Digi PortServer/8 User manual

Digi International
6400 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
[phone]
Digi GmbH
Domkloster 1
50667 Köln
Germany
Digi Asia Pte Ltd
13-06 Tower ‘A’
391A Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City
Singapore 0923
User’s Guide and Reference Manual
for the
PortServer/8 and PortServer/16
Intelligent Network Terminal Servers
90028700B

Page ii ŸPortServer Terminal Server
PortServer Default Settings
Serial Parameters: (all ports) 9600 baud, No parity, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, VT100
terminal emulation
Root Login: root
Root Password: dbps
Digi International™, PortServer™, DigiWARE™, RealPort™, and the Digi logo are trademarks of Digi
International Inc. All other brand and product names are the trademarks of their respective holders.
© Digi International 1994, 1995
All Rights Reserved
Digi International
6400 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Digi GmbH
Domkloster 1
50667 Köln
Germany
Digi Asia Pte Ltd
13-06 Tower ‘A’
391A Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City
Singapore 0923
Phone
FAX
BBS
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]
Phone
FAX
BBS
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]
Phone
FAX
BBS
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on
the part of Digi International.
Digi International provides this document “as is,” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of fitness or merchantability for a particular
purpose. Digi International may make improvements and/or changes in this manual or in the product(s)
and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
This product could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to
the information herein; these changes may be incorporated in new editions of the publication.
RESTRICTED RIGHTS:
For non-U. S. Government use:
These programs are supplied under a license. They may be used, disclosed, and/or copied only as permitted
under such license agreement. Any copy must contain the above copyright notice and this restricted rights
notice. Use, copying, and/or disclosure of the programs is strictly prohibited unless otherwise provided in
the license agreement.
For U.S. Government use:
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in sub-paragraph
(c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause of DFARS 52.227-7013.

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage iii
Table of Contents
PREFACE.................................................................................................................................vi
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS MANUAL..........................................................................................vi
Keyboard Entry......................................................................................................................vi
Typefaces ...............................................................................................................................vi
ELECTRONIC EMISSION NOTICES.................................................................................................vii
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statements ......................................................vii
Industry Canada Compliance Statements...............................................................................vii
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
PORTSERVER QUICK START..............................................................................................3
Configuring the PortServer over the Ethernet..........................................................................5
COMMAND REFERENCE....................................................................................................28
ABBREVIATIONS.........................................................................................................................28
PORTSERVER HELP SCREENS.......................................................................................................29
PORTSERVER EDITING KEYSTROKES ...........................................................................................30
PORTSERVER COMMANDS...........................................................................................................31
ADMIN .......................................................................................................................................31
BOOT .........................................................................................................................................31
CPCONF......................................................................................................................................32
EXIT...........................................................................................................................................33
INFO ..........................................................................................................................................33
KILL...........................................................................................................................................35
NEWPASS....................................................................................................................................36
PING ..........................................................................................................................................36
QUIT ..........................................................................................................................................37
SET............................................................................................................................................38
Range....................................................................................................................................38
Saving to EEPROM...............................................................................................................39
altip.......................................................................................................................................40
arp ........................................................................................................................................41
config....................................................................................................................................42
Booting the PortServer Software with Remote Boot.......................................................................... 43
flow.......................................................................................................................................44
host .......................................................................................................................................46
keys.......................................................................................................................................47
line........................................................................................................................................48
logins ....................................................................................................................................49
Character Strings............................................................................................................................. 49
ports......................................................................................................................................51

Page iv ŸPortServer Terminal Server
route......................................................................................................................................53
terms.....................................................................................................................................54
users......................................................................................................................................56
SNMP .........................................................................................................................................58
WHO ..........................................................................................................................................59
REMOTE ACCESS COMMANDS .....................................................................................................60
CLOSE........................................................................................................................................60
MODE.........................................................................................................................................60
RLOGIN......................................................................................................................................61
SEND..........................................................................................................................................62
STATUS ......................................................................................................................................62
TELNET......................................................................................................................................63
APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................64
REALPORT PROTOCOL................................................................................................................65
SIMPLE NETWORK MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL (SNMP).................................................................66
Configuring the SNMP Agent ................................................................................................66
SNMP Protocol .....................................................................................................................67
PORTSERVER FRONT PANEL........................................................................................................69
SEND (Serial Activity)...........................................................................................................69
ETHERNET (Ethernet Activity).............................................................................................70
PORTSERVER BIOS....................................................................................................................71
Power On Self Test (POST) Sequence....................................................................................71
USER DIAGNOSTICS....................................................................................................................73
Video Display Diagnostics.....................................................................................................73
Front Panel Display Diagnostics...........................................................................................73
Basic Test Descriptions.................................................................................................................... 74
PORTSERVER SECURITY..............................................................................................................77
RESETTING THE PORTSERVER TO FACTORY DEFAULTS.................................................................80
DEVICES AND WIRING CONSIDERATIONS .....................................................................................81
Configuring PortServer Ports as Specific Devices.................................................................81
SERIAL DEVICE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS TABLE ..........................................................................84
PRINTERS...................................................................................................................................85
Configuring a Printer............................................................................................................85
Connecting a Printer.............................................................................................................85
Printing a File.......................................................................................................................85
MODEMS....................................................................................................................................86
Notes on Configuring Modems ..............................................................................................86
Configuring CU and UUCP to dial out without RealPort.......................................................87
RTTY Program ......................................................................................................................89
RJ CONNECTORS........................................................................................................................91
10 Pin RJ 45 Plugs................................................................................................................92
8 Pin RJ 45 Plugs..................................................................................................................93
6 Pin RJ 11 Plugs..................................................................................................................94
4 Pin RJ 11 Plugs..................................................................................................................95
Digi RJ-45 to DB-25 Cable Legs...........................................................................................96
Connecting Modems..............................................................................................................97

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage v
Altpin.............................................................................................................................................. 97
MULTIPLE SESSIONS...................................................................................................................98
Switching to another session..................................................................................................99
Closing a session...................................................................................................................99
How to use Multiscreen Multisession.....................................................................................99
Configuring Multiscreens....................................................................................................100
PORTSERVER PORT NUMBERS...................................................................................................101
SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................102
DIGI SUPPORT SERVICES...........................................................................................................103
The Digi Bulletin Board System...........................................................................................103
Internet FTP Server.............................................................................................................103
World Wide Web Server.......................................................................................................103
DigiFACTs FaxBack Server ................................................................................................103
Information About Your System...........................................................................................104
Technical Support ...............................................................................................................105
Customer Service ................................................................................................................105
RETURN PROCEDURES ..............................................................................................................105
INDEX...................................................................................................................................107

Page vi ŸPortServer Terminal Server
Preface
Conventions Used in this Manual
Certain conventions are used in this manual with respect to keyboard entry and typefaces:
Keyboard Entry
• Single keystrokes are enclosed in angle brackets (e.g. <Enter>, <Esc>, etc.)
• Control keys (i.e. keys which are struck while holding down the <Ctrl> key) are shown as
single keystrokes. For example, “<Ctrl-A>” means hold down the <Ctrl> key while striking
the <A> key. Similarly, “<Alt-A>” means hold down the <Alt> key while striking the <A>
key.
• “Arrow keys” refers to the up, down, right and left arrow keys (<↑>, <↓>, <→>, <←>).
• When you are asked to enter a command, type the text shown, then press <Enter>.
Typefaces
• Examples of output to your computer screen are shown in mono-spacedcharacters.
• Commands and data that you are to enter via your keyboard are shown in mono-spaced
characters.
• Variable information within a typed entry is shown in italics. For example, if you are asked
to enter cp file_name path, type “cp”, followed by a space, then the name of the file to be
copied, another space, and the directory path to which the file is to be copied.

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage vii
Electronic Emission Notices
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statements
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A digital devices
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable 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 own
expense.
Only devices certified to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device may be attached
to this equipment. Operation with noncertified device(s) is likely to result in interference with
radio and TV reception.
This equipment is intended for commercial use only and is not suited for operation in Class B
environments.
The use of shielded I/O cables is required when connecting this equipment to any and all optional
peripheral or host devices. Failure to do so may violate FCC rules.
Industry Canada Compliance Statements
This Class A digital apparatus meets the 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.

Page viii ŸPortServer Terminal Server
Notes:

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 1
Introduction
The Digi PortServer intelligent terminal server gives you the ability to
connect up to 16 RS-232 asynchronous serial devices (such as terminals
and printers) to an Ethernet network. Both Twisted Pair (10BaseT) and
Thinnet (10base2) cabling standards are supported via the appropriate
connectors on the side of the PortServer box.
The PortServer hardware features a 20 MHz 80186 microprocessor and
a 83902 16-bit network interface controller. Other features include one
megabyte of RAM, 256K of ROM, up to 8k x 8 of EEPROM, and
16c554 UARTs. Self-tests on power-up help ensure reliability. Front-
panel LEDs and controls can be used for diagnostic testing and per-
formance checks, monitoring either RS-232 or Ethernet activity.
Operating software is in firmware, but can also be downloaded from a
connected server or workstation via TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Proto-
col), meaning that the PortServer operating system can always have the
most current software without changing the firmware.
Description
After the power-up self-tests and loading of the operating software
(either from firmware or downloaded), the PortServer software sends
login messages to all connected terminals. (Ports set up as printers or
modems do not receive login messages; the factory default sets all ports
as terminals.)
When they get the login prompt, users can log in to the PortServer’s
on-board operating system. Depending upon their privilege level (as
defined by the system administrator), commands can now be issued to
the PortServer software to change parameters or connect to one of the
network systems. The PortServer software allows the system admini-
strator to set up password-protected accounts with various privilege
levels to limit certain users or terminals to restricted access to systems
on the network.
Operation
Overview

Page 2ŸIntroduction
Help
Besides terminals, PortServer serial ports can be configured as modem
ports (incoming, outgoing or bidirectional) or printer ports. These
options require knowledge of your host’s operating system to get it to
“see” the devices connected to the ports. For supported operating
systems, Digi’s RealPort port control protocol gives powerful control in
accessing the remote PortServer ports.
The PortServer software features extensive help functions. From the
main command shell (entered after login), entering a question mark
(“?”) brings up a list of commands and descriptions. Entering a
command followed by “?” produces a list of subcommands and their
descriptions.
PortServer
Highlights • Sixteen high-speed asynchronous serial ports, each with full
modem control and hardware or software flow control.
• Data rates of up to 57,600 bps.
• Multiple PortServer boxes can be attached to the network, limited
only by the capacity of the network.
• Full on-board system diagnostics display results on front panel LED
indicators, or on a connected terminal.
• LED indicators display RS-232 signal conditions plus input and
output flow control status for any port, or Ethernet activity.
• Optional remote booting via TFTP allows firmware upgrades
without hardware changes.
• Also: Printer support.
Password access security.
Extensive help functions.
Statistics reporting.
Industry standard twisted-pair and thin-net connectors.

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 3
PortServer Quick Start
This “Quick Start” Getting Started section will help you quickly get your PortServer terminal
server up and running. Wherever possible, the factory default settings are used. Later, once you
have verified that the PortServer can communicate with your network, you can fine-tune the net-
work and terminal parameters for optimum performance.
Plug in the PortServer power supply, and connect the PortServer to the Ethernet
Step 1. Turn off the power switch on the PortServer unit.
Before connecting the PortServer box to the Ethernet network, be
sure to turn the power switch on the PortServer off. Also, when con-
necting peripheral devices to the PortServer connectors, both the
peripheral and the PortServer's power switches must be turned off.
Plugging any electronic device into another device under power can
cause damage to one or both of the devices.
Step 2. Connect your network cable to the appropriate connector on the left side of the Port-
Server. Be sure to follow your network system's instructions and precautions on
connecting devices to the network.
If you are using a Thinnet (10Base2) cable, plug the cable into the BNC coaxial
connector. Make sure the selector switch is in the left-hand position.
If you are using a Twisted Pair (10BaseT) cable, plug the cable into the 10BaseT
connector. Make sure the selector switch is in the right-hand position.
Step 3. Make sure the PortServer’s power switch is turned off, then plug the transformer’s
power connector into the DIN connector on the left side of the PortServer’s case.
Now plug the PortServer’s power adapter into a standard AC outlet.

Page 4ŸQuick Start
Connect a control terminal to the PortServer
The PortServer is controlled from a terminal (or PC with terminal emulation software) connected
to Port 1 on the PortServer’s back panel. (Any port can be used, but we will use the convention
of Port 1 here.) In some installations, the PortServer can be controlled directly over the Ethernet;
see Configuring the PortServer over the Ethernet on page 5.
Step 1. Turn the PortServer’s power switch OFF.
Plugging any electronic device into another device under power can
cause damage to one or both of the devices.
Step 2. Plug your serial terminal into Port 1 on the back of the PortServer box. One cable leg
converter (RJ-45 to DB-25) is included with your PortServer. Please note that this
Digi cable leg is wired straight-through, and that you will need a null modem cable
or adapter to connect a terminal if you use the included cable leg.
You probably do not need all ten RS-232 lines for a terminal connection, and may
wish to save the “pigtail" connector for other connections. The following diagram
shows a simple three-wire cable for connecting a terminal to the PortServer. Usually,
serial terminals and printers need only a three-wire connection. The PortServer
supports XON/XOFF (software) handshaking, so the only signal lines necessary are
Transmitted Data (TxD), Received Data (RxD) and Signal Ground (SG). Cables
must be shielded to remain in compliance with FCC certification requirements, and
the shield should be connected to Chassis Ground (GND) at one end of the cable
run.
The DB-25 end of the cable can be plugged directly into most serial terminals
without any adapters. The RJ-11 plug fits in the center of the PortServer's RJ-45
jack. (Be sure that the plug is centered in the jack!)

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 5
Simple 3-Wire Cable
RJ-11 -4PinDB-25 Male
1
2
3
7
PinPin
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
Signal1
2
3
4
Signal
(=CableShield)
This same configuration can be constructed using 6 pin RJ-11 plugs, or either 8 or
10 pin RJ-45 plugs. See “RJ Connectors” on page 91 for the relationship of the
various sizes of RJ connectors to the 10 pin RJ-45 jack.
Configuring the PortServer over the Ethernet
If the IP address has not been set, the PortServer will attempt to use RARP (Reverse Address
Resolution Protocol) to determine its IP address. If this succeeds, the rest of the PortServer
configuration may be completed by connecting to the PortServer using telnet, without connecting
a serial terminal.
For this to work, a RARP server must be set up somewhere on the network. Consult your
operating system and network software documentation for information on how to do this.
(On many UNIX systems, such information can be found in the manual entry for rarpd).

Page 6ŸQuick Start
Connect other terminals and peripherals to the PortServer
At this point you may wish to connect other devices (terminals, modems or printers) to the
PortServer. If you’d prefer to “play with it” a bit and add other peripherals later, skip this part
and go to the next section, Log in and Configure the PortServer on page 9.
Terminals
Attach terminals to the other ports as previously described, plugging the RJ-45 or RJ-11
connectors (from the terminals) into the appropriate sockets in the back of the PortServer. All of
the ports are equal, and you can configure any port for any device. Make sure the power is off on
the PortServer and the terminals!
Some terminals require hardware handshaking; most that do use Data Terminal Ready (DTR) for
hardware handshaking. Here is a wiring diagram for this method:
Terminal/Printer Cable with DTR Handshaking
RJ-45 -8PinDB-25 Male
4
5
1
2
3
7
20
PinPin
DSR
RTS
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
CTS
DTR
RTS
CTS
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
DTR
Signal1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Signal
(=CableShield)

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 7
A more inclusive cable (necessary if you are going to set your port device as a host) is a full 10-
wire null-modem cable:
Full 10-Wire Null Modem Cable
RJ-45 -10 PinDB-25 Male
PinPin
TxD
RxD
RTS
CTS
DSR
SG
DCD
DTR
RI
GND
TxD
RxD
RTS
CTS
DSR
SG
DCD
DTR
RI
GND
5
6
3
8
2
7
10
9
1
4
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
20
1
22
SignalSignal
(=CableShield)
Pin1
Pin10

Page 8ŸQuick Start
Modems
The easiest way to connect modems is to use Digi’s RJ-45 to DB-25 straight-through cables,
which offer full 10-pin connections for full modem control. (You may find ten-pin RJ-45
connectors difficult to find in the retail market). Here are the choices and part numbers:
DB-25 Male DB-25
Female DB-9 Male
24 Inch Cables 61020024 61030024 61070024
48 Inch Cables 61020048 61030048 N/A
If you wish to build your own modem cables, follow the diagram below. Cables must be shielded
to remain in compliance with FCC certification requirements, and the shield should be con-
nected to Chassis Ground (GND) at one end of the cable run.
Full 10-Wire Modem Cable
RJ-45 -10 PinDB-25 Male
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
PinPin
RI
DSR
RTS
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
CTS
DTR
DCD
RI
DSR
RTS
GND
TxD
RxD
SG
CTS
DTR
DCD
Signal22
6
4
1
2
3
7
5
20
8
Signal
(=CableShield)
Pin1
Pin10
Now connect the modem(s) to the other ports as previously described, plugging the RJ-45 or RJ-
11 connectors from the modems into the appropriate sockets in the back of the PortServer. Again,
make sure the power is off on the PortServer and the modems!
If you want to use 8-pin RJ-45 to DB-25 adapters, a software feature called ALTPIN has been
incorporated into the PortServer software to swap the DCD and DSR signals. This makes DCD
available on pin 1 of an 8-pin RJ-45 connector. See Altpin on page 97.

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 9
Printers
Serial printers can have different wiring requirements because of their manufacturer’s inter-
pretations of the RS-232 “standard.” For those printers that can work with software handshaking
(also called “XON/XOFF”), the three-wire hookup for terminals shown on page 5will work well.
Printers that require hardware handshaking (sometimes referred to as “DTR/DSR”) should work
with the terminal hardware handshaking wiring scheme shown on page 6. (Some Okidata
printers use a control signal on pin 11, called Supervisory Send Data (SSD) instead of DTR. In
this case, simply connect CTS on the RJ-45 side to pin 11 of the DB-25, instead of pin 20.)
If your printer manufacturer suggests a different wiring scheme, use it. Cables must be shielded
to remain in compliance with FCC certification requirements, and the shield should be con-
nected to Chassis Ground (GND) at one end of the cable run.
This same configuration can be constructed using 6 pin RJ-11 plugs, or either
8 or 10 pin RJ-45 plugs. See “RJ Connectors” on page 91 for the relationship
of the various sizes of RJ connectors to the 10 pin RJ-45 jack.
Make sure the power is turned off on both the PortServer and the printers, and connect the
printers to the other ports as previously described.
Log in and Configure the PortServer
Step 1. Turn on the terminal (or PC running terminal emulation software). Set the terminal
parameters to VT-100 emulation, 9600 baud, 8 data, 1 stop, and no parity.
(These are the factory default PortServer settings. While the PortServer can be
instructed to change these parameters, the terminal must be set to these default
values at first, in order to communicate with the PortServer software to change the
parameters!)
Step 2. Turn the PortServer’s power switch on.
Step 3. The PortServer firmware’s Power On Self Test (POST) sequence will now run auto-
matically, displaying different messages in the 7 segment LED display as it performs
different tests. If no errors are detected, the 7 display should end up displaying AC,
and the ten LEDs will each go on in sequence.

Page 10 ŸQuick Start
Step 4. When AC is showing on the PortServer display, press the Return or Enter key on
your keyboard; you should get the login: prompt. Enter root. When asked for the
root password, enter dbps:
login: root
passwd:
#>
(Note in this screen dump that the password is not echoed to the screen.) When you
see the #> prompt, you are logged in.
Step 5. Now you need to enter some network configuration information for the PortServer’s
network parameters configuration table, using information available from your
network administrator (or network documentation). Examples here will have
“phony” numbers that you will have to replace with your own information.
IP Address First, you need to set an IP address for the PortServer unit.
Your network administrator can give you an appropriate
address to use. Assuming an IP address of 192.83.159.1 (for the
sake of this example), enter the following command:
#>set config ip=192.83.159.1
#>
(Again, enter the IP Address as assigned by your network ad-
ministrator, not the example address shown above!)
Node Name Enter the node name you have assigned for the PortServer. This
example uses “termserver”:
#>set config myname=termserver
#>
Domain Name If applicable, enter the name of the domain that the PortServer
is part of. The default name is “DOMAIN”; this example uses
“arnold.org”:
#>set config domain=arnold.org
#>

PortServer Terminal Server ŸPage 11
Domain
Server’s
Name
If you have one, enter the IP address of the IP Name Service
machine that will translate names to addresses. This example
uses “192.83.159.2”:
#>set config nameserv=192.83.159.2
#>
Note that if you do not have an IP Name Service machine, you
can use the PortServer’s Set Host commands to build a table
of names and their IP addresses. (See page 46.)
Network
Subnet
Mask
Set your network subnet mask. (The PortServer’s default
setting is 255.255.255.0); that’s also the mask used in this
example:
#>set config submask=255.255.255.0
#>
Gateway
Address If you have a gateway, set its IP address. (The default setting of
255.255.255.255 is used in this example):
#>set config gateway=255.255.255.255
#>
There are other PortServer parameters that can be configured. These are covered
individually in the Command Reference chapter.

Page 12 ŸQuick Start
Testing the network connection
You should now be able to establish communications with another network machine. (You will
need to know the IP Address of the other machine.) Enter the following ping command to test
the connection:
#>ping 192.83.159.227
#>
(Again, the IP address “192.83.159.227" shown above is for example only. Use an IP address
that is valid for your network.)
The PortServer software should respond:
192.83.159.227 is alive
#>
If you do not see the “It is Alive!” message, check the IP address set for the PortServer, as well as
that of the target machine. Check your physical network cable connection. You can also use the
PortServer’s front panel to check Ethernet activity—see PortServer Front Panel on page 69.