3Com 500 - Manual

A B O U T T H I S G U I D E Introduction This guide describes the features, installation and initial configuration of the AccessBuilder 500. The guide has been designed to be used by both first-time and experienced computer network users who want to install and use the AccessBuilder 500. If you are ...

2 A B O U T T H I S G U I D E How to Use This Guide This table shows where to find specific information: Conventions The icon conventions that are used throughout this guide are: If you are looking for information on: Turn to: About the AccessBuilder 500’s features, a description of the front panel ...

Conventions 3 The text conventions used in this guide are: Convention Description “Enter” vs. “Type” When the word “enter” is used in this guide, it means type something, then press the [Return] or [Enter] key. Do not press the [Return] or [Enter] key when an instruction simply says “type.” Text rep...

4 A B O U T T H I S G U I D E Additional Safety Information See also the Important Safety Information at the front of this guide. ■ When using the unit, observe the following safety information: ■ Retain this user’s guide for later use and pass it on in the event of change of ownership of the unit. ...

1 G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Introduction This chapter contains all the information you need to install and configure the AccessBuilder 500 to make it operational. You can carry out more sophisticated configuration using the information in the AccessBuilder ISDN Access Router Software Reference gui...

Introduction 1-3 The principal features of the AccessBuilder 500 are: ■ Easy to install, configure and support. ■ ISDN, 2B+D port, supporting Basic Rate interface of two 64 Kbps and a 16 Kbps control channel. ■ Voice port. ■ Leased line wide area network ( WAN) access port. ■ Data terminal equipment...

1-4 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Benefits of ISDN ISDN is an extension of the national and international public switched telephone network, which offers a digital end-to-end telecommunication system, providing a better quality service than available using the analog telephone network...

Introduction 1-5 Using ISDN to Support Leased Line WAN Circuits ISDN provides an ideal service to connect remote LANs. To be effective, the connecting bandwidth needed is at least 56 Kbps to achieve a realistic throughput. Slower speed links can be used but usually only when usage is low and infrequ...

1-6 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Pack Contents Checklist Before you install your AccessBuilder 500, check the contents of the box against the pack contents checklist below. If any of the items have been damaged in transit or are missing, then contact the 3Com dealer from whom the equ...

Introduction 1-7 Figure 1-1 AccessBuilder 500 Pack Contents Registering Ownership Of Your AccessBuilder 500 A warranty registration card is enclosed in the box with your AccessBuilder 500. Please take a few moments before commencing the installation to fill in the card and post it to us.

1-8 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Pre-installation Requirements Before you install your AccessBuilder 500 you will need the following: ■ A suitable cable for connection to your LAN (or workstation if only a single workstation is attached to this unit). ■ A transceiver connected to you...

Introduction 1-9 AccessBuilder 500 Front and Rear Panel Features Front Panel Figure 1-2 AccessBuilder 500 Front Panel Features POWER This LED indicator shows the following: ■ On – Power is connected to the unit and the rear panel On/Off switch is set to the ON position. ■ Flash – Indicates that the ...

Introduction 1-11 ISDN VOICE This LED indicator provides confirmation that a voice call is in progress, or the handset is off the hook and a dial tone is present, indicating that an ISDN network connection is available. ALARM This LED indicator provides confirmation that a fault has been detected on...

1-12 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Front Panel Liquid Crystal Display The liquid crystal display (LCD) cycles through a number of displays for three seconds each. These are shown in the table below: Figure 1-3 Front Panel LCD Display Display Meaning NoName Unit name (when assigned). 1...

Introduction 1-13 Rear Panel Figure 1-4 AccessBuilder 500 Rear Panel Features VOICE This port is used to connect an optional public switched telephone network (PSTN) telephone handset, or any other compatible analog equipment, operating in digital tone multiple frequency (DTMF) mode, by connecting t...

1-14 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D 0.5 A ( T ) 250 V~ Contains the 0.5 Amp internal protection fuse for the unit. For instructions on changing the fuse, see “Renewing the Internal Protection Fuse” on page 1-50 . Voltage and fuse rating may change from country to country. RESET This pu...

Introduction 1-15 10BaseT This RJ45 port is used to provide a connection to a 10BaseT LAN. This socket allows direct connection between the AccessBuilder 500 and a single piece of equipment, as opposed to multi-point LAN connections using 10Base2 or 10Base5 cabling systems. The AccessBuilder 500 LAN...

1-16 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Installation Siting the AccessBuilder 500 When siting the AccessBuilder 500, ensure: ■ It is accessible and cables can be easily connected. ■ It is out of direct sunlight and away from sources of heat. ■ Cabling is away from: ■ Sources of electrical ...

Installation 1-17 Connecting the Power CAUTION: First, read the section; “Important Safety Information” at the start of this guide and the “Additional Safety Information” in “About This Guide” . Isolate the electrical mains system supply before commencing installation. Ensure that the On/Off switch ...

1-18 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Connecting to Your 10BaseT LAN Figure 1-6 Connecting to the 10BaseT Port You can use the 10BaseT connection on the AccessBuilder 500 in the following ways ■ To connect directly to an Ethernet hub port. ■ To connect to a 10BaseT in-house LAN socket th...

Installation 1-19 Connecting to the In-House LAN Figure 1-7 Connect The UTP Cable To In-House LAN Connection Box To connect the AccessBuilder 500 to i n-house LAN: 1 Connect the UTP cable (not supplied) into RJ45 socket marked LAN on the AccessBuilder 500. 2 Connect the other end of the cable into t...

1-20 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Connecting to a Single Workstation To connect the AccessBuilder 500 to a single personal computer or workstation: 1 Use the 10BaseT crossover cable supplied together with a length of standard 10BaseT cable. 2 Connect the crossover cable to the 10Base...

Installation 1-21 Connecting to ISDN Figure 1-9 Connect ISDN Cable Into A Proprietary ISDN Wall Box Connect the supplied ISDN cable from the ISDN port into the ISDN wall box. See Figure 1-9 and Figure 1-10 . (US models see the note on page 1-6 ) CAUTION: Do not connect the ISDN line into the AccessB...

1-22 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Connecting to the WAN If you intend to use a permanent leased line connection, you can connect to a WAN Network Terminating Unit (NTU) fitted by your WAN service supplier. Using a suitable WAN cable (as described in Appendix B ) connect one end to th...

Installation 1-23 Figure 1-11 Connecting The Management Cable If your PC has a 25 pin COM port, use the 9-pin to 25-pin adapter supplied with the AccessBuilder 500 to connect the manager cable to your PC as shown in Figure 1-12 . Figure 1-12 9-Pin to 25-Pin Converter

1-24 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Quick Configuration This section describes how you can configure the unit to bridge or route over ISDN links to suit most networking requirements using a simple forms-based user interface. If you want to connect to a remote site using leased line WAN...

Quick Configuration 1-25 If the cursor disappears during configuration, confirm that the Cursor Blink check-box has been checked (i.e. shows a cross in it). If the keyboard arrow keys fail to move the cursor during configuration, confirm that the ‘Use Function, Arrow, and Ctrl Keys for Windows’ chec...

1-26 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Figure 1-14 Quick Configuration Menu 4 At the command prompt enter QC . The screen changes to display the Quick Configuration menu shown in Figure 1-14 .

Quick Configuration 1-27 About Quick Configuration You can configure the unit to connect to other Novell networks, to bridge to hosts on the same IP network (a network with the same IP network address), to route to a different IP network (an IP network with a different IP network address) and to con...

1-28 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Setting the Unit Name Before you configure the unit to connect to any other network, you must first give the unit a name. Enter NA at the command prompt on the Quick Configuration screen to display the screen illustrated in Figure 1-15 . The fields o...

Quick Configuration 1-29 SPID 1 and 2 Service Profile IDs (SPID) are used by some ISDN service providers in the USA. If SPID is used, enter the value you are given by your ISDN service provider. Leave this field blank if you have not been provided a SPID. Directory Number 1 and 2 Enter the ISDN numb...

1-30 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Remote ISDN Number Type the ISDN number of the remote unit that connects to the Novell network. Call Type Set the Call Type required for your ISDN line. Toggle this field to the Call Type required by your ISDN service provider. Press [CTRL]+[E] to su...

Quick Configuration 1-31 Connecting to an IP Host on the Same IP Network To connect to an IP host on the same network using FastConnect, enter IPB at the command prompt on the Quick Configuration screen to display the screen illustrated in Figure 1-17 . Figure 1-17 Connecting To An IP Host On The Sa...

1-32 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Enter SAVE at the command prompt to permanently store this configuration in the unit’s memory. Although calls to the remote site are only generated when data is addressed to a specific IP host or hosts (in our example, 191.000.000.100), any data that...

Quick Configuration 1-33 Connecting to an IP Host on a Different IP Network To connect to an IP host on a different network using FastConnect, enter IPR at the command prompt on the Quick Configuration screen to display the screen illustrated in Figure 1-18 . Figure 1-18 Connecting To An IP Host On ...

1-34 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D If you want to use numbered links, you must enter an IP address for this port. The IP address must be on a different network or subnetwork than the unit’s LAN IP address but on the same network or subnetwork as the IP Address at the other end of the ...

Quick Configuration 1-35 Connecting to the Internet or a PPP Router To connect to an Internet router or to a router using Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), enter IN at the command prompt on the Quick Configuration screen to display the screen illustrated in Figure 1-19 . Figure 1-19 Connecting To The I...

Quick Configuration 1-37 IP Mask of the remote host’s network By default, this field is set to INTERNET. Use this option if all IP traffic is to be passed to a single destination and no other route exists. If you want to route to a specific unit, type an IP subnet mask to match the address type bein...

1-38 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D PAP Password for others to login to you By default this is set to UNUSED . If you need to use a PAP password, enter the password provided by your Internet service provider or the system administrator responsible for the remote router. Your unit verif...

Monitoring ISDN Line Usage 1-39 Monitoring ISDN Line Usage After you have first configured the unit for use with ISDN, it is important to monitor ISDN line usage to ensure that the unit is working in the way you expect. Check the ISDN DATA LED to ensure that unexpected calls are not being made or th...

Examples of Typical ISDN Networking Applications 1-41 Examples of Typical ISDN Networking Applications This section describes four of the most common applications of the AccessBuilder 500. All of these configurations can be carried out using the Quick Configuration option and no further configuratio...

1-42 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D When no data is being passed between the workstation and server, the AccessBuilder 500 closes the ISDN connection and the units at each end of the link spoof the Novell IPX protocol so that both the workstation and server believe the connection is st...

Examples of Typical ISDN Networking Applications 1-43 IP Host on the Same IP Network If your organization operates a TCP/IP network and needs to extend the IP network over geographically remote sites, it is possible to bridge the network using the AccessBuilder 500. It is only possible to bridge whe...

1-44 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D There are some issues about which you should be aware when implementing an IP bridging solution. ■ Although calls to the remote site are only generated when data is addressed to a specific IP host or hosts (in our example, 191.000.000.100), any data ...

Examples of Typical ISDN Networking Applications 1-45 Because the ISDN number can be associated with a remote network rather than just a specific IP host, any data for the remote network can generate an autocall and be routed over the AccessBuilder 500. If you need to connect to IP hosts on several ...

1-46 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Internet or PPP Router Some small businesses need high-speed connections into the Internet or need to connect to large global networks used by larger organizations. When communicating with another AccessBuilder 500, the unit uses FastConnect, its own...

Examples of Typical ISDN Networking Applications 1-47 Multiple Connections from a Single Site In some instances it is likely that you will need to connect to Novell servers on one site, IP hosts on the same remote site or possibly a different remote site and a connection into the Internet. This can ...

1-48 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Troubleshooting WARNING: There are no user serviceable components inside the case of the unit. CAUTION: Read the section ‘Important Safety information’, at the start of this manual. The AccessBuilder 500 is fully performance tested after assembly. Pr...

1-50 C H A P T E R 1: G E T T I N G S T A R T E D Renewing the Internal Protection Fuse CAUTION: First, read the section; 'Important safety information' at the start of this manual. Isolate the electrical mains system supply before commencing installation. Ensure all on/off power switches are set to...

Utilities Diskette 1-51 Utilities Diskette The AccessBuilder 500 is supplied with a software support diskette containing utilities which may help you enhance the performance of the unit. The directory structure for the diskette is shown below: The AB-UTILS directory contains three sub-directories wh...

A-2 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Bridging and Routing Concepts A bridge connects one or more LANs together. It examines each data frame received at a LAN port and forwards any frames that it assumes are for a destination device not connected to that LAN port. The bridge is ...

Bridging and Routing Concepts A-3 How Bridges Learn When a bridge is first powered on, it does not know the number or the locations of stations that are connected to the LAN. To minimize the amount of data passed over the bridge it must learn the whereabouts (address) of stations to ensure that it p...

A-4 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Some bridges allow address information to be manually configured into the bridge, provided the automatic learning facility is turned off, although this will not normally prove necessary unless specific traffic filtering is required. You can ...

Bridging and Routing Concepts A-5 The AccessBuilder 500 uses FastConnect, its own protocol, to ensure the most efficient connection with other AccessBuilder units. However, if you are connecting to a different type of bridge/router the standard PPP communications protocol is required to establish th...

A-6 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Multiple Paths Between Bridged LANs With only a single physical path between LANs, the network is susceptible to link and bridge failures. In the event of a failure, the connection between any of the LANs upstream or downstream of the point ...

Bridging and Routing Concepts A-7 Optimum Use of Resource Bridged networks use Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to provide network resilience, by retaining redundant links on stand-by, in case the primary link fails. This means that you are not making maximum use of available resources. Routing protocol...

A-8 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Routing IP and IPX Running a bridged network allows workstations to communicate directly between one another. A PC user wishing to communicate with a remote network server is totally unaware of any intervening bridges. This is known as trans...

Routing IP and IPX A-9 Figure A-4 Open Systems Interconnection Network Layer Model A routing environment allows stations to communicate indirectly. Following the example in Figure A-3 , let us assume that a station on LAN 1 wants to communicate with a network server on LAN 2. The station on LAN 1, c...

A-10 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Once the packet is received by the Router A, attached to LAN 1, it strips off the network header (refer to Figure A-5 ) and examines the Layer 3 datalink header information. It then reviews its routing tables in order to establish where to ...

Routing IP and IPX A-11 Different protocols use differing network characteristics or metrics when making routing decisions. The metric employed by RIP is a Hop Count . A hop count is defined by the number of routing nodes there are between the source and destination units. In our example, there are ...

A-12 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G IPX Routing Novell IPX also uses RIP for routing purposes. Although it is similarly named to the IP equivalent, it uses a different protocol. IPX RIP broadcasts datagrams out onto the network every sixty seconds. Upon receipt of a RIP datag...

Routing IP and IPX A-13 IP Addresses TCP/IP Numbering and subnet masking IP numbers or addresses are normally made up of four fields (normally called bytes ), with each byte having a whole number value of between 0 and 255, and the bytes separated by a full stop. For example: 123.123.123.123 An IP a...

A-14 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Using of any of the address classes in a private TCP/IP network is not a problem, providing that connections outside of that private network to external public or private TCP/IP networks are never needed. If a private IP addressing number s...

A-16 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Obtaining an IP Address If you want to use a unique IP addressing system on your network so you can connect to the Internet, there are three organizations responsible for allocating network addresses. These details are correct at the time o...

Routing IP and IPX A-17 Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC-DOM) Attention: Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC-DOM) c/o Computer Center University of Tokyo 2-11-16 Yahoi Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113 Japan Admin. Contact: Nakayama, Masaya (MN89) Telephone: +81 3 3812 211 ext2720 e-mail...

A-18 A P P E N D I X A: B R I D G I N G A N D R O U T I N G Numbered and Unnumbered Links When routing and using the AccessBuilder 500’s FastConnect protocol over ISDN links as opposed to PPP, you have the option of using numbered or unnumbered links. A numbered link requires a valid IP address to b...

B T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N Specifications LAN Connector Interfaces ■ 15-way D-type female AUI connector. ■ 10BaseT via an RJ45 connector socket for UTP. Only one LAN connection can be used at a time. WAN Connector Interface 25-way D-type female connector, configured to support one of:...

Approvals B-3 Approvals This product ostensibly complies with the electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements of EN 55022 Class A and EN 50082 (susceptibility). However, to fully comply with Class B of EN55022 the following prerequisites should be observed: ■ The WAN port must be attached to a...

B-4 A P P E N D I X B: T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N Dimensions and Operating Requirements Power Supply: 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz (nominal) UK and Europe Power Supply: 110 V AC 50/60 Hz (nominal) (USA) Power Consumption: 25 Watts Operating Temperature: 0-40°C (32-105°F) Humidity: 0-90% non-conde...

Interface Cable Characteristics B-5 Interface Cable Characteristics WAN Port Connecting Cable – V.11/X.21 Support The WAN port terminates with a 25-way D-type female connector. The port can be configured to support V.11 signalling characteristics at data transfer rates up to 2.048 Mbps. The WAN port...

B-8 A P P E N D I X B: T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N Manager Port Connecting Cable The manager port cable terminates with an RJ11 connector at one end and a 9-pin male/female D-type connector. The pin-out table below show the pin outs for this cable.

Interface Cable Characteristics B-9 LAN Port Connecting Cable - 10BaseT The 10BaseT port terminates with an RJ45 connector which can be connected to the 10BaseT port on another device. The table below shows the pin-outs for a straight through cable.

B-10 A P P E N D I X B: T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N LAN Port Connecting Cable - AUI The AUI port terminates with a 15-pin female connector which must be connected to a transceiver on a LAN using an AUI (drop) cable. This cable is not supplied with the unit. The following signal character...

Ordering Information B-11 Ordering Information 3C401000 AccessBuilder Remote Office 500 (UK and Europe) 3C 401005 AccessBuilder Remote Office 500 (USA) 731/000024 9-pin D-type plug to RJ11 plug (Manager port cable). 731/000024 9-pin D-type plug to RJ45 plug, with 3 meters of cable. 733/000028 RJ45 t...

D T E C H N I C A L S U P P O R T 3Com provides easy access to technical support information through the variety of services described in this appendix. On-line Technical Services 3Com offers worldwide product support seven days a week, 24 hours a day, through the following on-line systems: ■ 3Com B...

D-2 A P P E N D I X D: T E C H N I C A L S U P P O R T Call the telephone number nearest you: Access by ISDN ISDN users can dial-in to 3ComBBS using a digital modem for fast access up to 56 Kbps. To access 3ComBBS using ISDN, dial the following number: (1) (408) 654-2703 World Wide Web Site Access t...

Support from Your Network Supplier D-3 Support from Your Network Supplier If additional assistance is required, contact your network supplier. Many suppliers are authorized 3Com service partners who are qualified to provide a variety of services, including network planning, installation, hardware ma...

D-4 A P P E N D I X D: T E C H N I C A L S U P P O R T Support from 3Com If you are unable to receive support from your network supplier, technical support contracts are available from 3Com. In the U.S. and Canada, call (800) 876-3266 for customer service. If you are outside the U.S. and Canada, con...

Returning Products for Repair D-5 Returning Products for Repair A product sent directly to 3Com for repair must first be assigned a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number. A product sent to 3Com without an RMA number will be returned to the sender unopened, at the sender’s expense. To obtain an...

I N D E X Numerics 10BaseT connections 1-18 10BaseT port 1-15 3Com Bulletin Board Service (3ComBBS) D-1 3Com sales offices D-4 A ALARM LED 1-11 ALERT LED 1-11 AUI connections 1-20 AUI port 1-15 B bridging and routing concepts A-1 bulletin board service D-1 C commands IN 1-35 IPB 1-31 IPR 1-33 NA 1-2...