Cisco IOS in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Name

interface — global

Synopsis

interface interface.subinterface [{point-to-point | multipoint}]

Configures

Allows configuration of a given interface

Default

None

Description

This command enters the interface configuration mode for the given interface and subinterface. The interface most commonly consists of an interface type followed by the number of the particular interface (for example, ethernet0). A space is allowed (and commonly used) between the interface type and the number. Table 17-10 shows the most common interface types. On more complex routers, the interface number can be specified in a number of different ways: as a slot/port combination, as a slot/adapter/port combination, or as a slot/port:channel-group combination. The appropriate form depends on the hardware you’re dealing with. The interface specification can include a subinterface number; subinterfaces are most common when using protocols like Frame Relay or ATM, which can package a number of communications channels on a single physical connection. The point-to-point keyword indicates that a subinterface is logically connected to a single remote node; multipoint indicates that it is logically connected to a number of remote nodes. multipoint and point-to-point are most commonly used on Frame Relay and ATM interfaces.

Table 17-10. Common interface types

Type	Description
async	An asynchronous interface (a standard terminal or modem line)
atm	ATM
bri	ISDN BRI (2 B channels)
dialer	Dial-on-demand interface ...