Table of Contents

Installing the Switch Router

Installing the Switch Router

This chapter describes how to prepare your site for installation, as well as rack-mount the Catalyst 4908G-L3 switch router. It also provides Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) information and instructions for connecting power to the switch router. For first-time installations, perform the procedures in the following sections in the order listed:

• Site Planning
  
  
• Site Power Requirements and Heat Dissipation
  
  
• Installing the Switch Router in a Rack
  
  
• Connecting to Fiber-Optic Networks Using a GBIC
  
  
• Installing and Removing the GBIC
  
  
• Connecting AC Power to the Switch Router
  
  
• Connecting DC-Input Wires on the Switch Router
  
  

Warning Before you install, operate, or service the system, read the Site Preparation and Safety Guide. This guide contains important safety information you should know before working with the system.

Site Planning

The Catalyst 4908G-L3 switch router operates as a standalone switch router which is mounted in a rack in a secure wiring closet. Planning the proper location of your equipment rack and layout of your wiring closet is essential for successful switch router operation. If you place equipment too close together or in an inadequately ventilated area, system overtemperature conditions can occur. Poor equipment placement can also make system panels inaccessible and difficult to maintain.

To ensure normal operation and avoid unnecessary maintenance, plan your site configuration and prepare your site before installation. If the airflow is blocked or restricted, or if the intake air is too warm, an overtemperature condition can occur. The switch router's environmental monitor can then shut down the system to protect the components.

For a description of the environmental monitor, see the "Power Supplies" section.

Table A-1 lists the operating and nonoperating environmental site requirements for the switch router. The environmental ranges are those within which the system continues to operate; however, a measurement that approaches the minimum or maximum of a range indicates a potential problem. You can maintain normal operation by anticipating and correcting environmental anomalies before they exceed the maximum operating range or fall below the minimum operating range.

Verify the site power for the type of device you are installing. Knowing the power requirements is useful for planning the power distribution system needed to support the switch router. Knowing the heat dissipation requirements is important for sizing the air-conditioning requirements for an installation. See Table A-1 for power and heat ratings for the switch router.

Caution To prevent a loss of input power, verify that the total maximum load on the circuit supplying power to the power supplies is within the current ratings of the wiring and the breakers.

Site Power Requirements and Heat Dissipation

Note   Catalyst 4908G-L3 switches have an internal power supply.

Before you install the switch, you should verify site power. Power requirements may vary for each Catalyst family switch.

Ensure that these conditions are met when preparing your site for switch router installation:

• Connect each power supply to separate wiring on a dedicated circuit; provide each power supply with its own branch circuit connection with sufficient overcurrent protection and direct grounding to the branch circuit.
  
  
• If your switch router has an AC power supply, verify that the total maximum load on each AC circuit supplying the power supply is within the current ratings of the wiring and breakers to prevent a loss of input power.
  

Caution The total maximum load on each input power circuit must be within the rating of the wiring and breaker. If this requirement is not met, an overload of input power can result.

Note   The redundant power option supports a second power supply to ensure that power to the switch router continues if one power supply fails or input power on one line fails. The redundant power supply provides this second feature only if the power supplies are connected to separate input lines.

Note   Refer to the Site Preparation and Safety Guide for site power requirements, preinstallation requirements, and EMI recommendations.

Table 2-1 describes the AC power requirements and heat dissipation specifications for the Catalyst 4908G-L3 switch router. Table 2-2 describes the DC power requirements and heat dissipation specifications for the Catalyst 4908G-L3-DC switch router.

Installing the Switch Router in a Rack

Warning This unit is intended for installation in restricted access areas. A restricted access area is where access can only be gained by service personnel through the use of a special tool, lock and key, or other means of security, and is controlled by the authority responsible for the location.

Warning This product relies on the building's installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that a Listed and Certified fuse or circuit breaker 20A, minimum 60VDC, is used on all current-carrying conductors.

Before installing the switch router in a rack, read the Site Preparation and Safety Guide to familiarize yourself with proper site and environmental conditions.

Required Installation Tools

You need the following tools to install the switch router in a rack:

• 3/16-inch flat-blade screwdriver
  
  
• Four 12-24 x 3/4-inch screws
  
  
• Tape measure and level
  
  

The following items are included in the accessory kit that ships with the chassis:

• Rack-mount kit
  
  
  • Two L brackets
    
    
  • Eight Phillips M4 flathead screws
    
    
• Disposable electrostatic discharge (ESD) grounding strap or ESD-preventive strap
  
  

Installing the Switch Router

Warning Unplug power cords before you work on a system that does not have an on/off switch.

Before you install the switch router, you need to do the following:

• Place the switch router on the floor or on a sturdy table as close as possible to the rack. Leave enough clearance so that you can move around the switch router.
  
  
• Use a tape measure to measure the depth of the rack. Measure from the outside of the front mounting posts to the outside of the rear mounting strip. The depth must be at least 18 inches (48.9 centimeters) but not greater than 32 inches (81.3 centimeters).
  
• Measure the space between the inner edges of the left front and right front mounting posts to ensure that it is 17.75 inches (45.72 centimeters) wide. (The switch router is 17.3 inches [44 centimeters] wide and must fit between the mounting posts.)
  
  

Note   Some equipment racks provide a power strip along the length of one of the rear posts. If the rack has this feature, consider the position of the strip when planning fastener points. Before installing the L brackets on the switch router, decide whether to install the switch router from the front or the rear of the rack.

To install the Catalyst 2948G-L3 switch router in a rack, follow these steps:

Step 2   Attach the left and right L brackets using the eight (four on each side) flathead Phillips screws provided in the rack-mount kit. (See Figure 2-2.)

Step 3   Install the switch router in the rack as follows:

The switch router powers up when you plug in the power cord. See the "Connecting AC Power to the Switch Router" section for instructions.

Connecting to Fiber-Optic Networks Using a GBIC

You can link the switch router to a fiber-optic network using a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC). The GBIC is a hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into the Gigabit Ethernet port (see Figure 2-4). The following GBIC media types are supported:

• 1000BASE-SX
  
  
• 1000BASE-LX/LH
  
  
• 1000BASE-ZX
  
  

Note   Because of interoperability issues, Cisco does not support GBICs purchased from third-party vendors.

For GBIC port specifications, see Table A-3.

Patch Cord

When using the 1000BASE-LX/LH GBIC with 62.5-micron diameter multimode fiber (MMF), you must install a mode-conditioning patch cord (Cisco product no. CAB-GELX-625 or equivalent) between the GBIC and the MMF cable on both the transmitter and receiver ends of the link. The patch cord is required for link distances greater than 984 feet (300 meters).

The patch cord must comply with IEEE standards. The IEEE has found that link distances do not work with certain types of fiber-optic cable because of a problem in the center of some fiber-optic cable cores. The solution is to launch light from the laser at a precise offset from the center by using the patch cord. At the output of the patch cord, the 1000BASE-LX/LH GBIC is compliant with the IEEE 802.3z standard for 1000BASE-LX. For a detailed description of this problem, refer to "Differential Mode Delay."

Note   Cisco Gigabit Ethernet products have been tested and evaluated to comply with the standards listed in "Switch Router Specifications." Ensure that equivalent cables also meet these standards.

To install the patch cord, plug the end labeled "To equipment" into the GBIC (see Figure 2-5). Plug the end labeled "To cable plant" into the patch panel. The patch cord is 9.84 feet (3 meters) long and has duplex SC-type male connectors at each end.

Installing and Removing the GBIC

This section describes how to install, maintain, and remove GBICs. A module can be shipped with or without GBICs installed.

Note   If a 1000BASE-LX/LH GBIC that is designed for operation on single-mode fiber (SMF) cable is directly coupled to a multimode fiber (MMF) cable, DMD can occur. See "Differential Mode Delay."

Follow these care and handling guidelines for the GBIC:

• GBICs are static sensitive. To prevent ESD damage, follow your normal board and component handling procedures.
  
  
• GBICs are dust sensitive. When the GBIC is stored, or when a fiber-optic cable is not plugged in, always keep plugs in the GBIC optical bores.
  
  
• The most common source of contaminants in the optical bores is debris picked up on the ferrules of the optical connectors. Use an alcohol swab or Kim-Wipe to clean the ferrules of the optical connector.
  
  

Caution Unnecessary removal or insertion of a GBIC can lead to premature failure of the GBIC. A GBIC has a lifetime of 100 to 500 removals or insertions.

Installing the GBIC

Caution When removing or inserting a GBIC, always wear an ESD wrist strap connected to the ESD wrist strap connector.

Note   GBICs are online swappable.

To install a GBIC, follow these steps:

Step 2   Remove the GBIC from its protective packaging.

Step 3   Verify that the GBIC is the correct type for your network by checking the part number. The number indicates whether it is 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, or 1000BASE-ZX.

Step 4   Grip the sides of the GBIC with your thumb and forefinger; insert the GBIC into the slot on the front of the module (see Figure 2-6).

Note   GBICs are keyed to prevent incorrect slot insertion.

Step 5   Slide the GBIC into the slot until you hear a click. The click indicates the GBIC is locked into the slot.

Step 6   Remove the plugs from the GBIC when you are ready to attach the fiber-optic cable. Save the plugs for future use.

Caution Do not remove the plugs from the GBIC optical bores or the fiber-optic cable until you are ready to connect the cable. The plugs protect the GBIC optical bores and cable from contamination.

Step 7   If you entered the shutdown command in Step 1, enter the no shutdown command after you attach the fiber-optic cables.

Removing the GBIC

Note   If you are removing the GBIC from an online switch router, enter the show interface command to determine which type of GBIC is installed.

To remove a GBIC, follow these steps:

Step 2   Disconnect the fiber-optic cable from the GBIC SC-type connector. (See Figure 2-7 for an SC-type connector.)

Step 3   Release the GBIC from the slot by simultaneously squeezing the plastic tabs (one on each side of the GBIC).

Step 4   Slide the GBIC out of the slot.

Step 5   Install the plugs in the GBIC optical bores, and place the GBIC in protective packaging.

Step 6   If you entered the shutdown command in Step 1, enter the no shutdown command after you attach the fiber-optic cables.

Connecting to the Gigabit Ethernet Ports

To connect to the Gigabit Ethernet ports, follow these steps:

Step 2   Remove the plugs from the SC-type connector on the fiber-optic cable. Insert the connector into the GBIC (see Figure 2-7).

Note   When you plug the SC-type connector into the GBIC, make sure that both the Tx and Rx fiber-optic cables are fully inserted into the connector.

Note   If you are using the 1000BASE-LX/LH GBIC with MMF, you must install a patch cord between the GBIC and the MMF cable. See the "Patch Cord" section.

Connecting AC Power to the Switch Router

To connect power to the Catalyst 2948G-L3 switch router, follow these steps:

Step 2   Plug the power cord into the switch router.

Step 3   Connect the other end of the power cord into an AC-input power outlet.

Step 4   Verify power supply operation by checking the front panel power supply LEDs. See Table 1-1 for a description of the LEDs.

See "Troubleshooting the Switch Router," if the LEDs indicate a power problem or other switch router problem.

Multiple power connections may be provided. To de-energize the switch router, disconnect the power cord and RPS cable.

Connecting DC-Input Wires on the Switch Router

The Catalyst 4908G-L3 switch router can be configured with a DC power supply. The DC power supply is located on the rear panel of the switch router. To connect the DC-input wires to a switch router DC-input power supply, follow the steps in this section.

Warning This product relies on the building's installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that a Listed and Certified fuse or circuit breaker 20A, minimum 60VDC, is used on all current-carrying conductors.

Required Tools and Materials

The following tools and materials are required to connect the DC-input wires:

• Small flathead screwdriver
  
  
• DC-input wire
  
  
• CO ground wire
  
  

The ground wire must be 12 to 14 AWG (use the larger gauge ground wire when the switch is farther away from the ground location).

Connecting the DC-Input Wires

To connect the DC-input wires, follow these steps:

Step 2   Turn off the power to the DC-input circuit.

Step 3   Connect the DC-input wires to the terminal block as follows (see Figure 2-8):

Step 4   Restore power by moving the circuit breaker switch handle to the On (|) position.

Step 5   Verify power supply operation as follows:

Some interface LEDs might light or blink for a short time. Some LEDs, such as the Link LED, stay on during the entire boot process. If you already configured an interface, the LEDs might be lit continuously as they detect traffic on the line.

Note   Many LEDs are not lit until you configure the interfaces.