Cable connection guidelines for IPS and Layer 2 Firewalls
The cabling of IPS engines and Layer 2 Firewalls depends on the engine type and the installation.
Make sure that all copper cables are correctly rated (CAT 5e or CAT 6 in gigabit networks).
Follow standard cable connections with inline IPS engines and Layer 2 Firewalls:
- Use straight cables to connect the IPS engines and Layer 2 Firewalls to external switches.
- Use crossover cables to connect the IPS engines and Layer 2 Firewalls to hosts (such as routers or Firewalls).
Cable connections for Master NGFW Engines that host Virtual IPS engines or Virtual Layer 2 Firewalls follow the same principles as the connections for inline IPS engines and Layer 2 Firewalls.
Figure: Correct cable types for Single IPS engines and Single Layer 2 Firewalls
![](img/GUID-A8267EF3-1B0A-4F7C-B3FD-5F4178D1A7EF.png)
Figure: Correct cable types for Serial IPS Clusters
![](img/GUID-11465DA4-50A7-4B64-81A5-C7EF22CE7A49.png)
Figure: Correct cable types for Active/Standby Layer 2 Firewall Clusters
![](img/GUID-6AD47E68-E913-4B1C-B332-5D0D325B275D.png)
Figure: Correct cable types for Serial Virtual IPS Clusters
![](img/GUID-66C49442-DB7D-4AB0-9564-2E135657544E.png)
Figure: Correct cable types for Active/Standby Virtual Layer 2 Firewall Clusters
![](img/GUID-E8FD19F8-1650-4FFA-ABCD-65A0655066E5.png)