3Com WL-560 manual

http://www.3com.com/ Part No. DUA6750-75AAA01 Published November 2004 V ersion 1. 0.2 3Com 11a/b/g W ireless W orkgr oup Bridge User Guide Model: WL-560 3CRWE675 075[...]

3Com Corporati on 350 Campus Drive Marlborough MA USA 01752-3064 Copyright © 2 004, 3Com Corporation. Al l rights r eserved . No part of this do cumen tation may be repro duced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as tran slation, transformation , or adaptation) without writt en permission fr om 3Com Corporation. 3[...]

C ONTENTS A BOUT T HIS G UIDE Conventions 2 Related Documentat ion 2 Accessing Online Documentation 3 Product Registration and Supp ort 4 1 I NTRODUCTION Product Features 5 Security 5 Wireless Network Standards 6 Network Configuration and Planni ng 7 Example Configurations 8 2 I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Unpacking the Bridg e 9 Observing Safety Precaut[...]

3 C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Using Secure Web Server Connection 23 Using the 3Com Wireless Infrastruct ure Device Manager 24 Using the Configuration Management Syst em 27 Clearing and Applying System Configuration Sett ings 28 Changing System Properties 29 Setting IP Network Pr operties 30 Setting Wireless Network Pr operties 31 Manually Select Radio[...]

A O BTAINING S UPPORT FOR YOUR 3C OM P RODUCT Register Y our Product to Gain Service Benefits 53 Solve Problems Online 53 Purchase Extended W arranty and Professional Services 54 Access Software Downloads 54 Contact Us 54 T elephone T echnical Support and Repair 55 E ND U SER L ICENSE A GR EEMENT R EGULATORY I NFORMATION[...]

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A BOUT T HIS G UIDE This guide provides all the information you need to install and use the 3Com 11a/b/g W ireless W orkgroup Bridge in its default state. The guide is intended for us e by IT managers and experienced network installation and administrat ion profe ssionals who have a basic knowledge of current networking concepts. If the information[...]

2 A BOUT T HIS G UIDE Conventions T able 1 and T able 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide. Related Documentation In addition to this guide, each Br idge documentation set includes t he following: Ta b l e 1 Notice Icons Icon Notice Type Description Information note Information that describes important features or instructions. Ca[...]

Accessing Online Documen tation 3 ■ Quick Start Guide—printed guide th at describes basic installation. ■ Online Help—product help systems that describe how to use the Configuration Management System and 3Com W ireless Infrastructure Device Manage r . ■ Release Note—printed note that des cribes important product information. ■ README.[...]

4 A BOUT T HIS G UIDE Product Registration and Support T o register your product with 3Com, go to the following Web page: http://esupport.3com.com For support information, see “Obtain ing Support for your 3Com Product” on page 53 or log on to the 3Com Web site at http://www.3com.com and navigate to the product support page.[...]

1 I NTR ODUCTION 3Com wireless technology has all of the benefits of a local area network (LAN) without the constraints and expense of network wiring. 3Com 11a/b/g W ireless LAN pr oducts provide easy , affor dable, flexible ways to extend wireless networks to mor e users. This guide shows how you can use the 3Com 11a/b/g W ireless Workgr oup Bridg[...]

6 C HAPTER 1: I NTRODUCTION Wire less Network Standards Understanding the characteristics of the 802.11a and 802.11g stand ards can help you make the best choice for your wir eless implementation plans. 802.11a Ratified in 2002, 802.11 a i s IE E E’ s mo re rec e nt w ire l e ss st a n da rd . I t operates at the 5 GHz band and sup ports data rat[...]

Network Configuration and Planning 7 Consider 802.11g when you need wider coverage and vendor compatibility an d you are: ■ Maintaining support for existing 802.11b users and the existing wireless investment while pr oviding for expansion into 802.11g. ■ Implementing a complete wireless LAN solution, including bridges, gateways, access points a[...]

8 C HAPTER 1: I NTRODUCTION Example Configurations The following examples illustrate ways you can use the Bridge to configure Ethernet client devices into workgroups. (Details for setting up specific config urations ar e in “Installing the Bridge ” on page 9.) Wireless Infrastructur e Network Y ou can connect several computers, including those [...]

2 I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE This chapter contains the informat ion you need to install and set up the Bridge. It covers the fo llowing topics: ■ Unpacking the Bridge ■ Observing Safety Precautions ■ Deciding Where to Place the Bridge ■ Connecting the Bridge ■ Checking the LED Indicators ■ Attaching An Exter nal Antenna ■ Determining if [...]

10 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Figur e 3 shows the fr ont view of the Bridge, including the LEDs and connecting ports. It also shows the cradle, which is used to mount the Bridge to a wall or to instal l the Bridge on a flat surface. Figure 3 Bridge Observing Safety Precautions This equipment must be inst alled in compliance with local and [...]

Deciding Where to Place the Bridge 11 Deciding Where to Place the Bridge Place the Bridge in a dry , clean location near the hub, comp uter , or printer that will be connected to th e Bridge. The location mus t have a power sour ce and be within the f ollowing dista nce of a Wi-Fi compliant wireless LAN access point or ad-hoc wir eless station: ■[...]

12 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE 2 Route the power and Ethernet cables through the large opening in the cradle. Figure 5 shows a cable being r outed under the cradle. Figure 5 Routing Cable Under the Cradle 3 Connect the power and Ethernet cables to the po rts on the Bridge. 4 Snap the Bridge onto the cradle. Installing the Locking Bar For ad[...]

Deciding Where to Place the Bridge 13 2 Push the locking bar through the opening until the hole on the locking bar is ex posed. 3 Insert a lock through the hole on the locking bar , and then close the lock to secure it in place, as shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 Securing the Locking Bar Placing the Bridge on a Flat Surfa ce The Bridge comes with four [...]

14 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Connecting the Bridge The Bridge has power , Ethernet, and serial ports, as shown in Figure 8. Before connecting the Bridge to an Ether net device, connect the power . Figure 8 Connecting the Power Connecting to a Serial Device The Bridge can also be connect ed to a serial device, as shown in Figure 9. Serial [...]

Connecting the Bridge 15 Connecting to an Ethernet D evice The Bridge is designed to be conne cted to an Ether net client device such as a hub, computer , or printer . CAUTION: T o avoid the possibility of a tran smission loop situation between the Bridge and an access point, which could dis rupt network operation, do not connect a Bridge that is s[...]

16 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Connecting to a Network Printer Y ou can connect a network printer directly to the Bridge or to a hub that is connected to the Bridge. Used this way , the Bridge allows you to place network printers in areas that are not wir ed for Ethernet. 1 Configur e the network printer as you would for connecting it to th[...]

Checking the LED Indicators 17 Checking the LED Indicators When the Bridge is connected to power , LEDs indicate activity as follows: Figure 13 LED Indicators Ta b l e 3 LED Descriptions LED Color Indicates Power Green Off The Bridge is p owered up and operating normally. The Bridge is not receiving power or there is a fault with the power supply. [...]

18 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Attaching An Exter nal Antenna The Bridge has two internal diversity dual-b and antennas. If you want to increase the range of the Bridge, an external antenna can be attached to the external an tenna connector on the Bridge. The 3Com-approved external ante nna for this Bridge is the 3Com 2.4/5 GHz Omnidirectio[...]

Determining if you Need to Configure the Bridge 19 Networks without a DHCP Server If your network does not have a DHCP server , the Bridge uses a default IP address (169.254.2.2) that is assigned at the factory . Y ou can use that IP address to configure the Bridge, or you can assign a new IP address to the Bridge. T o verify that the Bridge is usi[...]

20 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE Bridge Default Settings T able 4 shows the Bridge configuration factory def aults. Ta b l e 4 Factory Default Settings Property Default Setting Device Name 3Com WWB Device Location None (blank) Country For U.S. version, United States and Canada For non-U.S. version, set by the user Client Mode Support multiple[...]

Using the 3Com Installation CD 21 Using the 3Com Installation CD The 3Com Installation CD contains the following tools and utilities: ■ 3Com Wireless Infrastructur e Device Manager —an administration tool that helps you select 3Com wi reless LAN devices and launch their configurations in your Web br owser . ■ 3Com 3CDaemon Server T ool —a f[...]

22 C HAPTER 2: I NSTALLING THE B RIDGE T o install one of the tools on your computer: 1 T u rn on the co mputer . 2 Insert the 3Com Installation CD in the CD-ROM d rive. The setup menu appears. If it does not appear , you can start the setup menu from the W indows Start menu. For example: Start > Run > d:setup.exe . 3 In the menu, click T ool[...]

3 C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE If the Bridge configuration that was set at the factory does not meet your network r equir ements, or if you want to customize the setting s, you can use these tools to change t he configuration: Using Secure Web Server Connection The Bridge can be configured using Se cure Socket Layer (SSL) tech nology , which is used to[...]

24 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Using the 3Com Wireless Infrastructure Device Manager The 3Com Wireless Infrastructur e Device Manager (Widman) helps y ou locate 3Com wir eless LAN devices on the network, select a device and view its properties, and launch the Configuration Management System in your Web br owser . The W ireless Infrastructu[...]

Using the 3Com Wireless Infrastructure Device Manager 25 Devices in a differ ent subnet than your computer are identified with exclamation points (!). Y ou can refr esh this display by clicking Refresh . Y ou should refr esh the display , for example, after you change a device IP address. Figure 14 Wireless Infrastru cture Device Ma nager W ireless[...]

26 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Figure 15 Wireless Infrastru cture Device Manager Pr e-IP Configuration 4 The next window prompts for an ad ministrative password to allow the new IP address to be set. If this is the first time the device is being configured, leave the passwor d field blank and click Next . The configuration main page ap pea[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 27 Using the Configuration Management System The 3Com11a/b/g W ireless Work group Bridge Configuration Management System resides on the Bridge and lets you configure the Bridge through your Web br owser . T o use the Configuration Manageme nt Syst em, the computer you are using to connect to the Bridge mus[...]

28 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Clearing and Applying System Configuration Settings The pages in the Configuration Management System have two but tons: Clear and Apply . ■ Clear returns the settings to the values they were when you last clicked Apply . ■ Apply stores the settings permanen tly in the nonvolatile flas h memory . After you[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 29 Changing System Properties Under System Configuration, click System Properties . The System Prop erties page displays the pr operti es of the selected Bridge. Y ou can change properties by entering a value in a fie ld (see T a ble 9). When you are finished, click Apply . T ab le 9 describes the properti[...]

30 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Setting IP Network Properties Under System Configuration, click IP Network . The IP Network Properties page appears, where you can change the settings shown in T able 10. If you change the IP address and click Apply , you canno t continue to configure the device using the old IP addr ess. Ther efore, you must[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 31 Setting Wireless Network Properties Under System Configuration, click Wireless Network . The W ireless Network Properties page appea rs, where you can select different wir e less settings, as described in T able 11. When you are finished, click Apply . The Bridge supports Dynamic and Static T urbo modes[...]

32 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Wireless LAN Service Area Select Attach to any WLAN Service Area (ESSID) automatically to allow the Bridge to associat e with any access point without specifying the ESSID. In this mode , the Bridge uses the ESSID of the access point with the best signal strength. This mode is not available when the network m[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 33 Manually Select Radio Channels On the Advanced W ireless Network page, you can manu ally select the radio channe ls and radio modes. Th e Bridge only looks for a be st SSID that matches the specified radio mode o n the specified channels. Antenna Selection Select an antenna for the radio signal: ■ Int[...]

34 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Setting Up an Ad-Hoc Network Operating in ad-hoc mode, two or more Bridges can associate among themselves to form an ad-hoc network without the intervention of an access point. Y ou may wish to set up an ad-hoc network, for example, if a group is working away from the office, or if a group in the of fice need[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 35 Changing Wireless Security Settings Under S ystem Configuration , click W ireless Security . The W ireless Security Settings page appears, wher e you can se lect the type of security to be used on the Bridge. The Bridge can be configured to support three types of data encryption: WEP , TKIP , and AES. A[...]

36 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE 104/128-bit Shared Key This option can be used with other 3Com 11a /b/g W ireless LAN de vices and with equipment from cert ain manufactur ers that also support 128-bit shared ke y encryption. It provides a high er level of security than t he 40-bit Shared Key (W i-Fi) option and uses a mo r e complicated typ[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 37 AES The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES ) option uses the highest security cipher for data encr yption. To u s e A E S : 1 On the W ireless Security page, select AES . 2 Select WP A-PSK for home networ k or WP A for the scenarios where RADIUS servers are employed: ■ WP A-PSK: Enter a pass-phra se ke[...]

38 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Changing SNMP Settings Under System Configuration, click SNMP to display and change settings for the Simple Network Management Protocol. T o communicate with the Bridge, the SNMP agent must first be enabled and the Network Management Station must submit a valid community string for authentication. Select SNMP[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 39 Using the Access Control List Y ou can use the Access Contr ol List to allow or prohibit access to the wireless network fr om Ethern et clients. Follow these steps to build the Access Control List: 1 Under System Configuration, click Access Control List . 2 On the Access Control List page, click Add . T[...]

40 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Serial Port Under System Configu ration, click Serial Po rt to set up network serial port operation. About UART A Universal Asynchronous Receiver/T r ansmitter (UART) is the fundamental hardwar e for serial communication, con trolling the speed and method of data transfer of the ser ial port. Applications uti[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 41 Configuring UART Settings For proper operation, it is imperative that these settings always match the settings of the device to which the bridge is connected via the RS-232 port. There ar e two groups of paramete rs that need to be configured to accomplish this task: UART Settings and Flow Control Setti[...]

42 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Applying Settings After you set the UART sett ings, network serial port sett ings, and operation mode , select Ap ply to make the settings take effect. The socket can be substantially esta blished between a client and server; that is, a Bridge in server mode and the other in client mode. The Bridge with the N[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 43 Restoring the Bridge to Factory Defaults Y ou can r estore Bridge settings to the defaults that were set at the factory either manually or through software. T o restor e the settings manually , insert a pointed object (such as the end of a straightened paper clip) into the reset hole on the back of the [...]

44 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Upgrading the System Y ou can download firmware updates or updates of the Configuration Management System from the 3Com Web site and install those updates on the Bridge. Options for upgrading the system incl ude using a T rivial File T ransfer Protocol (TF TP) server o r File T r ansfer Protocol (F TP) se rve[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 45 Using HTTP The general instructio ns for installing the upgrade using HTTP are: 1 Launch the Configuration Management System. 2 Under T ools, click Upgrade System . 3 Select HTTP . 4 Click Browse to locate the downloaded firmware file. 5 Click Upgrade to start the upgrade process. The upgrade takes plac[...]

46 C HAPTER 3: C ONFIGURING THE B RIDGE Restoring a Configuration If you have stored a backup configuration on your comput er , you can restor e the configuration as follows: 1 Under T ools, click Restore Wireless Workgroup Bridge. 2 In the next page, click Browse and select the backup file to upload. 3 Click Restore . The configuration is restored[...]

Using the Configuration Management Sys tem 47 Viewing Connection Status Under System Summary , click Connection Status to view a summary of the Bridge’ s current connection informat ion. See T a b l e 8 on p a g e 2 7 for details. Viewing System Summary Under System Summary , you can view the following information: Click Refresh to update the inf[...]

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4 T R OUBLESHOOTING Diagnosing Problems If you have difficulty with the Bridge, try the solutions in the following table. T able 15 T roubleshooting Symptom Solution(s) 16 devices have been connected to the Bridge, either simultaneously or sequentially. After connecting another device, the new device cannot associate with the network. The Bridge su[...]

50 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING After you change the IP address, after you restore a backup configuration, or after you reset the Bridge to factory defaults, the Configuration Manag ement System stops respondi ng and you canno t continue configuring the Bridge. If you change the IP address and click Apply , you cannot continue to configure the devi[...]

Disconnecting the Bridge 51 Disconnecting the Bridge T o disconnect the Bridge: CAUTION: Disconn ecting the Bridge ends th e network association. T o avoid possible data loss, exit a ll networking a pp lications on connected devices before yo u disconnect the Brid ge. 1 Unplug the Bridge Ether net cabl e from the hub or other device. 2 Unplug the B[...]

52 C HAPTER 4: T ROUBLESHOOTING Upgrading Bridge Firmware Firmware is the softwar e that is installed on the Bridge at the factory . Some problems can be solved by inst alling a new version of t he firmware. For details on how to download a firmware update fr om the 3Com customer support Web site and install it on your Bridge, see “Upgrading the [...]

A O BTAINING S UPPORT FOR YOUR 3C OM P R ODUCT 3Com offers pr od uct registration, ca se management, and r epair services thr ough eSupport.3com.com. Y ou must h ave a user na me and passw ord to access these services, which are described in this appen dix. Register Y our Product to Gain Service Benefits T o take advantage of warranty and ot her se[...]

54 A PPENDIX A: O BTAINING S UPPORT FOR YOUR 3C OM P RODUCT Purchase Extended W arranty and Pro fessional Services T o enhance r esponse times or extend your wa rranty benefi ts, you can purchase value-added services such as 24x7 t elephone technical support, softwar e upgrades, onsite assist ance, or advanced har dware re placement. Experienced en[...]

Contact Us 55 T elephone T echnical Support and Repair T o obtain telephone support as part of your warranty and other service benefits, you must first register your product at: http://eSupport.3com.com/ When you contact 3Com for assistance, please have the following information ready: ■ Produc t model name, part number , and serial number ■ A [...]

56 A PPENDIX A: O BTAINING S UPPORT FOR YOUR 3C OM P RODUCT Europe, Middle Eas t, and Africa T elephon e T e chnical Supp ort and Repair From anywhere in these regions, call: +44 (0)1442 435529 From the following countries, call the appropriate number: Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Hungary Ireland Israel Italy 01 7956 7124 070 700 [...]

E ND U SER L ICENSE A GREEM ENT Customer shall take all steps necess ary to protect Wind River's and its licensors' proprietary rights in the Run-Time Module and to ensure that each Run-Time Modul e distributed by Customer will be accompanied by a localized copy of an End User License Agr eement. Such End User License Agreement shall proh[...]

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R EGULATORY I NFORMATION The 3Com 11 a/b/g Wireless Workgroup Bridge (Model WL-560) must be ins talled and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions as d escribed in the user document ation that comes with th e product. This device compli es with the follo wing radio frequenc y an d safety standards. This product contains enc[...]

M ANUFACTUR ER ’ S D ECLARATION OF C ONFORMITY 3Com Corporation 350 Campus Drive Marlborough, MA 01752-3 064, USA (800) 527-8677 Date: June 30, 2004 Declares that the Pr oduct: Brand Name: 3 Com Corporation Model Number: WL-560 Equipment Type: 11a/ b/g Wireless Workgroup B ridge Complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the [...]

C ANADA – I NDUSTRY C ANADA (IC) This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the followin g two conditions: (1 ) this device may not caus e interference, and (2) this device must accept any interferen ce, including interference that may cause undesired op eration of this device.” L ‘ utilisation de ce disposi[...]

E URO PE – EU D ECLARATION OF C ONFORMITY Marking by the above symbol indicates compl iance wi th the Essential Requireme nts and other relevant provisions of the R&TTE Directive of the European Un ion (1999/5/EC). This equipment meets the following conformance standard s: EN300 328, EN301 893, EN301 489-17 , EN60950 NOTE: To ensure product o[...]

E URO PE – R ESTRICTIONS FOR U SE OF 2.4GH Z F REQU ENCIES IN E UROPEAN C OMMUNITY C OUNTRI ES Spanish Por medio de la presente 3Com Corpor ation declara que el 11a/b/g Wireless Workgroup Bridge cumple con los requisito s esenciales y cualesquiera otras disposiciones aplicables o exigibles de la Dir ectiva 1999/5/CE Portuguese 3Com Corporat ion d[...]

E URO PE – R ESTRICTIONS FOR U SE OF 5GH Z F REQ U EN C IE S IN E UROPEAN C OMMUNITY C OUNTRI ES ■ To remain in confo rmance with European spectrum usage laws for Wireless LAN operation, the above 2.4GHz and 5GHz channel limitation s apply. The user should check th e cur rent channel of operation. If operation is occurring ou tside of th e allo[...]