Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for HP BladeSystem p-Class Hardware Installation Guide

Product Overview
Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module for HP BladeSystem p-Class Hardware Installation Guide 1-7
Ethernet Ports
The switch 10/100/1000BASE-T ports configure themselves to operate at the speed of
attached devices. If the attached ports do not support autonegotiation, you can explicitly set
the speed and duplex parameters. Connecting devices that do not autonegotiate or that have
their speed and duplex parameters manually set can reduce performance or result in no
linkage.
To maximize performance, choose one of these methods for configuring the Ethernet ports:
• Let the ports autonegotiate both speed and duplex.
• Set the port speed and duplex parameters on both ends of the connection.
CAUTION: To prevent electrostatic-discharge (ESD) damage, follow your normal board and
component handling procedures.
NOTE: When connecting to 10/100/1000BASE-T-compatible devices, be sure to use a twisted four-
pair, Category 5 cable.
NOTE: You can use the mdix auto interface configuration command in the CLI to enable the automatic
medium-dependent interface crossover (Auto-MDIX) feature. When the Auto-MDIX feature is enabled,
the switch detects the required cable type for copper Ethernet connections and configures the
interfaces accordingly. Therefore, you can use either a crossover or a straight-through cable for
connections to a copper 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP module port on the switch, regardless of the type of
device on the other end of the connection.
The Auto-MDIX feature is enabled by default on switches running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(25)SE1 or
later. For configuration information for this feature, refer to the switch software configuration guide or
the switch command reference guide.