3Com 3C8S5007 User Manual

Using the PathBuilder™ S5xx

®

Switch

http://www.3com.com/

Part No. 09-1868-000
Published November 1999

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

Copyright ©
in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or
adaptation) without permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time
to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change.

3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty of any kind, either implied or expressed,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
3Com may make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
documentation at any time.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGENDS:

If you are a United States government agency , then this documentation and the softwar e described her ein ar e
provided to you subject to the following restricted rights:

For units of the Department of Defense:

Restricted Rights Legend:

forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) for Restricted Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software Clause at 48
C.F.R. 52.227-7013. 3Com Corporation, 5400 Bayfront Plaza, Santa Clara, California 95052-8145.

For civilian agencies:

Restricted Rights Legend:

through (d) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights Clause at 48 C.F.R. 52.227-19 and the
limitations set forth in 3Com Corporation’s standard commercial agreement for the software. Unpublished
rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.

If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license
agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the
removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy, please contact
3Com and a copy will be provided to you.

Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may
not be registered in other countries.

3Com, NETBuilder, NETBuilder II, OfficeConnect, and Transcend are registered trademarks of 3Com
Corporation. 3TECH, PathBuilder, and Total Control are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. 3ComFacts is a
service mark of 3Com Corporation.

CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International
Business Machines Corporation. AppleTalk is a registered trademark of Apple Corporation. Banyan and VINES
are registered trademarks of Banyan Systems. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other
countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. XNS is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.
Siemens and EWSD are registered trademarks of Siemens Aktiengesellschaft. AT&T and 5ESS are registered
trademarks of American T elephone and Telegraph. DMS is a registered trademark of Nothern Telecom Limited.

Other brand and product names may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.

The software contained in this product may contain encrypted product which may not be exported
or transferred from the U.S. or Canada without an approved U.S. Department of Commerce export
license.

3Com Corporation, 1999.

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set

Use, reproduction, or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in subparagraph (a)

All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced

Electromagnetic Compatibility Information

Classes

Various national agencies (in the United States, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)) govern the
levels of electromagnetic emissions from digital devices. Electromagnetic emissions can interfere with radio
and television transmission. To reduce the risk of harmful interference these agencies have established
requirements for manufacturers of digital devices.

The manufacturer of a digital device must test and label a product to inform an end-user of the maximum
emission level from the product when used in accordance with its instructions. The emission levels
encountered are classified as Class A or Class B. A system that meets the Class A requirement can be
marketed for use in an industrial or a commercial area. A system that meets the more stringent Class B
requirement can be marketed for use in a residential area in addition to an industrial or a commercial area.

The end user is generally held responsible for ensuring that her system is suitable for its environment as stated
in the above paragraph and bears the financial responsibility for correcting any harmful interference.

Modifications

Modifications or changes made to this device, and not approved by 3Com, may void the authority granted by
the FCC, or other such agency, to operate this equipment.

Shielded Cables

Connections between 3Com equipment and other equipment and peripherals must be made using shielded
cables in order to maintain compliance with FCC, and other agency, electromagnetic frequency emissions
limits. This statement does not apply to the 10BASE-T cables.

Federal Communications Commission Notice

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses
and can create radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used inaccordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

■

Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

■

connected.

■

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

In order to meet FCC Class B limits, this equipment must be used only with cables which comply with IEEE

802.3.
The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communication Commission helpful:

How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems

This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock No.
004-000-00345-4.

FCC Part 68 Statement

This equipment complies with Part 68 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. On the
product is a label that contains the FCC registration number for this device. If requested, this information
must be provided to the telephone company.

This equipment is designed to be connected to the telephone network or premises wiring using a compatible
modular jack which is Part 68 compliant. See installation instructions for details.

If this device causes harm to the telephone network, the telephone company will notify you in advance that
temporary discontinuance of service may be required. The telephone company may request that you
disconnect the equipment until the problem is resolved.

The telephone company may make changes in its facilities, equipment, operations or procedures that could
affect the operation of this equipment. If this happens the telephone company will provide advance notice in
order for you to make necessary modifications to maintain uninterrupted service.

If trouble is experienced with this equipment or for repair or warranty information, please follow the applicable
procedures explained in the "Technical Support" section of this manual.

FCC Registration Number See label on product
Required Connector (USOC) RJ-49
Service Order Code (SOC) 6.OY
Facility Interface Code (FIC) 02IS5

Canadian Notice

The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets
certain telecommunications network protective, operational, and safety requirements. Industry Canada does
not guarantee the equipment will operate to the users’ satisfaction.

Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected to the facilities of
the local telecommunications company . The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of
connection. In some cases, the inside wiring associated with a single line individual service may be extended
by means of a certified connector assembly. The customer should be aware that compliance with the above
conditions may not prevent degradation of service in some situations.

Repairs to certified equipment should be made by an authorized Canadian maintenance facility designated by
the supplier. Any repairs or alterations made by the user to this equipment, or equipment malfunctions, may
give the telecommunications company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment.

Users should ensure for their own protection that the electrical ground connections of the power utility,
telephone lines, and internal metallic water pipe system, if present, are connected together. This precaution
may be particularly important in rural areas.

CAUTION: Users should not attempt to make electrical ground connections by themselves, but should contact
the appropriate inspection authority or an electrician, as appropriate.

Japanese Notice

CE Notice

Marking by the symbol indicates compliance of this equipment to the EMC
Directive 89/336/EEC, the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC amended by 93/68/EEC and the Telecom Terminal
Equipment and Satellite Earth Stations Directive 98/13/EEC. Such marking is indicative that this equipment
meets or exceeds the following technical standards:

EN 55022 - "Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of Information

■

Technology Equipment."

■

EN 50082-1 - "Electromagnetic compatibility - Generic immunity standard Part 1: Residential,
commercial, and light industrial."

EN60950 (1992) - Safety of information technology equipment, including electrical business equipment.

■

CTR 1 - "Attachment requirements for terminal equipment to be connected to circuit switched data

■

networks and leased circuits using a CCITT Recommendation X.21 interface, or at an interface
physically, functionally and electrically compatible with CCITT Recommendation X.21 but operating at
any data signalling rate up to, and including, 1 984 kbit/s"

■

CTR 2 - "Attachment requirements for Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) to connect to Packet Switched
Public Data Networks (PSPDNs) for CCITT Recommendation X.25 interfaces at data signalling rates up
to 1 920 kbit/s utilizing interfaces derived from CCITT Recommendations X.21 and X.21 bis"

■

CTR 4 - "Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN); Attachment requirements for terminal equipment
to connect to an ISDN using ISDN primary rate access"

CTR 12 - "Open Network Provision (ONP) technical requirements; 2 048 kbit/s digital unstructured

■

leased line (D2048U) Attchment requirements for terminal equipment"

■

CTR 13 - "2048 kbit/s digital structured leased lines (D2048S); Attachment requirements for terminal
equipment interface"

■

CTR 24 - "34 Mbit/s digital unstructured and structured leased lines (D34U and D34S); Attachment
requirements for terminal equipment interface"

A "Declaration of Conformity" in accordance with the above standards has been made and is on file at

■

3Com Corporation.

56

ONTENTS

C

BOUT THIS GUIDE

A

Conventions 13
Year 2000 Compliance 14

O

VERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

Using the PathBuilder Switch in Your Network 15

Using Ethernet LAN Interfaces 15
Using Flex-WAN Serial and Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Interfaces 16
Using ATM Interfaces 16
Telco Services 17

Using PPP on Dial-Up and Leased Lines 18
Using Packet-Switched Network Services 18

IBM Legacy Networks 18

Hardware Features 20

Back and Front Panels 20
Hardware Interrupt Switch 23
Reset Button 23

I

NSTALLING THE HARDWARE

Required Equipment 25
Mounting the Switch 26

Cabling the Connectors 29

Environmental Requirements 26
Mounting Kit 26
Installing on a Tabletop 27
Stacking with Brackets 27
Installing in a Rack 28

Cabling the LAN Connectors 29
Cabling the Flex-WAN Serial Connectors 30

Cabling the Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Connectors 30
Cabling the HSSI T3/E3 Connectors 31
Cabling the Coax T3/E3 (BNC) Connectors 31
Cabling the ATM Connectors 32

Cabling the ATM OC3 Connectors 32

Cabling the ATM Coax (DS3/E3) Connectors 33
Attaching a Redundant Power System 33
Connecting a PC, Terminal, or Modem 34
Shutting Down 35

OGGING ON AND PERFORMING ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS

L

Starting the System 37
Verifying Successful Startup 38
Logging On to the System 39
Configuring an IP Address 39
Choosing the User Interface 40

Deciding Which Interface to Use 40
Using Menus 41
Using the Command-line Interface 42
Using Web Link 43

Using Transcend 43
Changing the Root Password 43
Changing the Default Console Port Baud Rate 44
Adding User Accounts 45
Setting the Time and Date 45
Setting System Information 46
Setting Up Security Access 46

ASIC CONFIGURATION OF PORTS

B

Paths, Ports, and Connectors 49

Multiple Port and Path Bindings 50

Dynamic Paths 50

Virtual Ports 50

Port/Path Services and Syntax 51

Connector Services and Syntax for Ultra-WAN Interfaces 51
Path and Port Numbering 52

ATHS, AND CONNECTORS

, P

Model S500 52
Model S580 52
Model S590 53
Model S593/S595 53
Model S598 and S599 54

Model S574 and S578 54
Configuring Ethernet Paths and Ports 55
Configuring Flex-WAN Serial Interfaces with DCEs 55
Configuring Flex-WAN Serial Interfaces with DTEs 56
Configuring the Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Interfaces 56

Configuring a CSU/DSU Interface for ISDN PRI Dial Service 57

Configuring a CSU/DSU Interface for Single Path, Unstructured

Service 59

Configuring a CSU/DSU Interface for Multiple Path, Channelized

Service 60
Configuring the High-Speed T3 Interface 62
Configuring the ATM Interfaces 62
Where To Go From Here 65

ONFIGURING AND MONITORING VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS

C

Remote Access Alternatives 67

Using Tunnels 67

ISP to Central Site Tunneling 68
Remote User to Central Site Tunneling 68

Creating a VPN for Individual Remote Users 68

Example 1 69

Example 2 70
Creating a VPN for a Remote Office 71

On the Remote Office OfficeConnect Bridge/Router 72

On the Central Site PathBuilder Switch 73
Monitoring VPN Performance 73

Web Link Health Monitor 73

Secure VPN Manager 73

InfoVista 74

ERIAL DEVICES

S

Dial Serial Device Requirements 75

T

ECHNICAL SUPPORT

Online Technical Services 77

World Wide Web Site 77
3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 77
3Com FTP Site 78
3Com Bulletin Board Service 78

Access by Analog Modem 78
Access by Digital Modem 79

3Com Facts Automated Fax Service 79
Support from Your Network Supplier 79
Support from 3Com 79
Returning Products for Repair 81

ONNECTORS AND CABLES

C

Console Connector and Cables 83

PC Cable 83

Terminal Cable 84

Modem Cable 84
LAN Connector and Cables 85

10BASE-T Cabling 85

Cabling Standards 86

100BASE-TX Cabling 86

Creating a Valid Network 86

Flex-WAN Serial Connectors and Serial Cables 90

RS-232 DTE Cable Pinouts 93

RS-232 DCE Cable Pinouts 94

V.35 DTE Cable Pinouts 95

V.35 DCE Cable Pinouts 96

X.21 DTE Cable Pinouts 97

X.21 DCE Cable Pinouts 98

RS-449 DTE Cable Pinouts 99

RS-449 DCE Cable Pinouts 100

RS-530 DTE Cable Pinouts 102
Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Connectors and CSU/DSU Cables 103
Ultra-WAN Connectors and Line Converters for 75 ohm Systems 104
High-speed Serial Interface (HSSI) Cables 105

USTOMIZING YOUR SOFTWARE

C

Naming Paths and Ports 107

Path and Port Naming Restrictions 107
Working with Dial Number Lists 108

Adding a Phone Number 108

Redialing When the Connection Fails 108

Dialing the Same Phone Number Multiple Times 108

Positioning a Phone Number 109

Editing an Existing Phone Number 109

Deleting a Phone Number 109

T

ROUBLESHOOTING

Using the Monitor Utility 111

Boot 112

Configure Flash Load 112

Clear PID 112

Display Files 113

Dump 113

Flash Load 113

Help 114

Repeat Last Command 114

Self Test 114
Normal LED Meanings 115

System LEDs 115

LAN LEDs 116

Flex-WAN Serial LEDs 116

Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU LEDs 117

T3/HSSI Serial LEDs 117

ATM LEDs 118
Error LED Meanings 118

Troubleshooting During the Load Phase 118

Troubleshooting During the Test Phase 123

Performing Loopback Tests on the Flex-WAN Serial and Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU
Interfaces 123

Configuring a RX to TX Loopback via the Command Line on the
Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Interface 125

Response to Loopback Assertions from Link Partner on Flex-WAN Serial and
Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Interfaces 126

Response to Local Loopback Assertion on a Flex-WAN Serial
Interface 126

Response to a Loopback Assertion via Inbound BoP and MoP Messages on

an Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Interface 127
Performing T3/E3 Loopback Tests 127
Performing a Memory Dump 129

Configuring the Dump Destination 129

Obtaining the MAC Address 131

Creating Files for the Memory Dump 131

Partial Dump File 131
QuadWan Dump Files 132

Full Dump Files 133
Verifying the TFTP Process 134
Verifying the Memory Dump Procedure 134

R

ELOADING THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE

Reloading the Software 140
Load Errors 141

OMPLETING THE ULTRA

C

Overview 143
Example Configuration Templates 144

C

OMPLETING THE

Overview 163
Example Configuration Templates 164

ATM C

-WAN C

ONFIGURATION

ONFIGURATION

OMMANDS AND PARAMETERS FOR ULTRA

C
I

NTERFACES

Connector and Path Level Command Syntax 167
Connector-level Path Parameters 169

CLock 169
CONNector 169
ConnConFig 170
ConnControl 170
ConnCouNTers 170
ConnStatus 172
FrameMode 173
LineDistance 173
Line ENCoding 174
SwitchType 174
WanCounters 175

Connector-level Commands 176

Flush 176
LPBCK 176

Path Parameters 177

ChannelBaud 177
ChannelMap 177

-WAN CSU/DSU

P
U

ATT TR54016 Compliance 179
ANSI T1.403-1995 Compliance 180
Additional Performance Monitoring Support on the Console Interface 180

3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY

ERFORMANCE

LTRAWAN CONNECTORS

WanCounters 181
ConnCouNTers 182
FLUSH 184

ONITORING AND LOOPBACK SUPPORT ON

M

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide includes complete hardware installation, basic software
configuration information, and cabling information for the PathBuilder
switch.

This guide is intended for the following audience:

■ Experienced network administrators who are configuring the central

site as well as the remote office

■ Experienced system integrators

If release notes are shipped with your product and the information there
differs from the information in this guide, follow the instructions in the
release notes.

™

Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat
Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML on the 3Com
World Wide Web site:

http://www.3com.com/

Conventions Table 1 lists notice icons that are used throughout this guide.

Table 1 Notice Icons

Icon Notice Type Alerts you to...

Information note Important features or instructions

Caution Risk of personal safety, system damage, or loss

of data

Warning Risk of severe personal injury

14 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Table 2 Text Conventions

Convention Description

Screen displays This typeface represents information as it appears on the

screen.

Syntax Evaluate the syntax provided and supply the appropriate

values. Placeholders for values you must supply appear in
angle brackets. Example:

Enable RIPIP using:

SETDefault !<port> -RIPIP CONTrol = Listen

In this example, you must supply a port number for
<port>.

Commands Enter the command exactly as shown in text and press the

Return or Enter key. Example:

To remove the IP address, enter:

SETDefault !0 -IP NETaddr = 0.0.0.0

This guide always gives the full form of a command in
uppercase and lowercase letters. However, you can
abbreviate commands by entering only the uppercase
letters and the appropriate value. Commands are not
case-sensitive.

The words “enter”
and “type”

When you see the word “enter” in this guide, you must type
something, and then press Return or Enter. Do not press
Return or Enter when an instruction simply says “type.”

Keyboard key names If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key

names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del

Words in italics Italics are used to:

■ Emphasize a point.

■ Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in the

text.

■ Identify menu names, menu commands, and software

button names. Examples:
From the Help menu, select Contents.
Click OK.

Year 2000
Compliance

For information on Year 2000 compliance and 3Com products, visit the
3Com Year 2000 Web page:

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

OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER

1

Using the
PathBuilder Switch
in Your Network

S

WITCH

This chapter provides an overview of the PathBuilder™ switch and
describes how it is used in a network.

The PathBuilder switch maintains connectivity among small, midsize, and
large branch offices and the corporate LAN.

The PathBuilder switch provides the ability to connect to a wide variety of
WAN services and serves as a WAN aggregation point. It accommodates
extensive virtual port tunneling capabilities with encryption, data
compression, and high-speed processing.

When used at a central site, the PathBuilder switch supplies high-speed,
scalable performance for WAN concentration, virtual private network
(VPN) tunnel termination, and efficient bandwidth utilization. For more
information about VPN configurations, see Chapter 5.

The PathBuilder switch concentrates T1/E1 or T3/E3 internet traffic at the
central site, which enables the creation and maintenance of multiple
secure tunnels through the public network to many remote locations
simultaneously.

User authentication and internet firewall options can be configured on
the PathBuilder switch. Or, when the traffic load is high, these services
can be off-loaded onto other devices, which allows the PathBuilder
switch to function solely as the primary tunnel switch for your enterprise.

In addition, the PathBuilder switch is supported by extensive
statistics-based network management facilities in the Transcend
application.

Using Ethernet LAN

Interfaces

All models of the PathBuilder switch provide connection to two Ethernet
LANs using either 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX Ethernet.

®

16 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

Using Flex-WAN

Serial and Ultra-WAN

CSU/DSU Interfaces

The PathBuilder switch is available with five different serial W AN interface
options:

■ The model S580 PathBuilder switch has eight high-speed

multifunction Flex-WAN serial connectors that provide connection to
industry-standard V.35, RS-232, RS-449, RS-530, or X.21 Data
Communications Equipment (DCE) or Data Terminal Equipment (DTE)
serial devices. You can buy Flex-WAN cables separately from 3Com.
See “Flex-WAN Serial Connectors and Serial Cables” on page 90 for
more information about the Flex-WAN cables.

■ The model S593 and S595 PathBuilder switches have two T3/E3 WAN

interfaces. Each interface can be connected to either an external
CSU/DSU via an HSSI connector, or directly to a T3/E3 line via a BNC
connector.

■ The model S590 PathBuilder switch has four high-speed multifuntion

Flex-WAN serial interfaces and four Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU interfaces
supporting PRI, channelized, and unstructured connectivity on a per
connector basis at T1 and E1 line rates.

■ The model S598 and S599 PathBuilder switches have eight or four

high-speed multifuntion Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU interfaces supporting
PRI, channelized, and unstructured connectivity on a per connector
basis at T1 and E1 line rates.

Using ATM Interfaces The model S574 and model S578 PathBuilder switches have two interface

modules, each with an OC3 UNI connector supporting two types of
optical fiber cables; single-mode and multi-mode, and one set of transmit
(Tx) and receive (Rx) coaxial connectors. Only one interface type will be
active on each module.

WARNING: Optical Safety. Under normal viewing conditions there is no
hazard from the T ransmit LED. It is recommended however that the LED is
not viewed through any magnifying device while it is powered on. It is
advisable that the fiber TX port and fiber cable ends are never viewed
directly when powered on.

Telco Services T o use the PathBuilder W AN functionality, you must buy lines and services

from a telecommunications company (Telco). Services include but are not
limited to dial-up lines, leased lines, and packet-switched services.

Dial-up lines allow you to dial your destination when necessary and hang
up when you no longer need the connection. A leased line is always
available between two locations. Dial-up lines use the Point-to-Point
Protocol (PPP). Leased lines typically use either PPP, Frame Relay, or X.25.

Packet-switched services, like Frame Relay , use a combination of leased or
dial-up lines with Telco-owned switching. Typical protocols used over
packet-switched services are Frame Relay, X.25, and SMDS.

Table 3 and Table 4 describe the dial-up, leased, and packet-switched
services supported by the PathBuilder S5xx series switches.

Table 3 Dial-Up and Leased Line Services

17

Telco Line Protocol Serial Device Requirements Data Transfer Rate
Dial-Up Lines:

Plain Old Telephone
Service (POTS)

ISDN PPP Terminal Adapter Up to 128 Kbps
ISDN/PRI PPP None (on S590/S598 only) 2.048 Mbps/1.544

Leased Lines:

E1 Frame

T1 Frame

Fractional T1 Frame

E3 Frame

T3 Frame

Digital Data Service (DDS) PPP CSU/DSU Up to 64 Kbps

PPP Modem Up to 115 Kbps

Mbps

Relay, PPP

Relay, PPP

Relay, PPP

Relay, PPP

Relay, PPP

CSU/DSU (not needed on S590/S598 Ultra-WAN
connectors)

CSU/DSU (not needed on S590/S598 Ultra-WAN
connectors)

CSU/DSU (not needed on S590/S598 Ultra-WAN
connectors)

CSU/DSU (not needed on S593/S595 BNC
connectors)

CSU/DSU (not needed on S593/S595 BNC
connectors)

2.048 Mbps

1.544 Mbps

Up to 31 channels at
56/64 Kbps each

34.368 Mbps

44.736 Mbps

18 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

Table 4 Packet-Switched Services

Packet-Switched
Services/Protocol

X.25 POTS Modem Up to 115 Kbps
Frame Relay Leased line CSU/DSU (not needed on

SMDS Leased line CSU/DSU Up to T3/E3

Telco Line

Serial Device
Requirements

Ultra-WAN and BNC
connectors)

Data Transfer Rate

Up to T3/E3

Using PPP on Dial-Up and Leased Lines

All dial-up and many leased lines use PPP. If you want to use multiple PPP
lines or channels to connect to the same destination, you can bundle
them together using Multilink PPP.

Using Packet-Switched Network Services

You can use packet-switched services with your PathBuilder S5xx series
switch instead of dial-up or leased lines to leverage the Telco-owned
switching infrastructure.

Frame Relay provides a packet-switched network that transfers data
between DTEs, which can be routers, bridges, and host computers, by
creating virtual circuits and using DCEs to transfer the data to its
destination.

Frame Relay has been designed to work within complex internetworking
environments with extensions referred to as the local management
interface (LMI).

LMI provides information about all devices that are accessible on the
Frame Relay network by listing all data link connection identifiers (DLCIs)
connecting the local system with the remote ones. The LMI improves
reliability between the DTE and DCE through frequent exchange of
keepalive packets that contain status information.

IBM Legacy Networks Each serial interface can be attached directly with a Flex-WAN cable to

IBM legacy equipment like mainframes and automatic teller machines.
See Table 5 for supported IBM protocols.

Table 5 Supported IBM Protocols

Service
Protocol

APPN No Yes (converted

Async (Polled) BSC HDLC QLLC SDLC

protocol)

No Yes (converted

protocol)

Yes (both native
and converted

protocol)
ATUN Yes No No No No
Bridging No Yes (converted

protocol)

BSC No Yes (both native

No Yes (converted

protocol)

Yes (converted

protocol)

No No No
and converted
protocol)

DLSw Yes (used as

transport for
native protocol)

QLLC No No No Yes (both native

Yes (used as
transport for
native protocol)

Yes (used as

transport for native

protocol)

Yes (used as
transport for
native protocol)

Yes (used as
transport for
native protocol)

No
and converted
protocol)

SDLC No No No No Yes (both native

and converted

protocol)

SHDLC No No Yes Yes Yes
SNA (BSC LU

definitions)
SR No Yes (converted

X.25 No No Yes Yes (converted

No Yes (converted

protocol)

protocol)

No No Yes (converted

protocol)

No Yes (converted

protocol)

Yes (converted

protocol)

Yes
protocol)

19

20 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

Hardware Features This section describes the hardware features of the PathBuilder switch.

Back and Front Panels Figure 1 shows the back panel of the PathBuilder switch.

Figure 1 Back Panel

On/off
switch

Power

receptacle

RPS

connector

MODEL: xxxxxxx

PATHBUILDER

xxxxxx

100-240VAC, 50/60HZ, 1.0-0.5A

FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION

AGAINST FIRE HAZARD
REPLACE FUSE ONY WITH
SAME TYPE AND RATING

3COM CORP.

S/N:

NTWK
ADDR:

080002 04BA1E LAN

04BA1F
04BA20
04BA21

07/31/95

1SC05427

WAN-A
WAN-B
WAN-C

xxx

250V, F2A

SANTA CLARA, CA. MADE IN USA

Product

information label

8.3

20-0261-000

Figure 2 shows the front panel of the model S500 PathBuilder switch.
Figure 3 shows the front panel of the model S574 and model S578

PathBuilder switch.
Figure 4 shows the front panel of the model S580 PathBuilder switch.
Figure 5 shows the front panel of the model S590 PathBuilder switch.
Figure 6 shows the front panel of the model S593/S595 PathBuilder

switch.
Figure 7 shows the front panel of the model S598 PathBuilder switch.
Figure 8 shows the front panel of the model S599 PathBuilder switch.

Link, Active, and

Fault LEDs

Hardware Features 21

Figure 2 Front Panel (model S500)

®

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

LAN 1

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

connectors

OC3/3

Select

Link
Active
Fault

1

100Mb

LAN 1

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

Status
LEDs

Reset

SYSTEM

Status

and Test LEDs

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

LAN 2

Console

connector

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Console

Figure 3 Front Panel (model S574 and S578)

ATM Coax

connectors

Link
Active
Fault

Rx

2

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Coax 3

Link
Active
Fault

Tx

100Mb

Console

connector

Select

LAN 2

Console

OC3/4

Status
LEDs

Reset

Select

SYSTEM

Reset

Status

and Test LEDs

Run

Fwd

Load

Power
/Fault

Test

Fwd and

Fault LED

Run, Load,

Link
Active
Fault

Run

Fwd

Load

Power
/Fault

Test

Fwd and

Fault LED

Run, Load,

Power/

Power/

ATM Coax
connectors

Coax 4

Rx

Tx

PathBuilder S500 Series

Carrier, Alarm,

and Lpbk LEDs

Select

PathBuilder
S500 Series

ATM

®

Figure 4 Front Panel (model S580)

Link, Active, and

Fault LEDs

1

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

LAN 1

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

Flex-WAN serial connectors

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Active
Fault

32

Link

LAN 2

100Mb

Console

connector

Console

56

SYSTEM

Run

Fwd

Load

Status

Status

Test

Power
/Fault

Fwd and

LEDs

Reset

Fault LED

Run, Load,

and Test LEDs

Power/

874

PathBuilder
S500 Series

®

22 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

Figure 5 Front Panel (model S590)

Flex-WAN serial connectors

3A

Link
Active
Fault

1

100Mb

3B 3C

LAN 1

Put the new front panel drawing S590 here.

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Figure 6 Front Panel (model S593/S595)

use HSSI or BNC connectors

Link
Active
Fault

LAN 1 and LAN 2

WAN 1

Link
Active
Fault

LAN 1

100Mb

Ethernet

connectors

Link
Active
Fault

2

100Mb

LAN 2

Console

connector

Link
Active

WAN 1

Fault

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

LAN 2

Console

connector

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU connectors

Link
Active

3D

Fault

Console

4A

SYSTEM

Status
LEDs

Reset

Status

4B

Run

Reset

Load
Test

Fwd
Power
/Fault

4C

Fwd and

Power/

Fault LED

Carrier
Alarm

4D

Lpbk

PathBuilder S500 Series

Carrier, Alarm,

and Lpbk LEDs

®

Serial/WAN

Run, Load,

and Test LEDs

WAN 2

use HSSI or BNC connectors

Console

Status
LEDs

Reset

SYSTEM

Status

Link
Active
Fault

Run
Load
Test

Fwd
Power
/Fault

Fwd and

Power/

Fault LED

Link
Active

WAN 2

Fault

Link, Active, and

Fault LEDs

PathBuilder
S500 Series

®

Run, Load,

and Test LEDs

Figure 7 Front Panel (model S598)

Ultra-WAN connectors

Carrier
Alarm

3D

Lpbk

Link
Active
Fault

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

3B

3C

LAN 1

3A

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

LAN 2

100Mb

Console

connector

Console

4A

Status
LEDs

Reset

Status

4B

Run

Reset

Load
Test

SYSTEM

Run, Load,

and Test LEDs

Fwd
Power
/Fault

Fwd and

Power/

Fault LED

Carrier

Alarm

4C

4D

Lpbk

WAN

PathBuilder S500 Series

®

Carrier, Alarm,

and Lpbk LEDs

Figure 8 Front Panel (model S599)

Ultra-WAN connectors

Hardware Features 23

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

3B

LAN 1

3A

LAN 1 and LAN 2

Ethernet

connectors

Hardware Interrupt

Switch

Carrier
Alarm

3C

3D

Lpbk

Active
Fault

Link

100Mb

LAN 2

Console

connector

Link, Active, Fault,
and 100Mb LEDs

Console

Status
LEDs

Reset

SYSTEM

Run

Reset

Load

Status

Test

Run, Load,

and Test LEDs

Fwd
Power
/Fault

Fwd and

Power/

Fault LED

WAN

PathBuilder S500 Series

Carrier, Alarm,

and Lpbk LEDs

The hardware interrupt switch is located on the left side of the switch
(when facing the front panel). Press the switch with a nonconductive
object, such as a plastic stylus, to activate the monitor firmware utility.

Left side of unit

®

Hardware interrupt switch

WARNING: Use only a nonconductive object, such as a plastic stylus, to
press the hardware interrupt switch. Do not use the tip of a pencil.
Graphite particles from the pencil may cause you to receive an electric
shock and may damage components on the motherboard.

Reset Button Pressing the Reset button resets the switch. The reset button is on the

front panel.

24 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PATHBUILDER SWITCH

2

INSTALLING THE HARDWARE

This chapter describes how to install your PathBuilder switch.

Required
Equipment

Table 6 lists the items you receive in the shipping carton and items you
need to provide.

Table 6 Equipment Received and Equipment Needed

Shipping carton contents ■ PathBuilder switch

■ Power cable

■ Rack-mount kit

■ Software CD-ROM

■ Documentation and documentation CD-ROM

What you need to provide ■ Interface module (available from 3Com —

optional)

■ 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX network cables

■ Flex-WAN cables (available from 3Com). See

“Flex-WAN Serial Connectors and Serial Cables”
on page 90 for more information about ordering
Flex-WAN cables.

■ ATM cables — optical fiber for OC3 connectors or

75-ohm coaxial cables for Coax (DS3/E3)
connectors

■ Terminal, PC, or modem and cable

*The software is preinstalled in the flash memory drive of the switch and automatically loads

when you turn on the power. The software CD-ROM is for software recovery purposes only.

*

WARNING: To eliminate cable noise emission in excess of FCC
regulations, part 15, subpart J, and EN55022B, all interconnection cables
should be equipped with shielded connectors, the backshells of which
must completely surround the cable shield.

For more information on cables, see Appendix C.

26 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE HARDWARE

Mounting the
Switch

Environmental

Requirements

You can mount your switch on a tabletop, stack several switches with
brackets, or mount the switch in a rack.

Table 7 provides the environmental requirements of the PathBuilder
switch.

Table 7 Environmental Requirements

Parameter Minimum Requirement Maximum Requirement
Temperature

Operating 5 °C 40 °C
Nonoperating -40 °C 75 °C

Altitude

Operating 15,000 ft
Nonoperating 40,000 ft

Relative Humidity

Operating 10% noncondensing 90% noncondensing
Nonoperating 10% noncondensing 90% noncondensing

Mounting Kit The mounting kit contains the hardware shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9 Mounting Kit Contents

Two brackets

Four adhesive-backed

rubber feet

Four 8-32 Phillips

flathead screws for use

when stacking bridge/routers

Mounting the Switch 27

Installing on a

Tabletop

Stacking with

Brackets

If you plan to install your switch on a
tabletop, attach the rubber feet as

Attach feet to corners

of chassis bottom

shown.

Flex plastic sheet until

feet pop loose

See Figure 10 to securely stack several switches on a tabletop.

CAUTION: Do not restrict air flow around the sides and back of the
switch.

Figure 10 Stacking switches

Attach brackets as shown
to lock two units together

Place screws in holes as shown

Bottom bracket acts as a support

28 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE HARDWARE

Installing in a Rack To install the switch in a rack, follow these steps:

CAUTION: Do not restrict air flow around the sides and back of the
switch.

1 Secure the rack-mount brackets to each side of the chassis using two

flathead screws per bracket.

2 Hold the chassis between the poles of the rack and attach the brackets to

the rack using panhead screws (you must provide these screws). Tighten
each screw securely.

CAUTION: Using fewer than two screws to secure the brackets to the
rack may cause the switch to fall and sustain damage not covered by the
warranty.

Cabling the Connectors 29

Cabling the
Connectors

The PathBuilder switch has two Ethernet interfaces, and a number of
Flex-WAN serial interfaces, Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU, T3/E3 WAN, and/or
ATM interfaces, depending on the model. This section describes how to
cable each interface on your switch.

Some network topologies require that a grounding stud, separate from
the AC ground, be provided on the chassis of the networking equipment.
If this is required, ground the PathBuilder S574 ATM tunnel switch by
attaching a permanently connected protective earthing conductor using a
minimum 18 gauge wire with a UL-listed ring lug to a reliably connected
earth ground (see Figure 11).

Figure 11 Grounding the PathBuilder S574 ATM Tunnel Switch

Connect earthing conductor

using grounding screw

To earth ground

Cabling the LAN

Connectors

You can cable one or two Ethernet connectors using either 10BASE-T or
100BASE-TX cabling.

LAN 2

LAN 1

Link
Active
Fault

10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX cables

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

For more information about Ethernet connectors and cables, see “LAN
Connector and Cables” on page 85.

30 CHAPTER 2: INSTALLING THE HARDWARE

Cabling the Flex-WAN

Serial Connectors

Cabling the

Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU

Connectors

The model S580 and S590 PathBuilder switches have Flex-WAN serial
connectors. Order the appropriate Flex-WAN cable from 3Com for your
serial device. See “Flex-WAN Serial Connectors and Serial Cables” on
page 90 for more information about the Flex-WAN cables.

Link
Active
Fault

LAN 1

Link
Active
Fault

100Mb

Console

SYSTEM

Status

Run

Fwd

Load

Power
/Fault

Test

LAN 2

Flex-WAN cables

The models S590 and S598 PathBuilder switch have Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU
connectors. You can cable one or more of these connectors using RJ-48C
connectors. See “Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU Connector and RJ-48C Cables”
on page 103 for more information about the Ultra-WAN CSU/DSU
cables.

Console

Reset

4B

Run
Load
Test

4A

SYSTEM

Status

RJ-48C cables

Fwd
Power
/Fault

Carrier
Alarm

4C

4D

Lpbk

PathBuilder S500 Series

Serial/WAN

®