3Com SuperStack II 3000 TX User manual

®
http://www.3com.com/
SuperStack®II Switch 3000 TX 8 Port
User Guide
Agent Software Version 3.1
Document No. DUA1694-1AAA04
Published June 1997

3Com Corporation ■5400 Bayfront Plaza ■Santa Clara, California ■95052-8145
Copyright © 3Com Ireland, 1997. All rights reserved. No part of this
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program(s) described in this documentation at any time.
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and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the
following restricted rights:
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If there is any software on removable media described in this
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CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Introduction 1
How to Use This Guide 1
Conventions 2
Related Documentation 2
1GETTING STARTED
About the Switch 3000 TX 1-1
Summary of Features 1-1
Port Connections 1-2
100BASE-TX Ports 1-2
Plug-in Module 1-2
Switch Operation and Features 1-2
Intelligent Flow Management 1-2
Full Duplex 1-2
Resilient Links 1-2
Virtual LANs (VLANs) 1-3
Spanning Tree Protocol 1-3
PACE 1-3
Network Configuration Examples 1-4
Unit Overview — Front 1-6
100BASE-TX Ports 1-7
LEDs 1-7
Unit Overview — Rear 1-8
Power Socket 1-9
Unit Serial Number 1-9
Redundant Power System Socket 1-9
Reset Button 1-9
Console Port 1-9
Plug-in Module Slot 1-9
Ethernet Address 1-9
Unit Defaults 1-10
Managing the Switch 3000 TX 1-10
Quick Start For SNMP Users 1-11
Entering an IP Address for the Switch 1-11
2INSTALLATION AND SETUP
Following Safety Information 2-1
Positioning the Switch 3000 TX 2-1
Configuration Rules for Fast Ethernet 2-2
Configuration Rules with Full Duplex 2-2
Installing the Switch 3000 TX 2-4
Rack Mounting 2-4
Stacking the Switch and Other Units 2-4
Wall Mounting 2-5
Powering-Up the Switch 2-6
Connecting a Redundant Power System (RPS) 2-6
Connecting Equipment to the Console Port 2-7
Connecting a VT100 Terminal 2-7
Connecting a VT100 Terminal Emulator 2-7
Connecting a Workstation Running SLIP 2-8

3SETTING UPFOR MANAGEMENT
Methods of Managing the Switch 3000 TX 3-1
Using the VT100 Management Interface 3-1
Using Telnet 3-2
Managing Over The Network 3-2
IP Addresses 3-2
Obtaining a Registered IP Address 3-3
Navigating the VT100 Screens 3-4
Screen Conventions 3-4
Keyboard Shortcuts 3-5
Correcting Text Entry 3-5
Setting up the Switch for Management 3-6
Logging On 3-6
After Logging On 3-8
Switch Management Setup 3-9
Logging Off 3-12
Auto Logout 3-12
4MANAGING THE SWITCH 3000 TX
Setting Up Users 4-2
Creating a New User 4-3
Deleting a User 4-4
Editing User Details 4-5
Assigning Local Security 4-6
Choosing a Switch Management Level 4-7
Setting Up the Switch Unit 4-9
Setting Up the Switch Ports 4-11
Setting Up the Switch Database (SDB) 4-15
The Database View 4-16
Searching the Switch Database 4-17
By MAC Address 4-17
By Port 4-17
Adding an Entry into the SDB 4-17
Deleting an Entry from the SDB 4-17
Specifying that an Entry is Permanent 4-17
Setting Up Resilient Links 4-18
Configuring Resilient Links 4-19
Creating a Resilient Link Pair 4-20
Deleting a Resilient Link Pair 4-20
Viewing the Resilient Links Setup 4-21
Setting Up Traps 4-23
Setting up the Console Port 4-24
Resetting the Switch 3000 TX 4-26
Initializing the Switch 3000 TX 4-27
Upgrading Software 4-28
5ADVANCED MANAGEMENT
Virtual LANs (VLANs) 5-1
What are VLANs? 5-1
Benefits of VLANs 5-1
How VLANs Ease Change and Movement 5-2
How VLANs Control Broadcast Traffic 5-2
How VLANs Provide Extra Security 5-2
An Example 5-2
VLANs and the Switch 3000 TX 5-3
The Default VLAN and Moving Ports From the Default
VLAN 5-3
Connecting VLANs to a Router 5-3
Connecting Common VLANs Between Switch Units
5-3
Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode 5-4
Using Non-routable Protocols 5-5
Using Unique MAC Addresses 5-5
Extending VLANs into an ATM Network 5-5
VLAN Configuration Example 5-6

Setting Up VLANs on the Switch 5-8
Assigning a Port to a VLAN When Using Port VLAN
Mode 5-9
Specifying that a Port is a VLT port 5-9
Setting Up VLANs Using AutoSelect VLAN Mode 5-10
Specifying Information About the VLAN Server 5-10
Specifying AutoSelect VLAN Mode 5-11
Spanning Tree Protocol 5-12
What is STP? 5-12
How STP Works 5-14
STP Initialization 5-14
STP Stabilization 5-14
STP Reconfiguration 5-14
An Example 5-15
STP Configurations 5-16
Enabling STP on the Switch 5-17
Configuring STP on the Switch 5-18
Configuring the STP Parameters of VLANs 5-18
Configuring the STP Parameters of Ports 5-20
RMON 5-22
What is RMON? 5-22
About the RMON Groups 5-22
Statistics 5-22
History 5-22
Alarms 5-22
Hosts 5-23
Hosts Top N 5-23
Matrix 5-23
Filter 5-23
Capture 5-23
Events 5-23
Benefits of RMON 5-24
RMON and the Switch 5-24
RMON Features of the Switch 5-25
About Alarm Actions 5-26
About Default Alarm Settings 5-27
About the Audit Log 5-27
6STATUS MONITORING AND STATISTICS
Summary Statistics 6-2
Port Statistics 6-3
Port Traffic Statistics 6-4
Port Error Analysis 6-6
Status Monitoring 6-8
Fault Log 6-9
Remote Polling 6-10
ASAFETY INFORMATION
Important Safety Information A-1
Power Supply and Fuse A-3
Sockets for Redundant Power System (RPS) A-3
RJ45 Ports A-3
L’information de Sécurité Importante A-4
La Source de Courant et Le Fusible A-5
Socle Pour Alimentation Multiple A-6
Les Ports RJ45 A-6
Wichtige Sicherheitsinformationen A-7
Stromversorgung und Sicherung A-8
Steckdose für Redundant Power System A-8
RJ45 Anschlußen A-8
BSCREEN ACCESS RIGHTS

CTROUBLE-SHOOTING
LEDs C-1
Using the VT100 Interface C-2
Using the Switch C-3
DPIN-OUTS
Null Modem Cable D-1
PC-AT Serial Cable D-1
Modem Cable D-2
RJ45 Pin Assignments D-2
ESWITCH 3000 TX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FTECHNICAL SUPPORT
Online Technical Services F-1
World Wide Web Site F-1
3Com Bulletin Board Service F-1
Access by Analog Modem F-1
Access by Digital Modem F-2
3ComFacts Automated Fax Service F-2
3ComForum on CompuServe Online Service F-2
Support from Your Network Supplier F-3
Support from 3Com F-3
Returning Products for Repair F-4
GLOSSARY
INDEX
3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY
ELECTRO-MAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY STATEMENTS

ABOUT THIS GUIDE
About This Guide provides an overview of this
guide, describes the guide conventions, tells you
where to look for specific information and lists other
publications that may be useful.
Introduction
This guide provides the information you need to
install and configure the Switch 3000 TX 8 Port
(3C16941A) with v3.1 agent software.
This guide is intended for use by network adminis-
trators who are responsible for installing and set-
ting up network equipment. It assumes a basic
working knowledge of Local Area Networks.
If the information in the Release Notes shipped
with your product differs from the information in
this guide, follow the Release Notes.
Throughout this guide, the SuperStack®II
Switch 3000 TX 8 Port is referred to as the
Switch 3000 TX, or Switch.
How to Use This Guide
This table shows where to find specific information
in this guide.
If you are looking for... Turn to...
An overview of the Switch Chapter 1
Information about installing the Switch into your net-
work Chapter 2
Information about the methods you can use to
manage the Switch Chapter 3
Information about managing the Switch Chapter 4
Information about more advanced management
features; for example VLANs, Spanning Tree and
RMON
Chapter 5
Information about monitoring the status of the Switch Chapter 6
Safety information Appendix A
Information about the access rights for each VT100
screen Appendix B
Trouble-shooting information Appendix C
Information about the pin-outs relating to the Switch Appendix D
Information about the Technical Specifications of the
Switch Appendix E
Information about the Technical Support available
from 3Com Appendix F

2ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Conventions
Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used
throughout this guide.
Related Documentation
The Switch 3000 TX document set includes:
■SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX 8 Port
Quick Reference Guide.
Document Number DQA1694-1AAA0x
■SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX 8 Port
Quick Installation Guide.
Document Number DIA1694-1AAA0x
■SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX 8 Port
Release Notes.
Document Number DNA1694-1AAA0x
Other publications you may find useful:
■Documentation accompanying the
Plug-in Modules.
■Documentation accompanying the Redundant
Power System.
Table 1 Text Conventions
Convention Description
Screen
displays This typeface represents information as it
appears on the screen.
The words
“enter”
and “type”
When you see the word “enter” in this guide,
you must type something, and then press the
Return or Enter key. Do not press the Return or
Enter key when an instruction simply says
“type.”
[Key] names Key names appear in text in one of two ways:
■Referred to by their labels, such as “the
Return key” or “the Escape key”
■Written with brackets, such as [Return] or
[Esc].
If you must press two or more keys simulta-
neously, the key names are linked with a plus
sign (+). Example:
Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del].
Menu commands
and buttons Menu commands or button names appear in
italics. Example:
From the Help menu, select Contents.
Words in italicized
type Italics emphasize a point or denote new terms at the place where they are defined in the text.
Words in
bold-face type Bold text denotes key features.
Table 2 Notice Icons
Icon Notice Type Alerts you to...
Information
note Important features or instructions
Caution Risk of personal injury, system damage,
or loss of data
Warning Risk of severe personal injury

1GETTING STARTED
About the Switch 3000 TX
Switching is currently a leading option for increasing
performance by providing high speed backbone
links and eliminating server bottlenecks. Part of the
3Com SuperStack®II range of products, the Switch
3000 TX provides simple, low cost and high perfor-
mance switched connections to Fast Ethernet net-
works.
The SuperStack II Switch 3000 TX is a revision of the
LinkSwitch 3000 TP.
Summary of Features
The Switch 3000 TX has the following features:
■Eight 100BASE-TX ports
■Plug-in Module slot (Asynchronous Transfer
Mode (ATM) and Fast Ethernet)
■Support for up to 4080 addresses in the Switch
Database
■Store-and-forward forwarding mode ensuring
the switch forwards all valid Ethernet frames and
discards invalid Ethernet frames such as those
with an incorrect CRC
■Intelligent Flow Management for congestion con-
trol
■Full Duplex on all fixed ports, and Fast Ethernet
Plug-in Module ports
■Resilient Links
■Support for 16 Virtual LANs (VLANs)
■Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) per VLAN
■PACE (Priority Access Control Enabled) for sup-
porting multimedia applications over Ethernet
■3Com’s SuperStack II architecture:
■Connects to Redundant Power System
■Integrated network management
■19-inch rack or stand-alone mounting
■SmartAgent support:
■IP and IPX management over SNMP
■RMON
■Repeater and Bridge MIB
■Broadcast storm control
■Easy software upgrades
■BOOTP for automatic IP address configuration
■Local management

1-2 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED
Port Connections
100BASE-TX Ports
The Switch has eight Fast Ethernet 100BASE-TX
ports configured as MDIX (cross-over), which provide
a 100Mbps connection to other Fast Ethernet
devices such as the SuperStack II Switch 1000. The
maximum segment length is 100m (328ft) over cat-
egory 5 twisted pair cable.
As these ports are configured as MDIX (cross-over),
you need to use a cross-over cable to connect to
devices whose ports are MDIX-only. Most
100BASE-TX ports in 3Com devices are MDIX-only.
Plug-in Module
A slot at the rear of the unit can take a Plug-in
Module, providing an additional high-speed port if
required. This could be used to provide a Fast Ether-
net or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) backbone
connection to the rest of your network.
Switch Operation and Features
The Switch 3000 TX uses the same algorithm as a
conventional 802.1d bridge for filtering, forwarding
and learning packet addresses.
Intelligent Flow Management
Intelligent Flow Management (IFM) is a system for
controlling congestion on your network. Conges-
tion can be caused by one or more devices sending
traffic to an already busy port on the Switch. If a
port on the Switch is connected to another switch
or endstation, IFM prevents packet loss and inhibits
the device from generating more packets until the
period of congestion ends.
IFM should be enabled on a port if it is connected
to another switch, or an endstation. IFM should be
disabled on a port connected to a repeater.
For more information about enabling IFM, refer to
“Setting Up the Switch Ports” on page 4-11.
Full Duplex
The Switch 3000 TX provides full duplex support
for all its fixed ports, and Fast Ethernet Plug-in
Module ports. Full duplex allows frames to be trans-
mitted and received simultaneously and, in effect,
doubles the potential throughput of a link. In addi-
tion, full duplex also supports 100BASE-FX cable
runs of up to 2km (6562ft).
Full Duplex can be enabled on all ports, or on indi-
vidual ports. For more information, refer to “Setting
Up the Switch Unit” and “Setting Up the Switch
Ports” in Chapter 4.
Resilient Links
The Switch’s Resilient Link feature enables you to
protect critical links and prevent network downtime
should those links fail. Setting up resilience ensures
that should a main communication link fail, a
standby duplicate link immediately and automatically
takes over the task of the main link. Each main and
standby link pair is referred to as a resilient link pair.
For more information about resilient links, refer to
“Setting Up Resilient Links” on page 4-18.