NDS/5000 Integrated Communications Servers

What is the NDS/5000?
Features and Benefits
Configuring the NDS/5000: Storing and Changing Settings
Possible Configurations for the NDS/5000 in a Networking Environment

The NDS/5000 family of remote communications servers connects to 10/100 Mbps Ethernet and provides eight or sixteen RJ-45 serial ports that are software selectable to RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485. The NDS/5000 uses the TCP/IP family of protocols to provide terminal connectivity and communications services in open systems environments.

Features and Benefits

The NDS/5000 offers the following features and benefits:

• Easy set up and configuration
• Open systems communications for multi-site data networks
• Can be used in a variety of data communications applications
• Reduces cost and complexity
• 8 or 16 RJ-45 serial ports
• 1 Switch with 4 ethernet ports, 1 port cross-wired for easy connection to another switch
• High-speed serial connections
• Software selectable RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 modes on each port
• Operating system independent
• Complete remote diagnostics
• LEDs for each port, signaling port status and error conditions
• Industry standard interoperability
• Developer's API for custom, on-board applications and protocols
• Raw reverse telnet option so you can access ports without using special protocol or processing
• Standard lpd printing option that is efficient and easy to use
• Dial on demand to automatically dial and make a connection with a remote system
• Multiple services per port allows setting up both incoming and outgoing services on the same port
• ppp header compression
• Reverse telnet support for a variety of UNIX operating system

Configuring the NDS/5000

• If you are using Windows, you can install and use the NativeCOM software, setting the IP address as part of the configuration process. The NativeCOM software is provided free of charge with your Systech port server.
• assign the IP address using ARP on a host
• assign the IP address using a BOOTP server
• allow a DHCP server to assign the IP address

Session settings

When the NDS/5000 is booted, the configuration information that defines the operation of the NDS/5000 during the session (the active configuration) is loaded into memory from the current configuration database in flash memory. You can change any configuration setting in the active configuration. In addition, you can save the active configuration into the current configuration database (in flash memory) so that the changed settings will be available after reboot/restart.

When the NDS/5000 is delivered, the current configuration database contains factory default settings. In addition, a factory default configuration database (a copy of the current configuration database) is stored in flash memory. The factory default configuration database is stored as a backup configuration which can be restored into the current configuration database if necessary. If the NDS/5000 encounters an error condition while loading the current configuration database into the active configuration, it will load the factory default configuration database into the active configuration instead, in order to complete the boot. The status LED on the back panel will flash alternately yellow and green to indicate that a problem occurred and the factory default configuration was loaded.

• using the NDS/5000 command interface via a terminal connected to the NDS/5000; or
• using a web browser to connect to the IP address of the NDS/5000; or
• for Windows users, using the NativeCOM port redirector software developed by Systech and provided free of charge with the NDS/5000.

At any point, you can restore the factory default configuration settings.

Settings

Some of the commonly changed configuration items are.

Passwords

• User login
• Administrative

Networking

• Internet address
• Subnetwork mask
• Initial route list
• Host name list
• Domain name
• DNS server list

Asynch serial ports

• Service definition
• Speed
• Character length
• Stop bits
• Parity
• Input flow control
• Output flow control
• Inactivity timeout
• switch character
• dcd modem signal

Possible Configurations

Terminal dedicated to a host

Automatically connects a terminal to a host located anywhere on the network. Useful for applications that require a user's terminal to communicate with one and only one host computer, perhaps running a specialized application program.

Terminal for Rlogin/telnet using multiple sessions

Supports up to four sessions for each connected terminal.

Dial-in modem for telnet/rlogin or ppp/slip

Can dial-in and automatically start a slip, ppp, rlogin, or telnet session.

Dial-out modem (rtelnet)

Can access the modem for dial-out using telnet or using a reverse telnet connection and application program, such as terminal emulator, tip, cu.

ISDN terminal adapters

Can use ISDN terminal adapters instead of modems

Printing to a serial port