IBM 86645RY Hardware Maintenance Manual - Page 53

Configuring the Ethernet controller The Netfinity 5600 server comes with an Ethernet controller on the system board. The Ethernet controller provides 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX support through the RJ-45 connector on the back of the server. When you connect the 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). This process is also known as auto-negotiating. This auto-negotiation occurs without requiring software intervention. The controller supports half-duplex (HDX) and full-duplex (FDX) modes at both speeds. Note The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet standard requires that the cabling in the network be Category 5 or higher. The Ethernet controller is a PCI device, and is therefore, a Plug and Play device. You do not have to set any jumpers or configure the controller for the operating system before you use the Ethernet controller. However, you must install a device driver to enable the operating system to address the Ethernet controller (refer to the "ServerGuide and Netfinity Manager Information" section of this Server Library or to the operating-system documentation). For troubleshooting information, see "Troubleshooting the Ethernet controller" on page 57. If you need additional Ethernet connections, you can install an Ethernet adapter, such as the IBM 10/100 PCI Ethernet adapter. Review the network-adapter documentation for any additional configuration requirements and for troubleshooting information. Failover for redundant Ethernet The Netfinity 5600 has an integrated Ethernet controller. The IBM Netfinity 10/100 Fault Tolerant Adapter is an optional redundant network interface card (NIC adapter) that you can install in the 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 Netfinity 5600 - Type 8664 45