Cisco Systems CCNA 2 manual Connecting Router LAN interfaces, Connecting WAN interfaces

Students may not be familiar with the term out-of-band. Out-of-band refers to the fact that the management control communications use a different path or channel than the data communications.

Ask students the following questions:

•What type of terminal emulation must the PC or terminal support?

•What are the steps to connect the PC to a router?

1.2.6Connecting Router LAN interfaces

In most LAN environments, an Ethernet or FastEthernet interface is used to connect the router to the LAN. The router is a host that connects to the LAN through a hub or a switch. A straight- through cable is used to make this connection. The correct interface must be used.

If the wrong interface is connected, the router or other networking devices may be damaged. This is generally not true within LAN interfaces. However, if LAN interfaces are connected to some form of WAN interface such as ISDN, damage can occur. The students should be taught to be observant and careful whenever connections are made.

Ask students the following questions:

•What type of cable is used to connect from the router Ethernet interface to a hub or switch?

•What type of cable is used to connect from the router Ethernet interface to a router Ethernet interface?

1.2.7Connecting WAN interfaces

There are many forms of WAN connections. A WAN uses many different types of technology to make data connections across a broad geographic area. WAN services are usually leased from service providers. The WAN connection types include leased line, circuit switched, and packet switched.

Many of the WAN interfaces use the same physical interfaces but different pinouts and electrical characteristics. This difference in electrical characteristics could potentially cause damage if the wrong connections were made. Again, the students should be taught to be observant and careful when they make any connections.

Ask students to perform the following tasks:

•List the physical layer standards that Cisco routers support.

•List the different types of WAN connections.

16 - 238 CCNA 2: Routers and Routing Basics v3.1 Instructor Guide – Module 1 Copyright ♥ 2004, Cisco Systems, Inc.