IBM Netfinity 5100 8658 21Y, Manual

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Note: The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet standard requires
that the cabling in the network be Category 5 or
higher.
Configuring the Ethernet controller
When you connect your server to the network, the Ethernet
controller automatically detects the data-transfer rate
(10 Mbps or 100 Mbps) on the network and then sets the
controller to operate at the appropriate rate. That is, the
Ethernet controller will adjust to the network data rate,
whether the data rate is standard Ethernet (10BASE-T),
Fast Ethernet (100BASE-TX), half duplex (HDX), or full
duplex (FDX). The controller supports half-duplex (HDX)
and full-duplex (FDX) modes at both speeds.
The Ethernet controller is a PCI Plug and Play device. You
do not need to set any jumpers or configure the controller
for your operating system before you use the Ethernet
controller. However, you must install a device driver to
enable your operating system to address the Ethernet
controller. The device drivers are provided on the
ServerGuide CDs.
Failover for redundant Ethernet
The IBM Netfinity 10/100 Fault Tolerant Adapter is an
optional redundant network interface card (NIC adapter)
that you can install in your server. If you install this NIC
adapter and connect it to the same logical segment as the
primary Ethernet controller, you can configure the server to
support a
failover function. You can configure either the
integrated Ethernet controller or the NIC adapter as the
primary Ethernet controller. In failover mode, if the primary
Ethernet controller detects a link failure, all Ethernet traffic
associated with it is switched to the redundant (secondary)
controller. This switching occurs without any user
intervention. When the primary link is restored to an
operational state, the Ethernet traffic switches back to the
primary Ethernet controller. The switch back to the primary
Ethernet controller can be automatic or manually
controlled, depending on the setup and operating system.
Note that only one controller in the redundant pair is active
at any given time. For example, if the primary Ethernet
controller is active, then the secondary Ethernet controller
cannot be used for any other network operation.
Note: Your operating system determines the maximum
number of IBM Netfinity 10/100 Fault Tolerant
Adapters that you can install in your server. See the
documentation that comes with the adapter for more
information.
Installing options
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