Frame Relay Point-to-point Vs Multipoint

I will be posting more about Networks in the future, so lets start with an old technology.

If you are confused about point to point Vs multipoint frame relay technologies, I am trying to depict the major differences (For CISCO equipment).

Multipoint

• is the default
• Inverse ARP is enabled by default
• Split horizon is disabled by default
• One subnet for the Hub and all spokes.
• One subinterface on the Hug to communicate with all spokes.
• On that subinterface you have two options to communicate with spokes

1. use frame-relay map ip
2. use frame-relay interface dlci and assign multiple DLCI on the subinterface (while Inverse arp is on).

Point-to-Point

• Different subnet for each pair of routers ex: Hub-subint1 and spoke1, Hub-subint2 and spoke2.
• No inverse arp
• on the hub you have to use frame-relay interface-dlci
• you cannot configure more than one DLCI per subinterface.
• Only frame-relay interface-dlci command should beused on point-to-point interfaces not frame-relay map.