2-Port Async/Sync WAN Interface Card (WIC-2A/S)

Document ID: 7259

Contents

Introduction
Product Number
Features
Cables
Platform Support
Known Problems
Configuration
Related Information

Introduction

The dual-serial port WAN Interface Card (WIC-2A/S) provides higher levels of serial port density for a single WIC and is supported on the Cisco 1700, 2600, and 3600 series. The low serial speed WIC-2A/S supports up to 128 Kbps synchronous or 115.2 Kbps asynchronous serial links. Each port on a WIC is a different physical interface and can support different protocols such as Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) or Frame Relay and Data Terminal Equipment/Data Communications Equipment (DTE/DCE). This WIC supports mixed asynchronous and synchronous operation on a single card as well.

These dual-serial port WICs feature Cisco's new, compact, Smart Serial connectors to support a wide variety of electrical interfaces when used with the appropriate transition cable. This includes: V.35, RS-232, RS-449, RS-530, RS-530A in male and female versions for both DTE and DCE devices. This feature provides easy configuration and reconfiguration as network requirements change, without the need of purchasing a different serial interface card.

Two cables are required to support the two ports on the WIC.

Product Number

Features

• Aysnchronous support with a maximum speed of 115.2 Kbps, and a minimum of 600 bps. If you need to run at speeds lower than 600 bps, use the AUX port instead.
  
• Synchronous support with a maximum speed of 128 Kbps.

Cables

Platform Support

Note: The Cisco 1600 series is not capable of supporting the WIC-2A/S due to the lack of Serial Communications Controllers.

The NM-1E2W, NM-1E1R2W, and NM-2E2W network modules do not have enough performance to support the WIC-2T. They use a 25 Mhz 68360 processor to drive the WIC slots. This choice of processor was based on the original requirement to support two 2 Mbps serial links. Supporting the WIC-2T would require enough performance to support four 2 Mbps links.

Known Problems

The output from issuing the show version command may show WIC-2T as "low-speed." This is a display only (cosmetic) problem.

The WIC-2T and WIC-2A/S can be damaged by excessive electrostatic discharge. You can minimize this electrostatic discharge in the following ways:

• Use shielded cable end-to-end.
• Use a data surge protector that protects against surges over +/- 18v.
• Use an optical isolator (best protection).

Configuration

The default setting for this module is synchronous. To configure the module for asynchronous communication, issue the physical-layer async command. The following is a section of an asynchronous configuration.

maui-soho-01(config)#interface Serial 2/0
maui-soho-01(config-if)#physical-layer async
!--- Places the interface in asynchronous mode. 
!--- Continue to configure this serial interface just as you 
!--- would configure an Async Interface.
maui-soho-01(config-if)#ip add 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.0
maui-soho-01(config-if)#async mode interactive
maui-soho-01(config-if)#async default routing
maui-soho-01(config-if)#dialer in-band
maui-soho-01(config-if)#dialer map ip 10.0.0.2 name maui-nas-01 broadcast 5551111
!--- The above commands are part of a broader Dial-on-Demand Routing (DDR)
!--- configuration.

To connect a modem to this interface, refer to Configuring Dialout using a Modem on the AUX Port. Even though the document refers to the AUX port, the configuration is very similar.

Issue the physical-layer sync command or the no physical-layer async command to revert to the default sync mode. To configure the interface for normal serial operation, refer to Configuring Serial Interfaces.

Related Information

• Multilink PPP Across Two Serial Physical-layer Async Interfaces
• Online Insertion and Removal of Analog and Digital Modem Network Modules Installed in the Cisco 3660 Router
• Access-Dial Technology Support
• Product Support Page
• Technical Support - Cisco Systems

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