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

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CONTENTS

1 PREPARATION

	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
2 CONDUCTING 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
A AIRCONNECT 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

PREPARATION

1

Introduction	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.
Inspecting the	During the planning stages of the site survey, a representative from the site survey
Survey Area	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
	■ Location of host system(s)
	■ Available AC power
	■ Interfering metal fire breaks and wall structures
	■ Doorways and passages causing RF propagation

6 CHAPTER 1: PREPARATION

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 The site survey team selects trial AirConnect component installation areas away Considerations 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

■Large or small proposed radio coverage area

■Wide or narrow proposed coverage area

■Open coverage area or area with documented obstructions

Direct-Sequence In a direct-sequence radio coverage cell, APs with identical direct-sequence Considerations 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 Radio coverage requirements relate directly to installation site constraints. With an Considerations 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 AirConnect APs draw power from wall outlets or over CAT 5 cabling using the Considerations 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:

1Isolated ground circuit with online, uninterruptable power supply (UPS) that also acts as filter and surge suppressor

2Isolated ground circuit with surge suppressor

3Dedicated circuit with UPS

4Dedicated 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:

■Hard wired devices

■Devices with components intended or known to produce heat (space heaters, laser printers, heat guns, soldering irons, etc.)

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

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

Requesting a	The Site Survey Request Form contains detailed information about a customer, the
Site Survey	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.

CONDUCTING A SITE SURVEY

2

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

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

1Insert the Administrator CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

2Click Start and select Run.

3Enter x:\Admin\SSurvey\Disk1\Setup.exe

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

4Click OK.

5Complete the installation following the instructions provided with the AirConnect Site Survey utility.

6Select Yes when asked if backup copies of replaced files are required. Selecting Yes invokes the site survey utility uninstall feature for possible use.

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

AirConnect Wireless	Before using the AirConnect Site Survey utility, an AirConnect wireless LAN
Network Trial	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
	■	Laptop computer
	■ PowerBASE-T and AC power supply
	■	CAT 5 cable
	■ Access Point mounting bracket
	■ AirConnect wireless clients with extra batteries

Starting the Site Survey Utility

9

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

1Mount 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.

2Power on the APs.

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

3Observe 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.

4Power on the AirConnect wireless clients to be used for the site survey.

NOTE: The AirConnect Site Survey utility should already be loaded on the 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.

5Set 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.

Starting the Site	Click the AirConnect Site Survey utility icon from the Windows desktop to launch
Survey Utility	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.
	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.