The Device View
2-42 Managing the Module
During Auto-Negotiation, each of the link partners will advertise all selected modes in
descending bandwidth order: 100Base-TX Full Duplex, 100Base-TX, 10Base-T Full
Duplex, and 10Base-T. Of the selected abilities, the highest mode mutually available will
automatically be used. If there is no mode mutually advertised, no link will be achieved.
If you have selected a specific operational mode for your 100Base-TX port, the
Advertised Abilities do not apply; the selected Advertised Abilities also do not restrict the
local node’s ability to set up a link with a partner who is not currently Auto-Negotiating.
Remote Capabilities
When the local node is set to Auto-Negotiation, this field will display the advertised
abilities of the remote link — even if the remote link is not currently set to auto-negotiate.
Possible values for this field are:
• 100Base-TX Full Duplex
• 100Base-TX
• 10Base-T Full Duplex
• 10Base-T
• Link Partner does not support Auto-Negotiation — Auto-Negotiation is either not
supported by or is not currently selected on the remote port.
• Unknown — the link partner’s capabilities could not be determined.
When the local node is not set to Auto-Negotiation, this field will be grayed out, even if
the link partner is set to Auto-Negotiation and is advertising abilities.
Setting the Desired Operational Mode
For any 100Base-TX port, you can specifically choose any one of the four available
operational modes, or you can select Auto-Negotiation mode, which allows the port to
negotiate with its link partner to find the highest mutually available bandwidth. If you
select Auto-Negotiation mode, you must also choose which of the port’s bandwidth
capabilities you wish to advertise to the link partner.
NOTE Auto-Negotiation is not currently supported for 100Base-FX ports.
NOTE If both link partners are set to Auto-Negotiation, but there is no mutually-advertised
operational mode, no link will be achieved, and both nodes may display the message
“Link Partner does not support Auto-Negotiation.” To resolve this situation, be sure both
link partners advertise all their abilities, or be sure they advertise at least one
mutually-available mode.