Intel 654655-001 User Manual

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

User Guide

Part No. 654655-001

First edition March 1996

Intel Corporation assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this manual. Nor does Intel make any commitment to update the information contained herein.

* Other product and corporate names may be trademarks of other companies and are used only for explanation and to the

owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

Contents

Quick Start 1 Chapter 1 Hardware Installation and Network Topology 3

Overview ..................................................................................................................................................3

Features.....................................................................................................................................................4

Installation and Setup ...............................................................................................................................5

Using the Switch.......................................................................................................................................6

Port status LEDs ................................................................................................................................ 6

Management status LEDs..................................................................................................................7

Cabling Requirements ..............................................................................................................................8

UTP requirements ............................................................................................................................. 8

Fiber optic requirements ................................................................................................................... 9

Straight-through vs. crossover cables ............................................................................................... 9

Typical Configurations...........................................................................................................................10

Configuring the 100 Mbps workgroup environment ......................................................................10

Configuring the Wide Area Network (WAN) environment ........................................................... 11

Connecting to a 10 Mbps segment .................................................................................................. 12

Excessive flow control problems ....................................................................................................13

Chapter 2 Configuring and Managing the Switch 15

Accessing the Console Manager ............................................................................................................16

Using the Console Manager ...................................................................................................................17

Entering commands.........................................................................................................................17

Console Manager command groups................................................................................................19

Configuring a port for full duplex...................................................................................................20

Configuring the SNMP agent for IP................................................................................................20

Monitoring traffic ............................................................................................................................ 21

Creating VLANs ............................................................................................................................. 23

Configuring the spanning tree ......................................................................................................... 24

Creating custom filters ....................................................................................................................25

iii

CONTENTS Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub User’s Guide

Console Command Reference ................................................................................................................26

System commands...........................................................................................................................28

IP commands ................................................................................................................................... 31

Ping commands ...............................................................................................................................34

SNMP commands............................................................................................................................36

Switching database commands ....................................................................................................... 38

VLAN commands ........................................................................................................................... 46

Spanning tree commands ................................................................................................................49

Port configuration commands .........................................................................................................51

Switching statistics commands........................................................................................................52

Console command-line summary ................................................................................................... 56

Chapter 3 Troubleshooting 59 Appendix A Technical Information 61

Default Configuration.............................................................................................................................61

Specifications ......................................................................................................................................... 62

SNMP and MIB Support ........................................................................................................................65

Custom Filter Port Table ........................................................................................................................66

Limited Warranty ................................................................................................................................... 71

Index 73 Customer Support Inside back cover

Quick Start

1. Install the Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub in a rack or on a shelf or table, plug the cord in, and turn the power on. See page 5 (steps 1 and 2).

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

Port 2

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 7

Console Mgmt

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

Brackets and screws for standard 19-inch equipment rack placement.

PC-3435

Rubber feet for shelf or table placement.

2. Connect the network devices to the switch. See page 5 (step 3) and pages 10–12.

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

PwrStat RPSCol Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Port 2

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Port 7

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Crossover cables to servers/workstations

Intel Express

²1 510 1525 ³30

Stat

Expansion Slot

Mstr

Stat Enbl

Management

100BASE-TX server/ workstation

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Console Mgmt

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

PC-3436

NOTES

• Connect only 100 Mbps devices to the switch. See page 12 for information on connecting to 10 Mbps segments.

• The default configuration for each port is half duplex mode only.

• Always use Category 5 cabling.

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Straight-through cables to hubs

243

Media Adapter

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Expansion Slot

100BASE-TX hub

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

3. Check the LEDs for power and links. See pages 6 and 7.

Console Mgmt

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

Blinks every two seconds.

Should always be on.

Lights briefly while the switch performs self-tests.

MDI

Port 3

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

Lights when device is plugged into the port.

Next steps (Optional)

• Continue to the next page if you want to configure the switch to work with an SNMP-compliant Network Management System (NMS).

• See Chapter 2 if you want to use the Console Manager to change port configurations (set a port for full duplex), assign an IP address, or check port statistics.

(Optional) Quick Start for SNMP Management

4. Use the null-modem cable to connect the Console Mgmt port to a COM port on a workstation.

Console Mgmt

A null-modem cable is provided with the switch.

PC-3442

5. Open a terminal emulation program (such as Terminal in Microsoft Windows* 3.1). Specify these communication parameters:

• 9600 baud

• 8 data bits

• No parity

• 1 stop bit

6. Press

E and log into the Console Manager:

By default, no password or user name is assigned. If you enter one, it is saved upon reset.

7. Set the IP configuration using the set-ip-conf command:

set-ip-conf 192.1.1.64 255.255.255.0 192.1.1.255 E

Replace these addresses with the numbers for your network. Specify the IP address, netmask (subnet mask), and broadcast address, in that order.

8. Download the Intel MIB (Management Information Base) file from an Intel online service and compile into your NMS.

The MIB filename is SWCH1MIB.EXE. You can find the file on Intel’s Customer Support web site (http://www-cs.intel.com) or the Intel BBS (see inside back cover). See your NMS documentation for instructions on compiling the MIB for a new device.

Hardware Installation and Network

Topology

Overview

The Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub is a 5-port Fast Ethernet switch featuring five 100BASE-TX ports and two slots for optional 100BASE-TX or 100BASE-FX media adapters. Each 100 Mbps port supports a Fast Ethernet segment, up to a total of 1024 cached nodes for the switch.

The switch increases the available bandwidth and extends the distance of Fast Ethernet installations by dividing the network into segments and insulating each from the others’ local traffic. Additionally, by configuring a link for full duplex, you can establish a 200 Mbps link between the switch and another switch, server, or workstation. This is especially useful for busy file servers that are accessed by multiple segments.

Data transfer delays are eliminated through the switch’s parallel storeand-forward architecture with direct port-to-port transfer. Selective flow control improves performance by preventing lost packets due to buffer overload.

CHAPTER 1 Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Security features include the creation of custom filters and virtual networks (VLANs). You can define any custom filter based on multicast/broadcast, source port, destination port, and destination address. VLAN features include the ability to set broadcast or multicast domains. See Chapter 2 for information on configuring VLANs.

The switch also has a built-in SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent and can be monitored and controlled through any SNMP-compliant Network Management System (NMS). See page 20 for information on using the switch with an SNMP NMS and getting the switch’s MIB (Management Information Base) file.

Features

• Five RJ-45 Fast Ethernet ports

• Two expansion ports for optional 100BASE-TX or 100BASE-FX media adapters

• Standard 19-inch rack-mount chassis (rack-mount kit included)

• Auto-ranging power supply (automatically adjusts to any voltage between 90 VAC and 264 VAC at 50/60 Hz)

• Full duplex selectable on each port

• Flow control selectable on each port

• 1024 address cache entries

• Custom filtering table

• Serial console port with password protection

• SNMP support (see Appendix A for MIB information)

• Spanning tree protocol support

• Built-in remote monitoring (RMON) support (Group 1)

Hardware Installation and Network TopologyCHAPTER 1

Installation and Setup

1 Install the switch in a rack or on a shelf.

For rack placement, connect the switch to a 19-inch rack using the enclosed rack mount brackets.

For shelf placement, attach the enclosed rubber feet to each corner of the bottom of the switch and place it on a flat, level surface.

2 Plug the switch in and turn the power on.

Plug the switch into an active AC outlet and turn the power on. A built-in power supply automatically adjusts to any outlet providing between 90 VAC and 264 VAC at 50/60 Hz.

NOTE

The switch will only work with 100 Mbps devices. For a 10BASE-T connection, see page 12.

3 Connect the Fast Ethernet devices.

For optimum performance, the Fast Ethernet segments connected to the switch must be configured carefully. Follow these general guidelines:

• Connect only 100 Mbps devices to the switch. The switch will not work with 10 Mbps devices. See page 12 for information on connecting to a 10 Mbps segment.

• Always use Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable when plugging devices into 100BASE-TX ports.

• Limit the distance between devices connected with UTP cable to 100 meters.

• Use a crossover cable when directly connecting a workstation, server, or another switch to the switch. Use straight-through cables when connecting to a repeating hub or concentrator.

• Configure the network so devices that primarily talk to each other are on the same segment. Each port on the switch is defined as a single Fast Ethernet segment.

4 Is setup complete?

If you’re using the switch as a stand-alone device (not under the control of network management software), you’re done.

If you want to change the default configuration (shown in Appendix A) or manage the switch, continue to Chapter 2.

CHAPTER 1 Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

NOTE

The default configuration of all ports is half-duplex mode.

To change to full duplex, use the Console Manager. See page 19 for instructions.

Ports on the switch are wired MDI for connection to MDI-X ports using a straight-through UTP cable. See page 9 for more information.

Using the Switch

The switch requires minimal user intervention. It automatically learns the addresses of new stations as they appear, and will relearn addresses dynamically if the network is reconfigured.

Each of the Fast Ethernet ports has six status LEDs. There is a separate bank of four LEDs for the management status.

Port status LEDs

Port LEDs provide information about the port’s configuration and the status of devices connected to the ports.

Port 3

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

MDI

Xmt Transmit. Lights when the switch is transmitting

Rcv Receive. Lights when packets are received on this port,

FC/FD Flow Control (default) or Full Duplex. Blinks on when

Clsn Collision. Lights whenever a collision occurs while the

Rcv Clsn Link

packets on this port.

even if they are not forwarded.

flow control is activated. If flow control is disabled, the LED blinks on when a packet is lost. If full duplex is enabled on the port, the LED is normally on continuously, and blinks off when a packet is resent. Flow control is not possible, nor needed, when full duplex is enabled.

port is transmitting. Collisions are normal in an Ethernet environment. However, if the collision LED is on continuously, you may have a problem with a device on the segment.

Hardware Installation and Network TopologyCHAPTER 1

Mgmt Management. Lights when the management agent

checks the port (normally, every two seconds).

Link Link. When solid, indicates a connection is established.

If the Link LED is off, check for loose cable connections. Also, make sure you’re using the correct type of Category 5 cable, either straight-through or crossover. See page 9 for more information.

Management status LEDs

Management status LEDs provide information about the overall operation of the switch and its SNMP management components.

Console Mgmt

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol. Always

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

on, indicating that the built-in SNMP agent is working.

Mgmt Management. Blinks on at regular intervals as the

SNMP agent is polled for updated information.

Pwr Power. Indicates the status of the power supply. It may

remain off for a few seconds during the power-on selftest. It is normally on.

Fault Fault. Indicates that the switch has detected a

problem. It may remain on for a few seconds during the power-on self-test. If this indicator blinks or remains lit after self-test, there is a problem with the switch.

See Chapter 3 for troubleshooting information.

CHAPTER 1 Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Cabling Requirements

Incorrect cabling is often the cause of network configuration problems. It’s important that you understand cabling requirements before connecting Fast Ethernet devices to the switch.

UTP requirements

The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet specification requires you use Category 5 (CAT5) unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling to operate at 100 Mbps per second. If you use lower grade cabling (CAT3 or CAT4), you’ll get a connection, but will soon experience data loss or slow performance.

You’re limited to 100 meters between any two devices with UTP cable. However, you can extend the total diameter by installing a fiber optic media adapter and using fiber optic connections between switches, or between the switch and a router or bridge.

See pages 10–11 if you’re unsure whether your network topology meets these distance limitations.

Fiber optic requirements

The optional 100BASE-FX fiber optic media adapter (Intel product code ESMODFX) lets you use multimode fiber optic cable to connect two switches, or to connect the switch with a router or bridge. The media adapter uses an SC fiber optic connector.

With multimode fiber optic cable, signals can travel up to 412 meters with no repeater when the link is configured at half duplex. If configured at full duplex, the signal can travel up to 2 km.

Hardware Installation and Network TopologyCHAPTER 1

Straight-through vs. crossover cables

Ports on the switch are wired MDI so you can use a straight-through cable when connecting to a Fast Ethernet repeating hub port, which is usually wired MDI-X. For direct connection to another MDI port (workstation, server, or another switch), you must use a crossover cable. The pinouts of MDI and MDI-X ports are shown below.

Connector pinouts

Switch or NIC RJ-45 (MDI) Hub RJ-45 (MDI-X)

NOTE

When making your own cables, wires 1 and 2 must be a twisted pair and 3 and 6 must be a twisted pair.

1TX+ 1RX+ 2 TX- 2 RX3 RX+ 3 TX+ 4 Unused 4 Unused 5 Unused 5 Unused 6 RX- 6 TX7 Unused 7 Unused 8 Unused 8 Unused

Determining which cable to use

Different switch and repeater manufacturers implement their port configurations differently. The following guidelines are based on the Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub (switch), the Intel Express 100BASE-TX Stackable Hub (repeater) and the EtherExpress™ family of adapters (server or workstation). These apply to the majority of switches and hubs:

For this connection Use this cable

Switch to repeater Straight-through Switch to server or workstation Crossover Switch to switch Crossover Repeater to server or workstation Straight-through

CHAPTER 1 Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Typical Configurations

Configuring the 100 Mbps workgroup environment

In the 100 Mbps environment, workgroup clients should be connected to a 100 Mbps hub such as the Intel Express 100BASE-TX Stackable Hub. All hub stacks should be connected to the Express Switching Hub. By connecting the hubs to a switching environment, you can extend Fast Ethernet distance limitations.

Dedicated 100 Mbps link to file server

Crossover cable

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Port2

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 7

Console Mgmt

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

Segment 1

Media Adapter

Straight-through cable

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Stackable Hubs

65871091211

243

Expansion Slot

100 BASE-T4

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

Straight-through cables

100 Mbps clients using Intel EtherExpress™ PRO/100 adapters

CAT5 UTP (100 meters max.)

Straight-through cable

Segment 2

Media Adapter

243

Expansion Slot

100 BASE-T4

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

65871091211

243

100 Mbps clients using Intel EtherExpress PRO/100 adapters

PC-3437

Hardware Installation and Network TopologyCHAPTER 1

Configuring the Wide Area Network (WAN) environment

Connections to the backbone are most effective using fiber optic cabling. This eliminates the 100 meter UTP restriction. Also, connect multiple switches directly to the backbone (not each other) and connect busy servers directly to the switch.

Backbone Router, Bridge, or Switch of Switches

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

➊

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

➌

High speed 100 Mbps servers

To T1 line To 10 Mbps segment To dissimilar LANs

Port 2

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 7

Console Mgmt

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

➋

Port 2

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

➍

CAT5 UTP (100 meters max.) Multimode fiber (412 meters max. at

half duplex, 2 Km max. at full duplex)

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 7

Console Mgmt

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

243

Media Adapter

243

Media Adapter

243

Expansion Slot

100 BASE-T4

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Management

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Management

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

65871091211

243

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Stackable Hubs

Expansion Slot

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

²1 5 10 15 25 ³30

Pwr StatRPS Col Data %

Media Adapter

Port Status

Management

1132143154165176187198209211022112312

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

Stat

Expansion Slot

Stat Enbl

Mstr

PC-3438

NOTES

➊ 100BASE-FX Fiber optic media adapter optional (product code ESMODFX). ➋ You can also use CAT5 UTP to connect to a backbone router or bridge. ➌ Configure high-speed servers for full duplex to achieve 200 Mbps throughput. ➍ If a server isn’t accessed by more than one segment, move it to a hub on the

segment.

CHAPTER 1 Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Connecting to a 10 Mbps segment

The Express Switching Hub is a 100 Mbps-only switch. You can’t connect a 10 Mbps device directly to the switch.

The preferred way to connect the segments is by using a bridge, router, or a 100 Mbps uplink module for your 10 Mbps hub (there isn’t a 10 Mbps uplink module available for the Express switching hub). However, this is costly if you don’t already have the equipment. An inexpensive alternative is to connect the segments through a

Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 1

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

100BASE-TX

server.

Port 2

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

Port 6Port 5Port 3 Port 4

Xmt FC/FD Mgmt

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Intel Express

100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Port 7

Xmt FC/FD Mgm

Rcv Clsn Link

MDI

Crossover cable connecting the server to the switching hub

Server equipped with two adapters, one at 100 Mbps and one at 10 Mbps

Console Mgmt

SNMP Pwr

Mgmt Fault

Straight-through cable connecting the server to the repeater

Media Adapter

10BASE-T repeating, sharing, or switching hub

243

Expansion Slot

65871091211

100 BASE-T4

Intel Express

100BASE-T4 Stackable Hub

PC-3439

NOTE

Windows NT* 3.51 doesn’t include the multi-protocol router software by default. You can download it from the Microsoft World Wide Web site.

Several adapters on the market (such as the Intel EtherExpress PRO/ 100 adapter) operate at either 10 or 100 Mbps. By connecting the Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub to one server adapter at 100 Mbps and your 10BASE-T hub to a separate adapter at 10 Mbps in the same server, you can route traffic from the 10 Mbps segment to the 100 Mbps segment through your Network Operating System (NOS).

If your NOS doesn’t support multi-protocol routing (Windows 95 peer-to-peer and Windows for Workgroups* don’t), you must use a Fast Ethernet switch or router that supports both 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps.

Hardware Installation and Network TopologyCHAPTER 1

NOTE

By default, flow control is enabled on all ports.

If you configure a port for full duplex, flow control is automatically disabled.

Excessive flow control problems

During times of peak network usage, you may occasionally see the FC/FD LED blink (for a description of the LED, see page 6). This is normal. However, if it stays lit for more than a few seconds at a time, or if there’s an excessive number of flow controls reported by the network management software, it could indicate a problem with your network configuration.

A port’s FC/FD LED indicator flashes whenever a packet is received that needs to be forwarded to a port that already has too many packets queued. This indicates a temporary overload situation on one port; the total traffic to the port exceeds the amount the buffer can hold. This typically occurs when there are several fast machines on different ports trying to access a machine across the switch. If this is infrequent, you don’t need to do anything. However, if this occurs often on the network, then the devices causing flow control to activate should be identified and moved to the same segment as the device that they are talking to.

When Ethernet bandwidth is temporarily insufficient for the traffic, there are only three possible actions: drop packets, use flow control, or segment the network. Buffering packets only works for a very short while. An extended overload will eventually overflow buffers and cause dropped packets. Flow control stops transmission on a port and forces devices to resend packets, ensuring that packets aren’t lost. This is the most reasonable solution, since it relies on Ethernet’s inherent collision detection mechanism to relieve temporary overload.

Repeater count limitations

The switch doesn’t count as a repeater. Each port on the switch can support a full Fast Ethernet network. There can be one repeater/hub between the switch and any workstations or servers (a stack of Intel Express 100BASE-TX Hubs counts as a single hub). Also, the total diameter of a segment can’t exceed 200 meters when using UTP cable. That is, the distance between any two nodes on a segment (or the switch and a node on the other side of a hub) can’t exceed 200 meters.

Configuring and

Managing the Switch

You don’t need to read this chapter unless you want to change the Express Switching Hub’s default configuration (see Appendix A for a list of defaults) or intend to manage the switch. The switch is ready to go simply by plugging it in and turning the power on.

However, if you need to change the default configuration or manage the switch, there are two ways:

• Use SNMP-compliant management software (not included). However, you must first use the Console Manager to assign an IP address to the switch.

• Use the Express Switching Hub’s internal Console Manager.

CHAPTER 2

PC-3442

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Accessing the Console Manager

The Console Manager software is contained in the switch’s nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM); you don’t need to install any software. To access the Console Manager:

1 Use the null-modem cable (included with the switch) to connect a

workstation’s COM port to the Console Mgmt port on the switch.

Console Mgmt

2 Open a terminal emulation program (such as Windows Terminal). 3 Select the COM port and these communication parameters:

9600 baud, eight data bits, no parity, one stop bit

In Windows Terminal, choose Communications from the Setting menu.

4 Press E. The login prompt appears:

By default, no login name or password is assigned. The password you enter becomes active only after you reset the switch or turn off the power. If you want the password to take effect immediately, use the set-passwd command.

Accessing the Console Manager remotely

To access remotely through Telnet, you must first set the IP configuration of the switch using the set-ip-conf command (see page 32 for instructions). You can then use Telnet to reach the switch.

In a remote session, all commands work exactly as if a terminal were directly connected to the Console Mgmt port. Note that only one console session can be active at a time. After the first Telnet session is established, the switch refuses other Telnet connections until the current session is closed. To terminate an active Telnet session, press E three times from the serial interface.

CHAPTER 2

Configuring and Managing the Switch

Using the Console Manager

The Console Manager provides an out-of-band (not on the network) connection to the switch. Use the Console Manager to

• assign an IP configuration to the switch.

• configure the ports.

• monitor network performance.

• create VLANs.

Entering commands

To enter commands, type the command name followed by any parameters and press E. For example, typing sys-stat E at the command prompt displays basic system status information.

Items in angle brackets represent values. For example,

represents an IP address in dotted decimal notation (such as

123.1.1.7).

Items in { } and separated by | represent alternatives for an argument. For example,

get-comm {read|write|*}

means you can type one of the following

get-comm read get-comm write

get-comm *

If you enter a command incorrectly, a message indicates the type of error that occurred. For example, typing a nonexistent command gives the following message:

SYS_console> pin command <pin> not found

If the command exists but the number of parameters is incorrect, the following message is displayed:

SYS_console> ping too few arguments

CHAPTER 2

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

Commands sometimes have parameters that determine how they’re saved and when they’re implemented. Some are changed in

• the running database so that the new value is used immediately (the run option).

• the NVRAM so that the changes are saved and occur only in the next session (the nvram option).

• both the running and the NVRAM databases (the all option).

To get an explanation of a command’s parameters, add a question mark (?) after the command name:

SYS_console> set-lt-age ? set-lt-age sets the LT aging period [arg #0] database type - either {run|nvram|all}

[arg #1] aging time in seconds

The Console Manager provides a history of the last several commands. To obtain the last command in the command history, press ! or cP at the prompt.

To correct a command line, use the following special keys (see the

help-kbd command):

• ! or cP - for the previous command

• cW - to delete the previous word

• cU - to delete the entire line

When you type a command that results in more than one screen of text appearing, you can press Q to stop the process or any other key to continue to the next screen.

Finally, you can press T to see the list of commands that start with the text already typed. For example:

SYS_console> get-c T Commands matching <get-c>

---------------------------------------------------

get-comm show current read or/and write community get-con-matrix displays the VLAN connectivity matrix get-colls-cnt gets the collision distribution counters per port

CHAPTER 2

Configuring and Managing the Switch

Console Manager command groups

The Console Manager has several categories of commands:

• Console commands: help, banner, serial line setup, console

parameters setup.

• System commands: system status, reset commands, download

commands, and system debug commands.

• IP commands: IP address setup, parameter and information

display.

• SNMP agent commands: SNMP settings, management, and trap

options.

• Switching database commands: aging time management and

switching database entry management.

• Spanning tree commands: disabling or manually configuring the

spanning tree protocol.

• VLAN commands: management of security virtual LANs.

• Port configuration commands: duplex and other port settings.

• Switching statistics commands: traffic and packet counters.

NOTE

Setting a port to full duplex automatically disables flow control. Since collisions don’t happen on a full-duplex link, flow control isn’t needed.

The following sections explain some of the more commonly used commands for configuring ports and monitoring traffic statistics.

Configuring a port for full duplex

Commands used

set-port-dplex get-port-cfg

Configuring a port for full duplex allows the switch to send and receive packets simultaneously with the destination device. To establish a full-duplex link, both the switch and the destination device must be configured for full duplex.

Additionally, the link must be to a switch, workstation, or server. You cannot establish a full-duplex link to a device that broadcasts incoming packets to every port on the device. This excludes most shared hubs, repeaters, or concentrators.

Sets the duplex mode on the specified port. Displays the current port configurations.

CHAPTER 2

Intel Express 100BASE-TX Switching Hub

NOTE

You must have a point-topoint connection to establish a full-duplex connection (shared hubs/repeaters/ concentrators aren’t capable of full duplex). Additionally, both points of the connection must be configured for full duplex.

To configure a port for full duplex

1 Configure the adapter or switch port on the other end for full

duplex.

2 Set the Express Switching Hub port to full duplex. This example

sets port 3 to full duplex:

set-port-dplex 3 full

3 Check the FC/FD LED. It should be solid yellow, indicating full

duplex.

Configuring the SNMP agent for IP

Commands used

set-ip-conf ping

The switch can be monitored and controlled through any SNMPcompliant network management system (NMS). First, you must configure the SNMP agent by assigning an IP address.

To configure the SNMP agent

1 Set the IP configuration. Type the command:

set-ip-conf 192.1.1.64 255.255.255.0 192.1.1.255

If the switch doesn’t have an IP address, then the specified IP configuration is changed immediately and saved in NVRAM.

If the switch is already configured, the command changes only the NVRAM. To use the new parameters, reset the switch using the warm-reset command.

2 Test the installation. Type the command:

SYS_console> ping 192.1.1.1 2

This example tests connectivity from the switch to a workstation with an IP address of 192.1.1.1. For more information on the ping command, see page 33.

3 Download the MIB from Intel’s Customer Support World Wide

Web site (http://www-cs.intel.com). The file is compressed in the file SWCH1MIB.EXE.

4 Compile the MIB into your NMS. See your NMS documentation

for more information.

Sets IP address, netmask, and broadcast address. Contacts another IP device.

CHAPTER 2

Configuring and Managing the Switch

Monitoring traffic

Commands used

get-br-cnt

get-eth-cnt get-colls-cnt

get-rmon-cnt get-sdist-cnt

get-mgm-brcnt clr-cnt

Use monitoring commands to determine the traffic volume from specific ports or between ports. This allows you to determine the traffic patterns of your network and adjust your network topology for maximum efficiency.

Statistics are generated for the current session. Reset counters by using the clr-cnt command, resetting the switch, or cycling the power.

Displays the packet statistics for a port. For a complete description, see page 52.

Displays the Ethernet counters for a port. Displays the collision distribution counters for a

port. Displays the Ethernet RMON counters for a port. Displays the packet size distribution counters for a

port. Displays the statistics for the management port. Resets the Ethernet and bridging statistics.

In general, keep devices that primarily talk to each other on the same segment (remember, each port is a Fast Ethernet segment). For example, if a high volume of traffic is forwarded from port 4 to port 3, determine which devices are generating traffic and move them to the same segment. This often happens when users are accessing a server on a separate segment. A change may not be efficient, however, if users from several segments all access the same server frequently.

To check traffic on a port

1 Determine the port you want to check. 2 Type the command:

SYS_console> get-br-cnt 3 Ethernet Switching Counters for port 3 ==================================================== Frm Received OK : 1419681 Bytes Received : 842637991 Frm Filtered : 0

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