3Com 3CRWXR10095A, 3CRWX120695A, WX4400, WXR100, 3CRWX440095A User Manual

...

Wireless LAN Mobility System

Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual

WX4400 3CRWX440095A WX1200 3CRWX120695A WXR100 3CRWXR10095A

http://www.3com.com/

Part No. 10015082 Published June 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 17 Documentation 18 Documentation Comments 19

1 INSTALLING 3WXM

Hardware Requirements 21

Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Client 21

Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Monitoring Service 22 Software Requirements 23 Preparing for Installation 23

User Privileges 23

Serial Number and License Key 24 Installing 3WXM 24 Installation Log File 26 Upgrading 3WXM 26 Uninstalling 3WXM 26

2 WORKING WITH THE 3WXM USER INTERFACE

Overview 29 Display Panels 30

Organizer Panel 30

Alerts Panel 32

Content Panel 33

Task List Panel 35

Resizing a Display Panel 37 Menu Bar Options 38 Tool Bar Options 39 Copying, Pasting, and Deleting Objects 42

Copy and Paste in the Organizer Panel 42

Copy and Paste Replace in the Organizer Panel 43

Copy and Paste in the Content Panel 43

Enabling Keyboard Shortcut Mnemonics (Windows XP Only) 44

3 GETTING STARTED

Starting 3WXM 47 Restricting Access to 3WXM 50

Creating an Administrator Account 51 Creating Provision or Monitor Accounts 52 Deleting 3WXM User Accounts 52 Disabling Access Control 52

4 WORKING WITH NETWORK PLANS

Creating a Network Plan 54 Managing Network Plans 55

Saving a Network Plan 55 Opening a Network Plan 56 Importing a Network Plan 57 Closing a Network Plan 58 Deleting a Network Plan 58 Sharing a Network Plan 59

Defining a Mobility Domain 60

Roaming Behavior 60 Traffic Ports Used by a Mobility Domain 62

Creating a Mobility Domain 62 Creating a WX Switch 63 Creating a Third-Party AP 63 Changing the Country Code 65 Applying the Network’s RF Auto-Tuning Settings to the Network Plan 65 Uploading a WX Switch into the Network Plan 66 Converting Auto DAPs into Statically Configured APs 67 Creating a Network Domain 67

5 PLANNING THE 3COM MOBILITY SYSTEM

RF Planning Overview 69

Accessing the RF Planning Tools 70 Creating or Modifying a Site 72

Creating or Modifying Buildings in a Site 74 Creating or Modifying Floors 77 Importing or Drawing Floor Details 78

Importing a Drawing of a Floor 78 File Recommendations 79 Preparing a Drawing Before Importing It 79 Cropping the Paper Space 84 Adjusting the Scale of a Drawing 85 Adjusting the Origin Point 86 Working with Layers 87 Cleaning Up a Drawing 89 Drawing Floor Objects Manually 93

Specifying the RF Characteristics of a Floor 94

Recommendations 94 Converting Objects into RF Obstacles 95 Drawing RF Obstacles 97 Importing RF Obstacle Data from a Site Survey 98

Defining Wireless Coverage Areas 110

Creating a Wiring Closet 111 Defining a Coverage Area 113 Editing Coverage Areas 125

Placing Third-Party Access Points 130

Moving a Third-Party AP Icon to its Floor Location 131

Creating and Placing an Icon for a Third-Party Access Point 131 Placing Installed and Auto-Configured MAPs 135 Computing MAP Placement 136

Computing and Placing MAP Access Points for a Coverage Area 136

Assigning MAP Channels 144

Computing Optimal Power 147 Verifying the Wireless Network 150

Showing RF Coverage 150

Placing RF Measurement Points 151

Using RF Interactive Measurement Mode 153

Reading the RF Measurement Table 153 Generating RF Network Design Information 155

6 CONFIGURING WX SYSTEM PARAMETERS

WX Switch Configuration Objects 157 Adding a WX Switch to the Network Plan 161

Creating a WX Switch as Part of RF Planning 161 Creating a WX Switch Using the Create Wireless Switch Wizard 161 Creating a New WX Switch Based on a Configured Switch in the Network

Plan 162 Adding a Switch by Uploading its Configuration from the Network 163

Adding a Switch by Importing a Configuration File 163 Configuring Basic and Advanced Settings 164 Reviewing and Deploying Changes 164

Reviewing Changes 164

Deploying Changes 165 Using the Create Wireless Switch Wizard 165 Setting Up a Switch 167 Modifying Basic Switch Parameters 170

Changing the WX Software Version 172

Changing the WX Model 172

Changing Timezone Properties 172

Changing System Information 173

Converting Auto DAPs into Statically Configured DAPs 174

Deleting Auto DAPs 175

Launching a Telnet Management Session with the Switch 175

Launching a Web Management Session with the Switch 176 Viewing and Changing Port Settings 176

Viewing Port Settings 176

Changing Port Settings 176

Configuring a Port for a Directly Connected AP 178

Configure a Port for Wired Authentication 179 Viewing and Changing Port Groups 184

Viewing Port Groups 184

Creating a Port Group 185

Changing a Port Group 185 Viewing and Changing Management Settings 186

Viewing Management Service Settings 186

Changing Management Service Settings 186

Configuring SNMP 187

Viewing and Setting Log and Trace Settings 198

Viewing Log Settings 198 Changing Log Settings 198

Viewing and Configuring IP Services Settings 201

Viewing IP Services Setting 201 Creating a Static Route 202 Create an IP Alias 203 Configuring DNS 203 Configuring NTP 204 Configuring ARP 205

Viewing and Configuring VLANs 206

Viewing VLANs 207 Creating a VLAN 207 Changing VLAN Membership 209 Changing VLAN Spanning Tree Settings 210 Changing VLAN IGMP Settings 214 Restricting Layer 2 Traffic Among Clients in a VLAN 217 Restricting Layer 3 Traffic Among Clients in a VLAN 218 Changing a VLAN’s Tunnel Affinity 218 Configuring the MSS DHCP Server 219 Changing the Aging Time for FDB Entries 220

Viewing and Configuring ACLs 220

Viewing ACLs 221 Creating an ACL 221 Configuring Advanced ACL Settings 226 Adding a New ACE to a Configured ACL 228 Mapping an ACL 228 Deleting an ACL 230 Deleting an Individual ACE from an ACL 230

Viewing and Changing CoS Mappings 231

Viewing CoS Mappings 231 Changing a DSCP-to-CoS Mapping 232 Changing a CoS-to-DSCP Mapping 232 Setting a Range of DSCP Values to a Single CoS Value 233 Resetting CoS Mapping to their Default Values 233

7 CONFIGURING WIRELESS PARAMETERS

Viewing and Configuring Wireless Services 235

Wireless Service Parameters 236

Viewing Wireless Services 241

Configuring an 802.1X Wireless Service 242

Configuring a Voice over Wireless Service 244

Configuring a Web-Portal (WebAAA) Service 247

Configuring an Open Access Service 250

Configuring a Custom Service 252

Modifying Service Profile Settings 253

Viewing SSID Encryption Settings and Access Rules 258

Modifying SSID Encryption Settings and Access Rules 260 Viewing and Configuring Radio Profiles 263

Viewing Radio Profile Settings 263

Creating a Radio Profile 264

Moving Radios Back to the Default Radio Profile 264

Configuring Advanced Radio Profile Settings 265 Viewing and Changing the Auto-DAP Profile 269

Viewing Auto-DAP Profile Settings 269

Changing Auto-DAP Profile Settings 270

Converting Auto DAPs into Statically Configured DAPs 272

Deleting Auto DAPs 272 Viewing and Configuring MAPs 272

Viewing the Configured MAPs 273

Creating a Distributed MAP 273

Configuring a Directly Connected MAP 275

Changing the MAP-WX Security Mode 277

Configuring Advanced MAP Settings 277 Viewing and Changing Radio Settings 281

Viewing Radio Settings 281

Changing Radio Settings 281 Viewing and Changing RF Detection Settings 282

Viewing RF Detection Settings 282

Adding an Entry to the Permitted Vendor OUI List 282

Adding an Entry to the Permitted SSID List 283

Adding an Entry to the Ignore List 283

Adding an Entry to the Rogue List 284

Adding an Entry to the Client Black List 284 Enabling Countermeasures 284 Enabling MAP Signatures 285

8 CONFIGURING AUTHENTICATION, AUTHORIZATION, AND

CCOUNTING PARAMETERS

Creating and Managing Users in the Local User Database 287

Viewing Users and Groups in the Local Database 288 Creating a Named User 289 Creating a User Group and Assigning Users To It 290 Creating a MAC User 291 Creating a MAC User Group and Assigning Users To It 292 Authorization Attributes 293

Viewing and Configuring RADIUS Settings 298

Viewing RADIUS Settings, Servers, and Server Groups 299 Creating a RADIUS Server 299 Creating a RADIUS Server Group 300 Changing Default RADIUS Settings 301

Viewing and Configuring Global 802.1X Settings 303

Viewing Global 802.1X Settings 303 Changing Global 802.1X Settings 303

Viewing and Configuring 802.1X Network Access Rules 306

Viewing 802.1X Network Access Rules 306 Creating an 802.1X Network Access Rule 306

Viewing and Configuring MAC Network Access Rules 310

Viewing MAC Network Access Rules 310 Creating a MAC Network Access Rule 310

Viewing and Configuring WebAAA Network Access Rules 313

Viewing Web AAA Network Access Rules 313 Creating a Web AAA Network Access Rule 314

Viewing and Configuring Last-Resort Network Access Rules 316

Viewing Last-Resort Network Access Rules 316 Creating a Last-Resort Network Access Rule 316

Viewing and Configuring WX Administrator Access Rules 318

Viewing WX Administrator Access Rules 318 Creating an Access Rule for Console Access 319 Creating an Access Rule for Telnet or SSH Access 320

Viewing and Configuring AAA Support for Third-Party AP Users 322

Viewing Settings for Third-Party AP AAA Support 322

Creating a Proxy Access Rule 322

Configuring a RADIUS Proxy for a Client 324

Specifying the WX Port Connected to the Third-Party AP 324 Viewing and Changing Location Policy Rules 325

Viewing Location Policy Rules 325

Creating a Location Policy Rule 326 Viewing and Changing Mobility Profiles 328

Viewing Mobility Profiles 328

Creating a Mobility Profile 328

9 CONFIGURING WX SWITCHES REMOTELY

How Remote WX Configuration Works 332

Drop Ship (WXR100 Only) 332

Staged WX 334 3WXM Requirements 335 Staging a WX Switch for Configuration by 3WXM 336

Example 1: Deployment Site Has DHCP and Local DNS 336

Example 2: Deployment Site Has No DHCP and No DNS 337

Example 3: Deployment Site Has DNS But No DHCP 338

Example 4: Deployment Site Has DHCP But Local DNS Domain Differs

From Corporate DNS Domain 339 Preconfiguring a Switch in 3WXM 340

Uploading a Partially Configured Switch and Completing its

Configuration with 3WXM 341 Replacing a Switch and Reusing its Configuration 342

Requirements 342

How Switch Replacement Works 343

Enabling Replacement of Remote Switches 343

Replacing a Switch 344

10 MANAGING WX SYSTEM IMAGES AND CONFIGURATIONS

WX File Management Options 345 Devices Tab 346

Task List Options 347

Toolbar Options 350

Synchronizing Local and Network Changes 350

Reviewing Switch Configuration Changes 350 Accepting Network Changes 351 Undoing Local or Network Changes 351 Deploying Switch Configuration Changes 352 Synchronizing When the Network and 3WXM Have Nonmatching

Changes 353

Distributing System Images 354

Using the Image Repository 354

Distributing System Images 355 Rebooting WX Switches or MAP Access Points 356 Enabling or Disabling Management of a Switch by 3WXM 357 Viewing the Operation Log 358 Canceling a Scheduled Operation 358 Importing and Exporting Switch Configuration Files 359 Modifying Configuration Change Polling Options 361

11 VERIFYING CONFIGURATION CHANGES

Verification Tabs 363

Toolbar Options 364

Filtering the Message List 364 Resolving an Error or Warning 364

Disabling a Rule from the Message List 365

Changing Verification Options 366

Disabling and Reenabling Rules 367

12 MANAGING CERTIFICATES

Overview 369 Processing Certificates 370 Managing Certificates 371

Reviewing Certificate Details 371

Deleting Certificates 371 Distributing Certificates to WX Switches 372

13 CONFIGURING AND APPLYING POLICIES

How Changes Are Managed 373

Policies Created When You Migrate a 3.x Network Plan to 4.1 373 Viewing Policies 374 Creating a Policy 374 Configuring Feature Settings in a Policy 375 Applying Policy Changes to Switches 375

14 USING THE EVENT LOG

Displaying the Event Log 377

Toolbar Options 377 Refreshing Event Data 378 Reviewing Event Details 378 Filtering Event Messages 378

Using Predefined Event Filters 378

Filtering Events by Content 379

Filtering Events by Severity 381

Filtering Events by Facility 381

Creating and Saving Filters 382

Deleting Filters 382

Exporting Filtered Data 382

15 GENERATING REPORTS

Overview 384 Generating an Inventory Report 385 Generating a Mobility Domain Configuration Report 386 Generating a WX Configuration Report 387 Generating a Client Summary Report 388 Generating a Client Details Report 389 Generating a Client Errors Report 391 Generating a Watch List Client Report 392 Generating a Network Usage Report 393 Generating an RF Summary Report 394 Generating a Radio Details Report 395 Generating a Rogue Details Report 396 Generating a Rogue Summary Report 397

Generating a Site Survey Order 398 Generating a Work Order 399

16 MONITORING THE NETWORK

Overview 401 Requirements for Monitoring 402 Accessing Monitored Data 402 Using the Explore Window 403

Toolbar Options 405 Threshold Flags 407 Displaying Object Details 410 Displaying 802.11 Coverage 410

Taking RF Measurements 412 Using the Status Summary View 414 Using the Client Monitor View 415

Toolbar Options 415

Refreshing Client Data 416

Displaying Client Activity Information 416

Displaying Client Session Information 427

Managing the Client Watch List 434

Displaying a Client’s Geographical Location 439

Terminating a Client’s Session 441 Using the RF Monitor View 442

Displaying RF Neighborhood Information 443

Displaying the SSID-to-BSSID Mapping 444

Displaying the Activity Log 445

Displaying RF Environment Statistics 446 Using the RF Trends View 447

Refreshing RF Trend Data 449 Accessing Realtime Performance Statistics 449

Viewing Performance Data 451

17 DETECTING AND COMBATTING ROGUE DEVICES

Overview 457 Rogue Detection Requirements 458

Mobility Domain Requirement 459 Rogue Detection Lists 460

Using the Rogue Detection Screen 462

Toolbar Options 463 Filtering the Rogue List 464

Displaying Rogue Details 465 Displaying a Rogue’s Geographical Location 468 Ignoring Friendly Third-Party Devices 470 Adding a Device to the Attack List 471 Converting a Rogue into a Third Party AP 471

To convert a rogue into a third-party AP 471 Adding a Rogue’s Clients to the Black List 473 Configuring RF Detection Options from the Organizer Panel 473

18 OPTIMIZING A NETWORK PLAN

Importing RF Measurements 475

Importing the Measurements 475

Applying the RF Measurements to the Floor Plan 477 Locating and Fixing Coverage Holes 478

Locating a Coverage Hole 478

Fixing a Coverage Hole 480

Computing and Placing New MAPs 480

Adding New MAPs that Are Already Installed to the Network Plan 480

A CHANGING 3WXM PREFERENCES

Overview 481 Resetting Preferences Values 481 Changing Network Synchronization Options 482 Changing User Interface Options 482 Changing Persistence Options 483 Changing Tools Options 484 Changing Certificate Management Options 484 Changing Options for RF Planning 485

Configuring the Typical Client’s Transmit Power 485

Changing Colors 485 Changing 3WXM Logging Options 488

B CHANGING 3WXM SERVICES PREFERENCES

Overview 491 Starting or Stopping the 3WXM Services 493 Connecting to 3WXM Services 494

Certificate Check 495 Verifying that the 3WXM Client is Receiving Service Data 496 Changing Service Settings 497 Changing WX Connection Settings 498 Changing Monitoring Settings 500

To change monitoring settings 501 Accessing the 3WXM Services Log 502 Managing Network Plans 503

Backing Up a Plan 503

Changing Backup Settings 504

Restoring a Plan from a Backup 504

Copying a Plan Backup from One Server to Another 504

Deleting a Plan Backup 505

C OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Register Your Product 507 Purchase Value-Added Services 507 Troubleshoot Online 508 Access Software Downloads 508 Telephone Technical Support and Repair 508 Contact Us 509

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).

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.

Tab le 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

18 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This manual uses the following text and syntax conventions:

Tab le 2 Text Conventions

Convention Description

Menu Name > Command

Monospace text Sets off command syntax or sample commands and system

Bold text Highlights commands that you enter or items you select.

Italic text Designates command variables that you replace with

[ ] (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

Words in italics Italics are used to:

Indicates a menu item that you select. For example, File > New indicates that you select New from the File menu.

responses.

appropriate values, or highlights publication titles or words requiring special emphasis.

names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del

 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 system software release, including new features and bug fixes.

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Release Notes

These notes provide information about the system 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 19

 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 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.

Documentation Comments

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Command Reference

This reference provides syntax information for all MSS commands

supported on WX switches.

Your suggestions are very important to us. They will help make our documentation more useful to you. Please e-mail comments about this document to 3Com at:

pddtechpubs_comments@3com.com

Please include the following information when contacting us:

 Document title

 Document part number and revision (on the title page)

 Page number (if appropriate)

20 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.

Hardware Requirements

INSTALLING 3WXM

This chapter describes how to install 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM).

Hardware

Requirements for

3WXM Client

Table 3 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the 3WXM client.

Tab le 3 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Client

Minimum Recommended

Processor Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz or

RAM 512 MB 1GB

Hard drive space available

Monitor resolution 1024x768 pixels, 24-bit color 1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit

CD-ROM drive CD-ROM or equivalent CD-ROM

equivalent

100 MB 200 MB

Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz or equivalent

color

22 CHAPTER 1: INSTALLING 3WXM

Hardware

Requirements for

3WXM Monitoring

Service

Table 4 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the 3WXM monitoring service.

Tab le 4 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Monitoring Service

Minimum Recommended

Processor Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or

RAM 1GB 2GB

Hard drive space available

Monitor resolution 1024x768 pixels, 24-bit

CD-ROM drive CD-ROM or equivalent CD-ROM

equivalent

1GB 2GB

color

Intel Pentium 4 3.6 GHz or equivalent

1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit color

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.

Tab le 5 Recommended Server Hardware Allocation

Number of Radios

1 – 1000 2.4 MHz P4

1 – 2000 2.4 MHz P4

1-25 WX Switches 25-50 WX Switches 50+ WX Switches

500 MB RAM

1 GB HD

1 GB RAM

2 GB HD

2.8 MHz P4

500 MB RAM

1 GB HD

3.0 GHz P4

1 GB RAM

2 GB HD

3.2 MHz Xeon

1 GB RAM

1 GB HD

3.6 GHz Xeon

2 GB RAM

2 GB HD

Software Requirements 23

Software Requirements

Preparing for Installation

3WXM client and 3WXM monitoring services are each supported on the following operating systems:

 Microsoft Windows Server 2003

 Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later

 Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4

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:

 Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.x or later (or plug-in)—For reading the

Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual and release notes.

 Web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x or

Netscape Navigator 6.x or 7.x)—For displaying 3WXM work orders

and inventory reports.

A licensed copy of 3WXM comes with a base license key. Before you 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” on page 24 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.

24 CHAPTER 1: INSTALLING 3WXM

Serial Number and

License Key

3WXM comes with a base license key, which is provided on the CD cover. 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.

Installing 3WXM To install the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager, follow the instructions

below.

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.

1 Insert 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 below.

Installing 3WXM 25

2 Open the 3Com Wireless Switch Management folder.

3 Select 3Com Wireless Switch Manager.

4 Click the View button.

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

5 Click the Install button.

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

6 When the installation is complete, maximize the 3Com Wireless Switch

Manager installation wizard screen, and then press the Contents button.

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

on the CD.

See “Getting Started” on page 47 for more information on getting started with 3WXM.

26 CHAPTER 1: INSTALLING 3WXM

Installation Log File During installation, an installation log file, 3WXM_InstallLog.log, is

created and placed in the 3WXM installation folder. Double-click the log file’s icon to read the log file. Have this log file available if you need to contact 3Com Technical Support about an installation problem.

Upgrading 3WXM You can upgrade 3WXM by installing a newer version of 3WXM over a

previous version. You do not need to uninstall the previous version before installing a newer version. Before you upgrade, 3Com recommends that you make a backup of the config-db directory in the 3WXM installation directory. As a best practice, back up the config-db directory on a regular basis to ensure that you have copies of your network plans.

CAUTION: If you uninstall a previous version of 3WXM before upgrading, make sure you note the serial number and license key from the License Information dialog box, which you access by selecting Help>Licensing from the main 3WXM window.

You can also save a copy of the license information by starting 3WXM and clicking Save in the License Information dialog box.

Uninstalling 3WXM You uninstall 3WXM by using its Uninstall wizard. Access the Uninstall

wizard from the 3Com program list in the Windows Start menu or the Control Panel.

To uninstall 3WXM on Windows systems:

1 Access the Windows Control Panel, and select Add or Remove Programs.

2 Select 3WXM and click Change/Remove.

3 Click Uninstall.

The 3WXM Uninstall Options dialog appears.

Uninstalling 3WXM 27

By default, the following are removed when you uninstall the client application:

 Network plans

 Access control

If the monitoring service was also installed, the monitoring service’s database directory is also uninstalled by default. The database directory contains the data collected by the monitoring service.

CAUTION: Do not delete the serial number unless specifically asked to do so by 3Com Technical Support.

Your license(s) to use this software are registered against this serial number. If you delete the serial number, the software will generate a new serial number if it is ever reinstalled. You will then require new licenses to register against the new serial number. If you delete the serial number, the license information will also be deleted.

CAUTION: If you delete an item, the item is permanently lost. For example, if you delete the database directory, all data collected by the monitoring service is lost, including historical trend data.

28 CHAPTER 1: INSTALLING 3WXM

To prevent an item from being uninstalled, click on the checkbox next to the item to remove the checkmark.

4 Click Continue.

The uninstall program reports its progress. When the uninstall process is complete, the uninstall program reports that the items were successfully deleted.

5 Click Done.

WORKING WITH THE 3WXM

USER INTERFACE

This chapter describes how to use the 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) interface.

Overview When you start 3WXM client and log into 3WXM Services, the network

plan is displayed by the 3WXM client.

Organizer panel

Alerts panel

Content panel

Toolbar

Lock

icon

30 CHAPTER 2: WORKING WITH THE 3WXM USER INTERFACE

The network plan is the workspace in 3WXM you use to design and manage a 3Com network. The network plan defines the following:

 Network equipment (WX switches, MAPs, and third-party access

points)

 Network site, including floor plans, RF characteristics of the floors, and

radio coverage

You can use the planning tool to define the network site and add the equipment based on coverage and capacity needs. Alternatively, you can add new or existing switches and access points individually.

Planning and equipment configuration, and network management, are described in detail in other chapters of this manual. This chapter describes the 3WXM user interface.

Display Panels The main 3WXM window contains the following display panels. (Their

locations are shown in the previous figure on page 34.)

 Organizer panel

 Alerts panel

 Content panel

 Task List panel

The main 3WXM window also contains a tool bar to navigate to major features.

Organizer Panel The Organizer panel provides a tree-like view of the 3Com equipment

and site data managed by 3WXM.

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