3Com SuperStack II 10005622 User manual

®
http://www.3com.com/
SuperStack
®
II Switch 3900
Getting Started Guide
Part No. 10005622
Published April 1998

3Com Corporation
■
5400 Bayfront Plaza
■
Santa Clara, California
■
95052-8145
Copyright © 1998, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this
documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to
make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation)
without written permission from 3Com Corporation.
3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make
changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com
Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change.
3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty of any kind,
either implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may
make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s)
described in this documentation at any time.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGENDS
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 item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only
such rights as are provided in 3Com’s standard commercial license for the
Software. Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR
252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is
applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend
provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in, or delivered
to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.
EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS FOR CLASS A PRODUCTS
United States — Federal Communications Commission Notice
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 responsible protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his or her
own expense.
Canada — Emissions Requirements
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du
Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Japan — VCCI Class A Compliance
This is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control
Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If
this equipment is used in a domestic environment, radio disturbance may
arise. When such trouble occurs, the user may be required to take
corrective actions.

EMC DIRECTIVE COMPLIANCE
This equipment was tested and found to conform to the Council Directive
89/336/EEC for electromagnetic compatibility. Conformity with this
Directive is based upon compliance with the following harmonized
standards:
EN 55022 Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference
EN 50082-1 Electromagnetic Compatibility Generic Immunity Standard:
Residential, Commercial, and Light Industry
Warning : This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this
product may cause radio interference, in which case you may be required
to take adequate measures.
LOW VOLTAGE DIRECTIVE COMPLIANCE
This equipment was tested and found to conform to the Council Directive
72/23/EEC for safety of electrical equipment. Conformity with this Directive
is based upon compliance with the following harmonized standard:
EN 60950 Safety of Information Technology Equipment
UK GENERAL APPROVAL STATEMENT
This equipment is manufactured to the international Safety Standard
EN60950 and is approved in the UK under the General Approval Number
NS/G/12345/J/100003 for indirect connection to the public
telecommunication network.
AUSTRALIAN EMC FRAMEWORKS COMPLIANCE
This product conforms to the EMC Frameworks and meets the Class A
limits of AS3548.
TRADEMARKS
Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in
the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries.
3Com, the 3Com logo, SuperStack, and Transcend are registered
trademarks of 3Com Corporation. 3ComFacts is a service mark of 3Com
Corporation.
IBM and NetView AIX are registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation. Apple, AppleTalk, and Macintosh are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc. Ultrajet is a trademark of Chemtronics. CompuServe
is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. MS-DOS and Windows are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. HP and OpenView are
registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Co. SunNet Manager, SunOS,
and OpenWindows are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Microswabs
and Texwipe are registered trademarks of Texwipe. Liqui-Tool is a trademark
of Triangle Tool Group. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States
and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company.
All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective
companies with which they are associated.

C
ONTENTS
A BOUT T HIS G UIDE
Introduction 1
Finding Specific Information in This Guide 1
Conventions 2
SuperStack II Switch 3900 Documentation 3
Paper Documents 3
Documents on CD-ROM 4
Related Publications 4
Documentation Comments 4
Year 2000 Compliance 5
1 S WITCH 3900 S YSTEM AND S ETUP O VERVIEW
Switch 3900 Intelligent Switch 1-1
System Overview — 24-Port Front Panel 1-2
System Overview — 36-Port Front Panel 1-3
System Overview — Back Panel of Both Models 1-4
System Features and Benefits 1-5
System Management 1-5
Optional Gigabit Ethernet Modules 1-6
Network Configuration Example 1-6
Providing Dedicated Links for Fast Ethernet 1-6
Network Configuration Sample 1-7
2 I NSTALLING THE S YSTEM
Before You Begin 2-1
Installing the System on a Table Top or in a Free-Standing
Stack 2-2
Installing the System in a Distribution Rack 2-3
Preparing the System and Rack 2-3
Mounting the System into a Distribution Rack 2-5
3 C ABLING S WITCH 3900 P ORTS
Overview of Cabling 3-1
Fiber Safety Precautions 3-1
Fast Ethernet Ports 3-2
Cabling 10/100BASE-TX (RJ-45) Ports 3-2
10/100BASE-TX (RJ-45) Connector Pin Assignments 3-3
Gigabit Ethernet Ports 3-4
Cabling Gigabit Ethernet Ports 3-4
Cabling the Console Port 3-5
Console Port Pin Assignments 3-7
4 S YSTEM P OWER U P
Power Options 4-1
AC Power Cord 4-1
Optional Advanced Redundant Power System 4-1
Optional Uninterruptible Power System 4-1

Power Up 4-2
To Power the Switch 3900 with the RPS 4-2
To Power the Switch 3900 from the Wall
Receptacle 4-2
Power-up Diagnostics 4-2
System Diagnostics 4-3
Power LED Activity 4-3
Fault LED Activity 4-3
Ethernet Port Diagnostics 4-3
Packet LED Activity 4-3
Status LED Activity 4-3
System and Port Status LEDs 4-4
System Checks 4-5
Next Step: Software Configuration 4-5
5 Q UICK S ETUP FOR
M ANAGEMENT A CCESS
About Switch 3900 System Management 5-1
How Do You Want to Manage the System? 5-1
Terminal Connection 5-2
Modem Connection 5-2
IP Management Interface 5-2
Initial Management Access 5-2
Setting the Console Port Baud 5-3
Configuring the IP Interface 5-3
6 T ROUBLESHOOTING THE S YSTEM
Getting Additional Help 6-1
Diagnosing Problems 6-1
Power Failures 6-1
Abnormal LED Activity 6-1
Cleaning Dirty Fiber Optic Ports and Connectors 6-4
A S YSTEM S PECIFICATIONS
B S ITE R EQUIREMENTS AND S AFETY C ODES
General Safety Requirements B-1
Wiring Closet Recommendations B-1
Distribution Rack Requirements B-2
Protective Grounding for the Rack B-2
Space Requirements for the Rack B-2
Mechanical Requirements for the Rack B-3
Building and Electrical Codes B-4
Building Codes B-4
Electrical Codes B-5
C T ECHNICAL S UPPORT
Online Technical Services C-1
World Wide Web Site C-1
3Com FTP Site C-1
3Com Bulletin Board Service C-1
Access by Analog Modem C-2
Access by Digital Modem C-2
3ComFacts Automated Fax Service C-2
Support from Your Network Supplier C-2
Support from 3Com C-3
Returning Products for Repair C-4
INDEX
3C OM C ORPORATION L IMITED W ARRANTY

A
BOUT
T
HIS
G
UIDE
Introduction
Your SuperStack II Switch 3900 Getting Started Guide
provides all the information that you need to set up
your SuperStack
®
II Switch 3900 system and get it
operating in your network. This guide provides an
overview of your system and step-by-step procedures
for planning your configuration, installing your
system, cabling, powering up, configuring, and
troubleshooting. When you are ready to configure
your SuperStack II Switch 3900 system, see the
Administration Guide on the Documentation CD.
If the information in the Software Installation and
Release Notes that are shipped with your Switch 3900
system differs from the information in this guide,
follow the instructions in the Release Notes.
This guide is intended for the system or network
administrator who is responsible for installing and
managing network hardware. It assumes that you
have a working knowledge of local area network
(LAN) operations, but it does not assume prior
knowledge of 3Com’s Switch 3900 high-performance
networking equipment.
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
Finding Specific Information in This Guide
This table shows where to find specific information.
For information on Turn to
Best ways to use the Switch
3900 system “System Features and Benefits” on page 1-5
The front and back panels “System Overview — 24-Port
Front Panel” starting on page 1-2
Site requirements and other
issues to consider before
installing your Switch 3900
system
“General Safety Requirements” on
page B-1
Installing the system on a table
or in a distribution rack “Installing the System on a Table Top or in a Free-Standing Stack”
starting on page 2-2 and
“Installing the System in a
Distribution Rack” on page 2-3
Cabling rules and pin
assignments:
■
Fast Ethernet ports “Fast Ethernet Ports” on page 3-2
■
Gigabit Ethernet ports “Gigabit Ethernet Ports” on
page 3-4
■
Console port “Cabling the Console Port” on
page 3-5 and “Console Port Pin
Assignments” on page 3-7
Checking system power-up
diagnostics and LEDs “Power Up” on page 4-2
(continued)

2 A
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T
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G
UIDE
Conventions
Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used
throughout this guide.
Deciding how to manage your
system “How Do You Want to Manage the System?” on page 5-1
Setting the Console port baud “Setting the Console Port Baud”
on page 5-3
Configuring the IP management
interface “Configuring the IP Interface” on page 5-3
Troubleshooting hardware and
software problems “Diagnosing Problems” on page 6-1
Complying with environmental
and compliance specifications Appendix A: System Specifications
Checking your site for
environmental and safety
considerations
Appendix B: Site Requirements
and Safety Codes
Getting help from your network
supplier or 3Com Appendix C: Technical Support
Table 1 Notice Icons
Icon Type Description
Information
Note Information that describes important features or instructions
Caution Information that alerts you to potential loss
of data or damage to an application,
system, or device
Warning Information that alerts you to potential
personal injury
For information on Turn to
Table 2 Text Conventions
Convention Description
Screen
displays
This typeface represents information as it
appears on the screen.
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 update the system software, enter the
following command:
system softwareUpdate
This guide always gives the full form of a
command in uppercase and lowercase letters.
However, you can abbreviate commands by
entering the fewest letters in each command
that identify a unique command. Commands
are not case sensitive.
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
instruction simply says “type.”
Keyboard key
names If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key names are linked with a
plus sign (+). Example:
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del
Words in italics Italics are used to:
■
Emphasize a point.
■
Denote a new term at the place where it is
defined in the text.
■
Identify menu names, menu commands, and
software button names. Examples:
From the
Help menu, select Contents .
Click
OK .

SuperStack II Switch 3900 Documentation 3
SuperStack II Switch 3900 Documentation
The following documents comprise the SuperStack II
Switch 3900 documentation set. Documents are
shipped with your system in one of two forms:
■ Paper documents that are shipped with your
system or with optional components. They are
listed in the next section.
■
SuperStack II 3900 and 9300 Documentation CD
with online versions of the paper documents
To order a paper copy of a document that you see on
the compact disc, or to order additional compact
discs, contact your sales representative.
Paper Documents
These documents are shipped with your SuperStack II
Switch 3900 system:
■
SuperStack II Switch 3900 and 9300 Unpacking
Instructions
How to unpack your Switch 3900 system. Also, an
inventory list of items that are shipped with your
system.
■ SuperStack II Switch 3900 and 9300 Software
Installation and Release Notes
All of the new features, system issues, known
problems, and software corrections for the
software release. It also describes any changes to
the Switch 3900 system’s documentation.
■
SuperStack II Switch 3900 and 9300 Quick
Installation Guide
How to perform a quick installation of your
system. For more details on installation, see the
SuperStack II Switch 3900 Getting Started Guide .
■
SuperStack II Switch 3900 Getting Started Guide
All the procedures necessary for getting your
system up and running, including information on
installing, cabling, powering up, configuring, and
troubleshooting the system.
■
SuperStack II Switch 3900 and 9300 Command
Quick Reference Card
All of the Administration Console switching
commands for the Switch 3900. For complete
descriptions, see the Administration Guide .
These documents are shipped with optional devices:
■
1000BASE-SX/1000BASE-LX Gigabit Ethernet
Module Installation Guide
How to install the optional Gigabit Ethernet
module.
■
SuperStack II Switch Advanced RPS User Guide
How to install the Advanced Redundant Power
Supply (RPS) and how to use it to provide
redundant and resilient power supplies for the
Switch 3900.
■
SuperStack II Switch Advanced RPS ‘Y’ Cable
Type 2 User Guide
How to install the Y cable with the Advanced
Redundant Power Supply (RPS) to provide fully
redundant capabilities.

4 A
BOUT
T
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G
UIDE
Documents on CD-ROM
The compact disc that comes with your system
contains these documents:
■
Online versions of the paper documents that are
shipped with your system and its components
■
SuperStack II Switch 3900 and 9300
Administration Guide
How to use the Administration Console and the
management tasks that you can perform using it.
Related Publications
Depending on how you install and manage your
system, several related documents can provide helpful
information:
■ SNMP Network Manager documents
The Switch 3900 uses SNMP (Simple Network
Management Protocol), which can be accessed by
a remote network management application. 3Com
has network management applications for a
variety of platforms. Contact your supplier for
current product information. Each network
management application includes a guide that
explains how to manage your system.
If you are using network management software
from another vendor, refer to the sections of the
product’s documentation that describe how to
manage SNMP devices.
■ SNMP documents
3Com recommends these books for easy-to-read
descriptions of SNMP:
■
Marshall T. Rose. The Simple Book: An
Introduction to Networking Management.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1996.
■“Introduction to SNMP” Self-Study Guide.
Order from 3Com: Part Number 3CS-350A.
■Telnet documents
To manage the Switch 3900 system over a TCP/IP
network using telnet, see the documentation that
is supplied with your telnet application.
Documentation Comments
Your suggestions are very important to us. They help
us make our documentation more useful to you.
Please send e-mail comments about this guide to:
[email protected]
Please include the following information when
commenting:
■Document title
■Document part number (found on front or back
page of document)
■Page number (if appropriate)
Example:
SuperStack II Switch 3900 Getting Started Guide
Part Number 10005622
Page 2-5 (chapter 2, page 5)

Year 2000 Compliance 5
Year 2000 Compliance
For information on Year 2000 compliance and 3Com
products, visit the 3Com Year 2000 Web page:
http://www.3com.com/products/yr2000.html

1SWITCH 3900 SYSTEM AND SETUP OVERVIEW
This chapter contains:
■An overview of 3Com’s SuperStack®II Switch 3900
and how it provides solutions for your network
■A description of the major features and
components of the system
■A network configuration example
Switch 3900 Intelligent Switch
The Switch 3900 is the ideal product for network
managers who want to migrate from existing
switched 10 Mb networks to switched 100 Mb or
who need to deliver faster access to servers.
The Switch 3900 provides superior workgroup and
departmental switching performance with the added
flexibility of multiple Gigabit Ethernet links and server
connections.
The SuperStack II Switch 3900 family delivers full line
rate, nonblocking switching between 10/100 Mb
links and 1000 Mb Gigabit Ethernet links.
The Switch 3900 family consists of two models:
■3C39024 — The 24-port 10/100BASE-TX switch,
with up to three Gigabit Ethernet links. See
Figure 1-1.
■3C39036 — The 36-port 10/100BASE-TX switch,
with up to three Gigabit Ethernet links. See
Figure 1-2.
Both versions of the Switch 3900 provide:
■One built-in Gigabit Ethernet multimode fiber
(MMF) link (1000BASE-SX)
■Expansion slots on the back panel (see Figure 1-3)
that can hold one or two of these optional Gigabit
Ethernet modules:
■Model 3C39001 — 1000BASE-SX for
multimode fiber (MMF)
■Model 3C39002 — 1000BASE-LX for
single-mode fiber (SMF)
The cables for all Gigabit Ethernet ports use laser
transmission and have SC connectors.
See “Optional Gigabit Ethernet Modules” on
page 1-6 for more information.

1-2 CHAPTER 1: SWITCH 3900 SYSTEM AND SETUP OVERVIEW
System Overview — 24-Port Front Panel
Figure 1-1 Front Panel of the 24-Port SuperStack II Switch 3900
Ethernet Ports
Provide 24 10/100BASE-TX
(RJ-45) Ethernet ports
System and Port LEDs
Provide information about
the system and each port
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23
10
106 7 89
Status
1x 6x
12x
7x
13x 18x
24x
19x
green = enabled, link OK
flashing green = disabled, link OK
off = link fail Power Fault
10/100 BASE - TX
231 11 124 56 7 89
231 11 124 5
24
Pckt
Stat
Pckt
Stat
Super Stack II Switch 3900

System Overview — 36-Port Front Panel 1-3
System Overview — 36-Port Front Panel
v
Figure 1-2 Front Panel of the 36-Port SuperStack II Switch 3900
Status
1x 6x
12x
7x
13x 18x
24x
19x
25x 30x
36x
31x
green = enabled, link OK
flashing green = disabled, link OK
off = link fail Power Fault
10/100 BASE - TX
Pckt
Stat
Pckt
Stat
Pckt
Stat
231 10 11 124 56 7 89
231 10 11 124 56 7 89
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
26 27 28 29
25 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
26 27 28 29
25 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Super Stack II Switch 3900
Ethernet Ports
Provide 36 10/100BASE-TX
(RJ-45) Ethernet ports
System and Port LEDs
Provide information about
the system and each port

1-4 CHAPTER 1: SWITCH 3900 SYSTEM AND SETUP OVERVIEW
System Overview — Back Panel of Both Models
Figure 1-3 Back Panel of the 24-Port and 36-Port SuperStack II Switch 3900
Power Receptacle Console Port
Allows you to connect a workstation or modem to
the Switch 3900 system for management access
1000 Base SX
Pckt
Stat
Console
RPS Connector
Connects to the Optional
Redundant Power System
Optional Gigabit Ethernet Slots
Allow you to add additional
Gigabit Ethernet modules
Fixed Gigabit Ethernet Port
Provides a 1000BASE-SX link
Gigabit Ethernet Port LEDs
Provide information on the
port status and activity

System Features and Benefits 1-5
System Features and Benefits
The Switch 3900 is part of 3Com’s SuperStack family.
To combine diverse technologies as your network
grows, install the Switch 3900 in a SuperStack
network.
Some key features of the SuperStack II Switch 3900
system:
■High-density Gigabit Ethernet and Fast Ethernet
configurations
The Switch 3900 has 24 or 36 Fast Ethernet ports
and up to three Gigabit Ethernet links.
■Autonegotiation support
The Switch 3900 supports 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX
and full-duplex and half-duplex autonegotiation
on all front panel ports.
■Multiple-link trunking for Gigabit Ethernet and
Fast Ethernet links
You can choose the performance level of links
between switches, even scaling beyond one
Gigabit.
■IGMP Snooping
The Switch 3900 conserves the network
bandwidth that is consumed by audio and video
applications by keeping IP multicast traffic isolated
to specific ports.
■Trunking links, Spanning Tree, and Advanced
Redundant Power Supply (RPS) support
The Switch 3900 protects against cable and
equipment failures with Spanning Tree Protocol
and trunking links. The optional RPS protects
against power interruptions for fault-tolerant
networks.
■Manageability
The Switch 3900 provides full support for VLANs,
Fast IP, and RMON Version 1, as well as a roving
analysis port through SNMP management.
System Management
Switch 3900 systems include integrated management
to provide fault tolerance and maximum network
availability. This management is accessible in two
ways:
■Switch 3900 Administration Console
■Standard network managers based on SNMP, such
as 3Com’s Transcendware, Sun’s SunNet Manager,
HP OpenView, and IBM’s NetView AIX applications

1-6 CHAPTER 1: SWITCH 3900 SYSTEM AND SETUP OVERVIEW
Optional Gigabit Ethernet Modules
The Switch 3900 back panel has two expansion slots
that can hold optional Gigabit Ethernet modules.
These modules are available in the following
configurations:
■1000BASE-SX Module — Multimode fiber with
paired SC connectors. It supports links of up to
260 meters (852 feet) over 62.5-micron multimode
fiber or up to 525 meters (1722 feet) over
50-micron multimode fiber.
■1000BASE-LX Module — Single-mode fiber with
paired SC connectors. It supports links of up to 3.0
kilometers (1.86 miles) over 8-micron to 10-micron
single-mode fiber.
The modules have the same physical configuration
and are installed in the same way.
For more information about installing and using the
optional Gigabit Ethernet modules, see the
1000BASE-SX/1000BASE-LX Gigabit Ethernet Module
Installation Guide that is on the Documentation CD
and shipped with either module.
Network Configuration Example
This section describes one way to place the Switch
3900 in your network to alleviate traffic congestion.
Providing Dedicated Links for Fast Ethernet
The rapid deployment of Fast Ethernet has increased
bandwidth demand many times over, not only by
supporting 100 Mb connections on the network but
also by placing demands on the servers to manage
the traffic coming through those connections.
Figure 1-4 shows how the Switch 3900 provides
direct 100 Mb links to devices on the network
through its Fast Ethernet ports and up to three
dedicated Gigabit links to your network’s servers.
In this sample configuration, the Switch 3900 can
provide up to 36 clients on your network with a
dedicated 100 Mb link and can multiplex the client
traffic for Gigabit-speed access to the servers. (You
can use one port on the Switch 3900 for in-band
management as well as for network traffic.)

Network Configuration Sample 1-7
Network Configuration Sample
Figure 1-4 SuperStack II Switch 3900 Provides Dedicated Fast Ethernet Links
36-Port SuperStack®II Switch 3900
Switched Gigabit
server farm Switched 100 Mb desktop systems
Status
1x 6x
12x
7x
13x 18x
24x
19x
25x 30x
36x
31x
green = enabled, link OK
flashing green = disabled, link OK
off = link fail FaultPower
10/100 BASE - TX
231 10 11 124 56 7 89
231 10 11 124 56 7 89
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
14 15 16 17
13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
26 27 28 29
25 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
26 27 28 29
25 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Pckt
Stat
Pckt
Stat
Pckt
Stat
Super Stack II Switch 3900