Preparing to Install the Router

• Wear safety glasses when working under conditions that might be hazardous to your eyes.
  

• Do not perform any action that creates a hazard to people or makes the equipment unsafe.
  

Safety with Electricity

Follow these guidelines when working on equipment powered by electricity:

• Locate the emergency power-off switch in the room in which you are working. Then, if an electrical accident occurs, you can quickly shut the power off.
  

• Before working on the router, turn off the power and unplug the power cord.
  

• Disconnect all power before doing the following:
  

  • Installing or removing a chassis.
    

  • Working near power supplies.
    

• Do not work alone if hazardous conditions exist.
  

• Never assume that power is disconnected from a circuit. Always check.
  

• Look carefully for possible hazards in your work area, such as moist floors, ungrounded power extension cables, and missing safety grounds.
  

• If an electrical accident occurs, proceed as follows:
  

  • Use caution; do not become a victim yourself.
    

  • Turn off power to the device.
    

  • If possible, send another person to get medical aid. Otherwise, assess the victim's condition and then call for help.
    

  • Determine if the person needs rescue breathing or external cardiac compressions; then take appropriate action.
    

In addition, use the following guidelines when working with any equipment that is disconnected from a power source, but still connected to telephone wiring or other network cabling:

• Never install telephone wiring during a lightning storm.
  

• Never install telephone jacks in wet locations unless the jack is specifically designed for wet locations.
  

• Never touch uninsulated telephone wires or terminals unless the telephone line is disconnected at the network interface.
  

• Use caution when installing or modifying telephone lines.
  

Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage equipment and impair electrical circuitry. It occurs when electronic printed circuit cards are improperly handled and can cause complete or intermittent failures.

When removing and replacing modules, wear an ESD-preventive wrist strap, ensuring that it makes good skin contact. Connect the clip or plug at the other end of the strap to a suitable ground point. To guard against ESD damage and shocks, the wrist strap and cord must operate effectively. The wrist strap and cord should be checked regularly, and should be replaced when necessary.

Caution For the safety of your equipment, periodically check the resistance value of the antistatic strap. It should be between 750 kilohms and 10 megohms.

Site Requirements

This section describes the requirements your site must meet for safe installation and operation of your router. Ensure that the site is properly prepared before beginning installation. If you are experiencing shutdowns or unusually high errors with your existing equipment, this section can also help you isolate the cause of failures and prevent future problems.

Electrical Requirements

Ensure that your site provides a suitable source of "clean" power (free of spikes and noise). Install a power conditioner if necessary.

Cisco 1600 series routers use an external power supply. The power switch is on the router chassis.

Warning Read the installation instructions before you connect the system to its power source. (To see translated versions of this warning, refer to the Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information for Cisco 1600 Series Routers document that accompanied the router.)

Warning Cisco 1600 routers are designed to work with TN power systems. (To see translated versions of this warning, refer to the Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information for Cisco 1600 Series Routers document that accompanied the router.)

Install proper grounding to avoid damage from lightning and power surges.

Warning Do not touch the power supply when the power cord is connected. For routers with a power switch, line voltages are present within the power supply when the power cord is connected even if the power switch is off. For routers without a power switch, line voltages are present within the power supply when the power cord is connected. (To see translated versions of this warning, refer to the Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information for Cisco 1600 Series Routers document that accompanied the router.)

Site Environment

The layout of your equipment rack or wiring room and the location of individual chassis are extremely important for proper operation of your router. Equipment placed too close together, inadequate ventilation, and inaccessible panels can cause malfunctions and shutdowns, and can make maintenance difficult. Plan for access to both the front and rear panels of Cisco 1600 series routers.

When planning your site layout and equipment locations, follow these precautions to help avoid equipment failures and reduce the possibility of environmentally caused shutdowns:

• Remember that electrical equipment generates heat. Ambient air temperature may not cool equipment to acceptable operating temperatures without adequate circulation. Ensure that the room where your router operates has adequate circulation.
  

• Never place chassis side by side, because the heated exhaust air from one chassis can be drawn into the intake port of the next.
  

• Always follow the ESD prevention procedures in the section "Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage" earlier in this chapter to avoid damage to equipment. Damage from static discharge can cause immediate or intermittent equipment failure.
  

• Ensure that the chassis cover and network interface module rear panels are secure. The chassis is designed to allow cooling air to flow within it. An open chassis allows air leaks, which may in turn interrupt and redirect the flow of air across internal components.