On a router, what is the difference between an ethernet interface & a serial interface?

Question

I'm just entering the IT field. We have monitoring tools that allow us to monitor network traffic. One graph shows traffic over the router serial interface, and the other shows traffic over the ethernet interface. I'm guessing that the traffic over the serial interface is traffic that is going to and from the office, while the traffic over the ethernet interface is internal traffic? Is that right? (I've quickly discovered that Network Admins who know what they are doing are around every corner, but one who can articulate a simple answer to a simple question as this are rare indeed :)

Answer 1

Yes, you've pretty much got it in one. The serial interface will typically be your internet link. You would know about it if you had serial links on your LAN and that wouldn't usually be a good arrangement anyway - serial links are typically far slower than ethernet.



Arie is confusing a serial port for packet forwarding with the console port for router configuration, which is also a low speed serial port. Since you are getting traffic sent through the interface it can't be the console port that you are talking about.

Answer 2

Router Serial Interface

Answer 3

No, the serial interface shows either all traffic passing by on the router or can be used to configure the router, depending on the brand and model of the router. The ethernet interface shows all traffic passing by the ethernet interface only, unless all traffic would be mirrored to the ethernet interface.

Answer 4

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most cisco routers that use serial ports are more than just internet routers they do more with diffrent equipment, the serial port connects the router to other routers and switches and the ethernet port connects computers to the router. Also to scott; there is more than one type of router and the one I linked to does use serial ports to connect to other devises, I am a network analyst and know what I am talking about, thanks.

Answer 5

Serial connections are commonly WAN connections.

Typically used in T1's, etc.



Ethernet is generally used in LAN.



Additional:

Is traffic to and from the office served by VPN? T1? Business DSL? There's no way to tell without knowing specifically what kind of setup is involved.

Answer 6

Ethernet is a STANDARD - it describes how the packets "look" and the limits of standard (ie 386 meters)



Serial is a METHOD... as in how the bits are presented... serial meaning "one after another".



Silly answer:



Ethernet - is the device a person with a lisp uses on EASTER to catch the EASTER BUNNY.



Serial - is what they have for breakfast - when they're are waiting for the Easter Bunny to show.