About This Guide

This manual is for the technician installing and maintaining an EtherSwitch 1420 or EtherSwitch 1220. It is assumed the individual is an experienced network installer familiar with the concepts and terminology of 10BaseT and local area networks.

Chapter Contents

The manual is organized as follows:

"Fast Install Guide" is an installation procedure for experienced users.

Chapter 1, "Overview," describes the key features of the EtherSwitch 1420 and EtherSwitch 1220.

Chapter 2, "Planning," outlines the preinstallation and cabling guidelines and includes several sample configurations.

Chapter 3, "Concepts," explains some features of the switch in greater detail, including virtual LANs (VLANs), the Spanning-Tree Protocol, multicast registration, and the available switching modes.

Chapter 4, "Installation," contains the complete procedures for installing your switch on a rack, table, or shelf.

Chapter 5, "Out-of-Band Management," is a menu-by-menu explanation of the management console. This application allows you to configure the EtherSwitch 1420 or EtherSwitch 1220 and display switch statistics.

Chapter 6, "In-Band Management," describes how to use BOOTP to assign an IP address and lists the MIB objects you can use to configure and manage the switch.

Chapter 7, "Troubleshooting," describes some problems that may arise and their recommended solutions. It also includes procedures for accessing the switch's diagnostic console. You can use these procedures for resolving problems with corrupted firmware or problematic configurations.

Appendix A, "Technical Specifications," is a list of the physical, electrical, and environmental characteristics of the EtherSwitch 1420 and EtherSwitch 1220. This includes schematics for crossover and straight-through cables.

Appendix B, "Translated Safety Warnings," repeats in several languages the warnings in the manual.

Document Conventions

This publication uses the following conventions to convey instructions and information:

Command descriptions use these conventions:

• Commands and keywords are in boldface font.

• Arguments for which you supply values are shown in italics.

• Elements in square brackets ([ ]) are optional.

• Alternative or optional keywords are shown in bold and grouped in square brackets ([ ]) and separated by a vertical bar ( | ).

• Required keywords are grouped in angle brackets (< >) and separated by a vertical
  bar ( | ).

Examples use these conventions:

• Terminal sessions, system displays, and MIB objects are in screen font.

• Information you enter is in boldface screen font.

• File names are in italics.

Notes, cautions, and warnings use the following conventions and symbols:

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Note Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not contained in this manual.

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Caution Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

Warning Means danger. You are in a situation that could cause bodily injury. Before you work on any equipment, be aware of the hazards involved with electrical circuitry and standard practices for preventing accidents.