Defining Ipx Protocol Packet Types; Defining Ipx Network Numbers - Bay Networks 3395A Configuration Manual

Defining IPX Protocol Packet Types
Defining IPX Network Numbers
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The Model 3395A server can accept two packet types over an IPX Interface:
Ethernet packets and IEEE 802.3 (MAC) packets. You can use only one of
these types at a time on a server. Ethernet packets and IEEE 802.3 packets have
different formats. IEEE 802.3 (MAC) packets have a 2-byte LENGTH field,
whereas Ethernet packets have a 2-byte TYPE field. By factory default, the
server is configured to use Ethernet-type packets for IPX. Use the following
command to specify the IPX Protocol used:
DEFINE SERVER IPX PROTOCOL ETHERNET/MAC ENABLED/DISABLED
For example:
TS3395>> define server ipx protocol ethernet enabled
The IPX Protocol specification requires that IPX networks be identified by a
network number. This permits efficient routing of packets to their destinations.
Each device in a given IPX network must know its network number.
Communications servers can obtain a network number in one of two ways:
• The server can "learn" its network number from other IPX devices (such
as a Novell file server) that are connected to the same Ethernet network.
• The server manager can assign a network number.
A communication server actually uses a minimum of three unique network
numbers. One network number is used for traffic that is sent or received on the
Ethernet network. Another network number is used for traffic that is sent over a
given PPP link (setting this up is covered later). The third network number is an
"internal" network number, which is used inside the server for transferring
information between the Ethernet network and the PPP link(s). This internal
network number must not be used elsewhere in the Novell NetWare network
(i.e., must be unique).
Use the following command to specify an IPX network number to be used for
communication between the server and devices on the Ethernet network, or to
specify that the server should learn its network number from other IPX devices
that is connected to the same Ethernet network:
DEFINE SERVER IPX NETWORK network-number
Valid values for network-number are hexadecimal numbers between 0 (the
default) and FFFFFFFE. When the network-number is set to 0, the server will
learn its network number from other IPX devices on the Ethernet network to
which it is connected. You would tend to specify a network-number when the
server is connected to an Ethernet network that does not include other IPX
devices (i.e., a "quiet" network).
Use the following command to specify an internal IPX network number:
DEFINE SERVER IPX INTERNAL NETWORK network-number
Configuring IPXCP Connections
4-13