If you have not already established a connection to another network, the easiest way to connect to the Internet or another TCP/IP network is to use QuickStart. QuickStart sets just the Pipeline settings you need to connect to another network. When you're done with QuickStart, you can use the tabs in the Java-Based Pipeline Configurator to change any settings set by QuickStart or enter additional settings.
Before making any connection to another network, either with QuickStart or the JBPC, first get information about your connection from your network administrator or network service provider and from the telephone company that provides your ISDN service. You can then use the instructions in the following sections to enter or change settings.
Note: These instructions assume you will use the Pipeline as a router, which is the most common--and normally most efficient--way to connect to a TCP/IP network. If you have a Pipeline 25 or 25-Fx without the IP Routing option, or if the network to which you're connecting requires the Pipeline to be used as a bridge, see what?.
Before connecting to any network, you must specify the type of physical connection from the local Ethernet network to the Pipeline. To do this, follow these steps:
Choose UTP if the Pipeine is connected to a 10Base-T Ethernet network (one that uses unshielded twisted-pair cabling).
Choose AUI if the Pipeine is connected to a Thicknet (10Base-5) Ethernet network or to a Thinnet (10Base-2) Ethernet network using a Thicknet-to-Thinnet transceiver.
To make any connection to another network, you must enter settings for your ISDN line as follows:
If you have a Frame Relay or Serial WAN connection rather than ordinary ISDN, contact your network administrator for specific configuration information.
The Switch Type setting specifies the type of service for your ISDN line. By default, the value of Switch Type is AT&T Point-to-Point, which specifies that your ISDN service is AT&T Custom Point-to-Point.
Switched service is the most common. If you have a leased line, contact your network administrator for specific configuration information.
Most kinds of ISDN service include a second B channel. If you have a second channel, provide values for the following settings:
Switched service is the most common. If you have a leased line, set this to Leased.
If you have a Pipeline 25 or 75, you can use your Pipeline for voice calls as well as calls for data communication. If so, and you want to be able use either phone number for voice calls, provide values for these settings:
If you want to use only one of the telephone numbers for voice calls, thereby reserving the other for data calls, set either Phone 1 Usage or Phone 2 Usage to None.
To connect to a TCP/IP network, you must enter values for certain Internet Protocol (IP) settings as follows:
Note: Using the Pipeline as a router is the most common--and normally most efficient--way to connect to a TCP/IP network. If you have a Pipeline 25 or 25-Fx, it must have the IP Routing option to work as a router for TCP/IP networks.
You get this address from your network administrator.
For most TCP/IP connections, these are the only settings in the Protocols tab you need to enter. For information about additional settings, click the Help button.
To connect to another network, you create a connection profile for that network. If you use QuickStart, a connection profile is created automatically. To create a new connection profile, follow these steps:
The Edit Connection window appears, in which you enter settings for that connection. You click buttons at the top of window to display groups of related settings.
If the Active checkbox is not checked, you can specify characteristics for a connection but not make it.
Most ISDN service is now 64 Kbps, but service in some areas is limited to 56 Kbps. For information about other values for this setting, click the Help button.
The Pipeline 75 and 50 support compression, as do Pipeline 25 models with the Compression option.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining General settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
You should get the type of authentication and password from your network administrator.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining Dial-Out settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
You get this address from your network administrator.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining IP Options settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
Before making any connection to another network, either with QuickStart or the JBPC, first get information about your connection from your network administrator or network service provider and from the telephone company that provides your ISDN service. You can then use the instructions in the following sections to enter or change settings.
Before connecting to any network, you must specify the type of physical connection from the local Ethernet network to the Pipeline. To do this, follow these steps:
Choose UTP if the Pipeine is connected to a 10Base-T Ethernet network (one that uses unshielded twisted-pair cabling).
Choose AUI if the Pipeine is connected to a Thicknet (10Base-5) Ethernet network or to a Thinnet (10Base-2) Ethernet network using a Thicknet-to-Thinnet transceiver.
To make any connection to another network, you must enter settings for your ISDN line as follows:
If you have a Frame Relay or Serial WAN connection rather than ordinary ISDN, contact your network administrator for specific configuration information.
The Switch Type setting specifies the type of service for your ISDN line. By default, the value of Switch Type is AT&T Point-to-Point, which specifies that your ISDN service is AT&T Custom Point-to-Point.
Switched service is the most common. If you have a leased line, contact your network administrator for specific configuration information.
Switched service is the most common. If you have a leased line, set this to Leased.
If you have a Pipeline 25 or 75, you can use your Pipeline for voice calls as well as calls for data communication. If so, and you want to be able use either phone number for voice calls, provide values for these settings:
If you want to use only one of the telephone numbers for voice calls, thereby reserving the other for data calls, set either Phone 1 Usage or Phone 2 Usage to None.
To connect to a NetWare network, you must enter values for certain NetWare settings as follows:
Note: Using the Pipeline as a router is the most common--and normally most efficient--way to connect to a NetWare network. If you have a Pipeline 25 or 25-Fx, it must have the IPX Routing option to work as a router for NetWare networks.
Obtain these values from your network administrator. For information about how these settings are used, click the Help button.
To connect to another network, you create a connection profile for that network. If you use QuickStart, a connection profile is created automatically. To create a new connection profile, follow these steps:
The Edit Connection window appears, in which you enter settings for that connection. You click buttons at the top of window to display groups of related settings.
If the Active checkbox is not checked, you can specify characteristics for a connection but not make it.
Most ISDN service is now 64 Kbps, but service in some areas is limited to 56 Kbps. For information about other values for this setting, click the Help button.
The Pipeline 75 and 50 support compression, as do Pipeline 25 models with the Compression option.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining General settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
You should get the type of authentication and password from your network administrator.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining Dial-Out settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
Obtain these values from your network administrator. For information about how these settings are used, click the Help button.
Note: If you have a Pipeline 25 or 25-Fx, it must have the IP Routing option or IPX Routing option to work as a router. A Pipeline 25 or 25-Fx with a routing option can route only one of these two protocols, not both at the same time.
Before connecting to any network, you must specify the type of physical connection from the local Ethernet network to the Pipeline. To do this, follow these steps:
Choose UTP if the Pipeine is connected to a 10Base-T Ethernet network (one that uses unshielded twisted-pair cabling).
Choose AUI if the Pipeine is connected to a Thicknet (10Base-5) Ethernet network or to a Thinnet (10Base-2) Ethernet network using a Thicknet-to-Thinnet transceiver.
To make a connection that uses bridging, follow these steps:
The Edit Connection window appears, in which you enter settings for that connection. You click buttons at the top of window to display groups of related settings.
If the Active checkbox is not checked, you can specify characteristics for a connection but not make it.
Most ISDN service is now 64 Kbps, but service in some areas is limited to 56 Kbps. For information about other values for this setting, click the Help button.
The Pipeline 75 and 50 support compression, as do Pipeline 25 models with the Compression option.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining General settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
You should get the type of authentication and password from your network administrator.
For most connections, you can use the default values for the remaining Dial-Out settings. For information about the other settings, click the Help button.
You normally connect one analog telephone device, such as a standard telephone or answering machine, to each of the Phone jacks on the Pipeline, as illustrated on the Start Here card included with your Pipeline. It is possible to connect more than one device to each Phone port, but the number of analog devices you can connect to each port is limited. The limit is determined by the total ringer equivalence (or REN) of the devices connected to the jack, as well as by other factors such as the length of the phone cable. (Ringer equivalence specifies how much electricity a device requires from the phone line, and REN is the unit used to measure it. The REN value of a device is often marked on its case, and it may also be listed in product specifications for the device.) In no case should the sum of the REN values of the devices connected to a single Phone jack exceed 3.
You can use each B channels of a BRI telephone line to carry either data or voice. To control how each channel is used, follow these steps:
A specifies that only the B channel specified by the SPID A setting is to be used for data.
B specifies that only the B channel specified by the SPID B setting is to be used for data.
A+B specifies that both B channels can be used for data.
This specifies whether the Phone 1 jack on the Pipeline (and a B channel for it) can be used for voice calls. Choose SPID A to allow the telephone number specified by the My Num A to be used for voice calls from the Phone 1 jack. Choose SPID B to allow the telephone number specified by the My Num B to be used for voice calls from the Phone 1 jack. Choose None to disable the Phone 1 jack and prevent voice calls to or from telephone devices connected to it.
This specifies whether the Phone 2 jack on the Pipeline (and a B channel for it) can be used for voice calls. Choose SPID A to allow the telephone number specified by the My Num A to be used for voice calls from the Phone 2 jack. Choose SPID B to allow the telephone number specified by the My Num B to be used for voice calls from the Phone 2 jack. Choose None to disable the Phone 2 jack and prevent voice calls to or from telephone devices connected to it.
The Pipeline makes it easy to make outgoing voice calls. If the ISDN line is not being used, you simply use a telephone, fax machine, or other analog device connected to the Pipeline and dial a number. In addition, you can make a voice call in most cases even if the ISDN line is being used. Here's how it works:
During a voice call, the WAN status light on the front of the Pipeline is lit.
The voice-handling features of the Pipeline also make it easy to receive incoming voice calls. If the ISDN line is not being used, you can receive a call on a telephone, fax machine, or other analog device connected to the Pipeline. In addition, you can receive a voice call in most cases even if the ISDN line is being used. Here's how it works:
During a voice call, the WAN status light on the front of the Pipeline is lit.
To put the current call on hold, follow these steps:
You can now make another call or get another incoming call.
If you have a second call, this puts the second call on hold while you take the first call.
The Pipeline supports Call Waiting, a feature that generates a distinctive tone when you are using a telephone number for a voice call and another voice call is made to the same telephone number. The Call Waiting tone, which is generated by the Pipeline, is either an approximation of the Call Waiting tone provided by most telephone companies or, on a Pipeline with a U interface, a brief ìburrî tone.
To use Call Waiting, follow these steps:
To establish a conference call, follow these steps:
A caller normally leaves a conference call by hanging up. You can also drop the caller you most recently added in step 4 by following this step:
If the call is currently a two-way call, pressing and releasing your telephone's switchhook twice terminates the call.
If you hang up while there are other people in the conference call, the call continues with the remaining people.
To transfer a call, follow these steps:
The call you put on hold can be a call to a single person or a conference call.
At this point, the call includes you, anyone who was on hold, and the person you just called. You can speak to all the callers before hanging up.
By default, the speed of each B channel of the Pipeline 25 is 56 Kbps, which is the slower of the two possible speeds for a B channel. Most telephone companies offer 64 Kbps service. If your telephone company provides 64 Kbps service, and if the other telephone companies, if any, handling your data calls also provide 64 Kbps service, you can increase your data transmission speed to 64 Kbps per channel by following these steps:
The Edit Connection window appears.
Using both B channels for a data call doubles the speed of the connection. Using both channels is possible if
This protocol, which specifies how data is be transmitted between the two ISDN devices, is the default for the Pipeline.
MP+ is supported only by ISDN devices manufactured by Ascend. If the device to which you're connecting is also made by Ascend, it is likely to use MP+. If you're not sure if this protocol is being used by the ISDN device to which you're connecting, contact the administrator of the remote network.
This is true by default for the Pipeline. To check this, click the ISDN tab and make sure the Data Usage setting is A+B.
How this works is described in the next section.
The important thing to remember is that to use both B channels for a single data call, both ISDN devices must be properly configured. The sections that follow describe the settings that are needed for the Pipeline, all of which are set correctly by default. If you cannot use both B channels and the settings for your Pipeline are correct, you'll need to contact the system administrator for the remote network and find out if the ISDN device to which you're connecting is properly configured.
Dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) is a technique used by the MP+ protocol for adding and subtracting B channels for a data call in response to the amount of data being transmitted. If more data is transmitted, a channel can be added and the speed of the transmission increases. If less data is transmitted, a channel can be removed and used for another purpose.
Here's an example of how DBA works:
By default, the connection uses a single B channel.
There is a lot of data to be transferred, and the entire capacity of the single B channel is used. When the usage of the B channel remains high for a certain length of time, a second B channel is added to the call and the speed of the transfer doubles.
You're no longer using the entire capacity of the two B channels, and after a period of time one of the B channels is removed from the call.
A Pipeline 75 or Pipeline 50 includes built-in data-compression capabilities. A Pipeline 25-Fx, 25-Px, or 25 that includes the optional data compression hardware module (part number P25-HP-COMP) can transmit data up to four times as fast as a standard Pipeline 25. The data compression hardware module can be preinstalled at the factory or it can be installed later by Ascend or one of its value-added resellers.
For data compression to work, both of the ISDN devices must be made by Ascend and support either the STAC LZS compression technique or a variation of the STAC technique used by the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. (Compression support is standard on many Ascend products and optional on the Pipeline 25.) In addition, compression must be enabled on both devices.
The extent to which data can be compressed depends on the data. Only rarely can data be compressed to 1/4 its original size, which quadruples transmission speeds, but it is common to compress data to 1/2 its original size, which doubles transmission speeds.
If your Pipeline supports data compression, Stac compression is done by default. To specify compression, follow these steps:
The Edit Connection window appears.
Choose Stac to specify the STACKER LZS data compression technique or Microsoft Stac to specify the Microsoft LZS Coherency Compression technique used by the Windows 95 operating system. In most cases, Stac is the correct value.
For many Pipeline users, controlling the cost of ISDN telephone service can be a challenge. The following sections offer advice for dealing with some of the more common problems.
If your telephone company charges you separately for each B channel you use, one way to limit charges is to use only one B channel. The drawback, of course, is that the speed of your connection is limited to a speed of a single channel (either 64 Kbps or 56 Kbps). To do this, follow these steps:
When you're done, only one telephone number (and one B channel) are used for a data call.
By default, data calls are made automatically whenever a program or service requests something from a remote network. For example, if you are using a World Wide Web browser to view a Web page at another location and you do not currently have a connection to the remote network, the Pipeline dials the remote network for you automatically. Also by default, the Pipeline hangs up if the ISDN line has not been used for two minutes. This approach is normally very convenient, because it requires no intervention. If you need something on a remote network, the connection is made automatically.
The drawback to this approach is that there are programs and services that either cause unwanted data calls to be made or that prevent calls from being hung up. The tasks they perform are either not worth the cost of a call or are not worth tying up the line for. For example, certain network protocols use ìI'm aliveî messages to say that a printer, server, or other service is still available. When such messages are sent once a minute or more, the ISDN line would normally be used continuously, resulting in enormous phone bills.
Use the information in the following sections to help you identify when unwanted calls are being made and to find approaches for dealing with them. If the suggestions don't work for your configuration, contact your network service provider, network administrator, or Ascend for advice.
The simplest way to see when calls are being made automatically is to watch the WAN light on the front of the Pipeline. When the WAN light is lit continuously, the line is use. If you don't know why the WAN light is lit and it either remains lit for long periods or is lit frequently, you need to investigate.
A common cause of unwanted calls is an application that makes frequent or continuous use of network services. World Wide Web browsers, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) clients, and network monitors are just some of the programs that can cause calls to be made or that keep calls up. Electronic mail clients that frequently check for new mail are other possible culprits. Try to identify what programs cause calls and either quit those that you do not have to have open all the time or change their configuration settings, such as frequency of e-mail checks. If necessary, quit all programs and see if unwanted calls are still being made. If not, open one program at a time and observe what happens before opening another.
Certain services provided by networks can also keep an ISDN line up. For example, continuous access to remote printers or servers may require frequent ìI'm aliveî messages that cause calls to be made. These problems can be more difficult to solve and in some cases can only be solved by eliminating the service. If you suspect a problem with a network service, contact your network administrator.
In many cases, you can use filters to prevent unwanted calls. Filters can identify the source of data, such as particular network protocol or service, and can selectively filter data that does not need to be transmitted over the ISDN connection.
Filters are almost always written by network
administrators, often in response to the specific needs of your
configuration. For information about possible filters, contact
your network administrator.
To test your ISDN line, start the JBPC, run QuickStart, and follow the instructions for testing the line when they appear.
To check the status of your ISDN telephone line, follow these steps:
The current status of the ISDN line appears in the ISDN status box at the bottom of the tab. One of the following messages appears in this box:
This indicates that the Pipeline is initializing the connection to the telephone company switch.
This indicates that the ISDN line is working properly and configured for Point-to-Point service.
This indicates that the ISDN line is working properly and configured for Multipoint service.
If any of these error messages are shown, see the Troubleshooting section of your Pipeline manual.
Another test to for proper operation of your Pipeline is to make sure you get a dial tone for analog telephones or other telephone equipment connected to the Phone jacks. Follow these steps to check the Phone jacks:
It sometimes takes longer to get a dial tone on an ISDN line than on a conventional analog line. Wait a few seconds if you don't hear a dial tone immediately.
If you want to use the other Phone jack for another analog telephone device, such as a fax machine, repeat steps 1-2 with the other jack.
Another test for proper operation of the Pipeline is to use a network application to connect to another site, such as a site on the World Wide Web. If this fails, recheck the settings you entered. If the settings appear correct, and the Pipeline passes the previous tests, contact your network administrator.
You can specify both the physical location of the Pipeline and the person to contact for information about it. This information, which is accessible to Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) applications, has no effect on the operation of the Pipeline.
To provide this information, follow these steps: