Upgrade from T1 serial link to Wireless Transparent Bridge link

[dshapin]

Hi,

I have a WAN which consists of two locations, 3640's at each end, connected via Point to Point T1. I just installed a 9 mile wireless transparent bridge link between the two locations. Question, would it be better to by-pass the3640 and plug the wireless bridge directly into the Cat. switches at each end? Or plug the wireless bridge into the routers at each end? Pros or Cons?

Thanks.

Dan

[steven-dunn]

If you connect the wireless to your cats, VTP info will traverse the air causing mess so you will have to route.

If you set a port on you cat to a VLAN you can route the connection. You can just as easily route the connection through your 3600's but you may need to buy another ethernet port, so it will be cost effective to use the Catalysts if you are using intervlan routing.

if security is of a higher concern, you will find that the 3600's may have a better security IOS than the cats.

What platform of cats are you using and do they have route modules or routers on a stick...

steve.

[dshapin]

I have Cat4003 on one side and Cat5505 on the other. I am using VLANs on both switches, and have fast ethernet ports on the 3640's. Right now both ends of the transparent bridge are plugged into VLANs on the Cat. switches, and I am routing the VLANs with the 3640's. I will be upgrading the Cat.5505 to a Cat 4506. Both ends of the transparent bridge connect to the same VLAN.

I am thinking of replacing the 3640's altogther and using Cat4506's with Sup IV's in the core at both ends. This would create a flat network, one large subnet, instead of the two subnets I have now. Under 1000 nodes.

Dan.