslots to the customer instead of just a few?

I had never even considered fractional T1 services delivered over HDSL. I know we have a number of full T1s over HDSL but I never stopped to think how fractional services might be delivered over the same link.

Regardless of how the circuit is delivered, though, the original poster will need to change the timeslots statement in his config.

 

[plshlpme]

correct..
in the case of fractional over HDSL.. nothing changes.. the HDSL portion is always Full T1.. its done at the other end of it... in our case with CIR statements.

if there was no frame we would put our own cisco's at both ends in front of the customer router and use car statements and just rate limit to the speed they ordered.

in most cases we manage the customers routers.. so its easier to do these things.

 

[plshlpme]

to add to the above... with frame-relay the policing and CIR would be done at the frame-relay portion.. the T1 to site would still be full T1.
The HDSL portion is transparent to the custoemr