Specifications

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Cisco MWR 2941 Mobile Wireless Edge Router Software Configuration Guide, Release 12.2(33)MRB
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Chapter 1 Cisco MWR 2941 Router Overview
Features
Layer 3 Virtual Private Networks
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an IP-based network that delivers private network services over a
public infrastructure. VPNs allow you to create a set of sites that can communicate privately over the
Internet or other public or private networks.
A conventional VPN consists of a full mesh of tunnels or permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) connecting
all of the sites within the VPN. This type of VPN requires changes to each edge device in the VPN in
order to add a new site. Layer 3 VPNs are easier to manage and expand than conventional VPNs because
they use layer 3 communication protocols and are based on a peer model. The peer model enables the
service provider and customer to exchange Layer 3 routing information, enabling service providers to
relay data between customer sites without customer involvement. The peer model also provides
improved security of data transmission between VPN sites because data is isolated between improves
security between VPN sites.
The Cisco MWR 2941 supports the following MPLS VPN types:
• Basic Layer 3 VPN—Provides a VPN private tunnel connection between customer edge (CE)
devices in the service provider network. The provider edge (PE) router uses Multiprotocol Border
Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP) to distribute VPN routes and MPLS Label Distribution Protocol
(LDP) to distribute Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) labels to the next-hop PE router.
• MPLS Carrier Supporting Carrier (CSC) VPN—Enables an MPLS VPN-based service provider to
allow other service providers to use a segment of its backbone network. MPLS CSC VPNs use
MPLS LDP to distribute MPLS labels and IGP to distribute routes.
• Inter-Autonomous System (AS) VPN—An inter-AS VPN allows service providers running separate
networks to jointly offer MPLS VPN services to the same end customer; an inter-AS VPN can begin
at one customer site and traverse multiple service provider backbones before arriving at another
customer site.
For instructions on how to configure an layer 3 VPN, see the “Layer 3 Virtual Private Networks” section
on page 1-33.
Intelligent Cell Site IP Services
The Cisco RAN-O and IP-RAN solutions allow you to deliver profit-enhancing services. This is
achieved through the set of IP networking features supported in Cisco IOS software that extends to the
cell site (see Figure 1-11 on page 1-34).
Cell Site Points-of-Presence
The cell site becomes a physical Point-of-Presence (POP) from which to offer hotspot services, or voice
and wired ISP services, to nearby enterprises and residences. Because many cell sites are located in and
around downtown areas, hotels, airports, and convention centers, they make attractive sites for
co-locating public wireless LAN (PWLAN) access points and other wireless data overlays. Many of
these wireless data radios are IP-based. IP networking features, like Mobile IP, VoIP, IP Multicast, VPN,
and content caching, enable delivery of new revenue-generating services over these radios. The
corresponding traffic “rides for free” on the spare backhaul bandwidth made available by Cisco Abis
solutions (see Figure 1-11).