Enterasys Networks CSX5500, CSX6000, CSX7000 manual Appletalk Ports Background Information

USER’S GUIDE

APPLETALK NETWORK RANGE/NUMBER

The AppleTalk network range (for Extended network) or the AppleTalk network number (for NonExtended network) of the LAN segment that the port is connected to. Specifying 0.0 (for Extended) or 0 (for NonExtended) places the port in discovery mode (a.k.a., non-seed router), in which the system learns its configuration information from the seed router. Note that there must be at least one seed router on the network. Discovery mode is not supported for WAN ports, and therefore a valid network range/number needs to be specified.

SUGGESTED APPLETALK ADDRESS/NODE ID

If the system is acting as a seed router on this port, then this parameter specifies the suggested AppleTalk address (Extended) or Node Id (NonExtended), which is used as initial value for the AppleTalk address for the port. The default is no suggested address.

Note: An AppleTalk address consists of the network number followed by a node Id. For example, if the network number is 1234, and the node’s Id is 56, the node’s AppleTalk address would be 1234.56.

ZONE NAME(S)

The AppleTalk zone name(s) for the network that the port is connected to. For ports that are of the Extended network type, you must enter a default zone name, then you may enter any additional zones names. For ports that are of the NonExtended network type, you must configure one zone name, with no option to configure additional zone names.

APPLETALK PORTS BACKGROUND INFORMATION

THE APPLETALK NETWORK TYPE

An AppleTalk network consists of four basic pieces, the nodes, networks, network numbers, and routers. All these pieces together form an AppleTalk internet. Initial implementation of AppleTalk Phase 1 provided support for up to 254 nodes. Initially the need to have more than 254 nodes on an individual internet was not a concern, and the initial implementation worked fine.

As time passed, a need developed for more than 254 nodes on a network. As an answer to that need, AppleTalk Phase 2 was developed. Phase 2 introduced the fifth component to the AppleTalk internet, network-number ranges. An AppleTalk network that would continue to use a single network number would now be identified by a range of network numbers. Each of the network numbers in the range could support up to 253 nodes.

The Extended network type takes advantage of the network-number ranges produced by Phase 2, whereas the NonExtended network type does not use a range of network numbers.

DYNAMIC NODE ADDRESS ASSIGNMENT

Dynamic node address assignment is an addressing scheme that dynamically assigns node addresses rather than permanently associating an address with each node. This can save configuration time (for a LAN port, you are not required to enter an AppleTalk address/node Id), and also allows a node to move between networks without having to worry about addressing conflicts.

When a node joins the network, it assigns itself a node Id. It will send out a probe, to ensure that no other node on the network has the same Id. If you have configured a “suggested” AppleTalk address/node Id, that is the address/node Id the node includes in its probe.

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