Cabletron Systems RoamAbout User Manual

RoamAbout Access Point

User’s Guide

9032848-02

Notice

Notice

Cabletron Systems res erves the right to make changes in sp ecifications and other informa tion contained in this
document without prior noti ce. The reader should in all cases consult C abletro n Systems to determine whether
any such changes hav e been made.

The hardware, firm w are, or software des cribed in this manual is subject to change wit hout notice.
IN NO EVENT SHALL CABLETRON SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT,

SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVE R (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
LOST PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS MANUAL OR THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN IT, EVEN IF CABLETRON SYSTEMS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF, KNOWN, OR
SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THE POSSIBI LITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

© August 1999 by Cabletron Systems, Inc.
All Ri ghts Reser ved. Printed in the United St ates of America.

Cabletron Systems, Inc.
35 Indu stria l W ay
Rochester, NH 03867

Order Nu m ber: 9032848-02

Cabletr on, Cabletr on Systems, clearVISN
logo, and ThinWire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cabletron Syst em s, Inc.

PC Card is a trademark of PCMCIA.
Micro soft, W indows, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT are either trademar ks or registered

trademarks of Mic rosoft Corporation.
All other trade m arks and registered trademarks are th e property of their respect ive holders.

Web Site: http://www.cabletron.com/wireless

, DEChub, MultiSwitc h, NetRider, RoamAbout, the RoamAbout

i

Notice

FCC Notice

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditi ons: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protect ion against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a comme rcial
environment . Th is equipment uses, genera tes, and can radiate radio freque ncy energy and if not

installe d in accordance with this use r’s guide, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operati on of this equipment in a residenti al area may cause interfe rence in which
case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

WARNING: Changes or modifications made to this device which are not expressly approve d b y
the party resp onsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

VCCI Notice

This is a Clas s A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference
by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this equipment is used in a domestic
environment, radio disturbance may arise. When such trouble occurs, the user may be required to
take corrective actions.

Industry Canada Notice

This dig ital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions f r om digital
apparatus se t out in the Radio Interference Regulation s of the Cana dian Department of
Communications.

Le présent appa reil numérique n'émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la class A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage
radioél ec trique édicté par le mini stère des Communications du Canada.

ii

Notice

Taiwanese Notice — Class A Computing Device:

CE Notice — Class A Computing Device:

Warning!
This is a Class A produc t. In a domesti c environment , this product may cause radio interference, in
which case the us er may be re quired to take adequate measures.

Achtung!

Dieses ist ein Gerät der Funkstörgrenzwertklasse A. In Wohnbereichen können bei Betrieb dieses
Gerätes Rundf unkstörungen auftreten, in welchen Fällen der Benutzer für entsprechende
Gegenmaßnahmen verantwortlic h is t.

A vertissement!
Cet appareil est un appareil de Classe A. Dans un environnement résidentiel cet appareil peut
provoquer des brouillages radioélectriques. Dans ce cas, il peut être demandé à l'utilisateur de
prendre le s mesures appropriées.

iii

Notice

Declaration of Conformity

Addendum

Application of Council Direct ive(s): 89/336/EEC

73/23/EEC

Manufacturer’s Name: Cabletron Systems, Inc.

Manufact ur er’s Address: 35 Industrial Way

PO Box 5005
Rochester, NH 03867

European Representative Name: Mr. J. Solari

European Representative Address: Cabletron Systems Limited

Nexus House, Newbury Business Park
London Road, Newbury
Berksh ire RG13 2PZ, England

Conformance to Dire ctive(s)/Product Standards: EC Directive 89/336/EEC

EC Directive 73/23/EEC
EN 55022
EN 50082-1
EN 60950

Equipment Type/Environment: Networking Equipment, for use in a

Commercial or Light Industrial
Environment.

We the undersigned, hereby declare, under our sole responsibility, that the equipment
packaged with this notic e conforms to the above directives.

Manufacturer Legal Representative in Europe
Mr. Ronald Fotino Mr. J. Solari

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Full Name Full Name

Principal Compliance Engineer Managing Director - E.M.E.A.

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Title Title

Rochester, NH, USA Newbury, Berkshire, England

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Location Location

iv

Notice

Getting Help

For additiona l support relat ed to this device or documen t, contact Cabletron Systems using one of
the followi ng methods:

World Wide Web
Phone [phone]

Internet mail support@c abletron.com
To send com me nts or suggestions concerning thi s document, contact the

Cabletron Systems Techni cal Writing De partment via the following
email address: [e-mail]

Make sure to include the document Part Number i n the email message.

http: //www.cabletron.com
http: //www.cabletron.com/wire less

Before calling Cabletron Systems, have the following information ready:

• Your Cabletron Systems service contract number

• A description of the problem

• A description of any action(s) already taken to resolve the problem

• The serial and revision numbers of all involved Cabletron Systems products in the network

• A description of your network environment (layout, cable type, etc.)

• Network load and frame size at the time of trouble (if known)

• The device hi st ory (i.e., have you retu rned the device before, is this a recurring prob lem , etc.)

• Any previous Return Material Authorization (RMA) numbers

v

Contents

Preface

Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii

Associated Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

1 Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

Summary of Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

AP to Wireless Clients Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6

AP to AP Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Bridging Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Configuration Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Console Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

RoamAbout Access P oint Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Other Management Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Optional Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Range Extender Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Outdoor Antenna Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

2 Preparing for Installation

Unpacking and Checking the Contents of the Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Selecting the Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Reviewing the Site Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-4

Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Electrical and Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Cabling Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-7

vii

Table of Contents

3 Installing the RoamAbout Access Point

Installing the PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Installing the AP into a MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Removing the Back Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Seating the AP in the MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Installing the AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Verifying the Operation of the RoamAbout Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Connecting a Device to the Console Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Console Port Signaling Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Connecting to the Console Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

Installing the RoamAbout Access Point Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15

Setting the AP Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 -1 6

Verifying Wireless Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

4 Configuring the RoamAbout Access Point

Starting a Configuration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

RoamAbout Access P oint Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Console Port Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Showing Current Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Wireless Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Wireless Network Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Station Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4- 7

AP Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Transmit (Tx) Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4- 7

RTS Threshold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4- 8

IEEE Power Management (DTIM Period). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Secure Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 9

Setting Bridge Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Setting Default Rate Limiting (Multicast Traffic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Setting Encryption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Setting RMON Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Checking the Configuration on Multiple APs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

Resetting the RoamAbout Access P o int . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Configuring the AP for LAN-to-LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Configuring the AP for SNMP Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Set In-Band Interface Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Set SNMP Read/Write Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18

Set SNMP Trap Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19

Upgrading the RoamAbout Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20

viii

Table of Contents

5 Problem Solving

Using the LEDs to Determine the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Reset Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Setting Upline Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Showing Counters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Displaying Error Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-10

Removing the AP from the MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

A Connector, Cable, and Adapter Pin Assignments

Figures

Front, Side, and Rear View of the AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

Roaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Building-to-Building Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7

Range Extender Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Mounting the AP in a Central Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Normal LED Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Console Port Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-14

10BaseT (8-pin MJ) Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-1

Console Port (DB-9) Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

BN24H Cable Pin Assignments (Used with Console Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

BC16E Cable Pin Assignments (Used with Console Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-2

H8571-J Adapter Pin Assignments (Used with Console Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

H8575-A Adapter Pin Assignments (Used with Console Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-3

Tables

AP Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

AP Power Supply Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-6

AP Acoustical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Console Port Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13

LED Summary Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

LED Problem Solving Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Normal Operating Mode LED Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Diagnostics LED Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-5

Network Loading/Upline Dumping LED Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

ix

The RoamAbout™ Access Point is a 2-port bridge that connects a wired Ethernet
(ThinWire™ or 10Base T) loc al area network (LAN) and a wireless LAN.

This manual describes how to install and configure the RoamAbout Access Point. It
also describes how to troubleshoot problems that may arise during installation or
operation.

Intended Audience

Preface

This manual is intended for the device installer and networ k man ager. This manual
assumes that you have a working knowledge of local area networking and bridging
functions.

xi

Terminology

Terminology

The following terms are used throughout th is manual. You should be famil iar with
these terms before you continue.

T erm Definit ion

RoamAbout Access Poi nt A 2-port bridge that connects a wireless LAN to a

RoamAbout PC Card™ A PC Card that installs in a RoamAbout Access

PCMCIA The Personal Computer Memory Card

wired Ethernet LAN. Referred to as AP.

Point or wireless client to provide wireless
connectivity in a LAN environme n t.

International Association (PCMCIA) is the
standards body for the type of PC car d used with
the AP.

RoamAbout Access Point
Manager

Range Extender Antenna An indoor antenna that extends the coverage area

LAN-to-LAN Wireless
Bridge

wireless LAN A collection of end-user systems connect ed

wireless client A computer such a s a PC, laptop , or note book, that

Software used to manage and configure one or
more APs. The software is in stalle d on a Windows
computer that connects to the AP via a wire d LAN
or wireless LAN.

of the AP.
An AP mode that allows two APs to c ommunicate,

effectively connecting two wir ed LANs through a
wireless link.

together using a medium such as radio frequency
or infrared technol ogy. The RoamAbout products
use radio frequencies

uses the PC card for wireless LAN connectivity . A
wireless client is also referr ed to as a station.

xii

Associat e d D o c u ments

The following table lists each comp onent, with its associated document, that can be
used with your RoamAbout Access Point.

Component Document

PC Card RoamAbout IEEE DS/PC Card and ISA

Associated Documents

Adapter Card User’s Guide

RoamAbout Access Point
Manager

RoamAbout Building-to­Building

Online Help

RoamAbout 802.11 Outdoor Antenna
Installation Guide

xiii

Chapter 1

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

This chapt er provides an overview of the RoamAbout Access Point (AP) and it s
operati on.

The AP is a 2-port bridge . One por t connects the AP to an Ethernet LAN through a
10BaseT or ThinWire cab le (or through a MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90 Ethernet
backplane). The other port conne cts the AP to the wireless network through a
RoamAbout PC Card.

The wireless network can consis t of multiple wire less clients and multiple APs. A
client can be a laptop or notebook computer or des ktop PC. Typically, a single AP is
used to enable several wireless clients to connect to a wired Ethernet LAN.

The AP fully supports wireless clients equipped with any 802. 11
Sequence (DS) PC Card.

You can also configure the AP to communicate with another AP in a LAN-to-LAN
configura tion. This allows you to connect two Ethernet LANs (usu ally in separate
buildings) through a wireless link.

The AP is shown in Figure 1-1.

-Compliant Direct

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-1

Summary of Features

Summary of Fe atures

The AP includes the following features:

• Supports any 802.11 Direct Sequence (DS) compliant radio in a wireless client

• Supports ThinWire (10base2) and 10BaseT Ethernet LANs.

• Ideally, an AP can support up to 250 users. However, thi s number can be

significa ntl y reduc ed by v ari ous fact ors, such as ob struc tions in the c overage area
and the amount of ne twork utilization by each client.

• Can be configured to communicate with another RoamAbout Access Point in a

LAN-to-LAN configuration

1

.

2

.

• Supports 802. 11 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

3

and Secure Access Mode.

• Allows wireless clients to roam f r om one Access Point to another in the same

wireless LAN without losing connectivity.

• Can be standa lone or mountable in a MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90.

• Can be managed via its local console port or remotel y by the RoamAbout Acces s

Point Manager software, clearVISN system, or Network Management Station
(NMS).

• Supports RMON Groups 1, 2, 3, and 9 (Statistics, History, Alarms, and Events).

• Can be upgraded via a downline-load using BOOTP an d TFTP.

• Supports IEEE power management.

• Contains an 8000 node forwarding addres s database.

• Redundancy through 802.1D Spanning Tre e.

• Supports protocol filtering.

• Supports source and destinat ion address filtering.

• Contains various user-select able parameters.

1. As of V3.0, the AP no longer supports the legacy, non-802.11 PC Cards. If you require the AP to support the earlier ver-

sions of the RoamAbout DS or Frequency Hopping (FH) cards, use AP firmware V2.4, which is included in the AP Manager
disket te s.

2. Requires the AP firmware to be V3.4 or later.

3. Requires the AP firmware to be V4.0 or later.

1-2 Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

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5
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10
11

Summary of Features

Figure 1-1: Front, Side, and Rear View of the AP

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Access Point

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Heig ht: 27.31 cm (10.75 in)
Width: 3.18 cm (1.25 in)
Dept h: 13.3 cm (5.25 in)

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LKG-8679-931-02

The AP contains the following LEDs, connectors, ports , and controls:

Item Name Description

1Network

Connector
(BNC)

Connects the AP to a ThinWire network. This
connector is not used if the AP is conne cted to a
10BaseT netwo rk or i nsta lled i n a MultiS witch 900 or
DEChub 90.

2 Power OK

Lights (green) when the AP has power.

LED

3 Module OK

LED

Lights (green) when the AP passes its power-up
self-test. If the AP fails the test, the Module OK LED
is off. If this LED is flashing, the Ethernet or wireless
port (or bot h) ha s a fau lt, pr eventi ng conne ction to the
network.

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-3

Summary of Features

Item Name Description

4 Wired LAN

Activity
LED

510BaseT

Ethern et
Connector

6 Brid g e Stat e

LED

Indicates the status of the wired Et hernet segment. The
LED lights (green) when packets are:

• Received on the Et her net port and forward ed t o the

wireless port.

• Addressed to or generated by the AP using the

Ethernet port .

Packets received and f i ltered are not sho wn. Data
traffic forwarded to the Ethernet port is not shown.
The average bright ness of the LED indic ates the level
of activity on the Etherne t port. If the LED is flashing
together with th e Bridge State LED (6), the Ethernet
port has a fau lt that prevent s the AP from establ ishi ng
a connection to the network.

Connects the AP to a 10BaseT network. This
connector is not used if the AP is conne cted to a
ThinW ire net work or i nstalled in a Mult iSwitch 900 or
DEChub 90.

Lights (green) when the AP is forwarding packets.

7 Access Point

Saturated
LED

8 Wireless LAN

Activity
LED

Lights (yellow) when the AP is saturated. Saturation
occurs when the AP cannot for ward packets from the
Etherne t to the wireless side due to the lower
throughput of the wireless network. The degree of
LED brightness indicates the level of saturation. Th e
LED dims (and eventually extingui shes) as the
network congestion is processed.

Indicates the status of the wireless Ethernet segment.
The LED lights (g r een) when packets are:

• Received on the wireless port and forwarde d to the

Ethernet port .

• Addressed to or generated by the AP using the

wireless port.

Packets received and f i ltered are not sho wn. Data
traffi c forwarded to the wireless port is not shown. The
average brightness of the LED indic ates the level of
activity on the wireless port. If the LED is flashing
together with the Bridge Stat e LED (6), the wireless
port has a fau lt that prevent s the AP from establ ishi ng
a connection to the network.

1-4 Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

Item Name Description

Summary of Features

9 PC Card

Present

Lights (green) when the PC Card i s correctl y instal led
at power-up.

LED

10 Local Console

Used to configure the AP.

Port
11 PC Card Slot Used for the PC Card.
12 Ethernet

Unique physica l address of the AP.
Hardware
Address

13 Reset Button Forces a downline load of the AP’s firmware from a

load host and resets the AP to its factory default

setti ngs.

14 Ba ck Cover Present on s tandalone APs onl y . Covers th e backplan e

connector and mounting assembly.

15 Locking Tab Lock s the AP into a MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90.
16 48-Pin

Backplane

Provides network and power connections to the AP

when installed in a MultiSwitc h 900 or DEChub 90.
Connector

17 Power Supply

Connector

Receives +5 Vdc fro m the AP’s standalone power

supply. Not used when the AP is installed in a

MultiSwitch 900 or DEChub 90.

18 Mou nting T ab Secures the AP to the MultiSwi tch 900 or DEChub 90

backplan e.

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-5

AP to Wireless Clients Configuration

AP to Wireless Clients Configuration

The AP enables wireless clients to move from the coverage area of one AP into the
coverage are a of another AP while maintaining LAN connectivity. This capabilit y is
called roaming. Figure 1-2 il lust rates a wireles s clie nt roamin g from one AP coverag e
area to another. Each coverag e area i s called a cell, w h ere a cell is a single AP and its
wire le s s cl ie nts with in a networ k of m u lt ip le APs.

Figure 1-2: Roaming

Coverage

Cell 1 Cell 2

Areas

PC

(Ap1)

PC

(Ap1)

(Ap1)

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(Ap1)

PC

(Ap1)

PC

AP1

PC

PC

(Ap2)

Wireless

Client

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PC

(Ap2)

AP2

PC

(Ap2)

LKG-8892-931-01

In Figure 1-2, Cell 1 and Ce ll 2 share overlapping areas of coverage. As a wireless
client moves from Cell 2 to Cell 1, the necessary network information is passed from
AP2 to AP1.

When a wireless client (such as the laptop computer in Figure 1-2) approaches the
boundary of a coverage a rea, th e wireless cl ient s earch es for a new AP that provide s a
better qua lity signal, res u lting in more rel iable data throu ghput.

1-6 Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

AP to AP Configuration

You can connect two separate LANs over a wireless li nk by configuring two
RoamAbout Access Points to communicate with each other. This is called a
LAN-to-LAN connec tion.

Figure 1-3 sho w s t wo APs in different buil dings using an outdoor antenna to connec t
the LANs in those buildings.

Figure 1-3: B ui ld i ng- to-Buildin g C on figuration

AP to AP Configuration

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You can also configure APs to connect two LANs in the same building.
Contact your Cabl etron s ales rep rese ntati ve or v isit the RoamAbou t web si te f or more

information about the optional outdoor antenna kits.

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-7

Bridging Services

Bridging Services

The AP provides the following bridging services:

• Store-and-forward capability

The AP r eceives, checks, and transmits frames to o ther LANs , enabling the
configuration of extended LANs.

• Frame filtering based on address

Using the address dat abase and the source and destination addresses from
incoming frames, the A P isolates the traffic that should not be allowed on other
LANs. This action re duces the total data traffic on an extended LAN by not
forwarding the packets that have local destina tion addre sses or packets t hat are not
allowed to be forwarded. This increases bandwidth efficiency.

• Data Link layer relay

The AP operates at th e Data Link layer of th e Open System Interconn ection (OSI)
model. Operation at this layer makes the AP transparent to the protocols that use
the LAN connecti vity service. Th is protocol trans parency is a key factor in the
extended LAN service.

• Dynamic address learning

The forwarding and translating proc es s module automatically adds new source
addresses to t he addre ss data base whi le the AP i s op erati ng. This rever se learning
of the address and port association al lows automatic network configurati on
without prior downline loading of configuration data to the AP. Note that the
address learning is protocol and mana gement entity inde pendent.

How long an address remains in the database is determined by an Aging Timer
that me asures ho w muc h tim e ha s e lapsed sin ce d ata was la st addr essed to or f rom

a particular node. If the timer lapses without any traffic, the node’s address is
removed from the database.

• LAN-to-LAN Bridge mode

LAN-to-LAN mode is used to co nfigu re the AP to co mmunicate with anoth er AP.
In LAN-to-LAN mode, the AP learns addresses from both the wireless network
and the wired Ethernet LAN. The AP filters packets based on their destination
address and forwards all packets with unknown addresses. The defau lt Aging
Timer interval is 2 minutes.

• Workgroup Bridge mode

Workgroup Bridge mode (the default mode) is used to confi gure the AP to
communicate with wireless clients. In Workgroup Bridge mode, the AP learns
addresses only from the wireless side of the netwo rk. T he AP only forwards
packets to mult icast addresse s, broadcast address es , and known addresses on the
wireless LAN. The default Aging Timer interval is 32 minutes.

1-8 Introducing RoamAbout Access Point

Configuration Tools

You can configure the AP using these tools:

• RoamAbout Access Point Console Port

• RoamAbout Access Point Manager

• clearVISN and Network Management Stations (NMS)

Console Port

The AP has a local cons ole port that ena bles you to configure and manage the AP usi ng
a console port devic e (a terminal or personal computer running terminal emulation
software). The device needs to be directly connected to the AP console port.

RoamAbout Access Point Manager

The RoamAbout Access Point Manager is included in the RoamAbo ut Access Point
kit. You install the AP Manager on a Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT
system.

Configuration Tools

The AP Manager can be used as a setup/configuration tool for new APs and as a
management tool to assist the ongoing management and support of RoamAbout
wireless LANs. The AP Manager can manage multiple APs simultaneously.

The AP Manager has the following features:

• Ability to mana ge multiple APs remotel y, including changing parameters on

multiple APs in a wireless network with a single command.

• Ability to view AP parameters, such as AP stati st ics, AP firmware version

number, MAC addresses, amount of memory, and card type.

• Integrity checking for many wireless parameter c hanges. This warn s t he user if a

common wireless network management mistake is about to be made, or if the
operation requested is unusual and usually not recommended.

• Integrity checking of an existing wireless network configuration for consistent

settings and c ommon management errors.

• Improved wireless network performance through easy packet filtering and

recommended fil ter settings.

• Integrated with a BootP/ TFTP appl icat ion for simpl e AP firmware upgra des, a lso

called flash upgrades.

• Support for 802.11 radio technolo gy as well as the earlier versions of the

RoamAbout Direct Seque nce (DS) and Frequency Hopping (FH) pro ducts.

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-9

Configuration Tools

Other Management Tools

The AP supports the Si mp le Network Management Prot ocol (SNMP) through any
standard Net work Management Statio n (NMS) that supports SNMP. The SNMP
management capability enables you to manage standard SNMP MIB characteristics,
such as protocol filtering and address filtering.

To manage the AP with an NMS system, you must configure the AP with a val id IP

address, as described in “Co nfiguring the AP for SNMP Mana gement” on page 4-16.
The management systems use MIB objects to manage the AP. The AP supports the

following MIB objects:

• MIB II (RFC–1213)

• IETF Bridge MIB (RFC–1493)

• Ethernet MIB (RFC–1398)

• DEC ELAN Vendor MIB

• HUB PCOM MIB

• RoamAbout Access Point MIB

• RMON MIB (RFC-1757)

• 802.11 MIB

For details on the management features of each MIB, consult your NMS
documentation.

The Cabletro n clearVISN system also supports the AP.

NOTE

The AP Manager and consol e port do not support RMON. To set RMON
parameters and the multicast lim iting rate value, you ne ed an NMS system or
clearVISN.

1-10 Introducing RoamAbout Access Poin t

Optional Antennas

When the AP is configured to support wireless clients, you may need the Range
Extender antenna to improve signal quality when the PC Card in the AP is shielded.

In a LAN-to- LAN confi guratio n, you m ay nee d to inst all out door antenn as, es peci ally
when the APs are located in separate buildings.

Range Exte nder Antenna

The RoamAbout PC Car d in the AP has two integrated an tennas that perform best in
an open environment with as few obstacles as possible. Use the Range E xtender
Antenna (Figure 1-4) to ensure optimal transmission and reception quality for
situations where the integrated antennas are shiel d ed, such as :

• The PC Card is clo se to m etal surf a ces.

• The AP is installed in a hidden locati on, e.g. under a desk or inside a cabinet.

• Objects shield the PC Card.

Optional Antennas

You c an co nnect the Rang e Ex tender ante nna t o th e PC Card b y i nsert ing t he co nnec tor
into the socke t on the extende d side of the PC card. To prote ct the socke t from dust, it
is shielded with a cap. Remove this cap before you connect the antenna.

The Range Extende r antenna h as a mounting b racket a nd a ba se for v ertical pos itio ning
that a llows you t o pl ace the an tenna on t op o f a ta ble or fil ing cabine t, or hang it on the
wall or ceiling.

NOTE

Many computer monitors support a degauss option. The electromagnetic
discharge that may occur when degaussing the monitor may cause damage t o the
antenna. To a voi d d amage, do no t pla ce t he Ra nge E xt ender Antenna on top of, or
too close to, a monitor.

Introducing RoamAbout Access Point 1-11