3Com 100 TX manual Connecting Hubs to the Network Backbone

3-6 CHAPTER 3: MAKING FMS 100-TX HUB CONNECTIONS

Hub to Backbone You can connect hubs and hub stacks to the network backbone through the transceiver interface module on the rear panel via a bridge, router, or switch, using either Category 5 UTP or fiber cabling. Figure 3-6 shows single and interconnected hubs connected to a network backbone.

To network

backbone

Switch, router, or bridge

100 meters maximum

LinkBuilder

REPEATER

Single hub

Figure 3-6 Connecting Hubs to the Network Backbone

LinkBuilder

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LinkBuilder

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LinkBuilder

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LinkBuilder

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Interconnected hubs

Using Transceiver Two types of transceiver interface modules are available for connecting the Interface Modules LinkBuilder FMS 100-TX Hub to the LAN. By inserting the appropriate

transceiver interface module in the hub’s thirteenth port, you can use either UTP or fiber-optic cabling to connect the hub to various LAN devices. For example, you can connect the LinkBuilder FMS 100-TX Hub to a multiport bridge or switch using the 100-TX module and gain access to a 10BASE-T network. Likewise, by using the 100BASE-FX module, you can attach the hub to a switch that is connected via fiber cabling to the network. (See the next section for a discussion of using the hub to access multisegmented networks.)

The required cabling for the two transceiver interface modules is as follows:

■100BASE-TX module: Category 5 two-pair UTP cabling

■100BASE-FX module: two-strand 62.5/125 ∝ multimode fiber cabling

Connections to a server or PC from one of the transceiver interface modules require straight-through cabling.