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Cabletron Systems AirConnect 3Com User's Manual

1. navigating the ASCII UI 58 network connection 28 network supplier support 83 network topologies multiple AP network 12 peer to peer network 9 same site separate networks 10 single AP bridge 11 O online technical services 83 P package contents 27 parameters system 48 peer to peer network 9 pings performing 77 point to point connection 20 point to point protocol 19 power options 28 power save polling PSP 23 PowerBASE T using 32 PPP see point to point protocol 19 PPP connection see point to point connection 20 precautions installation 27 properties system 37 PSP see power save polling 23 R radio basics 14 radio interface 18 radio parameters configuring in ASCII UI 64 retries analyzing 39 returning products for repair 85 S U same site separate networks 10 updating AP firmware security 23 ASCII UI 73 configuring 46 before configuring AP 57 serial port configuring 60 setting up wireless clients 35 single AP bridge 11 using web browser UI 53 user interace changing access 44 user interface UI 26 single cell connection 28 site surveys 17 W SNMP Web browser agent 68 user interface 41 trap support 25 special functions 54 specifications access point 81 network characteristics 82 output characteristics 81 physical characteristics 81 adding 46 radio characteristics 81 clearing in ASCII UI 72 statistic disallowed 46 monitoring 37 statistics 55 statistics wireless LAN serv
2. LED State Test Passed Power Blinks Bootup and run time codes continuously downloaded to AP flash memory successful Run time code controls the AP Wireless LAN Activity Off Serial port initialized FIFO buffer flushed serial port to AP connection C checked Wired LAN Activity Off LAN adapter present ry Identify wired network problems 3 No operation a Verify AP configuration via Telnet PPP or Ul Review procedures for Ethernet and serial connection of the AP Review AP firmware revisions and update procedures a Verify network configuration by ensuring that there are no duplicate IP addresses Power down the device in question and ping the assigned address of the device Ensure no other device responds to that address 4 AP powered on but has no connection to the wired network a Check connections for proper wiring Verify Network Wiring and Topology 1 Verify network wiring and topology for proper configuration Check that the cables used have proper pinouts and connectors Verify router configuration and filtration setting Check that network band use does not exceed 37 of bandwidth Verify wireless client operations Confirm AP operation Confirm AP and wireless client wireless LAN service area Check that the radio driver loaded properly Check that the wireless client PROTOCOL INI or NET CFG file is compatible with the network operating system 2 Slow or erratic performance Check wireless cl
3. The AP dynamically displays ping packets transmitted and received Extended Roaming Using MD5 Authentication You can achieve authentication by using the MD5 algorithm with a shared key configured into the AP and its wireless client MD5 is a message digest algorithm that takes an arbitrarily long message and computes a fixed length 16 bytes digest version of the original message You can think of the message digest as a unique fingerprint of the original message computed using a mathematical formula or algorithm The message digest is the authentication checksum of a message from a mobile wireless client to an AP during the Home Agent registration process The MD5 algorithm prevents a wireless client from impersonating an authenticated wireless client 78 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Enabling or Disabling Encryption Encryption Configuration Requirements Encryption Upgrade Access Codes The AP can be set for encryption of links to associated wireless clients Any wireless clients associated with the AP must also have encryption enabled and set to the same level of encryption To enable encryption in the AP do the following Select RF Configuration from the Main menu 2 Select Enabled for WEP Privacy to turn on encryption or Disabled for no encryption 3 If you have enabled encryption select 40 bit key or 128 bit key USA or 40 bit key non USA for WEP Algorithm 4 Select Save to enter y
4. follow the procedure below Type the minimum MAC address as the top value 00 0A F8 F0 01 01 2 Press Enter to accept the value 3 Press down arrow to select the maximum value A O O NOOU 10 11 Type the maximum MAC address in the bottom value 00 0A F8 F0 02 FF Press Enter to accept the value Press down arrow to select OK Press Enter The Ul generates the Ranges of Allowed Mobile Units window Verify that values reflect the network environment and change them as needed Select Delete F1 to delete a range of Mobile Units Select Add F2 to add a range of Mobile Units Select Save ALL APs F3 to save the Ranges of Allowed Mobile Units information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and firmware versions CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE 12 Select Exit ESC to return to the previous menu When you enable the Access Control option all wireless clients within the specified range can associate with the AP Specify additional ranges as needed or add to the ACL using individual address entries Adding Allowed Wireless Clients The Access Control List screen provides a facility to add wireless clients to the
5. 1 THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE OR 2 3COM SOFTWARE WHICH IS USED WITH THE LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM THE USE OF WHICH IS GOVERNED BY A SEPARATE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT THIS 3COM WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY TO SUCH THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE OR 3COM LINUX SOFTWARE FOR THE APPLICABLE WARRANTY PLEASE REFER TO THE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT GOVERNING THE USE OF SUCH SOFTWARE OR THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO SUCH SOFTWARE In addition to the Hardware Warranty and Software Warranty stated above 3Com warrants that each product sold or licensed to Customer on and after January 1 1998 that is date sensitive will continue performing properly with regard to such date data on and after January 1 2000 provided that all other products used by Customer in connection or combination with the 3Com product including hardware software and firmware accurately exchange date data with the 3Com product with the exception of those products identified at 3Com s Web site http Avww 3com com products yr2000 html as not meeting this standard If it appears that any product that is stated to meet this standard does not perform properly with regard to such date data on and after January 1 2000 and Customer notifies 3Com before the later of April 1 2000 or ninety 90 days after purchase of the product from 3Com or its authorized reseller 3Com shall at its option and expense provide a software update which would effect the proper performance of such product repair such p
6. 54 under Special Functions for your settings to take effect CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER System Parameters The AP has configuration options to operate the unit including security access and interface control Some parameters do not require modification To configure the system parameters follow the procedure below Select Configuration gt System The System Setup page displays 2 Type the AP s name in the Unit Name text box Enter the appropriate value for Channel The table below lists the direct sequence channel settings for the operating countries Frequency No of Channels Country 2412 11 Standard 2412 13 Europe 2457 2 Spain 2457 4 France 2484 14 Japan 4 Check Enabled or Disabled for Mobile IP Type a security key in the Mobile Home MD5 Key text box This security word key is used for Mobile Home registration and authentication Select the status of the Ethernet Timeout and enter the number of seconds between 30 and 255 This feature disables radio interface if no activity is detected on the Ethernet line after the seconds indicated The AP disassociates wireless clients and prevents further associations with itself until it detects Ethernet activity If the Ethernet Timeout is disabled when the Ethernet connection is broken the AP clears the wireless client table and disables the RF interface until the Ethernet connection is restored If the Ethernet Timeout is enabled
7. AP you will have to connect the AP to your network mount the AP in a location best suited for reception and provide power to the AP Precautions Package Contents Before installing the AP review the following guidelines and precautions a Ensure that you have performed the preinstallation procedure outlined in the Access Point Quick Start Guide a Do not install the AP in wet or dusty areas without additional protection Contact a 3Com representative for more information a Verify the environment has a temperature range between 20 C to 55 C a f you attach the AP to a wired Ethernet make sure that the AP is on the same subnet The AP package contains the following items a 1 access point Check the AP model number on the bottom of the unit against the model listed on the packaging a 1 power adapter a 1 mounting bracket and hardware a 1 PowerBASE T module a 1 null modem serial cable 2 power cords Contact 3Com Customer Support see Appendix B to report missing or improperly functioning items Requirements The minimum installation requirements for a single cell peer to peer network is a power outlet The AP supports a 1O0BASE T unshielded twisted pair UTP Ethernet cable 28 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Network Connection Locate the Ethernet port and power plug on the back of the AP as shown by items 2 power plug and 3 Ethernet port in the figure below Item 1 is the serial p
8. AP security By doing so you define the system password enable your Access Control List ACL determine which wireless clients have access to an AP and which do not and enable or disable encryption Select Configuration gt Security The Security Setup page displays 2 Review the default settings and change as appropriate 3 Do one of the following a Click Save Settings to write your changes a Click Clear Entries to remove your changes and return the default settings Adding Allowed Wireless Clients Select Configuration gt Security 2 Select Enabled for Access Control 3 Click View Add Delete next to Allowed Wireless Clients The Access Control List Add Delete Allowed Wireless Clients page displays Enter the MAC address of a wireless client that can associate with the AP and click Add Wireless Client 5 Click Clear Entry if you decide not to allow the wireless client association with the AP 6 Repeat step 4 for as many wireless clients as you wish 7 Click Security Home Page when you have completed your entry on this page Adding or Deleting a Range of Allowed Wireless Clients Select Configuration gt Security 2 Select Enabled for Access Control w nN OU A Click View Add Delete next to Ranges of Allowed Wireless Clients The Access Control List Add Delete Allowed Ranges page displays Enter the MAC address of the allowed wireless client that begins the range Enter the MAC address of the allowed wi
9. AirConnect radio devices transmit in the 2 4 2 5 GHz frequency range a license free range throughout most of the world The actual range your AirConnect network operates at is country dependent Cellular Coverage Radio Basics 15 AirConnect devices like other Ethernet devices have unique hardware encoded Media Access Control MAC or IEEE addresses MAC addresses determine the device sending or receiving data A MAC address is a 48 bit number written as six hexadecimal bytes separated by colons A typical MAC address might be 00 A0 F8 24 9A C8 The AP MAC address is printed on the bottom of the unit as shown below The AP establishes an average communication range with wireless clients called a Home Service Area HSA or cell When a wireless client is in a particular cell the wireless client associates and communicates with the AP in that cell Each cell has a Home Service Area Identifier HSA_ID Under the 802 11 standard the MAC address of an AP represents its HSA_ID The wireless client recognizes the AP it associates with using the HSA_ID Adding APs to a LAN establishes more cells in an environment creating a wireless network using the same NET_ID This type of network is called a Wireless LAN Service Area WSA as shown below 16 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING APs with the same WLAN service area define a coverage area The wireless client searches for APs with a matching wireless LAN service ar
10. Allows logging of all wireless client state changes WNMP Events Logs WNMP events such as wireless clients using WNMP Serial Port Events Logs serial port activity AP AP Msgs Logs AP to AP communication Telnet Logins Logs telnet sessions for monitoring and administration System Events nternal use only Ethernet Events Logs events such as packet transmissions and errors 5 Verify that values reflect the network environment and change them as needed 6 Do one of the following Select OK to register the settings Or a Select Save to write changes to NVM which generates a confirmation prompt Select Save ALL APs F2 to save the Event Logging Configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and firmware versions Select Cancel ESC to disregard any changes made to this screen and return to the previous menu Manually Updating AP Firmware ii gt gt You have two options for manually updating the AP firmware You can use either of the following a A TFTP host ma Any computer using the Xmodem file transfer protocol a The two files required for firmware updates are dsap_fw bin 3cap_htm bin If you update t
11. Password accept values by scrolling to the next field or pressing Enter Entering Admin Mode Navigating the UI 59 a You can use function keys to enable commands in some windows For example statistic windows include Refresh F1 and Timed F2 command key combinations to update the display a Some options listed at the bottom of screens indicate possible commands for a selected item For example in the Known APs window highlighting an AP on the list and pressing F7 brings up the Ping function to ping that AP m To exit from submenus press Esc Administration screens include options for saving or clearing data that appear on the bottom line of the screen Confirmation prompts are listed below Prompt Description OK Registers settings but does not save them in nonvolatile memory NVM A reset command returns to previously saved settings Save Saves all settings including ones not on that screen to NVM This is the same as Save Configuration in the Special Functions screen Save ALL APs To save the AP installation configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset after the configuration has been modified Users can perform this option only among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions Example AP 3020 running FW 4 01 xx Cancel Does not register settings cha
12. Set serial port for Ul a Disable any modem connection a Set AP to answer mode Select the Set Serial Port Configuration option to configure these settings For details on configuring these settings see Configuring for Dial Up to the UI Navigating the Ul Use the following keystrokes to navigate through the UI menus and windows depending on the terminal emulation For terminal emulation programs that do not support arrow or function keys use the control character equivalents Arrow Function Key Control Character Up Arrow CTRL O Down Arrow CTRL Left Arrow CTRL U Right Arrow CTRL P F1 CTRL Q F2 CTRL W F3 CTRL E F4 CTRL R The following conventions also apply to navigating windows and menus m To select menu items press the key corresponding to the bold letter for the item case sensitive hot key Press Enter to select the item m Press Tab to scroll through menu items m To change menu items select items from the bottom line of the Main Menu for configuration options For multiple choice options press the bold letter to select To change values type in the new value and press Enter If the value is invalid the AP beeps and restores the original value Press Tab to scroll to the next menu item a Select an option from the bottom line on the menu to enable changes to take effect Press Tab to scroll to the item and press Enter to select it a When you change values such as System Name or System
13. any other unauthorized manner Further no license is granted to you in the human readable code of the Software source code Except as provided below this License Agreement does not grant you any rights to patents copyrights trade secrets trademarks or any other rights in respect to the Software The Software is licensed to be used on any workstation or any network server owned by or leased to you provided that the Software is used only in connection with a 3Com adapter You may reproduce and provide one 1 copy of the Software and supporting documentation for each such workstation or network server on which the Software is used as permitted hereunder Otherwise the Software and supporting documentation may be copied only as essential for backup or archive purposes in support of your use of the Software as permitted hereunder You must reproduce and include all copyright notices and any other proprietary rights notices appearing on the Software and the supporting documentation on any copies that you make NO ASSIGNMENT NO REVERSE ENGINEERING You may not transfer or assign the Software and or this License Agreement to another party without the prior written consent of 3Com If such consent is given and you transfer or assign the Software and or this License Agreement then you must at the same time either transfer any copies of the Software as well as the supporting documentation to the same party or destroy any such materials not transferred Exce
14. below Copy the firmware files dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin to the PC hard disk that runs a terminal emulation program 2 Attach a null modem serial cable from the AP to the PC serial port 3 Start the communication program on the PC Name the session AirConnect AP O O NOOU 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 and select OK The remainder of this procedure uses Windows 98 as an example Select the correct communication port typically Direct to Com1 along with the following parameters a Emulation ANSI a Baud rate 19200 bps a Data bits 8 a Stop bits 1 a Parity none a Flow control none Select OK Press Enter to display the Main Menu Select Enter Admin Mode and type the case sensitive password Open the Special Functions window Select Firmware HTML file or Both under the function heading Use XMODEM to Update Access Points Both downloads the dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin files separately Make sure both files are located in the same directory before the download begins Press Enter Type y at the confirmation prompt which generates the following message Downloading firmware using XMODEM Send firmware with XMODEM now CAUTION When you use Xmodem verify the accuracy of the file name before a send An incorrect file can render the AP inoperable Select Transfer from the emulation program menu bar Select Send File Click Browse to locate the file s dsap_fw bin or 3cap_htm bin Select the XMo
15. call Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page Configuring the Answering Modem Complete steps 1 3 for configuring the originating modem above 2 Select Answer for Modem Connect Mode 3 Complete steps 5 11 for configuring the originating modem above Filtering In order to control the types of network traffic the AP handles or to eliminate some network traffic you can configure the AP to forward or discard particular types of packets TCP IP IPX Or you can allow all traffic through by disabling the filtering option Select Configuration gt Filtering The Filtering Setup page displays Determine what type of filtering you want to set up and select the appropriate procedure below Filtering to Forward Packets To configure the AP to forward packets of particular types do the following 1 Click Forward as the Type Filtering N OU Aa W Enter the four hex digits associated with the network protocol for which you want the AP to forward packets Click Add Filter Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add additional protocol types Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page Filtering to Discard Packets To configure the AP to discard packets of particular types do the following 1 Click Discard as the Type Filtering N au fF W Enter the four hex digits associated with the network protocol for
16. client continues communicating with that AP until it needs to switch cells or roam Wireless clients perform scans at start up In a scan a wireless client uses a sequential set of channels as the scan range For each channel in range the wireless client tests for Clear Channel Assessment CCA When a transmission free channel becomes available the wireless client broadcasts a probe with the wireless LAN service area and the broadcast HSA_ID An AP directed probe response generates a wireless client Acknowledgment ACK CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Roaming Extended Roaming gt and the addition of the AP to the AP table with a proximity classification An unsuccessful AP packet transmission generates another wireless client probe on the same channel If the wireless client fails to receive a probe response within the time limits it repeats the probe process on the next channel in the sequence This process continues through all channels in the range A wireless client can roam within the coverage area by switching APs Roaming is transparent and virtually instantaneous in high level applications Roaming occurs when a An unassociated wireless client attempts to associate or reassociate with an available AP m The supported rate changes or the wireless client finds a better transmit rate with another AP a The signal quality of a potential AP exceeds that of the current AP m The ratio of good transmi
17. copies thereof regardless of the form or media are held by 3Com and its suppliers UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense The Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in DFARS 252 227 7014 June 1995 or as a commercial item as defined in FAR 2 101 a and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in this License Agreement which is 3Com s standard commercial license for the Software Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252 227 7015 Nov 1995 or FAR 52 227 14 June 1987 whichever is applicable You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation delivered to you under this License Agreement TERM AND TERMINATION This license will expire fifty 50 years from the date that you first use the Software if it is not earlier terminated You may terminate it at any time by destroying the Software and documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any form It will also terminate immediately if you fail to comply with any term or condition of this License Agreement Upon such termination you agree to destroy the Software and documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any form GOVERNING LAW This License Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California as such l
18. every beacon and message transmitted These systems operate without any adjustments by the AP A beacon is a uniframe system packet broadcast by the AP to keep the network synchronized A beacon includes the wireless LAN service area the AP address the Broadcast destination addresses a time stamp Delivery Traffic Indicator Maps and the Traffic Indicator Message TIM Power Save Polling PSP stations power off their radios for long periods When a wireless client in PSP mode associates with an AP it notifies the AP of its activity status The AP responds by buffering packets received for the wireless client The PSP mode wireless client wakes up to listen to the AP beacon every nt Beacon Interval where n is a PSP mode value from the 1 to 5 range the Beacon Interval is set on the wireless client When the wireless client wakes up and sees its bit set in the TIM it issues a poll request to the AP for packets stored for it The AP sends 24 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING HTTP HTML Web Server Support Management Options them to the wireless client and the wireless client goes back to sleep A DTIM field also called a countdown field informs wireless clients of the next window for listening to broadcast and multicast messages The AP sends the messages following the nth beacon where n is the DTIM interval defined in the AP When the AP has buffered broadcast or multicast messages for associated wireless clients it s
19. option Otherwise follow the procedure below In Windows 2000 the F1 key will not work correctly to save configuration settings To save settings press the Tab key to highlight the onscreen F1 selection then press Enter Answer yes when prompted to save changes To enable the F1 key to work correctly in Windows 2000 you should upgrade your Hyperterminal application to Hyperterminal Private Edition This software is available at http www hilgraeve com htpe index html Select Special Functions from the Main Menu The Special Functions Menu displays Select Save Configuration and press Enter The Save All APs function saves only the five parameters the precede it in the Special Functions Menu You can use this option only among the same hardware platforms and firmware versions The NVRAM stores saved configuration information To clear configuration information stored in the NVRAM see Restoring the Default AP Configuration Resetting an AP clears statistics and restores the last saved configuration If you changes and do not save them the AP clears those changes and restores the factory defaults on reset To reset the AP do the following Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Reset AP The AP LEDs flash as they do when the AP powers up The AP returns to a STATUS flashing state 80 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Restoring the Default AP Configuration If an AP fails to communic
20. provided to you UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND If you are a United States government agency then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense Software is delivered as Commercial Computer Software as defined in DFARS 252 227 7014 June 1995 or as a commercial item as defined in FAR 2 101 a and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com s standard commercial license for the Software Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252 227 7015 Nov 1995 or FAR 52 227 14 June 1987 whichever is applicable You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in or delivered to you in conjunction with this User Guide Unless otherwise indicated 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries 3Com and AirConnect are registered trademarks and the 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation Microsoft MS DOS Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated EXPORT RESTRICTIONS This product or software contains encryption code which may not be expor
21. rear of the AP and to a power outlet Plug the power adapter cable into the socket at the back of the AP Plug the adapter into an outlet The AP is functional when the Status indicator on the front of the AP flashes consistently and the Wireless LAN Activity indicator begins flickering see LED Indicators for more details This indicates that the AP is ready for wireless clients to associate with it The AP operates without user intervention after setup See the AP LED indicators to verify that the unit operates properly 32 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Using the PowerBASE T N A Ww The PowerBASE T allows you to power the AP using the Ethernet cable If you are forced to mount the AP in an area where access to an electrical outlet is limited the PowerBASE T can be used to power the AP The PowerBASE T can be located at any point between the AP and the hub or switch where a convenient AC outlet exists To connect the PowerBASE T use the following procedure Connect the power adapter cable to the power supply Connect the power adapter cable from the power supply to the PowerBASE T module See item 1 in the following figure Connect the power cord to the power supply Plug the power cord into a power outlet When the PowerBASE T module receives power the green LED on top lights up Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port to your network hub or switch See item 2 in the followin
22. sole obligation under this express warranty shall be at 3Com s option and expense to repair the defective product or part deliver to Customer an equivalent product or part to replace the defective item or if neither of the two foregoing options is reasonably available 3Com may in its sole discretion refund to Customer the purchase price paid for the defective product All products that are replaced will become the property of 3Com Replacement products or parts may be new or reconditioned 3Com warrants any replaced or repaired product or part for ninety 90 days from shipment or the remainder of the initial warranty period whichever is longer 3Com s sole obligation under this express warranty shall be at 3Com s option and expense to repair the defective product or part deliver to Customer an equivalent product or part to replace the defective item or if neither of the two foregoing options is reasonably available 3Com may in its sole discretion refund to Customer the purchase price paid for the defective product All products that are replaced will become the property of 3Com Replacement products may be new or reconditioned 3Com warrants any replaced or repaired product or part for ninety 90 days from shipment or the remainder of the initial warranty period whichever is longer 3Com warrants to Customer that each software program licensed from it except as noted below will perform in substantial conformance to its program spe
23. to the modem to turn on off the modem speaker The default is On Inactivity Timeout The inactivity time on the UI that causes the AP to terminate the connection while using a modem The default is 5 minutes A value of zero indicates no time out Configuring the Dial Up System To configure the Dial up System assuming the PPP serial port and answer mode are enabled on the AP follow the procedure below Attach a null modem serial cable from the AP to the modem Verify the modem connects to the telephone line and has power Refer to the modem documentation for information on verifying device power Start the communication program from the remote terminal Select the correct serial port along with the following parameters a Emulation ANs a Baud rate 19200 bps Data bits 8 a Stop bits 1 a Parity none a Flow control none 5 Dial out to the AP with the appropriate telephone number No password is required 6 Press Esc to refresh the display The AP displays the Main Menu Hanging Up To hang up from the UI while a call is still connected Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Modem Hangup 62 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Access Point Installation The AP UI includes an AP Installation window in which you can set basic parameters for an AirConnect wireless network These parameters include designating a gateway address that enables message forwarding across
24. updates the configuration changes for the current AP on the Known APs table The AP is reset after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions Select Cancel ESC to disregard any changes made in this window and return to the previous menu Configuring the AP 63 Configuring the AP System Parameters The AP has many configuration parameters This section discusses all the AP parameters and how to set them The AP has configuration options to operate the unit including security access and interface control Some parameters do not require modification To configure the system parameters follow the procedure below 1 Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu which generates the System Configuration window 2 Select the appropriate value from the table below to configure the direct sequence channel settings for the operating country Frequency No of Channels Country 2412 11 US standard 2412 13 Europe 2457 2 Spain 2457 4 France 2484 14 Japan 3 Configure the AP system settings as required The parameters are explained in the table below Ethernet Timeout Telnet Logins System Password Agent Ad Interval AirConnect Mobile IP Mobile Home MD5 key Disables radio interface if no activity is detected on the Ethernet line after the seconds indicated a range from 30 255 The AP disassociates wireless clients and
25. which you want the AP to discard packets Click Add Filter Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add additional protocol types Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page A W N Updating AP Firmware gt gt Special Configuration Considerations 53 Removing Filtered Packet Types Networking Protocols You may have set up particular type of packets for discarding or forwarding by the AP If you chose to remove packet types from your list do the following Highlight the hex number representing the packet type you want to delete Click Delete Filter Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page Disabling Type Filtering If you want the AP to handle all types of network traffic disable type filtering Select Disabled the default as the Type Filtering if it is not already selected Click Save Settings to save any changes you made on this page To upgrade your firmware you need a TFTP server and a connection between the AP and PC on the same Ethernet segment The files required for firmware updates are dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin If you update the AP firmware you will not be able to downgrade to the previous version of AP firmware To upgrade the access point to version 2 0 you must first perform the update procedure to update the AP to version 1 5 firmware and then repeat the update procedure to up
26. wireless client activity through data packet transmission and reception and through scanning AirConnect wireless clients conduct active scanning Other industry standard wireless clients might conduct passive scans and an AirConnect AP could classify them as inactive Defines the data transmission rate n 11 Mbps Optional a 5 5 Mbps Optional a 2 Mbps Required n 1 Mbps Required Fragmentation is not supported at this time RTS CTS operation is not supported at this time 3 Verify that values reflect the network environment and change them as needed 4 Do one of the following Select OK to register the settings Or Select Save to write changes to NVM which generates a confirmation prompt CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Configuring PPP 5 To save the RF Configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service area select Save ALL APs F2 This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions Select Cancel ESC to disregard any changes made to this window and return to the previous menu To use a Point to Point PPP connection choose the appropriate hardware connection direct or modem Verify the enable status of th
27. wireless clients that associate with it and the data packets that can forward through it Filters provide network security or improve performance by eliminating broadcast multicast packets from the radio network The Access Control List ACL contains MAC addresses for wireless clients allowed to associate with the AP This provides security by preventing unauthorized access The AP also uses a disallowed address list of destinations This feature prevents the AP from communicating with specified destinations This can include network devices that do not require communication with the AP or its wireless clients Depending on the setting the AP can keep a list of frame types that it forwards or discards The Type Filtering option prevents specific frames indicated by the 16 bit DIX Ethernet Type field from being processed by the AP These include certain broadcast frames from devices unimportant to the wireless LAN but which utilize bandwidth Filtering out unnecessary frames also improve throughput The AP uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DHCP to obtain a leased IP address and network configuration information from a remote server DHCP is based on BOOTP protocol DHCP can coexist or interoperate with BOOTP An AP sends out a DHCP request searching for a DHCP server to acquire the network configuration and firmware filenames Because BOOTP and DHCP interoperate the one that responds first becomes the server that allocates information
28. 0 00 Enter the appropriate MAC address You can enter MAC addresses without colons Removing Disallowed Wireless Clients To remove wireless clients from the Disallowed Addresses list do the following Select Set Address Filtering from the Main Menu 2 Highlight the MAC address using the Up or Down Arrows 3 Select Delete F1 to delete the MAC address Type Filtering Packet types supported for the type filtering function include the 16 bit DIX Ethernet types The list can include up to 16 types Adding Filter Types To add packet types to the Type Filtering list do the following Select Set Type Filtering from the Main Menu 2 Select Add F2 3 Enter the packet type 72 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE wm fF WN Removing Filter Types To remove packet types from the Type Filtering list do the following Select Set Type Filtering from the Main Menu Highlight the packet type by pressing up down arrows Select Delete Controlling Type Filters Set the type filters to forward or discard the types listed To control the type filtering mode Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu Select Type Filtering Press space bar to toggle between the Forward Discard or Disable type filtering Press Enter to confirm your choice Select Save ALL APs F2 to save the Type Filtering Setup information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area You can execute this option only among the same har
29. 66 5065 Mexico AT amp T 800 778 5573 Brazil 0800 13 3266 Peru AT amp T 800 666 5065 Chile 0800 13 3266 Puerto Rico 800 666 5065 Colombia 98012 2127 Venezuela AT amp T 800 666 5065 North America 1 800 527 8677 Returning Products for Repair 85 Returning Products for Repair Before you send a product directly to 3Com for repair you must first obtain a Return Materials Authorization RMA number Products sent to 3Com without RMA numbers will be returned to the sender unopened at the sender s expense To obtain an RMA number call or fax Country Asia Pacific Rim Europe South Africa and Middle East Telephone Number 65 543 6500 44 1442 435860 Fax Number 65 543 6348 44 1442 435718 From the following European countries you may call the toll free numbers select option 2 and then option 2 Australia Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Hong Kong Hungary ndonesia reland srael taly Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Norway P R of China Phillipines Poland Portugal South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan R O C Thailand U K Latin America U S A and Canada 1800 678 515 0800 297468 0800 71429 800 17309 0800 113153 0800 917959 0130 821502 800 933 486 06800 12813 001 80061 009 1 800 553117 1 800 9453794 800 879489 1800 801777 0800 0227788 0800 446 398 800 11376 10 800 61 00137 1235 61 266 2602 0800 3111206 0800 831416 0800 9
30. 95014 00798 611 2230 900 983125 020 795482 0800 55 3072 0080 611 261 001 800 611 2000 0800 966197 1 408 326 2927 1 800 527 8677 1 408 326 3355 1 408 326 7120 INDEX Numbers 10BASE T connection 28 3Com URL 83 802 1d spanning tree support 16 A access control 18 access point configuring in ASCII UI 62 description 12 features 13 installing 29 network characteristics 82 output characteristics 81 physical characteristics 81 radio characteristics 81 accessing ASCII user interface Ul 57 adding additional gateways 45 wireless clients 46 admin mode ASCII Ul 59 analyzing retires 39 answering modem configuring 52 AP wall mount 29 AP firmware update before configuring AP 57 updating using TFTP 74 updating using web browser UI 53 upgrading all APs 76 ASCII 57 ASCII Ul accessing 57 admin mode 59 changing access 59 60 clearing wireless clients 72 configuring ACL 69 configuring PPP connection 66 configuring radio parameters 64 configuring system parameters 63 configuring the AP 63 navigating 58 updating AP firmware 73 association process 21 B bridging media types 18 support 19 C cable null modem serial 20 CAM see continuously aware mode 23 cellular coverage 15 changing access ASCII UI 60 changing Ul access 44 clearing statistics 40 56 configuration resetting 79 restoring 79 restoring default 80 saving 79 configuring ACL in ASCII UI 69 answering modem 52 dial up connec
31. ACL To do so follow the procedure below Select Set Access Control List from the Main Menu The prompt below displays Address Type range individual 2 Press the up down arrows to toggle between range and individual 3 Press Add F2 The AP prompts for a MAC address 00 00 00 00 00 00 4 Enter the MAC address You can enter MAC addresses without colons Select Save ALL APs F3 to save the AP installation configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and firmware version Removing Allowed Wireless Clients To remove wireless clients do the following Select the Allowed Mobile Units window 2 Highlight the wireless client you want to remove using the Up or Down Arrows 3 Press Delete F1 A W N Enable Disable the ACL To toggle between enable or disable locate the ACL in the System Configuration window then do the following Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu Press Tab to select Access Control Press space bar to Enable Select Save to save changes Removing All Allowed Wireless Clients You can remove all wireless clients from the ACL by following the procedure below Select Special Funct
32. AP closes the PPP connection after making the maximum requests The default is 10 from a O to 255 terminate request range Answering AP From the answering APs UI Select Set Serial Port Configuration from the Main Menu Set the Port Use parameter to PPP Set the Modem Connected parameter to Yes Set the Connect Mode to Answer Configure the other required settings the same as on the originating AP Initiating Modem Connection To manually initiate dial out from the originating AP to the answering AP do the following Select the Special Functions Menu from the Main Menu Select Modem Dialout The AP dials out and attempts to make a connection according to parameters set in the Serial Port Configuration If dial out fails the AP switches to manual dial out 68 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE i For automatic dial out reset the AP Configuring the SNMP Agent To hang up do the following Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Modem Hangup An SNMP manager application gains access to the AP SNMP agent if it has the AP IP address The agent configures as read only read write or disabled to provide security when using SNMP The AP sends specific traps for some conditions Ensure the SNMP trap manager recognizes how to manage these traps See the 3Com MIB on the Wireless LAN Installation and Utilities disk for specific entries The AP supports SNMP V1 MIB II and the 3Com MIB To configure
33. AP uses on the Ethernet default gateway Subnet Mask Consists of four sets of digits that help divide a network into subnetworks and simplify routing and data transmission DHCP Enable Disable automatic IP address assignment by a DHCP server Help URL URL of web management help file Wireless LAN Service WLAN service area identifier Area Diversity Enables selection of antenna diversity Choose Primary Only Additional Gateways IP addresses of the additional gateways used You can access up to eight gateways Verify that the AP parameters reflect the network environment and change the parameters as needed Do one of the following a Click Save Settings to write changes if you make modifications a Click Clear Entries to remove your changes and return the default settings You can add the IP addresses of additional gateways during Easy Setup To do so follow this procedure Select Easy Setup gt Easy Setup Click Add Delete Gateways The Easy Setup Add Delete Gateways page displays Enter the IP addresses of up to seven additional APs 4 Click Save Settings to write your changes Click Clear Entries to remove your changes and return the default settings 46 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER Configuring the AP Security The AP has many configuration parameters This section discusses all the AP parameters and how to set them One of the first tasks you need to accomplish is to set
34. Agent is an AP acting as a router on the wireless client home network The home agent intercepts packets sent to the wireless client home address and tunnels the message to the wireless client at its current location This happens as long as the wireless client keeps its home agent informed of its current location on some foreign link a A Foreign Agent is an AP acting as a router at the wireless client location on a foreign link The foreign agent serves as the default router for packets sent out by the wireless client connected on the same foreign link a Acare of address is the IP address used by the wireless client visiting a foreign link This address changes each time the wireless client moves to another foreign link It can also be viewed as an exit point of a tunnel between the wireless client home agent and the wireless client itself Security involves two distinct areas authentication and privacy Authentication ensures that only authorized users access the wireless network Privacy ensures that communication between authenticated users and the network cannot be intercepted or overheard The Access Control List provides authentication using the wireless LAN service area and a system administrator supplied list of all the wireless client MAC addresses authorized to access the Home Service Area Privacy is ensured by enabling the 40 bit WEP encryption option Continuously Aware Mode CAM stations leave their radios on continuously to hear
35. AirConnect 11 Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point scom User Guide i Version 2 0 Part No 09 2045 000 Published December 2000 3Com Corporation m 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara California m 95052 8145 Copyright 2000 3Com Corporation All rights reserved No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work such as translation ransformation or adaptation without written permission from 3Com Corporation 3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from ime to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change 3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty term or condition of any kind either implied or expressed including but not limited to the implied warranties terms or conditions of merchantability satisfactory quality and fitness for a particular purpose 3Com may make improvements or changes in the product s and or the program s described in this documentation at any time f there is any software on removable media described in this documentation it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document in the hard copy documentation or on the removable media in a directory file named LICENSE TXT or LICENSE TXT If you are unable to locate a copy please contact 3Com and a copy will be
36. Away indicates the last known transmission took place 12 or more seconds ago CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER Introduction Software configuration requires setting up a connection to the Access Point AP and gaining access to the User Interface UI Gaining Access to the User Interface UI Using a Web Browser gt gt Using a Web Browser 1 In order to configure an AP you need access to the Web and you need to know the IP address of the AP In the address URL text box of your browser type IP address of the AP and press Enter Before configuring the AP you should upgrade the AirConnect firmware to the latest version Refer to Updating AP Firmware on page 53 If you are using Hyperterminal or a similar ASCII interface refer to the instructions in Configuring the AP Using the ASCII Interface on page 57 Using a Web browser to gain access to the UI requires the workstation to have a TCP IP stack and access to a Web browser The remote station can be on either the wired or wireless LAN There are two methods for setting up the Web Help file Placing the Help file on the network Web server Placing the Help file on the local workstation hard disk To use this feature the Web browser Internet Explorer 4 0 or greater or Netscape requires JavaScript Help File Access A network Web server is required to access the Help file from the AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management S
37. ER SCLOSE THAT TH WITH THE SALE TTY FOR DAMAGES imitation of implied warranties or the he limitation of liability for personal injury so the ed in their application to you When the implied warran y they will be limited to the duration of the applicable written warranty This warranty gives you WILL NOT BE AFF ies are no AL INDIRECT SPECIAL OR S LOSS OF BUSINESS LOSS OF INFORMATIO STALLATION MAINTENANCE E ALLEGED ER S OR ANY THIRD PERSON S PEN REPAIR OR MODIFY THE IDENT FIRE LIGHTNING POWER THER OR LLER HAS BEEN ENT OR REFUND OF THE ECTED IF ANY imitation of incidental allowed to be hall be governed by the laws of the State of California U S A excluding its conflicts of laws principles Regulatory Compliance Information RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE REQUIREMENTS CANADA CE MARKING AND EUROPEAN UNION COMPLIANCE This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commissions Rules and Regulation These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a res
38. P address gateway address and subnet mask are correct If these items are correct contact your network administrator for assistance Start your Web browser Internet Explorer 4 0 or greater or Netscape 3 0 or greater 4 Type the IP Address for the associated AP to access that AP via the Web browser The AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management System main page displays The Web pages look different than the Telnet Direct Serial or Dial Up Connections Access the different page types using the nodes located in the left frame Refer to the online help file for Web page navigation page contents and parameter use 44 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER Changing UI Access uu A W N Turn off the caching function for the browser to view configuration function or option changes on the Web page s a For Netscape Select Edit gt Preferences from the menu bar b Select Advanced gt Cache when the Preferences dialog box opens c Select Every time under the Document in cache is compared to document on network item a For Internet Explorer Select View gt nternet Options from the menu bar b Select Temporary Internet files and Settings c Select Every visit to the page under the Check for newer versions of stored pages item You must set this option so that the latest version of a Web page is displayed You can access help from any AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management Syste
39. PTER 3 MONITORING STATISTICS Clearing Statistics To clear statistics do the following Select Configuration from the Main Menu 2 Select Clear All Statistics 3 Select Perform Function The AP zeroes out all statistics Resetting the AP also clears statistics Known APs The AP displays a list of the known APs derived from AP to AP communication The list includes the MAC and IP addresses and configuration information for each AP The first AP on the list provides the information The AP recognizes other APs listed in subsequent lines It sends a broadcast message to other APs every 12 seconds to establish communication and refresh this list Select Show Known APs from the Main Menu to display the Known Access Points window and to review information about the APs Category Description MAC Address Unique 48 bit hard coded Media Access Control address known as the station identifier IP Address Network assigned Internet Protocol address An x appearing after the IP address indicates the AP on this line is not using the 802 11 protocol and its firmware must be upgraded DS Channel CH Direct sequence channel used by the AP WCS Wireless clients associated with the AP KBIOS The data traffic handled by the AP measured by kilobytes in per second and kilobytes out per second FW_Ver Firmware version used by the specified AP Away Determines whether the AP functions as a part of the network or is Away
40. QPSK TX Out of Band US FCC part 15 247 15 205 15 209 Emissions Europe ETS 300 320 Japan RCR STD 33 82 APPENDIX A ACCESS POINT SPECIFICATIONS Network Characteristics Ethernet Frame Filtering Packet Rate Ethernet Connection Serial SNMP DIX Ethernet_ll IEEE 802 3 14 400 frames per second filtering and forwarding 10Base T RJ 45 PC AT serial port DB9 Female RS 232 using a DTE termination 19200 bps Version 1 MIB II 3Com MIB e e oeoo TECHNICAL SUPPORT Online Technical Services World Wide Web Site 3Com FTP Site gt Support from Your Network Supplier 3Com offers worldwide product support 24 hours a day 7 days a week through the following online systems m World Wide Web site a 3Com FTP site Access the latest networking information on the 3Com Corporation World Wide Web site by entering the URL into your Internet browser http www 3com com This service provides access to online support information such as technical documentation and software library as well as support options ranging from technical education to maintenance and professional services Download drivers patches software and MIBs across the Internet from the 3Com public FTP site This service is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week To connect to the 3Com FTP site enter the following information into your FTP client m Hostname tp 3com com Or 192 156 136 12 m Username anonymous
41. The DHCP client automatically sends a DHCP request to renew the IP address lease as long as the AP is running This parameter is programmed at the DHCP server For example Windows NT servers typically are set for 3 days The AP can optionally download two files when a boot takes place the firmware file and an HTML file because firmware versions 4 00 31 and above support Web servers Users can program the DHCP or BOOTP server to transfer these two files when a DHCP request is made When the AP receives a network configuration change or is not able to renew the IP address lease the AP sends out an SNMP trap The AP supports bridging between Ethernet radio and serial media The Ethernet interface fully complies with Ethernet Rev 2 and IEEE 802 3 specifications The AP supports 10BASE T wired connections and full speed filtering The data transfer rate over radio waves is 11 Mbps The Ethernet interface is optional for single cell or PPP connected networks The radio interface conforms to IEEE 802 11B specifications The interface operates at 11 Mbps using direct sequence radio technology The AP supports multiple cell operations with fast transparent roaming between cells With the direct sequence system each cell operates independently Each cell provides a 11 Mbps bandwidth Adding cells to the network provides increased coverage area and total system capacity The AP supports wireless clients operating in Power Save Polling PSP mode
42. Using a Direct Serial Connection 58 Using a Dial up Connection 58 Navigating the UI 58 Entering Admin Mode 59 Changing the Access to the UI 60 Configuring for Dial Up to the UI 60 Configuring The Serial Port 60 Configuring the Dial Up System 61 Hanging Up 61 Access Point Installation 62 Configuring the AP 63 System Parameters 63 Radio Parameters 64 Configuring PPP 66 PPP Direct 66 Establishing a Connection 66 PPP with Modems 66 Originating AP 67 Answering AP 67 Configuring the SNMP Agent 68 Configuring the Access Control List 69 Range of Wireless Clients 69 Adding Allowed Wireless Clients 70 Removing Allowed Wireless Clients 70 Enable Disable the ACL 70 Removing All Allowed Wireless Clients 70 Load ACL from Wireless Client List 71 Filtering 71 Address Filtering 71 Adding Disallowed Wireless Clients 71 Removing Disallowed Wireless Clients 71 Type Filtering 71 Adding Filter Types 71 Removing Filter Types 72 Controlling Type Filters 72 Clearing Wireless Clients from the AP 72 Setting Logging Options 72 Manually Updating AP Firmware 73 Update using TFTP 74 Updating using Xmodem 74 Auto Upgrade all APs Via Messaging 76 Performing Pings 77 Extended Roaming Using MD5 Authentication 77 Enabling or Disabling Encryption 78 Encryption Configuration Requirements 78 Encryption Upgrade Access Codes 78 Special Configuration Considerations 78 Disable Short Preamble 78 WLAP Mode Setting 79 Saving Resetting and Restoring Configurations 79 S
43. ally update the display every two seconds The information displayed about the wireless client includes the following Category Description Interface State Power Mode Station ID Begin Current Assoc Supported Rates Current Xmt Rate Packets Sent Packets Rcvd Bytes Sent Bytes Rcvd Discard Pkts CRC Last Activity Last Data Activity Select Refresh at the bottom of the window to update the values manually Displays the wireless client connection RF Ethernet PPP or AP Connection state between the AP and the wireless client a Host unit is on AP or PPP interface Associated current association on radio interface a Away unit is no longer associated with AP Wireless client power mode CAM PSP or N A he IEEE 802 11 specification requires that each AP assign a station ID to all associated wireless clients regardless of the wireless client power mode PSP or CAM Time at which current association began hh mm ss Indicates data station supported transmission rates Current rate of AP station data transmissions Number of packets sent by AP to wireless client Number of packets received by AP from wireless client Number of bytes sent by AP to wireless client Number of bytes received by AP from wireless client Number of packets discarded because of data error Amount of time since the last communication with AP hh mm ss Fs Amount of time since the last data transf
44. are an AP mounting bracket and hardware a serial cable a power adapter and associated power cables and one CD the AirConnect Installation CD AirConnect Network Topologies Peer To Peer Network To better understand how the various AirConnect products work together to create a wireless network it might be helpful to depict a few of the possible AirConnect network topologies The topology used in a particular environment depends on many factors such as the functionality of the AP in the network or desired data transfer rates Your AirConnect network topology will probably resemble one of the following scenarios or perhaps a combination of two or more The simplest AirConnect topology consists of one AP providing a single cell network for wireless clients In this scenario as shown in the figure below the wireless clients notebook and desktop computers with the AirConnect NIC installed communicate through the AP on a peer to peer network The clients can be moved anywhere within the coverage area of the AP and still communicate with each other The AP in this instance serves the same purpose as a stand alone network hub and is not connected to any other network segments CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Same Site Separate Networks In this scenario as shown in the following figure Multiple APs can coexist as separate networks at the same site without interference using different network identifiers wire
45. ate because of improper settings restore the factory configuration defaults Restoring the factory default settings clears all configuration and statistics for an AP To restore the default configuration do the following Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Restore Factory Configuration The AP erases all user applied configuration information and replaces the factory default configuration ACCESS POINT SPECIFICATIONS oe eho toeo Physical Characteristics Dimensions 1 25 H x 5 5 Lx 7 75 W 3 18 cm Hx 14 97 cm L x 19 69 cm W Weight w power 1 Ibs 0 454 kg supply Operating 4 F to 131 F 20 C to 55 C emperature Storage 40 F to 149 F 40 C to 65 C emperature Humidity 10 to 95 noncondensing Shock 40 G 11 ms half sine ESD Meets CE Mark Drop Withstands up to a 30 in 76 cm drop to concrete with possible surface marring Radio Characteristics Frequency No of Channels Country 2412 11 US Standard 2412 13 Europe 2457 2 Spain 2457 4 France 2484 14 Japan Frequency range is country dependent within 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz Output Characteristics Radio Power 100mW Output Range Open Over 1000 ft 303 m environment Office Up to 80 ft 11Mbps environment Up to 120 ft 5 5Mbps Up to 200 ft 2Mbps Up to 300 ft 1Mbps TX Max Radiated US FCC part 15 247 Europe ETS 300 320 EIRP Japan RCR STD 33 Modulation DBPSK D
46. ating each AP This interval prevents more than one AP from accessing the TFTP server at once and causing network congestion The Ethernet TFTP upgrade method requires a connection between the AP and PC on the same Ethernet segment Verify the PC has a TFTP server running on it Running the server requires third party software such as FTP PC TCP for DOS or OnNet for Windows The wireless TFTP upgrade method requires a connection between the AP and a TFTP server The TFTP server can be running on a 3Com AirConnect device Updating the firmware requires that a TFTP server be running in the background To update the AP firmware Copy the firmware files dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin to the terminal or PC hard disk 2 Telnet to the AP using its IP address 3 Type the case sensitive password at the prompt see Changing the Access to the UI for more details The AP generates the Main Menu 4 Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Alter Filename s HELP URL TFTP Server and press Enter 6 Type the firmware file name in the Download Filename field gt Only change this file name if you are required to do so The default file names are dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin Verify that the path to the files is accurate See step one 7 Enter the TFTP Server IP address in the TFTP Server field 8 Press Enter 9 Select Save Configuration to save settings 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Select Special Functions from t
47. aving a Configuration 79 Resetting an AP 79 Restoring the Default AP Configuration 80 A ACCESS POINT SPECIFICATIONS B TECHNICAL SUPPORT Online Technical Services 83 World Wide Web Site 83 3Com FIP Site 83 Support from Your Network Supplier 83 Support from 3Com 84 Returning Products for Repair 85 INDEX WARRANTY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE 3Com Corporation Limited Warranty 91 Regulatory Compliance Information 93 3Com End User Software License Agreement 94 eere e L OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Introduction AirConnect from 3Com is made up of a series of products that work together to deliver high speed digital wireless networking This technology provides connectivity between wireless clients and network nodes in a variety of indoor environments and also provides bridging architecture between wired and wireless network segments AirConnect is based on the IEEE 802 11B standard and delivers 11 Mbps data transfer rates The core hardware products that make up an AirConnect network include the following a A wireless network interface card NIC installed in a wireless client either a PC Card installed in a notebook computer or a PCI card installed in a desktop computer a Access point or AP which serves as a wireless network node a PowerBASE T optional which provides bus power to the access point when connected to an Ethernet network Also included in your AirConnect kit
48. aws are applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within California between California residents and by the laws of the United States You agree that the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods 1980 is hereby excluded in its entirety from application to this License Agreement LIMITED WARRANTY LIMITATION OF LIABILITY All warranties and limitations of liability applicable to the Software are as stated on the Limited Warranty Card or in the product manual whether in paper or electronic form accompanying the Software Such warranties and limitations of liability are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference SEVERABILITY In the event any provision of this License Agreement is found to be invalid illegal or unenforceable the validity legality and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired and a valid legal and enforceable provision of similar intent and economic impact shall be substituted therefor ENTIRE AGREEMENT This License Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and 3Com supersedes all prior agreements whether written or oral with respect to the Software and may be amended only in a writing signed by both parties 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza P O Box 58145 Santa Clara CA 95052 8145 408 326 5000
49. cifications for a period of ninety 90 days from the date of purchase from 3Com or its authorized reseller 3Com warrants the media containing software against failure during the warranty period No updates are provided 3Com s sole obligation under this express warranty shall be at 3Com s option and expense to refund the purchase price paid by Customer for any defective software product or to replace any defective media with software which substantially conforms to applicable 3Com published specifications Customer assumes responsibility for the selection of the appropriate applications program and associated reference materials 3Com makes no warranty or representation that its software products will meet Customer s requirements or work in combination with any hardware or applications software products provided by third parties that the operation of the software products will be uninterrupted or error free or that all defects in the software products will be corrected For any third party products listed in the 3Com software product documentation or specifications as being compatible 3Com will make reasonable efforts to provide compatibility except where the non compatibility is caused by a bug or defect in the third party s product or from use of the software product not in accordance with 3Com s published specifications or user manual The site survey software is licensed AS IS THIS 3COM PRODUCT MAY INCLUDE OR BE BUNDLED WITH
50. d builds an address database using the unique IEEE 48 bit address MAC address An address in the database includes the interface media that the device uses to associates with the AP The AP internal stack interface handles all messages directed to the AP The AP uses the database to forward packets from one interface to another The bridge forwards packets addressed to unknown systems to the default interface either Ethernet or PPP Each AP stores information on destinations and their interfaces to facilitate forwarding When you send an Address Resolution Protocol ARP request packet the AP forwards the request over all enabled interfaces Ethernet PPP or radio except over the interface on which the ARP request packet was received Radio received ARP request packets echo back to other APs over radio Upon receiving the ARP response packet the AP database keeps a record of the destination address along with the receiving interface With this information the AP forwards any directed packet to the correct destination The AP forwards packets for unknown destinations to the Ethernet interface The AP removes from its database destinations or interfaces not used for a specified time The AP refreshes its database when it transmits or receives data from these destinations and interfaces CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING DHCP Support Media Types Filtering and Access Control The AP provides facilities to limit the
51. damages for certain products supplied to consumers or above excluded in their entire specific legal rights which may vary depending on local law This Limited Warranty sl and excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods 3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara CA 95054 408 326 5000 January 3 2000 imitations and exclusions may be limi R PROFIT OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION URE OR INTERRUPTION OF ITS PRODUCTS EVEN IF 3COM OR ITS AUTHORIZED RESE TS LIABILITY TO REPAIR REPLACEM D ABOVE CUSTOMER S SOLE REMEDY FOR BREAC OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PAI THORIZED ATTEMPTS TO O NTENDED USE OR BY ACC CIDENTAL CONSEQUENTI o provide te D AT 3CO D REMEDIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER THER IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF OF MERCHANTABILI NFRINGEME RIZES ANY OTHER PERSON TENANCE OR USE OF ESTING AND EXAMINATION D PRODUCT DOES NOT EXIST OR WAS CAUSED BY CUSTO TALLATION OR TESTING UNAU ITS PRODUCTS S OPTIO TO ASSUME FOR ions When an advance replacement is provided and Customer fails ays after shipment of the replacement 3Com will charge Customer y will be provided for ninety 90 days fforts basis Telephone support is available from 3Com only i omer s reseller is unable or telephone numbers ephone support Please H OF THAT TO THE FULL LAW STATUTORY OR TY FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR T ALL OF WHICH ARE IT ANY OTH
52. date to version 2 0 You cannot update the AP directly from 1 0 to 2 0 firmware If you need additional details contact 3Com Customer Support at the following Web site http support 3com com wireless htm Verify the PC has a TFTP server running on it Running the server requires third party software such as FTP PC TCP for DOS or OnNet for Windows The wireless TFTP upgrade method requires a connection between the AP and a TFTP server The TFTP server can be running on a 3Com AirConnect device To update the AP firmware do the following In the Main Menu select Configuration under the Access Point link in the left frame of the browser window 2 Under Configuration select Firmware 3 Enter your password when prompted the default is comcomcom The Firmware Download page displays showing the values for Firmware Filename HTML Filename and the TFTP Server Do one of the following To update only the current AP select either Firmware HTML File or both under TFTP update THIS Access Point s To update all APs select either Firmware HTML File or both under UTFTP Update ALL Access Points If you need to modify your entries click Clear Entries and Start over 5 Select Perform Function to start the download 6 A message box appears to tell you that the AP will reboot after the firmware upgrade Click OK to continue 54 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER 7 A message box appears to tell you that
53. dem protocol from the drop down list Click Send The terminal or PC displays the transfer process through a progress bar If you are downloading both the firmware and HTML files the following message is generated Downloading HTML file using XMODEM Send HTML file with XMODEM now 76 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE 17 18 19 Repeat step 12 through step 16 to download the next file and avoid a transfer time out error if you are downloading both the firmware and HTML files The download is complete when the UI displays Download Successful Updating AP Update Successful If the firmware update fails the UI displays an error code indicating the cause The AP automatically resets after all file transfers are completed Exit the communication program to terminate the session Repeat this process for other APs in the network Auto Upgrade all APs Via Messaging The Update ALL Access Points feature upgrades or downgrades the firmware of all associated APs with the same WLAN Service Area on the same subnet and includes all recognized hardware platforms regardless of firmware version The initiating AP sends the correct file name for each 3Com platform The initiating AP does not send update commands to non 3Com platforms You can find the specific APs that have firmware upgraded or downgraded in the Known APs window There is a 2 second time interval between the WNMP update firmware commands for upd
54. dential commercial Light Industry m IEC 801 2 Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 2 Electrostatic Discharge Requirements IEC 801 3 Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 3 Radiated Electromagnetic Field Requirements m IEC 801 4 Electromagnetic Compatibility for Industrial Process Measurement and Control Equipment Part 4 Electrical Fast Transients Requirements EN 60 950 Amd 1 Amd 2 Safety of Information Technology Equipment Including Electrical Business Equipment m EN 60 825 1 EN 60 825 Safety of Devices Containing Lasers 3Com End User Software License Agreement IMPORTANT Read Before Using This Product YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT IT CONTAINS SOFTWARE THE USE OF WHICH IS LICENSED BY 3COM CORPORATION 3COM TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR USE ONLY AS SET FORTH BELOW IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE USING ANY PART OF THE SOFTWARE INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS LICENSE 3Com grants you a nonexclusive license to use the accompanying software program s the Software subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this License Agreement You are not permitted to lease rent distribute or sublicense the Software or to use the Software in a time sharing arrangement or in
55. different subnet Once a wireless client has roamed the wireless client P Address displays on the Home Agent Table screen of the wireless client s home AP with the IP Address of the Foreign Agent to tell the home AP where to forward packets The wireless client IP Address is also shown in the Foreign Agent Table and Regular screens of the new foreign AP to tell the new AP where to expect packets from for newly associated wireless clients The AP Regular screen shows the wireless clients associated locally on the same subnet Select Wireless Client from the Main Menu Use the Tab or arrow keys to highlight the desired screen Press Enter to display the screen you selected Select Regular at the Wireless Clients prompt The display shows the currently associated wireless clients listed by MAC address The list appears as follows addr p i e Variable Description addr Wireless client MAC address XX XX XX XX XX XX format p Wireless clients power mode m P PSP a C CAM An unassociated wireless client does not display any character Wireless client location on AP interfaces a R radio m P PPP a A associated with AP in the past but not at time of verifying status Current AP radio transmit rate Mbps for messages sent to this wireless client 56 CHAPTER 5 MONITORING WIRELESS CLIENTS Variable Description V Indicates a 3Com voice enabled device 5 Select Start Refresh to have the AP automatic
56. dress for the router has changed m IP Address Change lIndicates the IP address for the AP has changed a P Address Lease is up Informs you the IP address leased from the DHCP server is about to expire Configuring the Access Control List Configuring the AP 69 Verify that values reflect the network environment and change them as needed Do one of the following Select OK to register the settings Or Select Save to write changes to NVM which generates a confirmation prompt Select Save ALL APs F2 to save the SNMP Configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions Select Cancel ESC to disregard any changes made to this screen and return to the previous menu The Access Control List ACL supports adding wireless client entries by individual MAC address or by a range of MAC addresses To select a a method of adding wireless clients do the following Select Set Access Control List from the Main Menu The prompt below displays Address Type range individual Press up down arrows to toggle between range and individual Range of Wireless Clients To select a range of MAC addresses
57. dware platforms and firmware versions Clearing Wireless Clients from the AP Setting Logging Options The Clear wireless client Table feature ensures that wireless clients associating with the AP are active You should only clear the wireless client association table for diagnostic purposes or if the AP has many wireless client associations that are no longer in use To clear wireless clients associated with an AP do the following Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Clear wireless client Table The AP removes the wireless clients associated with it Wireless Clients cleared from an AP attempt to reassociate with the AP or another nearby AP The AP keeps an event log based on settings for logging options This allows the administrator to log important events and keeps the log concise through the 128 entry circular buffer To set even logging options do the following Select Set Event Logging Configuration from the Main Menu which generates the Event Logging Configuration window 2 Set Any Event Logging to Enabled to log all events 3 Disable events that do not require logging when Any Event Logging is disabled Manually Updating AP Firmware 73 4 Press space bar or left right arrows to toggle between Enabled and Disabled Parameter Description Any Event Logging Logs all events listed in the window Security Violations Logs ACL filter or administrative password access violations MU State Changes
58. e a Built in antenna diversity Support for up to 63 wireless clients a SNMP support a IEEE 802 11 MIB support a DHCP support a HTTP Web server support This device allows the AP to be powered through the Ethernet cable connecting the AP to a LAN The PowerBASE T should be used when the AP is connected to LAN and is mounted in a location where access to a standard electric outlet is severely limited 14 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING For details concerning the installation of your PowerBASE T see Using the PowerBASE T Radio Basics AirConnect devices use radio signals to transmit and receive data without wires You can communicate with the network by establishing radio links between wireless clients and APs AirConnect uses Quadative Phase Shift layered modulation QPSK to transmit digital data from one device to another Using QPSK a radio signal begins with a carrier signal that provides the base or center frequency The digital data signal is superimposed on the carrier signal in process called modulation The radio signal then travels through the air as electromagnetic waves A receiving antenna in the path of the waves absorbs them as electrical signals The receiving device demodulates the signal by removing the carrier signal This demodulation results in the original digital data AirConnect uses its environment the air and certain other objects as the transmission medium
59. e Deselected 7 Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings 8 Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page Configuring PPP Modem Nn OU PWN 10 Special Configuration Considerations 51 To use a Point to Point PPP connection choose the appropriate hardware connection direct or modem On the System Configuration page select PPP for Default Interface The PPP interface provides a connection using modems over a telephone line Connect modems to the APs with straight through serial cables Designate one AP as the Originating AP and the other AP as the Answering AP Configure the Originating AP with dial out information to the answering AP The answering AP waits for a dial in from the originating AP The AP supports modems that use the generic Hayes Smartmodem command set The AP uses Hayes commands and is capable of operating with various modems of 19200 baud or faster 3Com does not support modems the company has not qualified The following modems qualify to work with the AP a Practical Peripherals PM288MT II V 34 a Supra Fax Modem 288 a US Robotics Sportster Modem 28 8 Configuring the Originating Modem Select Configuration gt PPP Modem The PPP Modem Setup page displays Select Enabled for PPP Interface Select PPP for Serial Port Use Select Originate for Modem Connect Mode Select Yes for Modem Connected Select Auto for Dialout Mode Select the appropriate mode for Modem Speaker This
60. e installing the access point into a network that includes earlier versions of 3Com access points you must disable the short RF preamble setting default is enabled To disable short RF preamble Start Hyperterminal and connect to the access point From the Hyperterminal main menu select RF Configuration Saving Resetting and Restoring Configurations 79 3 Press the Tab key to highlight Short RF Preamble Enabled 4 Press the space bar to change the selection to Disabled 5 Press F7 to save the setting 6 Reset the AP as described in Resetting an AP on page 79 for your setting to WLAP Mode Setting take effect It is recommended that the WLAP Mode setting in the Hyperterminal RF Configuration screen should always remain disabled or set to Link Required Should WLAP Mode be enabled the access point will lose the ability to connect wirelessly to any wireless clients Once enabled WLAP Mode can be reset to disabled only by contacting 3Com Customer Support for instructions at the following Web site Attp support 3com com wireless htm Saving Resetting and Restoring Configurations Saving a Configuration gt Resetting an AP This section discusses how you can save restore or reset your AP configurations The AP keeps only saved configuration changes after a reset To make configuration changes permanent save changes as needed To save all changes press F7 in all configuration screens that display the Save
61. e serial port in the System Configuration menu PPP Direct PPP direct is a direct null modem serial cable connection between an AP and computer To configure PPP direct follow the procedure below Select Set Serial Port Configuration from the Main Menu The Serial Port Configuration window will be generated 2 Set the Port Use parameter to Ul 3 Verify that the Modem Connected parameter setting is No 4 Set the Connect Mode parameter to Answer A W N Establishing a Connection To establish the PPP port connection on the AP do the following Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu Set the PPP Interface to OFF Press the space bar or left right arrows to change the value Press Enter to confirm the change PPP with Modems The PPP interface provides a connection using modems over a telephone line Connect modems to the APs with null modem straight through serial cables Designate one AP as the Originating AP and the other AP as the Answering AP Configure the Originating AP with dial out information to the answering AP The answering AP waits for the originating AP to dial in to it The AP supports modems that use the generic Hayes Smartmodem command set The AP uses Hayes commands and is capable of working with various modems of 19200 baud or faster 3Com does not support modems the company has not qualified The following modems qualify to work with the AP a Practical Peripherals PM288MT II V 34 m Sup
62. e used by the transmitting access point to the receiving wireless client This algorithm is established when the access point and wireless client are configured The bit redundancy within the chipping sequence enables the receiving wireless client to recreate the original data pattern even if bits in the chipping sequence are corrupted by interference APs recognize wireless clients as they associate with the AP The AP keeps a list of the wireless clients it services Wireless clients associate with an AP based on the following conditions a Signal strength between the AP and wireless client a Wireless clients currently associated with the AP a Wireless client Supported Rate see table below a Positive match between the wireless client and encryption keys optional a Positive wireless client authorization by the Access Control List optional Data Rate Requirement 11 Mbps Optional 5 5 Mbps Optional 2 Mbps Required 1 Mbps Required Wireless clients perform preemptive roaming by intermittently scanning for APs and associating with the best available AP Before roaming and associating with APs wireless clients perform scans to collect AP statistics and determine the direct sequence channel used by the AP Scanning is a periodic process where the wireless client sends out messages on all frequencies defined by the country code The statistics enable a wireless client to reassociate by synchronizing its frequency to the AP The wireless
63. ea and synchronizes with an AP to establish communications This allows wireless clients within the coverage area to roam between AP cells As you roam from cell to cell your wireless client switches APs The switch occurs when the wireless client analyzes the reception quality at a particular location and selects an AP to communicate with based on such factors as signal strength and wireless client load When the wireless client begins to lose the signal as it moves away from an associated AP it performs a scan to find another AP As wireless clients switch APs the AP updates the association table Roaming is invisible to the user Wireless LAN Service Area The network administrator assigns the wireless LAN service area for the APs in a WSA A valid wireless LAN service area is an alohanumeric case sensitive identifier of up to 32 characters All nodes within one LAN use the same wireless LAN service area to communicate on the LAN Multiple wireless LANs can coexist in a single environment by assigning different wireless LAN service areas for the corresponding APs 802 1d Spanning Tree Support This protocol creates a loop free topography with exactly one path between every LAN This is the shortest path from the Root AP to each AP and LAN If an AP or LAN fails a new route is calculated and added to the tree All packet forwarding follows the spanning tree APs have to choose one AP as the Root AP The same holds true for WLANs associati
64. ed configuration If changes are made and not saved the AP clears those changes and restores the factory defaults upon reset After a reset the AP LEDs flash as they do when the AP powers up The AP returns to a STATUS flashing state Save Configuration to All APs Saves the configuration options you have selected for the current AP to all APs with the same network ID on the same subnet 1 Inthe Main Menu select Configuration under the Access Point link in the left frame of the browser window 2 Under Configuration select Special Functions The Special Functions window displays 3 Select all appropriate options You can click Clear Entries to remove all of your entries You must select Reset AP to have the settings you have selected in other AP configuration screens take effect 4 Select Perform Function to execute your choices eere e e e t MONITORING WIRELESS CLIENTS Introduction The AP keeps statistics of its transactions during operation These statistics indicate traffic transmission success and the existence of other radio network devices Clear statistics as needed Wireless Clients A W N Wireless Client statistics provide information on wireless clients associated with an AP The statistics include information on data sent and received activity and association A wireless client shows only in the Home Foreign Agent Table screens when the wireless client has roamed to another AP on a
65. ends the next DTIM with a DTIM Interval value This value decreases by 1 with each successive beacon The AP sends broadcast and multicast messages immediately following the beacon where the DTIM value is 0 To prevent a PSP mode wireless client from sleeping through a DTIM notification select a PSP mode value less than or equal to the DTIM value PSP mode wireless clients hear the beacons and awaken to receive the broadcast and multicast messages A TIM is a compressed virtual bitmap identifying the AP associated wireless clients in PSP mode that have buffered directed messages wireless clients issue a poll request when APs issue a TIM A beacon with the broadcast indicator bit set causes the wireless client to note DTIM Count field value The value informs the wireless client of the beacons remaining before next DTIM This ensures the wireless client turns on the receiver for the DTIM and the following BC MC packet transmissions Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP is the native language of the World Wide Web The HTTP protocol makes requests from browsers to servers and responses from servers to browsers This function provides the user with a Web based format for configuration and firmware download Web pages are written in Hypertext Markup Language HTML HTML allows the user to create Web pages containing text graphics and pointers or links to other Web pages or elsewhere on the page or document Pointers are known as Uniform Resource L
66. ents a Management stations a Management information a Management protocol MIB Nodes can perform as hosts routers bridges or other devices that can communicate status information An SNMP Agent is a node that runs the SNMP management process to systematically monitor and manage the network The management station performs network management by running application management software An SNMP trap is an alert to all configured management stations of some significant event that occurred on the network The management station queries all stations for details of each specific event including what when and where the event took place and the current status of the node or network The format or structure is defined in the SNMP protocol The MIB defines what and who monitors the variables Using SNMP The AP includes SNMP agent versions accessible through an SNMP manager application HP Open View or Cabletron Spectrum MIB browser The SNMP agent supports SNMP versions 1 and 2 MIB II 802 11 MIB and one proprietary 3Com Management Information Base MIB The SNMP agent supports read write read only or disabled modes The AP supports traps that return to the SNMP manager when certain events occur The Wireless LAN Installation and Utilities disk packaged with wireless clients contains the MIB Increased MIB Support The MIB defines what the management station needs to understand and which objects the station manages The MIB has ten categ
67. ept Broadcast WSA_ID Wireless Client inactivity Timeout Rate Control Fragmentation Threshold RTS Threshold temporarily hold broadcast multicast messages Unit measure is in packets and corresponds to maximum sized Ethernet packets The default is 10 The maximum allowed retries before aborting a single transmission The default is 15 The maximum allowed retries before aborting a single transmission The default is 5 AirConnect supports broadcast download protocols for any wireless client typically Point of Sale terminals requiring the expedited download of a new operating image over the network instead of using a local nonvolatile drive All multicast downstream data packets that match the top 32 bits of the multicast mask are forwarded immediately instead of being queued for transmission at the next DTIM interval The time between beacons in milliseconds The default is 100 Allows the AP to respond to any station sending probe packets with the industry standard broadcast WSA If Enabled this feature allows industry standard devices interoperability The AP probe response includes the WSA_ID and information about the network By default this feature is Disabled and the AP responds only to stations that know the WSA_ID This helps preserve network authentication security Allows industry standard device interoperability by specifying the time the AP allows for wireless client inactivity An AirConnect AP recognizes
68. er hh mm ss Press Close to return to the previous menu Clearing Statistics To clear statistics do the following Select Special Functions from the Main Menu 2 Select Clear All Statistics The AP zeroes out all statistics Resetting the AP also clears statistics CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Introduction Software configuration consists of setting up a connection to the Access Point AP and gaining access to the User Interface UI Before configuring the AP you should upgrade the AirConnect firmware to the latest version Refer to Manually Updating AP Firmware on page 73 The dot in front of certain parameters functions or options Antenna Selection Primary Only indicates these items update to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area when you select the Upgrade ALL APs F2 option This option can only be executed among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions In Windows 2000 the F1 key will not work correctly to save configuration settings To save settings press the Tab key to highlight the onscreen F1 selection then press Enter Answer yes when prompted to save changes To enable the F1 key to work correctly in Windows 2000 you should upgrade your Hyperterminal application to Hyperterminal Private Edition This software is available at http www hilgraeve com htpe index html Gaining Access to the User Interface UI Using Telnet The method for estab
69. es the use of a Web based browser to access the UI instead of HyperTerminal or Telnet applications An AP Reset is required for this feature to take effect Access Control Specifies enabling or disabling the access control feature If enabled the ACL Access Control List specifies the MAC addresses of wireless clients that can associate with this AP The default is Disabled Type Filtering Specifies filter type for packets received either Forward Discard or Disabled The default value is Disabled WNMP Functions Specifies whether the AP can perform WNMP functions The default value is Enabled AP AP State Xchg Specifies AP to AP communication exchanged If Disabled prevents AP Auto Configure and AP load leveling function The default is Enabled 4 To enable or disable interfaces on the AP modify the following parameters Parameter Description Ethernet Interface Enables or disables wired Ethernet The default value is On PPP Interface Enables or disables serial PPP The default value is Off RF Interface Enables or disables radio The default value is On Default Interface Specifies the default interface Ethernet or PPP that the AP forwards a frame to if the AP cannot find the address in its forwarding database The default interface is Ethernet 5 Verify that values reflect the network environment and change them as needed Do one of the following Select OK to register the settings Or a Select Save to write changes t
70. face Statistics 37 Forwarding Counts 37 Ethernet Statistics 38 Radio Frequency Statistics 38 Miscellaneous Statistics 39 Analyzing Retries 39 Clearing Statistics 40 Known APs 40 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER Introduction 41 Gaining Access to the User Interface UI Using a Web Browser 41 Using a Web Browser 41 Help File Access 41 Setup Network Web Server Help File Access 41 42 Accessing the Web Browser UI 42 Changing Ul Access 44 Installing the Access Point 45 Adding Additional Gateways 45 Configuring the AP 46 Security 46 Adding Allowed Wireless Clients 46 Adding or Deleting a Range of Allowed Wireless Clients 46 Adding or Deleting Disallowed Wireless Clients 46 Enabling or Disabling Encryption 47 Encryption Upgrade Access Codes 47 Special Configuration Considerations 47 Disable Short Preamble 47 System Parameters 48 Radio Frequency Parameters 49 Configuring the SNMP Agent 50 Configuring PPP Modem 51 Configuring the Originating Modem 51 Configuring the Answering Modem 52 Filtering 52 Filtering to Forward Packets 52 Filtering to Discard Packets 52 Removing Filtered Packet Types Networking Protocols 53 Disabling Type Filtering 53 Updating AP Firmware 53 Special Functions 54 MONITORING WIRELESS CLIENTS Introduction 55 Wireless Clients 55 Clearing Statistics 56 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Introduction 57 Gaining Access to the User Interface UI 57 Using Telnet 57
71. g figure Connect an 8 wire Category 5 Ethernet cable from the PowerBase T module to the access point See item 3 in the following figure When it receives power over the Ethernet cable the access point will start its boot sequence and its LED will light up LED Indicators 33 LED Indicators The top panel LED indicators provide a status display indicating transmission error condition and other activity LED Off Power No power On Power on Blinking During boot sequence LAN No power No network connection Link to hub but no network traffic LAN traffic is detected The heavier the traffic the faster the blinking WLAN No power C No radio signal No associated wireless clients Radio traffic is detected The heavier the traffic the faster the blinking 34 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Troubleshooting Verify AP Operation 1 Check the following symptoms and their possible causes before contacting the 3Com Support Center If the AP does not power up you may be experiencing one of the following a Faulty AP power supply a Failed AC supply a Electrical Management System EMS operating outlet After the AP resets and hardware is initialized it performs an SRAM test If the test passes all three LEDs turn on If the test fails the LEDs all turn off and the AP resets The LEDs turn off sequentially in the order shown as each of the following tests pass
72. gh its IP address The AP routes packets according to the location information contained in the IP header If the wireless client roams across routers to another subnet with extended roaming disabled the following situations occur a The wireless client changes its point of attachment without changing its IP address causing forthcoming packets to become undeliverable a The wireless client changes its IP address when it moves to a new network causing it to lose connection Security Supporting CAM and PSP Stations Theory of Operation 23 Enabling the extended roaming feature is like giving an individual a local post office forwarding address when leaving home for an extended period When mail arrives for the individual home address it is forwarded by the local post office to the current care of address Using this method only the local post office requires notification of the individual current address While this example represents the general concept of extended roaming operation and functionality it does not represent the implementation of extended roaming used If you wish to use extended roaming set your wireless clients for extended roaming as specified in the AirConnect Wireless PC Card User Guide The following terms describe elements of the extended roaming feature a A tunnel is the path taken by the original packet encapsulated within the payload portion of a second packet to some destination on the network a A Home
73. h option Click Start Refresh at the bottom of the page to update the values approximately once every two seconds Click Stop Refresh at the bottom of the page to terminate dynamic updates Select any other item or click Access Point at the top of the navigation pane to exit Radio Frequency Statistics The AP keeps radio performance statistics including packet and communication information To view the Radio Frequency statistics select Statistics gt RF You can dynamically update this information by using the Refresh option Click Start Refresh at the bottom of the page to update the values approximately once every two seconds Click Stop Refresh at the bottom of the page to terminate dynamic updates Select any other item or click Access Point at the top of the navigation pane to escape from the Ethernet Statistics page Miscellaneous Statistics 39 Miscellaneous Statistics Analyzing Retries The AP keeps statistics on WNMP and SNMP packets filtering violations and serial port use in the Miscellaneous Statistics window to display the Misc System Statistics window select Main Menu gt Misc Statistics Type Name Definition WNMP Echoes Echo requests received by the AP Pings Ping requests received by the AP Passthrough Echoes Echoes for wireless clients associated with the AP SNMP Requests Configuration requests received from the SNMP manager Traps AP messages sent to the SNMP manager Filter ACL Vio
74. he AP firmware you will not be able to downgrade to the previous version of AP firmware To upgrade the access point to version 2 0 you must first perform the update procedure to update the AP to version 1 5 firmware and then repeat the update procedure to update to version 2 0 You cannot update the AP directly from 1 0 to 2 0 firmware If you need additional details contact 3Com Customer Support at the following Web site http support 3com com wireless htm CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Update using TFTP u A WwW N 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Updating using Xmodem The Ethernet TFTP upgrade method requires a connection between the AP and PC on the same Ethernet segment Verify the PC has a TFTP server running on it Running the server requires third party software such as FTP PC TCP for DOS or OnNet for Windows The wireless TFTP upgrade method requires a connection between the AP and a TFTP server The TFTP server can be running on a 3Com AirConnect device Updating the firmware requires that a TFTP server be running in the background To update the AP firmware using TFTP do the following Copy the firmware files dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin to the terminal or PC hard disk Telnet to the AP using its IP address Type the case sensitive password at the prompt which generates the Main Menu Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Alter Filename s HELP URL TFTP and pre
75. he Main Menu Select Use TFTP to Update All Access Points and press Enter which generates the following prompt Are you sure Y N Type y The Telnet session ends at this point The AP resets when the file transfer and flash programming complete Telnet to the AP using its IP address Type the case sensitive password at the password prompt which generates the Main Menu Verify the accuracy of the version number in the System Summary window Press Ctrl D to end the Telnet session Performing Pings A network node sends a ping packet to a wireless client or AP and waits for a response Use pings to evaluate signal strength between two stations The other station can exist on any AP interface This ping operates at the MAC level and not at the Internet Control Message Protocol ICMP level No pings returned or fewer pings returned than sent can indicate a communication problem between the AP and the non network station To ping a station follow the procedure below Select Show Wireless Clients from the Main Menu Select Regular from the Show Wireless Clients window The Wireless Clients window generates Press Tab to highlight the MAC address of the station to ping 4 Press the F1 key to select Ping F1 This generates the Packet Ping Setup window Enter the number of Pings 1 to 539 the Packet Length in bytes 1 to 539 and the Packet Data content in hex 0x00 to OxFF Select Start CR to begin pinging
76. he Save F1 function at the bottom of the screen Press Enter to confirm the save To change the System Password do the following Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu Press Tab to select System Password Type the new password and press Enter Press Tab to highlight the Save F7 function at the bottom of the screen Press Enter to confirm the save A dial up connection requires a straight through Ethernet cable between the modem and the AP The remote PC requires a modem and a communication program such as HyperTerminal The AP supports modems that use the generic Hayes Smartmodem command set The AP uses Hayes commands and is capable of working with various modems of 19200 baud or faster 3Com does not support modems the company has not qualified The following modems qualify to work with the AP a Practical Peripherals PM288MT II V 34 m Supra Fax Modem 288 a USRobotics Sportster Modem 28 8 Configuring The Serial Port To enable and configure the serial port connection on the AP Select Set Serial Port Configuration from the Main Menu 2 Set the Port Use parameter to PPP 3 Set the Modem Connected parameter to Yes Navigating the UI 61 Configure the other settings as required on the AP The table below explains the other settings Setting Description Answer Wait Time The time waiting for a remote connection before dropping the attempt The default is 60 seconds Modem Speaker AP sends a command
77. his feature is Disabled and the AP responds only to stations that know the WSA_ID This helps preserve network authentication security Enter a value in minutes for the Wireless Client Inactivity Timeout This value specifies the number of minutes the AP allows for wireless client inactivity An AirConnect AP recognizes wireless client activity through data packet transmission and reception and through scanning AirConnect wireless clients conduct active scanning Other industry standard wireless clients might conduct passive scans and an AirConnect AP could classify them as inactive Select values for Rate Contro at the three transmission rates The default values are 11 Mbps Optional a 5 5 Mbps Optional 2 Mbps Required a 1 Mbps Required 50 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER 10 11 12 Configuring the SNMP Agent Do nothing with the RTS Threshold setting RTS CTS operation is not supported at this time Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page An SNMP manager application gains access to the AP SNMP agent if the management application has the AP s IP address To ensure security when SNMP is used the SNMP agent can be configured as read only read write or disabled The AP sends specific traps for some conditions See the 3Com MIB on the Wireless LAN Installation and Utilities disk for specific entries The AP supp
78. ial cable AP DIL AP DIL DB 9 Female DB 9 Female Connecting an AP and computer with modem devices requires the use of straight through cables between the APs and modems Using modems requires a telephone line for as long as the link remains active AP DIL AP DIL DB 9 Female DB 9 Male 1 2 3 4 2 6 T a a When using a modem connection one AP represents the originating AP and the other represents the answering AP When using a PPP link do not use the serial port to access the UI Access to the UI requires establishing a Telnet session with the AP Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Wireless Client Association Process Theory of Operation 21 Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum DSSS uses a high speed non information bearing signal to spread the transmitted information over a segment of the radio frequency band or spectrum The AirConnect access point uses DSSS for radio communication Direct sequence systems communicate by continuously transmitting a redundant pattern of bits called a chipping sequence Each bit of transmitted data is mapped into chips by the access point to find the chipping sequence corresponding to the output signal Wireless clients receiving a direct sequence transmission use the same chipping sequence to recreate the original data transmitted by the access point Intercepting and decoding a direct sequence transmission requires a predefined algorithm to associate the chipping sequenc
79. ice area 16 clearing 40 56 World Wide Web WWW 83 Ethernet 38 interface 37 user interface accessing 42 wireless client association process 21 setting up 35 wireless clients miscellaneous 39 x radio frequency a Xmodem using to update AP firmware radio frequency statistics 38 AP firmware transaction se updating using Xmodem 74 transaction statistics 37 wireless clients 55 system parameters 48 configuring in ASCII UI 63 system password changing 44 system properties window 37 T technical support network suppliers 83 product repair 85 Telnet using 57 TFTP using to update AP firmware 74 theory of operation 17 transmit frequency range 14 troubleshooting verify AP operation 34 WARRANTY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE 3Com Corporation Limited Warranty This warranty applies to customers located in the United States Australia Canada except Quebec Ireland New Zealand U K and other English language countries and countries for which a translation into the local language is not provided 3Com AirConnect Access Point HARDWARE SOFTWARE YEAR 2000 WARRANTY 3Com warrants to the end user Customer that this hardware product will be free from defects in workmanship and materials under normal use and service for the following length of time from the date of purchase from 3Com or its authorized reseller Three 3 years Spare Parts and Spares Kits are warranted for ninety 90 days 3Com s
80. idential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If the equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures m Re orient or relocate the receiving antenna m Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver m Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that which the receiver is connected m Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help This Class A digital apparatus meets the requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations Products intended for sale within the European Union are marked with the CEMark which indicates compliance to applicable Directives and European Normes EN as follows Amendments to these Directives or ENs are included Normes EN as follows Applicable Directives m Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 89 336 EEC m Low Voltage Directive 73 23 EEC Applicable Standards m EN 55 022 Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of Information technology Equipment m EN 50 082 1 Electromagnetic Compatibility Generic Immunity Standard Part 1 Resi
81. ient and RF communications range Check antenna connectors and cabling Verify the AP is using the primary antenna connection for single antenna use Verify that antenna diversity setting for AP is appropriate If using one antenna the setting is Primary Only if using two antennas the setting is Primary and Secondary Verify network traffic does not exceed 37 of bandwidth Check to see that the wired network does not exceed 10 broadcast messages per second Verify wired network topology and configuration Setting Up Wireless Refer to documentation for installing drivers client software and testing Use the Clients default values for the WLAN service area and other configuration parameters until network connection verification eeee e t MONITORING STATISTICS Introduction The AirConnect AP keeps statistics of its transactions during operation These statistics include traffic transmission success and the existence of other radio network devices This chapter discusses the statistics that can be monitored All statistics can be cleared as needed System Properties The System Properties window displays information about the configuration of the AP status of AP modes AP hardware identification numbers and firmware and HTML versions To view System Properties select Statistics gt System Properties To exit the System Properties window select any other item in the left hand column or click
82. ions from the Main Menu Select Clear ACL Filtering Configuring the AP 71 Load ACL from Wireless Client List The Load ACL from wireless client List option from the Special Functions menu takes all currently associated wireless clients and creates an ACL from them This builds an ACL without you having to manually type addresses Edit the ACL using the add and delete functions Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Load ACL from wireless client List to add the addresses of associated wireless clients to the ACL The AP has two types of filtering address filtering and type filtering This section explains the two types of filtering and how to use them Address Filtering The AP can keep a list of the MAC addresses of wireless clients that are disallowed from associating with it The Disallowed Addresses option provides security by preventing unauthorized access by known devices Use the option for preferred association of wireless clients to APs To filter by MAC address follow the procedure below Select Set Address Filtering from the Main Menu which generates the Disallowed Addresses list window View the list to determine whether you would like to add or delete addresses from the list Adding Disallowed Wireless Clients To add wireless clients to the Disallowed Addresses list do the following Select Set Address Filtering from the Main Menu Select Add F2 The AP prompts for a MAC address 00 00 00 00 0
83. isabled for no encryption If you have enabled encryption select 40 bit key or 128 bit key or 40 bit key for WEP Algorithm Click Save Settings when you have completed your entry on this page You will need to reset the AP using the Special Functions screen to have your encryption settings take effect Refer to Reset AP in the table on page 54 in the Special Functions section If you are upgrading the wireless client from 40 bit encryption to 128 bit encryption you must enter an access code to perform the upgrade Until the access code is entered you can only enable or disable 40 bit encryption An access code for upgrading to 128 bit encryption can only be done using the ASCII user interface Hyperterminal or similar Ul Refer to Chapter 6 Configuring the AP Using the ASCII Interface for instructions Special Configuration Considerations Disable Short Preamble uu BF WN The following configuration settings are recommended for optimal performance If you are installing the access point in a network that includes earlier versions of 3Com access points you must disable the short RF preamble default is enabled To disable short RF preamble Select Configuration in the left hand frame of the Web page window Under Configuration select RF The RF Setup Web page appears For the Short RF Preamble setting click Disabled Click the Save Settings button to save your selection Reset the AP as described in the table on page
84. ks and wireless clients The AP provides an 11 Mbps data transfer rate monitoring Ethernet traffic and forwarding appropriate Ethernet messages to wireless clients over the network It also monitors wireless client radio traffic and forwards wireless client packets to the Ethernet LAN The AP uses high data rate direct sequence spread spectrum technology to communicate with mobile and stationary units at distances of up to 300 feet providing high capacity networking capability and the flexibility of mobility to end users AP Features PowerBASE T AirConnect Access Point 13 A wireless client communicating with an AP appears on the network as a peer to other network devices rendering the wireless interface transparent The AP receives data from its wired interfaces and forwards the data to the proper interface The AP has connections for wired networks built in antennas and a power supply It attaches to a wall or ceiling or can be placed on a flat surface depending on installation site requirements The AP uses a diversity antenna for radio transmission and reception allowing the AP to automatically select the strongest of the radio signals picked up by the antenna a Built in diagnostics including a power up self check a Wireless MAC interface a Upgradable firmware a 10BASE T Ethernet port interface with full speed filtering a Power supply IEC connector and a country specific AC power cable a PC AT Serial Port Interfac
85. lations Attempts by wireless client s not in ACL list to associate with this AP Address Packets discarded by address filter Type Packets discarded by type filter Modem Number of Dialouts Dial out attempts by the AP Dialout Failures Number of Answers Current Call Time Last Call Time Dial out failures by the AP Answer attempts by the AP Current connection session length in seconds Last connection session length in seconds Select Refresh or press the F7 key to update the values manually Select Timed or press the F2 key to have the AP automatically update the display every two seconds Press Esc or Previous F4 to exit The AP keeps statistics of packets with multiple retries Use these statistics to identify severe occurrences of retries Retries occur when the transmitting station fails to receive an acknowledgment for a transmitted packet This lack of acknowledgment can result from a Two or more stations transmitting simultaneously and causing collisions a The receiving station moving out of range a The receiving station being powered off Any one of these incidents causes both devices to suspend transmitting and retry later Too many retries can indicate a system problem To view retry severity do the following Select Statistics from the Main Menu Select Retry Histogram The display indicates the packets that experience retries up to 15 retries 3 Press any key to return to the Main Menu 40 CHA
86. le on the hard disk To install the Help file run the InstallShield program Select AirConnect Firmware amp Software Downloads from the disk or 3Com Web site at http support 3com com Find and click the APHTMLHelp_Install32_102 exe file The Unpacking WAP HTML Help window displays indicating that the file is decompressing and the installation wizard is about to run The WAP HTML Help Installation Setup dialog box displays Follow the on screen instructions to install the Help file on the local workstation hard disk To access the Help file located on the local workstation follow the procedure below Click Start from the Windows Task bar Select Programs gt 3Com or the directory name created during the installation process Click WAP HTML Help to launch the help file program To exit the Help file do the following Click File from the Windows menu bar Select Close Exit Accessing the Web Browser UI Using a Web browser to gain access to the UI requires that the workstation have a TCP IP stack and access to a Web browser The remote station can be on the wired or wireless LAN To verify that the Web Server option is enabled for the AP do the following Access the UI using a Serial or Telnet connection 2 Select System Configuration 3 Verify that the Web Server option on the System Configuration dialog box is enabled Gaining Access to the User Interface UI Using a Web Browser 43 Select Save F1 to save the co
87. less LAN service areas The wireless clients can move within the coverage area of one AP and remain connected or can roam if configured to do so to the coverage area of a different AP and communicate with the wireless clients associated with that AP Single AP Bridge AirConnect Network Topologies 11 Another possible AirConnect topology is a single AP bridging an Ethernet and wireless network As shown in the next figure the AP wired to a network server or LAN through an Ethernet cable serves as a network node and provides the link between the server and the wireless clients The wireless clients can move freely throughout the coverage area of the AP while remaining connected to the server 12 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Multiple AP Full Coverage Network This network topology will be used in most enterprise environments multiple APs wired to an existing LAN to provide complete wireless network coverage In this scenario as shown in the following figure wireless clients can roam seamlessly between different coverage areas and remain connected to the network AirConnect Access Point The AirConnect access point AP provides either a wireless peer to peer network coverage area or a bridge between Ethernet wired LANs and AirConnect wireless networks Essentially replacing the cabling of wired networks the AP delivers transparent connectivity between wireless clients or between Ethernet networ
88. lishing access to the UI depends on the connection used Select the setup that best fits the network environment Your connection options are Telnet Direct serial connection a Dial up connection If using a PPP or serial connection access the UI through a Telnet session Using a Telnet session to gain access to the UI requires that a remote station has a TCP IP stack The remote station can be on the wired or wireless LAN To access the AP from the workstation follow the procedure below 1 From the DOS prompt Telnet to the AP using its IP address Telnet XXX XXX XXX XXX 2 If desired enter a password case sensitive when prompted The default is password is comcomcom 58 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Using a Direct Serial Connection Using a Dial up Connection 3 Press ESC The AP displays the Main Menu If the session is idle due to no input for example for the configured time the session terminates To manually terminate the session press CTRL D 4 Select the Set System Configuration option to set the System Password To use the ASCII interface with a direct serial connection follow the instructions in the AP Quick Start Guide included in your package The AP supports a dial up connection to the UI This requires accessing the UI from Telnet or a direct serial connection and changing the serial port configuration Configure the AP for the following a Enable serial port a
89. m Password lt your Internet e mail address gt A user name and password are not needed with Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer If additional assistance is required contact your network supplier Many suppliers are authorized 3Com service partners who are qualified to provide a variety of services including network planning installation hardware maintenance application training and support services When you contact your network supplier for assistance have the following information ready m Product model name part number and serial number a A list of system hardware and software including revision levels a Diagnostic error messages a Details about recent configuration changes if applicable If you are unable to contact your network supplier see the following section on how to contact 3Com 84 APPENDIX B TECHNICAL SUPPORT Support from 3Com If you are unable to obtain assistance from the 3Com online technical resources or from your network supplier 3Com offers technical telephone support services To find out more about your support options please call the 3Com technical telephone support phone number at the location nearest you When you contact 3Com for assistance have the following information ready Product model name part number and serial number A list of system hardware and software including revision levels Diagnostic error messages Details about recent configuratio
90. m Web page To do so select Help from the top right hand corner of any page You can change the caching options in the Easy Setup and Configuration pages To access the Easy Setup and Configuration pages follow the procedure below Select Easy Setup and Configuration The Username and Password Required dialog box displays Type the case sensitive AP name 3Com Access Point Type the case sensitive password comcomcom Exit the browser to manually terminate the session To change the System Password do the following In the Main Menu select Configuration under Access Point in the navigation pane the left frame of the browser window Under Configuration select Security Select System Password Type the new password and press Enter Select Save Settings to confirm the entry 45 Installing the Access Point Installing the Access Point Adding Additional Gateways AP Easy Setup is the program in which you set basic parameters for an AirConnect wireless network These parameters include designating a gateway address that enables message forwarding across routers on the wired Ethernet To install an AP follow the procedure below Select Easy Setup gt Easy Setup The parameters in the Access Point Easy Setup window are explained in the list below Parameter Unit Name IP Address Gateway IP Address Description AP name Network assigned Internet Protocol address of the AP IP address of a router the
91. n changes if applicable Below is a list of worldwide technical telephone support numbers Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number Asia Pacific Rim Australia P R of China 10800 61 00137 or Hong Kong 1 800 678 515 021 6350 1590 India 800 933 486 Singapore 800 6161 463 Indonesia 61 2 9937 5085 S Korea Japan 001 800 61 009 From anywhere Malaysia 03 5783 1270 in S Korea 00798 611 2230 New Zealand 1800 801 777 From Seoul 0 2 3455 6455 Pakistan 0800 446 398 Taiwan R O C 0080 611 261 Philippines 61 2 9937 5085 Thailand 001 800 611 2000 1235 61 266 2602 Europe From anywhere in 31 0 30 6029900 phone Europe call 31 0 30 6029999 fax From the following European countries you may use the toll free numbers Australia 1800 678 515 New Zealand 0800 446 398 Austria 0800 297468 Norway 800 11376 Belgium 0800 71429 P R of China 10 800 61 00137 Denmark 800 17309 Phillipines 1235 61 266 2602 Finland 0800 113153 Poland 0800 3111206 France 0800 917959 Portugal 0800 831416 Germany 0800 1821502 Singapore 800 616 1463 Hong Kong 800 933 486 South Africa 0800 995014 Hungary 06800 12813 South Korea 00798 611 2230 Indonesia 001 80061 009 Spain 900 983125 Ireland 1 800 553117 Sweden 020 795482 Israel 1 800 9453794 Switzerland 0800 55 3072 Italy 800 879489 Taiwan R O C 0080 611 261 Malaysia 1800 801777 Thailand 001 800 611 2000 Netherlands 0800 0227788 U K 0800 966197 Latin America Argentina AT amp T 800 6
92. nded ends of the flanges into both mounting holes and then push forward until the flanges slide into the holes and the bracket locks into place 3 Mount the AP using two screws not provided inserted into the wall through the holes on the outer flanges of the mounting bracket Or 1 Using the mounting bracket shown below as a template mark the location of the two flanged holes in the center of the bracket on the wall with a pen or pencil 2 Install two screws at the marks on the wall made in Step 1 Leave the heads of the screws approximately 1 8 above the surface of the wall 3 Position the AP on the wall and slide it down so that it hangs from the two screws installed in Step 2 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Ceiling Mount 1 To mount an AP on a ceiling Attach the mounting bracket to the AP by lining up the raised flanges in the center of the bracket with the mounting holes on the bottom of the AP Firmly press the rounded ends of the flanges into both mounting holes and then push forward until the flanges slide into the holes and the bracket locks into place Attach both t rail grips to the outer flanges of the mounting bracket with the t rail wingnuts Do not tighten the wingnuts completely the t rail grips should remain loose Align the t rail grips with the ceiling t rails and attach them to the t rails Tighten the t rail wingnuts Mounting the AP 31 The power adapter connects to the
93. nfiguration You must always reset the AP after you make configuration changes if you want the changes to be initiated To reset the AP follow the procedure below Select Special Functions 2 Select Reset AP 3 Select Yes at the confirmation prompt U A WN O On OA 10 To enable Help file access change the Help URL parameter using the following procedure Select Special Functions Select Alter Filename s HELP URL TFTP Server DHCP using Tab Press Enter Select the HELP URL field using the Tab key Type the IP address URL Universal Request Locator of the Web server or the directory folder of the Web server for the Help file location Press Enter Select OK CR using the Tab key and press ENTER Select the Save Configuration option to save the new setting Select Yes at the confirmation prompt The Main Menu displays Reset the AP for changes to take effect To access the AP UI via a Web browser from a workstation do the following Set the IP address of the workstation and the subnet mask from the NCPA properties window The workstation in this case is the workstation or notebook computer running the Web browser The informational message instructs you to reboot the system for property changes to take effect Ping the AP to verify the connection by typing the command below at the default DOS prompt Ping t xxx xXxX xXXX xXxXK If the ping receives no response verify that the hardware connections I
94. ng with the root AP or another AP connected to the Ethernet LAN to prevent forming loops Site Topography Theory of Operation 17 For optimal performance place wireless clients and APs away from transformers heavy duty motors fluorescent lights microwave ovens refrigerators and other industrial equipment Signal loss can occur when metal concrete brick walls or floors block transmission Locate antennas in open areas or add additional APs as needed to improve coverage Site Surveys A site survey analyzes the installation environment and provides users with recommendations for the number and placement of APs 3Com recommends that a site survey be conducted at any new site prior to installing AirConnect equipment Theory of Operation MAC Layer Bridging To improve AP management and performance you should understand basic AP functionality and configuration options The AP includes features for different interface connections and network management The AP provides MAC layer bridging between its interfaces The AP monitors traffic from its interfaces and based on frame address forwards the frames to the proper destination The AP tracks the frames sources and destinations to provide intelligent bridging as wireless clients roam or network topologies change The AP also handles broadcast and multicast message initiations and responds to wireless client association requests The AP listens to all packets on all interfaces an
95. nged in a screen The UI defaults to User mode allowing read only access to the AP s functions view statistics for example Switching to Admin mode provides access to configuration menus and allows you to configure the AP To enter Admin mode requires the administration password To enter Admin mode do the following Select Enter Admin Mode from the Main Menu The AP prompts for the administration password Enter System Password If a password has been set enter it now case sensitive The default password is comcomcom a If the password is correct the AP displays the Main Menu with the Enter Admin Mode menu item changed to Exit Admin Mode a f the password is incorrect the AP continues to display the Main Menu with the Enter Admin Mode menu item Set the System password in the Set System Configuration screen See Changing the Access to the UI for more details 60 CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Changing the Access to the UI Configuring for Dial Up to the UI mu FPF WN U A WN To prevent unauthorized Telnet access change the configuration access to the UI This includes enabling or disabling the Telnet Logins or changing the System Password To change Telnet access to the AP do the following Select Set System Configuration from the Main Menu Select Telnet Logins Press the space bar or left right arrow to toggle between Enabled and Disabled Press Tab to highlight t
96. o nonvolatile memory NVM which generates a confirmation prompt Select Save ALL APs F2 to save the RF Configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves the configuration changes for the current AP and sends two WNMP messages to all other APs on the Known APs table to update their configurations and reset them after the configuration has been modified You can execute this option only among the same hardware platforms and same firmware versions Select Cancel ESC to cancel any changes you made to this screen and return to the previous menu The AP automatically configures most radio parameters Exercise extreme caution when adjusting radio parameters for the AP since these parameters affect system operations Options in the RF Configuration window fine tune the radio and WLAP functions To configure the radio parameters follow the procedure below Select Set RF Configuration from the Main Menu to display the RF Configuration window Configure the settings as required The table below describes the Configuration parameters Configuring the AP 65 Parameter Description DTIM Interval Configure DTIM packet frequency as a multiple of beacon packets The DTIM Interval indicates how many beacons equal one cycle Do not modify BC MC Q Max Determines the memory allocated for the queue used in the AP to Max Retries d Max Retries v Multicast Mask d and v Beacon Interval Acc
97. ocators URLs A URL is essentially the name of the Web page The URL consists of three parts Protocol or Scheme 2 Fully Qualified Domain Name FQDN the machine where the page is located 3 Local name that identifies the page usually the HTML file name The HTML language describes how to format the document indication which fonts to use much like a copy editor describes which fonts to use such as the location color header size and text Managing AirConnect includes viewing network statistics and setting configuration options Statistics track the network activity of associated wireless clients and data transfers on the AP interfaces Configuration involves among other things setting system operating parameters and filters used in bridging The AP requires one of the following to perform a custom installation or maintain the AirConnect network a Simple Network Management Protocol SNMP a Wired or wireless LAN workstation with a telnet client m Terminal or PC with RS 232 connection and access to ANSI emulation Theory of Operation 25 Changing one AP does not affect the configuration of other APs on the network Make configuration changes to APs individually Each AP requires an individual IP address Programmable SNMP Trap Support The SNMP protocol defines the method for obtaining information about networks operating characteristics and changing router and gateway parameters The SNMP protocol consists of three elem
98. on Access Point at the top of the navigation pane Interface Statistics The AP interface also monitors packets sent to the AP protocol stack e g configuration requests SNMP Telnet The nterface Statistics window provides the following information on these packets a Packet forwarding statistics for each interface Ethernet PPP RF m Performance information for each interface in packets per second PPS and bytes per second BPS To view Interface Statistics select Statistics interface Statistics You can dynamically update this information by using the Refresh option Click Start Refresh at the bottom of the page to update the values approximately once every two seconds Click Stop Refresh at the bottom of the page to terminate dynamic updates Select any other item or click Access Point at the top of the navigation pane to exit Forwarding Counts Forwarding Counts provides information on packets transmitted from one interface to another Ethernet PPP radio AP Forwarding Counts also displays the broadcast packets transmitted from the AP To view the Forwarding Counts window select Statistics gt Forwarding Counts You can dynamically update this information by using the Refresh option Click Start Refresh at the bottom of the page to update the values approximately once every two seconds Click Stop Refresh at the bottom of the page to terminate dynamic updates 38 CHAPTER 3 MONITORING STATISTICS Selec
99. or BC MC QueuMax This value determines the amount of memory allocated for the queue used in the AP to temporarily hold broadcast multicast messages The packets corresponds to the maximum size Ethernet packets The default is 10 Enter the Max Retries data value The value represents the maximum allowed retries before the AP aborts a single transmission attempt The default is 15 Enter the Max Retries voice value The value represents the maximum allowed retries before the AP aborts a single transmission attempt The default is 15 Enter the Multicast Mask data and voice values AirConnect supports broadcast download protocols for any wireless client typically Point of Sale terminals requiring the expedited download of a new operating image over the network instead of using a local nonvolatile drive All multicast downstream data packets that match the top 32 bits of the multicast mask are forwarded immediately instead of being queued for transmission at the next DTIM interval Enter the time between beacons in milliseconds for Beacon Interval The default is 100 milliseconds Select Enable or Disable for Accept Broadcast Wireless LAN Service Area This feature allows the AP to respond to any station sending probe packets with the industry standard broadcast WSA When Enabled this feature allows industry standard devices interoperability The AP probe response includes the WSA_ID and information about the network By default t
100. or Continuously Aware Mode CAM without user intervention Bridging Support Theory of Operation 19 The DB 9 9 pin RS 232 serial port provides a User Interface Ul or a Point to Point Protocol PPP connection The UI provides basic management tools for the AP The PPP provides a link between APs using a serial connection The serial link supports short haul direct serial or long haul telephone line connections The AP is a Data Terminal Equipment DTE device with male pin connectors for the RS 232 port Connecting the AP to a PC requires a null modem cable connecting the AP to a modem requires a straight through cable The AP PPP interface accessible from the serial port at the rear of the AP provides two types of bridging operations Internet Protocol IP bridging between an AP and a computer and between two APs with one AP connected to a LAN To establish an Internet Protocol bridge with an AP ensure that the computer includes the appropriate Telnet software with PPP and TCP IP protocols Using Telnet a remote computer can connect to any AP on an Ethernet network as long as data transfers through IP packets A PPP link provides the option of using a direct serial link or modem to extend wired Ethernet topologies Once in PPP mode the AP automatically attempts to communicate with the other device using the Data Link Bridging DLB protocol An AP using DLB communicates on the MAC level and receives and transmits Ethernet f
101. ories defined with approximately 175 variables CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Using the User Interface The User Interface Ul is a text based maintenance tool integrated into the AP It provides statistical displays AP configuration options and firmware upgrades Access to the UI requires one of the methods listed in the following table Method Description Telnet Client Direct Serial Connection Dial Up Access SNMP Via a MIB Browser Web Browser Gain access to the AP built in Telnet server from any AP interface including remote Ethernet connections Refer to Using Telnet on page 57 Acts as a DTE device to connect directly to a DTE device with a null modem serial cable The direct serial access method requires a communication program with ANSI emulation Refer to Using a Direct Serial Connection on page 58 for more information The dial up access method requires a communication program with ANSI emulation on the remote terminal or PC The terminal or PC dials to an AP with a modem connection The AP supports connection to a Hayes compatible 28 800 baud or faster modem Refer to Using a Dial up Connection on page 58 Gain access to the AP SNMP function via a MIB Browser Gain access to the AP built in Web server from any AP interface including remote Ethernet connections eeee e e e Secee INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Introduction To install an
102. ort Ethernet configurations vary according to the environment Determine the Ethernet wiring to connect the AP 10BASE T UTP or single cell 10BASE T UTP Use a 10BASE T connection for multiple APs or an AP attached to a wired UTP Ethernet hub Normal 10BASE T limitations apply 1 Plug the data cable with an RJ 45 connector into the AP Ethernet port 2 Plug the other end of the data cable into the LAN access port possibly a hub or wall connection 3 Add additional APs as needed Single Cell The single cell connection option allows a single AP to connect wireless clients without a wired network Wireless clients appear as peers as in any Ethernet environment Power Options Standard power supply 115 230VAC 50 60Hz 24V 14 a US line cord Part Number 23844 00 00 a Remote power distribution system Part Number AP PS 11 a Refer to application note AP PS 01 located on the 3Com Technologies web page Mounting the AP 29 Mounting the AP The AP can be mounted in any number of locations some of which are shown below a in eat Flat Surface To mount an AP on a flat surface place the AP so that it rests on the four rubber pads on its underside The surface should be clear of debris and away from traffic Wall Mount To mount an AP on a wall 1 Attach the mounting bracket to the AP by lining up the raised flanges in the center of the bracket with the mounting holes on the bottom of the AP 2 Firmly press the rou
103. orts SNMP V1 MIB II and the 3Com MIB To configure the SNMP agent follow the procedure below Select Configuration gt SNMP The SNMP Setup page displays Select a mode for SNMP Agent Mode a Disabled disables SNMP functions a Read only allows get and trap operations a Read Write default allows get set and trap operations Enter a user defined password of up to 31 characters for Read Only Community This password is for and identifies users with read only privileges Enter a user defined password of up to 13 characters for Read Write Community This password is for and identifies users with read write privileges This password should be the same password as the System Password used to gain access to the System Configuration page 5 Enter the IP address of the trap manager for Trap IP Address 6 Select Enabled or Disable All for All SNMP Traps Use this feature to disable all traps or to selectively enable the individual traps The default value is Disabled The table below explains the traps SNMP Trap Description Default Value Cold Boot Sends a trap to the manager when the Deselected AP cold boots Authentication Failure Indicates that community strings other Deselected than those specified for the Read Only and Read Write Community were submitted Radio Restart Sends a trap to the manager for radio Deselected restart Access Control Sends a trap to the manager when an Deselected Violation ACL violation occurs DHCP Chang
104. our selections then answer Yes at the confirmation prompt Nn OAU PWN Reset the AP as described in Resetting an AP on page 79 for your settings to take effect m The encryption level open 40 bit or 128 bit must be the same on the wireless client and the access point a All Shared Keys on the wireless client must be the same as those on the access point with which the client will associate They must match exactly key order and hex digit sequence m The selected keys do not need to be the same among different clients and or access points If you are upgrading the access point from 40 bit encryption to 128 bit encryption you must enter an access code to perform the upgrade Until the access code is entered you can only enable or disable 40 bit encryption From the Hyperterminal main menu select RF Configuration Press the tab key to highlight Enable Strong Encryption Press Enter An access code entry screen appears Enter the access code in the fields Select Save to save the access code entry If you have enabled encryption select 128 bit shared key for WEP Algorithm Select Save to enter your encryption algorithm then answer Yes at the confirmation prompt Reset the AP as described in Resetting an AP on page 79 for your settings to take effect Special Configuration Considerations Disable Short Preamble The following configuration settings are recommended for optimal performance If you ar
105. prevents further associations until it detects Ethernet activity Value a O Default value disables this feature m 1 Detects whether the 10Base T line goes down a 2 WLAP sends a WLAP Alive BPDU on the Ethernet line every WLAP Hello Time seconds to allow WLAPs on the Ethernet line to detect its existence 3 WLAP tracks the WLAP Alive BPDU If the BPDU is missing for WLAP Hello Time seconds the WLAP state changes to WLAP Lost on Ethernet Once the WLAP Alive BPDU is detected the WLAP resets and starts over When the Ethernet connection is broken m f the WLAP mode is disabled the AP clears the wireless client table and disables the RF interface until the Ethernet connection comes up a If the WLAP mode is enabled the AP sets the time out value to zero 0 resets itself and attempts to associate with another WLAP in the network Specifies whether the AP accepts or rejects Telnet Logins The default value is Enabled For administrative access select any alphanumeric case sensitive entry up to 13 characters The default System Password is comcomcom Specifies the interval in seconds between the mobility agent advertisement transmission The default is 0 If enabled this feature allows wireless clients to roam across routers The default is Disabled Secret key used for Mobile Home registration and authentication CHAPTER 6 CONFIGURING THE AP USING THE ASCII INTERFACE Radio Parameters Web Server Enabl
106. pt as set forth above you may not transfer or assign the Software or your rights under this License Agreement Modification reverse engineering reverse compiling or disassembly of the Software is expressly prohibited However if you are a European Community EC resident information necessary to achieve interoperability of the Software with other programs within the meaning of the EC Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs is available to you from 3Com upon written request EXPORT RESTRICTIONS You agree that you will not export or re export the Software or accompanying documentation or any copies thereof or any products utilizing the Software or such documentation in violation of any applicable laws or regulations of the United States and the country in which you obtained them The 3Com product and or software covered by this agreement may contain encryption code which is unlawful to export from the US or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license You agree that you will not export reexport either physically or electronically any encrypted product without an approved export license TRADE SECRETS TITLE You acknowledge and agree that the structure sequence and organization of the Software are the valuable trade secrets of 3Com and its suppliers You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence You further acknowledge and agree that ownership of and title to the Software and all subsequent
107. ra Fax Modem 288 a USRobotics Sportster Modem 28 8 uu A WN Configuring the AP 67 Dial out manually through the Special Functions menu or dial out automatically when the system boots up Originating AP To configure an originating AP do the following from the UI of the originating AP Select Set Serial Port Configuration from the Main Menu Set the Port Use parameter to PPP Set the Modem Connected parameter to Yes Set the Connect Mode to Originate Select Dialout Number and type the dial out telephone number of the answering AP maximum 31 characters This string matches what follows a typical Hayes Smartmodem ATDT command Possible characters include pauses numbers and letters Refer to your modem documentation 6 Set the Dialout Mode to Auto 7 Configure the remaining settings as required uu A WN Parameter Description Answer Wait Time in seconds waiting for a remote connection before dropping attempt Time The default is 60 range 5 255 Modem Speaker Sends a command to the modem to turn the modem speaker on or off The default is On PPP Timeout Controls the time out between issuing a PPP packet and the anticipated reply This is necessary if the serial connection has long delay periods Zero 0 indicates no time out The default is 3 from a O to 255 second range PPP Terminates Controls the PPP terminate requests the AP issues when a PPP linked AP does not respond to a terminate request The
108. rames If the other device does not support DLB the AP attempts to communicate using Internet Protocol Control Protocol IPCP An AP using IPCP communicates on the IP level and receives and transmits IP packets The PPP implementation in the AP uses the Link Control Protocol LCP and Network Control Protocol NCP as described in a RFC 1171 the Point to Point Protocol July 1990 m RFC 1220 PPP Extensions for Bridging April 1991 a RFC 1332 The PPP Internet Protocol Control Protocol May 1992 a RFC 1661 The Point to Point Protocol July 1994 RFCs are Requests For Comments used in Internet Communities The AP database dynamically tracks wireless clients and APs on the PPP interface Packets forward to the PPP link after the AP determines their destination The PPP implementation in the AP uses the NCP as described in RFC 1220 PPP Extensions for Bridging to encapsulate packets at the Ethernet level The PPP provides IP bridging control as defined by RFC 1172 and MAC level bridging The protocol provides support for PPP negotiations conforming to RFC 1661 Users cannot plug a non AP node directly into the AP serial port only AP to AP PPP links For detailed information refer to RFC 1171 The Point to Point Protocol and RFC 1220 PPP Extensions for Bridging 20 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING PPP Connection Connecting an AP and a computer with a direct serial link requires the use of a null modem ser
109. reless client that ends the range Click Clear Entry if you decide to modify the range or eliminate the range Click Security Home Page when you have completed your entry on this page Adding or Deleting Disallowed Wireless Clients Select Configuration gt Security 2 Select Enabled for Access Control 3 Click View Add Delete next to Disallowed Wireless Clients The Access Control List Add Delete Disallowed Wireless Clients page displays Enter the MAC address of a wireless client that cannot associate with the AP and click Add Disallowed Wireless Client Encryption Upgrade Access Codes Special Configuration Considerations 47 Click Clear Entry if you decide to remove a wireless client from disallowed status with the AP 6 Repeat step 4 for as many wireless clients as you wish 7 Click Security Home Page when you have completed your entry on this page Enabling or Disabling Encryption The encryption configuration requirements are as follows a The encryption level open 40 bit or 128 bit must be the same on the wireless client and the access point a All Shared Keys on the wireless client must be the same as those on the access point with which the client will associate They must match exactly key order and hex digit sequence a The selected keys do not need to be the same among different clients and or access points Select Configuration gt Security Select Enabled for WEP Privacy to turn on encryption or D
110. roduct deliver to Customer an equivalent product to replace such product or if none of the foregoing is feasible refund to Customer the purchase price paid for such product Any software update or replaced or repaired product will carry a Year 2000 Warranty for ninety 90 days after purchase or until April 1 2000 whichever is later OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE WARRANTIES EXCLUSIVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY DISCLAIMER GOVERNING LAW Customer must contact a 3Com Corporate Service Center or an Authorized 3Com Service Center within the applicable o obtain warranty service authorization Dated proof of purchase from 3Com or its authorized reseller may be warranty period required Products returned to 3Com s Corporate Service Center must be pre authorized by 3Com with a User Service Order USO number o r a Return Material Authorization RMA number or a Service Repair Order SRO number whichever was issued marked on the outside of the package and sent prepaid and packaged appropriately for safe shipment and it is recommended that they be insured or sent by a method that provides for tracking of the package Responsibility for loss or damage does no transfer to 3Com until the returned item is received by 3Com The repaired or replaced item will be shipped to Customer at 3Com s expense not later than thirty 30 days after 3Com receives the defective product and 3Com will retain risk of loss or damage until the item i
111. routers on the wired Ethernet To install an AP follow the procedure below Enter Admin Mode Select AP Installation from the Main Menu to display the Access Point Installation window Parameter Description Unit Name AP name IP Address Network assigned Internet Protocol address of the AP Gateway IP Address IP address of a router the AP uses on the Ethernet default gateway Subnet Mask The Subnet Mask consists of four sets of digits that help divide a network into subnetworks and simplify routing and data transmission m Sets 1 and 2 Network domain a Set 3 Subset of hosts within a larger network m Set 4 Individual computer WLAN Service Area The unique 32 character alphanumeric case sensitive network identifier of the AP Antenna Selection Enables selection of antenna diversity Additional Gateways The IP address of the additional gateways used You can access up to eight gateways Verify that the AP parameters reflect the network environment and change the parameters as needed Press the space bar or the Left or Right Arrows to toggle between Primary Only and Primary and Secondary in the Antenna Selection field Do one of the following Select OK to register the settings Or a Select Save to write changes to NVM which generates a confirmation prompt Select Save ALL APs F2 to save the AP installation configuration information to all APs with the same WLAN Service Area This option saves and
112. s delivered to Customer 3Com shall not be responsible for any software firmware information or memory data of Customer contained in stored on or integrated with any products returned to 3Com for repair whether under warranty or not Dead or Defective on Arrival In the event a product completely fails to function or exhibits a defect in materials or hin the first forty eight 48 hours of installation but no later than thirty 30 days after the date of purchase workmanship wi and this is verified by 3Com it will be considered dead or defective on arrival DOA and a replacement shall be provided by advance replacement but only if Customer provides a purchase order number credit card number or other method of payment acceptable to 3Com to be used if 3Com needs to charge Customer for the replacement as explained below The replacement product will normally be shipped not later than three 3 business days after 3Com s verification of the DOA product but may be delayed due to export or import procedures The shipment of advance replacement products is subject to local legal requirements and may not be available in all loca to return the original product to 3Com within fifteen 15 d for the replacement product at list price INCLUDED SERVICES Telephone Support with coverage purchase on a commercially reasonable e Customer purchased this product directly from 3Com or if refer to the Technical Support appendix in the U
113. ser Guide from the date o IF A 3CO WARRANTY SHALL BE EXTENT ALLOWED WARRANTIES TERMS OR CONDIT OT PURPOSE SATISFACTORY QUALIT PRESSLY DISCLAIMED 3COM NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTI LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE INSTALLATION NOT BE LIABLE UNDER THIS WARRANTY IF ITS TI TION E EXI 3C DE HERWISE OM SHALL FECT OR MISUSE NEGLECT NCLUDI E REPAIR REP BY LAW PRODUCT DOES NOT OPERATE AS WARRANTE LACEMENT OR REFUND THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES A ONS EXPRESS OR IMPLIED G WARRANTIES TERMS OR COND Y CORRESPONDENCE WITH DESCRIPTION AND NON JALFUNCT MP TH ROPER INST PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER CAUSE BEYOND CU TS OR OUT DATA OR OTHER FINA USE PERFORMANCE FAIL ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DA PURCHASE PRICE PAID REMEDY PROVIDED HE Some coun THE FULL EXTENT A SED IN CO TRACT ORT TAGES OTHER HAZARDS OR ACTS OF GOD LLOWED BY LAW 3COM ALSO EXCLUDES FOR ITSELF AND ITS SUPPLIERS ANY LIABILITY WHET TORT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE FOR O ITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR FOR ries states CIAL LOSS ARISING AT 3COM S OPTION or provinces do not a REIN SHALL FAIL OF IT Cus TIONS H Al O THE RANGE OF T LOSS OF REVENU HE EO AGES AND LIMIT THIS DISCLAIME llow the exclusion FS IT or basic troubleshooting on R OF LIABILI or TS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE or consequential
114. setting sends a command to the modem to turn the modem speaker on or off The default is On Type the telephone number maximum 31 characters of the answering AP for Dialout Number This string follows a typical Hayes Smartmodem ATDT command Possible characters include pauses numbers and letters Refer to your modem documentation for specific information Enter the time in seconds that the AP will wait for a remote connection for Answer Wait Time If the AP does not make a remote connection in the amount of time you specify it will discontinue attempts to make a connection The default is 60 seconds from a 5 to 255 second range Enter the time in minutes for nactivity Timeout This setting controls the time out between issuing a PPP packet and the anticipated reply This is necessary if the serial connection has long delay periods Zero 0 indicates no time out The default is 3 from a O to 255 minute range 52 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER 11 12 13 14 15 Enter the time in seconds for Maximum PPP Terminates This setting controls the PPP terminate requests an AP issues when a PPP linked AP does not respond to a terminate request The AP closes the PPP connection after issuing PPP terminate requests for the maximum time specified The default is 10 seconds from a 0 255 second range Click Modem Dialout to dial the modem Click the Modem Hangup check box to have the modem hang up after a
115. ss Enter Type the firmware file name in the Download Filename field The remainder of this procedure uses Windows 98 as an example Only change this file name if you are required to do so The default file names are dsap_fw bin and 3cap_htm bin Verify that the path to the files is accurate Enter the TFTP Server IP address in the TFTP Server field Press Enter Select Save Configuration to save settings Select Special Functions from the Main Menu Select Use TFTP to Update Access Points and press Enter which generates the following prompt Are you sure Y N Type y The Telnet session ends when you type y at the prompt The WIRED LAN ACTIVITY indicator on the AP does not flash The AP resets when the file transfer and flash programming complete Telnet to the AP using its IP address Type the case sensitive password at the password prompt which generates the Main Menu Verify the accuracy of the version number on the System Summary window Press Ctrl D to end the Telnet session Repeat this process for other APs in the network The Xmodem upgrade method requires a direct connection between the AP and PC using a null modem serial cable and software such as HyperTerminal for Windows 95 Xmodem supports file transfers between terminal emulation programs and the AP UI Xmodem transfers require more time than TFTP transfers Manually Updating AP Firmware 75 To update the AP firmware using Xmodem follow the procedure
116. t any other item or click Access Point at the top of the navigation pane to exit Ethernet Statistics The AP keeps Ethernet performance statistics including packet transmission and data retries until it is reset To view or change Ethernet statistics select Statistics gt Ethernet Statistics Statistic Definition Packets Seen Packets received on the Ethernet interface Packets Forwarded Packets forwarded from the Ethernet interface to other interfaces a Discarded No Match Packets discarded because of unknown destinations destinations not in the known list of database entries a Discarded Forced Packets discarded because of the applied address filters a Discarded Buffer Packets discarded because of insufficient buffers in AP a Discarded CRC Packets discarded because of data errors Broadcast Multicast Total broadcast or multicast packets received Individual Address Packets received with designated individual addresses Packets Sent Total packets sent out Any Collision Packets affected by at least one collision 1 Collisions Packets affected by more than one collision Maximum Collisions Packets affected by the maximum number of collision Late Collisions Collisions occurring after the first 64 bytes Defers The number of times the AP had to defer transmit requests on the Ethernet because of a busy medium You can dynamically update this information by using the Refres
117. ted or transferred from the U S or Canada without an approved US Department of Commerce export license CONTENTS OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL WIRELESS NETWORKING Introduction 9 AirConnect Network Topologies 9 Peer To Peer Network 9 Same Site Separate Networks 10 Single AP Bridge 11 Multiple AP Full Coverage Network 12 AirConnect Access Point 12 AP Features 13 PowerBASE T 13 Radio Basics 14 Cellular Coverage 15 Wireless LAN Service Area 16 802 1d Spanning Tree Support 16 Site Topography 17 Site Surveys 17 Theory of Operation 17 MAC Layer Bridging 17 Filtering and Access Control 18 DHCP Support 18 Media Types 18 Bridging Support 19 PPP Connection 20 Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum 21 Wireless Client Association Process 21 Roaming 22 Extended Roaming 22 Security 23 Supporting CAM and PSP Stations 23 HTTP HTML Web Server Support 24 Management Options 24 Programmable SNMP Trap Support 25 Using SNMP 25 Increased MIB Support 25 Using the User Interface 26 2 INSTALLING ACCESS POINT HARDWARE Introduction 27 Precautions 27 Package Contents 27 Requirements 27 Network Connection 28 1OBASE T UTP 28 Single Cell 28 Power Options 28 Mounting the AP 29 Flat Surface 29 Wall Mount 29 Ceiling Mount 30 Using the PowerBASE T 32 LED Indicators 33 Troubleshooting 34 Verify AP Operation 34 Verify Network Wiring and Topology 35 Setting Up Wireless Clients 35 MONITORING STATISTICS Introduction 37 System Properties 37 Inter
118. the AP will reboot after the HTML file upgrade Click OK to continue 8 Return to the Main Menu To check the upgrade status return to the Firmware Download page and check Status of last update The status displays successful Special Functions The configuration items under Special Functions perform housekeeping functions on APs that are explained in the following table Special Function Description Clear All Statistics Clears the current statistics for the AP Clear Wireless Client Table Ensures that wireless clients associating with the AP are active Clear the wireless client association table for diagnostic purposes Clear wireless clients from an AP if the AP has many wireless client associations that are no longer in use The AP removes the wireless clients associated with it Wireless clients cleared from an AP will attempt to reassociate with the AP or another nearby AP Clear Access Control List ACL Clears the list of MAC addresses for the wireless clients that Individual can associate with the AP Clear Access Control List ACL Clears the range of MAC addresses for the wireless clients Range that can associate with the AP Clear Address Filters Clears filters that have been set up for the AP Load ACL from Wireless Client Loads the list of MAC address from the wireless client list List Reset AP The AP keeps only saved configuration changes after a reset Resetting an AP clears statistics and restores the last sav
119. the SNMP agent use the following procedure Select Set SNMP Configuration from the Main Menu which generates the SNMP Configuration window Configure the settings as required Parameter Description SNMP Agent Defines the SNMP agent mode Moug a Disabled Disables SNMP functions a Read only Allows get and trap operations a Read Write default Allows get set and trap operations Read Only User defined password string up to 31 characters identifying users with Community read only privileges Read Write User defined password up to 13 characters for users with read write Community privileges Ensure the password used matches the System Password used Trap IP Address to gain access to the System Configuration screen Trap manager IP address All Traps Enables or disables all trap operations The default value is Disabled Cold Boot Send a trap to manager when the AP cold boots The default value is Disabled Authentication Indicates that community strings other than those specified for the failure Read Only and Read Write Community were submitted The default value Radio Restart Access Cntrl Violation DHCP Change is Disabled Send a trap to manager for radio restart The default is value Disabled Send a trap to manager when an ACL violation occurs The default value is Disabled If enabled this trap generates the following enterprise specific traps m Gateway Address Change Indicates the gateway ad
120. tion 60 filtering 52 in ASCII UI 62 PPP connection in ASCII Ul 66 radio parameters in ASCII UI 64 security 46 serial port 60 configuring the AP adding wireless clients 46 in ASCII UI 63 continuously aware mode CAM 23 coverege see multiple AP network 12 D default configuration restoring 80 DHCP support 18 dial up connection configuring 60 direct serial connection 58 direct sequence spread spectrum DSSS 21 disallowed wireless clients 46 DSSS see direct sequence spread spectrum 21 F features access point 13 filtering 18 configuring 52 forwarding counts 37 full coverage see multiple AP network 12 G gateways adding 45 H help file access 41 l installation AP software 45 ceiling mount 30 minimum requirements 27 mounting the AP 29 wall mount 29 interface statistics window 37 K known APs 40 L logging options 72 E Easy Setup 45 encryption configuration requirements 78 enabling and disabling in ASCII UI 78 enabling and disabling using web browser 47 Ethernet interface 18 statistics 38 extended roaming MDS authentification 77 M MAC Media Access Control address 15 MDS authenification for extended romaing 77 media types see bridging 18 messaging to upgrade all APs 76 MIBs 83 miscellaneous statistics 39 modulation 14 monitoring statistics 37 mounting the AP 29 ceiling mount 30 wall mount 29 multiple APs 10BASE T connection 28 ultiple AP network 12 3
121. tted packets to attempted transmitted packets falls below a threshold a The wireless client detects an imbalance in the number of wireless clients associated with available APs and roams to a less loaded AP A wireless client selects the best available AP and adjusts itself to the AP direct sequence channel to begin association Once associated the AP begins forwarding any frames it receives addressed to the wireless client Each frame contains fields for the current direct sequence channel The wireless client uses these fields to resynchronize to the AP The AirConnect Roaming feature enables a wireless client on the Internet to move from one AP to another within a single subnet The scanning and associating process continues for active wireless clients This allows the wireless clients to find new APs and discard out of range or deactivated APs By testing the airwaves the wireless clients can choose the best network connection available The AirConnect extended roaming roaming across routers feature enables a wireless client on the Internet to move from one subnet to another while keeping its IP address unchanged extended roaming enables a wireless client to communicate with other hosts using only its home IP address after changing its point of attachment to the Internet Intranet For extended roaming to work you must use a Static IP address The Internet Protocol identifies the wireless client point of attachment to a network throu
122. when the Ethernet connection is broken the AP sets the time out value to zero 0 and attempts to associate with another WLAP in the network Enter a value in seconds for Agent AD Interval This specifies the interval in seconds between the mobility agent advertisement transmission The default is O Enable or disable interfaces on the AP Interface Description Default Condition AP AP State Xchg Specifies AP to AP communication exchanged Enabled If disabled prevents AP Auto Configure and AP load leveling function from operating WNMP Functions Specifies whether the AP can perform WNMP Enabled functions Ethernet Interface Enables or disables wired Ethernet On RF Interface Enables or disables radio On Default Interface Specifies the default interface Ethernet or PPP Ethernet that the AP forwards a frame to if the AP cannot find the address in its forwarding database 9 10 Radio Frequency Parameters Special Configuration Considerations 49 Click Clear Entries to reinstate the default settings Click Save Settings to save your entries on this page The AP automatically configures most radio parameters Exercise extreme caution when you adjust radio parameters for the AP since these parameters affect system operations Options in the RF Configuration window fine tune the radio and WLAP functions To configure the radio parameters Select Configuration RF The RF Setup page displays Enter a value in packets f
123. ystem Web pages This procedure is intended for Microsoft Internet Information Server The network Web server can be different If this is the case some of the procedures will differ Setup Network Web Server Help File Access To create the Help file on a network Web server a network or system administrator uses the procedure below NT4 is used in this example Create a directory on the network Web server in which the AP Web Site Help Files will reside Often this is a subdirectory to C inetPub wwwRoot 2 Copy all gif and htm files to the directory or folder 3 Select Start from the Windows Task Bar 4 Select Programs gt Microsoft Internet Server common gt Internet Service Manager 42 CHAPTER 4 CONFIGURING THE ACCESS POINT USING A WEB BROWSER 5 Make sure the server WWW service is running 6 Select Properties gt Service Properties to display the WWW service properties for 10 11 12 13 14 15 the server The WWW Service Properties window opens Select the Directories tab Click Add to open the Directories dialog box Type the complete path to the directory created in step one Select Virtual Directory Type the folder alias i e Air ConnectHelp Click OK Enable the Default document option Type AirConnectHelp htm as the default document and click Apply Click OK to exit the window Setup Local Workstation Help File Access To access the Help file from a local workstation users need to load the Help fi

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