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Adapter Overview

Alteon WebSystems' ACEnic adapter connects your PCI-compliant server or workstation to a Gigabit Ethernet network. The adapter incorporates a technology that transfers data at a rate of one gigabit per second—10 times the rate of a Fast Ethernet adapter. The ACEnic adapter targets the increased congestion experienced at the backbone and server in today’s networks, while providing a future upgrade path for high-end workstations that require more bandwidth than Fast Ethernet can provide.

Key Protocols and Interfaces

The ACEnic adapter is interoperable with existing Ethernet equipment, assuming standard Ethernet minimum and maximum frame size (64 to 1518 bytes), frame format, and compliance with the following standards and protocols:

Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3-1998)

Logical Link Control (IEEE 802.2)

Flow Control (IEEE 802.3x)

VLANs Support

Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) are commonly used to split up groups of network users into manageable broadcast domains, to create logical segmentation of workgroups, and to enforce security policies among logical segments. Each ACEnic adapter supports up to 64 VLANs. With multiple VLANs on an adapter, a server with a single adapter can have a logical presence on multiple IP subnets.

Failover Teaming

Failover Teaming provides redundant adapter operation in the event that a primary adapter connection fails. When multiple ACEnic adapters are installed in the same server, they can be paired into Teams. Up to two teams, each with two to four adapters, can be configured.

If traffic is not seen over the primary adapter connection in a team because of failure of the adapter, cable, switch port, or switch (where the teamed adapters are attached to separate switches), the secondary team member becomes active, taking the MAC and IP address originally assigned to the primary adapter. Sessions should be maintained, causing minimum impact to the user.

Adaptive Interrupt Frequency

The adapter driver intelligently adjusts host interrupt frequency based on traffic conditions, in order to increase overall application throughput. In light traffic, the adapter driver interrupts the host for each received packet, minimizing latency. When traffic is heavy, the adapter issues one host interrupt for multiple, back-to-back incoming packets, preserving host CPU cycles.

Dual DMA Channels

The PCI interface on the ACEnic adapter contains two independent DMA channels for simultaneous read and write operations.

32-bit or 64-bit PCI Bus Master

Compliant with PCI Local Bus Rev 2.2, the PCI interface on the ACEnic adapter is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit PCI buses. As a bus master, the adapter requests access to the PCI bus instead of waiting to be polled.

ASIC with Embedded RISC Processor

The core control for the ACEnic adapter resides in a tightly integrated, high-performance ASIC. The ASIC includes dual RISC processors. This provides the flexibility to add new features to the card and adapt it to future network requirements via software download. This also enables the adapter drivers to exploit the built-in host off-load functions on the adapter as host operating systems are enhanced to take advantage of these functions.

Physical Description of the Adapter

Connectors

•	ACEnic 10/100/1000Base-T Adapter: The faceplate provides an RJ-45 connector for connecting the adapter to another network device.

•	ACEnic 1000Base-SX Adapter: The faceplate has one fiber-optic connector for connecting the adapter to a Gigabit Ethernet segment.

LEDs

•	ACEnic 10/100/1000Base-T Adapter: The faceplate has four LEDs: one for each port speed option (10Mbps, 100Mbps, and 1Gbps), to indicate which link is active, and one LED for data transfer status.

•	ACEnic 1000Base-SX Adapter: The faceplate has two LEDs: one to indicate link status and one for data transfer status.

Click ACEnic Port LED Activity to view a list of LED states.The faceplate of the ACEnic adapter has one 1000Base-SX fiber-optic connector for connecting the adapter to a Gigabit Ethernet segment. There are also two LEDs on the faceplate: one to indicate link status and one for data transfer status.

Click ACEnic Port LED Activity to view a list of LED states.


Add VLAN
Adding a VLAN

You can define up to 64 VLANs per adapter. To configure a new VLAN, perform the following steps:

Note: When an adapter is configured to support VLANs, it cannot transmit or receive non-VLAN traffic; that is, all traffic sent to or received by that adapter must have a virtual IP address associated with it.

1.	Access the VLAN Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	In the NICs Available list, select the first adapter you wish to add a VLAN to.
The adapter will be highlighted when your selection is made.

3.	Click the “Add VLAN” button.

4.	In the VLAN Properties window, enter a unique number.
You must assign a unique identification number to each VLAN you create. Even though the maximum number of VLANs that can be configured on each adapter is 64, any particular VLAN can be assigned an identification number between 1 and 4094.
The VLAN tagging format follows the guidance provided in IEEE 802.1Q-1998. Ensure that there are no spaces, blank lines, or extra characters. The identifier can be entered in decimal (for example, 383), octal (for example, 0577), or hexadecimal (e.g. 0x17F) format.

Note: When assigning a number for a VLAN, do not use the default VLAN identifier used by the adapter or the switch. Also, the adapter VLAN configuration should match the configuration on the switch or server; that is, if you’ve already identified VLANs 383 and 777 on the switch or server, the VLAN IDs for the new adapter(s) should match.

Example: Consider a server with a single adapter. The server is a member of two VLANs, with VLAN identifiers 383 and 777. The unique identifier of the first VLAN added to the adapter would be “383.” The ID of the second VLAN associated with the adapter would be “777.”

5.	In the VLAN Properties window, enter an (optional) name for the VLAN you’re creating.

6.	When you are finished adding VLANs to this adapter, click the “OK” button.
A new VLAN instance will be created in the previously selected adapter list.
To maintain optimum adapter performance, your system should have 64MB of system memory for each eight VLANs created per adapter.

7.	If you are finished configuring VLANs, click the “Close” button in the ACEnic Driver Properties window to accept the changes.

8.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

9.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.

Note: If you modify any adapter VLAN parameters (VLAN or Failover Teaming), you must reboot the system before the changes will take effect. If you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience configuration problems.


Basic Configuration
Adapter Properties

The options described below are accessed in the Driver Properties window, under the the NIC Status and Configuration tab. The ACEnic driver properties window is displayed.

Adapter

This field identifies which ACEnic adapter or failover team is being configured. In a system with multiple ACEnic adapters, select this field to access a pull-down list of the available adapters and teams. Each ACEnic adapter installed in the system is labeled with a unique instance number. Typically, the first adapter detected is instance 1, the next is instance 2, and so on.

Adapters which are paired into teams for automatic failover are not listed individually. Instead, the defined team is listed. When a team is selected, both the adapters within the team are configured as a group. Individual adapters must be removed from the Team if they are to be configured independently.

Link Negotiation

When checked (default), 802.3-1998 compliant Gigabit Ethernet link negotiation is enabled. All Alteon WebSystems Gigabit Ethernet adapters and switches use link negotiation by default.

When unchecked, link negotiation is disabled and only link signal detection is used. Use this setting when connecting to Gigabit Ethernet equipment that does not support link negotiation, or if there is a problem establishing a link between the adapter and the connecting device. The link will be set for full-duplex at 1000 Mbps. Be sure that the connecting device uses the same duplex and speed settings.

Port Speed

When you disable link negotiation while installing an ACEnic Base-T adapter, you can select port speed to be either 10Mbps, 100Mbps, or 1Gbps.

Rx Flow Control

When checked (default), and link negotiation is enabled, the adapter will negotiate 802.3x receive flow control with the device at the other end of the link. If 802.3x flow control is supported by the other device, it will be enabled.

When unchecked, or when link negotiation is disabled, receive flow control is disabled.

Tx Flow Control

When checked, and link negotiation is enabled, the adapter will negotiate 802.3x transmit flow control with the device at the other end of the link. If 802.3x flow control is supported by the other device, it will be enabled.

When unchecked (default), or when link negotiation is disabled, transmit flow control is disabled.

Full Duplex Enabled

When you disable link negotiation while installing an ACEnic Base-T adapter, you can select either half-duplex or full-duplex operation. When checked, full-duplex signalling is enabled (default). When unchecked, half-duplex operation is used.

VLAN Support

When there are no VLANs configured for the selected adapter, VLAN support is disabled.

VLAN Count

This field reflects the number of VLANs configured for the selected adapter.

Teaming Support

When a failover team is selected in the Adapter list, this field will indicate that the virtual driver for Failover Teaming support is enabled. When an individual (non-teamed) adapter is selected, this field will indicate that Failover Teaming support is disabled. This is an information field and cannot be configured directly through this tab.

Number of NICs

When a failover team is selected in the Adapter list, this field represents the total number of ACEnic adapters configured for the selected team. This field does not apply when an individual (non-teamed) adapter is selected in the Adapter list. This is an information field and cannot be configured directly through this tab.

Diagnostics

This button is reserved for the Windows NT-based diagnostics that will be included in a later release of the software.


Change Configuration Parameters
Changing Adapter Configuration Parameters

To modify the properties of a configured adapter, perform the following steps:

1.	Open the system Control Panel and double-click the “Network” icon.

2.	When the Network window opens, select the “Adapters” tab.

3.	Select an ACEnic PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter or Failover Team entry and click the “Properties” button.
The ACEnic driver properties window is displayed.

Each tab near the top of the ACEnic Driver Properties window represents a different set of configurable options:

NIC Status and Configuration: The options under this tab are used for configuring basic adapter properties: Link negotiation, Rx flow control, and Tx flow control. To review these options in detail, click Adapter Properties.

Failover Teaming Configuration: The options under this tab are used for configuring the optional Failover Teaming feature. For more information about configuring these options, click Failover Team Overview.

VLAN Configuration: The options under this tab are used for configuring up to 64 VLANs per adapter. For more information about configuring this option, click VLAN Overview.

Note: ACEnic adapters that are members of a Failover Team can also be configured to support VLANs. When configuring VLANs for Failover Team adapters, note that any adapters in a given team inherit the configuration of the first adapter added to the team.

4.	Click any tab in the Driver Properties window to access its configurable options.

5.	When all desired configuration is complete, click the “Close” button to accept the settings.

6.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

7.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.

Note: If you modify any configuration parameters, you must reboot the system before the changes will take effect. If you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience configuration problems.


Create Failover Team
Creating a Failover Team and Assigning Adapters

A failover team is comprised of two to four adapters. Each adapter can belong to only one team. To configure a new team, perform these steps:

1.	Access the Failover Team Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	In the NICs Available list, select the first adapter you wish to add to a team.
The adapter will be highlighted when your selection is made. The selected adapter’s basic configuration (Link Negotiation and Flow Control settings) will be used as the starting point for the new team’s configuration.

3.	Click the “Create a Team” button.
A new team instance will be created in the team list. The selected adapter will be automatically moved from the NICs Available list to the Team list under the newly created team. You can create up to two teams.

Note: The newly created failover team inherits all the basic configuration properties (Link Negotiation, Flow Control settings, VLANs) from the initial adapter. All other adapters added to the team are automatically reconfigured to match the team’s configuration. When a team’s basic configuration properties are changed using the NIC Status and Configuration tab, this changes the configuration of all of the adapters in the team.

4.	Place another adapter into the team.
Each team must comprise at least two adapters. To add an adapter to a specific team, make sure that the team is highlighted in the Team list. If the desired team is not highlighted, select the team instance in the Team list.

Then, in the NICs Available list, select the adapter to be added and click the “Add NIC” button. The highlighted adapter will be moved from the NICs Available list to the Team list under the highlighted team.

5.	When you are finished configuring failover teams, click the “Close” button to accept the changes.
If any team has fewer than two adapters assigned, you will be prompted to add another adapter or delete the team.

When team configuration has been correctly performed, a Failover Team will be created that will appear along with the other adapters in the Network window of the Control Panel.

6.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

7.	Configure the Team IP address, if necessary.
If other adapters in your system use TCP/IP bindings, the TCP/IP Properties window will open. Configure the IP address and any other necessary TCP/IP configuration for the team and click the “OK” button when finished.

8.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.

Note: If you modify any optional configuration parameters (Failover Team or VLAN), you must reboot the system before the changes will take effect. If you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience configuration problems.


Delete Failover Team
Deleting a Failover Team

To delete a failover team, perform the following steps:

1.	Access the Failover Team Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	Select the failover team you want to delete from the team list and click the "Delete Team" button.
The team and all it assigned adapters will be removed from the team list. The released adapters will reappear in the NICs Available list.

Note: Adapters that are part of a failover team inherit all the basic configuration properties of the team, including VLANs associated with the team. If you delete a failover team, any VLANs configured for the ACEnic adapters that are members of that team will also be deleted.

If there are no VLANs currently configured, the following dialog box is displayed:

3.	If the dialog box shown above is displayed, you must click the “Yes” or "No" button before the system will allow you to complete adapter configuration.

4.	When you are finished configuring failover teams, click the “Close” button to accept the changes.
If any team has fewer than two adapters assigned, you will be prompted to add another adapter or delete the team.

When team configuration has been correctly performed, a Failover Team will be created that will appear along with the other adapters in the Network window of the Control Panel.

5.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

6.	Configure the Team IP address, if necessary.
If other adapters in your system use TCP/IP bindings, the TCP/IP Properties window will open. Configure the IP address and any other necessary TCP/IP configuration for the team and click the “OK” button when finished.

7.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.

Note: If you modify any optional configuration parameters (Failover Team or VLAN), you must reboot the system before the changes will take effect. If you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience configuration problems.


Delete VLAN
Deleting a VLAN

To delete a configured VLAN, perform the following steps:

1.	Access the VLAN Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	In the NICs Available list, select the adapter that has the VLAN you want to delete.
The adapter will be highlighted when your selection is made.

3.	Select the VLAN you want to delete and click the “Delete VLAN” button.
The selected VLAN will be deleted from the screen.

4.	If you are finished configuring VLANs, click the “Close” button in the ACEnic Driver Properties window to accept the changes.
If there are no VLANs or Failover Teams currently configured, the following dialog box is displayed:

5.	If the dialog box shown above is displayed, you must click the “Yes” or “No” button to complete adapter configuration.

6.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

7.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.


Modify VLAN
Modifying VLAN Properties

To modify the properties of a configured VLAN, perform the following steps:

1.	Access the VLAN Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	In the NICs Available list, select the adapter that has the VLAN you want to modify.
The adapter will be highlighted when your selection is made.

3.	Click the “Properties” button.

4.	In the VLAN Properties window, you can modify one of the following parameters:

VLAN ID: You must assign a unique identification number to each VLAN you create. Even though the maximum number of VLANs that can be configured on each adapter is 64, any particular VLAN can be assigned an identification number between 1 and 4094.
The VLAN tagging format follows the guidance provided in IEEE 802.1Q-1998. Ensure that there are no spaces, blank lines, or extra characters. The identifier can be entered in decimal (for example, 383), octal (for example, 0577), or hexadecimal (e.g. 0x17F) format.

VLAN Name: This optional identifier will only appear in the ACEnic Driver Properties window.

5.	When you are finished modifying this VLAN, click the “OK” button.

6.	If you are finished configuring VLANs, click the “Close” button in the ACEnic Driver Properties window to accept the changes.

7.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

8.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.


Select any ACEnic PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and click the “Properties” button


Network Settings Change

If no configuration changes have been made, you can click the “No” button to close the configuration session without restarting your system.


If this dialog box is displayed, click the “Yes” button to continue configuration.


Once the adapter hardware and its driver software have been properly installed on your system, the LEDs will indicate the  adapter state listed in one of the tables below:

10/100/1000Base-T Adapter: The faceplate of the ACEnic 10/100/1000Base-T adapter has four LEDs: one LED for data transfer status and one for each port speed option (10Mbps, 100Mbps, and 1Gbps), to indicate which link is active.

LED	State	Description
Data	Blinking On Off	Data detected on the port Data detected on the port No data detected on the port
10	Blinking Slowly On Off	Port has been disabled by software. Good 10Mbps Fast Ethernet link No link; possible bad cable, bad connector, missing or improperly installed driver software, or configuration mismatch.
100	Blinking Slowly On Off	Port has been disabled by software. Good 100Mbps Fast Ethernet link No link; possible bad cable, bad connector, missing or improperly installed driver software, or configuration mismatch.
1000	Blinking Slowly On Off	Port has been disabled by software Good Gigabit Ethernet link No link; possible bad cable, bad connector, missing or improperly installed driver software, or configuration mismatch.
1000Base-SX Adapter: The faceplate of the ACEnic 1000Base-SX adapter has two LEDs: one to indicate data transfer status and one for link status.

LED	State	Description
Data	Blinking On Off	Data detected on the port Data detected on the port No data detected on the port
Link	Blinking Slowly On Off	Port has been disabled by software Good link No link; possible bad cable, bad connector, missing or improperly installed driver software, or configuration mismatch.


Remove Adapter from Team
Removing Adapters from a Failover Team

To remove an adapter from its assigned failover team, perform the following steps:

1.	Access the Failover Team Configuration window. To review this procedure, click Here.

2.	Select the adapter in the team list and click the "Remove NIC" button.
The adapter will be removed from the team list and will reappear in the NICs Available list.

Each team needs to have at least two members; if you are removing one of two adapters assigned to a team, the system displays the following message:

Note: Because a failover team requires at least two adapters to provide failover protection, you will either need to add an adapter to any team with only one adapter or delete the team before the system will allow you to successfully complete adapter configuration.

3.	If necessary, place another adapter into the team.
Each team must comprise at least two adapters. To add an adapter to a specific team, make sure that the team is highlighted in the Team list. If the desired team is not highlighted, select the team instance in the Team list.

Then, in the NICs Available list, select the adapter to be added and click the “Add NIC” button. The highlighted adapter will be moved from the NICs Available list to the Team list under the highlighted team.

4.	When you are finished configuring failover teams, click the “Close” button to accept the changes.
If any team has fewer than two adapters assigned, you will be prompted to add another adapter or delete the team.

When team configuration has been correctly performed, any newly created Failover Teams will appear along with the other adapters in the Network window of the Control Panel.

5.	In the Network window, click the “Close” button.

6.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

Note: If you modify any optional configuration parameters (Failover Team or VLAN), you must reboot the system before the changes will take effect. If you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience configuration problems.


Teaming Config UI
Accessing Failover Teaming Configuration Interface

1.	Open the system Control Panel and double-click the “Network” icon.

2.	When the Network window opens, select the “Adapters” tab.

3.	Select any ACEnic PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and click the “Properties” button.

4.	In the ACEnic driver properties window, click the “Failover Team Configuration” tab.

If there are no teams currently configured, you will be prompted to confirm that you wish to create a new Failover Team. Click the "Yes" button to continue, or the "No" button to abort Failover Team Configuration.

If you continue with configuration, the Failover Team Configuration window is displayed:

Interface components of the Failover Team Configuration window are described below:

Team list: Displays all the teams which have been created. Each team is identified with a unique instance number. Typically, the first team configured is instance 1, and the next is instance 2.

Below each configured team is a list of the ACEnic adapters which have been placed into the team. You can conceal the team’s adapter list by clicking on the minus box immediately in front on the team’s icon. The box will contain a “plus” when the team’s adapters are concealed. To reveal the adapter list once concealed, click the box again.

Control Buttons: There are four control buttons. These buttons are used for creating and deleting teams, and for allocating adapters to the specific teams.

NICs Available for Team Configuration: Displays all of the ACEnic adapters which are available to be added to a team. Since each adapter can be added to only one team, the adapter is removed from this list once it has been assigned to a team.


Teaming Overview
Failover Teaming Overview

Failover Teaming provides redundant adapter operation in the event that a primary adapter connection fails. When multiple ACEnic adapters are installed in the same server, they can be paired into Teams. Up to two teams, each with two to four adapters, can be configured.

If traffic is not seen over the primary adapter connection in a team because of failure of the adapter, cable, switch port, or switch (where the teamed adapters are attached to separate switches), the secondary team member becomes active, taking the MAC and IP address originally assigned to the primary adapter. Sessions should be maintained, causing minimum impact to the user.

Failover Team  configuration comprises the following tasks:

Accessing the Failover Team configuration interface

Creating teams and adding adapters to the teams

Deleting teams

Removing adapters from teams


Troubleshooting
Adapter Troubleshooting

Checking the Port LEDs

The faceplate of the ACEnic 10/100/1000Base-T adapter has four LEDs: one to indicate data transfer status and one for each port speed option (10Mbps, 100Mbps, and 1Gbps), to indicate which link is active. Two port LEDs are located on the faceplate of the 100Base-SX ACEnic adapter: one to indicate data transfer status and one for link status.

10/100/1000Base-T Adapter Faceplate	1000Base-SX Adapter Faceplate

Note: Before the port LEDs can provide troubleshooting information, the adapter must be connected to the network and the network drivers for your particular operating system must be installed.

Verify that the adapter driver software has been installed and that the adapter is connected to a network.

Check to see that the adapter status LEDs operate as indicated in the ACEnic Port LED Activity table.

Troubleshooting Checklist

The following checklist provides recommended actions to take to resolve problems installing the ACEnic adapter or running it in your system.

Inspect all cables and connections. Verify that the fiber-optic cable connections at the ACEnic adapter and Alteon WebSystems switch are attached properly. Check the length and rating of the fiber-optic cable. Make sure that the cable segment is compliant with the requirements listed in one of the the following tables:

Table 1. 10/100/1000Base-T Cable Specifications

Port Type	Connector	Media	Maximum Distance
10Base-T	RJ-45	Cat. 3, 4, or 5 UPT	100 meters (325 feet)
100/1000Base-T	RJ-45	Cat. 5 UPT (see note below)	100 meters (325 feet)

Note: 1000Base-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:1995 and ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-A (1995) and tested using procedures defined in ANSI/TIA/EIA TSB95.

Table 2. 1000Base-SX Link Characteristics

Medium Diameter	Frequency	Cable Type	Operating Range
62.5 Microns	Shortwave (850 nanometers)	Multimode fiber	2 to 260 meters
50 Microns	Shortwave (850 nanometers)	Multimode fiber	2 to 550 meters (in compliance with IEEE 802.3-1998)
Connect the adapter to a different network port and run the tests again. If the test results reflect that the adapter is functioning properly, the original network port may be defective or improperly configured.

Check the adapter installation by reviewing Chapter 2 of the User's Guide. Make sure that the adapter board is properly seated in a PCI slot. Check for specific hardware problems, such as obvious damage to board components or the PCI edge connector.

Check the configuration settings and change them if they are in conflict with another device.

Make sure that your system is using the latest BIOS.

Check the PCI BIOS parameters for proper configuration of the slot where the adapter is installed. The following table shows several possible PCI BIOS parameters (these may not all be available on every system).

Parameter	Setting
Bus Master	Enabled
Interrupt Number	Set to any IRQ that doesn't conflict with another device
Interrupt Type	Level
Latency Timer	Recommended range is between 20 and 255.  This is typically set to 64.
Try inserting the adapter in another slot. If the new position works, the original slot in your system may be defective.

Replace the failed adapter with one that is known to work properly. If the second adapter works in the slot where the first one failed, the original adapter is probably defective.

Install the adapter in another functioning system and run the tests again. If the adapter passed the tests in the new system, the original system may be defective.

Remove all other adapters from the system and run the tests again. If the adapter passes the tests, the other adapters may be causing contention.


VLAN Config UI
Accessing the VLAN Configuration Interface

1.	Open the system Control Panel and double-click the “Network” icon.

2.	When the Network window opens, select the “Adapters” tab.

3.	Select any ACEnic PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and click the “Properties” button.

4.	In the ACEnic driver properties window, click the “VLAN Configuration” tab.

If there are no VLANs currently configured, the following dialog box is displayed:

5.	If the dialog box shown above is displayed, click the “Yes” button to continue configuration.
The VLAN Configuration window is displayed:

The VLAN Configuration window lists the installed adapters and the VLANs configured for each adapter, if any. Each VLAN is identified with a unique identifier number and an (optional) name that will only appear in this window. Interface components of the VLAN Configuration window are described in detail below:

Adapter/VLAN list: Below each ACEnic adapter is a list of the VLANs which have been configured for that adapter. You can conceal each adapter’s VLAN list by clicking the minus box immediately in front on the adapter’s icon. The box will contain a “plus” when the VLANs are concealed. To reveal the VLAN list once concealed, click the box again.

Control Buttons: There are three control buttons: “Add VLAN,” “Delete VLAN,” and “Properties.” These buttons are used for creating and deleting VLANs, and for modifying the properties of VLANs already created.


You can conceal each adapter’s VLAN list by clicking the "minus" (-) box immediately in front on the adapter’s icon. The box will contain a “plus” (+) when the VLANs are concealed. To expand the VLAN list, click the box again.


VLAN Overview

Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) are commonly used to split up groups of network users into manageable broadcast domains, to create logical segmentation of workgroups, and to enforce security policies among logical segments. Each ACEnic adapter supports up to 64 VLANs. With multiple VLANs on an adapter, a server with a single adapter can have a logical presence on multiple IP subnets.

Each defined VLAN behaves as its own separate network, with its traffic and broadcasts isolated from the others, increasing bandwidth efficiency within each logical group. Up to 64 VLANs can be defined for each ACEnic adapter on your server. One example of how VLANs can be used to segment a LAN is when isolating different types of network traffic.

Although VLANs are commonly used to create individual broadcast domains and/or separate IP subnets, it is sometimes useful for a server to have a presence on more than one VLAN simultaneously. Alteon WebSystems switches and ACEnic adapters support multiple VLANs on a per-port or per-interface basis, allowing very flexible network configurations.

VLAN configuration comprises the following tasks:

Accessing the VLAN configuration interface

Adding VLANs to the adapter(s)

Deleting VLANs

Modifying VLAN properties


Update Adapter Software
Updating Adapter Software

Use the following procedure to replace version 2.1 adapter driver software with newer versions as they become available.

Note: Do not use the update procedure to overwrite older ACEnic adapter drivers installed prior to version 2.1. If any older drivers from previously installed adapters are on your system, they must be removed prior to installing the new drivers (version 2.1 or higher).

1.	Start your Windows NT system and log in.

Note: You must have Network Administrator privileges to install the driver software.

2.	Open the system Control Panel and double-click the “Network” icon.

3.	When the Network window opens, select the “Adapters” tab:

Any previously installed ACEnic driver software is listed under Network Adapters.

4.	Select an Alteon WebSystems ACEnic Adapter and click the “Update” button.

5.	When the Select Network Adapter window opens, click the “Have Disk...” button.

6.	When prompted, insert the ACEnic CD-ROM into your system’s CD-ROM drive, type the path to the driver that matches your system, and select “OK.”

For the Intel x86 driver, enter the following path: e:\nt\x86

For the DEC Alpha driver, enter the following path: e:\nt\alpha

Where “e:” is the designation of the CD-ROM drive on your system.

The system will then copy the appropriate adapter files from the CD-ROM.

Note: If you acquired the adapter software on a floppy disk or from the Alteon WebSystems support website, enter the path to where the adapter driver files reside on your system.

7.	When the copying process is complete, click the “Close” button in the Network window.

8.	When prompted to restart your computer, click the “Yes” button.

The system will restart, using the new configuration settings.