 CSMs and ACE-are densely packed with components. I've seen $40,000 modules ruined by engineers who forced them into slots without properly aligning them. Remember to use a static strap, too. Anytime you're working with a chassis or modules, you should use a static strap. They're easy to use, and come with just about every piece of hardware these days. I know you feel like a dork using them, but imagine how you'll feel when you trash a $400,000 switch. Routing cables When routing cables to modules, remember that you may need to remove the modules in the future. Routing 48 Ethernet cables to all those modules in a chassis switch can be a daunting task. Remember to leave enough slack in the cables SO that each module's cables can be moved out of the way to slide the module out. When one of your modules fails, you'll need to pull aside all the cables attached to that module, replace the module, and place all the cables back into their correct ports. The more planning you do ahead of time, the easier this task will be. Chapter 2: Hubs and Switches CHAPTER 3 Autonegotiation When I get called to a client's site to diagnose a network slowdown or a "slow" device, the first things I look at are the error statistics and the autonegotiation settings on switches as well as the devices connected to them. If I had to list the most common problems I've seen during my years in the field, autonegotiation issues would be in the top five, if not number one. Why is autonegotiation such a widespread problem? The truth is, too many people don't really understand what it does and how it works, SO they make assumptions that lead to trouble. What Is Autonegotiation? Autonegotiation is the feature that allows a port on a switch, router, server, or other device to communicate with the device on the other end of the link to determine the optimal duplex mode and speed for the connection. The driver then dynamically con- figures the interface to the values determined for the link. Let's examine the configu- ration parameters: Speed Speed is t