Technical information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q58. What can I do to test a system prior to bringing it online?

A58. To test your system before announcing it to your users, follow these steps:

1. Configure the system according to the Quick Start Guide that is part of the

CommPlete Manuals Kit. However, do not connect the T1 or PRI line to the

CommPlete. Can you log into the Controller module and the RASCard via

Telnet? If not, check the physical connection from the network to the

CommPlete Server. The network cable should be plugged into the LAN port

of the controller. Also, check the TCP/IP configuration of each device to

which you cannot connect.

2. While logged into your Controller (version 2.41 or later) via Telnet, use the

PING command to see if you can Ping your gateway, name server, and a

known host on the Internet. If the controller can’t ping any hosts on the

network, check the configuration of the controller. Be sure to match the

Default Route to the IP address of the gateway and the Subnet Mask to that

of your network.

3. Attach the T1 or PRI line to the CommPlete. A PRI card must be reset after

attaching the PRI line.

4. If it is a new T1 or PRI line, make sure that your telephone company has

enabled it at the central office.

5. From the controller, check the status of the T1 card or PRI card using

T1STATUS or PRISTATUS respectively. Make sure that the settings of the

T1 card or PRI card match the provisioning of the T1 or PRI line that your

telco has provided. The alarm states of the card should extinguish within a

minute. On a T1 card, the LED Status should be “Online.” On a PRI card,

the Layer 1 Status should be “Up,” and the Layer 2 Status should be

“MultiFrame Established.” This status is also indicated by the PRI card’s

LEDs: PHYS LINK and DATA LINK will be lit—and D CHANNEL will

periodically change states—when the PRI card is ready to take calls.

6. Note the unique parameters of the T1 or PRI line, such as the telephone

number to use for dial-in, the nature of the line (dial-in only or two-way?), and

whether it takes rollover calls from another line.

7. Set up a remote PC to dial into your server. If you are using Dial-Up

Networking (DUN), see Q53 for how to configure DUN for dial-in access.

Configure the modem to leave its speaker on while until it connects.

8. Dial into the server. Listen to the client modem’s speaker for ringing and

negotiation. If you get a busy signal, check the phone number you are

dialing. If the phone number is correct, the check the T1 card’s or PRI card’s

status as explained in step #5. If the CommPlete modem answers and

negotiates, wait to see if you the server authenticates you. If not, check the

security settings in your authentication server and RASExpress.

9. After being authenticated, ping the gateway from the remote PC. If that

works, try surfing the Web with a browser. If you can ping the gateway, then

you should be able to surf. If neither ping nor browsing works, check the IP

settings of RASExpress.