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Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

Title:DEChub/HUBwatch/PROBEwatch CONFERENCE
Notice:Firmware -2, Doc -3, Power -4, HW kits -5, firm load -6&7
Moderator:NETCAD::COLELLADT
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4455
Total number of notes:16761

1223.0. "FDDI-Ethernet & NETWARE Problem" by KXOSRV::COOPER (Ron Cooper) Wed Jul 13 1994 13:16

I recently configured a DEChub 900 for a customer who is plans to move all
of the PC's in his department from ethernet to FDDI.  At present, all of
the servers (NETWARE 3.12 on Intel) will remain on the ethernet with plans
for a dedicated server on FDDI.  The current configuration:

   /-- AUI to repeater in existing network
   |             /-- "M" to PC FDDI UTP
   |             |                       UTP to PC Ethernet --\                             
+----------+   +----------+   +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
|Bridge 900|   |FDDI Con. |   |FDDI Con. |   |FDDI Con. |   | Repeater |
|          |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |   90T    |
+----------+   +----------+   +----------+   +----------+   +----------+
  |AB|  |Ethernet  |AB|           |AB|          |AB|           | Thinwire
  |  |  |          |  |           |  |          |  |           |
  |  |  |          |  |           |  |          |  |           |
  |  | =*===============Thinwire===============================*======
  |  |             |  |           |  |          |  |
  |  |             |  |           |  |          |  |
==*==*== FDDI LAN =*==*===========*==*==========*==*==================

An ethernet node connected to the repeater works fine.
A PC connected via FDDI is visable on the ethernet network (IRIS will
see the IPX SAP messages), but no server will respond.  The netware
administrator claims that he loaded SNAP on one of the servers, but I
still can't connect.  

Is this a valid FDDI-Ethernet configuration?  Has anyone seen this kind
of problem with Netware?

Thanks in advance.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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1223.1What protocol ??VNABRW::SCHMOELZER_RWed Jul 13 1994 15:1210
    Hi Ron,
    
    I had a similar problem with the DB900MX. Customer connected the Server
    via FDDI and the PC's via 10base2. There is only a FDDI_802.2 protocol,
    but the preferred protocol for Netware until 3.12 was 802.3, so
    customer had to reconfigure all PC's to DOS/ODI and 802.2 (802.2 does
    not work on dedicated IPX). Maybe you have the same problem.
    
    greetings
    Robert, PCI-Lan AUSTRIA 
1223.2Novell "raw" IPX can be a problem!AKRON1::SMITHSic Semper Potatum ReclinusWed Jul 13 1994 17:3830
    Ron,
    
    One thing to be aware of...  The 900MX has a firmware switch for a
    thing called "raw IPX".  Raw IPX is the best way to describe what
    Novell calls 802.3 compliance.  
    
    Novell's default LAN protocol has a datalink header consisting of
    Destination address(6 bytes), Source address(6 bytes), frame size (2
    bytes), then data.  Nowhere is the 802.2 LLC header that should come
    after the frame size field.  Novell puts FF-FF where the SAPs would
    normally go then their Netware Core Protocol (NCP) stuff.  
    
    Going ethernet to ethernet it's no big deal.  Going ethernet to FDDI IS
    a big deal!  
     
    Paul Koning had to write a "hack" specifically to deal with raw IPX in
    the DECbridge 6XX. (See UPSAR::FDDI note 819 for discussion)
    
    In my case, entered as note 1224 in this conference, raw IPX will work
    ethernet to ethernet via the 900MX but not very well ethernet-to-FDDI-
    to-ethernet. I suspect that the raw IPX firmware switch available from
    HUBwatch is the answer but I enabled in via HUBwatch for my problem
    with no effect.  I suspect that the "switch" isn't dynamic and only a
    reset or power cycle enables it.  (See my entry in this conference
    #1224;  I've seen an IPX issue AND an AUI port heartbeat issue!)
    
    Jeff Smith
    MCS Systems Support Engineer
    Cleveland, Ohio
    DTN 431-2712
1223.3More info in reply to note 1224KALI::KRISHNAThu Jul 14 1994 09:094
    I have added more information on the Raw IPX translation as a reply to
    note 1224. 
    
    Krishna