Multi-Tech Systems DT101, DT102 Introduction, Importance of the Composite Link Statistics Report

DataTalker Owner’s Manual

7.1 Introduction

The DataTalker is designed to be easy to operate and maintain. The procedures in this chapter will help isolate any problem to a specific network component, at which point you will be instructed to call the appropriate personnel or execute commands to adjust operating conditions. You are not expected to perform any specific repair procedures on the DataTalker besides command execution and switch settings.

7.2 Importance of the Composite Link Statistics Report

The Composite Link Statistics report provides information about the operation of your composite link that can aid you in testing for problems. It can be very valuable when used in conjunction with analog loopback testing, which tests the DataTalker itself, since it can help identify problems when the problem source is on the other end of the data line or in the line itself.

Data in the Composite Link Statistics report give information about line failure conditions. Your Composite Link Statistics report contains the following items:

Composite Link Statistics
Elasped Time	: 00 Days 00 Hours 00
Minutes
Data Blocks Transmitted	:	0
Data Blocks Retransmitted	:	0
Data Blocks Received	:	0
Receive Block Errors	:	0
Voice/Fax Blocks Transmitted	:	0
Voice/Fax Blocks Received	:	0
Link Alarms	:	0
Remote Downs	:	0

Comparing Data Blocks Transmitted with Data Blocks Retransmitted (the number of retransmits needed to get the data through) can indicate a line problem. Comparing Data Blocks Received with Receive Block Errors can indicate the same problem from the other end of the link. Numbers that you might encounter could be 10,000 data blocks transmitted (or received) compared to 500 or 1000 retransmits (or receive block errors).

Link Alarms tells you simply that there is some sort of problem on the link. You will find that the Link Alarms numbers will correspond to the Data Blocks Retransmitted and Receive Block Errors numbers. Specifically, a Link Alarm means that it has been 10 seconds since the DataTalker has received an acknowledgment. Normally, three acknowledgments will be received during a 10- second period.

The Remote Downs entry means that a DataTalker has sent data 30 times and could not get it through (the link has been broken).

The other entries in the Composite Link Statistics report do not apply to link problems.

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