Hirschmann Electronics ANS FAQs

**This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions compiled by Hirschmann to help with

recognition of terms, configuration of devices and overall comprehension of
Industrial Ethernet and Industrial Ethernet devices
There are several categories listed below to help minimize your search for answers,
such as Managed, Un Managed, Rail Video, Management & Configuration as well as
Ethernet as a technology.
Managed Rail switches and MICE
Q. What firmware versions are supported on RS2-XX/XX switches prior to hardware
version 5.0?
A. Up to and including Firmware Rev.5.2
Q. What firmware versions are supported on RS2-XX/XX switches after hardware
version 5.0?
A. From Firmware Rev. 6.0 and higher
Q. Are MM2 and MM3 mice media modules interchangeable?
A. Yes, all MICE media modules are interchangeable
Q. Can I use the MB3-2T backplane extender on the MS2108-2 (MICE 2000)?
A. No, while the media modules are interchangeable, the backplane extender is not
Q. Are Mice media modules hot swappable?
A. Yes, all MICE media modules and the backplane extender are hot swappable.
Q. I forgot my password; can I reset my managed rail switch (RS2-xx/xx and MICE)
passwords?
A. Yes. By attaching the v.24 user interface cable and recycling power to the switch
and selecting 2 to enter the system monitor, you can set the switch back to factory
default
Q. How many RMs (redundancy managers) can I have in a single HIPER-Ring?

A. Only one RM (redundancy manager) is allowed within the Hirschmann HIPERRing topology.
Q. Is HiVision software necessary in order for me to configure Hirschmanns
managed switches?
A. HiVision SNMP management software is not compulsory in the configuration of
the Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches. Other methods of configuration are
available such as; V.24 user management and the web interface.
Q. What do I need to configure on my switches in order to facilitate management?
A. In order to configure/manage Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches with the
web interface or SNMP software, an IP address and accompanying subnet mask must
be entered into the switch.
Q. Is there a theoretical limit to the number of switches I can install into my HIPERRing redundant network?
A. At the moment, it is recommended that no more than 52 switches be installed in a
single Hirschmann HIPER-Ring.
Q. When developing an Ethernet network, am I limited to one type of media (Copper,
fiber, wireless, etc) throughout my topology?
A. No, the openness of Ethernet is that users/administrators are not limited by media
type.
Q. I supplied the proper voltage to my switch and I am experiencing a fault light.
What could be the possible reasons for this fault?
A. There are a couple of reasons why one might experience a fault light on a switch
that appears otherwise healthy. The switches support redundant power inputs. While
redundant power is not necessary to operate the switch, it is necessary to supply
power to the redundant input otherwise a false fault will be indicated. Simply
running a jumper wire to the redundant input should solve this issue.
Q. What is the function of the select button on my MICE Modular switch?
A. The select button serves as a method for initial visual diagnostics. By holding
down the select button on the face a MICE switch, you are cycling through the
switches port criteria (FDX, 100mbps, autoneg, ring port, etc) In other words, by
cycling the switch till the autoneg LED lights up on the head unit, you are getting a
visual of which ports on the switches media modules are auto negotiating because the
corresponding port LED will also light up.

Q. What media and speed options do I have for configuring a HIPER-Ring topology?
A. With the exception of 10mbps fiber optic ports, all other media types and speeds
are sufficient to run a HIPER-Ring.
Q. What methods do I have at my disposal for assigning IP addresses?
A. There are several methods for assigning IP addresses; BOOTP (system default),
DHCP or statically.
Q. What methods are available for updating firmware on my switch?
A. There are a couple of different ways of updating firmware on a managed switch;
TFTP pull using the switches user interface, or HTTP push using the HiVision
SNMP software or Web interface.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support Auto-negotiation?
A. All Hirschmann Ethernet switches support auto-negotiation.
Q. Do I need a cross-over cable to up link to other switches in my topology?
A. Hirschmann switches support the feature called auto crossing which crosses a
cables wiring pairs to properly Hand-Shake the communication between devices.
However, the feature auto-negotiation must also be enabled for auto-crossing to
work.
Q. How do I know if my Redundancy Manager has gone active without management
software?
A. A healthy HIPER-Ring network will be indicated by a solid green RM LED. A
break in the network structure will be indicated by the RM LED turning yellow.
Q. How many MAC addresses can each of my managed switches store?
A. Each managed Hirschmann rail switch supports up to 4000 MAC addresses
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support prioritization?
A. Yes, Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches support 2 priority queues at present;
high and low. All traffic with the priority tag of 0, 1, 2 or 3 will be treated as low
priority while all traffic with the priority tag or 4, 5, 6 or 7 will be treated as high
priority.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support Flow Control?
A. Yes, Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches support flow control.

Q. How fast will my HIPER-Ring network recover after a break?

A. Hirschmann HIPER-Ring networks have a rapid recovery time of between 300 and
500 milliseconds.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support Port Mirroring?
A. Yes, Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches support Port Mirroring.
Q. What methods are supported for the filtering of multicast traffic?
A. Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches support 2 overall methods of Multicast
filtering; GMRP and IGMP versions 1 and 2.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches offer any facility for security?
A. Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches offer the option to enable MAC address
based port security.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support VLANs?
A. Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches support IEEE 802.1Q standard.
Q. What do I get in the scope of delivery of the MICE family of switches?
A. Scope of delivery of the MICE switches is as follows:
1.) MS2108-2 consists of the Switching module attached to the 3 slot
backplane (leaving 2 slots for media modules) and 6 PIN power terminal
block.
2.) Scope of delivery of the MS3124-4 consists of the Switching Module
attached to the 5 slot backplane (leaving 4 slots for media modules) and 6 PIN
power terminal block.
Q. What do I get in the scope of delivery of the RS2-XX/XX family of switches?
A. Scope of delivery of the RS2-XX/XX managed Ethernet switch consists of a 7 port
FE (fast Ethernet) switch and 5 PIN power terminal block.
Q. What if anything do I need, in order to configure my managed switch out of the
box, are there any other products/devices necessary?
A. Out of the box, your Hirschmann managed Ethernet switch has a default IP
configuration method of BOOTP enabled. In order to commission the switch with
another method of IP addressing (DHCP or Static), an external V.24 configuration

cable is necessary. Otherwise the switch can be used in Plug-N-Play mode that is
to say that the switch will not be managed.
Q. I am trying to access the web interface for a managed switch, but I keep getting
the message page cannot be displayed.
A. In order to access the internal web server inherent to your Hirschmann Managed
Ethernet switch, a valid IP address and subnet mask must be configured on the
switch. Furthermore, a compatible JAVA applet should also be installed on the
PC/Laptop being used to access the switch.
Q. I configured a number of ports on my managed switch, and when I reset the
device, all the ports defaulted back to factory.
A. Hirschmann Managed Ethernet Switches support local and remote
configuration files. Whenever changes are made to the switches, those changes must
be saved to the switches local configuration file or to a corresponding remote
configuration server. Furthermore, the switch must also be configured to load the
corresponding local configuration or remote configuration that has previously been
saved. Then and only then will the changes made to the switches configuration
remain when and if the switch is powered down.
Q. I used a straight through cable to connect 2 switches together, but they still do
not communicate. I thought these switches wereauto-crossing?
A. All Hirschmann Ethernet switches support the Auto-Crossing feature. However
one condition must remain true. In order for a copper port to Auto-Cross, AutoNegotiation must also be enabled. If a port is Hard Configured to a speed and
duplex operation, a crossover cable must still be used.
Q. Are Hirschmann products Class1 Div2 compliant?
A. Hirschmann Electronics Rail Products are UL1604 Class1Div2 rated to be
intrinsically safe.
Q. What are the operating temperature ranges of Hirschmann Industrial Rail
products?
A. All Hirschmann standard Rail Products offer an operating temperature range of
0-60 Celsius with a storage range of -20 to +70 Celsius. Hirschmanns EEC
product families offer an operating temperature of -40 to +80 Celsius.
Q. What Java applet is recommended for Hirschmann managed rail switches?
A. In Hirschmann RS2-XX/XX switches prior to Firmware Version 6.0 and MICE
Firmware version 3.0, Java Runtime Environment V1.3.x is recommended. For RS2-

XX/XX Firmware 7.1 and MICE Firmware version 3.10, Java Runtime Environment
V1.4.x is also supported.
Q. I want to assign a different switch as the redundancy manager; will this adversely
affect my network?
A. Changing the condition of a Hirschmann Managed Ethernet (MICE or RS2XX/XX) switch via either DIP switch on the unit, will Warm Boot that specific
switch, causing temporary loss of communication to that particular unit.
Q. What are the differences between office grade and industrial grade devices?
A. Industrial grade switches adhere to strict standards and certifications for shock
and vibration, EMI and RFI, and environmental conditions that are not present in an
Office Grade (Enterprise) switch. EN61131-2, CE, FCC 47 CFR Part 15,
cUL508, UL1604 (Class1Div2), cUL60950, GL. EN61000-4-2, EN61000-4-3,
EN61000-4-4, EN61000-4-5, EN61000-4-6, EN 55022, FCC 47 CFR Part 15. Class1
Div 2, etc...
Q. I have VLANs configured on my managed Hirschmann rail switch, but when I
open VLAN manager, the VLAN is not recognized. Why?
A. VLAN manager is a tool that was initially developed to work solely with the
MACH 3000 series of backbone switches. VLANs can only be configured in VLANManager and written to agent. However they cannot be read from agent.
Q. Can I configure VLANs with VLAN manager, even though I cannot see them
afterward?
A. VLAN manager is a tool that was initially developed to work solely with the
MACH 3000 series of backbone switches. VLANs can only be configured in VLANManager and written to agent. However the cannot be read from agent.
Q. Will VLANs configured in the Web Interface be reflected in HiVision?
A. Yes, all VLANs configured in the web interface can also read in the HiVision
through the Agent Dialog window of HiVision.
Q. Will changes/configurations performed with HiVision be reflected in the web
interface?
A. Yes, any changes performed in either method of configuration will be seen in both
configuration methods.
Q. Will changes/configurations performed with the web interface be reflected in
HiVision?

A. Yes, any changes performed in either method of configuration will be seen in both
configuration methods.
Q. Can I disable the web interface for security reasons?
A. Yes
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support the Spanning Tree Protocol?
A. Yes, all Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches (RS2-XX/XX, MICE, Mach 300X
and GES) support the spanning tree protocol.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol?
A. Yes, all Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches (RS2-XX/XX, MICE, Mach 300X
and GES) support the Rapid spanning tree protocol.
R-VIP-T
Q. Does the R-VIP-T come in a receiver version?
A. The R-VIP-T, comes as one unit, however, the unit is configurable as a transmitter
or receiver
Q. Why cant I manage/configure my R-VIP-T with HiVision?
A. Hirschmanns R-VIP-T Rail Video transceiver/receiver is not an SNMP
compatible device.
Rail Switches General
Q. I supplied the proper voltage to my switch and I am experiencing a fault light.
What could be the possible reasons for this fault?
A. There are a couple of reasons why one might experience a fault light on a switch
that appears otherwise healthy. The switches support redundant power inputs. While
redundant power is not necessary to operate the switch, it is necessary to supply
power to the redundant input otherwise a false fault will be indicated. Simply
running a jumper wire to the redundant input should solve this issue.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches support Auto-negotiation?
A. All Hirschmann Ethernet switches support auto-negotiation.

Q. Do I need a cross-over cable to up link to other switches in my topology?

A. Hirschmann switches support the feature called auto crossing which crosses a
cables wiring pairs to properly Hand-Shake the communication between devices.
However, the feature auto-negotiation must also be enabled for auto-crossing to
work.
Q. I used a straight through cable to connect 2 switches together, but they still do
not communicate. I thought these switches wereauto-crossing?
A. All Hirschmann Ethernet switches support the Auto-Crossing feature. However
one condition must remain true. In order for a copper port to Auto-Cross, AutoNegotiation must also be enabled. If a port is Hard Configured to a speed and
duplex operation, a crossover cable must still be used.
Q. I am trying to establish communication between my server and managed rail
switches using Rail Transceivers but cannot establish link?
A. Fiber optic Ethernet ports can only communicate at one speed, either 10 or 100.
Because of this situation, two auto negotiating devices cannot establish a
handshake through fiber optic media converters. To resolve this media related
problem, using a managed switch, we must first fix the port speed on that switch to
the advertised speed of the Rail Transceiver.
Q. Why do I get a fault light on my un-managed rail switch even though nothing is
plugged in yet?
A. There are a couple of reasons why a switch may indicate a False Fault.
1.) Because the switches support redundant power inputs, we must supply
power to both inputs in order to avoid a fault light, this can be accomplished
by running a jumper wire from terminal 1 (primary power input) to terminal 5
(secondary power input)
2.) If your switch offers Link Alarm Suppression via DIP switches on the
device, any port not occupied, will register a fault if the corresponding DIP
switch is not turned off (O). Only ports that are Plugged In should have its
DIP switch turned to the on position (1).
Q. Are Hirschmann products Class1 Div2 compliant?
A. Hirschmann Electronics Rail Products are UL1604 Class1Div2 rated to be
intrinsically safe.
Q. What are the operating temperature ranges of Hirschmann Industrial Rail
products?

A. All Hirschmann standard Rail Products offer an operating temperature range of

0-60 Celsius with a storage range of -20 to +70 Celsius. Hirschmanns EEC
product families offer an operating temperature of -40 to +80 Celsius.
Q. What are the differences between office grade and industrial grade devices?
A. Industrial grade switches adhere to strict standards and certifications for shock
and vibration, EMI and RFI, and environmental conditions that are not present in an
Office Grade (Enterprise) switch. EN61131-2, CE, FCC 47 CFR Part 15,
cUL508, UL1604 (Class1Div2), cUL60950, GL. EN61000-4-2, EN61000-4-3,
EN61000-4-4, EN61000-4-5, EN61000-4-6, EN 55022, FCC 47 CFR Part 15. Class1
Div 2, etc...
Management and Redundancy
Q. How many RMs (redundancy managers) can I have in a single HIPER-Ring?
A. Only one RM (redundancy manager) is allowed within the Hirschmann HIPERRing topology.
Q. Is HiVision software necessary in order for me to configure Hirschmanns
managed switches?
A. HiVision SNMP management software is not compulsory in the configuration of
the Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches. Other methods of configuration are
available such as; V.24 user management and the web interface.
Q. What do I need to configure on my switches in order to facilitate management?
A. In order to configure/manage Hirschmann managed Ethernet switches with the
web interface or SNMP software, an IP address and accompanying subnet mask must
be entered into the switch.
Q. Is there a theoretical limit to the number of switches I can install into my HIPERRing redundant network?
A. At the moment, it is recommended that no more than 52 switches be installed in a
single Hirschmann HIPER-Ring.
Q. When developing an Ethernet network, am I limited to one type of media (Copper,
fiber, wireless, etc) throughout my topology?
A. No, the openness of Ethernet is that users/administrators are not limited by media
type.

Q. What media and speed options do I have for configuring a HIPER-Ring topology?
A. With the exception of 10mbps fiber optic ports, all other media types and speeds
are sufficient to run a HIPER-Ring.
Q. What methods do I have at my disposal for assigning IP addresses?
A. There are several methods for assigning IP addresses; BOOTP (system default),
DHCP or statically.
Q. How do I know if my Redundancy Manager has gone active without management
software?
A. A healthy HIPER-Ring network will be indicated by a solid green RM LED. A
break in the network structure will be indicated by the RM LED turning yellow.
Q. How fast will my HIPER-Ring network recover after a break?
A. Hirschmann HIPER-Ring networks have a rapid recovery time of between 300 and
500 milliseconds.
Q. What if anything do I need, in order to configure my managed switch out of the
box, are there any other products/devices necessary?
A. Out of the box, your Hirschmann managed Ethernet switch has a default IP
configuration method of BOOTP enabled. In order to commission the switch with
another method of IP addressing (DHCP or Static), an external V.24 configuration
cable is necessary. Otherwise the switch can be used in Plug-N-Play mode that is
to say that the switch will not be managed.
Q. I am trying to access the web interface for a managed switch, but I keep getting
the message page cannot be displayed.
A. In order to access the internal web server inherent to your Hirschmann Managed
Ethernet switch, a valid IP address and subnet mask must be configured on the
switch. Furthermore, a compatible JAVA applet should also be installed on the
PC/Laptop being used to access the switch.
Q. I configured a number of ports on my managed switch, and when I reset the
device, all the ports defaulted back to factory.
A. Hirschmann Managed Ethernet Switches support local and remote
configuration files. Whenever changes are made to the switches, those changes must
be saved to the switches local configuration file or to a corresponding remote
configuration server. Furthermore, the switch must also be configured to load the
corresponding local configuration or remote configuration that has previously been

saved. Then and only then will the changes made to the switches configuration
remain when and if the switch is powered down.
Q. Why cant I manage/configure my R-VIP-T with HiVision?
A. Hirschmanns R-VIP-T Rail Video transceiver/receiver is not an SNMP
compatible device.
Q. What Java applet is recommended for Hirschmann managed rail switches?
A. In Hirschmann RS2-XX/XX switches prior to Firmware Version 6.0 and MICE
Firmware version 3.0, Java Runtime Environment V1.3.x is recommended. For RS2XX/XX Firmware 7.1 and MICE Firmware version 3.10, Java Runtime Environment
V1.4.x is also supported.
Q. Why am I not receiving SNMP traps into HiVision?
A. SNMP trap information is transmitted on port 162. Check to see if you might
have another software application stealing your SNMP data. This can be done by
viewing your running services in computer management.
Q. I want to assign a different switch as the redundancy manager; will this adversely
affect my network?
A. Changing the condition of a Hirschmann Managed Ethernet (MICE or RS2XX/XX) switch via either DIP switch on the unit, will Warm Boot that specific
switch, causing temporary loss of communication to that particular unit.
Q. I have VLANs configured on my managed Hirschmann rail switch, but when I
open VLAN manager, the VLAN is not recognized. Why?
A. VLAN manager is a tool that was initially developed to work solely with the
MACH 3000 series of backbone switches. VLANs can only be configured in VLANManager and written to agent. However they cannot be read from agent.
Q. Can I configure VLANs with VLAN manager, even though I cannot see them
afterward?
A. VLAN manager is a tool that was initially developed to work solely with the
MACH 3000 series of backbone switches. VLANs can only be configured in VLANManager and written to agent. However the cannot be read from agent.
Q. Will VLANs configured in the Web Interface be reflected in HiVision?
A. Yes, all VLANs configured in the web interface can also read in the HiVision
through the Agent Dialog window of HiVision.

Q. Will changes/configurations performed with HiVision be reflected in the web

interface?
A. Yes, any changes performed in either method of configuration will be seen in both
configuration methods.
Q. Will changes/configurations performed with the web interface be reflected in
HiVision?
A. Yes, any changes performed in either method of configuration will be seen in both
configuration methods.
Q. Can I disable the web interface for security reasons?
A. Yes
Product Certifications
Q. What certifications does my switch have?
A. Hirschman switches have extensive industry certifications to facilitate
qualification as industrial: EN61131-2, CE, FCC 47 CFR Part 15, cUL508, UL1604
(Class1Div2), cUL60950, GL.
Q. Do Hirschmann switches offer EMC interference immunity?
A. Hirschmann switches offer EMC Interference Immunity according to: EN61000-42, EN61000-4-3, EN61000-4-4, EN61000-4-5, EN61000-4-6, EN 55022, FCC 47
CFR Part 15.
Q. Are Hirschmann products Class1 Div2 compliant?
A. Hirschmann Electronics Rail Products are UL1604 Class1Div2 rated to be
intrinsically safe.
Q. What are the operating temperature ranges of Hirschmann Industrial Rail
products?
A. All Hirschmann standard Rail Products offer an operating temperature range of
0-60 Celsius with a storage range of -20 to +70 Celsius. Hirschmanns EEC
product families offer an operating temperature of -40 to +80 Celsius.
Ethernet Technology General

Q. What is a VLAN!
A. A VLAN or Virtual Local Area Network is a way to either virtually separate
devices on the same physical medium to appear as though they are on separate
networks or virtually connect or group geographically dispersed devices so they
appear to be on the same network.
Q. What is Flow Control?
A. Flow Control is a mechanism which acts as a data overload protection. During
periods of heavy traffic it holds off additional traffic.
Q. Why am I not receiving SNMP traps into HiVision?
A. SNMP trap information is transmitted on port 162. Check to see if you might
have another software application stealing your SNMP data. This can be done by
viewing your running services in computer management.
Q. What is the difference between a Hub and a Switch?
A. A HUB is considered a dumb terminal, that is that it redistributes data to all
ports. A switch on the other hand, works with the physical or MAC address of the
attached devices in order to direct traffic only to that port that the data is destined to
go.
Q. What are the differences between office grade and industrial grade devices?
A. Industrial grade switches adhere to strict standards and certifications for shock
and vibration, EMI and RFI, and environmental conditions that are not present in an
Office Grade (Enterprise) switch. EN61131-2, CE, FCC 47 CFR Part 15,
cUL508, UL1604 (Class1Div2), cUL60950, GL. EN61000-4-2, EN61000-4-3,
EN61000-4-4, EN61000-4-5, EN61000-4-6, EN 55022, FCC 47 CFR Part 15. Class1
Div 2, etc...