Setting up a NM-1A-T3 with ISP DIA

[tato386]

We will be upgrading our ISP connection to T3 soon. I would like to use the NM-1A-T3 module on our 3620. I feel I have good experience with all sorts of T1 setups but never tried T3/ATM. How difficult with this be? Any good texts or how-to's out there? How much help can I expect from the ISP? Would it be easier to go with the HSSI NM and an external T3 CSU/DSU?

Thanks,

Diego

[doug.lockwood]

It really depends on your ISP. If the DS-3 the ISP offers is ATM, you need ATM on your side. If your ISP is offering a TDM DS-3, the HSSI module is what you need.

The config is strait forward for ATM if you need it, but I would be inclined to believe the ISP will offer TDM, in which case the ATM module will not work.

Doug

[tato386]

Is TDM synonymous with channelized? Would this mean that I would have to setup 28 T1s and bond them somehow? Does Cisco offer a DS3 TDM module for the 3600 platform?

Thanks,

Diego

[doug.lockwood]

Is TDM synonymous with channelized? No. I was using that to differentiate "Classic" DS-3 from ATM DS-3.

The point was that ATM DS3 is a fundamentally different approach, uses different hardware and is incompatible at the router module level with PPP/Frame Relay/Etc. framed DS-3/Fractional DS-3.

A HSSI card is one serial stream that the T-3 DSU maps into multiple channels on an "unchannelized" DS-3 circuit.

There are 2 modules for the 3600

HSSI (Requires external DS-3 CSU/DSU)

ATM DS-3

There is no Channelized module for the 3600 to my knowledge.

The 7200 and 7500 do support a channelized DS-3 module.

However, its job is to aggregate multiple sites running t-1 into one router, not a point to point scenario, such as you are describing.

Hope this helps;

Doug

[tato386]

It helped a great deal.

Thank you very much,

Diego