Page 27-1

27 IPX Routing

Introduction
This chapter gives an overview of Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) routing and includes
information about configuring static IPX routes as well as configuring Routing Information
Protocol (RIP) and Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) filters and timers. IPX is a layer 3 proto-
col developed by Novell for interconnecting NetWare clients and servers. (NetWare is Novell’s
network server operating system.) IPX routing requires at least one IPX router port to be
configured on the switch.
When IPX routing is enabled on the switch, the switch will be able to exchange routing infor-
mation with IPX routers in the network, and stations connected to groups and VLANs with
virtual IPX router ports will be able to communicate. Groups or VLANs that do not have IPX
router ports with IPX routing enabled cannot communicate with each other.
In the example shown here, stations connected to each group will be able to communicate if
a virtual IPX router port is created for each group and each router port on the switch has IP
routing enabled. Stations in group 2 and group 3 will also be able to communicate with
stations attached to the external IPX router if a static route to that router is configured on the
switch or the switch learns about the external router through IPX RIP or SAP.
Omni Switch/Router
12345678
123456
Group 2
68:27:43:29:00:00 22:45:67:87:00:00
External
IPX
Router
Group 3
1A2B3C4D AABBCCDDEE
Internal IPX Router
IPX Network
23452345
Network
1A2B3C4D
Network
AABBCCDDEE
00:5A:4D:CC:22:11
nodes
node