Advanced Network Testing

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Rack Mount and Larger Switch Testing

This section is a short guide for testing larger switches (usually more than 12 ports) If you are trying configure a small switch (less than 12 ports), refer to the "Basic" Network Test Page In most cases switches over 12 ports will be Rack Mount, but not always! In some cases the device may be rack mount but not have rails attached to it.

Testing a switch with a console port

Most rack mount switches will have a console port to be able to configure the device (if it does not, the standard Network Test page will have better instruction)

Step 1: Reset or "clear" the switch, there are two ways of doing this. One is to use a paper clip and push in the reset button, but there is not always a reset button on all switches. If the switch does not have a reset button or it seems to do nothing, try the second method. The second way of resetting a switch is to access its console. Learning how to do this early in the testing process generally helps. There are a few different configuration applications that run in a console or "terminal" window, the best one to use (and the one that is already installed) is Minicom. You can start Minicom by opening a terminal window and running the command "minicom -s" After opening Minicom, you will be prompted to hit enter to continue.

Test Procedures for Specific Models

Cisco PIX Firewalls
Cisco Routers
Juniper NetScreen-5GT Firewalls