Allied Telesis AT-MCF2012LC/1 - Manual (Page 38)

Chapter 1: Overview
38
Guidelines to Using the Media Converter Module
This section lists the factors to be considered as part of the
planning process prior to the installation of an
AT-MCF2012LC or AT-MCF2012LC/1 media converter
module.
ˆ In order for local and remote networking devices to
forward traffic to each other through the media converter
module, they must be connected to ports of the same
channel. Naturally, the local networking device is
attached to the twisted pair port of the channel and the
remote networking device is connected to the fiber optic
port.
As explained in “Media Converter Channels” on
page 19, the ports of a channel are predefined. Channel
1 consists of twisted pair port 1 and fiber optic port 1,
channel 2 of twisted pair port 2 and fiber optic port 2,
and so forth. The channel assignments cannot be
changed.
ˆ You can use the media converter channels in any order.
ˆ Since the twisted pair port of a channel can operate at
either 10 or 100 Mbps while the fiber optic port has a
fixed speed of 100 Mbps, the local and remote
networking devices of a channel can operate at different
speeds. The networking devices must use backpressure
or flow control, depending on the duplex mode, to
control the flow of packets to each other through the
channel ports.
ˆ A media converter channel performs best when both the
local and remote networking devices and the two ports
of the channel are all operating with the same duplex
mode of either half- or full-duplex. A channel may have
to discard packets if its ports are operating in different
modes, causing the networking devices to have to
frequently retransmit packets.
For example, if one of the networking devices
connected to a port of a media converter channel is only
capable of half-duplex mode, then both ports of the
channel and the other networking device connected to
the companion port in the channel should operate in
half-duplex mode, too.