3Com 3C996B-T manual Connecting the Network Cables, Ethernet NICs, State Description

2Installing and Connecting the NIC

Connecting the Network Cables

Choose your type of NIC (Ethernet or fiber) and follow the procedure.

Ethernet NICs

Gigabit Ethernet NICs have one RJ-45 connector for attaching the system to an Ethernet copper-wire segment. When automatic link negotiation is disabled, the port can be configured for 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps signaling and either half-duplex or full-duplex operation. To configure the port for 1000 Mbps, both link partners must be configured for autonegotiation.

Follow this procedure for connecting a network cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC:

1Prepare an appropriate cable. The following table lists the cable characteristics for connecting to 10/100/1000BASE-T ports:

Port Type	Connector	Media	Maximum Distance
10BASE-T	RJ-45	CAT 3, 4, or 5 UTP	100 meters (325 feet)
100BASE-T	RJ-45	CAT 5 UTP (two pair)	100 meters (325 feet)
1000BASE-T	RJ-45	CAT5 UTP (four pair)	100 meters (325 feet)

NOTE: 1000BASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:1995 and EIA/TIA-568-A (1995) and tested using procedures defined in TIA/EIA TSB95.

2Connect one end of the cable to the Gigabit Ethernet NIC.

3Connect the other end of the cable to an RJ-45 Ethernet network port.

For driver installation and configuration instructions, refer to the software configuration for that specific driver.

After the NIC hardware and its driver software have been properly installed on your system, the LEDs indicate the following NIC states:

LED	State	Description
1000	On	Good Gigabit Ethernet link.
	Off	No 1000 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad
		cable, bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
100	On	Good 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.
	Off	No 100 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,
		bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
10	On	Good 10 Mbps Fast Ethernet link.
	Off	No 10 Mbps link; possible link at different speed, possible bad cable,
		bad connector, or configuration mismatch.
ACT	Blinking	Brief bursts of data detected on the port.
	On	Streams of data detected on the port.
	Off	No data detected on the port.

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