Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Reference Guide MODEL GA 621
© 2001 by NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks NETGEAR® is a registered trademark of NETGEAR, INC. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft®, Windows® and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Customer Support For assistance with installing and configuring your NETGEAR system or with questions or problems following installation: • Check the NETGEAR Web page at http://www.NETGEAR.com. • Call Technical Support at the phone number listed on the Support Information Card that shipped with your switch. • Email Technical Support at support@NETGEAR.com. Defective or damaged merchandise can be returned to your point-of-purchase representative.
CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Introduction Benefits Features 1-1 1-1 CHAPTER 2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION Package Contents Requirements Hardware Description Preparing to Install Your GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Installing Your GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Connecting the Network Cables 2-1 2-2 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 CHAPTER 3 Windows 95 OSR2/98/Me DRIVER SOFTWARE Installing the Driver Software Moving the Network Card to a Different Slot 3-1 3-6 CHAPTER 4 WINDOWS NT DRIVER SOFTWARE Installing the Driver Software Up
CHAPTER 6 NETWARE DRIVER SOFTWARE Pre-Installation Requirements Installing the Driver Software Modifying Driver Properties Installation Troubleshooting 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-6 CHAPTER 7 LINUX DRIVER SOFTWARE File Listing Installing the Driver Software Testing the Driver Software Configurable Parameters 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 CHAPTER 8 TROUBLESHOOTING Checking the Port LEDs Using a Troubleshooting Checklist 8-1 8-2 APPENDIX A SPECIFICATIONS Cable Specifications GA621 (1000BASE-SX) Technical Specifications A-1 A-1 I
FIGURE Figure 2-1. Front Panel of Model GA621 Gigabit Ethernet Card 2-5 TABLES Table 2-1. Software and Hardware Requirements 2-2 Table 2-2. GA621 LEDs 2-6 Table 2-3. GA621 (1000BASE-SX) Cable Characteristics 2-8 Table 3-1. Parameter Descriptions 3-6 Table 4-1. Parameter Descriptions 4-6 Table 6-1. NetWare Device Installation Methods 6-1 Table 6-2. NetWare Support Files 6-2 Table 6-3. Parameter Descriptions 6-5 Table 7-1. Linux files 7-1 Table 8-1.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the NETGEAR® GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card. Designed especially for high-performance systems, such as servers and high-end workstations, it offers 2 gigabits per second (Gbps) of aggregate bandwidth and optimized performance while minimizing network overhead on the host system.
• Duplex SC fiber connector for 62.5-micron or 50-micron multimode fiber cable • Interoperability with existing Fast Ethernet equipment compliance with the following standards and protocols: – IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX Gigabit Ethernet – IEEE 802.3u Fast Ethernet • Standard Ethernet frame size (up to 1,518 bytes) • Jumbo frames support • 33/66 MHz, 32/64-bit PCI bus master (Local Bus Revision 2.
CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION This chapter provides information about the package contents, system requirements, and installation of the NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card.
Requirements Before installing the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card, verify that your system meets the operating system and hardware requirements outlined in Table 2-1. Table 2-1. Software and Hardware Requirements System Requirements Windows 95 OSR2 Hardware A Pentium-based workstation that meets Windows 95 OSR2 software requirements One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot Operating System Windows 95 OSR2 Software GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card driver software, version 1.
Table 2-1. Software and Hardware Requirements (continued) System Requirements Operating System Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or above.To download the latest Service Pack, go to the following Microsoft Web page and search for the latest service pack: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp Software GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card driver software, version 1.
Table 2-1. Software and Hardware Requirements (continued) System Requirements NetWare Hardware A Pentium-based server that meets NetWare 4.2, NetWare 5.0, or NetWare 5.1 software requirements One open 32-bit or 64-bit PCI slot Minimum 64 MB memory Operating System If you are using NetWare 4.2, you must have the most recent support pack (Support Pack 8 or later).To download the latest support pack, go to the following Novell Web page: http://support.novell.com/products/nw42/patches.htm For NetWare 5.
Hardware Description As illustrated in Figure 2-1, the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card has an SC connector port and two port LEDs. Figure 2-1. Front Panel of Model GA621 Gigabit Ethernet Card The front panel of the GA621 has two LEDs: one LED to indicate the link is active and one LED for data transfer status. Once the hardware and its driver software are properly installed on your system, the LEDs indicate the conditions described in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2.
Danger: You are installing the card in a machine that operates with voltages that can be dangerous. Follow the steps after this warning to protect yourself and to prevent damage to the PC components. 4. Protect yourself, the card, and your server by taking these precautions: • Shut down the server software and turn off the power to your server. • Use only insulated or non-conducting tools. • Hold the Gigabit Ethernet Card by the edges and place it on an antistatic surface only.
Connecting the Network Cables The GA621 has one SC port that can be used with either 62.5/125-Micron multimode fiber or with 50/125-Micron multimode fiber. 1. Prepare an appropriate cable. Table 2-3 lists the cable characteristics for connecting to 1000BASE-SX port. Table 2-3. GA621 (1000BASE-SX) Cable Characteristics Port Type Connector Media Maximum Distance 1000BASE-SX SC 62.5/125-Micron multimode fiber 260 meters 1000BASE-SX SC 50/125-Micron multimode fiber 550 meters 2.
CHAPTER 3: W I N D OW S 9 5 O S R 2 /98/ME DRIVER SOFTWARE This chapter provides information about the Microsoft Windows 95 OSR2/98/Me driver software. This chapter also describes how to: • Install the driver software in the Windows 98 environment • Move the card to a different slot Note: The specific steps and screen shots used in this chapter refer to a computer with Windows 98 installed, but the information and procedures shown here apply to computers with Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows Me.
To install the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card software for Windows 98, perform the following procedure: 1. When you boot up the Windows 98 system after installing the Gigabit Ethernet card, a series of Found New Hardware Wizard dialog boxes opens.
2. When the following dialog box opens, click Search for the best driver for your device (recommended), and then click Next. 3. In the next dialog box, check the “Specify a location” box. Note: Windows Me drivers are found at d:\winMe and Windows 95 drivers are found at d:\win95, assuming that d: is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.
4. When Windows returns its search results in the following dialog box, verify that the correct path to the driver software is shown, and then click Next.
5. The driver is copied onto your system, and the GA621 Gigabit UTP Adapter Properties dialog box opens. 6. Click OK to accept the default settings. 7. You can change operating parameters as desired. Refer to Table 3-1 for help in configuring these parameters.
Table 3-1. Parameter Descriptions Property Description Address Allows you to change the network address. Packet Size Enables sending larger Ethernet packets Priority Queues Specifies the priority number for traffic prioritization. Receive Buffers Specifies hardware resources in memory used to receive packets. VLAN ID Used to specify VLAN ID number. Moving the Network Card to a Different Slot Windows 98 automatically detects the installation and removal of hardware.
CHAPTER 4: WINDOWS NT DRIVER SOFTWARE This chapter provides information about the Microsoft Windows NT driver software. This chapter also gives directions for performing the following procedures: • Installing the driver software • Updating or reinstalling the driver software • Moving the network card and removing the driver software Installing the Driver Software Your GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card must be physically installed in the server before installing the software driver.
3. Double-click the Network icon. The Network dialog box opens. If there are any previously installed GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card drivers listed, the drivers must be updated before installing another driver for a new card. For directions on upgrading the driver for an existing card, see “Updating the Driver Software” on page 4-8. If there are no previously installed drivers, that require updating, proceed to step 4.
4. Click on the Adapters tab, and then click Add. The Select Network Adapter dialog box opens. 5. Click Have Disk. The Insert Disk dialog box opens.
6. Insert the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Driver and Documentation CD into the CD-ROM drive in your PC, type the path to the driver that matches your system, and then click OK. For example, enter the following path: E:\ In this example, the letter E: is the CD-ROM drive. The Select OEM Option dialog box opens, and NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card is highlighted.
7. Click OK. The Network dialog box opens. 8. Click Close. If other cards in your system use TCP/IP bindings, the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box opens. Set any necessary TCP/IP configurations, and click OK when finished. 9. When prompted to restart your computer, click Yes. The system restarts using the new driver and configuration settings.
Table 4-1. Parameter Descriptions Property Description Address Allows you to change the network address. Packet Size Enables sending larger Ethernet packets Priority Queues Specifies the priority number for traffic prioritization. Receive Buffers Specifies hardware resources in memory used to receive packets. VLAN ID Used to specify VLAN ID number.
Updating the Driver Software To replace old driver software with a newer version: 1. Start your Windows NT system and log in. You must have Network Administrator privileges to install the driver software. 2. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 3. Double-click the Network icon. 4. Click on the Adapters tab. Any previously installed software drivers are listed in the Network Adapters list. 5.
Moving the Network Card to a Different Slot Before moving your GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card to a different slot in the same system, you must first remove the card driver software. After removing the driver software, you can move the card to a different slot and reinstall the driver software. To remove the driver software: 1. Start your Windows NT system and log in. You must have Network Administrator privileges to remove the driver software. 2.
CHAPTER 5: WINDOWS 2000 DRIVER SOFTWARE This chapter provides information about the Microsoft Windows 2000 driver software. This chapter also describes how to: • Install the driver software in the Windows 2000 environment • Move the card to a different slot • Remove the driver software Note: The GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet card must be physically installed in your server or workstation prior to installing the driver software. See Chapter 2 “Hardware Installation” for details.
To install the card software for Windows 2000, perform the following procedure: 1. When you boot up the Windows 2000 system after installing the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card, a series of Found New Hardware Wizard dialog boxes are displayed.
2. In the Install Hardware Device Drivers dialog box, click “Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended),”and then click Next.
3. In the Locate Driver Files dialog box, check the “Specify a location” box. 4. Insert the GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Driver and Documentation CD into your CD-ROM drive and click OK.
5. In the Driver Files Search Results dialog box, verify that the correct path to the driver software is shown, and then click Next.
6. Click Finish to complete the installation. Moving the Network Card to a Different Slot Windows 2000 automatically detects the installation and removal of hardware. To move a GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card to a different slot in the same system, you need to do the following: 1. Shut down the system and remove the card from the PCI slot. 2. Install the card in its new PCI slot (see “Installing Your Gigabit Ethernet Card” on page 2-7). 3.
Removing the Driver Software Under Windows 2000, the driver software is automatically uninstalled when its hardware is removed.To remove a card, do the following: 1. Shut down the system and remove the card from the PCI slot. 2. When the system is powered on, the driver will be automatically uninstalled.
CHAPTER 6: NETWARE DRIVER SOFTWARE This chapter provides information about the Novell NetWare driver software. This chapter also describes how to: • Verify the NetWare pre-installation requirements • Install the driver software in the NetWare environment • Modify Driver properties during the driver software installation Because network administrators can use more than one method to install device drivers on a NetWare server, this chapter does not provide detailed installation instructions for each method.
Pre-Installation Requirements Before you can use the Gigabit Ethernet card in your NetWare system, you must install the network device driver. First, make sure that the Gigabit Ethernet card is physically installed on your system. Typically, NetWare OS software must already be running on the server. Make sure that your server meets the hardware and operating system software requirements described in Table 2-1, which starts on page 2-2.
To install the NetWare driver software: 1. At the System Console, type: load nwconfig The NetWare Configuration Options dialog box opens. 2. Select the “Driver Options (load/unload disk and network drivers)” option. The Driver Options dialog box opens. 3. Select the “Configure network drivers” option. The Additional Driver Actions dialog box opens. 4. Select the “Load an additional driver” option. The Select a driver dialog box opens. 5. Press the Insert key to install an unlisted driver.
8. Press the Enter key to select the listed driver. 9. At the “Do you want to copy driver Ga621.LAN?” prompt, select Yes. The “Board Ga621_1 (Driver Ga621) Actions” dialog box opens. 10. Select the “Save parameters and load driver” option. The Network number to bind dialog box opens. 11. Press Enter to accept random network number or Esc to not accept binding. The system examines the network for net number conflicts. 12.
Modifying Driver Properties Note: The driver properties can be modified only during the driver software installation. If you want to modify these properties after the driver has already installed, you must first remove the driver, and then reinstall it. 1. Repeat steps 1–9 from the above procedure. 2. In the Board Ga621_1 (Driver Ga621) Actions dialog box, click Select/Modify driver parameters and protocols. 3.
Table 6-3. Parameter Descriptions (continued) Parameter Descriptions CheckSum Off-load Allows you to enable/disable hardware CheckSum. Driver Version This information field displays the version of the driver software.This field cannot be edited. Installation Troubleshooting If you are installing multiple cards, sometimes the second instance of the driver may fail to load due to memory shortage. If this happens, edit the following line in the C:\nwserver’\startup.
CHAPTER 7: LINUX DRIVER SOFTWARE This chapter provides information about the Red Hat Linux 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 7.0 and 7.1 driver software. This chapter also describes: • The files included with the driver • Installing the driver software in the Linux environment • Testing the driver • Configurable parameters File Listing The following files are included in the /Linux directory: Table 7-1. Linux files File Name Description ga.c Linux network OS specific module file GA621.h Driver header file hsm.
Installing the Driver Software Your Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card must be physically installed in the server before installing the software driver. If you are installing more than one Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card, you must perform the following procedure for each card. This version of the driver requires a base Red Hat Linux 6.0, 6.1, 6.2 and 7.0 with Linux kernel version 2.2.12, or Red Hat Linux 7.1 with Linux kernel version 2.4.2. To install the driver software: 1.
4. Add the following lines to any of the startup scripts like /etc/rc.d/rc.local or /etc/rc.d/init.d/network so that the driver will load when the system boots up: # /sbin/insmod /lib/modules/2.2.12-20/net/gam.o # /sbin/ifconfig Note: You may need to enter a different pathname than what is shown on the first line, above, depending on the Linux kernel version number you have.
All the devices on the PCI bus can be listed by running the following command: # cat /proc/pci IRQ and IO address information from this can be correlated with the information displayed by the driver in the /var/log/messages file. When the TCP/IP stack is initialized, it opens all configured Ethernet devices, and initializes them for use. At this time, the driver will perform auto-negotiation and log information about the link status.
CHAPTER 8: TROUBLESHOOTING This chapter provides troubleshooting information for the NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card. Checking the Port LEDs GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card The front panel of the GA621 has three LEDs: one for each port speed option (100 Mbps and 1000Mbps) to indicate which link is active, and one LED for data transfer status (see Figure 2-1 on page 2-5).
Using a Troubleshooting Checklist If you need to test the network card further, check the following items: • Inspect all cables and connections. Check the length and rating of the cable. Make sure that the cable segment is compliant with the requirements shown in Table 2-3 on page 2-8. • Connect the network card to a different network port and run the tests again. If successful, the original network port may be defective or improperly configured.
• Try inserting the network card in another slot. If the new position works, the original slot in your system may be defective. • Replace the failed network card with one that is known to work properly. If the second card works in the slot where the first one failed, the original card is probably defective. • Install the network card in another functioning system and run the tests again. If the card passed the tests in the new system, the original system may be defective.
APPENDIX A: SPECIFICATIONS This appendix provides specifications for the NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card. Cable Specifications GA621 (1000BASE-SX) Port Type Connector Media Maximum Distance 1000BASE-SX SC 62.5/125-Micron multimode fiber 260 meters 1000BASE-SX SC 50/125-Micron multimode fiber 550 meters General Specifications NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Standards Compatibility IEEE 802.
General Specifications NETGEAR GA621 Fiber Gigabit Ethernet Card Operating Humidity 10 to 90% noncondensing Agency Compliance CE mark, commercial FCC, Part 15, Class B EN 55 022 (CISPR 22), Class B Canada ICES-003, Class B specifications A-2
B N benefits 1-1 customer support iv NetWare software driver installation 6-2 installation methods 6-1 installation troubleshooting 6-6 parameters descriptions 6-5 pre-installation requirements 6-2 F network card moving 3-6, 4-8, 5-6 C features 1-1 P H package contents 2-1 hardware description 2-5 requirements 2-2 port LEDs descriptions 2-6 R I requirements 2-2 interoperability 1-2 installation instructions 2-7 Linux software driver 7-2 NetWare software driver 6-2 network cables 2-8 preparati
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