IPCopper USC10G4 User manual

IPCopper.com
Product Manual
USC10G4
10G Packet Capture Appliance
with Bypass and GPS
Firmware Version 2.07

The information in this product manual has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be
accurate. This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated
in later editions. Improvements or changes in the products described may be made at any
time. IPCopper, Inc. makes no commitment to update or to keep current the information in
this manual, or to notify any person or organization of the updates. For the most up-to-date
version of this manual, please see our website at www.ipcopper.com.
IPCopper, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to the product described in this manual at
any time and without notice.
The following paragraph does not apply to any country where such provisions are
inconsistent with local law: IPCopper, Inc. provides this publication “as is” without
warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Some states do not allow
disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement
may not apply to you.
IPCopper is a trademark of IPCopper, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other
countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here for
reference purposes only.
The text of this publication, illustrations, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, such as photocopying,
recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of IPCopper, Inc.
United States government restricted rights
This documentation is provided with restricted rights. Use, duplication or disclosure by the
government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in
Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 and in applicable FAR
provisions: IPCopper, Inc., Portland, OR 97223.
Manual Revision: 1.1
Release Date: December 31, 2014
© IPCopper, Inc. 2015. All rights reserved.
ii IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................5
Product Description............................................................................................................5
Security Features ................................................................................................................5
Specifications......................................................................................................................6
Checklist: In the Box ..........................................................................................................7
INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................................8
General installation ............................................................................................................8
Inline vs. SPAN Deployment................................................................................................9
Placement / Where to Deploy ...........................................................................................10
Deploying the USC10G4 at a Remote Location .................................................................10
Deployment Scenarios......................................................................................................11
UNDERSTANDING THE FRONT PANEL ......................................................................................13
SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE............................................................................................................15
Standard Shutdown Sequence..........................................................................................15
Reboot Shutdown Sequence .............................................................................................15
CAPTURE AND RECORD SPEEDS ..............................................................................................16
Peak and Minimum Sustained Speeds .............................................................................16
Factors that Affect Performance........................................................................................16
CTRL Marker and Performance ........................................................................................16
GPS TIME SYNCHRONIZATION..................................................................................................17
Antenna Placement and Specifications.............................................................................17
Stages of GPS Time Synchronization.................................................................................18
FastGPS Option.................................................................................................................19
Aborting/Disabling GPS Time Synchronization .................................................................19
ETHERNET PORT MODES.........................................................................................................21
Overview...........................................................................................................................21
Inline Mode ......................................................................................................................21
SPAN/Mirror Mode............................................................................................................21
Bypass Mode.....................................................................................................................22
Management Mode...........................................................................................................22
OTHER FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS.........................................................................................23
Retrieving Data / Retrieve Mode........................................................................................23
Continuous Loop Storage (Overwrite) ..............................................................................23
Flow Control .....................................................................................................................24
Auto-Negotiation (Port Speed)..........................................................................................24
Power Button Settings.......................................................................................................24
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual iii

MANAGEMENT UTILITY.............................................................................................................25
Overview...........................................................................................................................25
How the Utility Communicates with the Unit....................................................................25
Installing and Launching the Utility..................................................................................26
Selecting an IP Address for Accessing the Unit .................................................................27
Accessing IPCopper from a Remote Location ...................................................................29
Admin and User Passwords ..............................................................................................30
Changing Passwords .........................................................................................................31
Status Page .......................................................................................................................31
Changing Settings .............................................................................................................34
Downloading Data ............................................................................................................36
Tips for Retrieving Data ....................................................................................................38
TROUBLESHOOTING.................................................................................................................41
POWER SUPPLY FUSE ...............................................................................................................44
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.........................................................................................................45
CONTACT INFORMATION...........................................................................................................45
iv IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

Introduction
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The IPCopper USC10G4 is a standalone full packet capture appliance with 2 x
10GBASE-SR fiber optic ports, 4 x GbE ports and 24 TB storage.
Key features include:
• True bypass: In case of power loss or malfunction the USC10G4’s
ports switch into bypass mode to minimize network disruption.
Bypass may also be manually engaged and disengaged through the
management utility.
• GPS time synchronization: At bootup, the USC10G4 synchronizes to
the broadcast GPS time for high-accuracy timestamping and indexing.
• Continuous-loop storage: WARNING! The USC10G4 contains a built-in
functionality that overwrites the oldest data with the newest. When
the USC10G4 reaches its 24 TB capacity, it starts over from the
beginning, overwriting the oldest recorded data with the newest. The
oldest data, once overwritten, is irrecoverable. The data stored on the
unit will always be the most recently captured 24 TB of network
activity.
SECURITY FEATURES
!Electronic invisibility: For its packet capture operations the USC10G4
uses neither an IP address nor a MAC address. This stealthiness
increases the security of the appliance, while at the same time making
installation as easy as connecting a few cables.
!Removable key: Unit will not boot up without the key.
!20,000-bit dual encryption.
!Sealed all-metal, high-strength, tamperproof stainless steel enclosure.
!Encrypted access via management utility.
!Physical access control: Enable/disable retrieve mode via front panel
button.
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 5

SPECIFICATIONS
6 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual
Interface
2 x 10GBASE-SR
4 x 1-GbE
Capacity
#24 TB
#continuous-loop storage
Bypass
Automatic and manual
#Automatically engages with loss of power
#For more information see page 22
Capture & Record Speeds
#Peak: 10 Gbps
#Minimum Sustained: Gbps @ 6
million packets / second
5
#For more information see page 16
Data Output Format
PCAP
Encryption
#Dual
#20,000-bit key
GPS Time Synchronization
Available
#Via removable, external antenna
#Manual enable/disable
#For more information see page 17
Power Supply
90 ~ 264 VAC, 47 Hz ~ 63 Hz
Environmental
Storage temperature: -20 °C to +70 °C
Operating temperature: 0 °C to +30 °C*
Dimensions
#19 in x 3.5 in x 14 in
#34 lbs
Other
#
#Jumbo frames supported up to 9 KB
Flow control supported
* The USC10G4 may operate at slightly higher temperatures, however, care must be taken to ensure that there is
at least one foot of unobstructed air space in front of the vents, to avoid the possible backflow of exhausted air
into the unit. If placed in a cabinet, the cabinet must be ventilated.

IN THE BOX
1 - USC10G4 packet capture appliance
1 - GPS antenna
1 - Power cord
1 - USB stick, white (contains management utility)
1 - USB stick, black (contains key)*
* IMPORTANT! DO NOT INSERT THE BLACK USB KEY INTO A COMPUTER
OR ANY DEVICE OTHER THAN THE USC10G4 WITH WHICH IT CAME.
DOING SO MAY DAMAGE THE KEY AND RENDER IT NONFUNCTIONAL.
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 7

Installation
GENERAL INSTALLATION
1. Connect the fiber and/or USB cables.
?If using inline, traffic feeding into port 1 will exit out port 2 and vice
versa. Likewise, traffic feeding into port 3 will exit out port 4, traffic
feeding into port 5 will exit out port 6 and vice versa.
?If using a SPAN/mirror port, connect to any port (of appropriate speed /
type) for information on using the management
utility to switch ports into dedicated SPAN mode.
?Alignment is important when inserting the fiber connectors into the
fiber ports. Depending on the cable, the duplex retention bracket could
skew the positioning of the optics if care is not taken to align the
connectors properly when attaching the fiber cables.
2. Firmly insert the black USB key.
?Use the black USB key that came in the box with the unit. This key will
only work with the unit with which it came and cannot be used with
any other IPCopper device. Do not insert this black USB key into any
other equipment as this may cause it to malfunction.
3. Connect the power cable and flip the back power switch ON.
>Once the power switch in back is flipped to the ON position, the unit
will power on and begin booting up automatically. The first stage of the
boot up process is self diagnostics, which takes about 5-20 seconds.
>
>During bootup, the USC10G4 receives signals from at least three GPS
satellites and synchronizes its clock to the broadcast GPS time. During
this synchronization process, the green GPS light blinks with increasing
frequency as time synchronization progresses. Depending on the
reception strength, it may take up to half an hour for the unit to
synchronize (for more information see page 18)
. Please see page 34
During bootup, the red KEY light will illuminate and the COM light will
blink, indicating that the unit is communicating with the key. After the
unit establishes that it is the correct key, the green KEY light will
illuminate and the unit will proceed to the next stage. This process
takes about 5-30 seconds.
.
8 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

>To skip GPS time synchronization, press the RET button one time while
the GPS light is blinking. GPS time synchronization may also be
disabled through the management utility ( .
If the error light illuminates, see the troubleshooting section
INLINE VS. SPAN DEPLOYMENT
There are two methods for capturing data, either inline on the wire or via a
router or switch’s SPAN / mirror port. Since the USC10G4 has multiple ports, a
combination of inline and SPAN modes may also be employed. For more
information on the USC10G4’s port modes, please s
Setting up the USC10G4 inline on the wire is simple, involving the connection
of either two or four or six cables (for capturing traffic on one, two or three
routes). When used inline, port 1 corresponds to port 2, port 3 to port 4 and
port 5 to port 6. The biggest advantage of inline mode is the higher accuracy of
recording: no intervening equipment stands between the USC10G4 and the
raw traffic and the unit is able to capture and timestamp the data exactly as it
traverses the wire. Another benefit is that it allows the unit to act as a buffer for
other networking equipment, should traffic spike.
SPAN mode allows the recording of up to six networks or network routes on
one USC10G4. The drawback of using SPAN mode is that it relies on the
performance of the equipment mirroring the traffic (oftentimes a switch or a
router with a SPAN port) and therefore introduces uncertainty as to the
accuracy of the captured activity. The intervening equipment may re-order or
drop packets; when using SPAN/mirror ports, it is quite possible to have a
packet traverse the switch or router, but not be mirrored and pass out through
the SPAN port. Having intervening equipment between the packet capture
appliance and the source of the network traffic also introduces a delay in the
packets reaching the unit, resulting in inaccurate timestamping.
Lastly, you may also have a situation where the router or switch is attempting
see page 19)
Once the unit is operational and recording, the green REC illuminates. At this
point the key has been loaded into the unit’s temporary memory and you may
choose to remove the key or leave it in place. If you choose to remove the key,
it is advisable that the unit be connected to a UPS; if the unit loses power, it
will not be able to boot up again until the key is re-inserted.
on page 41.
ee page 21.
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 9

10 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual
to feed data in excess of 10 Gbps through its SPAN/mirror port, since the traffic
sent out through the SPAN/mirror port is an aggregate of all the traffic received
and sent by the router/switch in both directions. Under peak loads, the
switch/router may drop packets intended for the SPAN/mirror port should the
traffic volume overwhelm the switch/router’s buffer.
PLACEMENT / WHERE TO DEPLOY
The USC10G4’s six ports and user-selectable port modes provide flexibility and
versatility when it comes to deployment. The unit may be used to monitor
from one to six separate networks or network segments. The USC10G4 may be
placed anywhere on a network, either at the perimeter, the core or points in
between; it requires no additional equipment to connect when used in inline
mode, since it acts as its own network tap.
The USC10G4 captures all of the traffic that passes through it. Please note,
however, that if a DHCP/NAT server (which is frequently built into consumer
firewalls and routers) stands between the unit and the rest of the network or a
portion of the network, the DHCP/NAT server device will mask the MAC
addresses and local IP addresses of the equipment on the other side of it. If
the MAC addresses and local IP addresses are needed, it would be necessary to
deploy an additional packet capture appliance on the other side of the
DHCP/NAT server device (for example, the DHCP/NAT server device connects to
the packet capture appliance, which in turn connects to a switch; the other
networked equipment/end-users would connect to the switch).
Depending on the size of your network and the type and granularity of the
monitoring/recording required, if possible we recommend deploying multiple
packet capture appliances throughout, precisely to capture the additional
information that DHCP/NAT devices mask, as well as internal communications
between computers and other devices on the network that would never make it
out through the internet connection.
DEPLOYING THE USC10G4 AT A REMOTE LOCATION
If you intend to deploy the USC10G4 at a separate location and will be
accessing it remotely, you may need to open UDP and TCP/IP ports on the
firewall at the USC10G4’s location (and possibly on any routers in between the

firewall and the unit)
your firewall’s/router’s documentation for information on how to do this. For
more information on using the management utility to access the USC10G4
from a remote location, please see page 29.
For remote deployment it would be advisable to change the unit’s retrieve
mode boot setting so that the unit boots up with retrieve mode on by default
(see page 34 for instructions). When retrieve mode is off, the unit will not
respond to any management communications and it will be necessary to
manually toggle the unit into retrieve mode by pressing the retrieve button on
the unit’s front panel in order to communicate with the unit.
DEPLOYMENT SCENARIOS
Since the USC10G4 requires no configuration, it can be placed pretty much
anywhere on a network. Where you choose to place the unit depends on which
traffic you would like to capture. Using the USC10G4 in inline mode offers the
most flexibility for deployment, however, it may also be connected to a router
or switch’s SPAN/mirror port. Below is a small sampling of deployment
scenarios.
for the utility to use to connect to the unit. Please consult
INTERNET
Scenario 1.
In this scenario, the USC10G4 is placed at the network perimeter, between the internet
connection and the firewall. In this location, the unit will capture all traffic originating from
the internet, even the transmissions that the firewall would block, and all the outbound
traffic from the network, but none of the internal network traffic.
ROUTER
FIREWALL
LAN
INTERNET
ROUTER
FIREWALL
LAN
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 11
Scenario 2.
In this scenario, the USC10G4 is placed at the network perimeter, between the firewall and
the LAN. In this location, the unit will capture all traffic originating from the internet, minus
the traffic blocked by the firewall, and all the outbound traffic from the network, but none of
the internal network traffic.

Scenario 4.
In this scenario, the USC10G4 is placed inline between a workgroup’s switch and the rest
of the LAN. In this location, the unit will capture all traffic originating from the workgroup
and all traffic destined for the workgroup, along with all the traffic within the workgroup
itself. The advantage of this setup is that the unit would be able to capture the local IP
address and MAC addresses of the workgroup, since there is no DHCP router in between
the unit and the workgroup members.
LAN
ROUTER
WORKGROUP SWITCH
Scenario 5.
In this scenario, the USC10G4 is placed inline between a database or other type of server.
In this location, the unit is able to capture and record all traffic going to and from the
database/server.
LAN
DATABASE
/
SERVER
Scenario 3.
In this scenario, the USC10G4 is placed further inside the network, inline between a
workgroup’s router and the rest of the LAN. In this location, the unit will capture all traffic
originating from the workgroup and all traffic destined for the workgroup. Please note that in
this configuration a DHCP router will obscure the local IP addresses of the workgroup’s
networked equipment. The unit will not be able to capture any traffic that does not leave the
workgroup.
LAN
ROUTER
WORKGROUP
12 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 13
Understanding the Front Panel
INDICATOR LIGHTS
• REC: illumination indicates that the unit is operational and ready
to capture and record
• RET: illumination indicates that the unit is in retrieve mode; also
illuminates during GPS time synchronization
• COM: lights up when communicating during data retrieval,
during the second stage of GPS time synchronization (see
• LOOP: shines red after the initial 24 TB capacity has been
reached and the unit has begun overwriting data (see )
• ERR: indicates an error (see )
• HDD: indicates that the hard drive is engaged
• GPS: blinks during GPS time synchronization (see )
page
18) and when communicating with the USB key.
page 23
page 41
page 18
POWER BUTTON***
* The retrieve button has two functions. If the REC light is on, the
retrieve button acts as a manual switch to enable/disable retrieve
mode. If the REC light is off, all ports are in bypass mode and
pressing the retrieve button switches ports 1 and 2 into inline mode.
** It may take 3-4 seconds for the unit to start the reboot process after
pressing reboot button.
*** The power button may be toggled between two functions, initiating
the shutdown sequence (default) or initiating reboot. Please see
pages 13 and 21 for more information.
REBOOT BUTTON**
RETRIEVE BUTTON*

GbE PORTS
KEY
PORT INDICATOR LIGHTS
• ORANGE:
• GREEN: indicates connectivity
• NO LIGHTS: either port is in bypass mode or there is no connectivity
indicates port is operating at gigabit / 10-gigabit speed
ANTENNA
10GBASE-SR PORTS
14 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

Shutdown Sequence
STANDARD SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE
When the power button is configured with power off functionality (which is the
default setting), pressing the power button initiates the shutdown sequence,
during which the unit engages bypass, clears its buffers and stops recording.
Please follow the steps below to avoid data loss when powering down the
USC10G4.
1. Press the power button on the front panel. The REC light will begin
blinking.
2. Wait until the REC light ceases blinking. All indicator lights will
illuminate and the power button light will turn off. At this point the
unit has finished clearing its buffers and stopped recording.
3. Flip the power switch on the back of the unit to the OFF position.
IMPORTANT! ALWAYS FLIP THE POWER SWITCH ON THE BACK OFF AFTER
INITIATING THE SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE.
Please note that the shutdown sequence cannot be aborted. Once the
shutdown sequence has been initiated, it must be completed as per the steps
above. Once the shutdown sequence has been initiated, the unit will not
respond to the pressing of any buttons on the front panel until the power
switch in back has been toggled OFF, then ON again.
REBOOT SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE
Pressing the reboot button causes the unit to reboot, which will very likely
result in data loss (limited to the data that had not yet been stored from the
buffers).
When the power button is configured as reboot, pressing the power button will
cause the unit to cease recording and reboot, without processing the data that
was in its buffers at the time reboot was initiated. When the REC and RET
lights and all port lights turn off, it is safe to turn off the power switch on the
back of the unit.
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 15

Capture and Record Speeds
PEAK AND MINIMUM SUSTAINED SPEEDS
The USC10G4 provides combined peak capture speeds on its 10GBASE-SR
ports of 10 Gbps. Its four GbE ports peak at 1 Gbps.
The unit’s minimum sustained capture speed is 5 Gbps at 6 million packets
per second. At this rate the overhead is approximately 16 to 20 bytes per
packet. Please note that the unit records the packets in their entirety, including
the 4 byte checksum.
The maximum storage speed is 5.925 Gbps, including overhead.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERFORMANCE
If necessary, at times of higher utilization on the 10GBASE-SR ports, the
USC10G4 will sacrifice performance on the 1-GbE ports in favor of 10G traffic.
Under some circumstances, very frequent status checks (for example, more
than once every few minutes) and data retrieval requests may affect
performance. In those circumstances, instead of achieving a performance of
six million packets per seconds, you may see a 1% reduction in performance,
proportional to the frequency of the management utility’s control packets.
CTRL MARKER AND PERFORMANCE
Each port has a CTRL marker, which may be turned on or off. Only the ports
with this marker turned on will be able to recognize and accept management
packets from the utility. Turning the CTRL marker off on the 10G ports
increases their capture and record performance to their full operational
capabilities; turning the CTRL marker on drops the 10G ports’ performance by
as much as 40% to 50%.
The CTRL marker is enabled/disabled for each port through the management
utility (see page 34). By defaul
For best performance on the 10GBASE-SR ports, we
recommend turning the CTRL marker OFF for both 10GBASE-SR ports at
installation and using one of the GbE ports for management.
t, the CTRL marker is ON on all ports.
16 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

GPS Time Synchronization
ANTENNA PLACEMENT AND SPECIFICATIONS
When attaching the GPS antenna, firmly screw it into place on the front of the
USC10G4 without bending the cable. Once you have attached the antenna, we
do not recommend disconnecting it. Repeatedly detaching and reattaching the
antenna may result in damage to the connector.
Place the antenna as reasonably close to a window as possible; the closer to a
window the antenna is, the better the signal reception. Elevating the antenna
may improve reception, but the best placement depends on the height of the
nearest window and the visibility through it to the sky.
The antenna has a magnetic base, however, we strongly advise against placing
the magnetic base on the USC10G4’s enclosure. Placing a magnet on the unit’s
enclosure may harm the internal parts and cause malfunction.
The supplied antenna type has been tested indoors with the USC10G4 and
performs well. Depending on the placement of your unit, a more sensitive
antenna may improve the speed of signal acquisition (regardless of the
sensitivity of the antenna, having a window nearby is necessary and the closer
the better).
Please use the following specifications if you elect to use your own antenna:
>Active GPS antenna
>Minimum 10 Mhz bandwidth
>1.5 dB recommended noise figure
>1575 MHz
>50 Ω Ohm impedance
>3 VDC
Note on antenna cable length: Antenna cables attenuate the signal and the
longer the cable, the weaker the signal. To counteract this, we recommend
using low noise cables designed for wifi / GPS applications. The longer the
cable length, the thicker it needs to be to reduce noise and attenuation.
IPCopper units have been tested with cables over 75 feet in length.
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 17

STAGES OF GPS TIME SYNCHRONIZATION
GPS time synchronization takes place in three stages.
During the first stage, the GPS light on the front panel blinks slowly as the unit
initially acquires the signal from three or more GPS satellites. The unit
requires at least three satellites to ensure the accuracy of the GPS time
synchronization (and to avoid the possibility of GPS signal spoofing).
During the second stage the GPS light continues to blink slowly and the COM
light illuminates. At this stage, the system has recognized the stored locations
of the GPS satellites, but has not yet synchronized the time. Acquisition is
almost complete once the light illuminates; the unit has
been able to receive the necessary clock information from the three GPS
satellites, but has not yet locked in on the satellites.
The USC10G4 has entered the third stage of synchronization once the GPS light
begins blinking rapidly. The unit is now actively tracking the satellites and
synchronization is imminent, waiting only for the computations to complete.
Once GPS time synchronization has completed, the GPS light will shine
steadily and the COM light will turn off.
It generally takes several minutes for the unit to acquire and identify the GPS
signals from a cold start, as the unit first roughly figures out where it is in
relation to the satellites and begins computations. These computations
become finer and finer until the unit locks on the GPS time signal.
If the USC10G4 was in storage (offline) for several days or longer, it is possible
for the internal clock to have drifted slightly. If so, it may take longer than
usual for the GPS time synchronization to complete the first time the unit is
booted up after being offline for a long period of time because the unit would
need to re-synchronize its own internal indices.
In some circumstances, it may take up to half an hour for GPS time
synchronization to complete. If unable to synchronize, a timer will abort GPS
time synchronization after 30 minutes and the unit will finish booting up
without GPS time synchronization.
second green (RET)
18 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual

FASTGPS OPTION
GPS satellites and the GPS system track time in GPS Time, rather than
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Due to the rotation of the earth, errors
accumulate over time and from time to time the committee that oversees GPS
Time adds an extra second to GPS Time in order to compensate for these
errors. These added seconds are known as leap seconds.
During GPS time synchronization, waiting for the satellites to broadcast the
current leap second data may add time to the synchronization process,
however, this does ensure that synchronization takes place with the most
accurate data.
FastGPS may speed up GPS time synchronization. When FastGPS is enabled,
the unit synchronizes its time without waiting for the satellites to broadcast the
leap second data, instead using the previously stored leap second data for
synchronization. Should the satellites broadcast the current leap second data
while the unit is going though the other synchronization steps, however, the
unit will synchronize using the current leap second data.
When using FastGPS, the unit may synchronize to a time that is one second off
of the actual GPS time (depending on when the GPS time committee last
added a second and when your unit last received the leap second data).
ABORTING/DISABLING GPS TIME SYNCHRONIZATION
We strongly recommend always using GPS time synchronization, not only for
accuracy, but also for coherency. When the unit is off, it is possible for the
internal circuitry that keeps the lock on the GPS signal alive to fail or
malfunction. When this occurs, it may affect the clock. If on the subsequent
power-up GPS time synchronization is disabled, the data timestamps may not
be accurate; in fact, it may create an incoherency in the data indices with
either gaps or overlaps in the timestamps. Should this occur, re-synchronize
the unit’s time using GPS time synchronization and then run a large amount
of traffic through the unit, enough to overwrite the incoherent sections. The
probability of this circumstance arising is rather low, nevertheless, we do
recommend using GPS time synchronization to avoid it.
You may abort GPS time synchronization during bootup any time while the
IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual 19

GPS light is blinking by pressing the RET button one time. This will abort the
current synchronization; at the next bootup, GPS time synchronization will
proceed as normal.
You may disable GPS time synchronization through the management utility
(see page 34). Choose the option to change settings, then follow the
instructions on the screen to toggle GPS time synchronization off. The unit will
not attempt to synchronize its clocks again until you re-enable GPS time
synchronization through the utility.
20 IPCopper USC10G4 Product Manual