Ethernet Ports - IBM eServer 342 xSeries User Reference Manual

Ethernet ports

Your server comes with two integrated Ethernet controllers. These controllers provide
an interface for connecting to 10-Mbps or 100-Mbps networks and provide full-duplex
(FDX) capability, which enables simultaneous transmission and reception of data on
the Ethernet local area network (LAN).
To access the Ethernet ports, connect a Category 3, 4 or 5 unshielded twisted-pair
(UTP) cable to the RJ-45 connector on the rear of your server.
Note: The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet standard requires that the cabling in the
network be Category 5 or higher.
Configuring the Ethernet controllers
When you connect your server to the network, the Ethernet controllers automatically
detect the data-transfer rate (10Mbps or 100Mbps) on the network and then set the
controllers to operate at the appropriate rate. In addition, if the Ethernet ports that
your server is connected to support auto-negotiation, the Ethernet controllers will set
the appropriate duplex state. That is, the Ethernet controllers will adjust to the network
data rate, whether the data rate is standard Ethernet (10BASE-T), Fast Ethernet
(100BASE-TX), half duplex (HDX), or full duplex (FDX). The controllers support half-
duplex (HDX) and full-duplex (FDX) modes at both speeds.
The Ethernet controllers are PCI Plug and Play devices. You do not need to set any
jumpers or configure the controllers for your operating system before you use the
Ethernet controllers. However, you must install a device driver to enable your
operating system to address the Ethernet controllers. The device drivers are provided
on the ServerGuide CDs.
Failover for redundant Ethernet
The IBM 10/100 Ethernet Adapter or the IBM 10/100 EtherJet™ PCI family of
adapters are optional redundant network interface cards (NICs) that you can install in
your server. If you install this NIC and connect it to the same logical segment as the
primary Ethernet controller, you can configure the server to support a failover
function. You can configure either one of the integrated Ethernet controllers or the
NIC as the primary Ethernet controller. In failover mode, if the primary Ethernet
controller detects a link failure, all Ethernet traffic associated with it is switched to the
redundant (secondary) controller. This switching occurs without any user intervention.
When the primary link is restored to an operational state, the Ethernet traffic switches
back to the primary Ethernet controller.
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IBM xSeries 342: User's Reference