Installing and Configuring X.25 Adapters

Step 1: Install an X.25 Adapter

Install a certified X.25 adapter in the remote access server.

A list of third-party X.25 adapters certified by the Novell Labs^TM group can be found at the Novell WWW location http://labs.novell.com.

NOTE:  The Novell labs document, How to select WAN Hardware for your Novell product, can help you to select the appropriate hardware for X.25, as well as for other WAN and dial-up adapters. This document can be found at the Novell WWW location http://labs.novell.com/wan/certinfo.htm.

You can install more than one X.25 adapter in the server; however, the number of adapters might be limited depending on the manufacturer and available interrupts.

For installation instructions, refer to your X.25 adapter documentation.

Step 2: Configure the X.25 Interface Board

Use the Novell Internet Access Server Configuration (NIASCFG) utility to configure the X.25 boards installed in the remote access server. After you have run NIASCFG to configure one or more X.25 drivers, the remote access software automatically loads the driver for the board when a session is initiated on an X.25 port.

NOTE:  The name of the X.25 support driver provided with Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 is SYNCPLUS.LAN.

Each X.25 driver that works with remote access has a driver description file (sometimes called a load driver information file or .LDI file) that specifies the parameters for the driver load. When you run NIASCFG, you accept default settings in the .LDI file or modify them according to your requirements.

The parameters for the load command vary for different drivers. For example, some drivers require an I/O port address, memory address, and interrupt, whereas other drivers require other parameters to interface with the data-link layer.

To run NIASCFG and configure an X.25 interface board, complete the following steps:

1. At the server prompt, enter

   LOAD NIASCFG

   If this is the first time that you have run NIASCFG on the server, the following prompt appears.

   Transfer LAN driver, protocol and remote access commands?

   IMPORTANT:  Make sure that you really want to do this before responding Yes to this prompt. If you respond Yes to the prompt, NIASCFG comments out any load and bind commands for LAN drivers in the server's AUTOEXEC.NCF file and transfers them to its own initialization file, the NETINFO.CFG file in the SYS:\ETC directory. You can view this file but cannot edit it. Subsequently, when you start the server, the NetWare^® Link/X.25^TM software automatically issues the initialize system command to initialize X.25 ports on the server.

2. If you want NIASCFG to modify your AUTOEXEC.NCF file, select Yes in response to the prompt; otherwise, select No.

   The Internetworking Configuration menu appears.

3. From the Internetworking Configuration menu, select Boards.

   The Configured Boards window appears.

   If you are setting up a new configuration, no existing boards are shown. Otherwise, boards that have already been configured are shown.

   Table 5 explains the fields shown on the Configured Boards window.

4. Press Ins.

5. Scroll through the list of available drivers that appears.

6. Do one of the following:

   • If you find the driver for your board in the list, highlight the driver name and press Enter.
   • If you do not find the driver for your board in the list, follow the procedure listed under Copying a Driver File to the Server.

   The Board Configuration window appears.

7. Specify the X.25 interface board parameters.

   1. If the parameters are listed as separate fields, highlight each field and accept the default value shown or select an appropriate value for the parameter.

      All drivers require a board name. However, the additional fields on the Board Configuration window vary, depending on the driver.

      Table 2-1 describes the most common driver configuration parameters. If your driver requires other parameters, highlight the field for that parameter and press F1 to display information about the field or refer to your driver documentation.

      
      Table 5. Common Driver Configuration Parameters

      Field	Description
      Board Name	Enter a name for the board. You can use up to 10 alphanumeric characters for the board name.
      Driver	Select the name of the driver associated with the board.
      Int	The interrupt request level (IRQ) used by the board. Make sure that the setting you use matches the settings enabled by the board's jumpers or DIP switches. This setting should not conflict with the interrupts used by any other boards in the server.
      IOAddr	The base input/output port address for the board. Make sure that the setting you use matches the settings enabled by the board's jumpers or DIP switches. This address should not conflict with the I/O addresses used by any other boards in the server.
      MemAddr	The base memory address used by the board. This address range should not conflict with the I/O addresses used by any other boards in the server.
      Slot	If the driver configuration for the board requests this information, enter the number of the slot where the board is installed.
      Comment	A comment about the board or its configuration.

   2. If the Board Configuration window for your board's driver provides only a Board Parameters field, type the required parameters in this field.

      For example, if your adapter board requires a port I/O address, a memory address, and an interrupt number, type

      PORT=258 MEM=D000 INT=3

8. Press Esc to exit the Board Configuration window.

9. Select Yes to save changes to the X.25 interface board configuration, then press Enter.

   If the configuration you specified conflicts with the configuration for other boards, one or more messages appear describing the conflicting parameters. If you believe that the conflict might cause a problem with the system, change the configuration of one or more boards to resolve the conflict.

   The Configured Boards window appears and lists the interface you just configured. The Status field is Enabled.

10. To configure any additional boards, repeat Step 3 through Step 8.

    NOTE:  If you have run NIASCFG previously and it modified the AUTOEXEC.NCF file to include load commands for LAN drivers, you will have to modify the AUTOEXEC.NCF file manually if you want additional load driver commands to be in the file.

11. When you are finished, press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu.

Copying a Driver File to the Server

If you try to add a driver configuration from the Configured Boards window and do not find the correct driver for the board you are configuring, you must copy the driver description file for the board to the server before you can configure it.

To copy a driver file to the server, complete the following steps:

1. From the Configured Boards window, press Ins.

   The Available Drivers window appears.

2. Press Ins.

   The New Driver window appears.

3. Make sure that the system can find the driver file.

   • If the driver is on a diskette, insert the diskette containing the driver into an available drive slot.
   • If the driver is not on the server, make sure that you have copied it to the server.

4. Type the full pathname of the new driver and press Enter.

   The new driver appears in the list of Available Drivers.

   If NIASCFG cannot find the driver file you specify, the message Driver file not found appears.

5. To configure the driver, go to Step 1.

Step 3: Configure the Network Interface

To configure network interface parameters for NetWare Link/X.25, complete the following steps.

1. From the NIASCFG Internetworking Configuration menu, select Network Interfaces.

   The Network Interfaces window appears.

2. Select an unconfigured port on an X.25 board.

   A pop-up menu listing the available media appears.

3. Select X.25-Host.

   The X.25 Network Interface window appears.

   The first field in the Network Interface window is the Interface Name field. This field is a read-only field that displays the interface name assigned by NIASCFG. This name is a combination of the board name that was specified in the Board Configuration window plus the number of the port on the adapter.

4. Configure the remaining fields on the Network Interface window as indicated in Table 2-2.

   
   Table 6. Network Interface Configuration Fields

   Field	Explanation
   Interface Group	Accept the default value (None).
   Interface Status	Specifies whether the port is Enabled or Disabled. Accept the default value (Enabled) by pressing the Down-arrow key to skip to the next field. If you need to disable the field to test your board configuration, refer to Network Interface Configuration Parameters.
   Profile	Specifies a standard profile used by X.25 service providers. Press Enter to display a list of standard profiles and then select the standard profile for your X.25 service provider from the list. If you need to modify the profile, refer to Viewing and Configuring Profile Parameters for instructions.
   DTE Address	Enter the address assigned by your local X.25 network service provider.
   Statistics Period	Specifies the interval, in seconds, at which the interface board is polled by the driver to gather statistical data that is displayed on the monitor. Accept the default value (6 seconds).
   User Data Size	Specifies the maximum user data size, in bytes, that the interface supports. Accept the default value (1500 bytes).
   Interface Queue Limit	Specifies the maximum number of data packets that can be queued to this port. Accept the default value (100 packets). The range of values is 0 (unlimited) through 1024 packets.
   Physical Type	Specifies the port's electrical interface standard (RS-232, RS-422, or V.35). This parameter must match the actual interface used with the port.
   Port Connection	Specifies the physical connection between the local DTE and the remote end. Accept the default value (Hard-wired). If you need to change the default, refer to Network Interface Configuration Parameters.
   Interface Speed	Specifies the line speed, in bits per second, for this port. Accept the default value (External). If you need to change the interface speed, refer to Viewing and Configuring Profile Parameters.
   Authentication Options	Limits acceptance of incoming calls to those specified in a DTE address database. Press Enter to display the X.25 Authentication Options window. Then make sure that the Inbound Authentication field in this window reads Disabled.

5. Press Esc to return to the Network Interface window.

6. When prompted to save the configuration, select Yes.

7. Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu.

Step 4: Configure the WAN Call Directory (Optional)

When you use remote access to communicate through an X.25 network, you must specify a DTE number. To avoid having to remember the DTE number, you can configure a WAN call destination configuration for each remote destination the server will communicate with. WAN call destination configurations contain parameters that NetWare Link/X.25 uses when establishing and maintaining calls to the destination.

To configure WAN call destinations for X.25 interfaces, complete the following steps.

1. From the NIASCFG Internetworking Configuration menu, select WAN Call Directory.

   The Configured WAN Call Destinations window appears. This window has no entries if no WAN call destinations are configured.

2. Press Ins to configure a new WAN call destination.

   The following prompt appears:

   New Call Destination Name:

3. Enter a name for the new WAN call destination.

   The WAN call destination name can be up to 47 alphanumeric characters in length.

   A list of supported wide area media appears.

4. Select X.25 Host.

   NOTE:  If you have not installed an X.25 board and configured an interface before attempting to configure a WAN call destination, an error message appears.

   The X.25 Call Destination Configuration window is displayed.

   The first field in the X.25 Call Destination Configuration window is the Call Destination Name field. This field is a read-only field. It displays the name of the WAN call destination that you entered in Step 3.

5. Specify information for the remaining fields in the X.25 Call Destination window, as described in Table 2-3.

   
   Table 7. X.25 Call Destination Window Fields

   Field	Explanation
   Call Type	Press the Down-arrow key to accept the default value (Permanent <active continuously >).
   Interface Group	This field is not used with remote access X.25 support.
   Interface Name	Press Enter to display a list of available X.25 interfaces (ports on installed X.25 adapters). Then select the interface that the call destination configuration will be used with.
   Circuit Type	Press Down-arrow to accept the default value (Switched Virtual Circuit).
   PVC Number	This field is not used with remote access X.25 support.
   Destination DTE Address	Enter the DTE address for the remote call destination. The address can be up to 15 decimal digits long.
   Retry Mode	Press Down-arrow to accept the default value (Retry Self-Correcting Failures). If you need to change the value, refer to WAN Call Directory Configuration Parameters.
   Retry Limit Handling	Press Down-arrow to accept the default value (Continuous at Limit). If you need to change the value, refer to WAN Call Directory Configuration Parameters.
   Retry Interval Time	Press Down-arrow to accept the default value (00:10:00). If you need to change the value, refer to WAN Call Directory Configuration Parameters.
   Idle Line Timeout field	This field is not used with remote access X.25 support.
   Remote System ID	Press Down-arrow to accept the default value (<None>).
   Expert Call Configuration	Normally, you do not need to specify an expert call configuration. If you need to specify one, refer to Expert Call Configuration Parameters.

6. Press Esc.

7. When prompted to save your changes, select Yes.

   The new WAN call destination appears in the list of configured WAN call destinations.

8. To configure another WAN call destination, repeat Step 3 through Step 7.

9. Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu.