[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] Routers, IP networks, and wide-area networks

cam@md.interlink.com (Chris Markle) (03/22/91)

Folks,

(Please respond directly to me and I will summarize for the net.)

When IP routers are connected to each other via X.25 networks, is the X.25
network treated as a single IP network/subnetwork, or is each "point-to
point" link (ie. X.25 virtual circuit) treated as a separate network/sub-
network? (Or are the "links" not treated as networks at all?)

For example, assume that I have an X.25 network with three routers connected
to it, R-a, R-b, and R-c; each router knows about the other two. Each router 
is attached to a single Ethernet; for simplicity, each Ethernet is a separate 
IP network - R-a is attached to 192.1.1, R-b to 192.1.2, and R-c to 192.1.3 
(class C networks all).

Would the X.25 network be assigned a single network number, say 192.1.4, and
each router would have an X.25-side IP address of 192.1.4.x? Or would each
"link" (VC) between each router have network numbers assigned to it (eg.
R-a <-> R-b is 192.1.4, R-a <-> R-c is 192.1.5, and R-b <-> R-c is 192.1.6)?

I'm sure that there's no "cut and dried" answer to this, but I was just
wondering how this is "usually" or "commonly" handled with current IP routers.

(If each link gets an IP network/subnetwork address, it seems like in a big 
X.25 or other wide-area network many addresses will be chewed up just on these
point-to-point links. Even subnetting results in many subnets addresses being
consumed. Like Arsenio says, "hmm...")

Chris Markle
Interlink Computer Sciences

mussar@bcars53.uucp (G. Mussar) (03/26/91)

In article <9103211614.AA22207@leo.md.interlink.com> cam@md.interlink.com (Chris Markle) writes:
>Folks,
>
>(Please respond directly to me and I will summarize for the net.)
>
>When IP routers are connected to each other via X.25 networks, is the X.25
>network treated as a single IP network/subnetwork, or is each "point-to
>point" link (ie. X.25 virtual circuit) treated as a separate network/sub-
>network? (Or are the "links" not treated as networks at all?)
>
...
>Would the X.25 network be assigned a single network number, say 192.1.4, and
>each router would have an X.25-side IP address of 192.1.4.x? Or would each
>"link" (VC) between each router have network numbers assigned to it (eg.
>R-a <-> R-b is 192.1.4, R-a <-> R-c is 192.1.5, and R-b <-> R-c is 192.1.6)?

I have a very small setup and I assign the X.25 network one subnet. Each
router X.25 interface is assigned an IP address from that one subnet. It
works for me, but then again, I might be doing everything non-standard.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Mussar  |Internet:  mussar@bnr.ca                |  Phone: (613) 763-4937
BNR Ltd.     |                                        |  FAX:   (613) 763-2626

mussar@bcars53.uucp (G. Mussar) (03/27/91)

In article <9103211614.AA22207@leo.md.interlink.com> cam@md.interlink.com (Chris Markle) writes:
>Folks,
>
>(Please respond directly to me and I will summarize for the net.)
>
>When IP routers are connected to each other via X.25 networks, is the X.25
>network treated as a single IP network/subnetwork, or is each "point-to
>point" link (ie. X.25 virtual circuit) treated as a separate network/sub-
>network? (Or are the "links" not treated as networks at all?)
>
...
>Would the X.25 network be assigned a single network number, say 192.1.4, and
>each router would have an X.25-side IP address of 192.1.4.x? Or would each
>"link" (VC) between each router have network numbers assigned to it (eg.
>R-a <-> R-b is 192.1.4, R-a <-> R-c is 192.1.5, and R-b <-> R-c is 192.1.6)?

I have a very small setup and I assign the X.25 network one subnet. Each
router X.25 interface is assigned an IP address from that one subnet. It
works for me, but then again, I might be doing everything non-standard.


--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Mussar  |Internet:  mussar@bnr.ca                |  Phone: (613) 763-4937
BNR Ltd.     |                                        |  FAX:   (613) 763-2626

lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) (03/27/91)

In article <9103211614.AA22207@leo.md.interlink.com>
   cam@md.interlink.com (Chris Markle) writes:
>When IP routers are connected to each other via X.25 networks, is the X.25
>network treated as a single IP network/subnetwork, or is each "point-to
>point" link (ie. X.25 virtual circuit) treated as a separate network/sub-
>network? (Or are the "links" not treated as networks at all?)

The IETF/IPLPDN group has just been discussing analogous stuff regarding
Frame Relay, so this is a resonably warm topic.

When IP-over-X.25 was first defined, and implemented for CSNET, network
number 14 was reserved as the IP representation of the global X.25
internet.  So the whole IP world was ONE IP subnet.
(Only the CSNET subscribers ever made it onto the list, and there was
no simple mechanism for other sites to register, or to perform address
translation lookups, so it fizzled.)

When MILNET/ARPAnet implemented X.25 host-to-IMP protocol, the IP
network(s) already existed, and X.25 addressing was a thin overlay.
So MILNET was one IP subnet, and ARPAnet was another IP subnet.

When SUN implemented their commercial IP/X25 encapsulation product, they
chose to view the X.25 interface as a collection of point-to-point
connections. One consequence of this was that the host had a different
IP address for each remote host that it connected to.

ACC's commercial X.25 products follow the "one subnet" model. So do
CMC's.

>For example, assume that I have an X.25 network with three routers connected
>to it, R-a, R-b, and R-c; each router knows about the other two. Each router 
>is attached to a single Ethernet; for simplicity, each Ethernet is a separate 
>IP network - R-a is attached to 192.1.1, R-b to 192.1.2, and R-c to 192.1.3 
>(class C networks all).
>
>Would the X.25 network be assigned a single network number, say 192.1.4, and
>each router would have an X.25-side IP address of 192.1.4.x? Or would each
>"link" (VC) between each router have network numbers assigned to it (eg.
>R-a <-> R-b is 192.1.4, R-a <-> R-c is 192.1.5, and R-b <-> R-c is 192.1.6)?

Both models are "common". They do not interoperate well.

The "one subnet" is easier to manage. The "point-to-point" model allows
certain configurations that are difficult to implement with the "one
subnet" model.

>(If each link gets an IP network/subnetwork address, it seems like in a big 
>X.25 or other wide-area network many addresses will be chewed up just on these
>point-to-point links. Even subnetting results in many subnets addresses being
>consumed. Like Arsenio says, "hmm...")

Actually, Berkeley-based IP routers know that point-to-point links have
one IP address at each end, and are not necessarily "networks". It is
still a pain to handle.

>Chris Markle
>Interlink Computer Sciences

Say Hi to the gang for me !!
-- 
/ Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer
  CMC Rockwell  lars@CMC.COM