FrameRelay (PVC) Interfaces

Document revision 14-Aug-2002
This document applies to MikroTik RouterOS v2.6

Overview

Frame Relay is a multiplexed interface to packet switched network. Frame Relay is a simplified form of Packet Switching similar in principle to X.25 in which synchronous frames of data are routed to different destinations depending on header information. Frame Relay uses the synchronous HDLC frame format.

Topics covered in this manual:

Frame Relay Installation on the MikroTik RouterOS

Configuring Frame Relay Interface

To configure frame relay, you should first set up the synchronous interface, and then the PVC interface.

Cyclades PC300 interface

[admin@MikroTik] > interface cyclades print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  0  R name="cyclades1" mtu=1500 line-protocol=sync-ppp media-type=V35
       clock-rate=64000 clock-source=external line-code=B8ZS framing-mode=ESF
       line-build-out=0dB rx-sensitivity=short-haul frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi
       frame-relay-dce=no chdlc-keepalive=10s

[admin@MikroTik] >

Argument description:

MOXA C101 interface

[admin@MikroTik] > interface synchronous print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  0  R name="sync1" mtu=1500 line-protocol=sync-ppp clock-rate=64000
       clock-source=external frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi frame-relay-dce=no
       cisco-hdlc-keepalive-interval=10s ignore-dcd=no

[admin@MikroTik] >

Argument description:

Frame Relay PVC interface

To add a PVC interface, use the /interface pvc add command. For example, for a Cyclades interface and DLCI equal to 42, we should use the command: 

[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc> add dlci=42 interface=cyclades1
[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc> print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  #    NAME                 MTU  DLCI INTERFACE
  0    pvc1                 1500 42   cyclades1
[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc>

Argument description:

Frame Relay Configuration Example with Cyclades Interface

Let us consider the following network setup with MikroTik Router with Cyclades PC300 interface connected to a leased line with baseband modems and a CISCO router at the other end.

[admin@MikroTik] ip address> add interface=pvc1 address=1.1.1.1 netmask=255.255.255.0
[admin@MikroTik] ip address> print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
  #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
  0   1.1.1.1/24         1.1.1.0         1.1.1.255       pvc1
[admin@MikroTik] ip address>

PVC and Cyclades interface configuration

Cyclades

[admin@MikroTik] interface cyclades> print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  0  R name="cyclades1" mtu=1500 line-protocol=frame-relay media-type=V35
       clock-rate=64000 clock-source=external line-code=B8ZS framing-mode=ESF
       line-build-out=0dB rx-sensitivity=short-haul frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi
       frame-relay-dce=no chdlc-keepalive=10s

[admin@MikroTik] interface cyclades>

PVC

[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc> print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  #    NAME                 MTU  DLCI INTERFACE
  0  R pvc1                 1500 42   cyclades1
[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc>

CISCO router setup

CISCO# show running-config

Building configuration...

Current configuration...

...
!
ip subnet-zero
no ip domain-lookup
frame-relay switching
!
interface Ethernet0
 description connected to EthernetLAN
 ip address 10.0.0.254 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial0
 description connected to Internet
 no ip address
 encapsulation frame-relay IETF
 serial restart-delay 1
 frame-relay lmi-type ansi
 frame-relay intf-type dce
!
interface Serial0.1 point-to-point
 ip address 1.1.1.2 255.255.255.0
 no arp frame-relay
 frame-relay interface-dlci 42
!
...
end.

Send ping to MikroTik router

CISCO#ping 1.1.1.1

Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 1.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 28/31/32 ms
CISCO#

Frame Relay Configuration Example with MOXA Interface

Let us consider the following network setup with MikroTik Router with MOXA C101 synchronous interface connected to a leased line with baseband modems and a CISCO router at the other end. 

[admin@MikroTik] ip address> add interface=pvc1 address=1.1.1.1 netmask=255.255.255.0
[admin@MikroTik] ip address> print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
  #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
  0   1.1.1.1/24         1.1.1.0         1.1.1.255       pvc1
[admin@MikroTik] ip address>

PVC and Moxa interface configuration

Moxa

[admin@MikroTik] interface synchronous> print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  0  R name="sync1" mtu=1500 line-protocol=frame-relay clock-rate=64000
       clock-source=external frame-relay-lmi-type=ansi frame-relay-dce=no
       cisco-hdlc-keepalive-interval=10s ignore-dcd=no

[admin@MikroTik] interface synchronous>

PVC

[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc> print
Flags: X - disabled, R - running
  #    NAME                 MTU  DLCI INTERFACE
  0  R pvc1                 1500 42   sync1
[admin@MikroTik] interface pvc>

CISCO router setup

CISCO# show running-config

Building configuration...

Current configuration...

...
!
ip subnet-zero
no ip domain-lookup
frame-relay switching
!
interface Ethernet0
 description connected to EthernetLAN
 ip address 10.0.0.254 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial0
 description connected to Internet
 no ip address
 encapsulation frame-relay IETF
 serial restart-delay 1
 frame-relay lmi-type ansi
 frame-relay intf-type dce
!
interface Serial0.1 point-to-point
 ip address 1.1.1.2 255.255.255.0
 no arp frame-relay
 frame-relay interface-dlci 42
!
...
end.

Send ping to MikroTik router

CISCO#ping 1.1.1.1

Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 1.1.1.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 28/31/32 ms
CISCO#

Frame Relay Troubleshooting

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