background image

62

C

HAPTER

 5: D

IAGNOSTICS

 

AND

 T

ROUBLESHOOTING

Running the Packet Tests

Run the packet tests to check the NIC’s ability to transfer 
packets. 

Table 5

 describes the packet tests.

To run the packet tests:

1 Start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program.

2 Click the Diagnostics tab. 

3 Click 

Choose

 

Test

The Packet Test window appears (

Figure 19

).

Table 5   

Packet Tests

Test

Description

Statistics Collected 
(All Tests)

Internal Loopback  Checks on-board circuitry of the NIC 

by writing, and then reading, data to 
and from internal memory registers.

Packets transmitted

Packets received

Errors detected

rxBadCRC

rxCollDet

rxLinkLost

rxPhyDecode

rxOddNybl

rxMacAbort

rxShort

rxTrunc

External Loopback  Checks port and transceiver integrity 

by comparing transmitted and 
received packets. Requires an external 
loopback plug. For more information 
on building an external loopback plug, 
see 

Constructing Loopback Plugs

 near 

the end of this chapter.

Transmit/Receive 

Tests the ability of the NIC to 
transmit or receive packets from 
another computer. Requires two 
connected computers.

Echo 

Checks system connectivity by testing 
the ability of the NIC to send and 
respond to echo packets. Requires 
two connected computers.

Book  Page 62  Monday, June 7, 1999  2:14 PM

Summary of Contents for EtherLink 3C985B-SX

Page 1: ......

Page 2: ...http www 3com com http www 3com com productreg Gigabit EtherLink Server NIC User Guide 3C985B SX 1000 PCI server NIC with DynamicAccess technology Part No 09 1151 003 Published June 1999 ...

Page 3: ...NITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND If you are a United States government agency then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in DFARS 252 227 7014 June 1995 or as a commercial...

Page 4: ...ING AND CONFIGURING THE WINDOWS NT DRIVER Software Installation Requirements 19 Installation and Configuration Scenario 19 Getting Help 20 Installing the Software 20 Creating a Load Balancing RSL and VLAN Configuration 22 Planning the Configuration 22 Starting DynamicAccess Software 23 Creating a Load Balancing RSL Group 24 Adding NICs to a Group 26 Creating a VLAN 27 Specifying Traffic Priorities...

Page 5: ...n Scenario 40 Installing and Configuring the Software 40 Loading the 3Com EtherLink Server CD 41 NetWare 4 11 41 NetWare 5 0 41 Copying the Driver 41 Specifying the Slot Number 42 Loading the Driver 42 Setting Up Another NIC 42 Installing Load Balancing RSL Software 43 Configuring Load Balancing RSL Groups 43 Verifying the Load Balancing RSL Configuration 45 Verifying the Installation and Configur...

Page 6: ...ing the NIC Self Test 61 Running the Packet Tests 62 Running the Internal Loopback Test 63 Running the External Loopback Test 64 Running the Transmit Receive Test 65 Running the Echo Test 67 Using the Support Window 70 Accessing Support Services 70 Generating a Problem Report 71 Using the 3Com DOS Diagnostics Program 72 Copying the Program 73 Starting the Program 74 Navigating Within the Program 7...

Page 7: ... s IP Address 87 Changing the Group s Dedicated IP Address 88 Troubleshooting a Load Balancing Configuration 88 About VLANs 89 INSTALLING 3COM SOFTWARE DURING NETWARE INSTALLATION Software Installation Requirements 91 Installation Instructions 91 SPECIFICATIONS TECHNICAL SUPPORT Online Technical Services 95 World Wide Web Site 95 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 96 3Com FTP Site 96 3Com Bulletin Bo...

Page 8: ...INDEX 3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY FCC CLASS B STATEMENT FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY 3COM END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT PRODUCT REGISTRATION ...

Page 9: ......

Page 10: ... the information in this guide follow the instructions in the release notes Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader Portable Document Format PDF or HTML on the 3Com World Wide Web site http www 3com com Conventions Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide Table 1 Notice Icons Icon Notice Type Description Information note Information ...

Page 11: ... for port Commands The word command means that you must enter the command exactly as shown and then press Return or Enter Commands appear in bold Example To remove the IP address enter the following command SETDefault 0 IP NETaddr 0 0 0 0 The words enter and type When you see the word enter in this guide you must type something and then press Return or Enter Do not press Return or Enter when an in...

Page 12: ...ex mode when connected to a Gigabit Ethernet port The NIC is compatible with both 32 bit and 64 bit PCI bus standards and supports standard Ethernet minimum and maximum frame sizes 64 to 1518 bytes frame format and IEEE 802 2 LLC specifications Powerful DynamicAccess technology ensures high performance and maximum bandwidth availability to relieve server congestion Figure 1 3C985B SX Server NIC TX...

Page 13: ...based on traffic conditions to increase overall application throughput In light traffic the NIC driver interrupts the host for each received packet minimizing latency When traffic is heavy the NIC issues one host interrupt for multiple back to back incoming packets preserving host CPU cycles Dual DMA channels The PCI interface on the 3C985B SX server NIC contains two independent DMA channels for s...

Page 14: ...ads transmission over several NICs thereby increasing outbound bandwidth x x Resilient server links RSLs keep traffic flowing if a server link fails x x x IEEE 802 1Q multiple virtual LANs VLANs divide network segments into logical partitions that simplify changes or additions to the network x x Failover to 3Com EtherLink 10 100 PCI NIC 3C980B TX server NIC provides cost effective fault tolerance ...

Page 15: ......

Page 16: ...or the backplate To avoid damaging the NIC or the PC reduce static electricity on your body by wearing an electrostatic discharge wrist strap attached to the chassis or by touching an unpainted metal part of the chassis before unplugging the computer and before handling the NIC CAUTION Install the NIC in a PCI slot that conforms to PCI 2 0 or higher specifications Do not attempt to install the NIC...

Page 17: ...with the most recent Service Pack available from Microsoft technical support www microsoft com Novell NetWare version 4 11 or 5 0 with the most recent patches and updates available from Novell technical support www novell com SCO UnixWare 7 Server BIOS Latest version Contact the PC manufacturer to verify Installation Instructions 1 Prepare the NIC and the server a Unpack and inspect the NIC for da...

Page 18: ...e NIC 2 Follow these steps to install the NIC see Figure 2 a Remove the metal expansion slot cover from the chassis Save the screw for step c b Insert the NIC in the PCI bus expansion slot Press down gently and firmly on the NIC to seat it properly c Use the screw removed in step a to secure the NIC backplate to the system chassis d Replace the computer cover e Connect the power cables and turn on...

Page 19: ...18 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE HARDWARE Figure 2 Installing the NIC 1 Remove slot cover 2 Insert NIC PCI slots 0354 RX TX SC connector To switch DATA LINK 1000 BASE SX 3 Connect to the network ...

Page 20: ...port www microsoft com Installation and Configuration Scenario The instructions in this guide follow a simple scenario that demonstrates the fundamentals of setting up a sample configuration Setting up your own configuration may require a slightly different sequence of tasks and different numbers of NICs The Windows NT scenario described here illustrates a server on which no other NICs are install...

Page 21: ...tion click Help on any 3Com window Installing the Software Before you begin software installation Make sure that all software installation requirements are met Boot the system under Windows NT Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account 1 Insert the 3Com EtherLink Server CD in the CD ROM drive 2 From the Windows Start menu select Settings Control Panel 3 Double click the Network icon 4 In the N...

Page 22: ... auto negotiation turned off you must disable link negotiation For more information on auto negotiation and flow control see About Flow Control 9 You can take any of the following actions in the Installation dialog box To disable auto negotiation clear the Link Negotiation Enabled check box To enable reception flow control check the Rx Flow Control check box to allow the NIC to send pause frames t...

Page 23: ...g Windows NT Service Pack 4 you must install a Microsoft TCP IP hot fix patch and reboot the server before installing DynamicAccess software For more information on the patch see the Gigabit EtherLink Server NIC Release Notes and the README file in the root directory on the Gigabit EtherLink Server CD 14 Restart Windows NT Creating a Load Balancing RSL and VLAN Configuration DynamicAccess software...

Page 24: ...all secondary NICs to the same network segment Observe the recommended support limits Four groups 64 VLANs per server Assign a VLAN ID number to each VLAN If you are not using a DHCP server each VLAN that is using IP services requires an IP address and subnet mask Starting DynamicAccess Software 1 Log in to the Windows NT Administrator account 2 From the Windows Start menu select Settings Control ...

Page 25: ...bled check box and check the Transmit Load Balance Enabled box To enable bidirectional load balancing Check both the Transmit Load Balance Enabled box and the Receive Load Balance Enabled box Enter only the bytes required for a dedicated IP address See Specifying a Dedicated IP Address for more information on the dedicated IP address To disable all load balancing Clear the Receive Load Balance Ena...

Page 26: ...Creating a Load Balancing RSL and VLAN Configuration 25 Figure 4 Creating a Load Balancing RSL Group ...

Page 27: ...t a group from the Load Balancing RSL Groups list b Select a NIC from the Network Interface Cards list 3 Click Add NIC The NIC appears as part of the group in the Load Balancing RSL list box If you click Add NIC repeatedly NICs are added to the group in the order that they are listed after the first NIC you selected In Figure 5 NICs 1 and 2 are added to Group 1 Figure 5 Adding NICs to a Group ...

Page 28: ... unique VLAN ID must be specified for each VLAN in a group Each VLAN bound to TCP IP must exist on a separate IP subnet DHCP servers used to allocate IP addresses must be located on the same IP subnets as the VLANs Each VLAN bound to the IPX SPX protocol must use a unique network number To avoid problems associated with blocked multicast streams configure end stations that support the IEEE 802 1p ...

Page 29: ...28 CHAPTER 3 INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING THE WINDOWS NT DRIVER Figure 6 Creating a VLAN ...

Page 30: ...bottlenecks in the network and allow critical applications to take network precedence You can turn traffic prioritization on or off independently for Each NIC that is not in a group and does not have VLANs Each group that does not have VLANs Each VLAN Each virtual NIC NIC group or VLAN shown in the Traffic Prioritization control panel Fast IP Enable and configure Fast IP Administration Set Dynamic...

Page 31: ...er Procedures Use the following procedures as needed to maintain the configuration Disabling Load Balancing for a Group 1 Click the Load Balance RSL tab Figure 5 2 In the Load Balance RSL window a Select a group from the Load Balancing RSL Groups list b Click Properties 3 In the Group Properties dialog box To disable receive load balancing only Clear the Receive Load Balance Enabled check box To d...

Page 32: ... status is indicated by a P icon at the beginning of the NIC name When there are more than one NIC in a group you can change the primary NIC as follows see Figure 8 1 Click the Load Balance RSL tab 2 In the Load Balance RSL window select a secondary NIC from the Load Balance RSL Groups list 3 Click Select Primary The NIC you selected becomes the primary NIC Figure 8 Changing the Primary NIC ...

Page 33: ...om a group in the Load Balancing RSL Groups list 3 Click Remove NIC Deleting or Editing a VLAN When a VLAN is selected as shown in Figure 9 you can delete it or edit its properties 1 Click the VLANs tab 2 In the VLANs window select a VLAN To delete the selected VLAN click Delete VLAN To edit the selected VLAN s VLAN ID click Edit VLAN Figure 9 Deleting or Editing a VLAN ...

Page 34: ...See Figure 10 and follow these steps 1 Click the Load Balance RSL tab 2 In the Load Balance RSL window select a NIC 3 Click Properties The NIC Properties window appears showing the properties of the selected NIC Figure 10 Displaying NIC Properties ...

Page 35: ... Figure 11 and follow these steps 1 Click the Load Balance RSL tab 2 In the Load Balance RSL window select a group in the Load Balancing RSL Groups list box 3 Click Properties The Group Properties window appears showing the properties of the selected group Figure 11 Displaying Group Properties ...

Page 36: ... About Flow Control IEEE 802 3x flow control prevents a device s input buffers from overflowing Flow control uses pause frames to communicate buffer status between linked transmitting and receiving devices transmitters and receivers A receiver sends a pause frame to tell a transmitter to stop transmitting data frames for a specified period allowing the receiver s input port buffers to empty Pause ...

Page 37: ...communication Rare cases for example linking to a device that does not support auto negotiation may require that auto negotiation be disabled on a port thereby enabling forced link on that port When forced link is enabled linked devices must have matching flow control capabilities For example a port that is set for forced link and reception flow control can connect successfully only with a port th...

Page 38: ...sion 4 11 or 5 0 must be installed with the most recent patches and updates available from Novell technical support www novell com Netware Packet Receive Buffers Follow these guidelines for both NetWare 4 11 and NetWare 5 0 The driver requires 512 packet receive buffers for each installed NIC You must increase the minimum and maximum packet receive buffers values by 512 for each installed NIC For ...

Page 39: ...port on the hub or switch You can correlate slots with physical NICs by the NIC MAC addresses The MAC address is written on a bar code label on the top component side of the NIC See Obtaining Slot Numbers for more information Planning NIC Groups Plan the cable changes required to connect each primary NIC and all secondary NICs to the same network segment For optimum failover performance turn the s...

Page 40: ...his procedure to obtain slot numbers for a two NIC installation 1 Install only one 3C985B SX server NIC 2 Follow the installation instructions in this chapter to load the 3Com EtherLink Server CD copy the driver and load the driver You need not specify a slot number when only one NIC is installed 3 In the Netware Console issue a CONFIG command 4 Write down the slot number that is listed for the in...

Page 41: ... NICs 5 Add a NIC to the group making one group of three NICs 6 Add a group to the configuration Installing and Configuring the Software With NetWare installed and the server up and running complete the following steps to install and configure the driver and Load Balancing RSL software on a NetWare file server In NetWare screens use the arrow keys to select an item and then press Enter The major s...

Page 42: ...oad nwconfig 2 In the Installation Options screen select Driver options 3 In the Driver Options screen select Configure network drivers 4 In the Additional Driver Actions screen select Select a driver The Select a Driver screen appears listing all previously saved drivers in the system If this is the first installation of the 3Com server NIC driver it does not appear in this list 5 Press Insert A ...

Page 43: ... in this screen Loading the Driver 1 Select Save parameters and load driver The installation program loads the configured driver and then writes the appropriate LOAD and BIND commands to the AUTOEXEC NCF file The system assigns a network number 2 Enter a network number or press Enter to select the system assigned number If no errors are encountered the installation program asks whether you want to...

Page 44: ...ions screen select NCF files options create edit server startup files 3 Select Edit AUTOEXEC NCF file 4 Make the following changes to the AUTOEXEC NCF file a Add a command to load the EL985LB driver before any commands to load LAN drivers For example load el985lb load 3C985 Product will be installed from A If you are installing from floppy insert the first diskette of the product you want to insta...

Page 45: ...it must list the primary and all secondary NICs See Load Balancing RSL Commands for the EL985LB BIND command syntax 5 Save the AUTOEXEC NCF file and return to the server prompt The sample AUTOEXEC NCF file in Figure 12 shows a group of two NICs The primary NIC in slot 1 is bound to a secondary NIC in slot 2 Figure 12 AUTOEXEC NCF File for One Group of Two NICs load el985lb Define primary NIC slot ...

Page 46: ...AN Driver menu appears If the driver has been properly loaded the driver slot number and frame types associated with the driver appear on this menu 3 Select a driver to view its associated statistics A functioning driver displays packets being sent and received To verify that the server is communicating over the network complete the following procedure 1 Set up a NetWare client on a LAN supported ...

Page 47: ...ommands for the LAN drivers for all slot frame instances b Load the same protocols and frame types on the new secondary NIC c Add the slot number of the new secondary NIC to the EL985LB BIND command Figure 13 AUTOEXEC NCF File for One Group of Three NICs load el985lb Define primary NIC slot frame instances load 3c985 slot 1 frame ethernet_802 2 name p1_802 2 load 3c985 slot 1 frame ethernet_ii nam...

Page 48: ...nd all secondary NICs c On the primary NIC only bind a protocol to each slot frame instance d Remove any BIND commands from each secondary NIC e For each Load Balancing RSL group add an EL985LB BIND command to bind the primary and all secondary NICs together Place this command after the LAN driver LOAD commands or the SYS ETC INITSYS NCF command There can be only one EL985LB BIND command per group...

Page 49: ...thernet_ii name p3_ii Define Group 2 primary NIC slot frame instances load 3c985 slot 10004 frame ethernet_802 2 name p4_802 2 load 3c985 slot 10004 frame ethernet_ii name p4_ii Define Group 2 secondary NIC slot frame instances load 3c985 slot 10005 frame ethernet_802 2 name p5_802 2 load 3c985 slot 10005 frame ethernet_ii name p5_ii Bind protocols to primary NICs bind ipx to p1_802 2 net FF02 bin...

Page 50: ...P address b Type the IP subnet mask c Press F10 to continue Table 3 NetWare Installation Program Configuration Parameters Parameter Range of Values Defaults in Bold Description Slot Number All PCI slot numbers valid to the system Represents the PCI slot number of the physical NIC to be configured Node Address Default is factory assigned MAC address Leave blank to use factory assigned default Link ...

Page 51: ...et_SNAP frame types are also supported 5 To use the default MAC address of the NIC leave the Node Address field blank The default MAC address is recommended for most installations 6 Select Log Message Level and press Enter 7 Select which messages to log from the pop up box and press Enter All messages are printed to the system console screen and to the SYS SYSTEM SYS LOG ERR file All messages are ...

Page 52: ...ndary NICs Syntax el980lb bind pri_slot sec_slot where pri_slot is the PCI slot number of the primary NIC sec_slot is the PCI slot number of a secondary NIC Example el980lb bind 10001 10002 Default None Messages For all successfully created groups Load Balancing RSL displays Group has been created for Primary Slot xxxxx If a group already exists Load Balancing RSL displays Load Balancing RSL group...

Page 53: ...ing board status to Inactive Link integrity check for primary slot xxxxx Passed Syntax el980lb display status pri_slot where pri_slot is the PCI slot number of the primary NIC Example el980lb display status 10001 Messages A separate message is displayed for each loaded frame type Board numbers are also displayed Information about the relationship between the board numbers and the frame types is sh...

Page 54: ...ects all protocols and all frame types on the primary NIC See bind for other properties Syntax el980lb load sharing pri_slot where pri_slot is the PCI slot number of the primary NIC Example el980lb load sharing 10001 Default On Messages Displays the current state A separate message is displayed for each loaded frame type Syntax el980lb namebind primary_name secondary_name where primary_name is the...

Page 55: ...lot in_ticks where pri_slot is the PCI slot number of the primary NIC in_ticks is the time in ticks 18 ticks 1 second Example el980lb receive tmo 10001 1 Default 18 ticks This default may have to be set higher for some network configurations Messages A separate message is displayed for each loaded frame type Syntax el980lb retry count number_of_retries where number_of_retries is any positive integ...

Page 56: ...001 20 Default 10 Messages A separate message is displayed for each loaded frame type Syntax el980lb set probe interval in_ticks where in_ticks is the time in ticks 18 ticks 1 second Example el980lb set probe interval 60 Default 18 If the delay is longer than 1 second NIC or link failures are not recognized as quickly Messages If no argument is specified or the specified argument is invalid the cu...

Page 57: ...waits before marking a NIC that is in wait mode as failed see retry count Syntax el980lb wait tmo value_in_seconds where value_in_seconds is any positive integer Example el980lb wait tmo 2 Default 1 Messages If no argument is specified or the specified argument is invalid the current value is displayed Otherwise the new value is displayed ...

Page 58: ... and software updates in the Support area http www 3com com LED Operation Two status LEDs are located above the cable connector After the driver is installed the LEDs operate as follows LED Action Meaning DATA On or flashing NIC is detecting network data Frequency of the flashes varies with the amount of network traffic Off No connection between NIC and switch LINK On Connection between NIC and sw...

Page 59: ...rt information and lets you create a problem report about the NIC that you can e mail to 3Com Starting the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program Make sure the 3C985B SX server NIC and the Windows NT driver are installed 1 From the Windows Start menu select Settings Control Panel 2 Double click the Network icon 3 In the Network window click the Adapters tab 4 In the Adapters tab click Properties The 3Com In...

Page 60: ... it to the item and click The pop up box displays information about the selected item Using the General Window From the General window you can select installed NICs and view their configuration setting details Displaying the General Window To display the General window Figure 16 start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program Selecting a NIC To select a NIC use the Network Interface Card NIC list box in th...

Page 61: ...ation setting is shown with its current value When you are finished viewing NIC details click OK Figure 17 NIC Details Window Using the Diagnostics Window From the Diagnostics window you can run the diagnostic tests summarized in Table 4 Table 4 3Com NIC Diagnostic Tests Test Description NIC self test These tests check the physical components circuitry and connectors on the NIC Packet tests These ...

Page 62: ...agnostics Window Running the NIC Self Test Run the NIC self test to check the physical components connectors and circuitry on the NIC Make sure the 3C985B SX server NIC is installed and connected to the network and that the Windows NT driver is installed To run the NIC self test 1 Start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program 2 Click the Diagnostics tab 3 Click Start in the Self Test area The tests run i...

Page 63: ...nd from internal memory registers Packets transmitted Packets received Errors detected rxBadCRC rxCollDet rxLinkLost rxPhyDecode rxOddNybl rxMacAbort rxShort rxTrunc External Loopback Checks port and transceiver integrity by comparing transmitted and received packets Requires an external loopback plug For more information on building an external loopback plug see Constructing Loopback Plugs near t...

Page 64: ...acket Test window Figure 19 a Start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program b Click the Diagnostics tab c Click Choose Test 2 In the Internal Loopback Test area click Start The Internal Packet Test window appears Figure 20 3 In the Internal Packet Test window a To run the test continuously click the Continuous check box To run the test just once clear the Continuous check box b Click Start c If you chose...

Page 65: ... External Loopback Test when the 3C985B SX server NIC is cabled to another device To run the external loopback test 1 Insert the loopback plug into the 3C985B SX server NIC For instructions on constructing a loopback plug see Constructing Loopback Plugs in this chapter 2 Bring up the Packet Test window Figure 19 a Start the 3Com NIC Diagnostics program b Click the Diagnostics tab c Click Choose Te...

Page 66: ...rom the NIC and insert the network cable Figure 21 External Packet Test Window Running the Transmit Receive Test The transmit receive test checks the NIC s ability to transmit or receive packets from another computer To run the transmit receive test two servers with 3C985B SX server NICs installed are required One server sends data and the other receives data Both servers must be running Windows N...

Page 67: ...ay the Packet Test window Figure 19 3 On the receiving server a In the Packet Test window click Receive to display the Receiver window Figure 22 The option to run the test continuously or for a certain number of iterations is determined by configuring the transmitting PC You cannot modify the selection here b Click Start 4 On the transmitting server a In the Packet Test window click Transmit to di...

Page 68: ...he echo test verifies the ability of the 3C985B SX server NIC to transmit and receive data on the network You must have two servers with 3C985B SX server NICs and network drivers installed to run an echo test One server sends data and the other receives data Both servers must be running Windows NT 4 0 ...

Page 69: ...om NIC Diagnostics program b Click the Diagnostics tab to display the Diagnostics window Figure 18 c Click Choose Test to display the Packet Test window Figure 19 3 On the responding server a In the Packet Test window click Respond to display the Responder window Figure 23 The option to run the test continuously or for a certain number of iterations is determined by configuring the transmitting PC...

Page 70: ...Using the 3Com NIC Diagnostics Program 69 5 On the responding server click Stop 6 To exit the test click Close on both servers Figure 23 Echo Test Windows ...

Page 71: ...Figure 24 Support Window Accessing Support Services To access 3Com support services in the Support window Click Diagnostics to display the Diagnostics window See Using the Diagnostics Window earlier in this chapter for information on how to run diagnostic tests Click BBS Information to see BBS telephone numbers and modem speeds Read the 3Com World Wide Web address in the next field Click Problem R...

Page 72: ...ach field and click Next to display the Computer Information window 4 Type the computer information in each field a Manufacturer and model Enter the manufacturer and model of your computer b Identify your computer as a client server or both using the pull down menu c Select your CPU type using the pull down menu d Enter the numbers of the PCI slots that have boards installed e Enter the numbers of...

Page 73: ...ostic tests summarized in Table 6 If the NIC passes the Group 1 and Group 3 tests hardware failure is ruled out If a problem remains look at cabling the connected switch software and other issues that affect network functionality You can run the DOS diagnostics program after installing the NIC any time you suspect a fault Table 6 DOS Diagnostic Tests Test Description Group 1 These tests check the ...

Page 74: ...quire specific configuration information about the NIC Copying the Program The DOS Configuration and Diagnostics Program must be run in DOS with no device drivers or memory managers installed It will not run in a Windows NT DOS window You must boot from DOS without running the AUTOEXEC BAT or CONFIG SYS files The program name is 3C985CFG EXE To run the program in DOS you must copy it from the 3Com...

Page 75: ...other board Navigating Within the Program Table 7 summarizes how to select items and move through the Configuration and Diagnostics Program Table 7 Using the Configuration and Diagnostics Program Keystroke Action Tab Move cursor to next field Enter Select field Up and Down arrow keys Move cursor up and down a list Esc Exit to previous screen Shift Tab Move cursor to previous field Alt Highlighted ...

Page 76: ...are selected b Verify that all the internal tests are enabled If they are not select Enable Group to set all internal tests to Enable You can enable and disable an individual test by selecting the test and pressing the spacebar c Verify that the Group 2 and Group 3 tests are disabled If the Group 2 tests are not disabled select Group 2 and click Disable Group If the Group 3 tests are not disabled ...

Page 77: ...select the 3C985B SX server NIC to be tested 3 From the Test menu select Test Setup The Test Setup screen appears 4 Disable Group 1 tests by selecting Group 1 and clicking Disable Group 5 Verify that Group 3 tests are disabled If the Group 3 tests are not disabled select Group 3 and select Disable Group 6 Select Group 2 and select Enable Group You can enable and disable an individual test by selec...

Page 78: ... this connect to an inactive network on which only the PCs being tested are operating To run the Transmit Receive Test 1 Make sure that a 3C985B SX server NIC is installed in the transmitting PC and connected to the network 2 Install a 3C985B SX server NIC in another PC the receiving PC and connect it to the network 3 Launch the DOS diagnostics program on both PCs 4 On the receiving PC a From the ...

Page 79: ...ts are updated on the screen as the test runs Running the Echo Server Test The Echo Server Test checks connectivity of the entire system by verifying the ability of the 3C985B SX server NIC to send and receive echo packets to run the Echo Server Test two PCs with 3C985B SX server NICs installed are required one PC to send data and one PC to respond CAUTION Running the Echo Server Test while connec...

Page 80: ...ecting Group 3 selecting Echo Test and pressing the spacebar g Click OK The main screen reappears h From the Test menu select Echo Server The Echo Server screen appears 5 On the sending server a From the Select menu item on the main screen select the NIC to be tested b From the Test menu select Test Setup c Select Group 1 and click Disable Group d Select Group 2 and click Disable Group e If it is ...

Page 81: ...tistics screen select NIC Statistics from the View menu To view information about the NIC from the View menu select NIC Information Exiting the Program To exit the DOS diagnostics program from the Quit menu select Exit or press F3 Uninstalling 3Com Software Follow the procedures in this section to remove 3C985B SX server NIC drivers and associated software from the server Windows NT Software Remov...

Page 82: ...ver name from the list and press Enter to remove it 3 Remove the load balancing software a From the Installation Options screen select Product options b From the Other Installation Actions screen select View Configure Remove installed products c Delete 3Com Load Balancing Server Software from the Currently Installed Products list DynamicAccess Software for Servers Removal 1 From the Start menu sel...

Page 83: ...e problems such as broken traces or loose or broken solder connections Inspect all cables and connections Check the length and rating of the cable Make sure that the cable segment is compliant with the requirements shown in Cabling Types and Distances The network port may be defective or improperly configured Connect the NIC to a different network port and run the tests again Check the configurati...

Page 84: ...loopback plug lets the 3C985B SX server NIC transmit and receive on a closed loop A fiber optic loopback plug for the 3C985B SX server NIC can be constructed from a single strand or a double strand of standard fiber optic cable Single strand cable Insert the male connectors at both ends of the cable into the female connectors on the NIC Double strand cable The following procedure for creating a lo...

Page 85: ...le strand Fiber optic Cable Connectors If you cannot unclip the connectors create a loopback plug from a new strand of cable whose connectors have not yet been clipped together 2 Clip together the connectors of one of the strands one strand has markings on it the other does not 3 Insert the connectors into the SC connector ports of the 3C985B SX server NIC ...

Page 86: ...ough the use of multiple parallel resilient server links RSLs that share the network load Figure 26 Types of Load Balancing Arrangements About Resilient Server Links An RSL consists of two or more NICs that form a virtual NIC Each virtual NIC has multiple physical NICs bound to it forming a group Each NIC in a group uses the same protocols and frame types One NIC is designated the primary NIC and ...

Page 87: ...cing arrangement all NICs receive packets If any NIC fails receive load balancing is disabled and the other NICs continue transmit only load balancing activity Receive load balancing is restored when new connections are established with clients If any NIC in a bidirectional arrangement fails receive load balancing is disabled and the other NICs continue transmit only load balancing activity If the...

Page 88: ...ass B Byte 1 128 191 Specify only bytes 3 and 4 the two rightmost boxes Class C Byte 1 192 223 Specify only byte 4 the rightmost box Changing an IP Address If another device is using a load balancing group s dedicated IP address you must change either the other device s IP address or that of the load balancing group Changing the Other Device s IP Address 1 Use Windows NT procedures to change the I...

Page 89: ...erify that the dedicated IP address has been entered If no address appears in the Group Properties dialog box enter one to enable receive load balancing Receive load balancing stops functioning Cables may be disconnected or there may be other hardware problems Reconnect or change the cables Correct any other hardware problems Bidirectional load balancing is restored after this type of failure when...

Page 90: ...move to a different IP subnet the IP addresses of each workstation must be updated manually With VLANs installed if an end station on VLAN 1 is moved to a port elsewhere on the network you need only to specify that the new port is on VLAN 1 It helps to control traffic With traditional networks congestion can be caused by broadcast traffic that is directed to all network devices whether they requir...

Page 91: ......

Page 92: ...vell com Netware Packet Receive Buffers For guidelines see Software Installation Requirements in Installing and Configuring the NetWare Driver Slot numbers for multiple NICs For guidelines see Software Installation Requirements in Installing and Configuring the NetWare Driver Installation Instructions These instructions are for installing from the 3Com EtherLink Server NIC CD If you download 3Com ...

Page 93: ... 3C985 LAN and press Enter 12 Modify driver properties as necessary Do not modify the RecvBuffers property 13 Return to the Driver Summary screen 14 Remove the 3Com CD from the CD ROM drive 15 Insert the NetWare CD in the CD ROM drive 16 From the Options menu select Continue The installation continues 17 When the installation is finished a Edit the STARTUP NCF file Specify 512 receive buffers for ...

Page 94: ...t Memory read multiple support PCI slave I O memory and configuration cycles Interrupts Interrupt pin INTA Board dimensions Single slot short form 32 or 64bit PCI card Length 6 80 in 17 27 cm Width 3 75 in 9 53 cm Power requirements 10 W 2 0 A 5 V Environment Operating temperature 0 to 50 C 32 to 122 F Storage temperature 40 to 60 C 40 to 140 F Operating relative humidity 5 to 95 noncondensing Sto...

Page 95: ...02 1p IEEE 802 1Q IEEE 802 3 IEEE 802 3z IEEE 802 3x Cabling Types and Distances Signal Type Connector Type Cable Type Cable Diameter Microns Modal Bandwidth MHz km Maximum Length Meters Feet 1000BASE SX Short wavelength 850 nm SC MMF 62 5 160 220 722 62 5 200 275 902 50 400 500 1641 50 500 550 1805 ...

Page 96: ...t 24 hours a day 7 days a week through the following online systems World Wide Web site 3Com Knowledgebase Web Services 3Com FTP site 3Com Bulletin Board Service 3Com BBS 3Com FactsSM Automated Fax Service World Wide Web Site To access the latest networking information on the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web site enter this URL into your Internet browser http www 3com com This service provides acce...

Page 97: ...rmation into your FTP client Hostname ftp 3com com Username anonymous Password your Internet e mail address You do not need a user name and password with Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer 3Com Bulletin Board Service The 3Com BBS contains patches software and drivers for 3Com products This service is available through analog modem or digital modem ISDN 24 hours a...

Page 98: ...lified to provide a variety of services including network planning installation hardware maintenance application training and support services When you contact your network supplier for assistance have the following information ready Product model name part number and serial number A list of system hardware and software including revision levels Diagnostic error messages Details about recent confi...

Page 99: ...e including revision levels Diagnostic error messages Details about recent configuration changes if applicable Here is a list of worldwide technical telephone support numbers Country Telephone Number Asia Pacific Rim Australia Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia New Zealand Pakistan Philippines P R of China Singapore S Korea From anywhere in S Korea From Seoul Taiwan R O C Thailand 1 800 678 ...

Page 100: ...reland Israel Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland U K 0800 297468 0800 71429 800 17309 0800 113153 0800 917959 0800 1821502 00800 12813 1800 553117 1800 9453794 1678 79489 0800 0227788 800 11376 00800 3111206 0800 831416 0800 995014 900 983125 020 795482 0800 55 3072 0800 966197 Latin America Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Mexico Peru Puerto Rico Venezue...

Page 101: ...rs select option 2 and then option 2 Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland U K 0800 297468 0800 71429 800 17309 0800 113153 0800 917959 0800 1821502 00800 12813 1800553117 1800 9453794 1678 79489 0800 0227788 800 11376 00800 3111206 0800 831416 0800 995014 900 983125 020 795482 0800 55 30...

Page 102: ... command 51 BIOS parameters PCI 83 bulletin board service 96 bus interface 93 Bus master PCI BIOS parameter 83 C cable requirements 12 94 cabling troubleshooting 82 commands for Netware server features bind 51 display status 52 help 52 link tmo 52 load sharing 53 namebind 53 receive tmo 54 retry count 54 send tmo 55 set probe interval 55 unbind 55 wait tmo 56 Configuration and Diagnostics Program ...

Page 103: ... editing a VLAN 32 removing a NIC from a group 32 starting the program 23 DynamicAccess Software Setup windows 29 30 E Echo diagnostic test 67 Echo Server Test 78 editing NIC properties Windows NT 4 0 32 or deleting a VLAN Windows NT 4 0 32 efficient multicast control configuring 29 environment specifications 93 External Loopback Test 76 F failover about 86 to EtherLink 10 100 PCI NIC 35 Fast IP c...

Page 104: ...onfiguring during NetWare driver installation 43 creating Windows NT 4 0 24 maintaining NetWare 46 removing NICs from Windows NT 4 0 32 load sharing command 53 M MAC address 17 49 50 location on NIC 38 maintaining server features NetWare 46 Windows NT 4 0 30 memory requirements NetWare packet receive buffer sizes 37 91 memory specifications 93 MIBs 96 multicast control configuring 29 multiple NICs...

Page 105: ... NT 4 0 34 NIC displaying Windows NT 4 0 33 editing Windows NT 4 0 32 R receive tmo command 54 relative humidity operational 93 removing NIC from a group Windows NT 4 0 32 software 80 requirements driver installation NetWare 37 91 Windows NT 4 0 19 hardware and software 15 resilient server links RSLs 13 85 retry count command 54 returning products for repair 99 Rx Flow Control 49 S safety precauti...

Page 106: ...re for Servers 81 NetWare 81 Windows NT 4 0 80 URL 95 V verifying configuration NetWare 45 driver installation NetWare 45 viewing configuration settings Windows NT 4 0 60 virtual NIC 85 VLANs Windows NT 4 0 creating 27 deleting or editing 32 ID numbers legal ranges 27 number allowed in a server 27 W wait tmo command 56 Windows NT 4 0 adding NICs to a group 26 changing the primary NIC 31 creating a...

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Page 108: ...asonable efforts to provide compatibility except where the non compatibility is caused by a bug or defect in the third party s product or from use of the software product not in accordance with 3Com s published specifications or user manual YEAR 2000 WARRANTY In addition to the Hardware Warranty and Software Warranty stated above 3Com warrants that each product sold or licensed to Customer on and ...

Page 109: ... TESTING AND EXAMINATION DISCLOSE THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT OR MALFUNCTION IN THE PRODUCT DOES NOT EXIST OR WAS CAUSED BY CUSTOMER S OR ANY THIRD PERSON S MISUSE NEGLECT IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR TESTING UNAUTHORIZED ATTEMPTS TO OPEN REPAIR OR MODIFY THE PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER CAUSE BEYOND THE RANGE OF THE INTENDED USE OR BY ACCIDENT FIRE LIGHTNING OTHER HAZARDS OR ACTS OF GOD LIMITATION OF LIABILITY T...

Page 110: ...sult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful The Interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U S Government Printing Office Washington D C 20402 Stock No 004 000 00345 4 NOTE In order to maintain compliance with the limits of a Class B digital device 3Com requires that y...

Page 111: ...E SECRETS TITLE You acknowledge and agree that the structure sequence and organization of the Software are the valuable trade secrets of 3Com and its suppliers You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence You further acknowledge and agree that ownership of and title to the Software and all subsequent copies thereof regardless of the form or media are held by 3Com and its suppliers UNITED STA...

Page 112: ...ed by both parties 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza P O Box 58145 Santa Clara CA 95052 8145 408 326 5000 PRODUCT REGISTRATION To ensure the very best service and support register your 3Com product now International customers Visit http www 3com com productreg to register U S customers Complete and mail the attached registration card or visit h...

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