3Com 09-1765-001 User Manual

AirConnect

Site Survey Administrator Guide

Version 1.5

http://www.3com.com/ http://www.3com.com/productreg

Part No. 09-1765-001 Published June 2000

3Com Corporation ■

5400 Bayfront Plaza ■ Santa Clara, California 95052-8145

■

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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.

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This product or software contains encryption code which may not be exported or

ONTENTS

REPARATION

Introduction 5 Inspecting the Survey Area 5

Environmental Considerations 6 Direct-Sequence Considerations 6

Antenna Placement Considerations 6

Site Electrical Considerations 7

Requesting a Site Survey 7

ONDUCTING A SITE SURVEY

Introduction 8 Site Survey Installation 8

CD-Rom Installation 8 AirConnect Wireless Network Trial 8 Starting the Site Survey Utility 9 Site Survey File Menu 10

Creating a New Site Survey 10

Selecting an Existing Site Survey 10

Defining a New Site Survey Area 10

Save/Save As 10

Upload/Download 10

Importing a Site Survey 10

Displaying Recent Site Surveys 10 Site Survey Edit Menu 11

Editing Site Survey Information 11

Editing Site Survey Area Properties 11

Editing Setup Properties 12

Setup Property Page 12 Meter Settings Property Page 12 Sounds Property Page 12 Logging Property Page 13

Navigating the View Menu 13

Viewing Adapter Info 13

Viewing Site Survey Area Info 13

Viewing Access Point Info 14

Viewing Mobile Unit Noise Info 14

Viewing Mobile Unit Signal Quality Info 14

Navigating the Area Menu 14

Creating a New Survey Area 14 Selecting and Editing an Existing Survey Area 14 Clearing the Text File Log for an Open Survey Area 14 Editing the Note File for an Open Survey Area 15 Running ICMP or WNMP Tests 15

Setting ICMP or WNMP Test Parameters 15 Setting New Test Parameters 16

AIRC

ONNECT OVERVIEW

Introduction 17 AirConnect Network Topologies 17

Peer-To-Peer Network 18 Same-Site Separate Networks 18 Single AP Bridge 19 Multiple-AP Full Coverage Network 20

Theory of Operation 20

MAC Layer Bridging 20

Filtering and Access Control 21 DHCP Support 21 Media Types 21 Bridging Support 22

PPP Connection 23 Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum 24 Wireless Client Association Process 25 Mobile IP 26

Security 27 Supporting CAM and PSP Stations 27 HTTP, HTML Web Server Support 28 Management Options 28

Programmable SNMP Trap Support 29

Using SNMP 29

Increased MIB Support 29

Using the User Interface 30

REPARATION

Introduction

Inspecting the Survey Area

Installing an AirConnect wireless network begins with conducting a site survey. A site survey involves the use of the AirConnect Site Survey utility to determine the physical requirements for a site-specific AirConnect wireless network. A site survey analyzes the installation environment and provides users with recommendations for equipment and placement. The site may be a warehouse, manufacturing plant, office building, or retail space.

The AirConnect Site Survey utility determines the location of APs, as well as the number necessary to provide optimal coverage. Only qualified site survey technicians should use the AirConnect Site Survey utility to conduct site surveys.

When installing an AirConnect network, complete coverage may require multiple antennas. If the facility is small, or the coverage area is free from physical obstructions, one AP and antenna might be sufficient.

If you are unfamiliar with the AirConnect wireless infrastructure and the components that compose it, refer to Appendix A “AirConnect Overview” for an overview of AirConnect technology.

During the planning stages of the site survey, a representative from the site survey team will visit the proposed AirConnect radio coverage site. As a standard practice in the site survey consultation, the representative gathers facility drawings and completes a Site Survey Requirements document and a site survey questionnaire. The representative documents the wiring used within the facility (10BaseT, 10Base2, fiber optic) and assesses its applicability to AirConnect components.

Several trial installation areas should be selected. The site survey team analyzes each proposed installation area to document radio transmission constraints and to develop preliminary AP placement alternatives to be tested during the actual site survey. The findings from the initial site inspection should be documented in a Site Survey Request Form and serve as the outline of the site survey.

The following variables should also be considered in the site survey requirements definition:

RF systems already in use

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Location of host system(s)

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Available AC power

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Interfering metal fire breaks and wall structures

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Doorways and passages causing RF propagation

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6 C

HAPTER

1: P

REPARATION

The completion of the RF Site Survey Requirements document is a coordinated effort between the site survey team and the customer management team.

The RF Site Survey Requirements document does not identify potential installation constraints within the customer site, nor does it recommend AP and antenna placement location. The RF Site Survey Requirements document represents a preliminary overview of the customer site, and is used as a baseline for refining site survey requirements.

Environmental

Considerations

Direct-Sequence

Considerations

The site survey team selects trial AirConnect component installation areas away from transformers, heavy-duty motors, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and other industrial equipment. Areas with excessive moisture, heat, and dust are inappropriate for installing an AirConnect wireless network.

Signal loss can occur when metal, concrete, walls, or floors block AP transmission areas. AirConnect AP antennas are trial-mounted in open areas or added to an existing AP to boost the AirConnect coverage area.

The positioning of an AP depends on the floor plan of the site. The site survey team makes AP placement recommendations based on the following installation site variables:

Indoor installation site

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Large or small proposed radio coverage area

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Wide or narrow proposed coverage area

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Open coverage area or area with documented obstructions

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In a direct-sequence radio coverage cell, APs with identical direct-sequence channels cannot share the same cell. Direct-sequence access points operating on different channels require careful survey area testing to ensure that radio transmissions do not interface.

Antenna Placement Considerations

Radio coverage requirements relate directly to installation site constraints. With an omnidirectional antenna, the radio range of the AP (transmitting at 1Mbps) could have a radius up to 1000 feet (303 meters) in open areas. However, in office or retail environments, obstructions can reduce the coverage to a radius of 180 to 250 feet (54 to 76 meters). The coverage area is also referred to as a cell.

The final location of AP antennas is critical to the successful operation of the system. When conducting the survey, consider the exact conditions in the installation area. These conditions include all losses due to cabling and connectors.

Requesting a Site Survey 7

Site Electrical

Considerations

AirConnect APs draw power from wall outlets or over CAT 5 cabling using the AirConnect PowerBASE-T adapter. AP performance is subject to degradation due to inherent or random electrical problems or site-specific disturbances.

The following AirConnect AP electrical installation alternatives are listed from optimal to preferred for a particular installation area:

Isolated ground circuit with online, uninterruptable power supply (UPS) that also

acts as filter and surge suppressor

Isolated ground circuit with surge suppressor

Dedicated circuit with UPS

Dedicated circuit with surge suppressor

3Com recommends using one of the preceding installation alternatives when using a Network Controller Unit. Deviation from theses options can cause data loss and serious transmissions problems.

NOTE:

The AP must be provided with power 24 hours a day. 3Com recommends

that AP power never be provided from an Energy Management System.

If a nondedicated circuit is necessary, 3Com recommends that the circuit does not support the following:

Requesting a Site Survey

Hard wired devices

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Devices with components intended or known to produce heat (space heaters,

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laser printers, heat guns, soldering irons, etc.)

Single devices drawing more than 20% of the rated value of the circuit

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Multiple devices drawing a total of more than 60% of the rated circuit value

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The Site Survey Request Form contains detailed information about a customer, the 3Com Sales Associate representing that customer, an updated floor plan of the customer facility, host operating system considerations, and the quantity and type of AirConnect components being installed.

ONDUCTING A

ITE

URVEY

Introduction

Site Survey Installation

CD-ROM Installation

The AirConnect Site Survey utility is used to establish a two-way data network using both stationary and mobile devices at various points within the proposed radio coverage area. Assess AP signal strength using various AP configurations.

The AirConnect Site Survey utility runs under Windows 95/98, and NT.

A site survey requires the AirConnect Site Survey utility be loaded on the wireless clients and the desktop computer used in the survey.

To install the AirConnect Site Survey utility from CD-ROM:

Insert the Administrator CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

Click Start and select Run.

x:\Admin\SSurvey\Disk1\Setup.exe

Enter

where “x” represents the letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive.

Click OK.

Complete the installation following the instructions provided with the AirConnect Site Survey utility.

Select Yes when asked if backup copies of replaced files are required.

Selecting Yes invokes the site survey utility uninstall feature for possible use.

AirConnect Wireless Network Trial

The AirConnect Site Survey utility installation is completed. Launch the site survey utility by clicking on the program icon appearing on the Windows desktop.

Before using the AirConnect Site Survey utility, an AirConnect wireless LAN infrastructure is created to test AirConnect component radio signal strength.

In addition to the AirConnect Site Survey utility, the following equipment is required to create an AirConnect wireless network:

AirConnect Access Points

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Laptop computer

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PowerBASE-T and AC power supply

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CAT 5 cable

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Access Point mounting bracket

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AirConnect wireless clients with extra batteries

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Starting the Site Survey Utility 9

To install a trial AirConnect wireless network, use the following procedure.

Mount the APs.

Mount APs at the locations recommended on the floor plan drawing. Start with the most difficult coverage area first. Position the APs so that their antennas are not obstructed.

Power on the APs.

Use the PowerBASE-T and interconnecting 8-wire CAT 5 cable if an AC wall socket is not conveniently located.

Observe AP LED behavior.

Check the LEDs to verify normal boot operation. After the boot cycle is complete, the STATUS LED flashes approximately once every second to indicate that the AP is operating properly.

Power on the AirConnect wireless clients to be used for the site survey.

Starting the Site Survey Utility

NOTE:

AirConnect mobile devices used to perform the survey.

When the device is powered on, a message indicating the AP is not connected to a boot server will be displayed. This is normal, since the AP is not yet connected to an Ethernet network.

Set the AirConnect AP and wireless client Network IDs.

Set the wireless client(s) and AP to the same Net ID.

An AirConnect wireless network now exists and can be tested for radio transmission effectiveness with the AirConnect Site Survey utility.

Click the AirConnect Site Survey utility icon from the Windows desktop to launch the utility. The Site Survey utility Welcome dialog box appears.

You can use the Site Survey utility Welcome dialog box to open an existing site survey area workspace, create a new workspace, create a new workspace from an existing site survey area workspace, or open a recently used workspace.

If an existing site survey workspace is opened containing one or more survey areas, the Site Survey Test dialog box displays. Use the Site Survey Test dialog box to specify the ICMP and WNMP test parameters for the survey area. If an existing survey workspace does not have a survey area defined, the Site Survey dialog box displays. Use the Site Survey dialog box for entering the site survey area name, surveyor, and description. The Site Survey Test and Site Survey dialog boxes are described in greater detail in the sections that follow.

The AirConnect Site Survey utility should already be loaded on the

Closing the Welcome dialog box enables the File, Edit, View, Area, and Help pull-down menus. Use these menus to create a new site survey, view radio coverage areas within an existing site survey template, run a ping test for a survey area, display and configure the Edit menu property pages, and display help information for the usage of the utility.

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