Communicator e3000 MPE/iX Release 7.0 Express 1 (Software Release C.70.01) (30216-90328)

50 Chapter3

New Networking

The PCI 100Base-T Link Product

Conﬁguring PCI 100Base-T links

As with HP-PB (NIO) 100Base-T Fast Ethernet, the 100Base-T links are conﬁgured in

NMCONFIG using NMMGR. The NMMGR link conﬁguration screen is for a generic

100Base-T link and can be used to conﬁgure 100Base-T on either HP-PB or PCI platforms.

When the 100Base-T link is started via another network subsystem (e.g., :NETCONTROL

START; NET=SYSLAN1), the network will automatically detect whether the underlying

LAN link hardware is HP-PB or PCI, and will invoke the appropriate software driver.

NOTE

There have been some minor changes regarding network conﬁguration and

NMMGR screens on MPE/iX 7.0. These changes are reﬂected in the HP

e3000/iX Network Planning and Conﬁguration Guide and NS 3000/iX

NMMGR Screens Reference Manual, updated for MPE/iX 7.0

Add-on PCI 100Base-T link autonegotiation ﬁx

With Release 7.0 Express-1, the 10/100Base-TX LAN port on the PCI 100Base-T adapter

add-on cards (A5230A) will now correctly advertise its full range of link capabilities during

autonegotiation. This corrects a problem found in the initial release, where during

autonegotiation with the data switch, the adapter only advertised that it supported

100Mbps full duplex. Fortunately it is unlikely this issue would cause a problem, since

most data switches supporting autonegotiation will negotiate to 100/full anyway by

default, and since it was and is still possible to force link settings via NMMGR.

Regardless of whether autonegotiation is enabled or not, customers are still encouraged to

ensure their NMMGR link settings exactly match the conﬁgured hardware settings for the

data switch or hub port to which their LAN adapter port is attached (either set both sides

to use “auto”, or both to use identical speed and duplex).

Maximum number of PCI 100Base-T links supported

Due to typographical errors in some HP e3000 conﬁguration guides, it is necessary to

clarify the number of 10/100Base-TX LAN ports supported per N-Class and A-Class

system:

• On A-class HP e3000 systems, up to two (2) active 10/100Base-TX LAN ports are

supported. This maximum may consist of either the LAN port on the multifunction

Core I/O card plus one add-on adapter (A5230A), or just two add-on adapters.

• On N-class HP e3000 systems, up to two (2) active 10/100Base-TX LAN ports are

supported on the N4000-100-220; three (3) on the N4000-100-330; and four (4) on all

other N-class systems. This maximum may consist of either the LAN port on the

multifunction Core I/O card plus three add-on adapters (A5230A), or just four add-on

adapters.

One of these LAN ports may be used for DTS/iX trafﬁc (DTS requires one LAN link), alone

or in conjunction with other trafﬁc.

If desired, additional LAN ports may be installed and conﬁgured, but for best performance

the total number of active LAN ports must not exceed the numbers above.