Cisco Systems UBR900 User Manual

Page of 138
Data Operations
 Configuring the Cisco uBR900 Series Cable Access Routers 9
Figure 3
Cisco uBR900 Series Cable Access Router in a Routing Configuration with a Hub
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is an emerging Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard 
that combines the best features of two existing tunneling protocols: Cisco’s Layer 2 Forwarding 
(L2F) and Microsoft’s Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). L2TP is an extension of the 
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), which is an important component for Access Virtual Private 
Networks (VPNs).
Traditional dial-up networking services only supported registered IP addresses, which limited the 
types of applications that could be implemented over VPNs. L2TP supports multiple protocols and 
unregistered and privately administered IP addresses over the Internet. This allows the existing 
access infrastructure such as the Internet, modems, access servers, and ISDN terminal adapters 
(TAs) to be used.
L2TP can be initiated wherever PPTP or L2F is currently deployed, and can be operated as a client 
initiated tunnel such as PPTP, or a network access server (NAS) initiated tunnel such as L2F.
The current implementation of L2TP in Cisco IOS software is dependent on a PPP connection 
supported on one of the directly attached interfaces. A dial-up PPP connection is required in order 
to initiate an L2TP Tunnel connection. This is a requirement of the L2TP Access Concentrator 
(LAC). Currently the Cisco uBR900 series cable access router cannot function as the LAC; it can 
only function as the L2TP Network Server (LNS), which terminates a tunnel created elsewhere in 
the network.
Easy IP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server
Cisco uBR900 series cable access routers support Intelligent DHCP Relay and DHCP Client 
functionality. A DHCP Relay Agent is any host that forwards DHCP packets between clients and 
servers. A DHCP Relay Agent enables the client and server to reside on separate subnets. If the Cisco 
IOS DHCP server cannot satisfy a DHCP request from its own database, it can forward the DHCP 
request to one or more secondary DHCP servers defined by the network administrator using standard 
Cisco IOS IP helper-address functionality. 
Network Address Translation and Port Address Translation (NAT/PAT)
Network Address Translation (NAT) reduces the need for globally unique IP addresses. NAT allows 
an organization with addresses that are not globally unique to connect to the Internet by translating 
those addresses into globally routable address space.
CATV
coaxial cable
Cable
Modem
Ethernet
Ethernet
HUB
LAN
13306
Cisco uBR7246
CMTS
HFC network