MikroTik RouterOS FarSync X.21 Interface

Document revision 01-Jun-2002
This document applies to the MikroTik RouterOS v2.5

Overview

The MikroTik RouterOS supports FarSync T-Series X.21 synchronous adapter hardware. For more information about the adapter hardware please see the relevant documentation:

http://www.farsite.co.uk/

Contents of the Manual

The following topics are covered in this manual:

Synchronous Adapter Hardware and Software Installation
Synchronous Interface Configuration
Troubleshooting
Synchronous Link Applications

Synchronous Adapter Hardware and Software Installation

Software Packages

The MikroTik Router should have the FarSync X.21 synchronous software package installed. The software package file farsync-2.5.x.npk (about 110 Kb) can be downloaded from MikroTik’s web page www.mikrotik.com. To install the package, please upload the correct version file to the router and reboot. Use BINARY mode ftp transfer. After successful installation the package should be listed under the installed software packages list, for example:

[MikroTik] > system package print
Flags: I - invalid
  #   NAME                  VERSION              BUILD-TIME           UNINSTALL
  0   system                2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:26:27 no
  1   routing               2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:29:22 no
  2   thinrouter-pcipc      2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:27:28 no
  3   ntp                   2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:46:51 no
  4   prism                 2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:27:24 no
  5   ppp                   2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:27:00 no
  6   pppoe                 2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:27:04 no
  7   pptp                  2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:27:02 no
  8   advanced-tools        2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:47:47 no
  9   ddns                  2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:47:06 no
 10   dhcp                  2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:26:41 no
 11   farsync               2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:45:38 no
 12   framerelay            2.5.6                may/23/2002 12:46:06 no
[MikroTik] >

Software License

The FarSync X.21 Synchronous Adapter requires the Synchronous Feature License. One license is for one installation of the MikroTik RouterOS, disregarding how many cards are installed in one PC box. The Synchronous Feature is not included in the Free Demo or Basic Software License. The Synchronous Feature cannot be obtained for the Free Demo License. It can be obtained only together with the Basic Software License.

Synchronous Interface Configuration

You can change the interface name to a more descriptive one using the 'set' command. To enable the interface, use the 'enable' command:

[MikroTik] interface> print
Flags: X - disabled, D - dynamic
  #   NAME                 TYPE             MTU
  0   ether1               ether            1500
  1 X farsync1             farsync          1500
  2 X farsync2             farsync          1500
[MikroTik] interface>
[MikroTik] interface> enable 1 
[MikroTik] interface> enable farsync2
[MikroTik] interface> print
Flags: X - disabled, D - dynamic
  #   NAME                 TYPE             MTU
  0   ether1               ether            1500
  1   farsync1             farsync          1500
  2   farsync2             farsync          1500
[MikroTik] interface>

More configuration and statistics parameters can be found under the '/interface farsync' menu:

[MikroTik] interface farsync> print
Flags: X - disabled
  0   name="farsync1" mtu=1500 line-protocol=sync-ppp media-type=V35
      clock-rate=64000 clock-source=external chdlc-keepalive=10s
      frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi frame-relay-dce=no

  1   name="farsync2" mtu=1500 line-protocol=sync-ppp media-type=V35
      clock-rate=64000 clock-source=external chdlc-keepalive=10s
      frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi frame-relay-dce=no

[MikroTik] interface farsync>

Argument description:

numbers - Interface number in the list
hdlc-keepalive - Cisco HDLC keepalive period in seconds (0..32767)
clock-rate - Speed of internal clock
clock-source - (external / internal) Clock source
disabled - (yes / no) disable or enable the interface
frame-relay-dce - (yes / no) Operate in DCE mode
frame-relay-lmi-type - (ansi / ccitt) Frame-Relay Local Management Interface type
line-protocol - Line protocol (cisco-hdlc / frame-relay / sync-ppp)
media-type - (V24 / V35 / X21) Type of the media
mtu - Maximum Transmit Unit (68...1500 bytes). Default value is 1500 bytes.
name - New interface name

You can monitor the status of the synchronous interface:

[MikroTik] interface farsync> monitor 0
           card-type: T2P FarSync T-Series
               state: running
         firmware-id: 2
    firmware-version: 0.7.0
      physical-media: V35
               cable: detected
               clock: not-detected
       input-signals: CTS
      output-signals: RTS DTR

[MikroTik] interface farsync>

Troubleshooting

The farsync interface does not show up under the interfaces list
Obtain the required license for synchronous feature.
The synchronous link does not work
Check the cabling and the line between the modems. Read the modem manual.

Synchronous Link Applications

One possible synchronous line configurations is discussed in the following example:

MikroTik Router to MikroTik Router

MikroTik Router to MikroTik Router

Let us consider the following network setup with two MikroTik Routers connected to a leased line with baseband modems:

MT-to-MT

The interface should be enabled according to the instructions given above. The IP addresses assigned to the synchronous interface should be as follows:

[MikroTik] ip address> add address 1.1.1.1/32 interface farsync1 \
network 1.1.1.2 broadcast 255.255.255.255

[MikroTik] ip address> print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
  #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
  0   10.0.0.254/24      10.0.0.254      10.0.0.255      ether2
  1   192.168.0.254/24   192.168.0.254   192.168.0.255   ether1
  2   1.1.1.1/32         1.1.1.2         255.255.255.255 farsync1
[MikroTik] ip address> /ping 1.1.1.2
1.1.1.2 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=31 ms
1.1.1.2 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=26 ms
1.1.1.2 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=26 ms
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 26/27.6/31 ms
[MikroTik] ip address>

Note, that for the point-to-point link the network mask is set to 32 bits, the argument 'network' is set to the IP address of the other end, and the broadcast address is set to 255.255.255.255. The default route should be set to the gateway router 1.1.1.2:

[MikroTik] ip route> add gateway 1.1.1.2
[MikroTik] ip route> print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic, J - rejected,
C - connect, S - static, R - rip, O - ospf, B - bgp
    #    DST-ADDRESS        G GATEWAY         DISTANCE INTERFACE
    0 DC 10.0.0.0/24        r 10.0.0.254      1        ether2 
    1 DC 192.168.0.0/24     r 192.168.0.254   0        ether1
    2 DC 1.1.1.2/32         r 0.0.0.0         0        farsync1
    3  S 0.0.0.0/0          r 1.1.1.2         1        farsync1

[MikroTik] ip route>

The configuration of the Mikrotik router at the other end is similar:

[MikroTik] ip address> add address 1.1.1.2/32 interface fsync \
network 1.1.1.1 broadcast 255.255.255.255
[MikroTik] ip address> print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
  #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
  0   10.1.1.12/24       10.1.1.12       10.1.1.255      Public
  1   1.1.1.2/32         1.1.1.1         255.255.255.255 fsync
[MikroTik] ip address> /ping 1.1.1.1
1.1.1.1 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=31 ms
1.1.1.1 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=26 ms
1.1.1.1 64 byte pong: ttl=255 time=26 ms
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 26/27.6/31 ms
[MikroTik] ip address>