Sun Fire B1600 Blade System Chassis
 

GCS>Sun Microsystems>Servers>Blade Servers
 

Console#show interfaces status ethernet NETP4
Information of NETP4
Basic information:
Port type: 1000T
Mac address: 00-03-BA-1A-8D-0E
Configuration:
Name: External RJ-45 connector NETP4
Port admin: Up
Speed-duplex: 100full
Capabilities: 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full,
Broadcast storm: Enabled
Broadcast storm limit: 256 packets/second
Flow control: Disabled
Port security: Disabled
Lacp: Disabled
Current status:
Link status: 
Down

Operation speed-duplex: 100full
Flow control type: None

Console#show interfaces status ethernet NETP4
Information of NETP4
Basic information:
Port type: 1000T
Mac address: 00-03-BA-1A-8D-0E
Configuration:
Name: External RJ-45 connector NETP4
Port admin: Up
Speed-duplex: 
Auto

Capabilities: 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full,
Broadcast storm: Enabled
Broadcast storm limit: 256 packets/second
Flow control: Disabled
Port security: Disabled
Lacp: Disabled
Current status:
Link status: Up
Port operation status: Up
Operation speed-duplex: 100half
Flow control type: None

Here the port is connected to a hub using a "straight-through" cable and we see Speed-duplex shown as "Auto" indicating that auto-negotiation is enabled.

Auto-negotiation may be disabled by running the following commands.

Console#config
Console(config)#interface ethernet NETP4
Console(config-if)#no negotiation
Console(config-if)#end

Note : When auto-negotiation is disabled you can set the up-link ports to operate at 10 Mbit/s or 100 Mbit/s but not 1000 Mbit/s full duplex, i.e.,

Console#config
Console(config)#interface ethernet NETP4
Console(config-if)#speed-duplex
10full    Force 10full Mbps operation
10half    Force 10half Mbps operation
100full   Force 100full Mbps operation
100half   Force 100half Mbps operation
1000full  Force 1000full Mbps operation
Console(config-if)#speed-duplex 1000full
Failed to set speed-duplex on ethernet NETP4

The default setting will be 100 Mbit/s full duplex which is confirmed by checking the port status again as follows.

Console#show interfaces status ethernet NETP4
Information of NETP4
Basic information:
Port type: 1000T
Mac address: 00-03-BA-1A-8D-0E
Configuration:
Name: External RJ-45 connector NETP4
Port admin: Up
Speed-duplex: 
100full

Capabilities: 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full,
Broadcast storm: Enabled
Broadcast storm limit: 256 packets/second
Flow control: Disabled
Port security: Disabled
Lacp: Disabled
Current status:
Link status: 
Down

Operation speed-duplex: 100full
Flow control type: None

Notice that the Speed-duplex now shows "100full" indicating that the port has been forced to operate at 100 Mbit/s full duplex but the Link status is reported as "Down".

We could have run the following to achieve the same result.

Console#config
Console(config)#interface ethernet NETP4
Console(config-if)#speed-duplex 100full
Console(config-if)#end

The Medium Dependent Interface (MDI) is the name for the connector used to make the physical and electrical connection between a transceiver and a media segment. A port on a switch which has the transmit and receive signals crossed over is known as an MDI-X port.

The B1600 up-link ports have an auto-switching capability which is enabled by default and allows them to detect the type of cable connected and automatically switch between MDI and MDI-X as necessary. This means that by default you can connect an up-link port to another device using either a "straight-through" or "crossover" cable. This functionality is known as "auto MDI/MDI-X".

However, when auto-negotiation is disabled on the up-link ports the auto-switching capability is also disabled. Therefore you will need to use a crossover cable to connect the port to another similar device. In reality this means using a crossover cable to connect to another piece of Data Communications Equipment (DCE), e.g, another switch or hub. However, you may still be able to use a "straight-through" cable to connect to a piece of Data Terminal Equipment (DTE), e.g. another host system.

So, if another switch has been successfully attached to NETP4 and the link is auto-negotiating then either a crossover or straight-through UTP cable will work but if the link is forced then you must use a  crossover cable.

Referring back to our example, where we had forced the operating mode, the link comes back up after connecting a crossover cable between NETP4 and the hub, i.e.,

Console#show interfaces status ethernet NETP4
Information of NETP4
Basic information:
Port type: 1000T
Mac address: 00-03-BA-1A-8D-0E
Configuration:
Name: External RJ-45 connector NETP4
Port admin: Up
Speed-duplex: 100full
Capabilities: 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full,
Broadcast storm: Enabled
Broadcast storm limit: 256 packets/second
Flow control: Disabled
Port security: Disabled

  Lacp: Disabled
Current status:
Link status: 
Up

Port operation status: Up
Operation speed-duplex: 100full
Flow control type: None

Notice that enabling auto-negotiation does not cause the link to go down with the crossover cable connected as auto-switching is then re-enabled,

i.e.,

Console#config
Console(config)#interface ethernet NETP4
Console(config-if)#negotiation
Console(config-if)#end

Console#show interfaces status ethernet NETP4
Information of NETP4
Basic information:
Port type: 1000T
Mac address: 00-03-BA-1A-8D-0E
Configuration:
Name: External RJ-45 connector NETP4
Port admin: Up
Speed-duplex: Auto
Capabilities: 10half, 10full, 100half, 100full, 1000full,
Broadcast storm: Enabled

  Broadcast storm limit: 256 packets/second
Flow control: Disabled
Port security: Disabled
Lacp: Disabled
Current status:
Link status: 
Up

Port operation status: Up
Operation speed-duplex: 100half
Flow control type: None

It is important to realise that auto-negotiation and auto MDI/MDX-X switching are not related technologies. The functionality described in this document is a design feature of the switch.

The Sun Fire B1600 Intelligent Shelf's internally managed
network switch(es) are manufactured by Accton.

Author: Neil Cheney

September 2004

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