Description

This article explains how to identify interface designation on Modular Interface Cards (MICs) on MX 5/10/40/80 Series routers by using port numbering.

Symptoms

  • How can I avoid port numbering conflicts on MX Series 5/10/40/80 routers?
  • How does port numbering work on MX Series routers?

    Solution

    Port Numbering on MX-Series Routers Explained

    There are two Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs) on the router:

    • FPC 0

    • FPC 1

    There are four possible Modular Interface Cards (MICs) on the router:

    • MIC 0/0 is built-in (FPC 0) with 4 x 10GE(LAN) XFP (10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable) ports.

    • MIC 1/0 and MIC 1/1(FPC 1) can be a combination of MIC 3D 20x1GE(LAN) SFP, MIC 3D 2x10GE(LAN) XFP, or any other supported MIC (such as MIC-3D-4OC3OC12-1OC48).

    • There is a fourth slot on the back of the router for multi-services MICs only. (MS-MIC-16G and appears under FPC 0 PIC 2 in show chassis hardware.)

    Potential for port numbering conflicts

    For example, MIC 1/0 could have the ge-1/1/0 interface and MIC 1/1 could have the xe-1/1/0 interface. This could cause a conflict.

    Note : A particular MIC slot is activated depending on which MX license is installed on the router. Here are the MICs and ports activated by license type: 

    • MX 5 - MIC 1/0 only

    • MX 10 - MIC 1/0 and MIC 1/1

    • MX 40 - MIC 1/0, MIC 1/1, and ports xe-0/0/0 and xe-0/0/1 of MIC 0/0

    • MX 80 - MIC 1/0, MIC 1/1, and MIC 0/0 including ports xe-0/0/2 and xe-0/0/3

    • The MS-MIC-16G slot on the back of the router is unrestricted and available on all license types.

    The second numbers on the interfaces on the MICs that are inserted into FPC 1 are determined by the MIC slot they are inserted into.

    • The first number on the interfaces on MIC 1/0 and MIC 1/1 is always 1. This represents the FPC number, for example, ge-1/x/x and xe-1/x/x.

    • The last number on each row of ports on the MIC 1/0 is numbered from 0 to 9, for example, ge-1/x/0, ge-1/x/1,...ge-1/x/9.

    • The second number on the interfaces on the MICs can be 1, 3, 0, or 2, depending on which MIC slot they are inserted into.

    • If a MIC is inserted in MIC slot 0 on FPC 1, the second number in the interface numbering is 1 or 0. It will be 0 for the ports at the bottom and 1 for the ports on the top row on the MIC.

    • If a MIC is inserted in MIC slot 1 on FPC 1, the second number in the interface numbering is 2 or 3. It will be 2 for the ports at the bottom and 3 for the ports on the top row on the MIC.

    Refer to the following image: 

    alt 

    • A= ge-1/1/0 [MIC 0] or 1/3/0 [MIC 1] 

    • B= ge-1/1/1 [MIC 0] or 1/3/1 [MIC 1] 

    • C= ge-1/1/2 [MIC 0] or 1/3/2 [MIC 1] 

    • D= ge-1/1/3 [MIC 0] or 1/3/3 [MIC 1] 

    • E= ge-1/1/4 [MIC 0] or 1/3/4 [MIC 1] 

    • F= ge-1/1/5 [MIC 0] or 1/3/5 [MIC 1] 

    • G= ge-1/1/6 [MIC 0] or 1/3/6 [MIC 1] 

    • H= ge-1/1/7 [MIC 0] or 1/3/7 [MIC 1] 

    • I= ge-1/1/8 [MIC 0] or 1/3/8 [MIC 1] 

    • J= ge-1/1/9 [MIC 0] or 1/3/9 [MIC 1] 

    • K= xe-1/0/0 [MIC 0] or 1/2/0 [MIC 1] 

    • L= xe-1/1/0 [MIC 0] or 1/3/0 [MIC 1]

    •  M= ge-1/0/0 [MIC 0] or 1/2/0 [MIC 1] 

    • N= ge-1/0/1 [MIC 0] or 1/2/1 [MIC 1] 

    • O= ge-1/0/2 [MIC 0] or 1/2/2 [MIC 1] 

    • P= ge-1/0/3 [MIC 0] or 1/2/3 [MIC 1] 

    • Q= ge-1/0/4 [MIC 0] or 1/2/4 [MIC 1] 

    • R= ge-1/0/5 [MIC 0] or 1/2/5 [MIC 1] 

    • S= ge-1/0/6 [MIC 0] or 1/2/6 [MIC 1] 

    • T= ge-1/0/7 [MIC 0] or 1/2/7 [MIC 1] 

    • U= ge-1/0/8 [MIC 0] or 1/2/8 [MIC 1] 

    • V= ge-1/0/9 [MIC 0] or 1/2/9 [MIC 1] 

    • W= xe-0/0/0 

    • X= xe-0/0/1 

    • Y= xe-0/0/2 

    • Z= xe-0/0/3

    Modification History

    2026-02-16: Minor, non-technical changes made for search optimization

    2020-04-13: Article checked for accuracy and found to be valid and accurate; no changes made