Introduction to the Pipeline
System requirements
1-2
Preliminary January 30, 1998
Pipeline Start Here Guide
The Pipeline manages traffic coming into and going out of your local network.
Any application on your local network that needs to exchange data with a remote
network uses the Pipeline as its gateway to the wide area network. Connections
are established and removed automatically. You do not need to use Dial-up
Networking or manually dial calls. You can have up to two simultaneous
connections—data or voice, or both. (Voice calls require that you have enabled
phone ports on your Pipeline, and have voice support on your ISDN service.)
The Pipeline has an on-board micro processor, memory, and on-board software.
You control who can call into your network, or what data can leave your network
by specifying connection information in the Pipeline. When configuring your
Pipeline, the settings are stored on the unit in non-volatile random access
memory (NVRAM), where they are saved even if the unit is powered off.
Pipeline units have two phone ports on the back panel (which are enabled on all
units except the Pipeline 50). Additionally, the Pipeline 85 includes a four-port
Ethernet hub. The table below lists the hardware configurations of Pipeline
models covered in this manual.
Note:
You can convert a Pipeline 50 to a Pipeline 75 via a software upgrade. For
more information, contact the Ascend Technical Assistance Center.
System requirements
To use the Pipeline, you must have at least one personal computer with an
Ethernet adapter, and you must have ISDN service or a Frame Relay connection
installed. To connect to a remote site, such as a corporate office or the Internet,
the remote end must be able to connect to the type of service you have, that is,
ISDN or Frame Relay. TCP/IP software must be installed on your computer.
Model
Phone ports enabled
4-port Hub
Pipeline 50
No
No
Pipeline 75
Yes
No
Pipeline 85
Yes
Yes
