cc/td/doc/product/software/ios11
hometocprevnextglossaryfeedbacksearchhelp
PDF

Table of Contents

Configuring SLIP and PPP

Configuring SLIP and PPP

This chapter describes how to configure asynchronous interfaces for telecommuting applications using Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) encapsulation. See the chapter "SLIP and PPP Configuration Commands" later in this publication for a complete description of the commands mentioned in this chapter.

Refer to the Cisco Access Connection Guide for information about EXEC user commands and establishing SLIP and PPP connections.

Cisco's Implementation of SLIP and PPP

SLIP and PPP define methods of sending Internet Protocol (IP) packets over standard EIA/TIA-232 asynchronous serial lines with minimum line speeds of 1200 baud.

Using SLIP or PPP encapsulation over asynchronous lines is an inexpensive way of connecting PCs to a network. SLIP and PPP over asynchronous dial-up modems allow a home computer to be connected to a network without the cost of a leased line. Dial-up SLIP and PPP links can also be used for remote sites that need only occasional telecommuting or backup connectivity. Both public-domain and vendor-supported SLIP and PPP implementations are available for a variety of computer applications.

The router concentrates a large number of SLIP or PPP PC or workstation client hosts onto a network interface allowing the PCs to communicate with any host on the network. The router can support any combination of SLIP or PPP lines and lines dedicated to normal asynchronous devices such as terminals and modems. Refer to RFC 1055 for more information about SLIP, and RFCs 1331 and 1332 for more information about PPP.

PPP is a newer, more robust protocol than SLIP and it contains protocols that can detect or prevent misconfiguration. SLIP is an older protocol that is supported on more machines.


Note Most asynchronous serial links have very low bandwidth. Take care to configure your system so the links will not be overloaded. Consider using default routes and filtering routing updates to prevent them from being sent on these lines.

Figure 5-1 illustrates a typical asynchronous SLIP or PPP telecommuting configuration.


Figure 5-1: Sample SLIP or PPP Telecommuting Configuration



Responding to BOOTP Requests

There is an asynchronous BOOTP server in your router. This means that SLIP and PPP clients can send BOOTP requests to the router, and the router will respond with information about the network. For example, the client can send a BOOTP request to find out what its IP address is and where the boot file is located, and the router can respond with the information.

BOOTP allows a client machine to discover its own IP address, the address of the router, and the name of a file to be loaded into memory and executed. There are typically two phases to using BOOTP: first, the client's address is determined and the boot file is selected; then the file is transferred, typically using TFTP.

BOOTP compares to RARP as follows: Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) is an older protocol that allows a client to determine its IP address if it knows its hardware address. (Refer to the chapters "Configuring IP" and "Configuring IP Routing Protocols," in the Router Products Cnfiguration Guide, for more information about RARP.) However, RARP is a hardware link protocol, so it can only be implemented on hosts that have special kernel or driver modifications that allow access to these raw packets. BOOTP does not require kernel modifications.

BOOTP supports the extended BOOTP requests specified in RFC 1084 and works for both SLIP and PPP encapsulation.

Asynchronous Network Connections and Routing

Line configuration commands configure a connection to a terminal or a modem. Interface configuration (async) commands described in this chapter configure a line as an asynchronous network interface over which networking functions are performed.

Your router also supports IP routing connections for communication that requires connecting one network to another.

Beginning with Cisco IOS Release 10.3, your router supports protocol translation for SLIP and PPP between other network devices running Telnet, LAT, and X.25. The IOS software also supports translation for byte-oriented traffic to and from a packet assembler/disassembler (PAD). For example, you can send IP packets across a public X.25 PAD network using SLIP or PPP encapsulation when protocol translation is enabled for SLIP or PPP. For more information, refer to the chapter "Configuring Protocol Translation Sessions" in this publication.

If asynchronous dynamic routing is enabled, you can enable routing at the user level by using the routing keyword with the slip or ppp EXEC command.

Asynchronous interfaces offer both dedicated and dynamic address assignment, configurable hold queues and IP packet sizes, extended BOOTP requests, and permit and deny conditions for controlling access to lines. Figure 5-2 shows a sample asynchronous routing configuration.


Note Disable software flow control on SLIP and PPP lines.

Figure 5-2: Sample Asynchronous Routing Configuration

Asynchronous Interfaces and Broadcasts

Routers recognize a variety of IP broadcast addresses. When a router receives an IP packet from an asynchronous client, it rebroadcasts the packet onto the network without changing the IP header. The router does not alter the packet's broadcast address to match the form of broadcast address it prefers.

The router receives a copy of asynchronous client broadcasts, and responds to BOOTP requests with the current IP address assigned to the asynchronous interface on which the request was received. This facility allows the asynchronous client software to automatically determine its own IP address.

Telecommuting Configuration Task List

To configure your router to support telecommuting, you must perform the first task in the following list on your asynchronous interfaces. Perform the remaining tasks to customize the asynchronous interface for your particular network environment and to monitor asynchronous connections:

The steps to perform these tasks are described in the following sections. See the "Asynchronous Interface Configuration Examples" section at the end of this chapter for examples of asynchronous configuration files. Tasks are performed in global configuration mode unless otherwise specified.

Configure Asynchronous Interfaces

To configure your router to support telecommuting, configure basic functionality on your asynchronous interfaces, and then customize the interfaces for your environment. Basic configuration tasks include the following:

Specify an Asynchronous Interface

To specify an asynchronous interface, perform the following task in global configuration mode.

Task Command
Specify an asynchronous interface. interface async number

Configure SLIP or PPP Encapsulation

SLIP and PPP are methods of encapsulating datagrams and other network-layer protocol information over point-to-point links. To configure the default encapsulation on an asynchronous interface, perform the following task in interface configuration mode.

Task Command
Configure PPP or SLIP encapsulation on an asynchronous line. encapsulation {slip | ppp}

In order to use SLIP or PPP, the router must be configured with an IP routing protocol, with the ip host-routing command, or with the vty-async command (virtual terminal lines (VTYs) only). This configuration is done automatically if you are using old-style slip address commands, but you must configure it manually if you configure SLIP or PPP via the interface async command.

When an asynchronous interface is encapsulated with SLIP or PPP, IP fast switching is enabled. For more information on IP fast switching, refer to the "Enable Fast Switching" section later in this chapter.

Specify Dedicated or Interactive Mode

You can configure one or more asynchronous interfaces on your router to be in dedicated network interface mode. In dedicated mode, an interface is automatically configured for SLIP or PPP connections. There is no user prompt or EXEC level, and no end-user commands are required to initiate telecommuting connections. If you want a line to be used only for SLIP or PPP connections, configure the line for dedicated mode.

In interactive mode, a line can be used to make any type of connection, depending on the EXEC command entered by the user. For example, depending on its configuration, the line could be used for Telnet or XRemote connections, or SLIP or PPP encapsulation. The user is prompted for an EXEC command before a connection is initiated.

This section describes the following tasks:

Configure Dedicated Network Mode

You can configure an asynchronous interface to be in dedicated network mode. When the interface is configured for dedicated mode, you cannot change the encapsulation method, address, or other parameters.

To configure an interface for dedicated network mode, perform the following task in interface configuration mode.

Task Command
Place the line into dedicated asynchronous network mode. async mode dedicated

Refer to the chapter "Managing the System" in the Router Products Configuration Guide for more information about automatic dialing using DTR.

Return a Line to Interactive Mode

After a line has been placed in dedicated mode, perform the following task in interface configuration mode to return it to interactive mode.

Task Command
Return the line to interactive mode. async mode interactive

By default, no asynchronous mode is configured. In this state, the line is not available for inbound networking because the SLIP and PPP connections are disabled.

Configure the Interface Addressing Method for Remote Device

You can control whether addressing is dynamic (the user specifies the address at the EXEC level when making the connection), or whether default addressing is used (the address is forced by the system). If you specify dynamic addressing, the router must be in interactive mode and you will enter the address at the EXEC level.

It is common to configure an asynchronous interface to have a default address and to allow dynamic addressing. With this configuration, the choice between the default address or a dynamic addressing is made by the user when they enter the slip or ppp EXEC command. If you enter an address, it is used, and if you enter the default keyword, the default address is used.

This section describes the following tasks:

Assign a Default Asynchronous Address

Perform the following task in interface configuration mode to assign a permanent default asynchronous address:

Task Command
Assign a default IP address to an asynchronous interface. async default ip address address

Use the no form of this command to disable the default address. If the server has been configured to authenticate asynchronous connections, you are prompted for a password after entering the SLIP or PPP EXEC command before the line is placed into asynchronous mode.

The assigned default address is implemented when the user enters the slip default or ppp default EXEC command. The transaction is validated by the TACACS server (when enabled) and the line is put into network mode using the address that is in the configuration file.

Configuring a default address is useful when the user is not required to know the IP address to gain access to a system; for example, users of a server that is available to many students on a campus. Instead of requiring each user to know an IP address, they need only enter the slip default or ppp default EXEC command and let the server select the address to use. See the Cisco Access Connection Guide for more information about the slip and ppp EXEC commands.

Allow an Asynchronous Address to Be Assigned Dynamically

When a line is configured for dynamic assignment of asynchronous addresses, you enter the slip or ppp EXEC command and are prompted for an address or logical host name. The address is validated by the Terminal Access Controller Access System (TACACS), when enabled, and the line is assigned the given address and put into asynchronous mode. Assigning asynchronous addresses dynamically is also useful when you want to assign set addresses to users. For example, an application on a personal computer that automatically dials in using SLIP and polls for electronic mail messages can be set up to dial in periodically and enter the required IP address and password.

To assign asynchronous addresses dynamically, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Allow the IP address to be assigned when the protocol is initiated. async dynamic address

The dynamic addressing features of the internetwork allow packets to get to their destination and back regardless of the router or network they are sent from. For example, if a host such as a laptop computer moves from place to place it can keep the same address no matter where it is dialing in from.

Logical host names are first converted to uppercase and then sent to the TACACS server for authentication.

Assign IP Addresses for Local Devices

The local address is set using the ip address or ip unnumbered command.

IP addresses identify locations to which IP datagrams can be sent. You must assign each router interface an IP address. See the Internetworking Technology Overview publication for detailed information on IP addresses.

To assign an IP address to a network interface on the router, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Set an IP address for an interface. ip address address mask [secondary]

A subnet mask identifies the subnet field of a network address.

Conserve Network Addresses

When asynchronous routing is enabled, you might find it necessary to conserve network addresses by configuring the asynchronous interfaces as unnumbered. An unnumbered interface does not have an address. Network resources are therefore conserved because fewer network numbers are used and routing tables are smaller.

To configure an unnumbered interface, perform the following task in interface configuration mode.

Task Command
Configure the asynchronous interface to be unnumbered. ip unnumbered type number

Whenever the unnumbered interface generates a packet (for example, a routing update), it uses the address of the specified interface as the source address of the IP packet. It also uses the address of the specified interface to determine which routing processes are sending updates over the unnumbered interface.

You can use the IP unnumbered feature on the router whether or not the system on the other end of the asynchronous link supports this feature. The IP unnumbered feature is transparent to the other end of the link because each system bases its routing activities on information in the routing updates it receives and on its own interface address on the link.

Enable Asynchronous Routing

To route IP packets, perform the following task in interface configuration mode to enable routing protocols IGRP, RIP, and OSPF, on an interface.

Task Command
Configure an asynchronous interface for routing. async dynamic routing

When you make a connection, you must specify /routing on the SLIP or PPP command line.

Configure Transport-Layer Protocols over SLIP and PPP

You can configure transport-layer protocols, such as AppleTalk, IP, and IPX, over SLIP and PPP. SLIP supports only IP, while PPP supports each of these protocols. Refer to the sections that follow to configure these protocols over SLIP and PPP.

You can also configure IPX-PPP on VTYs. Refer to the section "Enable IPXPPP on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces."

Configure IP over SLIP

To enable IP-SLIP on a synchronous or asynchronous interface, perform the following tasks, beginning in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Step 1 Configure IP routing on the interface.
or
Configure IP unnumbered routing on a serial interface.
ip address ip-address mask
or
ip unnumbered type number
Step 2 Enable SLIP encapsulation on the serial interface. encapsulation slip
Step 3 Enable interactive mode on an asynchronous interface. async mode interactive

Configure AppleTalk-PPP

You can configure an asynchronous interface on the router so that users can access AppleTalk zones by dialing in to the router via PPP to this interface. Users accessing the network can run AppleTalk and IP natively on a remote Macintosh, access any available AppleTalk zones from the Chooser, use networked peripherals, and share files with other Macintosh users.

You can create a virtual network that exists only for accessing an AppleTalk internetwork through the server. To create a new AppleTalk zone, issue the appletalk virtual-net command and use a new zone name; this network number is then the only one associated with this zone. To add network numbers to an existing AppleTalk zone, use the existing zone name in the command; this network number is then added to the existing zone.

Routing is not supported on these interfaces.

To enable ATCP for PPP, perform the following tasks in interface configuration (asynchronous) mode:

Task Command
Step 1 Define encapsulation as PPP on this interface. encapsulation ppp
Step 2 Create an internal network on the server. appletalk virtual-net network-number zone-name
Step 3 Enable client mode on this interface. appletalk client-mode

Configure IP-PPP

To enable IP-PPP on a synchronous or asynchronous interface, perform the following tasks, beginning in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Step 1 Configure IP routing on the interface.
or
Configure IP unnumbered routing on a serial interface.
ip address ip-address mask
or
ip unnumbered type number
Step 2 Enable PPP encapsulation on the serial interface. encapsulation ppp
Step 3 Enable interactive mode on an asynchronous interface. async mode interactive

Configure IPX-PPP

You can configure IPX to run over PPP on synchronous serial and asynchronous serial interfaces using one of two methods.

The first method associates an asynchronous interface with a loopback interface configured to run IPX. It permits you to configure IPX-PPP on asynchronous interfaces only.

The second method permits you to configure IPX-PPP on asynchronous and synchronous serial interfaces. However, it requires that you specify a dedicated IPX network number for each interface, which can require a substantial number of network numbers for a large number of interfaces.

You can also configure IPX to run on VTY lines configured for PPP. Refer to the section "Enable IPXPPP on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces" later in this chapter.

IPX-PPP--Associating Asynchronous Interfaces with Loopback Interfaces

To permit IPX client connections to an asynchronous interface, the interface must be associated with a loopback interface configured to run IPX. To permit such connections, perform the following tasks, beginning in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Step 1 Enable IPX routing on the router. ipx routing [node]
Step 2 Create a loopback interface on the router. interface loopback number
Step 3 Enable IPX routing on the loopback interface. ipx network network1
Step 4 Exit to global configuration mode. exit
Step 5 Enter interface configuration mode for the asynchronous interface. interface async number
Step 6 Configure IP unnumbered routing on the interface. iip unnumbered type number
Step 7 Enable PPP encapsulation on the interface. encapsulation ppp
Step 8 Enable interactive mode on an asynchronous interface. async mode interactive
Step 9 Assign the asynchronous interface to the loopback interface configured for IPX. ipx ppp-client loopback nunber
Step 10 Turn off SAP updates to optimize bandwidth on asynchronous interfaces. ipx sap-interval 0

1 Every interface must have a unique IPX network number.

If you are configuring IPX-PPP on asynchronous interfaces, you need to filter routing updates on the interface. Most asynchronous serial links have very low bandwidth, and routing updates take up a great deal of bandwidth. To filter routing updates, refer to the section "Create Filters for Updating the Routing Table" in the "Configuring Novell IPX" chapter of the Router Products Configuration Guide.

IPX over PPP--Using Dedicated IPX Network Numbers for Each Interface

To enable IPX-PPP, perform the following tasks starting in global configuration mode. The first five tasks are required. The last task is optional:

Task Command
Step 1 Enable IPX routing on the router. ipx routing [node]
Step 2 Enter interface configuration mode. interface type number
Step 3 Enable PPP encapsulation on the interface. encapsulation ppp
Step 4 Enable interactive mode on an asynchronous interface. async mode interactive
Step 5 Enable IPX routing on the interface. ipx network network1
Step 6 Turn off SAP updates to optimize bandwidth on asynchronous interfaces. ipx sap-interval 0

1 Every interface must have a unique IPX network number.

If you are configuring IPX-PPP on asynchronous interfaces, you need to filter routing updates on the interface. Most asynchronous serial links have very low bandwidth, and routing updates take up a great deal of bandwidth. To filter routing updates, refer to the section "Create Filters for Updating the Routing Table" in the "Configuring Novell IPX" chapter of the Router Products Configuration Guide.

Enable SLIP and PPP on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

The Cisco IOS software permits you to configure asynchronous protocol features, such as SLIP and PPP, on virtual terminal (VTY) lines. SLIP and PPP normally function only on asynchronous interfaces, and not on VTY lines. When you configure a VTY line to support asynchronous protocol features, you are creating virtual asynchronous interfaces on the VTY lines. One practical benefit of virtual asynchronous interfaces is the ability to tunnel SLIP and PPP inside of X.25, TCP, or LAT on VTY lines. You tunnel SLIP and PPP using the protocol translation facility. For more information, refer to the chapter "Configuring Protocol Translation Sessions" later in this publication.

Perform the tasks in the following sections to configure and use virtual asynchronous interfaces. The first task is required; the remaining tasks are optional.


Note These tasks enable SLIP and PPP on a virtual asynchronous interfaces on a global basis on the router. To configure SLIP or PPP on a per-VTY basis, use the translate command.

Create Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

To create a virtual asynchronous interface, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure all virtual terminal lines to support asynchronous protocol features. vty-async

Enable Protocol Translation of SLIP and PPP on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

One practical benefit of enabling virtual asynchronous interfaces is the ability to tunnel SLIP and PPP over X.25 PAD, thus extending remote node capability into the X.25 area. You can also tunnel SLIP and PPP over Telnet or LAT on virtual terminal lines. When tunneling SLIP and PPP over X.25, LAT, or Telnet, you do so using the protocol translation feature in the IOS software. Refer to the chapter "Configuring Protocol Translation Sessions" later in this publication for more information about protocol translation.

To translate from X.25, LAT, or Telnet to SLIP or PPP, you can use one-step protocol translation or two-step protocol translation, as follows:

To make a connection to a network device using any supported protocol, refer to the Cisco Access Connection Guide.

For an example of tunneling SLIP over X.25 PAD, refer to the "Configuring Protocol Translation Sessions" chapter.

Enable IPX-PPP on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

You can enable IPX-PPP on virtual terminal (VTY) lines, which permits clients to log into a VTY on a router, invoke a PPP session at the EXEC prompt to a host, and run IPX to the host.

For example, in Figure 5-3, the client Terminal1 on the X.25 network logs into the VTY line on Router1, which is configured for IPX-PPP. When the user connects to the router and the EXEC prompt appears, the user issues the PPP command to connect to the IPX host. The VTY is configured to run IPX, so when the PPP session is established from the router. Terminal1 can access the IPX host using an IPX application.


Figure 5-3: IPX-PPP on a Virtual Asynchronous Interface



To enable IPX to run over your PPP sessions on VTY lines, perform the following tasks, beginning in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Step 1 Enable IPX routing on the router. ipx routing [node]
Step 2 Create a loopback interface on the router. interface loopback number
Step 3 Enable a virtual IPX network on the loopback interface. ipx network network1
Step 4 Enable IPX-PPP on VTY lines by assigning the VTY to the loopback interface configured for IPX. vty-async ipx ppp-client loopback number

1 Every interface must have a unique IPX network number.

Enable Dynamic Routing on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

To configure a virtual terminal line to support asynchronous protocol functions and route IP packets using the IGRP, RIP, and OSPF routing protocols on all virtual terminal lines, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable dynamic routing of IP packets on all virtual terminal lines. vty-async dynamic-routing

When a user makes a connection, they must specify /routing on the SLIP or PPP command line.


Note This command is similar to the async dynamic routing command, except that the async dynamic routing command is used for physical asynchronous interfaces, and the vty-async dynamic-routing command is used on virtual terminal lines configured for asynchronous protocol functionality.

Enable Header Compression on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

You can compress the headers on TCP/IP packets on virtual asynchronous interfaces to reduce their size and increase performance. This feature only compresses the TCP header, so it has no effect on UDP packets or other protocol headers. The TCP header compression technique, described fully in RFC 1144, is supported on virtual asynchronous interfaces using SLIP and PPP encapsulation. You must enable compression on both ends of the connection.

You can optionally specify outgoing packets to be compressed only if TCP incoming packets on the same virtual terminal are compressed. If you do not specify this option, the router will compress all traffic. The default is no compression.

To configure a virtual terminal line to support asynchronous protocol functions and compress the headers of TCP packets, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable header compression on IP packets on all virtual terminal lines. vty-async header-compression [passive]

Enable Keepalive Updates on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

Keepalives are enabled on all virtual asynchronous interfaces by default. To change the keepalive timer or disable it on virtual asynchronous interfaces, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Specify the frequency with which the IOS software sends keepalive messages to the other end of an asynchronous serial link. vty-async keepalive [seconds]

The default interval is 10 seconds. It is adjustable in one-second increments from 0 to 32767 seconds. To turn off keepalive updates, set the value to 0. A connection is declared down after three update intervals have passed without receiving a keepalive packet.

Virtual Terminal lines have very low bandwidth. When adjusting the keepalive timer, large packets can delay the smaller keepalive packets long enough to cause the session to disconnect. You might need to experiment to determine the best value.

Set an MTU on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) refers to the size of an IP packet. You might want to change to a smaller MTU size for IP packets transmitted on a virtual asynchronous interface for any of the following reasons:

For example, at 9600 baud a 1500 byte packet takes about 1.5 seconds to transmit. This delay would indicate that you want an MTU size of about 200 (1.5 seconds / 0.2 seconds = 7.5 and 1500 byte packet/ 7.5 = 200 byte packet).

To specify maximum IP packet size, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Specify the size of the largest IP packet that the virtual terminal -asynchronous line can support. vty-line mtu bytes

TCP running on the device to which the router is connected can negotiate for a different MTU size than is configured on the router. The router performs IP fragmentation of packets larger than the specified MTU. Do not change the MTU size unless the SLIP or PPP implementation running on the host at the other end of the asynchronous line supports reassembly of IP fragments. Because each fragment occupies a spot in the output queue, it might also be necessary to increase the size of the SLIP or PPP hold queue, if your MTU size is such that you might have a high amount of fragments of packets in the output queue.

Enable PPP Authentication on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

You can enable Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) or Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) for authentication of PPP on virtual asynchronous interfaces.

Enable CHAP

Access control using Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) is available on all virtual asynchronous interfaces configured for PPP encapsulation. The authentication feature reduces the risk of security violations on your router.

When CHAP is enabled, a remote device (a PC, workstation, or router) attempting to connect to the local router is requested, or "challenged," to respond.

The challenge consists of an ID, a random number, and either the host name of the local router or the name of the user on the remote device. This challenge is transmitted to the remote device.

The required response consists of two parts:

When the local router receives the challenge response, it verifies the secret by looking up the name given in the response and performing the same encryption operation. The secret passwords must be identical on the remote device and the local router.

By transmitting this response, the secret is never transmitted, thus preventing other devices from stealing it and gaining illegal access to the system. Without the proper response, the remote device cannot connect to the local router.

CHAP transactions occur only when a link is established. The local router does not request a password during the rest of the session. (The local router can, however, respond to such requests from other devices during a session.)

To use CHAP on virtual asynchronous interfaces for PPP, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable CHAP on all virtual asynchronous interfaces. vty-async ppp authentication chap

CHAP is specified in RFC 1334. It is an additional authentication phase of the PPP Link Control Protocol.

Once you have enabled CHAP, the local router requires a response from the remote devices. If the remote device does not support CHAP, no traffic is passed to that device.

Enable PAP

Access control using the Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) is available on all virtual asynchronous interfaces configured for PPP encapsulation. The authentication feature reduces the risk of security violations on your router.

To use PAP, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable PAP on all virtual asynchronous interfaces. vty-async ppp authentication pap

Enable TACACS on Virtual Asynchronous Interfaces

Access control using the Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS) is available on all virtual asynchronous interfaces configured for PPP encapsulation. The authentication feature reduces the risk of security violations on your router.

To use TACACS with either CHAP or PAP, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable TACACS on all virtual asynchronous interfaces. vty-async ppp use-tacacs

Configure Automatic Protocol Startup

To configure the router to allow a PPP or SLIP session to start automatically, perform the following tasks in line configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure a line to automatically start an ARA, PPP or SLIP session. autoselect {arap | ppp | slip} | during login1

1 This command is documented in the "Terminal Line and Modem Support Commands" chapter of the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication.

The autoselect command permits the router to allow an appropriate process to start automatically when a starting character is received. The router detects either a Return character, which is the start character for an EXEC session, or the start character for the ARA protocol. By using the optional during login argument, the username or password prompt is displayed without pressing the Return key. While the Username or Password name is presented, you can choose to answer these prompts or to start sending packets from an autoselected protocol. Refer to the end of this chapter for configuration examples.


Note When using autoselect, the activation character should be set to the default Return, and exec-character-bits to 7. If you change these defaults, the application will not recognize the activation request.

Configure Performance Parameters

To tune IP performance, complete the tasks in the following sections:

Compress TCP Packet Headers

You can compress the headers of your TCP/IP packets in order to reduce their size, thereby increasing performance. Header compression is particularly useful on networks with a large percentage of small packets, such as those supporting many Telnet connections. This feature only compresses the TCP header, so it has no effect on UDP packets or other protocol headers. The TCP header compression technique, described fully in RFC 1144, is supported on serial lines using HDLC or PPP encapsulation. You must enable compression on both ends of a serial connection.

You can optionally specify outgoing packets to be compressed only if TCP incoming packets on the same interface are compressed. If you do not specify this option, the router will compress all traffic. The default is no compression.

You can also specify the total number of header compression connections that can exist on an interface. You should configure one connection for each TCP connection through the specified interface.

To enable compression, perform either of the following optional tasks in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable TCP header compression. ip tcp header-compression [passive]
Specify the total number of header compression connections that can exist on an interface. ip tcp compression-connections number1

1 This command is documented in the "IP Commands" chapter of the Router Products Command Reference publication.

Note When compression is enabled, fast switching is disabled. Fast processors can handle several fast interfaces, such as T1s, that are running header compression. However, you should think carefully about your network's traffic characteristics before compressing TCP headers. You might want to use the monitoring commands to help compare network utilization before and after enabling header compression.

Set the TCP Connection Attempt Time

You can set the amount of time the router will wait to attempt to establish a TCP connection. In previous versions of the Cisco IOS software, the system would wait a fixed 30 seconds when attempting to do so. This amount of time is not sufficient in networks that have dial-up asynchronous connections, such as a network consisting of dial-on-demand links that are implemented over modems because it will affect your ability to Telnet over the link (from the router) if the link must be brought up.

Because the connection attempt time is a host parameter, it does not pertain to traffic going through the router, just to traffic originated at the router.

To set the TCP connection attempt time, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Set the amount of time the router will wait to attempt to establish a TCP connection. ip tcp synwait-time seconds1

1 This command is documented in the "IP Commands" chapter of the Router Products Command Reference publication.

Enable Fast Switching

Fast switching involves the use of a high-speed switching cache for IP routing. With fast switching, destination IP addresses are stored in the high-speed cache so that some time-consuming table lookups need not be done. Our routers generally offer better packet transfer performance when fast switching is enabled.

To enable or disable fast switching, perform the following tasks in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable fast-switching (use of a high-speed route cache for IP routing). ip route-cache1
Disable fast switching and enable load balancing on a per-packet basis. no ip route-cache1

1 These commands are documented in the "IP Commands" chapter of the Router Products Command Reference publication.

Control Route Cache Invalidation

The high-speed route cache used by IP fast switching is invalidated when the IP routing table changes. By default, the invalidation of the cache is delayed slightly to avoid excessive CPU load while the routing table is changing.

To control route cache invalidation, perform the following tasks in global configuration mode as needed for your network:

Task Command
Allow immediate invalidation of the cache. no ip cache-invalidate-delay1
Delay invalidation of the cache. ip cache-invalidate-delay [minimum maximum quiet threshold]1

1 These commands are documented in the "IP Commands" chapter of the Router Products Command Reference publication.

Note This task normally should not be necessary. It should be performed only under the guidance of technical staff. Incorrect configuration can seriously degrade the performance of your router.

Optimize Available Bandwidth

Asynchronous lines have relatively low bandwidth and can easily be overloaded, resulting in slow traffic across these lines.

To optimize available bandwidth, perform any of the following tasks:

Configure Header Compression

One way to optimize available bandwidth is by using TCP header compression. Van Jacobson TCP header compression (defined by RFC 1144) can increase bandwidth availability between two and five times when compared to lines not using header compression. Theoretically, it can improve bandwidth availability by a ratio of seven to one.

To configure header compression, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure Van Jacobson TCP header compression on the asynchronous link. ip tcp header-compression [on | off | passive]

Force Header Compression at the EXEC Level

On SLIP interfaces, you can force header compression at the EXEC prompt on a line on which header compression has been set to passive. This allows more efficient use of the available bandwidth and does not require entering privileged configuration mode.

To implement header compression, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Allow status of header compression to be assigned at the user level. ip tcp header-compression passive

For PPP interfaces, the passive option functions the same as the on option.

See the Cisco Access Connection Guide for information about the slip and ppp EXEC commands. You cannot force header compression if header compression on the asynchronous interface is off.

Specify the MTU Size of IP Packets

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) refers to the size of an IP packet. You might want to change to a smaller MTU size for any of the following reasons:

For example, at 9600 baud a 1500 byte packet takes about 1.5 seconds to transmit. This delay would indicate that you want an MTU size of about 200 (1.5 seconds / 0.2 seconds = 7.5 and 1500 byte packet/ 7.5 = 200 byte packet).

To specify maximum IP packet size, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Specify the size of the largest IP packet that the asynchronous line can support. ip mtu bytes

The MTU size can be negotiated by TCP, regardless of the asynchronous interface settings. In other words, TCP running on the device to which the router is connected can negotiate for a different MTU size than is configured on the router. The router performs IP fragmentation of packets larger than the specified MTU. Do not change the MTU size unless the SLIP or PPP implementation running on the host at the other end of the asynchronous line supports reassembly of IP fragments. Because each fragment occupies a spot in the output queue, it might also be necessary to increase the size of the SLIP or PPP hold queue, if your MTU size is such that you might have a high amount of fragments of packets in the output queue.

Improve Asynchronous PPP Performance

To improve asynchronous PPP performance, use the ppp accm interface command. In instances where devices have minimal PPP stacks that do not negotiate PPP Asynchronous Control Character Maps (ACCM), the RFC standard default of 0xffffffff is often used, resulting in poor performance.

The ppp accm command allows you to set the initial values used by the access during LCP negotiations with a peer device to alleviate this problem.

Task Command
Set the value used in negotiation for inbound traffic. ppp accm in number
(Optional) Set the value used in negotiation for outbound traffic. ppp accm out number
(Optional) Use the same value set for inbound traffic. ppp accm match

Modify the IP Output Queue Size

The IP output queue stores packets received from the network that are waiting to be sent to the asynchronous client. You can limit the size of the IP output queue to enhance performance by performing the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Change the size of the IP output hold queue. hold-queue packets

Specify IP Access Lists

Access lists allow the system administrator to control the hosts that a PC can access through a router. Separate access lists can be defined for asynchronous and for other connections.

The tasks described in this section are as follows:

Refer to the chapter "Configuring IP," in the Router Products Configuration Guide publication, for information about defining IP access lists.

To define an access list for packets from the IP host, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure an access list for packets from the IP host. ip access-group access-list-number in

To define an access list for packets to the IP host, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure an access list for packets being sent to the IP host. ip access-group access-list-number out

Configure Support for Extended BOOTP Requests

To configure your router support to respond to BOOTP requests from client machines, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task Command
Specify the router network information that will be sent in response to BOOTP requests. async-bootp tag [:hostname] data

Monitor and Maintain Asynchronous Interfaces

This section describes the following monitoring and maintenance tasks:

To monitor and maintain asynchronous activity, perform one or more of the following tasks in privileged EXEC mode:

Task Command
Return a line to its idle state. clear line line-number
Display parameters that have been set for extended BOOTP requests. show async bootp
Display statistics for asynchronous activity. show async status
Display the status of asynchronous line connections. show line [line-number]

To debug asynchronous interfaces, perform the following task in privileged EXEC mode:

Task Command
Displays errors, changes in interface state, and log input and output. debug async {framing | state | packets}

To debug PPP links, perform the following tasks in privileged EXEC mode:

Task Command
Enable debugging of PPP protocol negotiation process. debug ppp negotiation
Display PPP protocol errors. debug ppp error
Display PPP packets sent and received. debug ppp packet
Display errors encountered during remote or local system authentication.1 debug ppp chap

1 Refer to the chapter "Configuring DDR" in the Router Products Configuration Guide publication for more information about the Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP).

Asynchronous Interface Configuration Examples

This section contains asynchronous configuration examples. Each configuration is designed to illustrate different communication requirements.

Dedicated Asynchronous Interface Configuration Example

The following example assigns an IP address to an asynchronous interface and places the line in dedicated network mode. Setting the stop bit to 1 is a performance enhancement.

line 20
location Department PC Lab
stopbits 1
speed 19200
!
interface async 20
async default ip address 182.32.7.51
async mode dedicated

Note The interface number is the same as the absolute line number, in decimal format.

IP-SLIP Example--Asynchronous Interface

The following example configures IP-SLIP on asynchronous interface 6. The IP address for the interface is assigned to Ethernet 0, interactive mode is enabled, and the IP address of the client PC running SLIP is specified.

IP and the appropriate IP routing protocols have already been enabled on the server.

Router(config)# interface async 6 
Router(config-if)# ip unnumbered ethernet 0 
Router(config-if)# encapsulation slip 
Router(config-if)# async mode interactive 
Router(config-if)# async default ip address 172.18.1.128

AppleTalk-PPP Example

The following example configures asynchronous interface 4 on the router so that users can access AppleTalk zones by dialing in to the router via PPP to this interface. Users accessing the network can run AppleTalk and IP natively on a remote Macintosh, access any available AppleTalk zones from the Chooser, use networked peripherals, and share files with other Macintosh users. Routing is not supported on asynchronous interface 4.

Router(config)# interface async 4
Router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
Router(config-if)# appletalk virtual-net 12345 saivite
Router(config-if)# appletalk client-mode

IP-PPP Example

The following example configures IP-PPP on asynchronous interface 6. The IP address for the interface is assigned to Ethernet 0, interactive mode is enabled, and the IP address of the client PC running PPP is specified.

IP and the appropriate IP routing protocols have already been enabled on the server.

Router(config)# interface async 6 
Router(config-if)# ip unnumbered ethernet 0 
Router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
Router(config-if)# async mode interactive 
Router(config-if)# async default ip address 172.18.1.128

IPX-PPP--Loopback Interface Example

The following example shows the process of configuring IPX to run over PPP on an asynchronous interface. The asynchronous interface is associated with a loopback interface configured to run IPX. This example enables a non-routing IPX client to connect to the router.

Router(config)# ipx routing 0000.0c07.b509
Router(config)# interface loopback0
Router(config-if)# no ip address
Router(config-if)# ipx network 544
Router(config-if)# ix sap-interval 2000
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)# interface ethernet0
Router(config-if)# ip address 172.21.14.64
Router(config-if)# ipx network AC150E00
Router(config-if)# ipx encapsulation SAP
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)# interface async 3
Router(config-if)# ip unnumbered ethernet0 
Router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
Router(config-if)# async mode interactive 
Router(config-if)# async default ip address 172.18.1.128
Router(config-if)# ipx ppp-client loopback0
Router(config-if)# ipx sap-interval 0

In this example, IPX client connections are permitted to asynchronous interface 3, which is associated with loopback interface 0. Loopback interface 0 is configured to run IPX. Routing updates have been filtered on asynchronous interface 3. Routing updates take up a great deal of bandwidth, and asynchronous interfaces have low bandwidth.

IPX-PPP--Using Dedicated IPX Network Numbers for Each Interface

The following example shows the process of configuring IPX to run over PPP on an asynchronous interface. A dedicated IPX network number has been specified for each interface, which can require a substantial number of network numbers for a large number of interfaces. This example permits an IPX client with routing enabled to connect with the router.

Router(config)# ipx routing 0000.0c07.b509
Router(config)# interface async 6
Router(config-if)# ip unnumbered ethernet0 
Router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
Router(config-if)# async mode interactive 
Router(config-if)# ipx network AC150E00
Router(config-if)# ipx sap-interval 0

In this example, IPX client connections are permitted to asynchronous interface 6, which has a unique IPX network number. Routing updates have been filtered on asynchronous interface 6. Routing updates take up a great deal of bandwidth, and asynchronous interfaces have low bandwidth.

IPX-PPP over X.25 to an IPX Network on VTY Lines

The following example shows the process of enabling IPX-PPP on VTY lines. PPP is first enabled to run on VTY lines, and the VTY line is then associated with the loopback interface configured to run IPX. This example enables a non-routing IPX client to connect to the router.

Router(config)# ipx routing 0000.0c07.b509
Router(config)# interface loopback0
Router(config-if)# no ip address
Router(config-if)# ipx network 544
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config-if)# vty-async ipx ppp-client loopback0

In this example, IPX client connections are permitted to VTY lines, which have been associated with loopback interface 0. Loopback interface 0 is configured with an IPX network number that is used by the VTY lines.

Restricted Access on an Asynchronous Interface Example

The following example assumes that users are restricted to certain servers designated as asynchronous servers, but that normal terminal users can access anything on the local network.

! access list for normal connections
access-list 1 permit 172.16.0.0 0.0.255.255
!
access-list 2 permit 172.16.42.55
access-list 2 permit 172.16.111.1
access-list 2 permit 172.16.55.99
!
interface async 6
async dynamic address
ip access-group 1 out
ip access-group 2 in

Asynchronous Routing and Dynamic Addressing Configuration Example

The following example shows a simple configuration that allows routing and dynamic
addressing. With this configuration, if the user specifies /routing in the EXEC slip or ppp command, routing protocols will be sent and received.

interface async 6
async dynamic routing
async dynamic address

TCP Header Compression Configuration Example

The following example configures asynchronous interface 7 with a default IP address, allowing header compression if it is specified in the slip or ppp connection command entered by the user or if the connecting system sends compressed packets.

interface async 7
ip address 192.168.79.1
async default ip address 192.168.79.2
ip tcp header-compression passive

Conserving Network Addresses Using the IP Unnumbered Feature Example

The following example shows how to configure your router for routing using unnumbered interfaces. The source (local) address is shared between Ethernet 0 and asynchronous interface 6 (172.26.1.1). The default remote address is 172.26.1.2.

interface ethernet 0
 ip address 172.26.1.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface async 6
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
 async dynamic routing
 ! default address is on the local subnet
 async dynamic address
 async default ip address 172.26.1.2
 ip tcp header-compression passive

The following example shows how the IP unnumbered configuration works. Although the user assigned an address, the system response shows the interface as unnumbered, and the address typed by the user will be used only in response to BOOTP requests.

router> slip /compressed 10.1.1.1
Password:
Entering async mode.
Interface IP address is unnumbered, MTU is 1500 bytes.
Header compression is On.

Configuring Routing on a Dedicated Dial-In Router Example

In the following example, the router is set up as a dedicated dial-in router. Interfaces are configured as IP unnumbered to conserve network resources, primarily IP addresses.

ip routing
interface ether 0
 ip address 10.0.1.1 255.255.255.0
 !
interface async 1
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
 async dynamic routing
 ! The addresses assigned with SLIP or PPP EXEC commands are not used except 
 ! to reply to BOOTP requests.
 ! Normally, the routers dialing in will have their own address
 ! and not use BOOTP at all.
 async default ip address 10.0.2.1
 !
interface async 2
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
 async default ip address 10.0.5.1
 ip tcp header-compression passive
 async mode dedicated
!
! run RIP on the asynchronous lines, because few implementations of SLIP 
! understand IGRP. Run IGRP on the ethernet (and in the local network).
!
router igrp 109
 network 10.0.0.0
 ! send routes from the asynchronous lines on the production network.
 redistribute RIP
 ! don't send IGRP updates on the async interfaces
 passive-interface async 1
!
router RIP
 network 01.0.0.0
 redistribute igrp
 passive-interface ethernet 0
 ! consider filtering everything except a default route from the routing 
 ! updates sent on the (slow) asynchronous lines 
 distribute-list 1 out
 ip unnumbered async 2
 async dynamic routing

Configuring an Asynchronous Interface as the Only Network Interface Example

In the following example, one of the asynchronous lines is used as the only network interface. The router is used primarily as a router, but is at a remote location and dials in to the central site for its only network connection.

ip default-gateway 10.0.0.2
interface ethernet 0
 shutdown
interface async 1
 async dynamic routing
 ip tcp header-compression on
 async default ip address 10.0.5.1
 async mode dedicated
 ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.0

Configuring IGRP Example

In the following example, only the IGRP TCP/IP routing protocol is running; it is assumed that the systems that are dialing in to use routing will either support IGRP or use some other method (for example, a static default route) of determining that the router is the best place to send most of its packets.

router igrp 109
 network 10.0.0.0
interface ethernet 0
 ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.0
 !
interface async 1
 async default ip address 10.0.0.101
 async dynamic routing
 ip tcp header-compression passive
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
line 1
 modem ri-is-cd

Configuring an Interface Example

The following configuration shows interface and line configuration. The interface is configured with access lists, passive header compression and a default address. The line is configured for TACACS authentication.

interface async 1
 ip access-group 1 in
 ip access-group 1 out
 ip tcp header-compression passive
 async default ip address 192.168.176.201
line 1
 login tacacs
 location 457-5xxx
 exec-timeout 20 0
 password XXXXXXXX
 session-timeout 20 
 stopbits 1

Remote Network Access Using PPP--A Basic Configuration

Figure 5-4 illustrates a simple network configuration comprised of remote PCs with modems connected via modem to a router. The cloud is a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The modems are connected via asynchronous lines, and the router is connected to a local network.

In this configuration you will need to configure:


Figure 5-4: Remote Network Access Using PPP

The default IP address for each incoming line indicates the address of the remote PC to the server, unless the user explicitly specifies another when starting the PPP session.

The server is configured for interactive mode with autoselect enabled, which allows the user to automatically begin a PPP session upon detection of a PPP packet from the remote PC; alternatively, the remote PC can explicitly begin a PPP session by typing PPP at the prompt.

The configuration is as follows:

ip routing
!
int ethernet 0
 ip address 192.168.7.1 255.255.255.0
 !
interface async 1
 encapsulation ppp
 async mode interactive
 async default ip address 192.168.7.51
 async dynamic address
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
line 1
 autoselect ppp
 modem callin
 speed 19200

Remote Network Access Using PPP--Routing IP

Figure 5-5 illustrates a network configuration that provides routing functionality, allowing routing updates to be passed across the asynchronous lines.

This network is comprised of remote and local PCs connected via modem and network connections to a router. This router is connected to a second router via an asynchronous line running TCP/IP. The second router is connected to a logical network via modem.

For this scenario, you will need to configure:


Figure 5-5: Routing on an Asynchronous Line Using PPP



The configuration is as follows:

interface async 1
 encapsulation ppp
 async mode interactive
 async default ip address 192.168.7.51
 async dynamic address
 ip unnumbered ethernet 0
 async dynamic routing

If you want to pass IP routing updates across the asynchronous link, issue the following commands:

line 1
 autoselect ppp
 modem callin
 speed 19200

Next, complete these steps to configure the asynchronous lines between the routers, starting in global configuration mode:

interface async 2
 async default ip address 192.168.7.55
 ip tcp header compression passive

Finally, configure routing as described in the Router Products Configuration Guide, using one of the following methods. The server can route packets three different ways:


  1. Use ARP, which is the default behavior.

  2. Use a default-gateway by issuing the command ip default-gateway x.x.x.x, where x.x.x.x is the IP address of a locally attached router.

  3. Run an IP routing protocol (RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, or OSPF).

Remote Network Access--Leased Line with Dial Backup Using PPP

Figure 5-6 illustrates a scenario where two networks are connected via routers on a leased line. Redundancy is provided by a dial-backup line over the public switched telephone network so that if the primary leased line goes down, the dial-backup line will be automatically brought up to restore the connection. This configuration would be useful for using an auxiliary port as the backup port for a synchronous port.

In this scenario, you will need to configure:


Figure 5-6: Asynchronous Leased Line with Backup



The configuration is as follows:

hostname routerA
!
username routerB password cisco
chat-script backup "" "AT" TIMEOUT 30 OK atdt\T TIMEOUT 30 CONNECT \c !
interface Serial0
 backup interface Async1
 ip address 192.168.199.1 255.255.255.0
 !
interface Async1
 ip address 172.16.199.1 255.255.255.0
 encapsulation ppp
 async default ip address 172.16.199.2
 async dynamic address
 async dynamic routing
 async mode dedicated
 dialer in-band
 dialer map IP 172.16.199.2 name routerB modem-script backup broadcast 3241129  dialer-group 1
 ppp authentication chap
 !
 dialer-list 1 protocol ip permit
 !
line aux 0
 modem InOut
 rxspeed 38400
 txspeed 38400

hometocprevnextglossaryfeedbacksearchhelp
Copyright 1989-1997 © Cisco Systems Inc.