3Com WXR100 3CRWXR10095A, WX1200 3CRWX120695A, WX4400 3CRWX440095A, WX2200 3CRWX220095A User Manual
Wireless LAN Mobility System
Wireless LAN Switch and Controller
Hardware Installation Guide
WX4400 3CRWX440095A
WX2200 3CRWX220095A
WX1200 3CRWX120695A
WXR100 3CRWXR10095A
http://www.3Com.com/
Part No. 10015911 Rev AB
Published November 2007
3Com Corporation
350 Campus Drive
Marlborough, MA USA
01752-3064
Copyright © 2007, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced
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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
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
You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or
documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.
Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may
not be registered in other countries.
3Com and the 3Com logo are registered trademarks 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.
2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are
1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable.
CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Conventions 6
Documentation 7
Documentation Comments 8
1 WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
WX Model Numbers 9
Hardware Features 10
WX2200 Switch 10
WXR100 Switch 11
WX1200 Switch 12
WX4400 Switch 13
Management Features 14
Power Features 14
Network Interfaces 15
WX1200, WX4400, and WX2200 Status LEDs 16
WXR100 LEDs 17
Software Features 19
Management Features 19
Layer 2 Switching Features 19
IP Services 20
Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting 20
Roaming 20
RF Management 21
2 INSTALLING AND CONNECTING A WX SWITCH
Unpacking a WX Switch 23
Installation Requirements and Recommendations 25
3Com Wireless Switch Manager Network Plan 25
Installation Location 25
Cable Requirements 26
Installation Hardware and Tools 29
Installing a WX Switch 30
Equipment Rack Installation 31
Tabletop Installation 33
Installing a Power Supply in a WX4400 Switch 34
Installing a New Power Supply 34
Replacing a Power Supply 35
Powering On a WX Switch 37
Powering On a WXR100 Switch 37
Connecting to a Serial Management Console 38
Troubleshooting a Serial Management Connection 39
Connecting to the Network 39
Connecting to a MAP or Other 10/100 Ethernet Device 39
Connecting to Gigabit Ethernet Devices 42
A WX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
B WX TROUBLESHOOTING
C OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR 3COM PRODUCTS
Register Your Product to Gain Service Benefits 57
Solve Problems Online 57
Purchase Extended Warranty and Professional Services 58
Access Software Downloads 58
Contact Us 58
Telephone Technical Support and Repair 59
INDEX
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This guide shows you how to install a 3Com Wireless LAN Switch (WX) in
a 3Com Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) and deploy basic IEEE
802.11 wireless service.
Read this guide if you are a network administrator or other person
installing WX switches and deploying 802.11 wireless service in a
network.
The 3Com Mobility System is an enterprise-class WLAN solution that
seamlessly integrates with an existing wired enterprise network. The
3Com system provides secure connectivity to both wireless and wired
users in large environments such as office buildings, hospitals, and
university campuses and in small environments such as branch offices.
The 3Com Mobility System fulfills the three fundamental requirements of
an enterprise WLAN: It eliminates the distinction between wired and
wireless networks, allows users to work safely from anywhere (secure
mobility), and provides a comprehensive suite of intuitive tools for
planning and managing the network before and after deployment,
greatly easing the operational burden on IT resources.
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
Wide Web site:
World
http://www.3com.com/
6 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Conventions Ta bl e 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide.
Ta bl e 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
Warning Information that alerts you to potential equipment
Ta bl e 2 Text Conventions
Convention Description
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:
damage or personal injury.
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 7
Documentation The MSS documentation set includes the following documents.
Wireless 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, and for configuring a
Mobility Domain for roaming.
Wireless 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 Switch
Manager (3WXM).
Wireless 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 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.
8 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Documentation Comments
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)
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.
WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
1
A 3Com Wireless Switch (WX) provides mobility and authentication,
authorization, and accounting (AAA) services for wireless or wired users.
A WX switch also controls the operation of 3Com Managed Access Point
(MAP) access points, which control and manage IEEE 802.11 operation
over the air.
WARNING: Installation must be performed by qualified service personnel
only. Read and follow all warning notices and instructions marked on the
product or included in the documentation.
WARNING: There are no user-serviceable parts inside the WX switches.
WX Model Numbers Ta bl e 3 lists the WX switch model numbers.
Ta bl e 3 WX Switch Model Numbers
Model Port Configuration Power Supply Configuration
WX2200 Two gigabit Ethernet ports. Each
port has a miniature Gigabit
interface converter (mini-GBIC) slot
for insertion of a small form-factor
pluggable (SFP) 1000BASE-SX or
1000BASE-LX fiber-optic interface.
One 10/100 Ethernet port for out-ofband management (without PoE).
WXR100 Two 10/100BASE-TX Ethernet ports
Port 1 provides an uplink to the
network.
Port 2 supports Power over Ethernet (PoE)
and provides direct connection to a MAP
WX1200 Eight 10/100 Ethernet ports, six of
which support PoE
Two 100-240V VAC autosensing
AC power supplies
One 100-240 VAC autosensing AC
power supply
One 100-120 VAC / 200-240 VAC
autosensing AC power supply
10 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
Table 3 WX Switch Model Numbers (continued)
Model Port Configuration Power Supply Configuration
WX4400 Four dual-interface gigabit Ethernet
ports. Each port has a 1000BASE-TX
Two 100-120 VAC / 200-240 VAC
autosensing AC power supplies
copper interface and a Gigabit
interface converter (GBIC) slot for
insertion of a 1000BASE-SX or
1000BASE-LX fiber-optic interface.
Hardware Features The following sections describe the WX hardware features.
WX2200 Switch A WX2200 switch is one RU high and also can be installed in a standard
48.26-cm (19-inch) equipment rack or on a tabletop.
features of a WX2200 switch.
Figure 1 3Com WX2200 Switch
Figure 1 shows the
Powe r
supplies
Provide an Earthing Connection
90 - 240V~ / 50 - 60 Hz
2.0 / 1.0A
Powe r
supply LEDs
Mgmt
LED
Mgmt (3)
10/100
Management
Por t
Serial
console port
1Console 2
Mini-GBIC
slots
Gigabit link
LEDs
The rear of the switch contains a label with the serial ID, MAC address,
and other identifying information.
Hardware Features 11
WXR100 Switch A WXR100 switch is compact and can be installed on a tabletop. Figure 2
shows the external hardware features of an WXR100 switch.
Figure 2 3Com WXR100 Switch
CAUTION: Do not stack WXR100 switches. Stacked WXR100 switches
can overheat and cause loss of equipment functionality or permanent
damage.
CAUTION: Ensure adequate airflow around WXR100 switches. The
WXR100 switch uses natural convection cooling and requires free entry
of air. Airflow blockage can cause the system to overheat and result in a
loss of equipment functionality or permanent damage.
The underside of the switch contains a label with the serial ID,
address and other identifying information.
MAC
12 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
WX1200 Switch A WX1200 switch is one RU high and can be installed in a standard
48.26-cm (19-inch) equipment rack or on a tabletop.
Figure 3 shows the
external hardware features of a WX1200 switch.
Figure 3 3Com WX1200 Switch—Control Features
Power
supply
Power
supply LED
Serial
console port
10/100 Ethernet
uplink ports
10/100 and
MAP/PoE LEDs
10/100 and MAP
Ethernet ports
The rear of the switch contains a label with the serial ID, MAC address,
and other identifying information.
Hardware Features 13
WX4400 Switch A WX4400 switch is two rack units (RUs) high and can be installed in a
standard 48.26-cm (19-inch) equipment rack or on a tabletop.
Figure 4
identifies the external hardware features of a WX4400 switch.
Figure 4 3Com WX4400 Switch—Control Features
Eject
Power
supply LED
Power
supply
Serial
console port
Flash
card slot
button
Mgmt
LED
Mgmt
Gigabit
link
1000BASE-TX port
inlet
100-240V
50/60 Hz
8A MAX
DISCONNECT
ALL POWER
BEFORE
SERVICING
Power supply
serial number
Console
GBIC slotAC power
LEDs
Like the WX1200, the rear of the WX4400 contains a label with the serial
ID, MAC address, and other identifying information.
14 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
Management
Features
Serial console port—The serial console port provides a direct
management connection to a WX switch’s command-line interface
(CLI). The port has a DB-9 female connector and supports the
EIA-232D signaling standard.
10/100 out-of-band management port—The WX2200 switch features
an out-of-band management port, which allows you to connect the
switch to a network server and configure the switch to boot using a
software image downloaded from the server. The WXR100 also
supports booting with a software image downloaded from a server.
CAUTION: The Fn switch on the WXR100 performs two functions. If you
press the Fn switch for less than 5 seconds, it restarts the WXR100 and
reloads its configuration from the configuration file. However, if you
press the switch for 5 seconds or longer, the configuration file is deleted
and the switch restarts with its factory default settings. If you accidentally
press the Fn switch for too long and erase the configuration, you can use
the Web Quick Start to reconfigure the switch.
Status LEDs—The Ethernet ports and power supplies have LEDs that
indicate their status. The management CPU on a WX4400 or WX2200
switch also has an LED. (For details, see
“WX1200, WX4400, and
WX2200 Status LEDs” on page 16.)
Flash card slot (WX4400 only)—The flash card slot is not used for
normal WX operation.
Power Features Power supplies—A WX4400 switch comes with one 100-240 VAC
autosensing AC power supply. You can add a second supply for load
sharing and redundancy. The power supplies are hot-swappable.
A WX1200 switch contains one 100-120 VAC / 200-240 VAC
autosensing AC power supply. The WX1200 power supply is a
fixed-configuration supply and cannot be inserted or removed.
A WX2200 switch contains two 100-240V VAC autosensing AC
power supplies.
A WXR100 switch uses an external power supply, which comes with
the switch.
Hardware Features 15
Network Interfaces 10/100 Ethernet ports—A WXR100 switch has two 10/100BASE-TX
Ethernet ports. A WX1200 switch has eight 10/100BASE-TX Ethernet
ports. Each port has a standard RJ-45 connector and uses Category
5) cable based on the EIA/TIA-586 standard.
(Cat
On the WXR100, port 2 can be configured for MAP access points and
can support Power over Ethernet (PoE). Port 1 is an uplink port only
and does not support PoE.
On the WX1200, ports 1 through 6 can be configured for MAP access
points and can support PoE. Ports 7 and 8 on the WX1200 switch are
uplink ports only and do not support PoE.
The 10/100 Ethernet ports on the WX1200, WX2200, and WXR100
switches provide automatic MDI/MDX, which automatically crosses
over the send and receive signals if required.
The WX4400 and WX2200 switches provide high-bandwidth
centralized control of many indirectly connected MAP access points.
The WX4400 switch does not have 10/100 Ethernet ports and does
not provide PoE. The WX2200 has one 10/100 Ethernet port (port 3);
this port does not provide PoE.
5
Gigabit interface converter (GBIC) slots (WX4400 only)—A WX4400
switch has four ports. Each port has a slot for a 1000BASE-SX or
1000BASE-LX fiber-optic GBIC, and a built-in 1000BASE-TX copper
interface with an RJ-45 connector. Only one interface, copper or fiber,
can be active on a port. The GBIC interface is active by default.
Miniature Gigabit interface converter (mini-GBIC) slots (WX2200
only)—A WX2200 switch has two slots allowing insertion of small
form-factor pluggable (SFP) 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-T,
or 1000Base-LH fiber-optic mini-GBICs to provide gigabit Ethernet
interfaces to the network.
The mini-GBICs have standard SC Duplex connectors and use either
single-mode fiber (SMF) for LX or multimode fiber (MMF) for SX.
Mini-GBICs are available separately and are not included with the
switch.
The gigabit Ethernet ports operate at 1000 Mbps only. They do not
change speed to match 10-Mbps or 100-Mbps links.
16 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
WX1200, WX4400,
and WX2200 Status
LEDs
The WX1200, WX4400, and WX2200 switches have LEDs that indicate
port, power, and CPU status.
Ta bl e 4 lists the LEDs. (For the location of
each LED, see Figure 3 and Figure 4.)
Ta bl e 4 WX1200, WX4400, and WX2200 Status LEDs
LED Appearance Meaning
Mgmt
(WX4400 and
WX2200 only)
Power supply
status
Gigabit fiber
link activity
(WX4400 and
WX2200 only)
Gigabit copper
link activity
(WX4400 and
WX2200 only)
Link
(WX1200 only)
Bright green, then
fade (repeated)
This LED appearance
is sometimes called
breathing.
Blinking green WX switch is booting.
Quickly blinking
amber
Solid green DC power output is on.
Solid amber Power fault has occurred.
Unlit AC power is off.
Solid green 1000-Mbps fiber link is operational.
Blinking green Traffic is active on the 1000-Mbps fiber
Solid green 1000-Mbps copper link is operational.
Blinking green Traffic is active on the 1000-Mbps copper
Solid green 100-Mbps link is operational.
Solid amber 10-Mbps link is operational.
Blinking green Traffic is active on the 100-Mbps link.
Blinking amber Traffic is active on the 10-Mbps link.
WX switch is operating normally.
WX switch was unable to boot completely.
link.
link.
Hardware Features 17
Table 4 WX1200, WX4400, and WX2200 Status LEDs (continued)
LED Appearance Meaning
MAP
(WX1200 only)
Solid green For a MAP access point’s active link, with
PoE enabled, all the following are true:
MAP access point has booted.
MAP access point has received a valid
configuration from the WX switch.
Management link with a MAP access
point is operational.
Alternating green
and amber
MAP access point is booting with an image
received from the WX switch.
If the LED remains in this state indefinitely,
the boot or configuration attempt has
failed.
Solid amber PoE is on but no MAP access point is
connected to the link.
Blinking amber MAP is not connected or is unresponsive,
or there is a PoE problem.
Unlit Port is not configured as a MAP access
port, or PoE is off.
WXR100 LEDs Figure 5 shows the locations of the WXR100 LEDs. Table 5 describes the
LEDs.
Figure 5 WXR100 LEDs
FN LED
1
Link LED
MAP LED
2
Power
supply LED
18 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
Table 5 WXR100 Status LEDs
LED Appearance Meaning
Power status Solid green The switch is receiving power.
Link
(ports 1 and 2)
Fn
(port 1 only)
MAP (port 2 only) Solid green For a MAP access point’s active link,
Unlit The switch is not receiving power.
Solid green 100-Mbps link is operational.
Solid amber 10-Mbps link is operational.
Blinking green Traffic is active on the 100-Mbps link.
Blinking amber Traffic is active on the 10-Mbps link.
Solid green The switch is booting and is loading its
configuration file. This LED state lasts
for three seconds.
Blinking green The switch is booting but the Fn
switch is being pressed. The switch
does not load its configuration file but
instead contacts WX to request a
configuration.
This LED state lasts for three seconds.
Unlit The switch has finished booting.
with PoE enabled, all the following are
true:
MAP access point has booted.
MAP access point has received a valid
configuration from the WX switch.
Management link with an MAP access
point is operational.
Alternating green and
amber
Solid amber PoE is on but no MAP access point is
Blinking amber MAP is not connected or is
Unlit Port is not configured as a MAP access
MAP access point is booting with an
image received from the WX switch.
If the LED remains in this state
indefinitely, the boot or configuration
attempt has failed.
connected to the link.
unresponsive, or there is a PoE
problem.
port, or PoE is off.
Software Features 19
Software Features Mobility System Software (MSS) provides a combination of standard
wired LAN features and wireless LAN features that enable you to
integrate the switch into your wired network and provide network access
for wired or wireless users.
Management
Features
Layer 2 Switching
Features
Serial and network command-line interface (CLI) access—You can
access the CLI through a direct serial connection or through the
network using Secure Shell (SSH) or Telnet.
3Com Wireless Switch Manager management application—3Com
Wireless Switch Manager is an extensive GUI application for planning,
configuring, deploying, and managing a 3Com network and its users.
3Com Wireless Switch Manager uses Secure Sockets Layer protocol
(SSL) to interact with MSS.
Software and configuration management—You can store multiple
software images and configuration files in the WX switch’s nonvolatile
storage.
Web View—Web View is a Web-based application for configuring and
managing a single WX switch through a Web browser. Web View
creates a secure connection by using Hypertext Transfer Protocol over
Secure Sockets Layer (HTTPS).
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)—MSS is 802.1D-compatible and
supports Per-VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST+). PVST+ allows a separate
spanning tree in each virtual LAN (VLAN). Optional fast convergence
features allow you to quickly resume traffic forwarding after a
topology change.
Load-sharing port groups—You can configure multiple physical ports
into a single logical link for traffic load sharing and physical link
redundancy.
Virtual LANs (VLANs)—MSS supports logical segmentation of a
switch’s ports into separate Layer
2 collision domains. A port can be a
member of one or more VLANs. Each VLAN can have its own IP
interface. MSS supports the 802.1Q tag format.
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping for multicast
containment—The WX switch can learn about the multicast sources
and receivers in the network and restrict forwarding for a multicast
group to the users for that group. IGMPv1 and IGMPv2 are supported.
20 CHAPTER 1: WX SWITCH OVERVIEW
IP Services IP interfaces—You can configure an IP interface for each VLAN.
IP ping and traceroute—You can test IP connectivity between the WX
switch and other devices.
Domain Name Service (DNS)—You can configure the switch to use
DNS servers for name resolution. You also can configure a default
domain name to append to hostnames.
Network Time Protocol (NTP)—A WX switch can sets its time and date
by polling an NTP server.
System log—A WX generates log messages to log system events. The log
messages are stored locally and also can be exported to syslog servers.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)—A WX switch can be
configured to generate SNMP traps for major system events.
Authentication,
Authorization, and
Accounting
Roaming MAP access point roaming—You can configure the WX switch to
802.1X—A WX switch can authenticate users based on 802.1X
protocols. Based on authentication, users are assigned VLAN
membership, access control, and roaming boundaries.
MAC authentication—If a device does not support 802.1X, you can
configure authentication based on the source MAC address to assign
VLAN membership, access control, and roaming boundaries.
Guest authentication—Guests can be authenticated by a shared set of
authorization attributes that assign VLAN membership, access control,
and roaming boundaries.
Local and remote authentication—You can authenticate users locally using
information configured on the WX switch, or use a Remote Authentication
Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server. When you use a remote server, the WX
switch can enhance performance by performing some of the AAA tasks
locally or distributing the load across multiple servers.
allow users to roam from one MAP access point to another on the
same WX switch.
Mobility Domain™ roaming—You also can configure a group of WX
switches to allow users to roam from one switch to another.
Regardless of the wired subnet connections, each user maintains the
same IP address and session across the network.
Session management—You can display session information and
statistics for users.
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