PIX 506e - to VLAN or not to VLAN??

[almightybunghole]

Hi there,

I'm in the process of setting up a VLAN'd environment for a client, using a Cisco 2900 series switch and a PIX 506e. My question is this: does the 506e support 2 virtual interfaces or not? I keep seeing configs posted on various sites (two below for example) where it claims to only support 2 interfaces. This one suggests that the device DOES support the VLAN interfaces:

Cisco PIX Firewall Version 6.3(5)
Cisco PIX Device Manager Version 3.0(4)

Compiled on Thu 04-Aug-05 21:40 by morlee

pixfirewall up 18 secs

Hardware: PIX-506E, 64 MB RAM, CPU Pentium II 300 MHz
Flash E28F640J3 @ 0x300, 8MB
BIOS Flash AM29F400B @ 0xfffd8000, 32KB

0: ethernet0: address is 000e.d7b9.7295, irq 10
1: ethernet1: address is 000e.d7b9.7296, irq 11
Licensed Features:
Failover: Disabled
VPN-DES: Enabled
VPN-3DES-AES: Enabled
Maximum Physical Interfaces: 2
Maximum Interfaces: 4
Cut-through Proxy: Enabled
Guards: Enabled
URL-filtering: Enabled
Inside Hosts: Unlimited
Throughput: Unlimited
IKE peers: Unlimited

This PIX has a Restricted (R) license.

Serial Number: 808300420 (0x30296c80)

... and this one suggests it DOESN'T:

Cisco PIX Firewall Version 6.3(5)
Cisco PIX Device Manager Version 3.0(4)

Compiled on Wed 13-Aug-03 13:55 by morlee

Pix up 7 mins 51 secs

Hardware: PIX-506E, 32 MB RAM, CPU Pentium II 300 MHz
Flash E28F640J3 @ 0x300, 8MB
BIOS Flash AM29F400B @ 0xfffd8000, 32KB

0: ethernet0: address is 000f.9066.1a3f, irq 10
1: ethernet1: address is 000f.9066.1a40, irq 11
Licensed Features:
Failover: Disabled
VPN-DES: Enabled
VPN-3DES-AES: Enabled
Maximum Physical Interfaces: 2
Maximum Interfaces: 2
Cut-through Proxy: Enabled
Guards: Enabled
URL-filtering: Enabled
Inside Hosts: Unlimited
Throughput: Unlimited
IKE peers: Unlimited

This PIX has a Restricted (R) license.

Serial Number: 808141507 (0x302b42c3)
Running Activation Key:
Configuration last modified by at 06:28:16.000 UTC Thu Feb 7 2036

They're both for sale on eBay. Since they both seem to be running the 6.3(5) software and 3.0(4) PDM, the only difference I can find is the RAM (the first has 64mb, the second only 32mb). Is it then the case that I need to upgrade the RAM on the device I buy in order to support the virtual interfaces?

Halp!!

Thanks in advance.

George

 

[daidem77]

Cisco 506E supports only phyiscal interfaces but does support upto 2 VLANSs on a cisco pix 506E with virtual interfaces. You can use the virtiual/logical interfaces to create vlans and deploy your DMZ enabled security zones or deploy your Web and emails servers.