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Network Utility User's Guide


Chapter 2. Bringing Up a User Console

You must set up a terminal to access the Network Utility for configuration and operation. The information in this chapter helps you:

When you are finished with this chapter, you should have an active terminal and it should be at the initial command prompt ready for configuration.


Access Methods

You can access and connect to the Network Utility in several ways that are summarized in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1. User Console Attachment Options

Physical Attachment Line Protocol Access Protocol Default IP Addresses
Service port + null modem Service port + external modem PCMCIA modem Asynchronous characters ASCII Terminal emulation Not Applicable
SLIP Telnet Network Utility = 10.1.1.2 Workstation = 10.1.1.3
PCMCIA EtherJet IP Telnet Network Utility = 10.1.0.2 Workstation = 10.1.0.3
Any IP network interface IP Telnet No defaults

Make the physical connections in one of the following ways when you want to use:

  1. An ASCII terminal or a workstation that is running terminal emulation software:

  2. The Telnet protocol on a workstation that is running TCP/IP software:

Figure 2-1. Local Workstation Serial Connection to the EIA 232 Port

View figure.

Figure 2-2. Remote Serial Connection to the PCMCIA Modem

View figure.

Figure 2-3. LAN Connection through the PCMCIA LAN Adapter

View figure.


Which Access Method Should I Use?


ASCII Terminal Setup and Usage

Use this section if you are setting up an ASCII terminal or a workstation with terminal emulation. You can use ASCII terminal emulation to access Network Utility whether or not it has ever been configured.

An ASCII terminal console provides access both to the main operational code (the command-line interface), and to the firmware user interface (see Firmware). If you are remotely dialed-in to the PCMCIA or an external modem and you reboot the unit, you will lose your console connection and need to re-dial2. If you are locally connected, your console connection is maintained during a reboot.

Attaching an ASCII Terminal

Attach an ASCII terminal or emulator (with the appropriate emulation software) to provide local or remote access as shown in Figure 2-2 and Figure 2-1. DEC VT100 and DEC VT220 ASCII terminals are supported, as well as devices such as personal computer systems that are configured to emulate them.

Serial Port and PCMCIA Modem Default Settings

These are the default settings for the serial port:

Speed
19.2 Kbps
Parity
None
Data Bits
8
Stop Bits
1
Terminal type
VT220, Monochrome

To change the settings for the serial port, follow these steps:

  1. Reboot the Network Utility to the firmware main menu, using one of the tasks in Boot Options: Fast Boot and Reaching Firmware.

  2. Select Option 1, Manage Configuration

  3. Move the cursor to the row for the COM1 serial port and press Enter

  4. Move the cursor to the characteristic you want to change (for example, baud rate), and press Enter

  5. Select the new value and press Enter

  6. Press Esc to return to the firmware main menu

  7. If you want to continue the current boot sequence and have the operational code start using the new settings, press F9 (Start OS).

    If you want to reboot into the firmware and have the firmware start using the new settings, press F3 (Reboot).

  8. Change the settings of your terminal or terminal emulation software to match the new settings of the Network Utility serial port.

The PCMCIA modem is a standard item that is shipped with the Network Utility in most countries. It is a 33.6 Kbps V.34 data modem, and it negotiates the data rate to be used between it and the partner modem on the other side of the telephone network. Using data compression, this modem is capable of data throughput greater than 33.6 Kbps.

The data rate between the Network Utility system and its PCMCIA modem defaults to 19.2 Kbps, but you can raise it to accommodate the higher throughput that the two modems may be able to achieve between themselves. For example, you may want to set this rate to 57.6 Kbps so that it is higher than the effective data rate of two 33.6 Kbps modems running data compression. If your modems are both faster than 19.2 Kbps, raising this rate will lower Xmodem file transfer time.

To change the data rate and any of the other settings for the PCMCIA modem, follow the same procedure given above for serial port settings, but select COM2, the PCMCIA modem, instead of the serial port.

ASCII Terminal Setup Attributes

This is a list of all the options required to set up a terminal or terminal emulator that is connected to the Network Utility service port. Not every terminal (particularly 3151 and 3161) will have all these options. You should use the information to set the options that you can set on your terminal.

Terminal Settings and Function Keys

Baud Rate:
19200 bits per second
Note:Baud rate must match the speed of the Network Utility serial service port.
Parity:
None
Data bits:
8
Stop bits:
1
 
Duplex:
Full Duplex
Flow Control:
XON/XOFF and RTS/CTS (see Note 1)
 
Screen Control:
ANSI Full screen
Screen Width:
80 Characters
Screen Height:
24 Lines
Line Wrap:
ON
Screen Scroll:
ON
 
Carriage Return Translation:
CR (0Dx)
Backspace Translation:
Destructive

Notes:

  1. Set terminals and terminal emulator programs that do not have flow control options to "Permanent Request to Send".

  2. Set terminal emulators that require a terminal type selection to VT-220.

Function Keys

When accessing the firmware, you will need to use function keys F1, F2, F3, F4, F6, and F9. Not all terminals or terminal emulators provide standard support for these function keys (for example, the VT100 types).

The simplest way to simulate these functions keys is to type the following sequence, with no more than two seconds between each step:

  1. Ctrl-a
  2. The number (not the function key itself) of the function key you want
  3. Enter

Alternatively, you can set up your terminal emulator to generate the following escape key sequences when you press a function key:



            Function 1 (F1):  <Esc> O P         Hex: 1B 4F 50
            Function 2 (F2):  <Esc> O Q         Hex: 1B 4F 51
            Function 3 (F3):  <Esc> O R         Hex: 1B 4F 52
            Function 4 (F4):  <Esc> O S         Hex: 1B 4F 53
            Function 6 (F6):  <Esc> [ 0 0 6 q   Hex: 1B 5B 30 30 36 71
            Function 9 (F9):  <Esc> [ 0 0 9 q   Hex: 1B 5B 30 30 39 71
 
Note:In the definitions of function keys:

O = uppercase O
0 = the number zero
All characters are case-sensitive


Multiple Terminal Users

One user at a time can have an active terminal console through the system card serial port or the PCMCIA modem interface. If a workstation is connected locally to the serial port and a call comes in over the PCMCIA modem, priority is given to the call. After the call, the user at the local workstation will have to reconnect.


Telnet Setup and Usage

Use this section if you are setting up Telnet terminal console access.

Telnet provides access only to the main operational code (the command-line interface), and not to the firmware user interface. If you reboot the unit from the command-line interface, you lose your Telnet connection and you need to re-establish it after the unit has rebooted.

If your unit has never been configured, the only way you can Telnet to it is by using the default SLIP or PCMCIA EtherJet IP addresses.

SLIP Addresses

The default SLIP IP addresses for use with the PCMCIA or external modems are:

For the workstation:
10.1.1.3

For the Network Utility:
10.1.1.2

For instructions about installing SLIP, refer to the documentation for your version of TCP/IP PC software.

PCMCIA LAN IP Addresses

The default IP addresses for use with the PCMCIA EtherJet PC card are as follows:

For the workstation:
10.1.0.3

For the Network Utility:
10.1.0.2

You can change these addresses either from the operational code command-line interface or from the firmware. (Use the procedures that are documented in Basic IP Configuration and Operation.) You must first bring up your initial user console using ASCII terminal emulation or by telnetting to the default IP addresses.

Network Interface IP Addresses

There are no default IP addresses for network interfaces (those on the adapters in the adapter slots). Use either the command-line interface or the Configuration Program to set up IP addresses for network interfaces. All the example configuration tables in Part 3, Configuration and Management Specifics show how to set up IP addresses on interfaces.You cannot Telnet in through a network interface until you activate the IP address configuration change.

In addition to assigning IP addresses to an interface, you can assign one to the entire unit. This IP address is known as the internal IP address, and it remains active independent of the state of individual network interfaces.

If you have a Model TN1 and are using the TN3270 server function, you must configure the IP address and TCP port number to be used by TN3270. If you accept the default Telnet port number 23 for TN3270, you must attach your console Telnet sessions to a different IP address than the one you have configured for the TN3270 server. This allows the unit to distinguish console Telnet sessions from TN3270 client sessions.

Multiple Telnet Users

Two users at a time can bring up Telnet consoles through network interfaces. A third user's Telnet attempt will be rejected until one of the first two users has disconnected. One user at a time can have an active console through the system card service port or PCMCIA interfaces, including Telnet through SLIP or the PCMCIA LAN card.


Getting to the Command Prompt

After you have set up your user console, look for the messages and go to one of the command prompts described here.

What You Should See

If you have an active user console from the time you power on a Network Utility until it presents the first command prompt, you see a sequence of informational status messages about:

At any time after you see the prompt Please press the space bar to obtain the console, press the space bar to attach the Network Utility console process to your session. The system acknowledges this action with the message Console granted to this interface, and by displaying a command prompt after the code loading is complete.

If you are at a Network Utility that has never been configured, the system presents the command prompt Config (only)>. You can then proceed as described in Chapter 3, "Performing the Initial Configuration", to configure the Network Utility. If the Network Utility has been configured sufficiently to become fully operational, the system presents the asterisk (*) command prompt.

Only a directly attached ASCII device can show you all the messages from the entire boot sequence. If you are dialing in through the PCMCIA modem or telnetting in to bring up your user console, the Network Utility needs to be at least partially booted before it can respond to your connection attempt. When you do connect, the boot process may be in one of its later phases or may complete. The system grants you the console immediately and then gives you a command prompt after the boot process completes.

Solving ASCII Terminal Problems

Garbage, random characters, or the inability to connect your terminal to the Network Utility service port can have a number of causes. The most common cause of garbage or random characters is that the terminal baud rate is not synchronized with the Network Utility.

The Network Utility is always set to a specific baud rate, which by default is 19.2 Kbps. The only way to change this rate is through the firmware, so you must have a working console to change it. If your console in unreadable, try different baud rate values on the terminal side until you find the one that gives you readable status messages or command prompts.

Other causes of connection problems include:

Refer to "Service Terminal Display Unreadable" in the 2216 Nways Multiaccess Connector and Network Utility Service and Maintenance Manual for more information on handling these problems.

Solving Telnet Problems

The most common Telnet problem is the inability to reach the Network Utility through your IP network. You can use the standard debug tools (ping and traceroute) to determine what is happening. If you are trying to ping to the Network Utility internal IP address, you need to set up a host route in your workstation to that address, with the next hop being the interface IP address through which you will be entering the Network Utility.

You can also try to ping from the Network Utility back to your workstation. The firmware provides a way to do this from an EtherJet or SLIP port, and the operational code Console process provides a way to do this from network interfaces. See Basic IP Configuration and Operation for a summary of these procedures.


Footnotes:

2
If you are using an external modem and it can be set to ignore a drop in DTR from the Network Utility, then you will not lose the console connection when you reboot the Network Utility. Refer to the user documentation for the modem.


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