Black Box LB400A User Manual

High Speed

Ethernet Extender

DECEMBER 2006

LB400A

CUSTOMER

SUPPORT

INFORMATION

Order toll-free in the U.S. 24 hours, 7 A.M. Monday to midnight Friday: 877-877-BBOX
FREE technical support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax [phone]
Mail order: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [e-mail]

HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

CE NOTICE

The CE symbol on your Black Box equipment indicates that it is in compliance
with the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) directive and the Low Voltage
Directive (LVD) of the European Union (EU). A Certificate of Compliance is
available by contacting Technical Support.

RADIO AND TV INTERFERENCE

The High Speed Ethernet Extender generates and uses radio frequency energy,
and if not installed and used properly-that is, in strict accordance with the manu­facturer’s instructions-may cause interference to radio and television reception.
The High Speed Ethernet Extender has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with specifications in Sub­part B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protec­tion from such interference in a commercial installation. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If the Ether­net Extender does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by disconnecting the unit, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures: moving the comput­ing equipment away from the receiver, re-orienting the receiving antenna and/or
plugging the receiving equipment into a different AC outlet (such that the com-

puting equipment and receiver are on different branches).

Theis device is NOT intended nor approved to be con­nected to the PSTN. It is intended only for connection to
customer premise equipment.

WARNING

• This device contains no user serviceable parts. The
equipment shall be returned to Black Box for repairs, or
repaired by qualified service personnel.

• The external power adapter should be a listed Limited
Power Source. Ensure that the power cable used meets
all applicable standards for the country in which it is to
be installed, and that it is connected to a wall outlet
which has earth ground. The mains outlet that is uti­lized to power the device shall be within 10 feet (3

WARNING

meters) of the device, shall be easily accessible, and
protected by a circuit breaker.

2

• Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect
cables during periods of lightning activity.

HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

In accordance with the requirements of council direc­tive 2002/96/EC on Waste of Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE), ensure that at end-of-life you sepa­rate this product from other waste and scrap and deliver
to the WEEE collection system in your country for recy­cling.

TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL

All applied-for and registered trademarks are the property of their respectiv e o wners.

NORMAS OFICIALES MEXICANAS (NOM) ELECTRICAL SAFETY STATEMENT

Instrucciones De Seguridad

1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes
de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado.

2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para ref­erencia futura.

3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de
operación deben ser respetadas.

4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas.

5. El aparato eléctrico no deberá ser usado cerca del agua—por ejemplo, cerca
de la tina de baño, lavabo, sótano mojado o cerca de una alberca, etc.

6. El aparato eléctrico debe ser usado únicamente con carritos o pedestales
que sean recomendados por el fabricante.

7. El aparato eléctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo sólo como sea
recomendado por el fabricante.

8. Servicio—El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo eléctrico más
allá a lo descrito en las instrucciones de operación. Todo otro servicio
deberá ser referido a personal de servicio calificado.

9. El aparato eléctrico debe ser situado de tal manera que su posición no interfi­era su uso. La colocación del aparato eléctrico sobre una cama, sofá, alfombra
o superficie similar puede bloquea la ventilación, no se debe colocar en libre­ros o gabinetes que impidan el flujo de aire por los orificios de ventilación.

10. El equipo eléctrico deber ser situado fuera del alcance de fuentes de calor
como radiadores, registros de calor , estuf as u otros aparatos (incluyendo
amplificadores) que producen calor .

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

11. El aparato eléctrico deberá ser connectado a una fuente de poder sólo del tipo
descrito en el instructivo de operación, o como se indique en el aparato.

12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la polarización
del equipo no sea eliminada.

13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no sean
pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados sobre o contra ellos, poniendo
particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde salen del aparato.

14. El equipo eléctrico debe ser limpiado únicamente de acuerdo a las recomen­daciones del fabricante.

15. En caso de existir , una antena e xterna deberá ser localizada lejos de las lineas
de energia.

16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea
usado por un largo periodo de tiempo.

17. Cuidado debe ser tomado de tal manera que objectos liquidos no sean derra­mados sobre la cubierta u orificios de ventilación.

18. Servicio por personal calificado deberá ser provisto cuando:
A. El cable de poder o el contacto ha sido dañado; u
B. Objectos han caído o líquido ha sido derramado dentro del aparato; o
C. El aparato ha sido expuesto a la lluvia; o
D. El aparato parece no operar normalmente o muestra un cambio en su

desempeño; o

E. El aparato ha sido tirado o su cubierta ha sido dañada.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

CONTENTS

CE Notice .................................................................................................... 2

Radio and TV Interference.......................................................................... 2

Trademarks Used In This Manual............................................................... 3

Normas Oficiales Mexicanas (NOM) Electrical Safety Statement............. 3

1. General Information ....................................................................................7

1.1 Features ...............................................................................................7

1.2 Description ......................................................................................... 7

2. Installation................................................................................................... 9

2.1 Installing the High Speed Ethernet Extender .....................................9

2.2 Connecting the Twisted-Pair Line Interface..................................... 10

2.3 Connecting the 10/100Base-T Ethernet Interface ............................ 11

2.4 Connecting Power ............................................................................ 12

3. Configuration............................................................................................. 13

3.1 Configuring DIP Switch S1 ..............................................................14

3.1.1 Switch S2-1: Symmetric/Asymmetric Operation ..................15

3.1.2 Switches S2-2 and S2-3: Data Rate....................................... 15

3.1.3 Switches S2-4, S2-5 and S2-6: Ethernet Configuration ........ 15

3.1.4 Switch S2-7: Ethernet Shutdown........................................... 16

3.1.5 Switch S2-8: Remote Configuration...................................... 16

4. Operation................................................................................................... 17

4.1 Power Up ..........................................................................................17

4.2 Front Panel LED Status Monitors .................................................... 17

A. Specifications ............................................................................................ 19

A.1 LAN Connection ..............................................................................19

A.2 Transmission Line ............................................................................19

A.3 Line Rate and Distance .....................................................................19

A.4 Surge Suppressor ..............................................................................19

A.5 LED Status Indicators .......................................................................19

A.6 Power Supply ....................................................................................19

A.7 Temperature Range ..........................................................................20

A.8 Humidity ...........................................................................................20

A.9 Dimensions .......................................................................................20

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

B. High Speed Ethernet Extender Interface Pin Assignment......................... 21

B.1 10/100Base-T Interface ....................................................................21

B.2 Line Interface ....................................................................................21

C. Distance Chart, Based on 24 AWG (0.5 MM).......................................... 22

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

1. General Information

Thank you for your purchase of this Black Box product. If any questions arise
during installation or use of the unit, contact Black Box Tech Support at (724)
746-5500.

1.1 Features

•

Variable rate ethernet extender - Easy to configure
Auto-MDIX Ethernet

•

•

Configurable 10/100, Full/Half, and Auto-Negotiating Ethernet
Extends network connections up to 6,000 ft (1.8 km) over 2-wire 24-AWG

•

unconditioned lines

•

Switch selectable line rates up to 50 Mbps
6 symmetric or asymmetric settings via DIP switch

•

•

Transparent operation
LED indicators for Power, Link, and Ethernet Link & Activity

•

•

Surge suppression up to 20 kA (8/20 µs)

•

Made in the USA

1.2 Description

The Black Box LB400A Ethernet Extenders provide high-speed LAN connec­tions between peered Ethernet LANs, remote PC’ s, or any other netw ork enabled
10/100Base-T devices.

Operating in pairs, one LB400A is configured as the (L) Local unit located at one
end of the LAN extension and the other LB400A is configured as the (R) Remote
unit at the other end. The LB400A is configured as a L or R via the switch on the
rear panel. These units can automatically forward LAN broadcasts, multicasts,
and frames across a 2-wire voice-grade twisted-pair link. The data is passed
transparently (unmodified) through the high speed ethernet extenders. The
LB400A automatically adds and deletes MAC addresses, only passing packets
across the line that is meant for the remote peered LAN.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

Figure 1.

Typical application

The pair of LB400A models work together to create a transparent extension
between two peered Ethernet LANs. Figure 1 shows a typical point-to-point
application.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

2. Installation

2.1 Installing the High Speed Ethernet Extender

The Interconnecting cables shall be acceptable for

external use and shall be rated for the proper applica-

tion with respect to voltage, current, anticipated tem­perature, flammability, and mechanical serviceability.

CAUTION

Do the following:

1. Connect the line interface between the units (refer to section 2.2, “Connect­ing the Twisted-Pair Line Interface” on page 10)

Note

See Figure 2 for the standalone unit’s rear panel arrangements.

2. Connect the Ethernet interface (refer to section 2.3, “Connecting the
10/100Base-T Ethernet Interface” on page 11).

3. Connect the power plug (refer to section 2.4, “Connecting Power” on
page 12).

LB400A

Made in the USA

Power

Ethernet

Line

Rem Loc

Power

jack

Figure 2.

Local/Remote

switch

LINE twisted-pair

RJ-45 interface

High Speed Ethernet Extender rear panel

Ethernet

port

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

2.2 Connecting the Twisted-Pair Line Interface

The High Speed Ethernet Extender supports communication between two peer
Ethernet LAN sites over a distance of up to 6,000 ft (1.83 km) over 24 AWG
(0.5 mm) twisted-pair wire.

Note

Actual distance and link performance may vary depending on the envi­ronment and type/gauge of wire used.

Follow the steps below to connect the High Speed Ethernet Extender interfaces.

Note

The LB400A works in pairs. One of the units must be a L (Local), and
the other unit must be a R (Remote). It does not matter which end is the L
and which is the R. The link is always initiated by the Remote. As long as
the Local is powered on, the Remote can establish a link by being pow­ered on or by having its power reset.

1. To function properly, the two LB400As must be connected together using
twisted-pair, unconditioned, dry, metal wire, between 19 (0.9mm) and 26
AWG (0.4mm). Leased circuits that run through signal equalization equip­ment are not acceptable.

2. The LB400A is equipped with an RJ-45 interface jack that to be used for
the LINE interface. This LINE interface is a two-wire interface. Observe
the signal/pin relationships on the LB400A’s LINE jack.

The RJ-45 connector on the LB400A's twisted pair interface is polarity insensi­tive and is wired for a two-wire interf ace. The signal/pin relationship is shown in
Figure 3.

10

Figure 3.

1 (no connection)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

(RJ-45) twisted pair line interface.

2 (no connection)
3 (no connection)
4 (RING)
5 (TIP)
6 (no connection)
7 (no connection)
8 (no connection)

HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

2.3 Connecting the 10/100Base-T Ethernet Interface

The Interconnecting cables shall be acceptable for

external use and shall be rated for the proper applica-

tion with respect to voltage, current, anticipated tem­perature, flammability, and mechanical serviceability.

CAUTION

The shielded RJ-45 port labeled Ethernet is the Auto-MDIX10/100Base-T inter­face. This port is designed to connect directly to a 10/100Base-T network.
Figure 4 shows the signal/pin relationships on this interface. You may connect
this port to a hub or PC using a straight through or crossover cable that is up to
328 ft long.

1 TX+/RX+

Figure 4.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

10/100Base-T RJ-45 Connector Pinout.

2 TX-/RX­3 RX+/TX+
4 (no connection)
5 (no connection)
6 RX-/TX­7 (no connection)
8 (no connection)

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

2.4 Connecting Power

The Interconnecting cables shall be acceptable for

external use and shall be rated for the proper applica-

tion with respect to voltage, current, anticipated tem­perature, flammability, and mechanical serviceability.

CAUTION

The LB400A does not have a power switch, so it powers up as soon as it is
plugged in.

An external AC or DC power supply is available separately. This connection is
made via the barrel jack on the rear panel of the LB400A. No configuration is
necessary for the power supply (See Appendix B for domestic and international
power supply and cord options).

DC power (supplied via the power supply jack to the LB400A) must meet the fol­lowing requirements; DC power supplied must be regulated +5VDC ±5%, 1.0A
minimum. Center pin is +5V. The barrel type plug has a 2.5/5.5/10mm
I.D./O.D./Shaft Length dimensions.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

3. Configuration

The LB400A has eight DIP switches for configuring the unit for a wide variety of
applications. This section describes switch locations and explains the different
configurations.

Using a small flat-tip screwdriver, remove the protective cover located on the
underside of the Ethernet Extender (see Figure 5).

Figure 5.

Removing protective cover

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

Figure 6 shows the orientation of the DIP switches in the On and Off positions.

S2

S1

5 6 7 8

1234

ON

8

7

6

S2

Switch toggle

Push toggle up

for ON position

S2

ON

ON

5

3

1234

Push toggle down for

OFF position

Figure 6.

3.1 Configuring DIP Switch S1

DIP switch S1 is where you configure the High-speed Ethernet Extender’s line
rate, symmetric or asymmetric, Ethernet, and Ethernet Shutdown. Table 1 sum­marizes default positions of DIP switches S2-1 through S2-8. Detailed descrip­tions of each switch follow the table.

Position Description

DIP switch orientation

Table 1:

S2 Summary

1234

5 6 7 8

S2-1 Symmetric/Asymmetric
S2-2 Line Rate
S2-3 Line Rate
S2-4 Ethernet configuration
S2-5 Ethernet configuration
S2-6 Ethernet configuration
S2-7 Ethernet Shutdown
S2-8 Remote Configuration

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

3.1.1 S

WITCH

S2-1: S

YMMETRIC/ASYMMETRIC OPERATION

Use switch S2-1 to configure the unit for symmetric or asymmetric operation..

3.1.2 S

WITCHES

Table 2:

S2-1 Setting

ON Symmetric Operation

OFF Asymmetric Operation

S2-2

AND

Symmetric/Asymmetric Settings

S2-3: D

ATA RATE

Use switches S2-1, S2-2 and S2-3 to configure the line rates.

Table 3:

S2-2 S2-3 Symmetric Line Rate

OFF ON 50 Mbps

ON OFF 25 Mbps

OFF OFF 10 Mbps

Symmetric Line Rates Selection Chart

Table 4:

Asymmetric Line Rates Selection Chart

S2-2 S2-3 Asymmetric Line Rates DS/US

ON ON 50 Mbps/2 Mbps
ON OFF 16 Mbps/2 Mbps

OFF OFF 4 Mbps/1 Mbps

3.1.3 S

WITCHES

S2-4, S2-5

AND

S2-6: E

THERNET CONFIGURATION

Use switches S2-4, S2-5 and S2-6 to configure Ethernet settings.

Table 5:

S2-4 S2-5 S2-6 Ethernet Configurations

ON ON ON Auto-Negotiate
ON ON OFF 100Mb Full Duplex
ON OFF ON 100Mb Half Duplex
ON OFF OFF 10Mb Full Duplex

OFF ON ON 10Mb Half Duplex

Ethernet configurations

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

3.1.4 S

WITCH

S2-7: E

THERNET SHUTDOWN

Use switch S2-7 to enable or disable Ethernet Shutdown. When Ethernet Shut­down is enabled, the LB400A will disable the Ethernet interface when there is no
link detected. When Ethernet Shutdown is disabled, the Ethernet interface will
always be enabled.

3.1.5 S

WITCH

Table 6:

S2-7 Description

ON Ethernet Shutdown Enabled

OFF Ethernet Shutdown Disabled

S2-8: R

EMOTE CONFIGURATION

Ethernet Shutdown

Use switch S2-8 to enable or disable Remote Configuration.

Table 7:

S2-8 Description

ON Remote Configuration Enabled

OFF Remote Configuration Disabled

Ethernet Shutdown

Note

The S2-8 switch applies to the R unit only. If enabled, the R will follow
the dip switch configuration of the L unit. If disabled, the R unit will use
its own dip switch setting to determine its Ethernet operating mode and
Ethernet Shutdown mode configuration. The S2-8 switch does not affect
the data rate. The data rate will always follow the L configuration.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

4. Operation

Once the High Speed Ethernet Extenders are properly installed, they should oper­ate transparently. No user settings required. This section describes reading the
LED status monitors.

4.1 Power Up

Before applying power to the LB400A, review section 2.4, “Connecting Power”
on page 12 to verify that the unit is connected to the appropriate power source.

4.2 Front Panel LED Status Monitors

The LB400A features five front panel LEDs that monitor power, the Ethernet sig­nals, and the Line connection. Figure 7 on page 17 shows the front panel location
of each LED. Table 8 on page 18 describes the LED functions.

Figure 7.

LB400A front panel

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

Table 8:

Front panel LED description

LED Description

Power Solid GREEN to indicate the unit is powered on.
Link Solid GREEN (ON) to indicate that the end-to-end

link between the LB400As is established. The Link
LED is OFF when the link is down.

Ethernet Solid GREEN indicates that 10/100Base-T Ethernet

link has been established. Flashes to indicate activity.

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

A. Specifications

A.1 LAN Connection

•

Shielded RJ-45, 10/100Base-T, IEEE 802.3 Ethernet

•

Line Connection: RJ-45

A.2 Transmission Line

Two-wire unconditioned twisted pair.

A.3 Line Rate and Distance

•

Line Rate: 50 Mbps, symmetric upstream/downstream. Additional symmetric
and asymmetric rates are available via DIP switch settings.

•

Distance: 6,000 ft (1.8 km) at 1 Mbps upstream/4 Mbps downstream

Note

Distances depend on selected line rate and line conditions. See
Appendix C. on page 22 for details.

A.4 Surge Suppressor

SIDACTOR with maximum current surge: 20 kA (8/20 µs).

A.5 LED Status Indicators

Power (Green)

•

•

Link (Green)
Ethernet: Link (Green) & Activity (Flashing Green)

•

A.6 Power Supply

External AC and DC options:

•

AC: 120 VAC, 220 VAC, and UI (120–240 VAC)

•

DC: 12 VDC, 24 VDC and 48 VDC
Power consumption: 450 mA at 5 VDC

•

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

A.7 Temperature Range

0–50°C

A.8 Humidity

Up to 90% non-condensing.

A.9 Dimensions

1.58H x 4.16W x 3.75D in. (10.6H x 4.1W x 8.8D cm)

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

B. High Speed Ethernet Extender Interface Pin

Assignment

B.1 10/100Base-T Interface

RJ-45

• Pin 1: TX+

• Pin 2: TX-

• Pin 3: RX+

• Pin 6: RX-

• Pins 4, 5, 7, 8: no connection

B.2 Line Interface

RJ-45

• Pin 4: RING

• Pin 5: TIP

• Pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8: no connection

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

C. Distance Chart, Based on 24 AWG (0.5 MM)

Symm Line Rate

50 Mbps 800 (0.25 km) 48
25 Mbps 2,000 (0.61 km) 24.5
10 Mbps 4,000 (1.22 km) 10

Asymm Line Rate

(DS/US)

50 Mbps/2 Mbps 2,000 (0.61 km) 48/2
16 Mbps/2 Mbps 4,000 (1.22 km) 15/2

4 Mbps/1 Mbps 6,000 (1.82 km) 3.75/1

Note The actual distance and link performance may vary depending on the

environment and type/gauge of wire used.

Note DS = downstream, US = upstream

Distance in feet

(km)

Distance in feet

(km)

Throughput

at Max Distance

Throughput

at Max Distance

(DS/US)

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HIGH SPEED ETHERNET EXTENDER

23

© Copyright 2002. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.

1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax [phone]