3COM WX2200 User Manual

Wireless LAN Mobility System

Wireless LAN Switch Manager

User’s Guide

WX4400 3CRWX440095A

WX1200 3CRWX120695A

WXR100 3CRWXR10095A

WX2200 3CRWX220095A

http://www.3Com.com/

Part No. 10015403 Rev. AA

Published August 2006

3Com Corporation 350 Campus Drive Marlborough, MA USA 01752-3064

Copyright © 2006, 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, transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time 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.

If 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 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 is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation. The 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation.

Mobility Domain, Mobility Point, Mobility Profile, Mobility System, Mobility System Software, MP, MSS, and SentrySweep are trademarks of Trapeze Networks, Inc.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows XP, 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

It is the policy of 3Com Corporation to be environmentally-friendly in all operations. To uphold our policy, we are committed to:

Establishing environmental performance standards that comply with national legislation and regulations.

Conserving energy, materials and natural resources in all operations.

Reducing the waste generated by all operations. Ensuring that all waste conforms to recognized environmental standards. Maximizing the recyclable and reusable content of all products.

Ensuring that all products can be recycled, reused and disposed of safely.

Ensuring that all products are labelled according to recognized environmental standards.

Improving our environmental record on a continual basis.

End of Life Statement

3Com processes allow for the recovery, reclamation and safe disposal of all end-of-life electronic components.

Regulated Materials Statement

3Com products do not contain any hazardous or ozone-depleting material.

Environmental Statement about the Documentation

The documentation for this product is printed on paper that comes from sustainable, managed forests; it is fully biodegradable and recyclable, and is completely chlorine-free. The varnish is environmentally-friendly, and the inks are vegetable-based with a low heavy-metal content.

CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

	Conventions 9
	Documentation	10
	Documentation Comments			11
1 GETTING STARTED
	Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Client					13
	Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Services					14
	Software Requirements		14
	Preparing for Installation		15
	User Privileges	15
	Serial Number and License Key 15
	HP OpenView Network Node Manager					15
	Resource Allocation		16
	Installing 3WXM	17
	Installing 3WXM on Windows Systems					17
	Installing 3WXM on Linux Systems				18
	Start 3WXM Services 20
	Connect 3WXM Clients to 3WXM Services					20
	Configure 3WXM Services			21
	3WXM Access Control 23
	3WXM Interface	23
	Display the Main Window			24
	Using the Toolbar and Menu Bar				25
	Setting Preferences		26
	Easy Configuration Using Wizards				26
	View Topology	26
	Getting Help	27

2PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH

3WXM

Which Services To Provide?				30
Network Plan	31
RF Coverage Area		31
RF Auto-Tuning		32
RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling 32
RF Planning	33
Which Planning Method Should I Use?						33
Configuration	35
Wireless Configuration				36
AAA Security Configuration					38
System and Administration Configuration						40
Equipment Installation			42
Deployment	43
Management and Monitoring					43
Network Status		44
RF Monitoring		44
Client Monitoring			45
Rogue Detection		46
Event Logging		46
Verification	47
Reporting	47
RF Plan Optimization			48

3 CONFIGURING WIRELESS SERVICES

What are Services?		51
Configure Employee Access Services 52
Task Table	52
Step Summary		54
Example: Configure Employee Access			55
What’s Next?	68
Configure Guest Access Services 69
Task Table	69
Step Summary		71
Optional: Configure Mobility Profiles			81
What’s Next?	82

	Configure Voice over Wireless IP Service						83
	Task Table	83
	Step Summary		85
	Create a Radio Profile for Voice					86
	Create a Service Profile for Voice					86
	What’s Next?	95
4 USING RF AUTO-TUNING
	What Is RF Auto-Tuning?				97
	Place Your Equipment			98
	Configure Initial WX Switch Connectivity						98
	Upload the WX Switch Configuration into a 3WXM Network Plan 98
	Create a Service Profile			99
	Create a Radio Profile and Map the Service Profile to It 100
	Create Your MAPs		101
	Apply a Radio Profile to Each Radio					104
	What’s Next?	104
5 USING RF AUTO-TUNING WITH MODELLING
	What Is RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling?						105
	Add Site Information			106
	Insert RF Obstacles		108
	Create Your RF Coverage Area 110
	Create a Wiring Closet				110
	Create Your RF Coverage Area					111
	Add MAPs	118
	Associate MAPs to the Coverage Area						118
	What’s Next?	120
6 USING RF PLANNING
	What is RF Planning?			121
	Prepare the Floor Drawings				122
	Define Site Information			123
	Import a Floor Plan			128
	Set the Scale	129
	Clean Layout	130

	Model RF Obstacles	133
	Import a Site Survey	134
	Plan RF Coverage 135
	Add Wiring Closets	135
	Create Coverage Areas			136
	Compute and Place MAPs				144
	Assign Channel Settings				146
	Calculate Optimal Power				148
	Display Coverage	150
	Generate a Work Order		151
	Install the Equipment	153
	What’s Next? 153
7 MANAGING AND MONITORING YOUR NETWORK
	Deploy Your Configuration			155
	Perform Basic Administrative Tasks					157
	Configuring WX Management Services 157
	Distributing System Images			159
	Using the Image Repository				159
	Distributing System Images				159
	Saving Versions of Network Plans					160
	Importing and Exporting Switch Configuration Files						161
	Monitoring Examples	163
	Monitor an Individual User				163
	Monitor a Group of Users				169
	Monitor a Rogue	171
8 OPTIMIZING A NETWORK PLAN
	Using RF Measurements from MAPs					180
	Using RF Measurements from an Ekahau Site Survey						181
	Generating an Ekahau Site Survey Work Order						182
	Importing RF Measurements from the Ekahau Site Survey 185
	Optimizing the RF Coverage Model					187
	Locating and Fixing Coverage Holes					189
	Displaying the RF Coverage Area					189
	Locking Down MAPs		190
	Fixing a Coverage Hole			191

Computing and Placing New MAPs 191

Replanning Your Network 191

What’s Next? 192

A OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR 3COM PRODUCTS

Register Your Product to Gain Service Benefits	193
Solve Problems Online 193
Purchase Extended Warranty and Professional Services 194
Access Software Downloads 194
Contact Us 194
Telephone Technical Support and Repair	195

INDEX

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This manual shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a

Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN

Switch Manager (3WXM) tool suite.

Read this manual if you are a network administrator or a person responsible for managing a WLAN.

If release notes are shipped with your product and the information there differs from the information in this guide, follow the instructions in the release notes.

Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat

Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML on the 3Com

World Wide Web site:

http://www.3com.com/

Conventions	Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide.
	Table 1	Notice Icons
	Icon	Notice Type	Description
		Information note	Information that describes important features or
			instructions
		Caution	Information that alerts you to potential loss of data or
			potential damage to an application, system, or device

10 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This manual uses the following text and syntax conventions:

Table 2 Text Conventions

Convention	Description
Menu Name >	Indicates a menu item that you select. For example,
Command	File > New indicates that you select New from the File
	menu.
Monospace text	Sets off command syntax or sample commands and system
	responses.
Bold text	Highlights commands that you enter or items you select.
Italic text	Designates command variables that you replace with
	appropriate values, or highlights publication titles or words
	requiring special emphasis.
[ ] (square brackets)	Enclose optional parameters in command syntax.
{ } (curly brackets)	Enclose mandatory parameters in command syntax.
| (vertical bar)	Separates mutually exclusive options in command syntax.
Keyboard key names	If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key
	names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example:
	Press Ctrl+Alt+Del
Words in italics	Italics are used to:
	Emphasize a point.
	Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in the
	text.
	Highlight an example string, such as a username or SSID.

Documentation	The 3WXM documentation set includes the following documents.
	Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) Release Notes
	These notes provide information about the 3WXM software release,
	including new features and bug fixes.
	Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Release Notes
	These notes provide information about the MSS software release,
	including new features and bug fixes.
	Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Quick Start Guide
	This guide provides instructions for performing basic setup of secure
	(802.1X) and guest (WebAAA™) access, for configuring a Mobility
	Domain for roaming, and for accessing a sample network plan in
	3WXM for advanced configuration and management.

Documentation Comments 11

Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual

This manual shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a

Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN

Switch Manager (3WXM).

Wireless LAN Switch Manager User’s Guide (this document)

This guide shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM). It contains information about recommended system requirements you should meet for optimum 3WXM performance, installing 3WXM client and 3WXM Services software, and an introduction to using the 3WXM interface.

Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Hardware Installation Guide

This guide provides instructions and specifications for installing a WX wireless switch in a Mobility System WLAN.

Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Configuration Guide

	This guide provides instructions for configuring and managing the
	system through the Mobility System Software (MSS) CLI.
	Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Command Reference
	This reference provides syntax information for all MSS commands
	supported on WX switches.
Documentation	Your suggestions are very important to us. They will help make our
Comments	documentation more useful to you. Please e-mail comments about this
	document to 3Com at:
	[e-mail]
	Please include the following information when contacting us:
	Document title
	Document part number and revision (on the title page)
	Page number (if appropriate)

12 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Example:

Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Configuration Guide

Part number 730-9502-0071, Revision B

Page 25

Please note that we can only respond to comments and questions about 3Com product documentation at this e-mail address. Questions related to Technical Support or sales should be directed in the first instance to your network supplier.

1	GETTING STARTED

	This chapter contains information about recommended system
	requirements you should meet for optimum 3WXM performance,
	installing 3WXM client and 3WXM Services software, and an introduction
	to using the 3WXM interface.
Hardware	Table 3 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the
Requirements for	3WXM client on Windows and Linux platforms.
3WXM Client
	Table 3 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Client on Windows and
	Linux
		Minimum	Recommended
	Processor	Intel Pentium 4, 2 GHz or	Intel Pentium 4, 3 GHz or
		equivalent	equivalent
	RAM	512 MB	1 GB
	Hard drive space	100 MB	200 MB
	available
	Monitor resolution	1024x768 pixels, 24-bit	1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit
		color	color
	CD-ROM drive	CD-ROM or equivalent	CD-ROM

14 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Hardware	Table 4 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the
Requirements for	3WXM Services on Windows and Linux platforms.
3WXM Services
	Table 4 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Services on Windows and
	Linux
		Minimum	Recommended
	Processor	Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz or	Intel Pentium 4, 3.6 GHz or
		equivalent	equivalent
	RAM	1 GB	2 GB
	Hard drive space	1 GB	2 GB
	available
	Monitor resolution	1024x768 pixels, 24-bit	1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit
		color	color
	CD-ROM drive	CD-ROM or equivalent	CD-ROM
Software	3WXM client and 3WXM Services are each supported on the following
Requirements	operating systems:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or higher

Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4

SUSE Linux 9.1 and Red Hat WS 3

You must use the English version of the operating system you select. Operating system versions in other languages are not supported with 3WXM.

The following additional software is required for certain 3WXM features:

Web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x or Netscape Navigator 6.x or 7.x)—For displaying 3WXM online help, work orders, and reports

Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.x or later (or plug-in)—For reading the manuals and release notes

HP OpenView Network Node Manager 6.4 or later—Must be installed prior to 3WXM if you plan to use 3WXM in your HP OpenView environment

Preparing for Installation

15

Preparing for	A licensed copy of 3WXM comes with a base license key. Before you
Installation	install 3WXM, make sure you have the appropriate administrative
	privileges on the system.
	After you have installed 3WXM, you will need to register your license and
	the serial number with 3Com in order to obtain an activation key.
	The base key along with its activation key enables you to manage up to
	10 wireless LAN switches. To manage more than 10 wireless LAN
	switches, you also need an upgrade key and an additional activation key,
	which you obtain from 3Com. See “Serial Number and License Key”
	below for more information.
User Privileges	Before you install 3WXM, make sure that you are logged in as a user who
	has permission to install software, or as an administrator.
	After you install 3WXM, you can configure 3WXM access privileges for
	the user accounts on the machine. Likewise, you can configure access
	privileges for the monitoring service, if installed. Access privileges for the
	3WXM client are completely independent of access privileges for the
	monitoring service, and are configured separately.
Serial Number and	3WXM comes with a base license key, which is provided on the CD cover.
License Key	To use 3WXM Services, you need to enter the base key and an activation
	key, which you obtain from 3Com. The base key and activation key
	enable you to manage up to 10 wireless LAN switches. To manage more
	than 10 wireless LAN switches, you also need an upgrade key and
	additional activation key, which you obtain from 3Com.
	Each time you connect the 3WXM client to the 3WXM Services, it checks
	the license information. If the product is not licensed, the License wizard
	is displayed.
	If you do not have a license key, you can run 3WXM for 30 days. Once
	this trial period is over, you will need to purchase a license to continue
	running the 3WXM software.
HP OpenView	If you want to integrate 3WXM into your HP OpenView environment, you
Network Node	have the option of installing the HP OpenView plug-in required to use
Manager	Network Node Manager with 3Com products. Make sure that HP
	OpenView is already installed before installing 3WXM with the plug-in.

16 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Resource Allocation Table 5 contains general recommended guidelines for hardware requirements and memory allocation based on the number of radios and WX switches your server will support. A larger number of WX switches implies more connections and data processing, and consequently, more CPU is required. A larger number of radios implies more data (including client sessions) which requires more RAM and storage.

Table 5 Recommended Server Hardware Allocation

Number of Radios 1-25 WX Switches 25-50 WX Switches 50+ WX Switches

1 – 1000		2.4 GHz P4		2.8 GHz P4		3.2 GHz Xeon
		500 MB RAM		500 MB RAM		1 GB RAM
		1 GB HD		1 GB HD		1 GB HD
1000 – 2000		2.4 GHz P4		3.0 GHz P4		3.6 GHz Xeon
		1 GB RAM		1 GB RAM		2 GB RAM
		2 GB HD		2 GB HD		2 GB HD

3WXM Services Options

3WXM Services can be installed either in standalone mode or shared mode. Standalone mode is when 3WXM client and 3WXM Services are installed on one machine. Standalone mode is primarily used for trying out 3WXM, while shared mode is used in a working environment. In shared mode, the administrator sets up 3WXM Services on a single host (typically with more resources) and other hosts with the client 3WXM application share 3WXM Services to access network plans and monitoring information. See Figure 1.

Figure 1 3WXM Services in Shared Mode

Installing 3WXM 17

Installing 3WXM To install the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager, follow the instructions below for your operating system.

Installing 3WXM on To install 3WXM on a Windows system:

Windows Systems

The 3WXM install program installs either just the 3WXM client, or both the 3WXM client and Services. There is no option to install the

3WXM Services only.

1Insert the 3WXM CD in the CD-ROM drive.

If Autorun is enabled, wait briefly for the install program to start. If Autorun is disabled, follow these steps:

a In Windows Explorer, navigate to your CD-ROM drive.

b In the Software\3WXM directory, double-click install.exe.

The Introduction page of the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager installation wizard appears, and then the Contents screen appears, as shown in the following figure.

2Open the 3Com Wireless Switch Management folder.

3Select 3Com Wireless Switch Manager.

18 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

4Click the View button.

The 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) information screen appears.

5Click the Install button.

The installation begins. During the installation, the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager installation wizard minimizes.

6When the installation is complete, maximize the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager installation wizard screen, and then press the Contents button.

7Press the Exit button to close the wizard, or navigate to the other items on the CD.

Installing 3WXM on	The same 3WXM install program installs either 3WXM client, 3WXM
Linux Systems	Services, or both.

To install 3WXM on a Linux system:

Unpack files

Use the Installation Wizard

Unpacking Files

To unpack files on Linux systems:

1Log in as superuser.

2Insert the 3WXM CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3For the platform on which you are installing 3WXM, click the appropriate

Installer link.

4Save the installation binary to a directory.

Installing 3WXM 19

5Open a shell window.

6Use the cd command to go to the directory in which you saved the installation binary.

7In the shell window, type sh ./install.bin. The Introduction page of the 3WXM installation wizard appears.

8Click Next to display the Choose Installation Type page of the installation wizard, and go to “Using the Installation Wizard”.

The installer does not make any path changes during installation. You might want to configure path information, to make 3WXM easy to start on your system. 3WXM must be run at the root level.

Using the Installation Wizard

To use the installation wizard on a Linux system:

1On the Choose Installation Type page, choose one of the following:

To install both the 3WXM server and the client, click the 3WXM Services icon.

To install only the 3WXM client, click the 3WXM client icon.

For detailed installation instructions, see “Installing 3WXM” in the Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual.

Near the end of the installation process, the installer displays the service ports 3WXM Services will use:

443—HTTPS server port

162—SNMP trap receiver port

You can change one or both port numbers to prevent conflicts with other applications on the same host.

Multiple applications cannot use the same UDP or TCP port on the same host. For example, port 443 is defined by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) as the well-known HTTPS port. If the host on which you install 3WXM Services uses its default HTTPS port (443), and the same host also runs Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) on its default HTTPS port (443), there will be a conflict over the port. 3WXM clients will not be able to communicate with 3WXM Services.

If you plan to use the remote configuration option to configure new switches, you must use port 443 for 3WXM Services. When a switch requests its configuration from 3WXM Services, it sends the request to port 443.

20 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Start 3WXM	3WXM Services are automatically started when you install them on a
Services	Windows system.
	To start the 3WXM Services on a Unix or Linux System:
	To start 3WXM Services manually, type a command such as the
	following:
	solaris# rm-services start
	To stop 3WXM Services manually, type a command such as the following:
	solaris# rm-services stop
	These examples assume that 3WXM Services is installed in the default
	location.
Connect 3WXM	To connect the client to Services:
Clients to 3WXM
Services

1Select Start > Programs > 3Com > 3WXM > 3WXM. The 3WXM Services Connection wizard is displayed.

2Enter the IP address or fully-qualified hostname of the machine on which the service is installed.

If 3WXM Services is installed on the same machine as the one you are using to run 3WXM client, enter 127.0.0.1 as the IP address. This is a standard IP loopback address.

3Specify the service port, if different from the port number in the Service Port listbox.

The port number used by the monitoring service must not be used by another application on the machine where the monitoring service is installed. If the port number is used by another application, change the port number on the monitoring service. (See “Configure 3WXM Services”.)

4Click Next to connect to the server.

5If the Certificate Check dialog is displayed, click Accept.

If you left the Open Network Plan option on the 3WXM Services Connection dialog selected, the server opens the last network plan.

Connect 3WXM Clients to 3WXM Services 21

Configure 3WXM You can change the properties of 3WXM Services.

Services

If a firewall is enabled on the host where you install 3WXM Services, 3WXM Services will not be able to communicate with 3WXM client or with WX switches unless the firewall is configured to allow through traffic for the SSL and SNMP ports (443 and 162 by default).

To configure 3WXM Services:

1Select Tools > 3WXM Services Setup dialog box from the 3WXM main tool bar. The 3WXM Services Setup wizard is displayed.

By default, a username and password are not required to access 3WXM Services from 3WXM client. You can configure user accounts for administrative, provisioning, and monitoring access. (See “3WXM Access Control” on page 23.)

2You can optionally configure the following:

Select the arrow buttons to change the HTTPS Server Port, which is the port on which 3WXM Services listens for requests from 3WXM client.

22CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Select the arrow buttons to change the SNMP Trap Receiver Port, which is the port on which SNMP traps are received. Also select the trap type (SNMPv1 or SNMPv3) you want 3WXM Services to receive from WX switches.

On each switch in the network plan, you must enable notifications and configure 3WXM Services as a notification target (trap receiver).

3WXM Services does not start listening for SNMP notifications from switches until you save the network plan.

From the Key Store area of the window, specify security settings.

From the Access Control area, define user accounts. For more information about access control, see “3WXM Access Control” on page 23.

(The Auto-Config IP Subnet Matching option is used for field replacement of WX switches. For information, see the “Configuring WX Switches Remotely” chapter in the Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual.)

To change these settings, use the Service Settings tab of the 3WXM

Services Setup dialog.

To select monitoring settings

All monitoring options are enabled by default. You do not need to enable them and you do not need to specify the switches you want to monitor. However, for 3WXM Services to receive trap data from WX switches, SNMP notifications must be enabled and 3WXM Services must be configured as a notification target on each of the switches.

To start gathering data for monitoring, deploy your configuration to the network. For information about deploying your configuration, see “Deploy Your Configuration” on page 155.

3WXM Interface 23

3WXM Access Control You can create a user account with administrator, provision, or monitor privileges. See Table 6 for basic privilege definitions. For a details, see the “Restricting Access to 3WXM” section in the “Getting Started” chapter of the Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual

Table 6 User Privilege Levels

Privilege Level	Access Control	Configuration	Monitoring
Administrator	yes	yes	yes
Provision	no	yes	yes
Monitor	no	no	yes

To configure access control

1Select Tools > 3WXM Services Setup from the 3WXM main tool bar. The 3WXM Services Setup window is displayed.

2In the Access Control area of the window, deselect Allow All Users.

3Enter a username and password for administrative access, then click OK. (You must configure an admin account before you can configure provision or monitor accounts.)

4Select Add Admin Account, Add Provision Account, or Add Monitor Account. A dialog box is displayed.

5Enter the account name and the password and click OK.

6To remove an account, select the account and click Remove Account.

3WXM Interface This section contains the following topics:

“Display the Main Window” on page 24

“Using the Toolbar and Menu Bar” on page 25

“Setting Preferences” on page 26

“Easy Configuration Using Wizards” on page 26

“View Topology” on page 26

“Getting Help” on page 27

24 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Display the Main When you start 3WXM client and log onto 3WXM Services, a network Window plan is displayed by the 3WXM client. (See Figure 2 on page 25.)

Organizer panel displays a network tree representing your WLAN’s devices and configurations on those devices. You can use it to navigate to Policy configurations, Equipment within your network, and network Sites.

When you select a device or configuration in the tree, the context-sensitive information about the device or configuration is displayed to the right in the Content and Information panels.

Content panel displays context-sensitive information about the device or configuration selected from the tree in the Organizer panel. From the Content panel, you can view 3Com devices and their status, verify 3Com device configurations in the network plan and in the network, and display event logs and Rogue detection results.

Alerts panel displays a summary of alerts, including network and configuration verification, Rogue detection, and local and network changes. Click on a summary to display details.

The Lock icon indicates whether the network plan has been locked. When you make changes to a network plan, 3WXM locks it on the server. The lock prevents other clients who open the network plan from modifying it while you are making changes. The network plan remains locked until you save your changes, after which the lock is released.

3WXM Interface 25

Figure 2 Main 3WXM Window with Open Network Plan

Organizer panel

Content panel

Toolbar

Alerts panel	Lock
	icon

Using the Toolbar The main 3WXM window has a toolbar that provides quick access to and Menu Bar features. You can use the Back and Forward buttons to cycle through

your display selections.

The menu bar (located above the toolbar) provides access to administrative options such as plan management and access to online help. For example, to open another network plan, select File > Switch Network Plan.

26 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Setting Preferences You can set network and user interface preferences, as well as preferences for save interval and autosave, certificate handling, RF monitoring, and logging.

1Select Tools > Preferences from the 3WXM main tool bar. The Preferences wizard is displayed.

2Select any of the tabs, make modifications in the fields, and select Reset All to reset preferences.

Easy Configuration Wizards help walk administrators through configuration steps. There are Using Wizards many wizards in the 3WXM application.

Enter the required fields and click Next at the bottom of the wizard to display the next step. Click Cancel to discard any changes made with the wizard. When you are done, click Finish or OK to save changes.

You can right-click on many objects to display the Insert option. Select

Insert to create a new object that is a “child” of the selected object.

View Topology You can display a topology view of managed devices in your WLAN and their relationships to each other. You can also click on the devices in the topology view to display summary monitoring information about each one.

To display a topology view of your network

1Select the Monitor toolbar option.

2In the Equipment section of the Organizer panel, select a Mobility Domain or a WX switch.

3If not already selected, select Explore from the drop-down list in the Monitor tab. The topology view of the selected object is displayed.

3WXM Interface 27

You also can select a radio, in which case the floor plan where the radio is located is displayed, with status for all MAPs on that floor.

Getting Help Click Help from the Main menu bar to access different types of help:

1Select Help > Help to display HTML help about configuring and using 3WXM.

2Select Help > Licensing to view product licensing information.

3Select Help > Report Problem to report a problem to 3Com Technical Support.

4Select Help > About 3WXM to display information about 3WXM and to display the Release Notes. You also can click Force GC (garbage collection) to free resources.

28 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

2	PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR
	WIRELESS NETWORK WITH

3WXM

This chapter contains information about planning and managing your wireless network with 3WXM. Planning your wireless network is highly recommended because it not only helps you configure and deploy it, but also aids in scaling and monitoring your network. 3Com provides you with flexible tools to assist with network planning.

You plan your wireless network to support the services you want to offer your employees, guests, or customers. Figure 3 describes the process you will follow to establish services in your company or organization, beginning with determining the services you want to offer. Each step in the process is described in this chapter.

Figure 3 Process to Establish Wireless Services

Determine which

Configure

Plan for network

Generate work

START

services to

services

equipment and

order and install

provide

coverage

equipment

Optimize

Monitor

Deploy

services

services

services

30 CHAPTER 2: PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH 3WXM

Which Services To What is a service?: A service is a concept (not a selectable item in the 3WXM Provide? interface) that represents a set of options you configure and deploy on your

wireless network. You configure services to support the different levels of network access you need to provide. For example, a service configured to support employee access will have different options configured to provide greater access to the network. In contrast, a service configured for guest access typically restricts users to limited or no internal network access, but easily provides a gateway connection to the Internet.

A service can be fully isolated and independent of other services on the network (multi-hosted access is typically isolated), or you can reuse part of a service configuration for another service you want to provide. Each service has potential authentications (802.1X, web page, MAC address, or “last resort”) and potential encryptions (802.11i, WPA, WEP, or unencrypted).

Purpose of this section: To provide information about services that you can configure using 3WXM.

Why is this important?: Understanding the services you can configure with 3WXM is the first step in planning and configuring your network.

The first step you need to do when planning your wireless network is to determine which services your organization requires. The three common types of services are:

Employee access

Guest access

Voice over Wireless IP (VoWIP)

Employee access is typically secure, encrypted access to the wireless network. Guest access is access (possibly unencrypted) for visitors at your location. If you intend to resell services to other providers, you will need to provide multi-hosted access.

Determining the services you will need at the beginning of the planning process results in configuration data. The configuration data is used to create service profiles and AAA rules for each service. A service profile is a subset of a radio profile. A radio profile is a common set of configuration parameters that can be applied to many MAP radios.

See “Create a Service Profile” on page 99 for information about configuring services.