Ntworking TIC

IBM PCI Fast EtherNet Adapter

• Install Adapter
• Driver Installation
  • Driver Installation for Brisque
  • Driver Installation for Ripro Server
  • Verifying Adapter Configuration
  • Configuring Adapter Media Speed (Ethernet / FastEthernet)
  • FullDuplex Configuration
  • IP Configuration
  • AppleTalk Configuration
• Appendix A - Full Duplex
  • What is Full Duplex?
  • What benefits?
  • Full Duplex set up
• Appendix B - Changing board configuration
• Appendix C - The error message: Requisite Failures
• Appendix D

Install Adapter

Record the station IP Configuration as follows:

1. On the AIX command line type the sequence: Enter. Smit TCP/IP -> Minimum Configuration & Startup and press
2. Select en0 and press Enter.
3. Write down the IP address parameters of en0 (IP address, subnet mask and default gateway address).
4. Shutdown the system

Install Adapter

1. Open the E30 cover.
2. Remove the Standard PCI Ethernet adapter (installed in slot 3).
3. Install the IBM - 3com FastEthernet Adapter in slot 3.
4. Close the E30 cover.
5. Connect the Twisted Pair (100BaseTX/10BaseT) cable to the RJ45 connector on the adapter.

Delete old Ethernet Board Configuration

1. Power on the E30.
2. Delete the old Ethernet adapter from the configuration as follows: At the AIX command line execute sequence: rmdev -d -l ent0 and press Enter.

Driver Installation

Driver Installation for Brisque

1. Insert CD ROM #2 (Brisque) into the CD-ROM drive.
2. On the AIX command line type the sequence: SciSmit-> Devices-> Install/Configure New Devices-> and press Enter.
3. Select cd0 as INPUT device and press Enter.
   The Command Status window shows OK for a successful installation.

• If you get an error at this stage see Appendix C - The error message: Requisite Failure.

Driver Installation for Ripro Server

1. Insert the Driver floppy diskette (Cat#501V50716) into the diskette drive.
2. On the AIX command line type: SciSmit-> Devices-> Install/Configure New Devices-> and press Enter.
3. Select fd0 as INPUT device and press Enter.
   The Command Status window shows OK for a successful installation.

• If you get an error at this stage see Appendix C - The error message: Requisite Failure.

Verifying Adapter Configuration

1. On the AIX command line type: lsparent -C -k ent and press Enter. The following output is displayed:

   ent0 Available 04-03

   3Com 3C905-TX-IBM Fast EtherLink XL NIC

• Where the IBM FE board appears as ent1 and the standard Ethernet board appears as ent0, see Appendix D.

Configuring Adapter Media Speed (Ethernet / FastEthernet)

The default adapter configuration uses Autodetect for 10/100BaseTX (Ethernet / FastEthernet). The board senses the port speed on the attached Hub / Switching Hub and configures itself automatically on each reboot

• The Autodetect was tested with the following 3com network devices:
  • LANplex2500
  • Switch1000
  • Switch3000
  • LinkBuilder FMS 100

It is possible to disable the auto speed detect and to set the board speed manually as follow:

1. On the AIX command line execute sequence:
   Smit devices-> Communication -> Ethernet Adapter-> Adapter-> Change / Show Characteristics of an Ethernet Adapter
   and press Enter.
2. In the Media Type field you can set the adapter speed to one of the following:
   • 10BaseT
   • 100BaseTX
   • Auto

Note: If you try to change the Media speed and you receive an error message, refer to Appendix B - Changing board configuration.

FullDuplex Configuration

The IBM PCI FastEthernet adapter supports FullDuplex connection when connected directly to one of the following networking devices:
• LANplex2500
• Switch1000
• Switch3000.

It is recommended to use FullDuplex also when the board is installed on Ripro Server/Archiver.

In the default configuration the FullDuplex is disabled.

• Please note that it is a essential to configure FullDuplex on both ends.
• For additional information on FullDuplex and FullDuplex configuration see Appendix A - Full Duplex..

IP Configuration

1. Use Smit to configure en0 with the station IP address (IP address, subnet musk and default gateway address - you can see the station IP address in /etc/hosts):
   Smit TCP/IP -> Minimum Configuration & Startup
   and press Enter
2. Select en0 and press Enter
3. It the IP parameters don’t appear, fill in the required parameters (IP address, subnet musk and default gateway address - IP address must appear, the other two parameters are optional according to the site network configuration).
4. Press Enter.

AppleTalk Configuration

1. AppleTalk will automatically run on the new adapter.
2. Reboot the E30.

Appendix A - Full Duplex

Full Duplex can be configured between the IBM FastEthernet PCI and the following products:
• Switch1000: On the two FastEthernet ports
• Switch3000: On all nine FastEthernet ports
• LANplex2500: On the FastEthernet module

• Please note that it is a essential to configure FullDuplex on both ends.

What is Full Duplex?

Full Duplex allows simultaneous transmission and reception of data . This is not possible on a shared repeater segment (because all devices attached to the repeater share a single, common transmit and receive channel).

Full Duplex can be used on point-to-point links where switch ports are directly connected to each other. When Full Duplex is activated, both ends can transmit and receive simultaneously, the collision detect mechanism is not activated.

Full Duplex will give the potential to increase the throughput on a Fast Ethernet port beyond 100 Mbps (up to 200 Mbps). This will be most useful on inter-switch and server links which carry significant two-way traffic.

Even for less then 100Mbps bi-directional traffic the Full Duplex is more efficient (than Half Duplex) since it is possible to "receive and transmit simultaneously on the link".

What benefits?

The first advantage is that a switch can receive data from another switch while simultaneously transmitting data, theoretically allowing up to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) in each direction.

In practice the benefit is lower than a doubling of bandwidth, owing to the half-duplex nature of the traffic.

The FastEthernet ports on the Switch1000 and Switch3000 support Half & Full Duplex. The Full Duplex can be used when the port is connected to LP2500 FE port, to Switch1000 FE port or to all Switch3000 ports.

Full Duplex set up

1. On the AIX command line execute sequence:
   Smit devices-> Communication -> Ethernet Adapter-> Adapter-> Change/Show Characteristics of an Ethernet Adapter
   and press Enter
   
   In the Full Duplex field you can set the adapter speed to one of the following:
   • no
   • yes
   • Auto

• If you try to change the Full Duplex option and an error message appears, see Appendix B - Changing board configuration.

Appendix B - Changing board configuration

On the AIX it is impossible to change the configuration of the IBM PCI FE board when the device is busy.

When you try to change the configuration on busy device you will get the following error:
Method error (/usr/lib/methods/chgv3boom):
0514-062 Cannot perform the requested function because the specified device is busy.

To over come the above situation you should do the following (only on a monitor attached to the station and not from a remote station since this process involves disconnecting from the network):

1. Detach en0.
2. On the AIX command line execute sequence :
   Smit tcpip -> Further Configuration -> Network Interfaces -> Network Interface Selection -> Change / Show Characteristics of a Network Interface
   and press Enter.
   Select en0 and press Enter.
3. Change the Current STATE field to detach and press Enter.
4. Disable Helios EtherShare auto start up at reboot by editing the file /etc/inittab using "vi" and enter colons at the beginning of the "start-atalk line"

: rcatalk:2:wait:sh /usr/local/es/start-atalk

5. Reboot the machine.
6. Change the IBM PCI FastEthernet adapter set up
7. Attach en0
   On the AIX command line execute sequence :
   Smit tcpip -> Further Configuration -> Network Interfaces -> Network Interface Selection -> Change / Show Characteristics of a Network Interface
   and press Enter.
   Select en0 and press Enter.
8. Change the Current STATE field to up and press Enter.
9. Enable Helios EtherShare auto start up at reboot by edit the file /etc/inittab using "vi" and remove the colons at the beginning of the "start-atalk line"
10. Reboot the machine.

Appendix C - The error message: Requisite Failures

Selected Filesets:
The following is a list of filesets that you asked to install. They cannot be installed until all of their requisite filesets are also installed. See subsequent lists for details of requisites.

Missing Requisites:
The following filesets are required by one or more of the selected filesets listed above. They are not currently installed and could not be found on the installation media.

The above error could happen only If you perform a cold start after replacing the IBM Standard Ethernet board with the IBM FE board. This issue will be resolved in future version of the Ripro Server, on the Brisque this issue is resolved in version 2.0.37.

1. To overcome this error you should load from CD-ROM #1 (AIX 4.1.4 or 4.1.5 depending on the station configuration) using the sequence:
   Smit-> Software Installation and Maintenance-> Install and Update Software-> Install/Update Selectable Software (Custom Install)-> Install Additional Device Software
2. Select cd0 as the input device and load the missing lpp (devices.mca.8ef5.com).

Appendix D

The above situation appears where the FastEthernet driver was already installed on the system when the FastEthernet board was installed. To correct this situation perform the following:

• On the AIX command line type:
  rmdev -d -l ent0
  rmdev -d -l ent1
  rmdev -d -l en1
  rmdev -d -l et1
  cfgmgr and press Enter.