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Connecting the MX204 to the Network

Tools and Parts Required to Connect the MX204 Router to External Devices

To connect the router to external devices, you need the following tools and parts:

  • 2.5-mm flat-blade (–) screwdriver for the alarm relay contacts

  • Electrostatic discharge (ESD) grounding wrist strap (provided in the accessory kit)

See Also

Connecting the MX204 Router to External Devices and Cables

Figure 1 shows the front panel of the MX204 router. All the connections to the router are made through the front panel.

Figure 1: MX204 Front Panel Ports, LEDs and ButtonsMX204 Front Panel Ports, LEDs and Buttons
  1
—

Rate-selectable ports

  9
—

RESET button

  2
—

Management (MGMT) port

10
—

SSD0 LED

  3
—

BITS port with LEDs

11
—

Alarm (ALM) LED

  4
—

USB port

12
—

OK/FAIL LED

  5
—

1PPS and 10MHz GPS input and output ports

13
—

Time of day (ToD) port with LEDs

  6
—

ONLINE LED

14
—

Console (CON) port

  7
—

SSD1 LED

15
—

10-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports

  8
—

OFFLINE button

16
—

PTP grandmaster clock (GM/PTP) port

Connecting the Router to a Network for Out-of-Band Management

To connect the router to a network for out-of-band management, connect an Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors to the MGMT port on the router.

Note:

Use shielded CAT5e cable for the CON and MGMT ports on the chassis.

To connect to the MGMT port on the router faceplate:

  1. Turn off power to the management device.
  2. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable (Figure 2 shows the connector) into the MGMT port on the router.
  3. Plug the other end of the cable into the network device.
Figure 2: Out-of-Band Management Cable ConnectorOut-of-Band Management Cable Connector
Table 1: Out-of-Band Management Port on the MX204 Router

Callout

Label

Description

2

(See Figure 1)

MGMT

Dedicated management channel for device maintenance. It is also used by system administrators to monitor and manage the router remotely.

Connecting the Router to a Console Device

To use a system console to configure and manage the router, connect it to the appropriate CON port on the router. The console port is used to connect a laptop or console terminal to configure the router (see Figure 4 and Figure 5). The console port accepts a cable with an RJ-45 connector.

Note:

Use shielded CAT5e cable for connecting the CON and MGMT ports on the MX204 router.

To connect a management console:

  1. Turn off power to the console device.
  2. Plug the RJ-45 end of the serial cable (see Figure 3) into the CON port on the router.
  3. Plug the socket DB-9 end into the device's serial port.
    Note:

    For console devices, configure the serial port to the following values:

    • Baud rate—9600

    • Parity—N

    • Data bits—8

    • Stop bits—1

    • Flow control—none

Figure 3: Console and Auxiliary Cable ConnectorConsole and Auxiliary Cable Connector
Figure 4: Connecting the MX204 Router to a Management Console Through a Console ServerConnecting the MX204 Router to a Management Console Through a Console Server
Figure 5: Connecting the MX204 Router Directly to a Management ConsoleConnecting the MX204 Router Directly to a Management Console
Table 2: Console Port on the MX204 Router

Callout

Label

Description

14

(See Figure 1)

CON

Connect a laptop or console terminal to configure the router.

Connecting the Router to External Clocking and Timing Devices

The router supports external clock synchronization for Synchronous Ethernet, and external inputs.

Connecting 1-PPS and 10-MHz Timing Devices to the Router

The router has two 2x1 DIN 1.0/2.3 right angle connectors that support 1-PPS-IN, 1-PPS-OUT, 10-MHz-IN, and 10-MHz-OUT timing ports.

Note:

MX204 can be configured as a timing primary or a client device. If the MX204 is configured as a timing primary device, the router gets 1-PPS-IN and 10-MHz-IN input (connected to the ports marked IN) from the timing source and sends 1-PPS-OUT and 10-MHz-OUT to a client device. If the MX204 is configured as a timing client device, it receives 1-PPS-IN and 10-MHz-IN (connected to ports marked IN) as input from the timing source.

Note:

Ensure a cable of 3 m or less in length is used for the 10-MHz and 1-PPS connectors.

To connect the DIN cable to the external clocking device:

  1. Connect one end of the DIN cable connectors to the 1-PPS-IN and the 10-MHz-IN ports marked IN on the router.

    If the MX204 is a timing primary device, use the 1-PPS-OUT and the 10-MHz-OUT ports marked OUT to connect to a client router or device.

  2. Connect the other end of the DIN cable connectors to the 1-PPS and 10-MHz of the source network equipment.
    Note:

    Ensure that the 10-MHz and 1-PPS source network equipment contains a low voltage complementary metal oxide semiconductor (LVCMOS) of 50 ohms or is compatible with low-voltage transistor-transistor logic (LVTTL) (3.3v).

Figure 6: Clocking Ports on the MX204 RouterClocking Ports on the MX204 Router
Table 3: Clocking Ports on the MX204 Router

Label

Description

10MHz-IN

1PPS-IN

1 PPS input port

10 MHz input port

10MHz-OUT

1PPS-OUT

1 PPS output port

10 MHz output port

Connecting a Time-of-Day Device to the Router

A time-of-day port, labeled ToD, on the front panel of the router enables you to connect external timing devices.

To connect the router to a ToD external timing device:

  1. Attach an electrostatic discharge (ESD) grounding trap on your bare wrist, and connect the strap to one of the ESD points on the chassis.
  2. Plug one end of the RJ-45 cable into the ToD port on the front panel of the router.
  3. Plug the other end of the RJ-45 cable into the ToD timing device.
  4. Verify that the LEDs for the ToD port on the router are lit steadily green.
  5. Configure the port. See Configuring Clock Synchronization Interface on MX Series Routers.
Table 4: Time-of-Day Port on the MX204 Router

Callout

Label

Description

13

(See Figure 1)

ToD

ToD RJ-45 port with LED.

Connecting a BITS External Clocking Device to the Router

The router has an external building-integrated timing supply (BITS) port, labeled BITS, on the front panel of the router.

To connect the router to a BITS external clocking device:

  1. Attach an electrostatic discharge (ESD) grounding trap on your bare wrist, and connect the strap to one of the ESD points on the chassis.
  2. Plug one end of the RJ-45 cable into the internal clock port on the craft interface.
  3. Plug the other end of the RJ-45 cable into the BITS external clocking device.
  4. Verify that the LEDs for the BITS port are lit steadily green.
  5. Configure the port. See Configuring Clock Synchronization Interface on MX Series Routers.
Table 5: BITS Port on the MX204 Router

Callout

Label

Description

3

(See Figure 1)

BITS

Building-Integrated Timing Supply (BITS) clock interface port with LED.

See Also