Comet Labs Gigabit adapter is a card for PCI local bus compliant
computers. Operating under the 1000BASE-SX short-wavelength laser
specification, this adapter provides up to ten times the bandwidth of Fast
Ethernet over multimode fiber links. A true plug-and-play device, this
card is auto-configurable upon power up and supports advanced features
such as VLAN tagging, QoS priority queuing, and full-duplex flow
control. Leading-edge ASIC technology and performance-enhancing
techniques maximize throughput and minimize CPU utilization. The
result is a network card that delivers the performance and reliability
demanded by today’s high-end servers and workstations.
Hardware Description
Comet Labs Gigabit adapter is a Gigabit Ethernet network card
designed for 32-bit and 64-bit PCI-bus computers. The SC fiber
connector enables the network card to support 1000 Mbps transmissions
at half and full duplex over 62.5/125 and 50/125 micron multimode
fiber cable.
Figure 1-1. The Comet Labs Gigabit adapter (N363SC)
LED Indicators
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-3
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
The Comet Labs Gigabit adapter card includes three status LED
indicators. The “LNK,” “FDX” and “ACT” LEDs are grouped together
below the SC fiber port on the card’s bracket. All the LED indicators
are as described in the following figure and table.
Figure 1-2. Status LEDs
LEDConditionStatus
LNKGreenIndicates a valid 1000BASE-SX
connection on the fiber port.
OffPower is off or connection is invalid.
FDX
GreenIndicates the network card is
operating in full-duplex mode.
OffIndicates the network card is
operating in half-duplex mode.
ACTFlashing
Green
Indicates that the network card is
transmitting or receiveing data.
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-4
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
Package Contents
After unpacking the Comet Labs Gigabit Network Interface Card,
check the contents of the box to be sure you’ve received the following
components:
Immediately inform your dealer in the event of any incorrect, missing or
damaged parts. If possible, please retain the carton and original packing
materials in case there is a need to return the product.
Please fill out and return the Warranty Registration Card to Comet Labs
or register on Comet Labs’s Web site. The Gigabit Adapter N363SC is
covered by a 5 year warranty.
SuperDisk Contents
The Network Driver diskette contains drivers and other files to make
network card configuration, testing, and driver installation easy.
uRELEASE.HTM—a summary of the contents of the driver diskette
in HTML format for viewing using a Web browser.
uREADME.TXT—contains basic information and instructions for
installing and using the network card.
uSMCcfg.EXE—the properties page DLL file that includes
configuration and diagnostic utilities under Windows NT 4.0.
uDriver-installation “TXT” files—contain installation instructions for
a particular driver.
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-5
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
System Requirements
Before you install the Comet Labs Gigabit Network interface card,
check your system for the following requirements:
uA PC and BIOS that support the PCI Local Bus Specification v2.0 or
later
uAn available bus-mastering 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot
u62.5/125 or 50/125 micron multimode fiber cable (refer to the
tables in Appendix B)
uAn IEEE 802.3z-compliant Gigabit Ethernet switch or buffered
repeater installed in your network
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-6
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
Inserting the Network Card
WARNINGS:
•Network cards are sensitive to static electricity. To protect the card,
avoid touching its electrical components and always touch the metal
chassis of your computer before handling the card.
•Backup your Network driver diskette and use the copy as the
working diskette to protect the original from accidental damage.
1. Switch off the computer, unplug the power cord, and remove the
computer’s cover.
2. Select an available 32-bit or 64-bit bus-mastering PCI slot and
remove the cover bracket.
•Use a 64-bit PCI slot if your PC supports this standard.
•If using a 32-bit PCI slot the end of the card’s edge connector
will be exposed, be careful that it does not touch any conducting
parts on the PC motherboard.
Note: Some PC motherboard designs may not provide adequate
space behind all 32-bit PCI slots to properly install the
network card.
3. Install the network card into the slot so that it is firmly seated. Then,
screw the card’s bracket securely into the PC’s chassis.
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-7
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
Figure 1-3. Inserting the Network Card
4. Replace the chassis cover on your PC and power it on.
5. The Gigabit Network Inteface card should be automatically
configured by the host computer’s BIOS. However, if you have an
older computer, you may have to manually configure the computer’s
BIOS settings.
6. The Network driver diskette that accompanies the Gigabit Adapter
N363SC contains all the network operating system drivers
supported by this card. Please read the “RELEASE.TXT” file on the
diskette for a list of all drivers. Refer to Chapter 2 in this guide for
instructions on installing drivers. Also, a text file is included with
each driver to detail the proper installation procedure. Any new or
updated drivers can be downloaded from Comet Labs’s Web site
(see the back cover of this guide).
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-8
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
PCI Configuration
In most cases, your network card is automatically configured when you
power-up your computer. In certain computers, however, you must
modify PCI settings by running your computers BIOS Setup program.
For more information, refer to “PCI Compatibility” on page A-2.
Connection Guidelines
To connect to a 1000BASE-SX Gigabit Ethernet device, use the
SC connector on the network card and 62.5/125 or 50/125 micron
multimode fiber optic cable.
The attached device must be within the distance limitations specified by
the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX specification. Observe the following
guidelines for 1000BASE-SX operation:
uThe maximum length of a fiber segment is 270 meters for 62.5/125
micron cable and 550 meters for 50/125 micron cable. For
additional information on cable lengths, refer to Appendix B.
uFor 1000 Mbps operation, the Gigabit Adapter N363SC must be
connected to a 1000BASE-SX compliant switch or buffered repeater.
Connecting a Fiber Cable
COMETLABS GIGABITADPATER GUIDEOCT.99
1-9
NSTALLINGTHE NETWORK CARD
Use the following procedure to make an SC connection to the network.
Note that because SC connectors are keyed, they can only be attached in
one orientation.
Caution:This network card uses lasers to transmit signals over fiber
optic cable. The lasers are compliant with the requirements
of a Class 1 Laser Product and are inherently eye safe in
normal operation. However, you should never look directly
at the transmit port when it is powered on.
1. Remove and keep the SC connector’s rubber cover. When not
connected to a fiber cable, the rubber cover should be replaced to
protect the optics.
2. Connect one end of the cable to the card’s SC connector (see Figure
2-4) and the other end of the cable to the fiber connector on the
other device.
3. Make certain that the network device you are connecting to is
compliant with IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX.
This chapter describes how to install and configure network drivers for
the Comet Labs Gigabit network card. The drivers for this Gigabit
Windows NT 4.0 Installation
First-time installation
network card (N363SC) are not compatible with standard drivers for
10/100 Mbps NIC Cards (Models N160T series). Therefore, use only
the drivers on the diskette supplied with this network card.
Caution :Prior to installing the driver, make sure you have upgraded to
NT Service Pack 3 or later. Also, if you are installing on an
older PC model (Pentium or earlier), upgrade the BIOS to
the latest version.
If you’ve already installed a network card, configured Windows NT
Networking, or configured a network driver, refer to the procedure
titled “Secondary Installation” on page 2-4.
1.If Windows NT is already installed on your computer, proceed
to Step 2. Otherwise, complete a first-time Windows NT
installation without the Gigabit network card installed. Be sure to
also install NT Service Packet 3 or later.
2.Shut down your PC, install the Gigabit network card, and attach the
network cable. Restart Windows NT.
3.Double-click on the “My Computer,” “Control Panel,” and
“Network” icons. The “Network Configuration” window
appears, prompting you to install Windows NT Networking.
Select “Yes.” Windows NT invokes the “Network Setup
Wizard.” Click on “Next.”
4.When prompted to “Search for a Network Adapter,” click on
“Select from List.”
5.When prompted to “Select a Network Adapter,” click on “Have
2-3
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Disk.” Insert the driver diskette when prompted and click on “OK.”
6.You are presented with the “Select OEM Option” window.
Highlight “EtherPower II 1000” and click on “OK.”
7.When prompted to “Search for an Adapter,” click on “Next.”
8.Select network protocols when prompted and click “Next.”
Note:To complete a TCP/IP installation, you will need to know
your IP Address and Subnet Mask. For further information,
contact your network administrator or Internet service
provider.
9.Click on “Next” and then “Next” again when prompted to
“Install Network Components.” When prompted for Windows
NT files, type the path to your Windows NT files on CD-ROM
(e.g., D:\WINNT), or change the path to those files on your
hard drive, and click on “OK.”
10. You are presented with the “Network Card Setup” window
where you can specify the network card data rate.
“AUTONEGOTIATE” is the recommended setting for the Comet
Labs Gigabit network interface card. Select “Continue” after
verifying network card settings.
11. Click on “Next” and then “Next” again when prompted to
“Start the Network.”
12. Enter the “Workgroup” or “Domain” names (optional) when
prompted and click on “Next.”
13. Select “Finish” when prompted and click on “Yes” when
prompted to reboot. Remove the Driver diskette.
Secondary installation
2-4
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Follow this procedure if you have already installed another network card
or loaded another driver.
1.Be sure to install Windows NT Service Packet 3 or later if it is not
already installed.
2.Install the Comet Labs network card (if not already installed), attach
the network cable, and boot Windows NT.
3.Double-click on the “My Computer,” “Control Panel,” and
“Network” icons. From the “Network” window, select the
Adapter tab.
4.Do not select any of the network cards listed. Select “Add.”
5.You are presented with the “Select Network Adapter” window.
Click on “Have Disk.”
6.You are presented with the “Insert Disk” window. Specify the
path to the root directory of the driver diskette (e.g., A:\) and click
on “OK.”
7.You are presented with the “Select OEM Option” window.
Highlight “EtherPower II 1000” and click on “OK.”
8.You are presented with the “Network” window where the Gigabit
network card is now listed as an installed adapter. At this point
you can select “Close” to exit the Network applet and follow
the prompts to restart Windows NT.
9.Select “Yes” when prompted to reboot for the changes to take
effect.
Further Configuration
You can modify card settings, install additional protocols and other
network components via the Windows NT “Network” applet.
1.Double-click on the “My Computer,” “Control Panel,” and
2-5
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
“Network” icons. The “Network” dialog box appears. If the correct
network protocols are not installed in the “Protocols” tab list box,
click on the “Add” button and follow the on-screen directions to
select network protocols.
2.Click on the appropriate tab, “Identification,” “Services” or
“Bindings,” to add or modify other network components, as
needed.
3.To modify other network card properties, click on the
“Adapters” tab and select the EtherPower II 1000 in the list
box. Then click on the “Properties” button to run the card’s
configuration utility. Refer to Chapter 3 for a description of the
card’s configuration utility and its options.
Novell NetWare Installation
NetWare Server 5 .0
Installing the LAN driver is part of the NetWare installation process.
Use the following instructions with those in the NetWare
2-6
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
installation manual to install the driver. You will need the driver diskette
during this procedure.
1.Shutdown your computer and install the Comet labs Gigabit
network intreface card in a PCI slot. Connect the card to the
network using fiber optic cable.
2.Turn your computer on and boot it to the NetWare 5.0 console
prompt.
3.At the NetWare console prompt enter the command “load
nwconfig” to start the install utility. The Installation Options
dialog box is displayed.
4.Select the Driver Options menu item and press enter. The
Driver Options dialog box is displayed.
5.Select the Configure Network Drivers menu item and press
enter. The Additional Driver Actions dialog box is displayed.
6.Insert the driver diskette into the “A” drive.
7.Select the “Load an additional driver” menu item option and press
Enter. The “Select a driver” dialog box is displayed. Press the “Ins”
key to Install an unlisted driver. A dialog box indicating the A drive
will be scanned for drivers is displayed. Press Enter to continue.
8.Press Enter to select the SMC9462.LAN from the “Select a driver”
to install dialog box. A message asking if you want to copy the driver
is displayed. Select “Yes” to continue. The device driver is copied.
9.A screen with three dialog boxes is displayed. To change the driver
configuration, tab to the “SMC9462_1 Parameters” dialog box and
modify the driver parameters. Depending on the network that the
card is attached to, the Link, Speed, Duplex Mode, and Phy Type
parameters might need to be changed from their default values. If
you are not sure what values are required for your network, contact
your network administrator.
2-7
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
10. Tab to the “SMC9462_1 Protocols” and select the desired
protocols.
11. Tab to the “Board SMC9462_1 Actions” dialog box. Select the
“Save Parameters and Load Driver” option and press Enter to
continue.
12. Perform protocol specific configuration as required.
13. Select “No” when asked if you want to load additional drivers.
14. On the “Additional Driver Actions” dialog box, select “Return to
previous menu” and press Enter to continue.
15. On the “Driver Options” dialog box, select “Return to previous
menu” and press Enter to continue.
16. On the “Installation Options” dialog box, select “Exit” to return
to the NetWare console prompt.
NetWare Server 4.11
Installing the LAN driver is part of the NetWare installation process.
Use the following instructions with those in the NetWare
installation manual to install the driver. You will need the driver diskette
during this procedure.
1.Shutdown your computer and install the Gigabit network interface
card in a PCI slot. Connect the card to the network using fiber
optic cable.
2.Turn your computer on and boot it to the NetWare 4.11 console
prompt.
3.At the NetWare console prompt Enter the command “load install”
to start the install utility. The Installation Options dialog box is
displayed.
4.Select the “Driver Options” menu item and press enter. The
2-8
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
“Driver Options” dialog box is displayed.
5.Select the “Configure Network Drivers” menu item and press
Enter. The “Additional Driver Actions” dialog box is displayed.
6.Insert the driver diskette into the “A” drive.
7.Select the “Load an additional driver” menu item option and press
Enter. The “Select a driver” dialog box is displayed. Press the “Ins”
key to install an unlisted driver. A dialog box is displayed indicating
that the A drive will be scanned for drivers. Press Enter to continue.
8.Press Enter to select the SMC9462.LAN from the “Select a driver
to install” dialog box. A message asking if you want to copy the
driver is displayed. Select “Yes” to continue. The device driver is
copied.
9.A screen with three dialog boxes is displayed. To change the driver
configuration, tab to the “SMC9462_1 Parameters” dialog box and
modify the driver parameters. Depending on the network that the
card is attached to, the Link, Speed, Duplex Mode, and Phy Type
parameters might need to be changed from their default values. If
you are not sure what values are required for your network, contact
your network administrator.
10. Tab to the “SMC9462_1 Protocols” and select the desired
protocols.
11. Tab to the “Board SMC9462_1 Actions” dialog box. Select the
“Save Parameters and Load Driver” option and press Enter.
12. Perform protocol specific configuration as required.
13. Select “No” when asked if you want to load additional drivers.
14. On the “Additional Driver Actions” dialog box, select “Return to
previous menu” and press Enter to continue.
2-9
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
15. On the “Driver Options” dialog box, select “Return to previous
menu” and press Enter to continue.
16. On the “Installation Options” dialog box, select “Exit” to return
to the NetWare console prompt.
NetWare Server 3.12 and 3.2
Installing the LAN driver is part of the NetWare installation process.
Use the following instructions with those in the NetWare
installation manual to install the driver. You will need the driver diskette
during this procedure.
Caution: Prior to installing the SMC9462.LAN ODI driver, you
should upgrade to patch kit D (312ptd.exe, see Novell
Document No:2936137) or later, or install the NetWare
3.2 Enhancement Pack.
Next you need the patch ODI33f.exe or a later
program (see Novell document No:2943476) to support
Novell’s latest automated services.
Finally, you should install the loader patch. The
following commands can be used to install the loader
patch (assuming NetWare server is in “c:\nwserver ” and
“312ptd” has been extracted into directory
“c:\312ptd”).
copy c:\312ptd\native\loader\*.* c:\nwserver
cd c:\nwserver
lswap loader.exe server.exe
To install the driver:
1.Insert the driver diskette in your PC’s floppy drive (A:).
2.Change to the NetWare Server directory (for example:
CD\NWSERVER).
3.Copy the following files from Driver Diskette to the NetWare
Server directory.
2-10
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
\NETWARE\ODI\SERVER\SMC9462.LAN
4.Sample AUTOEXEC.NCF for NetWare Server 3.12
AUTOEXEC.NCF
BIND IPX to E_8022 NET=10
LOAD C:SMC9462 slot=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_II NAME=E_II
BIND IPX to E_II NET=30
LOAD C:SMC9462 slot=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.3
NAME=E_8023
BIND IPX to E_8023 NET=20
LOAD C:SMC9462 slot=3 FRAME=ETHERNET_SNAP
NAME=E_SNAP
BIND IPX to E_SNAP NET=40
5.Reboot the NetWare Server, and the Gigabit Adapter driver will
launch automatically for NetWare Server 3.12.
Linux 2.0.35 or Later Installation
This section describes the procedure for manual and automatic
loading and configuration of the Comet Labs Gigabit Unix stream
driver for Linux 2.0.35 or later. The Linux driver can be found in the
“\linux” directory on the driver diskette.
Manual Loading and Configuration
2-11
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Note:In the following sections that describe the driver configuration
it is suggested that these instructions be carried out in a singleuser environment.
1.Log into the Unix system as supervisor (root) and enter
Maintenance mode. Make sure that the current directory is “/”
using Unix command “pwd.”
2.Use the following steps to uncompress the package file:
# cd /tmp(and insert the floppy in the proper
drive, i.e. a:)
# mcopy a:/linux/smc9462.o ./smc9462
# cd smc9462
Now the installation directory is ready for use.
3.Load the device driver module by simply running the command:
# insmod smc9462.o
You can also specify command line parameters for the driver,
such as:
insmod smc9462.o mtu=9014 tx_threshold=700
The following command line parameters are supported:
This section describes how to install the Linux driver so that it is
automatically loaded and configured at boot time. The following
description is based on the Red Hat 5.1 distribution, but it can be
easily ported to other distributions as well.
Note:Before automatically loading the driver at boot time, be
sure that the system will function correctly after the driver
has been loaded manually.
1.Log into the Unix system as supervisor (root) and enter
Maintenance mode. Make sure that the current directory is “/”
using Unix command “pwd.”
2.Use the following steps to uncompress the package file:
# cd /tmp(and insert the floppy in the proper
# mcopy a:/linux/smc9462.o ./smc9462
drive, i.e. a:)
# cd smc9462
Now the installation directory is ready for use.
2-13
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3.Copy the smc9462.o file to the network modules directory, typically
/lib/modules/2.0.x/net.
# cp ./smc9462.o /lib/modules/2.0-x/net
4.Locate the boot module configuration file, most commonly
“conf.modules” in the “/etc” directory. Add the following line:
alias ethx smc9462
where “ethx” will be “eth0” if you don’t have any other
adapters, “eth1” if you already have one, and so on. The
parameters are the ones discussed in the previous paragraph.
5.Find where the network configuration scripts are, normally the
“/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts” directory, and create a
configuration script (sample discussed above) named
“ifcfg-ethx” that contains network information.
# cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts
# vi ifcfg-ethx (make a configuration script file)
6.Reboot the Unix system to initialize the driver function.
# reboot
Windows 98 Installation
The Gigabit Adapter driver for Windows 98 conforms to the Network
Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) 5.0 and can be found in the
“\Win98” directory on the driver diskette.
Note:For users of Windows 95 and Windows 95 OSR2 there is an
NDIS 3.1 driver provided on the driver diskette in the
“\Win95” directory. The installation procedure for Windows 95
is slightly different than that described here. Refer to the
“Win95.txt” driver installation document on the driver diskette
for more information.
2-14
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
1.If Windows 98 is already installed on your computer, proceed to
Step 2. Otherwise, complete a first-time Windows 98 installation
without the Gigabit network interface card installed.
2.Shut down your PC, install the Gigabit Adapter card, and attach
network cable.
3.Power on your PC and boot into Windows 98.
4.When Windows 98 prompts with “PCI Ethernet Controller” in
the “New Hardware Found” dialog box, click the “Next”
button.
5.Select “Search for the best driver for your device
(Recommended)” form the “Add New Hardware Wizard”
dialog box, then click the “Next” button.
6.Insert the SMC9462SX Driver Diskette in your floppy drive.
7.Select “Specify a location” and type path “A:\Win98” in the
“Add New Hardware Wizard” dialog box, then click the “Next”
button.
8.Click the “Next” button in the “Add New Hardware Wizard ”
dialog box.
9.Windows 98 will prompt with “SMC9462SX EtherPower II 1000
Adapter” in the “Add New Hardware Wizard ” dialog box.
10. Click the “Next” button in the “Add New Hardware Wizard”
dialog box, then Windows 98 will copy the driver
(smc9462.sys) from “A:\Win98” to the
“C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM” directory and the “SMCNET5.INF”
file from “A:\Win98” to the “C:\WINDOWS\INF” directory.
11. When Windows prompts with “9462SX EtherPower II 1000
adapter” in the “Add New Hardware Wizard” dialog box, click the
“Finish” button.
2-15
12. Remove the driver diskette from your floppy drive.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
13. Restart your computer to initialize the network function.
Note:“C:\WINDOWS” is the directory where your Windows 98 sys-
tem is located.
Other Installations
Refer to the installation documents on driver diskette for instructions
on installing drivers for use with other operating systems.
Please note that new releases of drivers and operating systems may
result in procedures slightly different than those described in this
chapter.
Latest Drivers
The driver diskette contains the latest drivers available at shipping time.
If more recent versions of these drivers are available, you can download
them from Comet labs Web site. Refer to the back cover of this user
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
CHAPTER 3
CONFIGURING AND TESTING
THE NETWORK CARD
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
How to Run the Windows NT Utility . . . 3-2
Network Card Information . . . . . . . 3-3
Locally Administered Network Address . . 3-3
Advanced Properties . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Link Parameters . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Packet Propulsion . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Jumbo Frame Support . . . . . . . . 3-5
VLAN Properties . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Using VLANs . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Traffic Priority . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
VLAN Table Maintenance . . . . . . . 3-8
VLAN Capabilities . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Network Card Diagnostics . . . . . . . 3-9
Local Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Send and Receive Test . . . . . . .3-10
3-1
3-2
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
Introduction
This chapter describes the configuration and
diagnostic utility available when using the
Gigabit Adapter card in a Windows NT 4.0
environment.
When you install the Comet Labs driver for
Windows NT 4.0, the advanced configuration
utility is also installed. This utility runs
when you click on the “Properties” button for
the card in the “Network” control panel
applet. Using this utility you can perform the
following procedures:
◆ View the network card’s status and PCI setup information.
See page 3-3.
◆ Configure the card’s advanced properties, such as link
parameters, Packet Propulsion threshold and Jumbo Frame
support. See page 3-4.
◆ Configure VLAN tag capabilities and edit the VLAN ID table.
See page 3-6.
◆ Perform diagnostics to test the card’s basic functions.
See page 3-8.
How to Run the Windows NT Utility
Follow these steps from the Windows NT 4.0 desktop.
1.Double-click on the “My Computer,” “Control Panel,” and
“Network” icons. The “Network” dialog box appears.
2. Click on the “Adapters” tab and select the
Gigabit Adapter card in the list box.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3-3
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
3.Click on the “Properties” button to run the
utility.
Network Card Information
Select the “Properties” tab in the utility
window to view the network card status
information and to set a locally administered
network address.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Locally Administered Network Address
This field lets you set a local network MAC address to override the
“Permanent Network Address.” This feature is
3-4
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
useful if the Comet Labs Gigabit Network
interface Card is being used in a test
environment. However, for normal use it is
recommended to retain the factory-set
“Permanent” MAC address.
Advanced Properties
Select the “Advanced Properties” tab in the utility window to view
the network card’s configuration options. This window is shown
below and the various items are described in the following table.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3-5
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
Link Parameters
The network card’s link speed, PHY type and
duplex mode can all be set from this page.
However, if the “AutoNegotiate Link
Parameters” box is checked these parameters
are automatically determined and the
configuration options greyed out. For most
Gigabit Ethernet devices it is recommended to
use Auto-Negotiation to set the link
parameters.
Packet Propulsion
The Packet Propulsion configuration option sets the packet-size
threshold at which Propulsion technology is used to burst packets
across the PCI bus. Propulsion increases the throughput of small
packets by coalescing transfers across the PCI bus. This minimizes
host CPU interrupts and bus arbitrations.
Use the slider control or edit box to set the packet-size threshold
level in bytes (from 0 to 1518, or 9014 if
Jumbo Frames is selected). Packets of sizes
below this threshold use the Propulsion
technique, packets above use the normal
scatter-gather method.
There is a trade off between the Packet
Propulsion and scatter-gather methods. Packet
Propulsion uses more bus resources whereas
scatter-gather uses more CPU resources.
Depending on your PC hardware and the
applications you are running, you can set the
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3-6
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
Packet Propulsion threshold to optimize the
performance of the Gigabit NIC adapter or its
effect on your operating system.
Jumbo Frame Support
The Comet Labs Gigabit Network interface card
can be configured to use Jumbo Frames. This
increases the maximum Ethernet frame size from
1518 bytes up to 9014 bytes. Using Jumbo
Frames greatly reduces the packet processing
overhead for the host CPU and can boost
throughput by up to 300% for bulk data
transfers.
Note that to use Jumbo Frames, both
communicating computers must have network
cards that support this feature. Also, network
devices connecting the two computers must
support Jumbo Frames.
VLAN Properties
Select the “VLAN Properties” tab in the utility window to configure
the card’s VLAN options and to edit the 16-entry VLAN ID table.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3-7
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Using VLANs
The Comet Labs Gigabit Card supports the IEEE
802.1Q VLAN standard and can be configured to
participate in a network with other devices
that use VLANs.
An IEEE 802.1Q VLAN is a group of ports that can be located
anywhere in the network, but communicate as though they
belong to the same physical segment. VLANs help to simplify
network management by allowing you to move devices to a new
VLAN without having to change any connections. VLANs can be
3-8
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
easily organized to reflect departmental
groups (such as Marketing or R&D) or usage
groups (such as e-mail or video conferencing).
VLANs provide greater network efficiency by reducing broadcast
traffic, but also allow you to make network changes without
having to update IP addresses or IP subnets. VLANs inherently
provide a high level of network security, since traffic must pass
through a router or a Layer 3 switch to reach a different VLAN.
Usually VLANs are configured within IEEE 802.1Q VLAN-enabled
switches in the network and computers are assigned to a VLAN ID
based on the switch port number. The Comet
Labs Gigabit Network interface card overcomes
this limitation by allowing up to 16 VLAN IDs
to be configured directly within the network
card. Using this feature, a network server can
share its resources with up to 16 VLANs when
connected to a switch port configured with
overlapping VLANs, significantly reducing the
latency between clients and the server.
Note: The VLAN IDs configured within the card
must match those in the IEEE 802.1Qcompliant switches throughout the
network.
Traffic Priority
The Comet Labs gigabit network card supports
the IEEE 802.1p Quality of Service standard.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
3-9
C
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
Each VLAN is assigned a priority level in the
VLAN ID table. By defining priority levels in
the network card, it allows the card to work
with other network devices to deliver higher
priority packets first.
Note that the IEEE 802.1p standard must be
supported by the other devices in the network.
Refer to the documentation of your network
devices for configuration options on handling
frames with priority tags.
VLAN Table Maintenance
The Comet Labs gigabit NIC’s VLAN
configuration features a 16-entry VLAN ID
table. Just click on the “Insert” button to
add an entry to the table. Each entry requires
a VLAN ID number in the range of 0 to 4095 and
a user priority level of 0 (lowest) to 7
(highest). The “Modify” and “Delete” buttons
can be used to edit or remove entries from the
table.
The first entry at the top of the table is the VLAN ID that is used
in outbound VLAN tagged frames from the network card. All
entries in the table are used for filtering inbound frames with
unlisted VLAN IDs. Note that the switch port the network card is
connected to should be assigned to the VLAN groups specified in
the table.
VLAN Capabilities
Three check-box options at the bottom of the VLAN Properties
page provide control of the VLAN tagging. “Enable VLAN
Filtering” must be checked for the card’s VLAN features to
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
C
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
ONFIGURING
AND
T
ESTING THE
operate. If “Strip Inbound VLAN Tags” is
checked, all incoming frames are processed as
normal frames. When “Insert Outbound VLAN
Tags” is checked, the VLAN ID from the top
entry in the table will be appended onto every
frame sent from the card.
Note that when you make a change to the VLAN
Capabilities you must reboot the computer for
the changes to take effect.
N
ETWORK
C
ARD
Network Card Diagnostics
Select the “Diagnostics” tab in the utility
window to test the basic functions of the
network card and its ability to communicate
over the network with another card.
3-10
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
APPENDIX A
TROUBLESHOOTING
PCI Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Solutions for Common Problems . . . . . A-4
Network Card Installation Problems . . . A-4
Network Connection Problems . . . . . A-5
A-1
A-2
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
PCI Compatibility
Early PCI BIOS versions do not properly support the PCI
specification and may “hang” when a network card driver tries to
load. If this occurs, make sure your BIOS correctly supports the PCI
Local Bus Specification (v2.0 or later) and upgrade your computer
BIOS to the latest version.
Some PCI computers are not self-configuring and require you to
perform some or all of the following functions by motherboard
jumper changes and/or BIOS Setup program configuration:
◆ Verify that the PCI slot is an enabled busmaster slot and not a
slave PCI slot. The Comet Labs Gigabit
Adapter card must be installed in a PCI
busmaster slot. In some computers the PCI
slot must be configured to enable bus
mastering. Refer to your PC’s manual and
check the PCI BIOS Setup program to be sure
the PCI slot is an enabled busmaster slot.
◆ In some computers, you may be required to disable Plug ‘n
Play (PnP) in the BIOS Setup program if resources are not
properly assigned between the network card and other
installed cards.
◆ Some computers may require you to reserve interrupts and
memory addresses for installed ISA cards to prevent PCI cards
from using the same settings. Refer to your PC’s manual and
check the PCI BIOS Setup program configuration options for
ISA cards.
◆ Make sure the PCI slot is configured to support INTA.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
A-3
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
◆ Be sure that INTA for the slot is assigned
to a free interrupt (IRQ) number.
◆ Check the BIOS Setup program’s PCI parameters for the slot
where the Gigabit Network Interface card is
installed. Be sure the slot is configured
for level-triggered interrupts instead of
edge-triggered interrupts. An example of
typical PCI parameters follows:
PCI Slot #:(slot number where the network
card is installed)
Master:Enabled
Slave:Enabled
Latency Timer:40 (range is 20 to 255)
Interrupt Type:Level-Triggered
Interrupt Number:(choose any number the BIOS
Setup supplies that does not
conflict with another
installed card)
Note that the wording of these parameters varies with different
computers, and not all parameters may be configurable.
Always consult your computer manual for information on changing
motherboard jumper settings and BIOS Setup program parameters
for use with PCI network cards. If you set a motherboard jumper
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
A-4
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
and modify the computer’s BIOS Setup, make
sure the jumper and BIOS settings match.
Solutions for Common Problems
Problems are often caused by cabling errors,
conflicts with other devices installed in the
same computer, or software that has been
configured incorrectly. If you encounter a
problem with the Gigabit network interface
card, use the following checklists to identify
and correct the problem.
Network Card Installation Problems
If your computer can’t find the Gigabit NIC or
the network driver doesn’t install correctly,
check the following items before contacting
Comet Labs Technical Support.
◆ Make sure the card is securely seated in the PCI slot. Check for
any hardware problems, such as physical damage to the card’s
edge connector.
◆ Try the card in another PCI busmaster slot. If all fails, test with
another Gigabit Apdapter card that is known
to operate correctly.
◆ Check for resource conflict in the PCI configuration. See
section “PCI Compatibility” in this chapter.
◆ Make sure your computer is using the latest BIOS available.
◆ If there are other network cards in the computer, they may be
causing conflict. Remove all other cards from the computer
and test the Gigabit network interface card
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
A-5
T
ROUBLESHOOTING
separately.
◆ Check for a defective computer or PCI bus by trying the
network card in another computer that is know to operate
correctly.
◆ Make sure your computer is using the latest BIOS available.
Network Connection Problems
There may be a network connection problem if
the Link LED on the card’s bracket does not
light, or if you can’t access any network
resources from the computer. Check the
following items before contacting Comet Labs
Technical Support.
◆ Make sure the cable is within the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX
standard for Gigabit Ethernet. Check the rating of the fiber
cable and make sure its length is within the requirements
specified in Appendix B.
◆ Inspect all network cables and connections. Make sure the
network cable is securely attached to the card’s connector.
◆ Make sure the correct network card driver is installed for your
operating system. If necessary, try reinstalling the driver.
◆ Make sure the computer and other network devices are
receiving power.
◆ Make sure the network card is connected to a Gigabit Ethernet
switch or buffered repeater port that is configured for AutoNegotiation. If the card’s duplex mode has been configured
manually, check that it matches that of the network device
port.
◆ The port on the network device that the card is attached to
may be defective. Try using another port on the device.
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
APPENDIX B
CABLES
Cable Specifications . . . . . . . . . . B-2
B-1
B-2
C
ABLES
Cable Specifications
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
Multimode Fiber (1000BASE-SX) Cable
Cable TypeConnector
62.5/125 or 50/125 micron coreSC
1000BASE-SX Fiber Cable Lengths
Core DiameterModal BandwidthMaximum Length
62.5/125 microns 160 MHz/km220 m (722 ft)
50/125 microns400 MHz/km500 m (1641 ft)
200 MHz/km275 m (902 ft)
500 MHz/km550 m (1805 ft)
C-1
General Specifications . . . . . . . . . C-2
APPENDIX C
SPECIFICATIONS
COMET LABS GIGABIT ADPATER GUIDEOCT. 99
C-2
S
PECI FICATIO NS
General Specifications
Network Interface
1000BASE-SX; multimode fiber cable
SC connector (62.5/125 or 50/125 micron core)
Optical Wavelength:
Transmitter; 840 nm to 860 nm
Receiver; 770 nm to 860 nm
Data Rate
1 Gbps, half and full duplex
Bus Interface
32-bit and 64-bit bus master, PCI
Interrupt
INTA
Cabling
62.5/125 microns: maximum 220 m (722 ft)
50/125 microns: maximum 550 m (1804 ft)