3COM 3C16722A, 3C16723A, 3C16721A User Manual

OfficeConnect

Fast Ethernet Hub 4, Hub 8, Hub 12

User Guide (3C16723A, 3C16722A, 3C16721A)

3Com Corporation ■ 5400 Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa Clara, California ■ 95052-8145

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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND

If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following:

All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense. Software is delivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995) or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com’s standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR

252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.

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3Com, the 3Com logo and OfficeConnect are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.

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Year 2000 Compliance:

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http://www.3com.com/products/yr2000.html Environmental Statement:

Please e-mail any comments about this document to 3Com at:

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(OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Hub 4, 8 12 User Guide), part number (DUA1672-1AAA03) and, if appropriate, the page number.

For information on Year 2000 compliance and 3Com

Please recycle this user guide after use.

Please include the document title

Introduction 5

Creating Your Network 6

Fast Ethernet Hub 4 and Hub 8—Front 6 Fast Ethernet Hub 4 and Hub 8—Rear 7 Fast Ethernet Hub 12—Front 8 Fast Ethernet Hub 12—Rear 9

Before You Start 10

Workstation Connections 10 Hub Connections 10

Stacking the Units Together 11

The Rubber Feet 11

The Stacking Clip 11 Positioning Your OfficeConnect Hub 12 Securing Your Hub 12 Connecting Workstations and Other Equipment to Your Hub 13 Connecting OfficeConnect Hubs Together 13

Connecting 100BASE-TX Hubs 14

Connecting to 10BASE-T Networks 14

Checking Hub Connections 14

Spot Checks 14

Dimensions and Standards 18

Dimensions and Operating Conditions 18 Standards 19

Environmental Statements 20

End Of Life Statement 20 Regulated Materials Statement 20 Environmental Statement about the Documentation 20 Environmental Statement about the Product Packaging 20

Important Safety Information 21

Wichtige Sicherheitshinweise 22

Consignes importantes de sécurité 23

Technical Support 24

Online Technical Services 24 World Wide Web Site 24 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 24 Support from Your Network Supplier 25 Support from 3Com 25 Returning Products for Repair 28

Problem Solving 15

Networking Terminology 17

3Com Corporation Limited Warranty 29

Electromagnetic Compatibility 32

NTRODUCTION

OfficeConnect hub

Network server

Welcome to the world of networking with 3Com®. In the modern business environment, communication and sharing information is crucial. Computer networks have proved to be one of the fastest modes of communication but, until recently, only large businesses could afford the networking advantage. The OfficeConnect® product range from 3Com has changed this, bringing networks to the small office.

The OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Hub 4, Hub 8, and Hub 12 are ideal for creating small, fast (high bandwidth) networks. They are compact and attractively designed for desktop use. These products are part of the OfficeConnect range, which neatly stack together with the OfficeConnect Stacking Clip.

When referring to all three products, this guide uses the term ‘OfficeConnect hub’.

The OfficeConnect hub is a Fast Ethernet (Class II) repeater, allowing the creation of a network that runs 10 times faster than standard Ethernet. You can connect a workstation, server or other piece of equipment to each 100BASE-TX port, as shown in Figure 1. The Hub 4 has four 100BASE-TX ports, the Hub 8 has eight, and the Hub 12 has twelve.

Figure 1

Hub 4 and Server

If you need to connect more workstations, simply use the stacking clip to connect another OfficeConnect hub to form a stack (each hub is a single Class II repeater).

Small Network Featuring OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet

REATING YOUR

ETWORK

Fast Ethernet Hub 4 and Hub 8—Front

Alert LED

orange

Alerts you to excessive network use or a partitioned 100BASE-TX port.

Alert

Power LED

green

Indicates that the power supply to the hub is present.

Activity

Power

Collision

Activity LED (Hub 4 only)

yellow

Flashes each time a packet is received on a port.

Port Status

12345678 1% 2% 3% 6% 12% 25% 50% 80%

Green = OK, Yellow = Partitioned

Collision LED

yellow

Flashes each time a collision is detected at the hub. Collisions are part of normal network operation.

Port Status LEDs

green/yellow

Indicates the status of each port. If nothing is connected, the LED is off. If green, the link between the port and the next piece of network equipment is OK. If yellow, the port has partitioned due to a fault on that segment.

Network Utilization

OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Hub 8

Network Utilization LEDs (Hub 8 only)

green/yellow/orange

Indicates how much your network is being used.

Fast Ethernet Hub 4 and Hub 8—Rear

POWER

Power adapter socket

Only use the power adapter that is supplied with this OfficeConnect hub. Do not use any other adapter.

Uplink/Normal

Uplink/Normal switch

Affects the operation of the highest numbered port (port 4 on Hub 4 and port 8 on Hub 8). For connecting the port to a workstation, set to Normal (out). For connecting the port to another OfficeConnect unit, set to Uplink (in). Refer to the “Connecting OfficeConnect Hubs Together” section.

100BASE-TX RJ-45 ports

Use 100BASE-TX cable with RJ-45 connectors. You can connect the OfficeConnect hub to any workstation or piece of equipment that has a 100BASE-TX port. The highest numbered port can be used to link to another OfficeConnect unit. Refer to the “Connecting OfficeConnect Hubs Together” section.

Fast Ethernet Hub 12—Front

Alert LED

orange

Alerts you to excessive network use or a partitioned 100BASE-TX port.

Alert

Power LED

green

Indicates that the power supply to the hub is present.

Power

Collision

Collision LED

yellow

Flashes each time a collision is detected at the hub. Collisions are part of normal network operation.

Port Status

718

Green = OK, Yellow = Partitioned

10411

Port Status LEDs

green/yellow

Indicates the status of each port. If nothing is connected, the LED is off.

Network Utilization LEDs

green/yellow/orange

Indicates how much your

network is being used. If green, the link between the port and the next piece of network equipment is OK. If yellow, the port has partitioned due to a fault on that segment.

Network Utilization

1% 2% 3% 6% 12% 25% 50% 80%

OfficeConnect Fast Ethernet Hub 12

Fast Ethernet Hub 12—Rear

POWER

Power adapter socket

Only use the power adapter that is supplied with this OfficeConnect hub. Do not use any other adapter.

Uplink/Normal

Uplink/Normal switch

Affects the operation of the highest numbered port (port 12). For connecting the port to a workstation, set to Normal (out). For connecting the port to another OfficeConnect unit, set to Uplink (in). Refer to the “Connecting OfficeConnect Hubs Together” section.

100BASE-TX RJ-45 ports

Before You Start

Your OfficeConnect hub comes with:

One power adapter for use with the OfficeConnect hub

■

A Product Registration card for you to fill out and return

■

Four rubber feet

■

A stacking clip

■

Two unit labels and eight cable ties.

■

An OfficeConnect Network Assistant CD-ROM.

■

The extra parts mentioned in the next section are not supplied with the hub.

Workstation Connections

To connect workstations or other equipment to your hub, you need:

A 100BASE-TX adapter card for each workstation. 3Com produce a range of easy to install network adapter cards, which provide your workstations with 100BASE-T connections.

An operating system (for example, Netware or Windows 95/98) with network support configured, running on your workstations.

One ‘Straight-through’ 100BASE-TX cable for each workstation or piece of equipment. A ‘Straight-through’ cable is one where the pins of one connector are connected to the same pins of the other connector; refer to Figure 5 on page 16. 100BASE-TX cable must be data grade (Category 5) shielded or unshielded. We recommend that you use shielded cable. The maximum length you can use is 100m (328ft).

In order to comply with the 100BASE-TX standard, ports designed for workstation connections have been marked with the graphical symbol ‘x’ (1x, 2x, 3x, ...). This denotes a crossover in the port’s internal wiring.

Hub Connections

To connect to another OfficeConnect hub, you need:

One ‘Straight-through’ 100BASE-TX cable. The maximum

■

length is 100m (328ft). Refer to “Connecting OfficeConnect Hubs Together” on page 13.

Stacking the Units Together

Fastening Piece

Fastening

Piece

The Rubber Feet

The four self-adhesive rubber feet prevent your hub from moving around on your desk. Only stick the feet to the marked areas at each corner of the underside of your hub if you intend to place the unit directly on top of the desk. Do not fix the feet if you are going to use the clip.

The Stacking Clip

The blue stacking clip allows you to stack your OfficeConnect units together neatly and securely.

CAUTION: You can stack up to a maximum of four units. Smaller units must be stacked above larger units.

To fit another unit:

Rest the second unit on top of the clip and align it with the front of the unit below.

Press down gently on the unit to secure it onto the clip, ensuring the fastening pieces fit into the slots on the unit below, as shown in Figure 2 (picture 2).

Figure 2

Stacking Your Units Together

To fit the clip:

Place your unit on a flat surface.

Fit the clip across the top of the unit, as shown in Figure 2 (picture 1), ensuring that the longer sections of the fastening pieces are pointing downwards.

Align the fastening pieces over the slots found on each side of the unit.

Push the clip down gently to secure it, ensuring the

To remove the clip:

Remove the top unit together with the clip. If you hook a finger around one of the the fastening pieces and then pull it gently from out of the slot, the clip should come away with the upper unit attached to it.

Push the clip in the center, so it bends towards the base of the unit, and then separate once the clip is loose.

fastening pieces snap into the slots on the unit.

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