Is it the Boson or Me messing up?

pwjohnston · 07-07-2009, 03:46 PM

Cisco newb here studying for the CCENT/INCD1. I’m trying to work through the RIP labs on the Boson 7.02 simulator. Now I can configure the Ethernet and serial, but for some reason the Serial keeps dropping the protocol. The labs say completed successfully, but am I configuring this wrong?

Router>enable
Router#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#hostname Router1
Router1(config)#interface eth0
Router1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
Router1(config-if)#no shutdown
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0, changed state to up
Router1(config-if)#exit
Router1(config)#interface serial0
Router1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
Router1(config-if)#no shutdown
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to up
Router1(config-if)#exit
Router1(config)#exit

%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to down
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down

Router1#show ip interface brief
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Serial0 192.168.2.1 YES unset up down
Serial1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Ethernet0 192.168.1.1 YES unset up up
Ethernet1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0:1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0:2 unassigned YES unset administratively down down

This only seems to happen on the router which has a Ethernet and a Serial. On the router that is just Serial, this does not happen.

Bug in the software?

stuh84 · 07-07-2009, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwjohnston

Cisco newb here studying for the CCENT/INCD1. I’m trying to work through the RIP labs on the Boson 7.02 simulator. Now I can configure the Ethernet and serial, but for some reason the Serial keeps dropping the protocol. The labs say completed successfully, but am I configuring this wrong?

Router>enable
Router#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#hostname Router1
Router1(config)#interface eth0
Router1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
Router1(config-if)#no shutdown
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0, changed state to up
Router1(config-if)#exit
Router1(config)#interface serial0
Router1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
Router1(config-if)#no shutdown
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to up
Router1(config-if)#exit
Router1(config)#exit

%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to down
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down

Router1#show ip interface brief
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Serial0 192.168.2.1 YES unset up down
Serial1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Ethernet0 192.168.1.1 YES unset up up
Ethernet1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0:1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
Bri0:2 unassigned YES unset administratively down down

This only seems to happen on the router which has a Ethernet and a Serial. On the router that is just Serial, this does not happen.

Bug in the software?

Looks to me like there's a mismatched encapsulation on both ends if it was a real scenario.

Could you put down if there is more than 1 router involved in this?

rsutton · 07-07-2009, 03:55 PM

How is the router on the other end of the serial connection configured? Same subnet etc?

pwjohnston · 04:03 PM

Most of the begining labs are set up like this; see image. It's when Router1 has an Ethernet and a Serial does the Serial disconnect.

This image is from the IGRP lab, btw, but the set up is generally the same, and it's doing it to me on this lab as well.

numeric · 07-07-2009, 04:00 PM

Have you set the clock rate on the DCE side of the serial link? If not, that's probably why the link keeps dropping.

pwjohnston · 07-07-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by numeric

Have you set the clock rate on the DCE side of the serial link? If not, that's probably why the link keeps dropping.

That's not in the lab, but hey I'm doing it to learn. What do I need to do?

itdaddy · 07-07-2009, 04:43 PM

dude
to be honest I have use many sims and they suck especially boson for the price they charge.. It is however the best sim out there but it does flake out on you....I really havent found a great sim yet. The only good sim maybe is GNS3 but you need some power to run routers in that sim-like environment and if you like multiple windows open. I love my 2511 access router and would not trade it for any GNS3 power beast system never!

If you can get real equipment it will feel much better. Just watch on ebay daily...for switches and routers you won't regret it..it may take you few months to piece it together but you will be way more happy and they dont really ever flake out on you...and the speed is nice too with the commands.--
sims just plane suck!

numeric · 07-07-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwjohnston

That's not in the lab, but hey I'm doing it to learn. What do I need to do?

I'm still learning as well and I've never used any of the Boson sims so I'm not 100% this is the cause, but it's probably worth checking out.

When you connect serial devices together you need to set a clock rate to define how fast data is forwarded across the link. The actual physical equipment that you do this on is normally defined by the cables used to connect the equipment together. One side is referred to as DCE (Data Communications Equipment) the other side is referred to as DTE (Data Terminal Equipment). The clock rate is always set on the DCE side.

I've no idea how the decision is made in a sim as to which piece of equipment is which, but you should be able to find out by running "show controller <serial interface name>" on each of the routers in enable EXEC mode. Output should be something similar to this:

Code:

Router#show controller ser 0
HD unit 0, idb = 0x122CC0, driver structure at 0x129048
buffer size 1524  HD unit 0, V.35 DTE cable
cpb = 0xE4, eda = 0xD814, cda = 0xD828
RX ring with 16 entries at 0xE4D800
00 bd_ptr=0xD800 pak=0x12AC38 ds=0xE52BF8 status=80 pak_size=22
01 bd_ptr=0xD814 pak=0x12A53C ds=0xE517C4 status=80 pak_size=22
02 bd_ptr=0xD828 pak=0x12A790 ds=0xE51E80 status=80 pak_size=0
03 bd_ptr=0xD83C pak=0x12A9E4 ds=0xE5253C status=80 pak_size=0
04 bd_ptr=0xD850 pak=0x12AE8C ds=0xE532B4 status=80 pak_size=0
05 bd_ptr=0xD864 pak=0x12B0E0 ds=0xE53970 status=80 pak_size=0
06 bd_ptr=0xD878 pak=0x12B334 ds=0xE5402C status=80 pak_size=0
07 bd_ptr=0xD88C pak=0x12B588 ds=0xE546E8 status=80 pak_size=0
08 bd_ptr=0xD8A0 pak=0x12B7DC ds=0xE54DA4 status=80 pak_size=0
09 bd_ptr=0xD8B4 pak=0x12BA30 ds=0xE55460 status=80 pak_size=0
10 bd_ptr=0xD8C8 pak=0x12BC84 ds=0xE55B1C status=80 pak_size=0
11 bd_ptr=0xD8DC pak=0x12BED8 ds=0xE561D8 status=80 pak_size=0
12 bd_ptr=0xD8F0 pak=0x12C12C ds=0xE56894 status=80 pak_size=0
13 bd_ptr=0xD904 pak=0x12C380 ds=0xE56F50 status=80 pak_size=0
14 bd_ptr=0xD918 pak=0x12C5D4 ds=0xE5760C status=80 pak_size=0
15 bd_ptr=0xD92C pak=0x12C828 ds=0xE57CC8 status=80 pak_size=0
16 bd_ptr=0xD940 pak=0x12CA7C ds=0xE58384 status=80 pak_size=0
cpb = 0xE4, eda = 0xE028, cda = 0xE028
TX ring with 4 entries at 0xE4E000
00 bd_ptr=0xE000 pak=0x000000 ds=0xE6FF38 status=80 pak_size=291
01 bd_ptr=0xE014 pak=0x000000 ds=0xE705F4 status=80 pak_size=291
02 bd_ptr=0xE028 pak=0x000000 ds=0xE6A098 status=80 pak_size=22
03 bd_ptr=0xE03C pak=0x000000 ds=0xE6F1C0 status=80 pak_size=291
04 bd_ptr=0xE050 pak=0x000000 ds=0xE6F87C status=80 pak_size=291
0 missed datagrams, 0 overruns
0 bad datagram encapsulations, 0 memory errors
0 transmitter underruns
0 residual bit errors

At the top in my example you can see it says "V.35 DTE cable" so the clock rate would need to be configured on the equipment at the other end of the link.

Drop into the config-if prompt for the interface you need to configure then type "clock rate ?" to display the available rates for the interface, pick one and you should be sorted

Like I said, not really 100% sure, but it's always one of the first things I check if I'm having problems on one of my routers.

Hope that helps!

Dubuku57 · 07-08-2009, 03:02 AM

I agree with numeric..The clock rate makes a diff - if not configured, it would keep dropping the protocol.

But one thing i noticed about Boson labs, they dont mention everything that you need to do to make the lab work. Like this clock rate thing for instance.
Lab 37-I on the NAT config also is like that. I followed exactly what they wrote and it still did not work...seemed like a static route was missing..

Also 'no auto-summary' command doesnt seem to work in Boson..Or is this just me?

What i try to do now is use the lab topo in Boson to create my own setup in packet tracer..learn to do the basic configs fast also...

djmaya · 05:48 AM

I use Packet Tracer and it is not the best, but it gets the basic job done. I still have not found anything better yet except the real deal. GNS3 is a resource hog, but it is good to learn on if you just want to put together a couple of routers. If you are just beginning to learn the basics use Packet Tracer.

beef1218 · 07-08-2009, 07:38 AM

I had the same problem until I realized that i forgot to set the clock rate at the DCE side.

pwjohnston · 07-08-2009, 02:18 PM

I figured it out!

So I can assume this isn’t the way a normal router would work right?

So basically Router1 is using Serial0 and Eth0 and Router4 is using just Ser0. If I set Serial0 on Router1 it drops, but then I config the Serial0 interface on Router4, it stays up, I go back to Router1 do a shutdown and then no shutdown and it stays up. It’s like the serial has to be up on the other end before it stays connected.

Thank you to those that replied. I’ll keep the clock rate info in mind.

djmaya · 07:04 PM

Don't forget the clock rate on the DCE side the routers will never be able to talk if it is not set. Are you in a Cisco Academy? I think you would like Packet Tracer, and you can do most of the labs in the Cisco curriculum with it.