Configuring Static MLPPP

Static MLPPP configuration consists of two general tasks, each with several subtasks.

To configure static MLPPP:

  1. Create the member links to be aggregated into a multilink bundle.
    1. From Global Configuration mode, specify the individual interface on which you want to configure MLPPP.
      host1(config)#interface serial 2/0:1/1
    2. Specify MLPPP as the encapsulation method on the interface.
      host1(config-if)#encapsulation mlppp
    3. (Optional) Specify the keepalive timeout value for the member link interface.
      host1(config-if)#ppp keepalive 50
    4. (Optional) Specify the authentication method for the member link interface.
      host1(config-if)#ppp authentication pap chap
    5. (Optional) Enable hash-based link selection instead of the default round-robin link selection for the member link interface.
      host1(config-if)#ppp hash-link-selection
  2. Add member links to a multilink bundle.
    1. Define the MLPPP bundle.
      host1(config)#interface mlppp group1
    2. Add each member link.
      host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:1/1
    3. Assign an IP address to the MLPPP bundle.
      host1(config-if)#ip address 10.10.100.1 255.255.255.0
    4. (Optional) Specify the keepalive timeout value for the MLPPP network interface (the entire MLPPP bundle).
      host1(config-if)#ppp keepalive 50
    5. (Optional) Specify the authentication method for the MLPPP network interface (the entire MLPPP bundle).
      host1(config-if)#ppp authentication pap chap
    6. (Optional) Enable hash-based link selection instead of the default round-robin link selection for the MLPPP network interface (the entire MLPPP bundle).
      host1(config-if)#ppp hash-link-selection

Configuration Example

The following commands configure three T1 lines and aggregate them into a multilink bundle named group1.

host1(config)#interface serial 2/0:1/1 host1(config-if)#encapsulation mlppp host1(config-if)#exit host1(config)#interface serial 2/0:2/1 host1(config-if)#encapsulation mlppp host1(config-if)#exit host1(config)#interface serial 2/0:3/1 host1(config-if)#encapsulation mlppp host1(config-if)#ppp keepalive 50 host1(config-if)#exit host1(config)#interface mlppp group1 host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:1/1 host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:2/1 host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:3/1 host1(config-if)#ppp authentication pap chap host1(config-if)#ppp hash-link-selection host1(config-if)#ip address 10.10.100.1 255.255.255.0

Contextual Command Differences

The MLPPP configuration commands have different effects depending on the interface context. If you issue an MLPPP configuration command in the context of an individual interface, the command affects only the MLPPP link interface associated with that individual interface.

For example, the following commands disable negotiation of the local magic number only for serial interface 2/0:1/1.

host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:1/1 host1(config-if)#encapsulation mlppp host1(config-if)#ppp magic-number disable

If you issue an MLPPP configuration command in the context of an MLPPP bundle—the MLPPP network interface—the command affects all the member links of the bundle. This feature prevents you from having to issue MLPPP configuration commands for each member link interface.

For example, the following commands disable negotiation of the local magic number for the entire bundle, group1.

host1(config)#interface mlppp group1 host1(config-if)#member-interface serial 2/0:1/1 host1(config-if)#ip address 10.10.100.1 255.255.255.0 host1(config-if)#ppp magic-number disable

Any member links added to the bundle after issuing an MLPPP configuration command are not affected by the command. For example, if you add serial interface 2/0:4/1 to the group1 bundle after you issue the ppp magic-number disable command, negotiation of the local magic number for this link and any member links subsequently added to the bundle is not disabled.

Configuring Authentication

Perform the following optional tasks to configure authentication on interfaces with MLPPP encapsulation or MLPPP bundles.

ppp authentication

ppp chap-challenge-length

ppp max-bad-auth

Configuring Other PPP Attributes

The available ppp command options are the same for interfaces whether they are configured with PPP or MLPPP.

encapsulation mlppp

interface mlppp

member-interface

ppp hash-link-selection

ppp ipcp lockout

ppp keepalive

ppp log

ppp magic-number disable

ppp magic-number ignore-mismatch

ppp max-negotiations

ppp mru

ppp passive-mode

ppp peer

ppp shutdown