6-2
Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using the CLI
Chapter6 Starting Interface Configuration (ASA 5510 a nd Higher)
Information About Starting ASA 5510 and Higher Interface Configuration
Auto-MDI/MDIX Feature
For RJ-45 interfaces on the ASA 5500 series, the default auto-negotiation setting also includes the
Auto-MDI/MDIX feature. Auto-MDI/MDIX eliminates the need for crossover cabling by performing an
internal crossover when a straight cable is detected during the auto-negotiation phase. Either the speed
or duplex must be set to auto-negotiate to enable Auto-MDI/MDIX for the interface. If you explicitly set
both the speed and duplex to a fixed value, thus disabling auto-negotiation for both settings, then
Auto-MDI/MDIX is also disabled. For Gigabit Ethernet, when the speed and duplex are set to 1000 and
full, then the interface always auto-negotiates; therefore Auto-MDI/MDIX is always enabled and you
cannot disable it.
Interfaces in Transparent Mode
Interfaces in transparent mode belong to a “bridge group,” one bridge group for each network. You can
have up to eight bridge groups of four interfaces each per context or in single mode. For more
information about bridge groups, see the “Bridge Groups in Transparent Mode” section on page9-1.
Management Interface
Management Interface Overview, page6-2
Management Slot/Port Interface, page6-2
Using Any Interface for Management-Only Traffic, page 6-3
Management Interface for Transparent Mode, page6-3
No Support for Redundant Management Interfaces, page 6-4
Management 0/0 Interface on the ASA 5512-X through ASA 5555-X, page6-4

Management Interface Overview

You can manage the ASA by connecting to:
Any through-traffic interface
A dedicated Management Slot/Port interface (if available for your model)
You may need to configure management access to the interface according to Chapter37, “Configuring
Management Access.”

Management Slot/Port Interface

Table 6 -1 shows the Management interfaces per model.-
Table6-1 Management Interfaces Per Model
Model
Configurable for
Through Traffic1Management 0/02Management 0/1 Management 1/0 Management 1/1
ASA 5505 N/A No No No No
ASA 5510 Yes Yes No No No