3COM 3C996B-T User Manual

User Guide

Gigabit Server Network Interface Cards

3C996B-T and 3C996-SX

http://www.3com.com/ http://support.3com.com/registration/frontpg.pl

Published November 2001 User guide version 1.0.2

3Com Corporation■5400 Bayfront Plaza■Santa Clara, California■95052-8145■U.S.A.

Copyright © 2001 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without written 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.

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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 or !LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy, please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you.

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.

Portions of this documentation are reproduced in whole or in part with permission from (as appropriate).

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

3Com, DynamicAccess, EtherCD, EtherLink and EtherLink II are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd.

All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Contents

Introduction

Contents 1 Advanced Server Features Overview 1

Load Balance 2 Advanced Server Features for Windows 2000 2 Advanced Server Features for Windows NT 3 Advanced Server Features for Novell NetWare 3

Advanced Server Features for Linux 4 3Com Management Programs 4 Creating a Driver Disk 5

Installing and Connecting the NIC

System Requirements 7

Windows XP (64-bit) 7

Windows XP (32-bit) 7

Windows 2000 7

Windows NT 7

NetWare 8

Linux 8

UNIX 8

Solaris 8 Safety Precautions 9 Pre-Installation Checklist 9 Installing and Connecting the NIC 10

Installing the NIC 10

Connecting the Network Cables 12 Installing and Using the 3Com Connection Assistant 13

System Requirements 13

Installation 13

Windows XP Driver Setup

Installing the Driver Software 15

Windows XP 32-bit 15

Windows XP 64-bit 16

Driver Installation Without Master Navigator 16 Verifying Successful Installation 17 Modifying Configuration Parameters 17 Removing the Driver Software 19 Installing Advanced Server Features 19 Uninstalling Advanced Server Features 20 Configuring Advanced Server Features 20

Configuring Teaming 20

Configuring VLANs 22

Advanced Server Control Suite 23

Contents

Windows 2000 Driver Setup

Installing the Driver Software 25 Verifying Successful Installation 27 Modifying Configuration Parameters 27 Removing the Driver Software 29 Installing Advanced Server Features 30 Uninstalling Advanced Server Features 30 Configuring Advanced Server Features 30

Configuring Teaming 30 Configuring VLANs 32 Advanced Server Control Suite 34

Updating Mini-port (Core) Drivers 34

Windows NT Driver Setup

Installing the Driver Software 37 Modifying Configuration Parameters 38 Updating the Driver Software 40 Removing the Driver Software 40 Installing Advanced Server Features 41 Uninstalling Advanced Server Features 41

Configuring Teaming 42 Configuring VLANs 44

Advanced Server Control Suite 45 Installing the Microsoft Loopback Adapter Driver 46 Performing a Fresh Installation of Windows NT on a

Backup Domain Controller 46

Setting up SERVER 2 47

Stopping the Net Logon Service on SERVER 1 48

Stopping the Net Logon Service on SERVER 2 48

Renaming Domain-2/SERVER-2 to DOMAIN-1/SERVER-2 48 Updating Mini-port (Core) Drivers 49

Novell NetWare Driver Setup

Pre-Installation Requirements 51 Installing Novell NetWare Server 4.2 51 Installing Novell NetWare Server 5.1 54 Verifying or Modifying NIC Parameters 54 Removing Drivers from Autoexec.ncf 55 Installing Advanced Server Features 56 Uninstalling Advanced Server Features 56

Load Balance and Trunk Mode Selection 57

Loading Frame Types 57

Hot Standby 57

Configuring VLANs 57

Additional Command Line Keywords 59

Editing the AUTOEXEC.NCF File 59 Installing Advanced Server Features on Novell NetWare Server 4.2 and 5.1 63 NIC Driver Configuration Parameters for Novell NetWare 64

Linux Driver Setup

Installation Overview 65

Installing the Source RPM Package 65

Building the Driver From a TAR File 65

Patching PCI Files (Optional) 66

Unloading and Removing the Driver 66 Optional Parameters 66 Advanced Server Features 67

Installing Advanced Server Features 68

Configuring Teams 69

UNIX and SCO OpenServer Driver Setup

UnixWare 7 Driver 75

Package Creation 75

Driver Installation 75

MAC Address 76

Jumbo MTU Size 76 SCO OpenServer Release 5 Driver 76

Installation Diskette 76

Driver Installation 77

Jumbo Frames and Other Advanced Parameters 77

Contents

Solaris Driver Setup

Driver Installation 79

Uninstalling the Driver 79 Customizing the Driver Configuration 80

ForceSpeedDuplex 80

FlowControl 80

MaxJumboFrameSize 81

TxPacketDescCnt 81

RxStdDescCnt 81

RxJumboDescCnt 81

RxCoalescingTicks 81

RxMaxCoalescedFrames 81

TxCoalescingTicks 81

TxMaxCoalescedFrames 82

RxCoalescingTicksDuringInt 82

TxCoalescingTicksDuringInt 82

RxMaxCoalescedFramesDuringInt 82

TxMaxCoalescedFramesDuringInt 82

StatsCoalescingTicks 82

DoubleCopyTxBufferSize 82

ndd Command 83

Contents

3Com Management Programs

Overview 85 Installing the Management Programs 85 Removing the Management Programs 86 Initializing the Management Programs 86

Vital Sign 86

Diagnostics 87

Cable Analysis 88

Load Balance/Virtual LANs 89

Saving the Configuration 91

Restoring the Configuration 91

Load Balance/Virtual LAN Statistics 91

Troubleshooting

Hardware Diagnostics 93 Checking Port LEDs 93 Troubleshooting Checklist 94 Checking if Proper Drivers are Loaded 94

Windows 94

NetWare 95

Linux 95 Running Cable Analysis 95

Length 96

Cable Diagnostics Display 96 Testing Network Connectivity 96

Windows 96

NetWare 96

Linux 97 DOS Diagnostic Failures 97 Wake-on-Lan 97 Known Problems 97

Windows 2000 97

Linux 98

Key Protocols and Interfaces

CIM 99 DMI 100 SNMP 100 NIC Teaming 101

Load Balancing 101

Link Aggregation (802.3ad) 101

Generic Link Aggregation (Trunking) 101 Failover Teaming 102 VLANs Overview 102

VLAN Support 102

Installing and Using the Managed PC Boot Agent

Booting From the Network 105

Using the Boot ROM on the NIC to Boot from the Network 105 Enabling or Disabling the Boot ROM Setting 106

Specifications

10/100/1000 BASE-T Cable Specifications 107

Performance Specifications 107

Physical Characteristics 107

Power Requirements 107

Environmental Specifications 108

Technical Support

Online Technical Services 109

World Wide Web Site 109

3Com KnowledgeBase Services 109

3Com FTP Site 109 Support from Your Network Supplier 110 Support from 3Com 110 Returning Products for Repair 111

Contents

Regulatory Information

FCC Class A Verification Statement 113 FCC Class B Statement 113 FCC Declaration of Conformity 114

Index

Introduction

This guide describes how to install and configure the 3Com® Gigabit Server NICs in Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Novell NetWare, Linux, UNIX, and, Solaris operating system environments.

3Com Gigabit Server NIC

■

Keep the NIC in its package until ready for installation.

■

3Com Installation CD

Quick start guide.

■

Inform your network supplier of any missing or damaged items. If you need to return the NIC, you must use the original (or equivalent) packaging.

Advanced Server Features Overview

The Advanced Server Features program is an intermediate software driver for Windows 2000 Server operating systems (Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server), Windows NT Server operating systems (Server and Enterprise Server), NetWare, and Linux. The Advanced Server Features provide load balancing, failover, and VLAN configuration. These features are provided by creating teams (virtual NICs) that consist of multiple NICs. A team can consist of one to eight NICs, and each NIC can be designated primary or standby. All primary NICs in a team will participate in load balancing operations by sending and receiving a portion of the total traffic. Standby NICs will take over in the event that all primary NICs have lost their links. VLANs can be added to a team to allow multiple VLANs with different VLAN IDs. A virtual NIC is created for each VLAN added. Load balancing and failover features will work with any third-party NIC. VLANs work with 3Com, Broadcom, Alteon, and Intel NICs.

NOTE:

below).

Standby can be used only in load balance mode (see “Load Balance”

with Gigabit Server driver software and online user guide.

1 Introduction

Load Balance

Load balance is a protocol-specific scheme. The levels of support for IP, IPX, and other protocols are listed below.

Protocol Load Balancing Failover

IP Yes Yes

IPX Yes* Yes**

Other protocols No Yes**

*Only outbound load-balancing for IPX (on NetWare only). **For 3Com NICs.

Load balance mode works with all Ethernet switches without configuring the switch ports to any special trunking mode. Only IP traffic will be load-balanced in both inbound and outbound directions. IPX traffic will be load-balanced in the outbound direction only. Other protocol packets will be sent and received through one primary NIC only. Failover for non-IP traffic is supported using 3Com,Broadcom,Alteon, and Intel NICs. The generic trunking mode requires the Ethernet switch to support some form of port trunking mode (for example, Cisco Systems Gigabit EtherChannel or other switch vendors’ link aggregation mode). This mode is protocol-independent and all traffic should be loadbalanced and fault-tolerant.

Advanced Server Features for Windows 2000

The following options are supported under Windows 2000 Server operating systems (Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server). See “Windows 2000 Driver Setup” on page 25 for additional information.

Failover and Load Balance

Adapter teaming for failover (heterogeneous support for 3Com 10/100 server NICs,

■

Alteon AceNIC, released Intel 10/100 server NICs, released Intel 1000BaseSX server NICs, and Intel 82559 LAN on Motherboard [LOM])

Load balance

■

Generic Link Aggregation (GEC/FEC, open trunk)

■

Link aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad) static implementation only

■

Virtual LAN (VLANs)

Up to 64 VLANs per team using IEEE 802.1Q-1988 tagging

■

Offloading

IP, TCP/UDP checksum

■

Support for segmentation of large TCP packets

■

Jumbo frames (9K)

■

Power Management

Remote Wake Up (magic packet, specific pattern)

■

NOTE:

Wake-on-LAN (WOL) is not supported with the fiber version of the Gigabit Server NIC (3C996-SX). WOL must be disabled when using the fiber Gigabit Server NIC.

PCI Hot-Plug

Microsoft

■

Advanced Server Features Overview

Advanced Server Features for Windows NT

The following options are supported under Windows NT Server operating systems (Server and Enterprise Server). See “Windows NT Driver Setup” on page 37 for additional information.

Failover and Load Balance

Adapter teaming for failover (heterogeneous support for 3Com 10/100 server NICs,

■

released Alteon AceNIC, Intel 82559 LAN on Motherboard (LOM), released Intel 10/100 server NICs, and released Intel 1000BaseSX server NICs).

Load balance

■

Generic Link Aggregation (GEC/FEC, open trunk)

■

Link aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad) static implementation only

■

Virtual LAN (VLANs)

Up to 64 VLANs per team using IEEE 802.1Q-1988 tagging.

■

Offloading

Jumbo frames (9K)

■

PCI Hot-Plug

Contact your OEM for more information.

■

Advanced Server Features for Novell NetWare

The following options are supported under Novell NetWare. See “Novell NetWare Driver Setup” on page 51 for additional information.

Failover and Load Balance

Adapter teaming for failover (heterogeneous support for 3Com 10/100 server NICs,

■

Alteon Tigon2/3, Intel 82559 LAN on Motherboard (LOM), Intel 10/100 server NICs, and Intel 1000BaseSX server NICs).

Load Balance

■

Generic Link Aggregation (GEC/FEC, open trunk)

■

NESL Compliance

For optimal fault tolerance and recovery operations, BASP.LAN relies on the NIC drivers to generate NESL (NetWare Event Service Layer) events during link changes and other failure events. NESL is an optional feature in the ODI driver specification and not all drivers support it. For NESL events to propagate properly to BASP.LAN, ODINEB.NLM must be loaded before the NESL compliant ODI drivers.

Do the following to determine if a NIC driver supports NESL events:

Load BASP.LAN and create a team by binding the NIC to the virtual slot (see

■

instructions and examples below). In the Virtual Adapter X Team Members screen of the BASP.LAN menu interface, the Link status of all bound NICs are shown. Disconnect or connect the NIC cable. The link status shown on the screen should change immediately if the NIC driver supports NESL events.

1 Introduction

Virtual LAN (VLANs)

Up to 64 VLANs per NIC using IEEE 802.1Q-1988 tagging (64 is the maximum

■

configurable, although 32 is the maximum operable).

Offloading

IP, TCP/UDP checksum—NetWare 5.0 or greater only

■

PCI Hot-Plug

Contact your OEM for more information.

■

Advanced Server Features for Linux

The Gigabit Ethernet NIC supports the Linux driver. See “Linux Driver Setup” on page 65 for additional information.

Packaging—The driver has been released in two packaging formats, source RPM and

■

compressed TAR formats. Module Parameters—Optional parameters for the driver can be supplied as

■

command-line arguments to the insmod command. Advanced Server Features—A kernel module designed for Linux 2.2 kernel that

■

provides load balancing, failover, and VLAN features.

3Com Management Programs

The 3Com Management Programs is a graphical user interface that functions with the Windows 2000 Server operating systems (Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server). See “3Com Management Programs” on page 85 for additional information. 3Com Management Programs have the following features:

Vital Sign—The Vital Sign screen allows you to view vital NIC information, network

■

status, and network connectivity. Active NICs are listed. Diagnostics—The Diagnostics screen allows you to view information and utilize

■

functions to test this network interface card or LOM. Cable Analysis—From the Cable Analysis screen the user can monitor conditions of an

■

Ethernet CAT5 cable connection within a cable plant in an Ethernet network. The software detects various cable conditions such as cable lengths between two given nodes, cable pair breakage, cable pair polarity, and data skew between cable pairs.

Load Balance/Virtual LANs—The Load Balance/Virtual LANs screen allows you to

■

configure advanced features. Any available NIC can be configured as part of a team. Statistics—The Statistics screen allows you view traffic statistics for most NICs.

■

Statistical values and coverage are more comprehensive for some NICs than for others.

Creating a Driver Disk

Create driver disks using the MakeDisk utility (setup.exe file). This utility will allow you to create disks with the following drivers:

■

Windows XP 32-bit Driver Windows XP 64-bit Driver Windows 2000 Driver Windows NT Driver NetWare Driver Advanced Server Features—Windows XP 64-bit Driver Advanced Server Features—Windows 2000 Driver Advanced Server Features—Windows NT Driver Advanced Server Features—NetWare Driver Advanced Server Features—Linux Driver

Insert the

3Com Installation CD

in the CD-ROM drive. Allow your operating system’s

autorun feature to launch the Master Navigator.

Creating a Driver Disk

Click

NIC Software

Click

Installation Utilities

Click

Create Installation Diskette

In the Welcome window of the Diskette Creation Utility, click

Insert a 3.5” disk into floppy drive A (default) or B. Click

Follow the remaining Diskette Creation Utility commands and insert diskettes when

prompted. When all driver diskettes have been created, the message “Diskette Copy Complete” appears on your screen.

Click

When all driver diskettes have been created, the information screen will appear,

to end the Diskette Creation Utility.

confirming that the drivers were successfully created. Click OK.

Installing and Connecting the NIC

System Requirements

Before installing the Gigabit Ethernet NIC, be sure your system meets the requirements listed for your operating system.

Windows XP (64-bit)

■

Windows XP (32-bit)

■

Itanium-based computer that meets Windows XP software requirements One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz 256 MB RAM (minimum) Microsoft Windows XP (64-bit version) Gigabit Ethernet NIC driver software for Windows XP

Pentium-based computer that meets Windows XP software requirements One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz 128 MB RAM (minimum) Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit version) Gigabit Ethernet NIC driver software for Windows XP

Windows 2000

Pentium-based computer that meets Windows 2000 software requirements

■

One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128 MB RAM (minimum)

■

Microsoft Windows 2000 (Server, Advanced Server, or Datacenter Server)

■

Gigabit Ethernet NIC driver software for Windows 2000:

■

Windows NT

Pentium-based computer that meets Windows NT 4.0 software requirements

■

One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128 MB RAM (minimum)

■

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Server or Enterprise Server) with Service Pack 5 or later

■

Gigabit Ethernet NIC driver software for Windows NT

■

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

NetWare

Pentium-based computer that meets Novell NetWare 4.2/5.x/6.x software

■

requirements One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128 MB RAM (minimum)

■

One of the following versions of Novell NetWare:

■

Novell NetWare 5.0 or higher, with Support Pack 3 or the most recent NetWare 5

■

Support Pack Novell NetWare 4.2 with Support Pack 7 or the most recent Support Pack, including

■

the optional ODI v3.31 LAN drivers (MISC/ODI331). You can get the appropriate updates from the Novell support Web site

Gigabit Ethernet NIC driver software for Novell NetWare. (Note that the server ODI

■

driver can be found at the \netware\driver directory).

Linux

Pentium-based computer that meets Linux software requirements

■

One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128 MB RAM (minimum)

■

NOTE:

Although the driver should work with many Linux kernel versions and distributions, it has only been tested on RedHat 6.2 and 7 Linux distributions for i386 (kernel version 2.2.14 and 2.2.16), and the 2.4.0 test kernel. Furthermore, the driver has only been tested as a loadable module.

UNIX

Pentium-based computer that meets corresponding UNIX software requirements

■

One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128MB RAM (minimum)

■

Solaris

Pentium-based computer that meets Solaris 8 software requirements

■

One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot

■

PCI v2.2 33/66 MHz or PCI-x v1.0 64 bit 133 MHz

■

128MB RAM (minimum)

■

Solaris 8 operating system

■

Safety Precautions

Observe the following safety precautions.

WARNING:

can be lethal. Before you remove the cover of your system, you must observe the following precautions to protect yourself and to prevent damage to the system components.

■

Pre-Installation Checklist

Check that your server meets the hardware and software requirements listed under

“System Requirements” on page 7.

Verify that your system is using the latest BIOS.

Safety Precautions

The NIC is being installed in a system that operates with voltages that

Remove any metallic objects or jewelry from your hands and wrists. Use only insulated or nonconducting tools. Verify that the system is powered OFF and unplugged before removing

the cover. Install or remove NICs only in a static-free environment. The use of a properly

grounded wrist strap (or other personal anti-static device) and an anti-static mat are strongly recommended.

Review the information in the release.txt file on the

3Com Installation CD

important information not available at the time this manual was created.

NOTE:

If you acquired the adapter software on a floppy disk or from a third-party support Web site, please check the appropriate source for the most recent information.

If your system is active, shut it down.

Under Windows 2000

■

If Windows 2000 is currently running, close all applications and select

. When the window appears, select

Down

Shut Down

from the pull-down options,

and click OK. Under Windows NT

■

If Windows NT is currently running, close all applications and select

. Shut down the computer.

Down

Under NetWare

■

If Novell NetWare is currently running, use the

down

and

commands (NetWare 4) at the server_name prompt to gracefully

exit

command (NetWare 5) or the

down

shut down the server functions and reach the DOS prompt:

server_name: down server_name: exit

Under Linux

■

If Redhat Linux is currently running, close all applications and at the command prompt type

init 0

to halt the machine. Once the machine is halted, you may

have to turn off the power switch manually.

for

Start/Shut

When system shut down is complete, turn the power off and unplug your system.

Holding the NIC card by the edges, remove it from its shipping package and place it

on an anti-static surface.

Check the NIC for visible signs of damage, particularly on the edge connector. Never

attempt to install any damaged NIC. If the NIC is damaged, report it to your supplier.

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

Installing and Connecting the NIC

This manual covers two types of Gigabit Server NICs: server Ethernet NIC (3C996B-T):

and server fiber NIC (3C996-SX):

The procedure for installing a NIC in a system is identical for both NICs. Connecting the network cables is different for Ethernet and fiber NICs (see “Connecting the Network Cables” on page 12”).

Installing the NIC

Review the precautions and pre-installation instructions. Before installing the NIC,

ensure the system power is off, the system is unplugged from the power outlet, and that proper electrical grounding procedures have been followed. Refer to the following figure to complete the remaining steps.

Remove the system cover, and select any empty PCI slot. If you do not know how to

identify a PCI slot, refer to your system documentation.

Installing and Connecting the NIC

NOTE:

For optimal performance, select a PCI-X slot. For second best

performance, select a 64-bit PCI slot.

Remove the blank cover plate from the slot that you selected (see item 1 in the

figure, below).

Holding the PCI card by the edges, align the NIC’s connector edge with the PCI

connector dock.

NOTE:

The connector dock in a 32-bit PCI slot is shorter than in a 64-bit PCI slot. Although the NIC is designed to fit in either slot type, when installed in a 32-bit PCI slot, part of the NIC’s connector edge will remain undocked. This is perfectly normal.

Applying even pressure at both corners of the card, push the NIC until it is firmly

seated in the PCI slot. When properly seated, the NIC’s port connectors will be aligned with the slot opening, and its faceplate will be flush against the system chassis.

CAUTION:

Do not use excessive force when seating the card, as this may damage the system or the NIC. If the card resists seating, remove it from the system, realign it, and try again.

Secure the NIC with the screw (see item 2 in the figure, below).

Replace the system cover and disconnect any personal anti-static devices.

Turn the system power on.

After the system returns to normal operation, the NIC hardware is fully installed. The next step is to connect the network cables.

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC

Connecting the Network Cables

Choose your type of NIC (Ethernet or fiber) and follow the procedure.

Ethernet NICs

Gigabit Ethernet NICs have one RJ-45 connector for attaching the system to an Ethernet copper-wire segment. When automatic link negotiation is disabled, the port can be configured for 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps signaling and either half-duplex or full-duplex operation. To configure the port for 1000 Mbps, both link partners must be configured for autonegotiation.

Follow this procedure for connecting a network cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC:

Prepare an appropriate cable. The following table lists the cable characteristics for

connecting to 10/100/1000BASE-T ports:

Port Type Connector Media Maximum Distance

10BASE-T RJ-45 CAT 3, 4, or 5 UTP 100 meters (325 feet)

100BASE-T RJ-45 CAT 5 UTP (two pair) 100 meters (325 feet)

1000BASE-T RJ-45 CAT5 UTP (four pair) 100 meters (325 feet)

NOTE:

1000BASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:1995 and EIA/TIA-568-A (1995) and tested using procedures defined in TIA/EIA TSB95.

Connect one end of the cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC.

Connect the other end of the cable to an RJ-45 Ethernet network port.

For driver installation and configuration instructions, refer to the software configuration for that specific driver.

After the NIC hardware and its driver software have been properly installed on your system, the LEDs indicate the following NIC states:

LED State Description

1000 On Good Gigabit Ethernet link.

Off No 1000 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad

100 On Good 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.

Off No 100 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,

10 On Good 10 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.

Off No 10 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,

ACT Blinking Brief bursts of data detected on the port.

On Streams of data detected on the port.

Off No data detected on the port.

cable, bad connector, or configuration mismatch.

bad connector, or configuration mismatch.

Installing and Using the 3Com Connection Assistant

Fiber NIC

If you have not already done so, remove the optical dust cap from the NIC port.

Connect the NIC to the network using 62.5/125 µm or 50/125 µm mulitmode fiber-

optic cable with SC duplex connectors.

Installing and Using the 3Com Connection Assistant

The 3Com Connection Assistant is an optional Web-based software component that allows users access to a variety of interactive technical support services.

These services can help you:

Fix NIC installation problems.

■

Fix network connection problems.

■

Download the latest NIC drivers.

■

Access a list of frequently asked questions as well as the 3Com Knowledgebase.

■

System Requirements

To install and use the 3Com Connection Assistant requires:

Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0.

■

Internet Explorer version 4.0 or later or Netscape Navigator version 4.06 or later.

■

Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

■

See your PC documentation if you are unsure whether your PC is a Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Installation

Insert the

3Com Installation CD

The Welcome screen appears. If not, double-click on click on the CD-ROM drive icon to invoke the Welcome screen.

Click

NIC Software

Click

3Com Connection Assistant

Follow the prompts on the screen.

A 3Com Connection Assistant icon appears on your Windows desktop. Double-click the icon to start the program.

For help on using the 3Com Connection Assistant, see the online help included with the software.

in the CD-ROM drive.

My Computer

, and then double-

Windows XP Driver Setup

Installing the Driver Software

Before you begin software installation:

Make sure that all software installation requirements are met. See “System

■

Requirements” on page 7. Install the hardware. For instructions, see “Installing and Connecting the NIC” on

■

page 7.

NOTE:

upgraded to the latest version with the latest service pack applied.

NOTE:

works correctly.

Before beginning this procedure, verify that Windows XP has been

Make sure the correct BIOS and firmware are installed to ensure the system

Windows XP 32-bit

Use the following procedure to install the driver for the first time in a system running Windows XP 32-bit version.

Start Windows and log in. You must have Network Administrator privileges to install

the driver software

Insert the

The main menu appears. Select

From the list on the left, select

Click

The Please Wait screen appears. After the installation is complete, and Update dialog

box appears. Click OK.

The Choose Operating System screen appears. Click

Follow the steps in the Completing NIC Installation with Windows XP screen. After

you are through, click

3Com Installation CD

Install NIC Drivers

Install Win XP 32 NIC Drivers

Done

in the CD-ROM drive.

NIC Software

NIC Drivers

. The drivers are installed.

Windows XP

3 Windows XP Driver Setup

Windows XP 64-bit

Use the following procedure to install the driver for the first time in a computer running Windows XP 64-bit version.

Start Windows and log in. You must have Network Administrator privileges to install

the driver software

Insert the

The main menu appears. Select

From the list on the left, select

Click

The Please Wait screen appears. After the installation is complete, and Update dialog

3Com Installation CD

Install NIC Drivers

Install Win XP 64 NIC Drivers

in the CD-ROM drive.

NIC Software

NIC Drivers

box appears. Click OK.

The Choose Operating System screen appears. Click

Follow the steps in the Completing NIC Installation with Windows XP screen. After

you are through, click

. The drivers are installed

Done

Windows XP

Driver Installation Without Master Navigator

If you cannot use the 3Com Master Navigator on your system, use the following procedure to install the updated drivers.

Start Windows XP. The driver will be automatically installed.

Insert the

click

Select

In the Network Connections window, right-click on the LAN or High-Speed Internet

3Com Installation CD

Exit

Start/Control Panel/Network Connections

Connection icon corresponding to the NIC and select

Click

Configure

Click

Update Driver

Choose

Select

Click

Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)

Don’t search, I will choose the driver

Have Disk

Browse

Select the NIC and click

Click

Finish.

, then select

and select the CD-ROM drive, then select OK.

The driver is installed.

in the CD-ROM drive. If the main menu appears,

Driver

Properties

and click

. The driver will be copied to the hard disk.

Verifying Successful Installation

Right-click

Check connections in the LAN or High-Speed Internet window.

My Network Places

Modifying Configuration Parameters

Although the default values should be appropriate in most cases, you may change any of the available options to meet the requirements of your specific system. After the NIC driver software has been installed, use this procedure to verify or change the following NIC properties:

802.1p QOS

■

Checksum Offload

■

Flow Control

■

Jumbo MTU

■

Speed and Duplex

■

Wake Up Capabilities

■

On the Desktop, right-click the

pop-up menu. The System Properties window displays.

Click the

window displays.

Hardware

tab and then click

and select

My Computer

Device Manager

Verifying Successful Installation

Properties

from the menu.

icon and select

. The Device Manager

Properties

from the

Scroll down the list of hardware devices to Network Adapters. Click the plus sign (+)

to the left of the icon to display the list of NICs currently configured.

Double-click the Gigabit Ethernet NIC you want to configure. The Gigabit Ethernet

Properties window displays, showing the General tab.

Select

Advanced

. A window showing the list of configurable properties (and default

values) for the NIC displays.

Change the operating parameters as desired. To change NIC operating parameters

listed under the Advanced tab, click the options listed under Properties and then use the pull-down window under Value to change the default or assigned value.

NOTE:

When link negotiation is enabled, the user-configured link speed, flow control, and duplex settings are ignored in favor of automatically determined settings.

3 Windows XP Driver Setup

The following options are available:

802.1p QOS

■

Checksum Offload

■

Flow Control

■

Jumbo MTU

■

Speed and Duplex

■

Wake Up Capabilities

■

– Disable (default) –Enable

–None – Rx TCP/IP Checksum – Tx TCP/IP Checksum – Tx/Rx TCP/IP Checksum

–Auto – Disable (default) –Rx PAUSE – Rx/Tx PAUSE –Tx PAUSE

– 1500 (default) – 2000 – 2500 – 3000 – 3500 – 4000 – 4500 – 5000 – 5500 – 6000 – 6500 – 7000 – 7500 – 8000 – 8500 – 9000

–10 Mb Full –10 Mb Half – 100 Mb Full – 100 Mb Half – Auto (default)

– Both (default) – Magic Packet –None – Wake Up Frame

Removing the Driver Software

When all desired configuration is complete, click OK to accept the settings.

Reloading your driver is recommended. To do so, right-click

Right-click the NIC and select

Verify that the NIC port LEDs operate as described in the table in “Installing and

Connecting the NIC” on page 7.

Removing the Driver Software

Windows XP automatically detects the installation of new hardware. However, Windows XP does not automatically detect removal of driver software. You must first uninstall the NIC driver before removing the NIC.

NOTE:

removing the driver software. See “Uninstalling Advanced Server Features” on page 20 for details.

To remove the NIC driver and associated software, use the following procedure:

Start Windows XP system and log in. You must have Network Administrator privileges

to uninstall the driver software.

Select

The Control Panel window appears. Double-click

Double-click

The Computer Management window appears. In the left-hand pane of the window,

click on the “+” sign next to System Tools, and then click on

Click

Select

When the Confirm Device Removal window appears, click OK.

The driver and associated software are removed from your system.

If Advanced Server Features are installed, they must be uninstalled before

, then

Start

Network adapters

Uninstall

Disable

Enable

Control Panel

Computer Management

, then right-click on the 3Com NIC.

My Network Places

. You have unloaded the driver.

. You have reloaded the driver.

Administrative Tools.

Device Manager

NOTE:

different slot.

You must uninstall the driver before removing the NIC and moving it to a

Installing Advanced Server Features

NOTE:

I64 Server Edition.

Start Windows XP I64 Server Edition and log in. You must have Network

Administrator privileges to uninstall the driver software.

Insert the enclosed

Select

Right-click CD-ROM drive, and select

Double-click

Advanced Server Features will only install on systems running Windows XP

3Com Installation CD

Start/My Computer

WinXP64

BcmServ

directory on the

directory.

into the CD-ROM drive.

Explore

. Do not select Autoplay.

3Com Installation CD

3 Windows XP Driver Setup

Double-click

baspi64i.exe

This will install the Advanced Server Features software and display a window. From this menu, you can create a team. See “Creating a Team and Assigning NICs”

on page 21, or click OK to complete installation.

Uninstalling Advanced Server Features

Start Windows XP I64 Server Edition and log in. You must have Network

Administrator privileges to uninstall the driver software.

Select

Start/Control Panel/Network Connections

Right-click any NIC and select

Click

Broadcom Advanced Server Features program driver

A Warning screen appears. Click

At the prompt, click

to restart.

Yes

Configuring Advanced Server Features

The Advanced Server Features provides load balancing, failover, and VLAN configuration by creating teams (virtual NICs) that consist of multiple NICs.

Configuring Teaming

to install Advanced Server Features.

Properties

, and then click

to continue.

Ye s

Uninstall.

NOTE:

All teaming configurations can be optionally performed using the 3Com Management Programs. Refer to “3Com Management Programs” on page 85 for additional information.

Any available NIC can be configured as part of a team. Teaming is a method of grouping multiple NICs to a virtual NIC (bundling multiple NICs to look like a single NIC). The benefit of this approach is

load balancing

By selecting each of the available NICs, move each of them over to the Load Balance Members column. This “team” now appears as one NIC. Each member in the Load Balance Member list shares the traffic burden of all its members.

The Standby Member field is used to permit the selection of one team member to handle traffic, if all other members in the Load Balance Member list fail (failover). The selected Standby Member will not handle any traffic unless all Load Balance Members fail. When one load balance member (or more) is restored (fail-back), traffic will then be resumed by the restored team member(s).

Teaming configuration is optional. Before configuring Teaming, see the “NIC Teaming” in Key Protocols and Interfaces.

Configuring Teaming consists of the following tasks:

Accessing the Advanced Server Features Driver Properties interface

■

Creating teams

■

Adding NICs to the teams

■

Assigning IP addresses to the teams

■

Each of these tasks is described below, along with procedures describing how to delete NICs from a failover team and how to delete a team.

Configuring Advanced Server Features

Accessing the Advanced Server Features Driver Interface

Use this procedure to access the NIC properties for teaming configuration:

Click the

Select

Network and Dial-up Connections

Broadcom Advanced Server Program Driver

menu, and then select

Start

Settings/Control Panel

, right-click

3Com Virtual NIC

, and then select

The Advanced Server Features window appears.

Interface components of the Advanced Server Features driver properties window are described below:

Select or enter a team name.

■

This entry field is used to select or enter a team name. Unassigned NICs

■

This list displays all of the NICs that are available to be added to a team. Because each NIC can be added to only one team, the NIC is removed from this list after it has been assigned to a team.

Tea m Ty p e

■

Load Balance and Failover: Load balancing FEC/GEC: Also known as general trunking. No standby NIC is allowed when this option is selected.

Team members

■

This list displays all NICs that belong to a selected team. Standby NICs

■

This list displays the standby NIC selected for failover for a selected team. VLAN List

■

This list displays all the VLANs that have been created for the selected team.

Creating a Team and Assigning NICs

A failover team comprises at least one primary NIC (a standby NIC is optional). Each NIC can belong to only one team. To configure a new failover team, access the Advanced Server Features Driver Properties window and perform the following steps:

Enter a team name in the “Select or enter a team name” entry field.

Click

NOTE:

Create Team

All other NICs added to the team are reconfigured automatically to

match the team configuration. When the basic configuration properties of a team are changed, this changes the configuration of all NICs in the team. However, when a NIC is removed from any failover teams, it will operate according to the parameters set for it before becoming a member of a failover team.

Add a NIC to the team.

In the Unassigned NICs list, select the NIC(s) that you want to add to the team

■

created in the previous step. Move the selected NICs to the Team Members list box using the double arrows.

When you have finished configuring failover teams, click OK to accept the changes.

■

NOTE:

At least one NIC must be displayed in the Team Members list box.

3 Windows XP Driver Setup

If a team has no NICs assigned, you will be prompted to add a NIC or delete the team.

Click OK. When team has been correctly configured, one Virtual Team NIC driver will be created for each configured team and will appear along with the other NICs in the Local Area Connection Properties window. Click OK.

Configure the team IP address if necessary. Configure the IP address and any other

necessary TCP/IP configuration for the team. Click OK when finished. If you are unsure as to how to configure the TCP/IP properties, consult your Microsoft documentation.

Removing a NIC from a Team

To remove an NIC from its assigned team, select the NIC in the Team Members list and

then click the double left arrow. Click OK.

In the Local Area Connection Properties window, click OK.

The NIC will be removed from the team list and will reappear in the Unassigned NICs list.

Deleting a Team

To delete a configured failover team and release its assigned NICs, select any NIC in

the team list, and then click

In the Local Area Connection Properties window click OK.

The team and all its assigned NICs will be removed from the team list. The released NICs will reappear in the Unassigned NICs list.

Delete Team

. Click OK.

NOTE:

NICs that are part of a team inherit all the basic configuration properties of the team, including VLANs associated with the team. If you delete a team, any VLANs configured for that team will also be deleted.

Configuring VLANs

VLAN Configuration is optional. Before configuring VLANs, see “VLANs Overview” on page 102.

NOTE:

VLANs; however, VLANs cannot be configured with foreign NICs.

When configuring VLANs for team NICs, note that any NIC or LOM that is a member of a team inherits the configuration of the primary NIC. When a NIC or LOM is removed from the team, however, its original configuration parameters are used.

By default, Ethernet NICs are configured with VLAN support disabled. Up to 64 VLANs can be defined for each team on your server. Configuring VLANs consists of the following tasks:

Accessing the VLAN configuration interface.

■

Adding VLAN(s) to the team(s). This includes assigning a unique identifier and name

■

to each new VLAN.

Each of these tasks is described below, along with procedures describing how to delete VLANs or modify the properties of a configured VLAN.

NICs that are members of a team can also be configured to support

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