Making Network Connections; Connecting To 1000Base-T Devices - Fujitsu Siemens Computers PRIMERGY BX Description

Connecting to 1000BASE-T Devices

4 Making Network Connections

The Switch Blade connects server boards installed inside the system to a common switch fabric,
and also provides three external ports for uplinking to external IEEE 802.3ab compliant devices.
For most applications, the external ports on the switch will be connected to other switches in the
network backbone.It may also be connected directly to Gigabit Ethernet network cards in PCs
or servers.
Before connecting cables, you may want to first configure the Spanning Tree Protocol to
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avoid network loops. Refer to "Spanning Tree Protocol Configuration" on page 60 for
more information.
4.1 Connecting to 1000BASE-T Devices
The data ports on the switch operate at 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps, full and half
duplex, with support for auto-negotiation of speed, duplex mode and flow control. You can
connect any data port on the switch to any server or workstation, or uplink to a network device
such as another switch or a router. The 1000BASE-T standard uses four pairs of Category 5
twisted-pair cable for connections up to a maximum length of 100 m (328 feet).
For 1000 Mbps operation, you should first test the cable installation for IEEE 802.3ab
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1000BASE-T compliance. See "1000BASE-T Cable Requirements" on page 34 for more
information.
1. Prepare the devices you wish to network. For 1000 Mbps operation, make sure that
servers and workstations have installed 1000BASE-T network interface cards. Other
network devices should have RJ-45 ports that comply with the IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T
standard.
2. Prepare shielded or unshielded twisted-pair cables (straight-through or crossover) with
RJ-45 plugs at both ends. Use 100-ohm Category 5
(Category 5e or better is recommended) cable for 1000 Mbps Gigabit
Ethernet connections.
3. Connect one end of the cable to the RJ-45 port on the other device, and the other end to
any available RJ-45 port on the switch. When inserting an RJ-45 plug, be sure the tab on the
plug clicks into position to ensure that it is properly seated.
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Making Network Connections
Lan Switch and Router Blade