Accessing WAN

Design
of WANs

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 Designing a WAN

• Similar to the ideas of dividing a network into

“bridged” segments,
• an internet can be divided into “routed” networks.
• Or a network can be divided into “routed”
subnetworks.
• Ideally one should study the usage (traffic patterns)
and place routers in such a way that filtering is
efficient.

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 • Devices in WANs:
• Routers offer many services, including internetworking
and WAN interface ports.
• Switches in the WAN provide connectivity for voice, data,
and video communication.
• Modems include interface voice-
voice-grade services, channel
service units/digital service units (CSU/DSUs
(CSU/DSUs)) that
interface T1/E1 services, and Terminal Adapters/Network
Termination 1 (TA/NT1s) that interface Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) services.
• Communication servers concentrate dial-dial-in and dial
dial--out
user communication.

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Steps In WAN Design

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Introduction to routers in a WAN

• A router is a special type of computer.

• It has a CPU, memory, a system bus, and various
input/output interfaces.
• However, routers are designed to perform some very specific
functions that are not typically performed by desktop
computers.
• Just as computers need operating systems to run software
applications, routers need the Internetwork Operating System
software (IOS
(IOS)) to run configuration files.
• These configuration files contain the instructions and
parameters that control the flow of traffic in and out of the
routers.

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 Router

• A router serves a very similar purpose

• It separates traffic into local (network) traffic and
(internet) traffic that must be sent on.
• It sends the latter in the right general direction.
• Routers and bridges work in different layers:
• A bridge operates at the Data Link Layer using
MAC addresses (hardware addresses).
• A router operates at the Network Layer using
network addresses (software addresses, e.g. IP
addresses).

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 Router

• A router connects two or more networks to

form an internet.
• Sometimes the router connects two or more sub-
sub-
networks to form a network.
• A router may be a specific device or it may be
software on a computer.
• A router determines where to forward
“internet” traffic (messages whose source is
on one network and destination is on another
network).
• It also filters out local traffic.
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• The main internal components of the router are
• random access memory (RAM),
• nonvolatile random-
random-access memory (NVRAM),
• flash memory,
• read
read--only memory (ROM), and
• interfaces.

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RAM

• Stores routing tables

• Holds ARP cache
• Holds fast-
fast-switching cache
• Performs packet buffering (shared RAM)
• Maintains packet-
packet-hold queues
• Provides temporary memory for the configuration file of
the router while the router is powered on
• Loses content when router is powered down or restarted

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NVRAM

• Provides storage for the startup configuration file

• Retains content when router is powered down or restarted

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Flash memory

• Holds the operating system image (IOS(IOS))

• Allows software to be updated without removing and
replacing chips on the processor
• Retains content when router is powered down or
restarted
• Can store multiple versions of IOS software
• Is a type of electronically erasable, programmable ROM
(EEPROM)

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ROM

• Maintains instructions for power-

power-on self test (POST
(POST))
diagnostics
• Stores bootstrap program and basic operating system
software
• Requires replacing pluggable chips on the motherboard for
software upgrades

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Interfaces

• Connect router to network for frame entry and exit

• Can be on the motherboard or on a separate module

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Router LANs and WANs

• While a router can be used to segment LANs, its major use is

as a WAN device.
device.
• They operate at Layer 3 of the OSI model, making decisions
based on network addresses.
addresses.
• The two main functions of a router are the selection of best
path for and the switching of frames to the proper interface.
interface.

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• A correctly configured internetwork provides the following:
• Consistent end-
end-to-
to-end addressing
• Addresses that represent network topologies
• Best path selection
• Dynamic or static routing
• Switching

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Router role in a WAN

• One of the roles of a router in a WAN is to route packets

at Layer 3.
3.
• When a router uses the physical and data link layer
standards and protocols that are associated with WANs,
it is operating as a WAN device.
device.
• The primary WAN roles of a router are therefore not
routing, but providing connections to and between the
various WAN physical and data-
data-link standards.
standards.

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Router internal components

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Router physical characteristics

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Router external connections

• The three basic types of connections on a router are

• LAN interfaces,
• WAN interfaces,
• management ports.
• LAN interfaces allow the router to connect to the Local Area
Network media.

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• Wide Area Network connections provide connections through
a service provider to a distant site or to the Internet.
• The management port provides a text text--based connection for
the configuration and troubleshooting of the router.
• The common management interfaces are the console and
auxilliary ports
ports..

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Management port connections

• When the router is first put into service, there are no

networking parameters configured.
• To prepare for initial startup and configuration, attach an
RS--232 ASCII terminal, or a computer emulating an
RS
ASCII terminal,
terminal, to the system console port.
• Then configuration commands can be entered to set up
the router.

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• The router can also be configured from a remote location by
dialing to a modem connected to the console or auxiliary port
on the router.

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Connecting console interfaces

• The console port is a management port used to provide

out--of
out of--band access to the router.
• It is used for the initial configuration of the router,
monitoring, and disaster recovery procedures.
• To connect to the console port, a rollover cable and a
RJ--45 to DB
RJ DB--9 adapter are used to connect a PC.

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• The PC or terminal must support VT100 terminal emulation.
emulation.
• Terminal emulation software such as HyperTerminal is
usually used.

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 • Configure terminal emulation software on the PC for:
• The appropriate com port
• 9600 baud
• 8 data bits
• No parity
• 1 stop bit
• No flow control
• Connect the RJ-
RJ-45 connector of the rollover cable to the router
console port.
• Connect the other end of the rollover cable to the RJ-
RJ-45 to DB
DB--9
adapter.
• Attach the female DB-
DB-9 adapter to a PC.

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Connection LAN interfaces

• A straight
straight--through cable is used to make the connection.
• A 10/100BaseTX router interface requires Category 5 or
better, unshielded twisted-
twisted-pair (UTP) regardless of the router
type.

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 Choosing a WAN Link Connection

• What is the purpose of the WAN?

• What is the geographic scope?
• What are the traffic requirements?
• Should the WAN use a private or public infrastructure?
• For a private WAN, should it be dedicated or switched?
• For a public WAN, what type of VPN access do you need?
• Which connection options are available locally?
• What is the cost of the available connection options?

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 Thank You…

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