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Chapter 7 Interfaces
ZyWALL 110/310/1100 Series User’s Guide
104
• An interface is a logical entity through which (layer-3) packets pass.
• An interface is bound to a physical port or another interface.
• Many interfaces can share the same physical port.
• An interface belongs to at most one zone.
• Many interfaces can belong to the same zone.
• Layer-3 virtualization (IP alias, for example) is a kind of interface.
Types of Interfaces
You can create several types of interfaces in the ZyWALL.
• Setting interfaces to the same port role forms a port group. Port groups create a hardware
connection between physical ports at the layer-2 (data link, MAC address) level. Port groups are
created when you use the Interface > Port Roles screen to set multiple physical ports to be
part of the same interface.
• Ethernet interfaces are the foundation for defining other interfaces and network policies. RIP
and OSPF are also configured in these interfaces.
• Tunnel interfaces send IPv4 or IPv6 packets from one network to a specific network through
the Internet or a public network.
• VLAN interfaces receive and send tagged frames. The ZyWALL automatically adds or removes
the tags as needed. Each VLAN can only be associated with one Ethernet interface.
• Bridge interfaces create a software connection between Ethernet or VLAN interfaces at the
layer-2 (data link, MAC address) level. Unlike port groups, bridge interfaces can take advantage
of some security features in the ZyWALL. You can also assign an IP address and subnet mask to
the bridge.
• PPP interfaces support Point-to-Point Protocols (PPP). ISP accounts are required for PPPoE/PPTP
interfaces.
• Cellular interfaces are for 3G WAN connections via a connected 3G device.
• Virtual interfaces provide additional routing information in the ZyWALL. There are three types:
virtual Ethernet interfaces, virtual VLAN interfaces, and virtual bridge interfaces.
• Trunk interfaces manage load balancing between interfaces.
Port groups and trunks have a lot of characteristics that are specific to each type of interface. The
other types of interfaces--Ethernet, PPP, cellular, VLAN, bridge, and virtual--have a lot of similar
characteristics. These characteristics are listed in the following table and discussed in more detail
below.
Table 37 Ethernet, PPP, Cellular, VLAN, Bridge, and Virtual Interface Characteristics
CHARACTERISTICS ETHERNET ETHERNET PPP CELLULAR VLAN BRIDGE VIRTUAL
Name* wan1 lan1, lan2,
dmz
pppx cellularx vlanx brx **
Configurable Zone No No
Yes Yes Yes Yes No
IP Address Assignment
Static IP address
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
DHCP client Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Routing metric Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Interface Parameters
Bandwidth
restrictions
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes