ZyXEL Communications P-660HW-DX, User Manual

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Chapter 5 WAN Setup
P-660HW-Dx User’s Guide
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Do not specify a nailed-up connection unless your telephone company offers flat-rate service
or you need a constant connection and the cost is of no concern
5.1.7 NAT
NAT (Network Address Translation - NAT, RFC 1631) is the translation of the IP address of a
host in a packet, for example, the source address of an outgoing packet, used within one
network to a different IP address known within another network.
5.2 Metric
The metric represents the "cost of transmission". A router determines the best route for
transmission by choosing a path with the lowest "cost". RIP routing uses hop count as the
measurement of cost, with a minimum of "1" for directly connected networks. The number
must be between "1" and "15"; a number greater than "15" means the link is down. The
smaller the number, the lower the "cost".
The metric sets the priority for the ZyXEL Device’s routes to the Internet. If any two of the
default routes have the same metric, the ZyXEL Device uses the following pre-defined
priorities:
• Normal route: designated by the ISP (see Section 5.5 on page 80 )
• Traffic-redirect route (see Section 5.7 on page 89 )
• WAN-backup route, also called dial-backup (see Section 5.8 on page 89 )
For example, if the normal route has a metric of "1" and the traffic-redirect route has a metric
of "2" and dial-backup route has a metric of "3", then the normal route acts as the primary
default route. If the normal route fails to connect to the Internet, the ZyXEL Device tries the
traffic-redirect route next. In the same manner, the ZyXEL Device uses the dial-backup route
if the traffic-redirect route also fails.
If you want the dial-backup route to take first priority over the traffic-redirect route or even the
normal route, all you need to do is set the dial-backup route’s metric to "1" and the others to
"2" (or greater).
IP Policy Routing overrides the default routing behavior and takes priority over all of the
routes mentioned above.
5.3 Traffic Shaping
Traffic Shaping is an agreement between the carrier and the subscriber to regulate the average
rate and fluctuations of data transmission over an ATM network. This agreement helps
eliminate congestion, which is important for transmission of real time data such as audio and
video connections.
Peak Cell Rate (PCR) is the maximum rate at which the sender can send cells. This parameter
may be lower (but not higher) than the maximum line speed. 1 ATM cell is 53 bytes (424 bits),
so a maximum speed of 832Kbps gives a maximum PCR of 1962 cells/sec. This rate is not
guaranteed because it is dependent on the line speed.