12-08-2008 02:17 PM - edited 03-04-2019 12:38 AM
hi every body!
Cisco 3750 switches provide fallback bridging to transparent non ip protocols such as ipx because cef only supports ip.
My question is can switch use layer 3 engine(router) to switch non-ip packets such as ipx ?
thanks a lot!
Solved! Go to Solution.
12-08-2008 02:23 PM
Sarah
Some L3 switches can route IPX but the 3750 is not one of them. There is no support for IPX other than the use of fallback bridging.
Jon
12-08-2008 03:01 PM
Sarah,
The reason the 3750 does not provide IPX support is not due to the CEF/IP dependency. It's due to lacking the required ASIC to perform this function.
As Jon stated, Cisco provides a line that support IPX (Catalyst 6500) but even within that line, the support is done in software - not in hardware (ASICs) which can result on degraded IPX performance.
If you have an IPX network (I'm sure you don't - you are just hitting those books hard and keeping us in line :)), I recommend going with a regular router with Enterprise software and have this router perform the IPX routing in your network. IPX is a dead protocol and there isn't much testing done on it.
HTH,
__
Edison.
12-08-2008 04:42 PM
SNA, ah good old memories, yeah right...
Two options which are not supported in switches. STUN (Serial Tunneling) or DLSW (Data Link Switching).
You need a good old router.
Never had the pleasure to play with LAT but I'm sure you also need a router for it.
__
Edison.
12-08-2008 02:23 PM
Sarah
Some L3 switches can route IPX but the 3750 is not one of them. There is no support for IPX other than the use of fallback bridging.
Jon
12-08-2008 03:01 PM
Sarah,
The reason the 3750 does not provide IPX support is not due to the CEF/IP dependency. It's due to lacking the required ASIC to perform this function.
As Jon stated, Cisco provides a line that support IPX (Catalyst 6500) but even within that line, the support is done in software - not in hardware (ASICs) which can result on degraded IPX performance.
If you have an IPX network (I'm sure you don't - you are just hitting those books hard and keeping us in line :)), I recommend going with a regular router with Enterprise software and have this router perform the IPX routing in your network. IPX is a dead protocol and there isn't much testing done on it.
HTH,
__
Edison.
12-08-2008 03:47 PM
thanks a lot Edison and Jon!
12-08-2008 04:14 PM
Edison
"IPX is a dead protocol and there isn't much testing done on it."
Can i quote you on that ?.
Last place i worked we migrated to a lovely new MPLS network and then had to define GRE tunnels all over the place because of one "mission critical" IPX application. They are always mission critical :-)
Jon
12-08-2008 04:31 PM
Just want to ask about catalyst 4500 and 6500 series switches. If the protocol is not routable such as SNA ,LAT, how can these switches switch such traffic(SNA,LAT) considering layer 3 engine can not be of any use in such situation.
Thanks a lot!
12-08-2008 04:42 PM
SNA, ah good old memories, yeah right...
Two options which are not supported in switches. STUN (Serial Tunneling) or DLSW (Data Link Switching).
You need a good old router.
Never had the pleasure to play with LAT but I'm sure you also need a router for it.
__
Edison.
12-08-2008 04:32 PM
Sure you can :)
Ask Novell if they are deploying IPX dependent applications internally. Their internal network hasn't run IPX for some time. IOW, it's deader than dead :)
Yes, you will find plenty of networks having those mission critical IPX applications. They are slow on migrating to up-to-date applications that do the same. Usually, the person/group that deployed such application is no longer around in business and no-one understands how the application really works in a different environment :)
__
Edison.
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