3Com 8250 User manual

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User Guide
Wireless LAN Access Points 8250/8750/8850
3CRWE825075A
3CRWE875075A
3CRWE885075A
(Models WL-450, WL-463, WL-464)
Part No. DUA82507-5AAA01
Published April 2005

3Com Corporation
350 Campus Drive
Marlborough, MA
01752-3064
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Contents
1Introduction
Product Features 2
Security 2
Performance and Reliability 3
Dual G Radio Support 3
Virtual Access Point (VAP) Support 3
WDS Bridging and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Support 4
Manageability 5
Wireless Network Standards 5
802.11g 5
802.11a 6
Standard Network Configuration and Planning 7
Ad Hoc Wireless LAN 7
Infrastructure Wireless LAN 7
Infrastructure Wireless LAN for Roaming Wireless PCs 8
Advanced Network Configuration and Planning 9
Public/Private Access Point Service 9
Remote Building Wireless Access with the AP8850 9
Remote Building Wireless Access with the AP8250 and 802.11g Upgrade Kit 11
Terminology 13
2Installing the Access Point
Installation Requirements 15
Power Requirements 16
Safety Information 16
Deciding Where to Place Equipment and Performing A Site Survey 17
Before You Begin 18
Connecting the Standard Antennas 19
Connecting Power 20
Using the Power Supply 21
Using a Power-Over-Ethernet LAN Port 21
Checking the LEDs 22

Mounting on a Wall 22
Flat Surface Installation 24
Selecting and Connecting a Different Antenna Model 25
Power Settings on the Access Point for External Antennas 26
Installing Software Utilities 27
3System Configuration
Using the 3Com Wireless Device Manager 29
Launching a Wireless Device Configuration 29
Using the Pre-IP Configuration Wizard 31
Configuration Login 31
Setting the Country Code 31
Basic Setup 32
Advanced Setup 33
Identification 33
TCP/IP Settings 33
DHCP Client 33
Web Servers 34
Smart Monitor 34
RADIUS 35
Authentication 37
Filter Control 40
Filtering by VLAN 40
Enabling VLAN Filtering 40
Security Filters 41
Client List Timeout 41
Uplink Port MAC Address Filtering 41
Filtering by Ethernet Protocol Type 42
SNMP 43
Trap Destination 43
Trap Configuration 44
SNMP Users 45
Default Groups 45
Default Security Levels 45
Groups 46
SNMP Targets 47
SNMP Filter 47

Administration 48
WDS/STP Settings 49
Configuration Guidelines 50
Radio Bridge Roles 50
Bridge Address Entry 50
Scanning for WDS Links 51
Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol Settings 51
System Log 52
Status 53
Radio Interface 54
Radio Settings 54
Virtual Access Point (VAP) Configuration 54
Enabling Virtual Access Point (VAP) 54
Changing Radio Settings 56
Security 58
Selecting a Virtual Access Point (VAP) 58
Configuring Authentication 58
Configuring Encryption 58
WPA Configuration 59
WEP Configuration 60
How to setup the access point for RADIUS authentication 61
How to setup the access point for WPA with 802.1x Session keys 62
How to setup the access point for WPA with Pre-Shared (PSK) Key 63
WPA Configuration for Windows XP 64
4Troubleshooting
Regulatory Compliance Information
Index

1
1INTRODUCTION
The 3Com® Wireless LAN Access Points 8250, 8750, and 8850 offer a
dual-mode architecture that supports 802.11g, 802.11a and 802.11b wireless
users on a single device. This means you can mix and match radio bands to meet
different coverage and bandwidth needs within the same area.
Different access point models give you the flexibility to choose to support both
radio modes immediately or choose one radio mode now and upgrade to newer
standards later as they become available with an easy-to-install optional
Mini PCI upgrade kit.
The 8250 also has the ability to have two radios installed in it, providing local
access point service on one radio and a full bandwidth WDS bridge on the other
radio. This configuration is ideal for providing wireless network access in remote
buildings.
With their flexibility and unfettered access, wireless LANs are changing the way
people work. Now with 3Com’s enterprise-class wireless access points, you can
build a cost-effective, reliable, secure wireless network that provides users with
seamless connectivity to the Internet, company intranet, and the wired corporate
network from anywhere they happen to be—conference room, cafeteria or
office.
3Com’s dual-mode design supports 802.11g, 802.11a and 802.11b wireless
standards on a single access point. This capability increases configuration and
coverage flexibility and protects your network investment for both existing and
emerging wireless standards.
Industry-leading security features and comprehensive management and
performance features combine to make these enterprise class wireless access
points an ideal choice for organizations ready to serve their increasingly mobile
workforce.

2
PRODUCT FEATURES
Access Point 8250—Creates an enterprise-class wireless LAN supporting up
to 250 simultaneous users. The single wireless interface 802.11g 2.4 GHz,
54-Mbps access point upgrades to 802.11g-802.11a dual mode with optional
upgrade kit. The access point also supports two radios and external antennas.
Access Point 8750—Creates a high-performance enterprise-class dual-mode
802.11g and 802.11a wireless LAN supporting up to 250 simultaneous users
up to 100 meters (328 feet).
Access Point 8850—Creates a high-performance enterprise-class access point
in an 802.11g and an 802.11a WDS bridge.
SECURITY
3Com offers one of the most robust suite of standards-based security on the
market today.
To protect sensitive data broadcast over the wireless LAN, 3Com supports the
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). 3Com strengthens this basic security
mechanism with additional security features, including:
MAC address access control lists
IEEE 802.1x per-port user authentication with RADIUS server authentication
support
IEEE 802.1x supplicant support
SSH v2
HTTP/HTTPS
SNMP v3
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
Legacy WEP 40/64 bit, 128 bit and 152 bit
Wireless Protected Access (WPA)
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) support: EAP-MD5, EAP-TLS,
EAP-TTLS, and PEAP

3
PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY
3Com wireless access point performance features ensure reliable and seamless
connections for users wherever they roam:
Automatic channel selection automatically finds the least loaded channel for
interference-free communication.
Auto network connect and dynamic rate shifting keep users connected
through a wide variety of conditions by changing to the optimum connection
speed as they move through the network.
Dual G Radio support allows two 802.11g radios to be installed in the same
access point.
Virtual Access Point (VAP) support provides flexibility by allowing a single
access point radio to operate as two separate access points.
Wireless Distribution System (WDS) Bridging support allows you to create
large wireless networks in areas where pulling wires is restricted or
cost-prohibitive by linking several wireless access points together with WDS
links.
Dual G Radio Support
Dual G Radio support allows you to install two 802.11g radios in the same device,
providing local access point service on one radio and a full bandwidth WDS
bridge on the other radio. This configuration is ideal for providing wireless
network access in remote buildings.
Virtual Access Point (VAP) Support
Virtual Access Point (VAP) support allows an access point radio to operate as two
separate access points, providing multiple wireless services to clients in a network.
Each VAP can be configured to provide access to different network resources and
can support different levels of security.
For example, in a university network, an AP could be used to offer two services:
The first service provides access to protected data for authenticated university
staff members, while the second service provides open access to the Internet for
unauthenticated users, such as students or visitors.
Two VAPs per radio are available, and each VAP can be configured with its own
security settings.
For information on setting up and configuring VAPs, see “Enabling Virtual Access
Point (VAP)” on page 54.

4
WDS Bridging and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Support
A Distribution System (DS) is a network (typically a wired network) that
interconnects separate access points into a single LAN. With WDS, the
interconnection no longer needs to be physically wired. WDS uses the wireless
medium to interconnect separate access points, thereby eliminating the cost and
inconvenience that may hinder wire installations.
A WDS link can be used in a simple point-to-point link, a complex
point-to-multipoint link, or a multilayer topology.
Point-to-Point WDS Link. The following example shows a point-to-point WDS
link configured between two access points.
Point-to-Multipoint WDS Link. The following example shows
point-to-multipoint WDS links configured between multiple access points.
Wireless Desktops Wireless Desktops
WDS Link
Wireless Desktops
Wireless Desktops
Point-to-Point WDS Link
WDS Link
WDS Link
Wireless Desktops