Black Box LGB1148A, LGB1126A, LGB1108A manual Connecting to PCs, Servers, Hubs, and Switches

Chapter 2: System Configuration

Connecting Network Devices

The switch is designed to be connected to 10-, 100-, or 1000-Mbps network cards in PCs and servers, as well as to other switch- es and hubs. It may also be connected to remote devices using optional SFP transceivers.

Twisted-Pair Devices

Each device requires an unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable with RJ-45 connectors at both ends. Use Category 5, 5e, or 6 cable for 1000BASE-T connections, Category 5 or better for 100BASE-TX connections.

Cabling Guidelines

The RJ-45 ports on the switch support automatic MDI/MDI-X pinout configuration, so you can use standard straight-through twisted-pair cables to connect to any other network device (PCs, servers, switches, routers, or hubs).

See Section 4.2 of the LGB1108A Quick Start Guide, “Ethernet Cabling,“ for more information on cabling.

CAUTION: Do not plug a phone jack connector into an RJ-45 port. This will damage the switch. Use only twisted-pair cables with RJ-45 connectors that conform to FCC standards.

1.2 Connecting to PCs, Servers, Hubs, and Switches

Step 1: Attach one end of a twisted-pair cable segment to the device's RJ-45 connector.

Step 2. If the device is a network card and the switch is in the wiring closet, attach the other end of the cable segment to a modular wall outlet that is connected to the wiring closet. (See Section 1.3, “Network Wiring Connections.”) Otherwise, attach the other end to an available port on the switch. Make sure each twisted-pair cable does not exceed 328 feet (100 m) in length.

NOTE: Avoid using flow control on a port connected to a hub unless it is actually required to solve a problem. Otherwise backpressure jamming signals may degrade overall performance for the segment attached to the hub.

Step 3. As each connection is made, the Link LED (on the switch) corresponding to each port will light green (1000 Mbps) or amber (100 Mbps) to indicate that the connection is valid.

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