If your adapter card cannot make a connection to the network,
and the Product Activity Log points to a physical network problem, check the
following problem areas:
Cabling problems
Check that your cable type is appropriate for the line speed you are using.
For example, category 3 cable cannot be used for 100 Mbps.
Is the cable wired correctly?
Do all cables, patch cables, and patch panels between the iSeries™ and
the network, switch or hub support your line speed? For example, if the line
speed is configured at 100 Mbps, the cable must be category 5 to support the
speed.
Possible solutions
If the cables have been excessively bent or stretched, the wiring inside
the cable might have been untwisted, damaged, or even broken. Try reseating
the cable or temporarily replacing it with a functional one.
Make sure that you are not using crossover cable.
Route the cable away from electrically noisy devices, such as fluorescent
lights, printers, copiers, or electric motors. These items can cause interference
with data transmissions.
Try plugging the cable into a different switch or hub port.
Check that the switch or hub has the latest software from the vendor.
You might want to add lightning protection to your network cabling and
switch or hub power lines, if you live in a lightning prone area. A direct
strike can cause a large power surge, which can severely damage your networking
equipment and cabling.
Configuration problem checks and solutions
Check that the line speed and duplex mode chosen in CRTLINETH are the
same as the parameters programmed into the switch or hub port. One frequent
cause of problems is a duplex or line speed mismatch
Note: To use the *AUTO
configuration for line speed or duplex mode, you must configure both of the
parameters to *AUTO. Do not use line speed and duplex configurations of 10/AUTO,
100/AUTO, AUTO/Half, or AUTO/Full. These configurations might work, but you
will have frequently unsuccessful and incorrect connections.
Try varying the line off and then on again with *RESET. Do not use *RESET
if an MFIOP is the IOP! This might shut down the entire machine
because other devices that share the MFIOP will not be able to access the
line.
If you suspect the adapter might be faulty, run VFYCMN with an external
wrap plug attached. If this test is passed, the adapter card is not likely
to be the problem.
Connect a LAN analyzer to verify that the actual line speed and duplex
mode being used on the link between the iSeries and
the hub or switch is accurate.