Demarcation Point Network Location

[JeffreyO]

Hello,

I will be helping a friend setup their office network soon. The ISP has setup their equipment already including a demarcation point. I have no experience working with demarcation points though. Can anyone please provide an example of how this setup would be? For example...

Router > demarcation point > asa & Switch
Or would it be
Router > ASA > Demarcation point > Switch

Any advice would be appreciated. I can't seem to find a decent network diagram that includes a demarcation point.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

The demarc is the layer 1 point between your ISP's network and yours - if there's a hardware problem, the demarc is the point where it changes from their problem to your problem.

Usually it looks something like this:
Lead-in cable > Demarc > Internal wiring (sometimes this is before the demarc, depends on your ISP's policies) > Modem > Other stuff.

You shouldn't touch the stuff before the demarc, basically.

 

[JeffreyO]

Interesting. The way they had it setup based on the picture looked like the demarc was post modem & router. I'll have to follow the cables to see exactly what is going where. Now if only it was properly racked and not sitting on a high shelf...

 

[Someone Somewhere]

If the ISP owns the modem, then it's possible that the demarc is after the modem.

 

[JeffreyO]

Interesting, they do. The modem, router and demarcation point were provided by the ISP. I will be setting up the ASA, switch & local equipment (workstations, etc.). If the demarcation point is the last in the chain of equipment provided by the ISP, would I use one of the access ports on the demarc or would I still go one step before to the router and use the 10/100 port there?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

You don't touch the equipment provided by the ISP, other than your side of the demarc.

Plug it into the demarc.