Hawking Technology SAE8 User Manual

Matrox Piranha Switch 8

8 Port 10BaseT Ethernet Switch
SAE8

Installation Guide 10496-MT-0102

Matrox

PIRANHA

The Matrox Piranha Switch 8 is an 8 port 10BaseT Ethernet switch. The Piranha
Switch is a full segment switch, yet is affordable enough to be used instead of a
repeater hub. Devices connected to the Piranha Switch can communicate with
each other at full wire speed, achieving aggregate throughput 800% faster than
devices connected to the ports of a repeater hub.

Each of the 8 ports on the Piranha Switch can be configured for half or full-duplex
operation, allowing you to double the connection speed for devices that are able
to operate in full-duplex mode. Each port can be connected to a server,
workstation, another switch, or to a repeater hub connected to multiple Ethernet
devices. The Piranha Switch is capable of supporting up to 8192 MAC addresses.

A

Before You Begin

Verify the contents of your package. It should contain the following items:

• Matrox Piranha Switch 8

• Power adapter

• Power adapter cord

• Registration card

• This guide

NOTE:

12345678

If any of these items are missing, contact your Matrox Networks representative.

10 BaseT Ethernet Switch

MDI-X

RJ-45

PORTS

Status LEDs

B

Configuring Ports for Half or Full-duplex
Operation

Many Ethernet devices, including newer Network Interface Cards (NICs) and
most switches, are capable of full-duplex operation. If possible, you should
configure a device and Piranha Switch port to which it connects for full-duplex
operation. Repeater hubs and older NICs are only capable of half-duplex
operation.

By default, all 8 ports of the Piranha Switch are configured for half-duplex
operation. If you are not configuring any ports for full-duplex operation, proceed
to section C.

NOTE:

device to which it connects is also configured for full-duplex communications.
Connecting a half-duplex device to a full-duplex port (or vice-versa) can result in
unpredictable network behavior and degraded performance.

You should only configure a Piranha Switch port for full-duplex operation if the

Configuring a Device for Full-duplex Operation

In order to configure an attached device for full-duplex operation, consult the
documentation that came with the device.

Configuring One or More Piranha Switch Ports for Full­duplex Operation

In order to configure a port for full-duplex operation, perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that the Piranha Switch is not connected to its power adapter. If it is, unplug it.

2. Using a Phillips (star) screwdriver, carefully remove the 2 screws on the top of the case,
and the two screws on the back of the case. After the screws are removed, carefully slide
back and lift the cover of the Piranha Switch.

3. Locate the panel of Dual Inline Position (DIP) switches on the circuit board:

1

8765432

P1

4. In order to configure a port for full-duplex operation, you must change the position of its
associated DIP switch from OFF to ON:

DIP Switch Setting Duplex Mode

OFF Half-Duplex

ON Full-Duplex

P8P7P6P5P4P3P2

Refer to the following table when setting DIP switches:

Port DIP Switch

P1 1

P2 2

P3 3

P4 4

P5 5

P6 6

P7 7

P8 8

5. Carefully replace the cover and screws on the Piranha Switch case.

6. Connect the power supply:Connect the appropriate ends of the power cord to the AC/

DC adapter and a suitable electrical outlet. Insert the AC/DC adapter’s 2.5mm round
plug in the DC input jack of the Piranha Switch.

C

Connecting a Device to the Piranha Switch

The Piranha Switch is a "plug-and-play" switch that can automatically learn MAC
addresses and direct network traffic accordingly. The Piranha Switch supports up
to 8192 MAC addresses.

Supported Media

You can connect a device to a port of the Piranha Switch using Category 3 or
Category 5 Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP) wiring. The wire must have an RJ-45
Ethernet plug in order to connect to a port of the Piranha Switch.

Determining Whether to Use a Cross-over or Straight­through Wire

Like the out-ports of a repeater hub, the ports of the Piranha Switch are MDI-X
(cross over) RJ-45 jacks. Depending on which kind of device you are connecting
to the Piranha Switch, you will need to use either a "straight-through" or "cross­over" wire.

Refer to the following table to determine which wiring to use to connect various
devices to the Piranha Switch:

Device Type Wire To Use

Server (NIC or Matrox Shark 100
Multiport NIC)

Server (Piranha SwitchNIC) cross-over

Workstation (Network Interface Card) straight-through

Repeater Hub (MDI Uplink Port) straight-through

Repeater Hub (MDI-X) cross-over

Switch (another Piranha Switch, or any
other Ethernet switch with MDI-X jacks)

straight-through

cross-over

See diagram for sample topologies.

Understanding the Status Lights

The status of each port on the Piranha Switch is indicated by a light:

Light Status Meaning

Dim Indicates a Link

Bright Indicates Traffic

on the Link