Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

309.0. "DECbridge 90 v1.5 sends extra Text via MOP" by MSDOA::REED (John Reed @CBO, DTN:367-6463, KB4FFE, SouthEast) Tue Jul 20 1993 15:54

    Hello;
    
    I am trying to utilize the following configuration, and have had a 
    difficult time getting the remote Bridges to talk with me.  Please 
    give me some suggestions.   The Bridges during MOP console sessions
    send out extra text, and I am afraid to try the firmware upgrade 
    over a 56K leased line...
    
    VAX running VMS 5.5, and HubWatch for VMS, and DECnet OSI (waveII)
     =================Ethernet Cable================
                TransLAN350
    		 \/\/\/\/\/
            56Kb lines to Six Sites
                 /\/\/\/\/\
    Each Remote site has a TransLAN III, or 335, or IV
    The TransLAN at the remote sites have a 10BaseT transceiver
    connected to a 10BaseT DECrepeater90T card in a hub.
    
    The customer had purchased One DECagent to place in each remote hub,
    but had to give them back to Digital, when I told him that he needed a
    bridge to manage repeaters in remote hubs.  We have loaned him some
    DECbridge 90's to install in the remote hubs, and he has (i hope)
    placed the DECbridges in slot 8 of each remote hub.  
    
    PROBLEM:
    
    	I cannot do a MOP connect to the Bridges, the link keeps dropping.
    
    $ NCL create MOP CLIENT db90_houston
    $ NCL set mop client db90_houston address = { 08-00-2b-29-eb-21 }
    $ set host /mop db90_houston
    
    DECBRIDGE90 prompt comes up with all of the header stuff, and the
    hardware and firmware revisions, but then every three seconds or so,
    additional numbers appear on my screen.   Little half addresses, or
    just a few numbers, followed by the last line of the connect message.
    Any commands that I try to type are not echoed, and after about ten 
    minutes, my DCL prompt returns, and the VAX says that it lost 
    communication with the target node.   The Bridge comes up with 
    version 1.5 firmware, I beleive, but I don't dare try to LOAD a
    new version of firmware (I have v3.1) if the MOP link is so flaky.  I
    would hate to have it start the load, and then die.  The Only VAX is at
    the central site.   I can connect to local DECbridges over the Ethernet
    just fine.  Some remote sites I cannot connect via MOP with at all.
    
    I try to bring up HUBwatch, and it works for the local DECagent, and
    the local Bridges.  But if I add a community, I get a blank backplane. 
    I add a remote DECbridge to slot 8 of that new empty backplane, and an
    error window pops up, saying "Cannot Communicate with Agent".  I assume
    that this is because the remote Bridges are not at version 3.0 or
    better.
    
    Is it normal for old revision Bridges (FPROM1.5) to spray unsolicted
    numbers out after the "DECbridge> " prompt ??  I have attached the
    output of a MOP session to the offending Bridge here...
    
    $ SET HOST /MOP db90_houston
    
    Console connected (press CTRL/D when finished)
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    FPROM V1.5 )1991 Digital Equipment Corp. 19-APR-1991
    
    DECbridge>
    1805:00-00-00-00
    01
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    DECbridge>
    DECbridge>
    1805:00-00-00-00
    01
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    DECbridge>
    1805:00-00-00-00
    01
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    DECbridge>
    1805:00-00-00-00
    01
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    DECbridge>
    1805:00-00-00-00
    01
    DECbridge 90 V1.14  08-00-2B-29-EB-21 ) 1991 Digital Equipment Corp
    DECbridge>
    $ 
    
    I type my escape character, and get out.   I thought that the bridge
    might be going through self-tests, for some reason, and I recalled that
    since the bridge is NOT being used as a bridge, (it's only used here to
    manage the repeaters, since the TransLAN is the Bridge) that it's
    configuration was not properly set up.  I FED-EXed some Ethernet
    Loop-back connectors to the remote sites, and asked the customer to
    place a loopback onto the 15-pin port, and press the port select
    switch DOWN (toward the AUI-port).  This did not seem to help.  The
    three-second dance continues.  
    
    Any suggestions ??
    
    JR
    

    Just check the backbone port of DECbridge 90. In case the backbone port
    of the bridge is left open, the string you mention (1805:00-00-00-00)
    comes.
    
    I also faced this problem and in my case, I connected one system (in my
    configuration I had to connect a VAX anyway), this problem got solved.
            
    The real technical reason - some one  from engineering please.
    
    Regards,
    Surender