Router with minimum 4 Ethernet ports and one serial port

[jmerchut]

Hello,

I am looking for the smallest/cheapest Cisco router with minimum 4 Ethernet ports and one serial port. All Eth ports must have layer 3 functionalities.

Could you propose one?

Regards,

Jarek.

[Kevin Dorrell]

I think the best way you can do this is a 1720, a WIC-1T, and a WIC-4ESW module:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps221/products_data_sheet09186a00801c749d.html

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg

[jmerchut]

I have seen this wic befor but I have question about configuring this wic - is it possible to configure ip address on these eth ports?? I need to run routing protocol on these interfaces.

[Kevin Dorrell]

You can run these ports as layer-3 entities, but I'm not sure whether you can do so directly. What I mean is this:

In some L2/L3 switch models you can give a port an IP address, and do no switchport, and the port becomes effectively a router port.

In some L2/L3 switch models you cannot do that, but you can allocate each port to a different VLAN, then set up four SVI (Switch Virtual Interface) vlan interfaces, and route between those. Slightly less convenient, but still effective.

I don't know which technique can be used with this WIC, but one of them should work. Does anyone out there know whether you can do a no switchport on a port of a WIC-4ESW?

Here is another more detailed document about the module. Skimming through it, it seems to recommend the SVI technique.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps221/prod_configuration_basics09186a00801a055a.html#wp229914

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg

[PETER NEGUS]

The switch module will NOT give you 4 independent ports on different VLANs. The switch is an independent module which can only interconnect with one virtual interface. The cheapest way to achieve what you want is to attach an 802.1Q capable switch to the nativefast ethernet port on the router.

[Kevin Dorrell]

I am puzzled then, because the document I quoted strongly suggests you can. I got my information especially from this bit:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps221/prod_configuration_basics09186a00801a055a.html#wp228953

There it shows Fa1 and Fa2 on VLAN 1, and Fa3 on VLAN 2. Are you saying that it only allows you one SVI? If that is the case, what is the use of putting the the ports on different VLANs? If your SVI is on VLAN1, then how would Fa3 get any connectivity?

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg