Solved: Excuse my ignorance - fas

insccisco · ‎03-18-2006

I am new to cisco. I have a simple question

when you are reading something like

fas 0/0

or fas 0/1

what does the "fas" stand for? Is it relating to a ethernet interface on a router? on a switch?

or is it talking about a port on a router? on a switch?

thanks

pkhatri · ‎03-18-2006

On a Cisco router, you only have to include as many letters in a command as it takes to make it unique. In the case of interfaces, there are no other types of interfaces that start with Fas, therefore, using the first three letters of "FastEthernet" makes it unique. Another example is 'GigabitEthernet' - you can simply type in 'Gi' to refer to those.

The 'fas' is valid for both switch and router interfaces - they use the same convention.

Hope that helps - pls rate the post if it does.

Paresh

View solution in original post

pkhatri · ‎03-18-2006

Hi Mate,

That 'fas' is simply short for 'FastEthernet' - both routers and switches have FastEthernet ports so it could refer to either. It depends on the context in which you have seen them.

Hope that helps - pls rate the post if it does.

Paresh

insccisco · ‎03-18-2006

mmm I see. I think I am now up to 75% of understanding this.

Now, I will show you the context in which I have seen this. Here it is:

****************

The connections are as follows:

Router 1

fas 0/0 to Client network

fas 0/1 x-over to Router 2

ser 0/0 New WAN circuit – information to be provided by your ISP as the circuit is ready

****************

- I understood there was a router involved

- I also understood this router had few interfaces

- But I wasn't quite sure what kind of interfaces, as I am used to seeing fe0, fe1, etc

- I was thinking fas meant something like Frame Alignment Signal (I looked it up on google :) )

- So, my 2 questions now are, why the use of fas? (what or where does it come from?)

- and, just like you said, these just mean plain ethernet interfaces on a router or a switch????

thanks

pkhatri · ‎03-18-2006

On a Cisco router, you only have to include as many letters in a command as it takes to make it unique. In the case of interfaces, there are no other types of interfaces that start with Fas, therefore, using the first three letters of "FastEthernet" makes it unique. Another example is 'GigabitEthernet' - you can simply type in 'Gi' to refer to those.

The 'fas' is valid for both switch and router interfaces - they use the same convention.

Hope that helps - pls rate the post if it does.

Paresh

insccisco · ‎03-18-2006

Now I am not 100%, but 300% of understanding this.

I was so lost that I almost went out to buy a book about it because I couldn't find nothing close to it on the internet until I remember about the forums...

Few days ago I was given a project that involves cisco terminology which ended up landing me here.

I think I might have some other questions but I will post them in a new thread

once again, thank you very much Paresh