Presales: HWIC-4ESW= on 2821 to increase Ethernet port?

[agcastle2000]

Hi there,

I was not able to receive help from Cisco partner and distributor so I'm hoping that I'll get response from here.

We have CISCO2821-V3PN/K9 whose two Gigabit ports are already used. I need additional Ethernet port to connect the router to the Internet Leased Line.

Below "appears to be" the right product but the module is a switch which to my understanding is meant for connecting to the inside LAN rather than to the Internet.

HWIC-4ESW= Four port 10/100 Ethernet switch interface card

Grateful if someone could shed some light and give me the right product (part no.) we need to buy.

Thanks in advance.

Archie

[neospitz]

Hi Archie,

What Internet leased lines are you using??

I am using the similar bundle (CISCO2821-HSEC/K9) for my company's network.I have 2 x Gigabit ports connecting to internal core switches and I installed a HWIC-4ESW for three extenral Internet connections.

What I did was creating 3 VLAN interfaces and assigned them to the switch ports on the HWIC. Then switch ports connect to DSL modems. Finally assign IOS firewall inspect rules/ACLs to each incoming VLAN interfaces as packet filtering mechanism.

hope that helps. :)

[thisisshanky]

I agree its a switch module, but that doesnt mean you cannot use it to connect to an outside LAN or WAn connection (via ADSL or Cable modem). The way you configure these ports are using SVI interfaces (vlans) and assign layer 3 addresses to these vlans. For ex: you can define 4 vlans, and assign each port on HWIC to a different vlan and thus you basically have 6 layer 3 interfaces on the router. I dont see another way to increase the number of ethernet ports on the router without installing a Network module (like NM-2FE-2W or similar).

[agcastle2000]

Thanks for your replies. My thousand apologies for not able to post a reply.

I haven't configured a VLAN. Can you please provide a sample configuration?

Also, if you know of a good Cisco article on VLANs, please provide a link. My intention is to connect the Leased Line (through Ethernet) to this card. The router has an existing DSL connection which is connected to the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port of the 2821.

Regards,

Archie

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello Archie,

a configuration for a VLAN on your 2821 would look like this:

interface Vlan2

ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

You can assign that VLAN, 2 in this case, to one of the switchports, just like you would assign it to a ´normal´, or better, external switch:

interface FastEthernte0/1/0

switchport access vlan 2

Here is a link that provides information regarding VLANs in conjunction with the HWIC:

How to Configure EtherSwitch HWICs

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6350/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00804554c7.html#wp1027188

For more general information regarding VLANs, chekc this document:

Creating and Maintaining VLANs

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps646/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00800c9fd8.html

HTH,

GP

[johgill]

Good links, but please be careful to actually create that vlan in the vlan database:

Router(vlan)#vlan 2

VLAN 2 added:

Name: VLAN0002

Router(vlan)#exit

APPLY completed.

Exiting....

Router#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Router(config)#int fa 0/1/0

Router(config-if)#swi

Router(config-if)#switchport access vlan 2

To see current vlans, use "show vlan-switch".

[fat_panther]

Hi all,

Can I add a vlan with vlan ID > 1005 in a 28xx router?

If yes, what command should I enter?

Thanks a lot!!!

Mak

[Alain Crispiels]

I don't know Mak, but be carreful, the switch card in the isr is not a really switch with all functionnalities...

[Alain Crispiels]

Agree with you, but I was never able to assign a layer 3 addresse to this vlan !!! On a router !!! That's the reason for what I've said that, for me, it was a bad idea...

If you have an sample to give me, thanks -;)

[Alain Crispiels]

Hello Archie,

I've already purchased this card for this ISR but be carefull, it's only a switch (layer 2) and NOT an interface like the two gigabit built-in ports...

For me, what you need is a real ethernet interface, not a switch (wic-1enet=).

Alain

[agcastle2000]

Hi Alain and everyone,

wic-1enet= appears to work only for 17xx series of routers. I've used the Dynamic Configuration Tool and wic-1enet= is not listed. I think HWIC-4ESW= is the only module to increase the "Ethernet" port in the router.

Our main requirement is to connect the router to an Internet Leased Line (I think it's synchronous). We could use WIC-1T but the maximum speed the ISP could support for serial/v.35 connection is 256Kbps.

Thanks.

Regards, Archie

[Alain Crispiels]

Exact for the wic-1enet= Archie, but, for me, the hwic-4esw= is not the solution because it is not interfaces but only switch ports...

[agcastle2000]

Hi Alain,

Thanks for your reply.

What you said is contradictory to what neospitz and thisisshanky said earlier. Probably, I need to do more research on this. The problem is that we already purchased the card.

Regards, Archie

[Alain Crispiels]

I've also purchased this switch card. To do like you. And now, I see that it was a bad idea because a switch card is not an interface.

Good luck -;)