HSRP - hello's running over a different link?

[woker]

Is there a feature that allows hsrp hellos running over a different link? I'm thinking about 2x2600 with each one serial and one ethernet interface. They are both connected back-to-back with the two medias. HSRP should be configured for ethernet but hello packets should flow over the serial link. Is that possible?

[MickPhelps]

I don't think that HSRP will allow for what you're asking. Why would you want the hellos to travel over the serial? What exactly are you wishing to accomplish?

Mick.

[woker]

The problem is that we have 2 standalone firewalls, each of them directly attached to the routers. Those firewalls are not able to let hrsp hellos pass.

[MickPhelps]

I think that you have a design error. To achieve the redundancy you may be looking for, you'll want two switches (one between each router and firewall) and connect the switches together. HSRP will allow the firewall to have one address as its default gateway. If a router failes, HSRP goes active on the other router; if a switch fails HSRP goes active on the other router; if a serial link fails HSRP goes active on the other router. The way you have it set up, if there is a failure, there's no way for the active firewall to send data to the newly active router.

Also, if you're running PIX firewalls and have it setup for failover, the interfaces need to see hellos on each LAN segment that is not shutdown or the PIX will fail over.

You really can't use HSRP with crossover cables. It defeats the purpose.

Mick.

[woker]

Thanks. I just found another approach with introducing two additional routers. This solves the problem. Trying to let HSRP running over serials is anyway crazy...