User`s guide

Installation and Setup 3-3
Using the MultiSwitch 300
Using the MultiSwitch 300
Operation of the switch requires minimal user intervention. The unit automatically
learns the addresses of new stations as they appear, and will relearn addresses (up to
a limit of 4096) of new stations dynamically, if the network is reconfigured.
Understanding the LEDs
Each of the 10/100 ports has six status LEDs, as shown in Figure 3-1.
Xmt
Lights when this port transmits packets.
Rcv
Lights when this port receives packets, even if they are not forwarded.
Link
Lights whenever a link signal is received. This indicates that a
connection has been established.
Speed
Lights when the link is at 100 Mb/s, off when it is at 10 Mb/s.
Col/Fdx
Is a multipurpose indicator. It lights continuously when full-duplex
mode is enabled; otherwise, it is off, indicating half-duplex operation. It
blinks whenever a collision is detected.
Fc
If flow control is enabled on this port, this LED blinks whenever
flow control is activated.
Figure 3-1: Status LEDs on a 10/100 Port
FX Cabling
Fiber optic cabling is rapidly becoming a cost-effective alternative to Category 5 UTP.
Fiber’s falling cost, along with greater longevity, immunity to electrical interference,
greater transmission distance, and higher bandwidth capability make it a strong
alternative for new installations. The combination of fiber optics, Fast Ethernet, and
full-duplex operation yields a compelling solution for LAN congestion. The
MultiSwitch 300 supports up to 18 km over a single mode fiber optic cable, without a
repeater. However, this is not possible in half-duplex, since the maximum diameter of
a Fast Ethernet network is ~500 m. Full-duplex mode overcomes this limitation by