Configuring VWIC-1MFT-E1 for data only

[mjgranato]

This is my first posting so I might not be in the correct area.  I am going to need to connect two cisco routers over a T1/E1 dedicated circuit.  Right now I'm Nortel routers going through channel bank controllers using CAS(Channel Associated Signaling).  We were going to use voice on the circuit be decided not to, so we're not using all the channels on the circuit.

I want to install new routers and eliminate the channel bank controllers and use the full bandwidth of the circuit.  I have successfully configured two other routers on a T1 circuit using PPP, but I have never dealt with an E1 circuit.  I'm guessing one side will have a T1 card and the other will have an E1 card(vwic-1mft-e1).  There will be no voice traffic on the line, only data.

Is there some documentation on configuring the E1 card?

Is this the right card to use?

Is there a way to test the connection between the two routers before shipping the E1 router to the other location( ie. a crossover cable)?  A crossover cable worked great on the two T1 routers I configured.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Yes, the card can be used altough there are other cars that are specific for data-only use.

If you search, there are tons of documents and examples, including connecting back-to-back.

The cables to use depends by the local circuit termination.

[mjgranato]

Regardless of which card I use does an E1 circuit HAVE to be channelized?  All the configuration examples I see for an E1 card use the controller e1 and channel group commands to assign channles to a channel group.  I am not going to be running any voice on this circuit, only data.  I still need to check with my  service provider to see how the channels are confgured.

For a T1 to T1 connection to another location I used the following config:

interface serial 0/0/0

ip address x.x.x.x

encapulation ppp

service-module t1 fdl att

ppp authentication chap

ppp chap hostname xxx

ppp chap password 0 xxx

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Check with SP. Most circuits use 30 or 31 channels.