Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem Features
Bridging and Routing Features for the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem

Table Of Contents

Bridging and Routing Features for the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem

Feature Summary

Benefits

List of Terms

Platforms

Prerequisites

Supported MIBs and RFCs

Functional Description

Configuration Options

Bridging

Routing

Configuration Tasks

Configuring a Host Name and Password

Verifying the Host Name and Password

Troubleshooting Tips

Configuring Ethernet and Cable Modem Interfaces

Verifying IP Address Configuration

Troubleshooting Tips

Configuring Routing

Verifying Routing

Configuring Bridging

Verifying Bridging

Reestablishing Plug-and-Play Bridging

Verify Plug-and-Play Bridging

Customizing the Cable Modem Interface

Configuration Examples

Sample Bridging Configuration

Sample Routing Configuration

Command Reference

cable-modem compliant bridge

Syntax Description

Default

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Example

Related Commands

cable-modem downstream saved channel

Syntax Description

Default

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Example

Related Commands

cable-modem fast-search

Syntax Description

Default

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Example

Related Commands

cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk

Syntax Description

Default

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Example

Related Commands

interface cable-modem

Syntax Description

Default

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Example

Related Commands

show bridge cable-modem

Syntax Description

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Examples

Related Commands

show dhcp

Syntax Description

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Examples

Related Commands

show interfaces cable-modem

Syntax Description

Command Mode

Usage Guidelines

Examples

Related Commands

What to Do Next


Bridging and Routing Features for the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem


The following sections are provided:

Feature Summary

Prerequisites

Supported MIBs and RFCs

Functional Description

Configuration Options

Configuration Tasks

Configuration Examples

Command Reference

What to Do Next

Feature Summary

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem is a fully-functional Cisco IOS router and standards-based Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) cable modem designed for use in small office/home office data-over-cable applications. It enables the delivery of secure, high-speed connections over small to medium-sized LANs. Downstream speeds up to 27 Mbps are supported using the 64-QAM modulation technique, or 40 Mbps using 256-QAM. On the upstream, the Cisco uBR904 can deliver 5 Mbps using Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (QPSK) or 10 Mbps using 16-QAM.

The Cisco uBR904 is a compact device that supports the direct connection of up to four PCs and has the familiar features and programming interface of other routers in Cisco's extensive line of small- and medium-sized business product offerings. The Cisco uBR904 provides packet data transport and network address translation for TCP/IP applications between home or office computers and the cable headend.

You can configure your cable modem to act as a bridge or as a router. See and . For more detailed descriptions of these options, see the "Configuration Options" section.

Figure 1 Cisco uBR904 in a Bridging Configuration

Figure 2 Cisco uBR904 in a Routing Configuration with a Hub

Benefits

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem provides the following benefits for data-over-cable applications:

Enables the cost-effective deployment of advanced routing capabilities to the small office or home office site

Provides a universal platform for deployment of both current and future modem technologies via modular upgrades while protecting the operator's invested capital

Leverages Cisco's industry-standard routing hardware and Cisco IOS software to deliver advanced network services and applications

List of Terms

CATV—Originally stood for Community Antenna Television. Now refers to any coaxial or fiber cable-based system that provides television services.

Cable modem (CM)—Any device that modulates and demodulates digital data onto a CATV plant.

Cable router—A modular chassis-based router optimized for data-over-CATV hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) applications.

Channel—A specific frequency allocation and bandwidth. Downstream channels used for television in the United States are 6 MHz wide.

CM—Cable modem.

CMTS—Cable Modem Termination System. Any DOCSIS-compliant headend cable router, such as the Cisco uBR7246.

DHCP—Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This protocol provides a mechanism for allocating IP addresses dynamically so that addresses can be reused when hosts no longer need them.

DOCSIS—Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification. Defines technical specifications for equipment at both subscriber locations and cable operators' headends.

Downstream—The set of frequencies used to send data from a headend to a subscriber.

Headend—Central distribution point for a CATV system. Video signals are received here from satellite (either co-located or remote), frequency converted to the appropriate channels, combined with locally originated signals, and rebroadcast onto the HFC plant. For a CATV data system, the headend is the typical place to create a link between the HFC system and any external data networks.

HFC—Hybrid fiber-coaxial (cable network). Older CATV systems were provisioned using only coaxial cable. Modern systems use fiber transport from the headend to an optical node located in the neighborhood to reduce system noise. Coaxial cable runs from the node to the subscriber. The fiber plant is generally a star configuration with all optical node fibers terminating at a headend. The coaxial cable part of the system is generally a trunk-and-branch configuration.

Host—Any end-user computer system that connects to a network. In this document, the term host refers to the computer system connected to the LAN interface of the cable modem.

MAC layer—Media Access Control sublayer. Controls access by the cable modem to the CMTS and to the upstream data slots.

MCNS—Multimedia Cable Network System Partners Ltd. A consortium of cable companies providing service to the majority of homes in the United States and Canada. This consortium has decided to drive a standard with the goal of having interoperable cable modems.

MSO—Multiple Service Operator. A cable service provider that also provides other services such as data and/or voice telephony.

QAM—Quadrature Amplitude Modulation. A method of modulating digital signals onto a radio-frequency carrier signal involving both amplitude and phase coding. QAM is a modulation scheme mostly used in the downstream direction (QAM-64, QAM-256). QAM-16 is expected to be usable in the upstream direction. Numbers indicate number of code points per symbol. The QAM rate or the number of points in the QAM constellation can be computed by 2 raised to the power of <number of bits/symbol>.

QPSK—Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying. A method of modulating digital signals onto a radio-frequency carrier signal using four phase states to code two digital bits.

Ranging—The process of acquiring the correct timing offset such that the transmissions of a cable modem are aligned with the correct mini-slot boundary.

SID (Service ID)—A number that defines (at the MAC sublayer) a particular mapping between a cable modem (CM) and the CMTS. The SID is used for the purpose of upstream bandwidth allocation and class-of-service management.

Subscriber Unit (SU)—An alternate term for cable modem. See cable modem.

Upstream—The set of frequencies used to send data from a subscriber to the headend.

Platforms

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem is a standalone device; it works in conjunction with the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router.

Prerequisites

In order to use the Cisco uBR904 cable modem for data-over-cable applications, the following conditions must be met:

The Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router must be installed at the cable headend and configured. Refer to the Cisco uBR7246 Installation and Configuration Guide and the Cisco uBR7246 Universal Broadband Router Cable Modem Card Installation and Configuration for detailed information.

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem must be physically installed and cabled as follows:

To the headend via CATV coaxial cable

To at least one PC via the straight-through yellow Ethernet cable supplied with the cable modem. Refer to the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem Installation and Configuration Guide for detailed information.

The PC(s) connected to the Cisco uBR904 cable modem must be configured for IP.

The cable service provider must have a correctly configured network DHCP server and Electronic Industries Association (EIA) downstream channel.

Cisco IOS Release 11.3(4)NA or later must be running on the Cisco uBR904 cable modem. When the cable modem is up and running, you can display the IOS release number by entering the show version command from user EXEC mode.


Note   If the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router at the cable headend is using MC16 modem cards, Cisco IOS Release 11.3(7)NA or later must be running on the Cisco uBR904 cable modem.


Supported MIBs and RFCs

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem supports the following:

Cisco Standard MIBs: Cisco Product MIB, Cisco Chassis MIB, Cisco Syslog MIB, Cisco Flash MIB, Bridge MIB, IF MIB, MIB-II.

Radio Frequency Interface Specification—Developed by the Multimedia Cable Network System (MCNS) consortium. It defines the radio-frequency interface specification for high-speed data-over-cable systems.

CiscoWorks—Network management program for planning, troubleshooting, and monitoring Cisco internetworks. CiscoWorks uses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to monitor all SNMP devices.

For more information about CiscoWorks on CCO, follow this path:
Products & Ordering: Cisco Products: Network Management: CiscoWorks

For more information about CiscoWorks on the Documentation CD-ROM, follow this path:
Cisco Product Documentation: Network Management: CiscoWorks

Radio Frequency Interface (RFI) MIB—Specific to Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) cable implementations. The RIF MIB provides an interface that permits management of the Cisco uBR904 cable modem over the cable or Ethernet interface. Using SNMP management applications, this MIB allows access to statistics such as MAC, driver configuration, and counters.

Cable Device MIB—Records statistics related to the configuration and status of the Cisco uBR904 cable modem. Statistics include an events log and device status. The Cable Device MIB is very similar to the RFI MIB in that both allow access to statistics; they are different in that the Cable Device MIB reports statistics on the cable modem, while the RFI MIB reports statistics on the radio frequency transmissions over the cable television line.

Functional Description

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem is the end-user part of the Cisco data-over-cable system; it is also referred to as a subscriber unit. The subscriber unit functions as an interface between the subscriber's personal computer(s) at the small office/home office and the cable operator's network (the headend).

The Cisco uBR904 has a single-cable F-connector interface for connection to the HFC network and a built-in Ethernet 10BaseT hub that provides four RJ-45 ports to which subscriber devices can be connected. All four ports are treated as one Ethernet interface by the Cisco IOS software. More hosts can be connected to the unit by connecting one of the 10BaseT ports to a hub. An additional RJ-45 port provides a console interface for configuration and diagnostic purposes.

In compliance with MCNS requirements, the cable interface requires no configuration or setup procedures other than connecting the Cisco uBR904 to the cable system. The unit is configured automatically using a configuration file generated by the cable service provider and delivered via the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router installed at the cable headend. The headend router provides a path from the cable modem to the DHCP server for PC address assignment.

The personal computer(s) connected to the cable modem must be configured for Internet Protocol (IP). In addition, the cable service provider must have a correctly configured network Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server and EIA downstream channel. Using DHCP, the universal broadband router assigns an IP address to the cable modem each time it connects to the network. The IP address identifies the computer on the network and enables the universal broadband router to route data to and from the PC.

After the cable modem is installed and the connected PC is configured for IP, and after DHCP services are enabled and communication to the headend is established, the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router downloads configuration information to the cable modem. The initial configuration connection to the headend can take several minutes.

For an explanation of error messages displayed by the uBR904 (including those that can appear during intial start-up) see Cisco Cable CPE Error Messages, viewable online at www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/cable/cab_modm/ubcmerrs.pdf .

See for a sample network topology.

Figure 3

CMTS to Cable Modem Network Sample Topology

Configuration Options

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem is usually configured automatically via a configuration file generated by the cable service provider; however, you can also manually configure the cable modem to function either as a bridge or as a router. The following sections give brief descriptions of both applications.


Note   When the unit is shipped from the factory, it is configured for bridging by default.


Bridging

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem complies with the MCNS standards for interoperable cable modems; it supports full transparent bridging as well as DOCSIS-compliant transparent bridging.

In bridging applications, the Cisco uBR904 acts as a transparent bridge for up to three PCs plugged directly into three of the four Ethernet ports on the rear panel of the unit. The cable modem is connected to the Internet via the coaxial cable. All three Ethernet ports are treated as one Ethernet interface by the Cisco IOS software. The IP addresses for the PCs and the coaxial cable interface are in the same subnet.

Figure 4 Cisco uBR904 in a Bridging Configuration

DOCSIS-compliant transparent bridging is the default configuration of the Cisco uBR904 cable modem. If your cable service provider is using a DHCP server, all you need to do is connect the cables and power on the cable modem; your service provider's configuration program will automatically configure both the coaxial cable interface and the bridging functionality. You do not need to set up IP addresses for the attached PCs or enter any Command Line Interface (CLI) configuration commands. This type of operation is called plug-and-play bridging.

In addition to the plug-and-play method, you can configure a bridging application on the Cisco uBR904 using one of the following methods:

Manual configuration using the CLI. See the sections "Configuring Bridging" on page 13 and "Customizing the Cable Modem Interface" on page 16 for details.

Advanced configuration using the System Configuration dialog box in the setup facility. See the chapter "Configuring Advanced Routing or Bridging Using Setup" in the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem Installation and Configuration Guide for details.

Routing

In this application, the cable modem acts as a router to connect to existing networks. A typical use would be if you are connecting the cable modem to an internal Ethernet hub that is connected to an existing PC network. You can also connect the cable modem directly to as many as four PCs via the Ethernet ports on the rear panel.

The cable modem is automatically configured to use the IP address of the Cisco uBR7246 headend cable router as the cable modem's default IP gateway.

Figure 5 Cisco uBR904 in a Routing Configuration with a Hub

You can configure the Cisco uBR904 cable modem to function like a router using one of the following methods:

Manual configuration using the CLI. See the sections "Configuring a Host Name and Password" on page 9 and "Customizing the Cable Modem Interface" on page 16 for details.

Advanced configuration using the System Configuration dialog box in the setup facility. See the chapter "Configuring Advanced Routing or Bridging Using Setup" in the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem Installation and Configuration Guide for details.

Configuration Tasks

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem typically is configured automatically on power-up using a configuration file generated by the cable service provider and delivered via the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router installed at the cable headend. All of the configuration tasks listed below are optional.

Configuring a Host Name and Password

Configuring Ethernet and Cable Modem Interfaces

Configuring Routing

Configuring Bridging

Reestablishing Plug-and-Play Bridging

Customizing the Cable Modem Interface


Note   Console sessions and TTY sessions are supported by the cable modem.


Configuring a Host Name and Password

One of the first configuration tasks you might want to perform is to configure a host name and set an encrypted password. Configuring a host name allows you to distinguish multiple Cisco uBR904 cable modems from each other. Setting an encrypted password allows you to prevent unauthorized configuration changes.


Note   Passwords are case sensitive.


To configure a host name and an encrypted password for a Cisco uBR904 cable modem, perform the following tasks, starting in global configuration mode:

Step
Command
Purpose
1
uBR904(config)# hostname cisco
cisco(config)#

Change the name of the uBR904 to a meaningful name. Substitute your host name for cisco.

2
cisco(config)# enable secret guessme

Enter an enable secret password. This password provides access to enable (privileged EXEC) mode.

After configuring a password, when you enter enable at the EXEC prompt, you must enter the enable secret password to gain access to configuration mode. Substitute your enable secret password for guessme.

3
cisco(config)# line console 0


cisco(config-line)# exec-timeout 0 0


cisco(config-line)# exit
cisco(config)# 

Enter line configuration mode to configure the console port.

Prevent the EXEC facility from timing out if you do not type any information on the console screen for an extended period.

Exit back to global configuration mode.


Verifying the Host Name and Password

To verify that you configured the correct host name and password, enter the show running-config command from global configuration mode:

cisco(config)# show running-config
Using 1888 out of 126968 bytes
!
version XX.X
.
.
!
hostname cisco
!
enable secret 5 $1$60L4$X2JYOwoDc0.kqa1loO/w8/


Check the host name and encrypted password displayed near the top of the command output.

Exit global configuration mode and attempt to reenter it using the new enable password:

cisco# exit

cisco con0 is now available 
Press RETURN to get started. 
cisco> enable 
Password: guessme 
cisco# 

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having trouble:

Make sure Caps Lock is off.

Make sure you entered the correct passwords. Passwords are case sensitive.

Configuring Ethernet and Cable Modem Interfaces

To assign an IP address to the Ethernet or cable modem interface so that it can be recognized as a device on the Ethernet LAN, perform the following tasks, starting in global configuration mode:

Step
Command
Purpose
1
uBR904(config)# interface ethernet 0

or

uBR904(config)# interface modem-cable0

uBR904(config-if)# 

Enter interface configuration mode for the Ethernet and/or the cable modem interface.

2
uBR904(config-if)# ip address 
172.16.1.1 255.255.255.0

Assign the appropriate IP address and subnet mask to the interface.

3
uBR904(config-if)# Ctrl-Z 
uBR904#

%SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console 
by console

Return to privileged EXEC mode.

This message is normal and does not indicate an error.


Verifying IP Address Configuration

To verify that you have assigned the correct IP address, enter the show arp command:

uBR904# show arp
Protocol  Address     Age (min)  Hardware Addr   Type   Interface
Internet  172.16.1.1        -    0009.0613.6030  ARPA   cable-modem0
Internet  4.0.0.28          -    00e0.1ed7.524d  ARPA   Ethernet0

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having trouble:

Make sure you are using the correct IP address.

Make sure the cable interface is not shut down. Use the show running-config command to check the cable interface status.

Configuring Routing

If you have one or more PCs directly connected to your cable modem, you can change the cable modem's configuration from bridging to routing. When configured as a bridge, the cable modem can have a maximum of three PCs directly connected; when configured as a router, it can have four PCs directly connected. See the "Configuration Options" section for details on both of these configurations.

To configure the Cisco uBR904 cable modem for routing, perform the following tasks, starting in global configuration mode:

Step
Command
Purpose

1

uBR904(config)#interface cable-modem0

Enter interface configuration mode for the cable modem interface.

2

uBR904(config-if)#no cable-modem compliant bridge

uBR904(config-if)#end

Turn off MCNS auto-configured bridging.


Return to global configuration mode.

3

uBR904(config)#ip routing

Enable IP routing for the cable modem.

4

uBR904(config)#router rip

Enter router configuration mode and enable Routing Information Protocol (RIP) on the cable modem.

5

uBR904(config-router)#network network-number

Specify the network connected to the cable modem on which the RIP process will operate. If the cable modem is attached to more than one network, enter each IP address in a separate command.

6

uBR904(config-router)#end

uBR904(config)#interface cable-modem0

Exit router configuration mode.
Return to interface configuration mode for the cable modem interface.

7

uBR904(config-if)#ip rip receive v 2

Specify that only RIP Version 2 packets will be received on the coaxial cable interface.

8

uBR904(config-if)#ip rip send v 2

Specify that only RIP Version 2 packets will be sent on the coaxial cable interface.

9

uBR904(config-if)#end

uBR904(config)#interface ethernet0

Exit interface configuration mode for the cable modem interface and enter interface configuration mode for the Ethernet0 interface.

10

uBR904(config-if)#ip rip receive v 2

Specify that only RIP Version 2 packets will be received on this Ethernet interface.

11

uBR904(config-if)#ip rip send v 2

Specify that only RIP Version 2 packets will be sent on this Ethernet interface.

12

uBR904(config-if)#Ctrl-z

uBR904#copy running-config startup-config
Building configuration...

Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Save the configuration to nonvolatile RAM so that it won't be lost in the event of a reset, power cycle, or power outage.


Verifying Routing

To verify that bridging is not configured, routing is enabled, and that Routing Information Protocol is configured on the interfaces, enter the show startup-config command:

uBR904# show startup-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
version 12.0
no service pad
no service password-encryption
service udp-small-servers
service tcp-small-servers
!
hostname ubR904
!
!
ip host sw-lab-fw 4.0.0.1
ip domain-name cisco.com
ip name-server 171.69.209.10
clock timezone EST 2
!
!
interface Ethernet0
 ip address 4.0.0.33 255.0.0.0
 ip rip send version 2
 ip rip receive version 2
 no keepalive
!
interface cable-modem0
 ip address 172.16.1.42 255.255.0.0
 ip rip send version 2
 ip rip receive version 2
 no keepalive
 cable-modem downstream saved channel 699000000 39
 cable-modem downstream search-band 88 453000000 855000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 89 93000000 105000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 90 111250000 117250000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 91 231012500 327012500 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 92 333015000 333015000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 93 339012500 399012500 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 94 405000000 447000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 95 123015000 129015000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 96 135012500 135012500 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 97 141000000 171000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 98 219000000 225000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 99 177000000 213000000 6000000
 cable-modem downstream search-band 100 91000000 860000000
!
router rip
 network 4.0.0.0
 network 172.16.0.0
!
ip default-gateway 172.16.1.1
ip classless
!
line con 0
line vty 0 4
 login
!
end

Configuring Bridging

The Cisco uBR904 cable modem is configured for bridging by default. If it becomes necessary to reconfigure the unit for bridging after it has been configured for routing, you can erase the routing configuration and return the unit to factory default configuration settings, or you can reconfigure the unit manually using the CLI. To return the cable modem to factory default settings, see the section "Reestablishing Plug-and-Play Bridging" on page 15 for details. To reconfigure the cable modem manually, perform the following tasks, starting in global configuration mode:

Step
Command
Purpose

1

uBR904(config)#no service pad

Disable packet assembler/disassembler commands; prevent the uBR904 from accepting incoming or outgoing Packet Assembler/Disassembler (PAD) connections.

2

uBR904(config)#no service password-encryption

Disable password encryption.

3

uBR904(config)#no ip routing

Disable IP routing on the uBR904.

4

uBR904(config)#interface Ethernet0

Enter interface configuration mode for the Ethernet0 interface.

5

uBR904(config-if)#no ip route-cache

Disable high-speed switching caches for IP routing.

6

uBR904(config-if)#bridge-group bridge-group

Assigns the Ethernet0 interface to a bridge group. The bridge group must be an integer between 1 and 63.

7

uBR904(config-if)#bridge-group bridge-group spanning-disabled

Disable spanning tree on the Ethernet interface.

8

uBR904(config-if)#end

uBR904(config)#interface cable-modem0

Exit interface configuration mode for the Ethernet0 interface and enter interface configuration mode for the cable modem interface.

9

uBR904(config-if)#no ip address

Disable the IP address of the coaxial cable interface, if one has been set. The uBR7246 cable router assigns an IP address to the cable modem each time it connects to the network.

10

uBR904(config-if)#no ip route-cache

Disable high-speed switching caches for IP routing on the cable interface.

11

uBR904(config-if)#no keepalive

Disable keepalives on the cable interface.

12

uBR904(config-if)#bridge-group bridge-group

Assign the cable modem interface to a bridge group. The bridge group must be an integer from 1 to 63. (The default is 59.)

13

uBR904(config-if)#bridge-group bridge-group spanning-disabled

Disable spanning tree on the cable interface.

14

uBR904(config-if)#end

uBR904(config)#ip classless

Exit interface configuration mode.

(Optional) At times, the uBR904 might receive packets destined for a subnet of a network that has no network default route. This global configuration mode command allows the Cisco IOS software to forward such packets to the best network route possible.

15

uBR904(config)#line console 0

Enter line configuration mode to configure the console port.

16

uBR904(config-line)#line vty 0 4

Identify the last line in a contiguous group of virtual terminals you want to configure.

17

uBR904(config-line)#Ctrl-z

uBR904#copy running-config startup-config
Building configuration...

Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Save the configuration to nonvolatile RAM so that it won't be lost in the event of a reset, power cycle, or power outage.


When the cable interface comes up, the IP address and downstream channel are configured automatically.


Note   To configure multiple PCs, repeat Steps 4 through 7 above for each additional PC. You can connect a maximum of three PCs to the Cisco uBR904 cable modem in a bridging application.


Verifying Bridging

To verify that routing has been disabled on all interfaces and that bridging has been reenabled, enter the show startup-config command from privileged EXEC mode:

uBR904# show startup-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
version 12.0
no service pad
no service password-encryption
!
hostname uBR904
!
no ip routing
!
interface Ethernet0
 no ip address
 no ip route-cache
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
interface cable-modem0
 no ip address 
 no ip route-cache
 no keepalive
 cable-modem downstream saved channel 699000000 36
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
ip classless
!
line con 0
line vty 0 4
 login
!
end

Reestablishing Plug-and-Play Bridging

To erase the current non-default cable modem configuration and return the unit to its factory default plug-and-play bridging configuration, perform the following task from privileged EXEC mode:

Step
Command
Purpose

1

uBR904#erase startup config

Erase the current configuration (assuming the current running configuration has been saved to NVRAM).


After entering this command, perform a warm reset of the Cisco uBR904 cable modem by pressing and holding down the Reset button for less than 10 seconds. For information on the location and operation of the Reset button, refer to the "Physical Description" section in the chapter "Installing the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem" in the Cisco uBR904 Cable Modem Installation and Configuration Guide.

Verify Plug-and-Play Bridging

To verify that the cable modem is configured for Plug-and-Play bridging, enter the show startup-config command from privileged EXEC mode. The configuration should look like this:

uBR904# show startup-config
Building configuration...
Current configuration:
!
version 12.0
no service pad
no service password-encryption
!
hostname uBR904
!
no ip routing
!
interface Ethernet0
 no ip address
 no ip route-cache
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
interface cable-modem0
 no ip address 
 no ip route-cache
 no keepalive
 cable-modem downstream saved channel 699000000 36
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
ip classless
!
line con 0
line vty 0 4
 login
!
end

Customizing the Cable Modem Interface

Different geographical regions and different cable plants use different frequency bands. The Cisco uBR904 cable modem uses a built-in default frequency scanning feature to address this issue. After the cable modem finds a successful downstream frequency channel, it saves the channel and power setting to NVRAM. The cable modem recalls this value the next time it needs to synchronize its frequency or register with the cable service provider's CMTS.

However, you can customize the cable modem's interface configuration if you need to deviate from the default setting that ships with the modem. For example, you might need to specify a different compliant mode, modify the saved downstream channel setting and upstream power value, or enable a faster downstream search algorithm.


Note   Most cable network scenarios will not require you to use these commands.


To customize the cable modem interface, perform the following tasks, starting in global configuration mode:

Step
Command
Purpose

1

uBR904(config)#interface cable-modem 0

Specify cable modem interface 0.

2

uBR904(config-if)#cable-modem 
compliant bridge

Enable DOCSIS-compliant bridging.

3

uBR904(config-if)#cable-modem 
downstream saved channel ds-frequency 
us-power

Modify the saved downstream channel setting and upstream power value. If you do this, you must specify an exact downstream frequency and a power value.1

4

uBR904(config-if)#cable-modem 
fast-search

Enable a faster downstream search algorithm.

1 Use the no cable-modem downstream saved channel ds-frequency us-power command to remove a saved frequency and power setting from NVRAM.



Note   For more information on the use and effects of the commands in Step 3 and Step 4 above, refer to the command reference pages for those commands.


Configuration Examples

Sample Bridging Configuration

This is a typical bridging configuration for a single PC connected to the Cisco uBR904 cable modem. Note that the configuration for multiple PCs (maximum of three) is the same.

version 12.0
no service pad
no service password-encryption
!
hostname uBR904
!
!
no ip routing
!
!
!
interface Ethernet0
 no ip address
 no ip route-cache
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
interface cable-modem0
 no ip address
 no ip route-cache
 no keepalive
 bridge-group 59
 bridge-group 59 spanning-disabled
!
ip classless
!
line con 0
line vty 0 4
 login
!
end

When the cable interface is up, the following lines are included in cable interface configuration:

 ip address 172.16.1.40 255.255.0.0
 cable-modem downstream saved channel 699000000 34

Sample Routing Configuration

This is a typical routing configuration for the Cisco uBR904 cable modem. Note that the cable IP address and downstream channel are configured automatically.

!
version 12.0
no service pad
no service password-encryption
!
hostname uBR904
!
!
!
!
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 4.0.0.33 255.0.0.0
ip rip send version 2
ip rip receive version 2
!
interface cable-modem0
ip address 172.16.1.40 255.255.0.0
ip rip send version 2
ip rip receive version 2
no keepalive
cable-modem downstream saved channel 699000000 34
no cable-modem compliant bridge
!
router rip
network 4.0.0.0
network 188.188.0.0
!
ip classless
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.1.1
!
line con 0
line vty 0 4
login
!
end

Command Reference

This section describes new and changed commands for the Cisco uBR904 cable modem for Cisco IOS Release 12.0(3)T.

All other commands used with this feature are documented in the Cisco IOS Release 12.0 command references.

cable-modem compliant bridge

cable-modem downstream saved channel

cable-modem fast-search

cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk

interface cable-modem

show bridge cable-modem

show dhcp

show interfaces cable-modem

cable-modem compliant bridge

To enable DOCSIS-compliant transparent bridging for a cable modem interface at startup, use the cable-modem compliant command from interface configuration mode. Use the no form of this command to disable DOCSIS-compliant bridging for the interface.

cable-modem compliant bridge
no cable-modem compliant bridge

Syntax Description

This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default

Enabled

Command Mode

Interface configuration

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

It is normally not necessary to enter this command in data-over-cable bridging applications because DOCSIS-compliant bridging is enabled by default. If you wish to do full transparent bridging rather than DOCSIS-compliant bridging, use the no form of the command, then configure full transparent bridging using CLI commands. See the "Configuring Bridging" section for instructions.

Example

The following example shows how to enter the cable-modem compliant bridge command for a cable modem interface, starting from global configuration mode:

uBR904(config)# interface cable-modem 0
uBR904(config-if)# cable-modem compliant bridge
uBR904(config-if)# 

Related Commands

cable-modem downstream saved channel
cable-modem fast-search
cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk
interface cable-modem

cable-modem downstream saved channel

To modify the saved downstream channel setting and upstream power value on a cable modem interface, enter the cable-modem downstream saved channel command from interface configuration mode. Use the no form of this command to remove the saved settings, which will be resaved at the next initialization cycle.

cable-modem downstream saved channel ds-frequency us-power
no cable-modem downstream saved channel ds-frequency us-power

Syntax Description

ds-frequency

Downstream channel frequency in Hz, which can be from 91000000 to 860000000.

us-power

Upstream power level in decibels per millivolt (dBmV), which can be from 8 to 61.


Default

Enabled

Command Mode

Interface configuration

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

This command is auto-generated by the operation of the cable MAC layer process. The MCNS DOCSIS RFI specification requires that cable modems remember the downstream frequency and upstream power of the last successfully ranged session. These parameters are called up as the first downstream frequency and upstream power to use the next time the cable modem is booted. This operation dramatically speeds up the channel search.

Use the no cable-modem downstream saved channel ds-frequency us-power command to remove the saved frequency and power setting from the running configuration, which will be resaved at the next initialization cycle.

Cisco recommends that this command NOT be used by end users of the Cisco uBR904 cable modem.

Example

The following example shows how to remove the downstream frequency of 91000000 Hz and the upstream power level of 33 dBmV from the running configuration of a cable-modem interface, starting from global configuration mode.

uBR904(config)# interface cable-modem 0
uBR904(config-if)# no cable-modem downstream saved channel 91000000 33
uBR904(config-if)#

Related Commands

cable-modem compliant bridge
cable-modem fast-search
cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk
interface cable-modem

cable-modem fast-search

To enable a faster downstream search algorithm on a cable modem interface, use the cable-modem fast-search command from interface configuration mode. Use the no form of this command to disable the downstream fast-search feature.

cable-modem fast-search
no cable-modem fast-search

Syntax Description

There are no keywords or arguments for this command.

Default

Disabled

Command Mode

Interface configuration

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

This feature speeds up the frequency search performed by the cable modem. Normally it takes the cable modem about 30 to 50 seconds to sample 30 to 50 frequencies. The cable-modem fast-search command can reduce this search time. However, there might be some cases where this fast-search algorithm might not perform as well as the default algorithm. Trial and error is the only way to discover how well this feature works for your environment.

Example

The following example shows how to enter the cable-modem fast-search command, starting from global configuration mode:

uBR904(config)# interface cable-modem 0
uBR904(config-if)# cable-modem fast-search
uBR904(config-if)#

Related Commands

cable-modem compliant bridge
cable-modem downstream saved channel
cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk
interface cable-modem

cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk

To enable the QPSK modulation scheme in the upstream direction from the cable modem interface to the headend, enter the cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk command from interface configuration mode. Use the no form of this command to disable upstream modulation for the interface.

cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk
no cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk

Syntax Description

This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default

Enabled

Command Mode

Interface configuration

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

Example

The following example shows how to enter the cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk command for a cable modem interface, starting from global configuration mode:

uBR904(config)# interface cable-modem 0
uBR904(config-if)# cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk
uBR904(config-if)# 

Related Commands

cable-modem compliant bridge
cable-modem downstream saved channel
cable-modem fast-search
interface cable-modem

interface cable-modem

To specify the cable modem interface on a Cisco uBR904 cable modem, enter the interface cable-modem command from global configuration mode.

interface cable-modem number

Syntax Description

number

The interface number of the cable-modem interface on the rear panel of the cable modem.


Default

Disabled

Command Mode

Global configuration

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

When this command is entered, the Cisco cable modem switches from global configuration mode to interface configuration mode.

Example

The following example brings up cable modem interface 0 and displays the available cable-modem interface configuration commands:

uBR904(config)# interface cable-modem 0
uBR904(config-if)# cable-modem ?
  compliant    Enter compliant modes for interface
  downstream   Downstream channel characteristics
  fast-search  Enable/disable the DS fast search
  upstream     upstream channel characteristics

uBR904(config-if)#

Related Commands

cable-modem compliant bridge
cable-modem downstream saved channel
cable-modem fast-search
cable-modem upstream preamble qpsk

show bridge cable-modem

To display bridging information for a cable modem, enter the show bridge cable-modem command from privileged EXEC mode.

show bridge cable-modem number

Syntax Description

number

The interface number of the cable-modem interface on the rear panel of the cable modem.


Command Mode

Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines

This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 11.3 NA.

Examples

Following is a sample output for this command:

uBR904# show bridge cable-modem 0
 
Total of 300 station blocks, 298 free
Codes: P - permanent, S - self
 
Bridge Group 59:
 

describes the significant fields shown in the display.

Table 1 Show Bridge Cable-Modem Field Descriptions 

Field
Description

Total of 300 station blocks

Total number of forwarding database elements in the system. The memory to hold bridge entries is allocated in blocks of memory sufficient to hold 300 individual entries. When the number of free entries falls below 25, another block of memory sufficient to hold another 300 entries is allocated. Thus, the total number of forwarding elements in the system is expanded dynamically, as needed, limited by the amount of free memory in the router.

Bridge Group

The number of the bridge group to which this interface is assigned.


Related Commands

show dhcp
show interfaces cable-modem

show dhcp

To display the current DHCP settings on point-to-point interfaces, enter the show dhcp command from privileged EXEC mode.

show dhcp {lease | server}

Syntax Description

lease

Show DHCP addresses leased from a server.

server

Show known DHCP servers.


Command Mode

Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines

You can use this command on any point-to-point type of interface that uses DHCP for temporary IP address allocation.

Examples

Following is sample output for the show dhcp lease command:

uBR904# show dhcp lease
Temp IP addr: 188.188.1.40  for peer on Interface: cable-modem0
Temp sub net mask: 0.0.0.0
   DHCP Lease server: 4.0.0.32, state: 3 Bound
   DHCP transaction id: 2431
   Lease: 3600 secs,  Renewal: 1800 secs,  Rebind: 3150 secs
Temp default-gateway addr: 188.188.1.1
   Next timer fires after: 00:58:01
   Retry count: 0   Client-ID: 0010.7b43.aa01

describes the significant fields shown in the display.

Table 2 Show DHCP Lease Field Descriptions 

Field
Description

Temp IP addr

IP address leased from the DHCP server for the cable modem interface.

Temp subnet mask

Temporary subnet mask assigned to the cable modem interface.

DHCP Lease server

IP address of the DHCP server that assigned an IP address to this client.

state

Current state of this client (the cable modem interface). Possible states are Bound, Renew, or Rebinding. For descriptions of these states, see RFC 2131.

DHCP transaction id

Unique number established by the uBR904 before the first request message is sent to the DHCP server. The same transaction id is used as long as the lease keeps getting renewed and is valid. If a new "discover" message is sent, a new transaction id is used.