Reference Guide for the Model RT210/RT211 ISDN Routers
1-4 Introduction
If you are a MAC, UNIX, or PC user, you can connect to the built-in interface which can be
accessed through a terminal connected to the Manager port or through a Telnet session across the
network. The built-in interface manages and configures the unit through an easily understood
screen process.
You can download software upgrades across an ISDN connection from another NETGEAR ISDN
router or from a personal computer. For further information, refer to Appendix D, “Upgrading
Software.”
Planning Considerations
This section helps you plan the setup of the Model RT210 and Model RT211 routers.
Basic Concepts
The cost of installing and running a network and providing sufficient bandwidth to communicate
has generally been proportional to the distance that the network extends and the amount of
bandwidth required. Large amounts of bandwidth can be provided easily and relatively
inexpensively in a local area network. However, interconnecting local networks at similar speeds is
very expensive because of the cost of installing the infrastructure that can provide that level of
bandwidth.
Usually, slower speed links are used to interconnect local high speed networks. Devices at either
end can select the traffic that uses the slower wide area links and determine exactly where it is sent.
This ensures maximum throughput over the slower link. This process is known as routing.
Techniques for routing data between high speed local area networks (LANs) over slower speed
wide area networks (WANs) have evolved over the years, and use various mediums and protocols.
The ability to uniquely identify the source and destination of the data is critical to allow any
operations to be successful across the WAN link.
What Is a Router?
A router is a device designed to deliver data from the source network to the correct destination
network. After the data has reached the correct network, the task of the router is to ensure that it
reaches the correct station on that network. Most routing environments have a method for uniquely
identifying each destination, which in most cases is a network number and a station or node
number. This method is very similar to the method used by the post office to send mail to your
home when it is addressed to you at your street name, town, state, and country.
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