Sun Microsystems 6000, 4000, 5000 Failure of Network Communications, Description of the Problem

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3.4 Failure of Network Communications

Description of the Problem

The system cannot communicate with a network if the system and the network hub are not set in the same way for the Ethernet link integrity test. This problem particularly applies to 10BASE-T network hubs, where the Ethernet link integrity test is optional. This is not a problem for 100BASE-T networks, where the test is enabled by default.

If you connect the system to a network and the network does not respond, use the OpenBoot command watch-net-allto display conditions for all network connections:

ok watch-net-all

For SBus Ethernet cards, the test can be enabled or disabled with a hardware jumper, which you must set manually. For the TPE and MII onboard ports on the I/O board, the link test is enabled or disabled through software, as shown below.

Remember also that the TPE and MII ports are not independent circuits and as a result, both ports cannot be used at the same time.

Note – Some hub designs do not use a software command to enable/disable the test, but instead permanently enable (or disable) the test through a hardware jumper. Refer to the hub installation or user manual for details of how the test is implemented.

Determining the Device Names of the I/O Boards

To enable or disable the link test for an onboard TPE (hme) port, you must first know the device name for the I/O board. To list the device names:

1.Shut down the system and take the system into OpenBoot.

2.Determine the device names of the I/O boards:

3-16 Ultra Enterprise 6000/5000/4000 Systems Installation Guide—November 1996