1. Connecting the CAT-DEV
1. Connecting your CAT-DEV to the PC
There are three ways to connect your devkit to your PC: an unmanged switch, a second network card, or connecting to it directly. Using an unmanaged switch is the recommended method. Refer to the following chart for the advantages and disadvantages for each before deciding.
| Connection Method |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Unmanaged Switch |
- Isolates the connection between the PC and the CAT-DEV from most network policies (such as disabled DHCP, forbidden broadcast traffic, or restricted unicast traffic).
- Isolates the connection from most other traffic on the network.
- The CAT-DEV is accessible from other PCs on the same network.
|
- Because the CAT-DEV is accessible from other PCs, other hosts may access the CAT-DEV.
- Communication bandwidth may be impacted by other network traffic (such as web browsing or email) from the host PC.
- Requires a reserved DHCP or static IP Address
|
| Secondary Network Card |
- Isolates the connection from LAN policies (such as disabled DHCP, forbidden broadcast traffic, or restricted unicast traffic).
- Isolates the connection from other network traffic.
- Because the connection to the CAT-DEV is direct, communication bandwidth is maximized.
|
- Requires a second network card be installed in your PC.
- CAT-DEV is not easily accessible by other PCs.
- You must ensure that the IP address of the secondary network card does not conflict with an existing IP address on the network.
- Setup and configuration can be convoluted.
|
| Direct Connection |
- Isolates the connection from other network policies and traffic.
- Does not require a reserved DHCP or static IP address.
- Because the connection to the CAT-DEV is direct, communication bandwidth is maximized.
- Safest for critical operations, such as updating the firmware images of the CAT-DEV.
|
- The host PC is isolated from the network and/or internet.
- Other PCs cannot access the CAT-DEV.
- Setup and configuration can be convoluted.
|
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