NETGEAR FS 524S User manual

FS
MODEL
517TS
FS
MODEL
524S
Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch
User‘s Guide

ii
Trademarks
NETGEAR® is a registered trademark of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or reliability,NETGEAR reserves the
right to make changes to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not
assume any liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product(s) or circuit layout(s)
described herein.
Certificate of the Manufacturer/Importer
It is hereby certified that the NETGEAR Model FS524S Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch and Model
FS517TS Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch with Gigabit Port have been suppressed in accordance with the
conditions set out in the BMPT-AmtsblVfg 243/1991 and Vfg 46/1992.The operation of some equipment (for
example, test transmitters) in accordance with the regulations may,however, be subject to certain restrictions.
Please refer to the notes in the operating instructions.
Federal Office for Telecommunications Approvals has been notified of the placing of this equipment on the
market and has been granted the right to test the series for compliance with the regulations.
Voluntary Control Council for Interference (VCCI) Statement
This equipment is in the first category (information equipment to be used in commercial and/or industrial
areas) and conforms to the standards set by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Data
Processing Equipment and Electronic Office Machines that are aimed at preventing radio interference in
commercial and/or industrial areas.
Consequently, when this equipment is used in a residential area or in an adjacent area thereto, radio
interference may be caused to equipment such as radios andTV receivers.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Notice: Radio Frequency Notice
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Note: 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 reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation.This equipment generates,uses, and can

iii
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference
not occur in a particular installation.If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception,which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
EN 55 022 Declaration of Conformance
This is to certify that the NETGEAR Model FS524S Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch and Model FS517TS
Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch with Gigabit Port are shielded against the generation of radio interference in
accordance with the application of Council Directive 89/336/EEC,Article 4a. Conformity is declared by the
application of EN 55024 Class A (CISPR 22).
Warning:This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment,this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take appropriate measures.
Canadian Department of Communications Radio Interference Regulations
This digital apparatus (NETGEAR Model FS524S Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch and Model FS517TS
Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch with Gigabit Port) do not exceed the Class A limits for radio-noise emissions from
digital apparatus as set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique du ministère des Communications
Cet appareil numérique (NETGEAR Model FS524S Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch and Model FS517TS
Stackable Fast Ethernet Switch with Gigabit Port) respecte les limites de bruits radioélectriques visant les
appareils numériques de classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique du ministère
des Communications du Canada.
!

iv
Customer Support
For assistance with installing and configuring your NETGEAR system or with questions or problems
following installation:
• Check the NETGEAR Web page at http://www.NETGEAR.com.
• CallTechnical Support in North America at 1-888-NETGEAR. If you are outside North America,please
refer to the phone numbers listed on the Support Information Card that shipped with your switch.
• Email Technical Support at [e-mail].
Defective or damaged merchandise can be returned to your point-of-purchase representative.
Internet/World Wide Web
NETGEAR maintains a World Wide Web home page that you can access at the uniform resource locator
(URL) http://www.NETGEAR.com. A direct connection to the Internet and a Web browser such as Internet
Explorer or Netscape are required.

vContents
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
Introduction 1-1
Description 1-1
Features 1-2
Unique Features 1-3
Shared Features 1-4
Package Contents 1-5
CHAPTER 2
Physical Description 2-1
Front and Back Panels 2-1
10/100 Mbps RJ-45 Ports 2-3
LED Descriptions 2-4
Power 2-4
Stack 2-4
Link 2-4
FDX 2-4
17 ACT ( FS517TS only) 2-4
1000M (Port 17 on the FS517TS only) 2-4
Front Panel RJ-45 Gigabit Copper Port (FS517TS Only) 2-5
Normal/Uplink Push Button (FS524S Only) 2-5
Auto Uplink (FS517TS Only) 2-5
CHAPTER 3
Applications 3-1
Desktop Switching 3-1
Segment Switching and Bridging from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps 3-1
Stacked Switching 3-2

contents vi
CHAPTER 4
Installation 4-1
Preparing the Site 4-2
Stacking 4-2
Installing the Switch 4-3
Installing the Switch on a Flat Surface 4-3
Installing the Switch in a Rack 4-3
Connecting Devices to the Switch 4-4
Connecting Switches to the Stack’s Backplane 4-5
Checking the Installation 4-8
Applying AC Power 4-9
CHAPTER 5
Troubleshooting 5-1
Troubleshooting Chart 5-1
Additional Troubleshooting Suggestions 5-3
Network Adapter Cards 5-3
Configuration 5-3
Switch Integrity 5-3
Auto Negotiation 5-3
APPENDIX A
Technical Specifications A-1
Network Protocol and Standards Compatibility A-1
Data Rate A-1
Interface A-1
Electrical Specifications A-1
Physical Specifications A-2
Environmental Specifications A-2
Electromagnetic Emissions A-2
Electromagnetic Susceptibility A-3
Safety Agency Approvals A-3
Performance Specifications A-4

viicontents
APPENDIX B
Connector Pin Assignments B-1
RJ-45 Plug and RJ-45 Connector B-1
Normal Assignment on Ports 1 to 8 B-2
Uplink Assignment on Port 8 B-2
Channel B-2
Description B-2
APPENDIX C
Cabling Guidelines C-1
Fast Ethernet Cable Guidelines C-1
Category 5 Cable C-2
Category 5 Cable Specifications C-3
Twisted Pair Cables C-4
Patch Panels and Cables C-5
Using 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 Cable C-5
Overview C-5
Cabling C-6
Length C-6
Return Loss C-6
Patch Cables C-8
Conclusion C-8
INDEX

figures viii
FIGURES
Figure 1-1. Package Contents 1-5
Figure 2-1. Front and Back Panels of the
FS517TS Switch 2-2
Figure 2-2. Front and Back Panels of the
FS524S Switch 2-3
Figure 2-3. Creating Redundant Paths between
Network Devices (Example 1) 2-6
Figure 2-4. Creating Redundant Paths between
Network Devices (Example 2) 2-7
Figure 3-1. Example of Desktop Switching 3-1
Figure 3-2. Example of Segment Switching and Bridging 3-2
Figure 3-3. Example of Switched Stacking 3-3
Figure 4-1. Attaching Mounting Brackets 4-4
Figure 4-2. Connecting Devices to the Switch 4-5
Figure 4-3. CablingTwo FS517TS Stacked Switches 4-7
Figure 4-4. Cabling FS524S Stacked Switches 4-7
Figure 4-5. Cabling FS517TS and FS524S Switches 4-8

ixtables
Figure B-1. RJ-45 Plug and RJ-45 Connector
with Built-in LEDs B-1
Figure C-1. Straight-ThroughTwisted-Pair Cable C-4
Figure C-2. CrossoverTwisted-Pair Cable C-4
Figure C-3. Category 5 UTP Cable with
Male RJ-45 Plug at Each End C-5
TABLES
Table 2-1. Front Panel LEDs 2-4
Table 4-1. Site Requirements 4-2
Table 5-1. Troubleshooting Chart 5-1
Table B-1. 10/100 Mbps RJ-45 Plug and
RJ-45 Connector Pin Assignments B-2
Table B-2. 100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 Plug and
RJ-45 Connector Pin Assignments B-2
Table C-1. Electrical Requirements of Category 5 Cable C-3

1-1introduction
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
This installation guide describes the NETGEAR FS517TS and FS524S Stackable Fast
Ethernet Switches.
The NETGEAR FS517TS and FS524S Switches are expandable, high-performance
IEEE-compliant network switches designed for users who want the high-speed perform-
ance of 10/100 stacked switching to eliminate bottlenecks, boost performance, and
increase productivity.These switches are designed so that like models can stack to each
other (FS517TS to FS517TS or FS524S to FS524S) as well as to the other model
(FS517TS to FS524S) to provide high-speed connections between switches.
Additionally, the FS517TS includes a front panel 1000 Mbps (1Gbps) port to connect
to other standards-based gigabit switches or servers, providing a high-speed connection
from your stack of switches to a server or your network backbone.To simplify installation,
both switch models are shipped ready for use,with no configuration required. Everything
necessary to stack these switches comes in the box, eliminating the need to purchase
additional modules or kits.
This chapter provides the following information:
• Description
• Features
• Package contents
Description
The NETGEAR FS517TS and FS524S Stackable Fast Ethernet Switches are expand-
able, powerful, and easy-to-use network solutions.The NETGEAR FS517TS Switch
provides 16 shielded RJ-45 network ports, while the NETGEAR FS524S Switch
provides 24 shielded RJ-45 network ports.The FS517TS Switch also provides a front
panel RJ-45 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) copper port that can be used to create a high-per-
formance backbone link.

introduction 1-2
All RJ-45 ports on the FS517TS and FS524S Switches automatically negotiate to the
highest speed, making the switches ideal for environments that have a mix of Ethernet
and Fast Ethernet devices.In addition, all 10/100 Mbps ports operate in half- or full-
duplex mode, increasing the maximum bandwidth of each connection up to 20 Mbps or
200 Mbps, respectively. Both switch models support automatic address learning and
IEEE 802.3x-compliant flow control to ensure optimal packet reliability.
The FS517TS and FS524S Switches can be free standing or rack mounted (in a wiring
closet or equipment room). Moreover, they can be used as stand-alone devices or
cascaded to create a single “virtual” switch:
• The FS517TS Switch has a single stacking port that can cascade to another
FS517TS Switch to provide a total of 32 Fast Ethernet ports and two copper gigabit
ports in a single switched stack.
• The FS524S Switch has two bi-directional stacking ports, allowing load-balanced,
fault-tolerant, redundant connections when cascaded with other FS524S Switches.
Up to eight FS524S Switches can be cascaded, providing up to 192 ports in a single
switched stack via a 4 Gbps high-speed backplane.
• The FS517TS and FS524S Switches can be stacked together. Connecting two
FS517TS Switches to a stack of eight FS524S creates one large virtual switch,
with up to 224 Fast Ethernet ports and two copper gigabit ports for server or
backbone connections.
Features
NETGEAR’s FS517TS and FS524S Switches share common features while providing
their own unique benefits.The following sections describe the features that are unique
and common to the switches.

1-3introduction
Unique Features
The FS517TS and FS524S Switches have the following unique key features:
Feature FS517TS Switch FS524S Switch
Number of 10/100 Mbps 16 24
RJ-45 ports per switch
Number of 1000 Mbps 1 0
RJ-45 ports per switch
Number of high-speed 1 2
stacking ports:
Maximum number of Two FS517TS Switches Eight FS524S Switches
switches in stack:
Maximum number of ports 32 or 224 (when eight 192 (eight cascaded FS524S
in stack FS524S Switches are added) Switches) or 224 (when two
FS517TS Switches are added)
Miscellaneous Front panel IEEE 802.3ab
1000BASE-T port for
easy expansion
Supports Auto UplinkTM, which Two bi-directional uplink ports
automatically configures the deliver 2 x 2 Gbps links between
RJ-45 ports for use with either switches
straight-through or crossover
cables to make the right
connection

introduction 1-4
Shared Features
The FS517TS and FS524S Switches share the following key features:
• Support wire-speed filtering and forwarding of the traffic on all ports
• Scale to meet your growing network needs,enabling performance to keep pace with
port density
• Boast high-speed bandwidth over stacking connections
• Provide easy Plug-and-Play installation with no software to configure, for quick and
easy connection to new or existing 10 and 100 Mbps users and services
• Support store-and-forward intelligent processing to remove erroneous packets from
the network
• Support automatic address-learning function to build the packet-forwarding
information table.The table contains up to 8,000 media access control (MAC)
addresses (that is, the switch can support networks with as many as 8,000 devices).
• Autosense link speed (10 or 100 Mbps) and duplex mode (half- or full-duplex) to
optimize connectivity and allow companies to migrate to Fast Ethernet one port at
a time
• Support full-duplex mode to double throughput of point-to-point connections by
enabling individual ports to transmit and receive data concurrently.
• Support IEEE 802.3x-compliant flow control to prevent dropped packets due to net
work back-ups and bottlenecks
• Comply with the IEEE802.3 Ethernet, IEEE802.3u Fast Ethernet standards, and
IEEE802.3ab Gigabit Ethernet
• Provide LED indicators to show current switch status and simplify troubleshooting
• Rack Mount Kit provided for installing the switch in a standard 19-inch equipment
rack or for mounting on the wall

1-5introduction
Package Contents
Figure 1-1 shows the package contents of the FS517TS and FS524S switches.
Figure 1-1.Package Contents
Verify that your package contains the following:
• FS517TS or FS524S Switch
• Rubber footpads for tabletop installation
• Power cord
• One stacking cable
• Rack-mount kit for installing the switch in a 19-inch rack
• This Installation Guide
• Support Information Card
• Warranty & Owner Registration Card
If any item is missing or damaged,contact your place of purchase immediately.

2-1physical description
CHAPTER 2: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
This chapter describes the hardware features of the FS517TS and FS524S Switches.
Topics include:
• Front and back panels
• 10/100 Mbps RJ-45 ports
• LED descriptions
• Front panel RJ-45 Gigabit copper port (FS517TS Switch)
• Normal/Uplink push button
• Auto Uplink
Front and Back Panels
Figure 2-1 shows the key components on the front and back panels of the FS517TS
Switch. Figure 2-2 shows the key components on the front and back panels of the
FS524S Switch.
The front panel of both switches contains LEDs and RJ-45 jacks.The front panel of the
FS517TS Switch also contains a Gigabit copper port, while the front panel of the
FS524S Switch contains a Normal/Uplink push button.
The FS517TS has Auto Uplink technology instead of a Normal/Uplink push button.

physical description 2-2
The back panel of both switches has stacking ports for the supplied stacking cable, fans
for cooling, and a standard AC power receptacle for accommodating the supplied
power cord.
Figure 2-1.Front and Back Panels of the FS517TS Switch
100 Mbps
LEDs
1000 Mbps
Activity LED
10/100 Mbps
ports
Power
LED
Stacking
port
Stack LED 1000 Mbps port
Activity/Collision
LEDs
Fans
Front Panel of the Model FS517TS Switch
Rear Panel of the Model FS517TS Switch

2-3physical description
Figure 2-2.Front and Back Panels of the FS524S Switch
10/100 Mbps RJ-45 Ports
As Figures 2-1 and 2-2 show, the FS517TS Switch has 16 RJ-45 ports, while the
FS524S Switch has 24 RJ-45 ports.These ports are auto-sensing 10/100 Mbps ports:
When you insert a cable into an RJ-45 port, the switch automatically ascertains the
maximum speed (10 or 100 Mbps) and duplex mode (half- or full-duplex) of the
attached device, and displays this information using the front panel 100 Mbps and FDX
LEDs for that port (LEDs are described in the next section).The 10/100 Mbps ports
support only unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable terminated with an 8-pin RJ-45 plug.
100 Mbps
LEDs
10/100 Mbps
ports
Power
LED
Stacking
ports
Stack LEDs Normal/Uplink
push button
Activity/Collision LEDs
Fans
Front Panel of the Model FS524sSwitch
Rear Panel of the Model FS524sSwitch

physical description 2-4
LED Descriptions
The front panels of the FS517TS and FS524S Switches have LEDs that provide a
quick and accurate display of port speed, activity, collisions, duplex mode, as well as
activity between stacked switches.Table 2-1 summarizes the LEDs on the FS517TS
and FS524S Switches. A detailed description of the LEDs follows the table.
Table 2-1. Front Panel LEDs
Label Color Activity Description
Power Green On Power is supplied to the switch.
Off Power is disconnected.
100 Mbps Green On Port has made a 100 Mbps connection.
Green Off Port has made a 10 Mbps connection.
Activity / Collision Green Blinking Data transmission is occurring on the port.
Yellow Blinking Data collision is occurring on the port.The rate at
which this LED blinks corresponds to the number of
collisions.When a collision occurs, the connected
device pauses and transmits again after waiting a
specified time.
Stack Green On A valid link is established on the stacking port.
Off A link is not established on the stacking port.
Blinking Packet transmission or reception is occurring on
the port.
Link Green On Port has a valid link connection.
Off A valid link has not been established on the port.
FDX Green On Port is operating in full-duplex mode.
Off Port is operating in half-duplex mode.
17 ACT Green On Data transmission is occurring on the front panel
(FS517TS only) Gigabit copper port.
Off Data transmission is not occurring on the Gigabit
copper port.
1000M Green On Port has a valid 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) link connection
(Port 17 on the Blinking Data transmission is occurring on the port.
FS517TS only) Off A valid link has not been established on the port.
FDX Green On Port is in full-duplex mode
(Port 17 on the Off Port is not operating in full-duplex mode.
FS517TS only)