Connecting The Network Cables - 3Com 3C996B-T User Manual

2 Installing and Connecting the NIC
12

Connecting the Network Cables

Choose your type of NIC (Ethernet or fiber) and follow the procedure.
Ethernet NICs
Gigabit Ethernet NICs have one RJ-45 connector for attaching the system to an Ethernet
copper-wire segment. When automatic link negotiation is disabled, the port can be
configured for 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps signaling and either half-duplex or full-duplex
operation. To configure the port for 1000 Mbps, both link partners must be configured for
autonegotiation.
Follow this procedure for connecting a network cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC:
1 Prepare an appropriate cable. The following table lists the cable characteristics for
connecting to 10/100/1000BASE-T ports:
Port Type Connector
10BASE-T RJ-45
100BASE-T RJ-45
1000BASE-T RJ-45
NOTE: 1000BASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced
cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:1995 and EIA/TIA-568-A (1995) and tested
using procedures defined in TIA/EIA TSB95.
2 Connect one end of the cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC.
3 Connect the other end of the cable to an RJ-45 Ethernet network port.
For driver installation and configuration instructions, refer to the software configuration
for that specific driver.
After the NIC hardware and its driver software have been properly installed on your
system, the LEDs indicate the following NIC states:
LED State
1000 On
Off
100 On
Off
10 On
Off
ACT Blinking
On
Off
Media
CAT 3, 4, or 5 UTP
CAT 5 UTP (two pair)
CAT5 UTP (four pair)
Description
Good Gigabit Ethernet link.
No 1000 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad
cable, bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
Good 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.
No 100 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,
bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
Good 10 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.
No 10 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,
bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
Brief bursts of data detected on the port.
Streams of data detected on the port.
No data detected on the port.
Maximum Distance
100 meters (325 feet)
100 meters (325 feet)
100 meters (325 feet)