Instant EtherFast®Series
EtherFast 10/100
Auto-Sensing
Hubs
Use this guide to install these
Linksys products:
EtherFast 10/100
5-Port Hub
(EFAH05W)
EtherFast 10/100
8-Port Hub
(EFAH08W)
EtherFast 10/100
16-Port Hub
(EFAH16W)
User Guide
EtherFast 10/100
16-Port Rack
Mountable Hub
(EFAH16)
EtherFast 10/100
24-Port Rack
Mountable Hub
(EFAH24)
COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Copyright © 1998 Linksys, All Rights Reserved. Instant EtherFast is a registered trademark of Linksys. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and brand names are the proper ty of
their respective proprietors.
LIMITED WARRANTY
Linksys guarantees that every EtherFast 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub (Workgroup
Models: 5, 8, and 16-Port; Rackmount Models: 16 and 24-Port) is free from physical
defects in material and workmanship under normal use for five (5) years from the date
of purchase. If the product proves defective during this warranty period, call Linksys
Customer Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization number. BE SURE TO
HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE ON HAND WHEN CALLING. RETURN
REQUESTS CANNOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE.When
returning a product, mark the Return Authorization number clearly on the outside of the
package and include your original proof of purchase.
IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS’ LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE
PRODUCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOMPANYING SOFTWARE, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION. Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statutory, with respect to its products or the contents
or use of this documentation and all accompanying software, and specifically disclaims
its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys
reserves the right to revise or update its products, software, or documentation without
obligation to notify any individual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to:
Linksys P.O. Box 18558, Irvine, CA 92623.
FCC STATEMENT
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used according to the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which is found by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged
to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment or device
• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver’s
• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
assistance
0998
Contents
Introduction 2
About Fast Ethernet 3
Planning Y our Network 4
Installing the Hub 5
LED Indicators 6
Optional Fiber Optic Expansion Modules 7
Mounting the Hub 7
Connecting Nodes to the Hub 7
Uplinking the Hub 8
Uplinking the 5-Port Hub 9
Powering On and Resetting the Hub 10
Appendix
Twisted Pair Cabling 11
Installing Add-On Modules 12
Fiber Optic Modules 13
100BaseTX Distance Extender Module 16
Specifications 18
Customer Support 19
Introduction
The EtherFast 10/100 Auto-Sensing series of hubs from Linksys is the
fastest, most economical way to build or expand an enterprise 100Mbps
network! Ready to run right out of the box, each 10/100 hub lets you connect computers or other nodes together in seconds, with auto-sensing ports
that automatically adjust to either 10Mbps or 100Mbps speeds -- mix
10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware together any way you like! Combine
low-cost 10Mbps computers with high-speed Fast Ethernet workstations-save thousands of dollars by putting 100Mbps hardware only where you
need it most!
Each hub includes a built-in uplink port that lets you plug into 10Mbps or
100Mbps hubs, stacking hubs, switches, or backbones for easy future
expansion. Advanced error handling, auto partitioning, data collision control, and auto polarity correction protect your data during transmissions.
Compatible with virtually all operating systems like Wi ndows 98,
Windows 95, Windows NT, and Novell NetWare, the professional-grade
Auto-Sensing series of hubs offers your growing enterprise network the
freedom to use both 10Mbps and 100Mbps speeds, together with an amazing range of expansion possibilities -- all for an attractive price that’s hard
to beat!
About This Guide
This guide explains how to install and use a number of different EtherFast
10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub models. Some models are rack mountable, while
others are designed for desktop use. All of the models can be used interchangeably.
2
About Fast Ethernet
As the demand for desktop video, multimedia development, imaging, and
other speed-intensive applications continues to rise, the need for high performance, fault tolerant LAN technology will become more critical.
Standard Ethernet, which has been the most popular networking technology to date with a maximum data throughput of 10 Megabits per second, is
becoming insufficient to handle the latest video, multimedia, and other
speed-intensive client/server LAN applications.
Among the solutions to the problem of network speed, Fast Ethernet has
emerged as the most viable and economical. Capable of sending and
receiving data at 100 Megabits per second, it is more than fast enough to
handle even the most demanding video and other real-time applications.
Although there are a number of different competing Fast Ethernet implementations, 100BaseTX is by far the most popular. Operating on two pairs
of Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling, 100BaseTX supports
high speed signaling and is relatively inexpensive. Because it uses four
wires for data transmission and the same packet format, packet length,
error control, and management information as 10BaseT, 100BaseTX can
be made to communicate with slower 10BaseT equipment when routed
through a switch.
This backward compatibility is one of 100BaseTX's major advantages
over other forms of Fast Ethernet; it allows critical, speed-dependent network segments to be upgraded to 100BaseTX speeds as needed without rewiring, refitting, and retraining an entire site. Networks can now mix both
slow and fast network segments for different users or departments. Publishing, R&D, video, multimedia, or accounting departments can enjoy a
100Mbps pace, while other corporate segments can operate at slower and
more affordable 10Mbps speeds.
Every port on your Auto-Sensing Hub is capable of running at either
10Mbps or 100Mbps, allowing you to mix and match economical 10BaseT
hardware with high performance 100Mbps network cards, hubs, switches,
and other equipment.
3
Planning Your Network
The rules that govern how nodes and hubs are distributed across a network
are important to ensure the integrity of your data. Cabling specifications,
distance limits, and other topology rules must be followed in order to avoid
collisions or data loss.
The Auto-Sensing Hub is equipped with RJ-45 ports that can automatically
adjust to either 10Mbps or 100Mbps speeds. Each port can operate at
either speed, completely independent of the other ports’ speeds, and can be
connected to a workstation, file server, print server, hub, or another node
with twisted-pair cabling.
Although there are different grades of cabling, you must use EIA 568
Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) for each connection you make,
and each cable should not exceed 100 meters, (328 feet), in length. Fast
Ethernet networks require Category 5 cabling. Category 5 cabling can be
obtained at most computer stores, or you can crimp your own. See page 11
for cabling specifications. Here are some important cabling rules to follow:
· Computers should never be connected directly together on a network.
They should always be connected to a hub.
· Only two 100Mbps Fast Ethernet hubs can be cascaded, (or uplinked),
together. To cascade more than 2 100Mbps hubs, a switch or a repeater
must be used.
· The maximum cable length from a node to a repeater, switch, or hub is
100 meters (328 feet).
· The maximum length for a Category 5 cable between a 100BaseTX or
10BaseT workstation and a stackable or other shared bandwidth hub is
100 meters (328 feet).
· The maximum distance between 2 100BaseTX hubs without a switch is
5 meters (16.4 feet).
· The maximum distance between 2 10BaseT hubs, (or a 10BaseT hub and
an Auto-Sensing hub), is 100 meters (328 feet).
4
Installing the Hub
Carefully remove the hub from its packaging. Make sure that you received
all of the items listed below. If any items are missing or damaged, contact
your Linksys dealer for replacement part(s).
· EtherFast 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub
· AC Power Adapter and/or a Power Cord, (with rackmount models)
· User Guide and Registration Card
If you purchased a rack mountable Auto-Sensing hub, your package also
includes rack mounting hardware suitable for securing the hub in a standard hub rack.
Front and Back Panels
The front of each Auto-Sensing Hub includes:
· 10/100 RJ-45 ports that can be connected to workstations, computers, or
file ser vers with straight-through category 5 cabling
· an Uplink port that can be used for connecting to other hubs, switches, or
routers with straight-through category 5 cabling (see pages 8-9 for more
information about uplinking)
· diagnostic LED indicators to help simplify network monitoring and trou-
bleshooting (see below)
5