Symbol WS5100 Series User manual

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without written permission
of Symbol Technologies Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text Symbol. The Enterprise Mobility
Company, and CM2 are trademarks of Symbol.
Version 1.0 February 2005
Written for software and hardware release 1.4 of the WS5100

Reviewer’s Guide
Symbol WS5100 Wireless Switch
The WS5100 Wireless Switch is the new high-performance member of Symbol’s
WS5000 Series family. The WS5100, which is built on the same award-winning
hardware and software architecture as the WS5000 platform, simplifies Wireless
LAN (WLAN) management by moving network “intelligence” out of the ceiling
and into the wiring closet. Further, through Symbol’s patented Virtual AP
architecture the WS5100 lets you create multiple WLANs without changing or
adding to the existing wired network infrastructure.
This guide is a product and technology overview for reviewers of the
WS5100 Wireless Switch. The purpose of this guide is to allow users to quickly
understand, configure, and use the unique capabilities of the WS5100.
February 2005

Table of Contents
1Wireless Networking and Wireless Switches..................................1
1.1 WLAN Market.................................................................................... 1
1.2 WLAN Standards.............................................................................. 1
1.3 WLAN Challenges in an Enterprise Environment ....................... 2
1.4 The Solution: The Wireless Switch System ................................. 3
2Introducing the WS5100 ....................................................................5
2.1 Features and Benefits ..................................................................... 5
2.2 Advanced WLAN Features ............................................................. 6
2.3 Benefits .............................................................................................. 8
3Installation and Configration ..........................................................11
3.1 Hardware Installation..................................................................... 11
3.2 Configuration Requirements......................................................... 11
3.3 Adding the WS5100 to the Network ............................................ 12
3.4 Supplying Power to the WS5100................................................. 14
3.5 Verifying the Installation ................................................................ 14
3.6 Preliminary Configuration through the CLI................................. 14
3.7 Further Configuration through the Quick Start View................. 17
3.8 Verifying the Configuration ........................................................... 24
3.9 Shutting Down the WS5100 ......................................................... 25

viii Symbol WS 5100 Wireless Switch Reviewer's Guide
4Switch Management and Monitoring ............................................27
4.1 Accessing the Switch..................................................................... 27
4.2 Remote Access............................................................................... 27
4.3 Statistics Gathering........................................................................ 28
4.4 SNMP Traps.................................................................................... 28
4.5 Logging Options ............................................................................. 28
5Implementation Scenarios .............................................................29
5.1 Healthcare ....................................................................................... 29
5.2 Education (Universities, Colleges, Large Schools)................... 33
5.3 Education - University - Large Building ...................................... 34
5.4 Large Enterprise Branch Office.................................................... 35
5.5 Retail Operation/Store................................................................... 36
5.6 Government - Agency Headquarters .......................................... 37
5.7 Manufacturing - Large Plant ......................................................... 38
5.8 Transportation and Logistics - Large Warehouse..................... 40
6Documentation References .............................................................43
7Reference Architectures ..................................................................45
8Part Numbers and Pricing...............................................................47

1 Wireless Networking
and Wireless Switches
This chapter provides a general overview of wireless networking and
wireless switches. Specific information about he WS5100 wireless switch is
included in Chapter 2.
1.1 WLAN Market
Starting with the adoption and widespread acceptance of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard, the use of
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) has accelerated rapidly and continues
to grow, both in the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) space as well as in the
general Enterprise space. According to Wireless LAN industry analysts the
enterprise WLAN market generated $1.259 Billion USD in 2004 and should
reach $2.776 Billion USD in 2008, with a CAGR of 21.8%. {Source: Synergy
Research}.
1.2 WLAN Standards
There are several IEEE standards for WLANs. Three standards are widely
used today: These are:
 802.11b, which has a data rate of 11 megabits per second (Mbps).
 802.11g, which has a data rate of 54Mbps and is backwards
compatible with 802.11b.
 802.11a, which operate at 54 Mbps.
There are some additional standards to address the shortcoming of the above
standards. These include:
 802.11i/WPA2, which is a security standard.
 802.11e, which is a QOS (Quality of Service) standard.
In addition, there is an increasingly popular WLAN option named 802.11a/b/g,
is which is the integration of the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g standards in
the same device. Industry analysts expect that these “integrated WLANs”
will gain mass acceptance as they become less expensive.

2 Symbol WS 5100 Wireless Switch Reviewer's Guide
1.3 WLAN Challenges in an Enterprise
Environment
For all the advantages they provide, the use of WLANs in an enterprise
introduces a set of special challenges.
1.3.1 Security
Security is a primary concern because WLAN signals can “leak” through
walls. Hackers have been known to sit in a public area with a laptop and a
wireless card and access highly sensitive information through WLANs that
have little or no security. To prevent security problems like this, much more
robust WLAN security systems have been recently proposed and adopted.
These include 802.11i (also known as WPA2). 802.11i significantly enhances
wireless security through stronger cryptographic algorithms, message
integrity checks, dynamic key management, and strong user authentication.
1.3.2 Integration
IT departments are increasingly looking to integrate WLAN technologies into
their networks. Aspects of WLAN deployment that demand consideration are:
ongoing network management and troubleshooting to optimize operations,
remote deployment in branch offices, and upgrade paths to newer
technologies (radio, security, quality-of-service, etc.).
1.3.3 Complexity and Cost
The perceived complexity and cost in deploying a WLAN network is a key
barrier for many organizations. That’s because the most widely deployed
WLAN systems use expensive devices called Access Points. The Total Cost
of Ownership (TCO) of an Access Point-based WLAN comprises three key
components:
 Installation Costs. Installation costs include electrical wiring, the
price of the Access Point itself, changes to the design of the existing
wired LAN, and configuration and management support. Because
each Access Point needs to be managed as a separate network
entity, these costs can be substantial.