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This chapter describes how to access and use the web interface. It covers the following topics:
Throughout this chapter, the term stack refers to a number of Switch units that are managed as a single unit. However, a stack can contain a single Switch.
You can access the web interface through the console port or over the network.
To access the web interface through the console port, you must install, configure and run the Serial Web Utility described in "Serial Web Utility". Note that the Serial Web Utility is only required if you want to access the web interface through the console port; it is not required for access over the network.
To access the web interface over the network, take the following steps:
1 . Ensure that your network is correctly set up for management using the web interface. For more information, see "Setting Up Web Interface Management".
2 . Open your Web browser.
3 . In the Location field of the browser, enter the URL of the stack. This must be in the format:
http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/
Figure 2 User name and password dialog
If the user name and password dialog is not displayed, see "Solving Web Interface Problems".
4 . Enter your user name and password:
If you forget your password while logged out of the web interface, see "Solving Web Interface Problems".
CAUTION: While multiple users can access the web interface at any one time, too many users may result in a slow response time for the web pages and the error message "document contains no data". We therefore recommend that you allow only three users to access the interface at any one time.
While you are managing the stack, you can display other web pages using your browser, and then simply use the Back button to reload the web management pages. You do not need to re-enter your username and password.
You can exit the web interface at any time; to do this, close your Web browser. For security reasons, you should always close your Web browser after a management session.
When you access the web interface for the first time or after a power-off/on cycle, a set of Getting Started pages are displayed. The first Getting Started page, Getting Started - Introduction is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 The Getting Started - Introduction page
The Getting Started pages allow you to enter basic setup information for the stack. As you go through the pages, you are asked to enter:
1 . A descriptive name for the stack.
2 . Whether you want to allocate IP information for the stack, or whether you want a BOOTP server (if you have one) to allocate the information automatically.
3 . The URL or file path of the online help and online documentation for the stack.
4 . A new password for the current user (enter the existing password if you want to leave the password unchanged).
Once you have completed the Getting Started pages, the main web interface is displayed. For information about the interface, see "The Main Web Interface".
The Getting Started pages are available from the main web interface at any time. For more information, see "Changing the Management Settings for the Stack".
The main web interface is made up of three areas:
This is always displayed at the top of the browser window. It displays the name of the current Switch in the stack, and contains several External Link icons that allow you to access information outside of the web interface. For more information about the External Links, see "The External Link Icons".
This is always displayed down the left side of the browser window. It contains Management Icons that allow you to display web pages in the page area (below). For more information, see "The Management Icons".
This is always displayed in the center of the browser window. It contains the various web pages that allow you to manage the stack. For more information, see "The Page Area".
Figure 4 Parts of the main web interface
The banner of the main web interface contains several External Link icons that allow you to access information outside of the interface; these are shown in Table 6.
The side-bar of the main web interface contains several Management Icons that allow you to display web pages in the page area; these are shown in Table 7.
For an overview of the pages accessed using these icons, see "The Page Area".
The page area of the main web interface contains web pages that allow you to manage the stack. The web pages are grouped into four categories:
For more information, see "Configuring the Current Switch".
For more information, see "Changing the Management Settings for the Stack".
For more information, see "Configuring the Stack".
For more information, see "Displaying Statistics for the Current Switch".
To access the first page of each category, click on the relevant Management Icon on the side-bar; to access the remaining pages in the category, click on the underlined hotlinks that are displayed at the top of each page.
There are four exceptions to the navigation system. The Color Key page, Port Summary page, Port Setup page and Console Port Configuration page are accessed from the Switch Graphic page.
Figure 5 shows you how to access each of the web pages.
Figure 5 Web interface map
If you change any setting on a page in the page area, you must click the Apply button at the bottom right of the page to make the change to the stack. The change is only made when you click the Apply button.
If you make changes on a page but do not wish to apply them, click the Back button in your Web browser to exit the page.
You can configure the current Switch and the ports on that Switch using the Unit Pages. These pages allow you to:
You can display the status of ports on the Switch using the Switch Graphic page.
To access the page:
Figure 6 The Switch graphic
The Switch graphic indicates the status of a port using color-coding:
You can display the color-coding information using the Color Key page. To access the page, click the Color Key hotlink under the Switch graphic.
You can display the speed and duplex mode of ports in the Switch graphic using the Port Summary page.
To access the page:
Figure 7 The Port Summary page
If you have an Expansion Module fitted to your Switch, the Expansion Module port numbers follow on sequentially from the number of fixed ports.
The Switch graphic does not update itself automatically - if you make a change to the status of a port, you need to click the Refresh hotlink positioned under the Switch graphic. If, after clicking Refresh, the Switch graphic does not update, you may need to make a small change to your Web browser; for more information, see "Solving Web Interface Problems".
You can display general administration details about the Switch using the Unit Status page.
To access the page:
Figure 8 The Unit Status page
The Unit Status page contains the following elements:
System Name
Displays the name given to the Switch during the Getting Started procedure. For information about assigning a new name for the Switch, see "Specifying a Descriptive Name".
Location
Displays the physical location of the Switch. For information about assigning a new location for the Switch, see "Specifying a Physical Location".
Contact
Displays the details of a person to contact about the Switch. For information about assigning new contact details, see "Specifying Contact Details".
Unit Description
Displays the product name of the Switch.
Hardware Rev
Displays the version number of the Switch hardware.
MAC Address
Displays the MAC (Ethernet) address assigned to the Switch.
Software Version
Displays the version number of the management software currently installed on the Switch. For information about how to upgrade the management software, see "Upgrading Management Software".
Boot PROM Version
Displays the version of Boot PROM software installed on the Switch.
Product Number
Displays the 3Com product number of the unit.
TFTP Server (optionally displayed)
Displays the IP address of the last TFTP server used to upgrade the unit's management software.
Filename (optionally displayed)
Displays the name of the management software file that was used during the last software upgrade attempt.
Software Upgrade Status (optionally displayed)
Displays the reason for a software upgrade failure.
Unit Uptime
Displays the time that has elapsed since the Switch was last reset, initialized or powered-up.
You can set up the IP information for the Switch using the IP Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Unit icon on the side-bar. The Unit Status page is displayed.
2 . Click the IP Setup hotlink on the Unit Status page. The IP Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9 The IP Setup page
The IP Setup page contains the following elements:
IP Address
Allows you to enter a unique IP address for the Switch. For more information about IP addresses, see "Managing a Switch Over the Network".
If you change the IP address of the Switch, you can no longer access the web interface unless you enter the new IP address in the Location field of your browser.
Subnet Mask
Allows you to enter a subnet mask for the Switch. For more information about subnet masks, see "Subnets and Using a Subnet Mask".
Default Router
If your network contains one or more routers, this field allows you to enter the IP address of the default router. For more information about IP addresses, see "Managing a Switch Over the Network".
BOOTP On / Off
If you have a BOOTP server on your network, these radio buttons allow you to specify whether the server allocates IP information for the Switch automatically.
For BOOTP to work correctly, the Switch must have the IP address 0.0.0.0. If the Switch has another IP address, you must change the address to 0.0.0.0 and then reset the Switch.
The Switch only requests IP information from the BOOTP server 12 times. If the Switch has not received the information by the 12th time, you must reset the Switch and start again.
After BOOTP is enabled, you need to power cycle the unit before BOOTP starts operating
You can configure individual ports on the Switch using the Port Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Unit icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the relevant port on the Switch graphic. The Port Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11.
Figure 10 The Port Setup page with auto-negotiation enabled
Figure 11 The Port Setup page with auto-negotiation disabled
The Port Setup page contains the following elements:
Port
Displays the number of the selected port.
Link State Enabled / Disabled
Displays the state of the link connected to the port.
Media Type
Displays the media type of the link connected to the port.
Port Speed
Displays the current speed and duplex mode of the port. FC indicates that flow control is enabled.
Auto-negotiation Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether auto-negotiation is enabled for twisted pair ports:
CAUTION: The duplex mode of a link is not detected if the port on the other end of the link is not auto-negotiating. In this case, the Switch port is set to operate in half duplex:
If you want the link to operate in half duplex, set the port on the other end of the link to half duplex.
Fiber ports and Transceiver Module ports are not auto-negotiating. If the port is one of these ports, the Auto-negotiation listbox is set to Disabled and you cannot change it.
With auto-negotiation enabled, the Speed/Duplex listbox and Full Duplex Flow Control listbox display Auto and cannot be set manually.
Switch 610 and Switch 1100 only. The 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX ports on the Switch 1100 cannot auto-negotiate IEEE802.3x flow control. Follow the instructions below to enable flow control on the Switch 1100 10BASE-T/100BASETX ports.
To enable flow control on the Switch 1100 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX ports:
1 . From the Port Setup page, set the Auto-Negotiation listbox to disabled.
2 . Click Apply.
3 . Set the FD Flow Control listbox to Enabled.
4 . Configure the port to the desired speed and full duplex operation.
5 . Click Apply.
Speed/Duplex 100Mbps FD / 100Mbps HD / 10Mbps FD / 10Mbps HD / Auto
If the port does not support auto-negotiation, or if auto-negotiation is disabled, this listbox allows you to:
If auto-negotiation is enabled, the listbox displays Auto and you cannot change the speed or duplex mode of the port manually.
CAUTION: To communicate without errors, both ends of a link must use the same duplex mode.
FD Flow Control Enabled / Disabled / Auto
If auto-negotiation is disabled, this listbox allows you to enable or disable the IEEE 802.3x flow control that can be used when the port is operating in full duplex. If auto-negotiation is enabled, the listbox displays Auto, and you cannot change the flow control setting for the port manually. Flow control prevents any packet loss that may occur on congested ports.
For IEEE 802.3x flow control to operate correctly, it must be enabled at both ends of the link.
HD Flow Control Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to enable or disable the Intelligent Flow Management flow control that can be used when the port is operating in half duplex. Flow control prevents any packet loss that may occur on congested ports.
The Half Duplex Flow Control listbox should be disabled if the port is connected to multiple devices using a hub. If it is enabled, local traffic between those multiple devices is inhibited.
802.1p Multicast Learning Stack Default / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the port uses IEEE 802.1p multicast filtering (GMRP) to filter and forward multicasts automatically:
For more information about IEEE 802.1p multicast filtering, see "Multicast Filtering".
Untagged VLAN
Allows you to specify a single VLAN to which the port belongs. For more information about VLANs, see "Virtual LANs (VLANs)".
If you want to move a port from the Default VLAN (VLAN 1) to another VLAN, that VLAN must have information defined for it. If you select a VLAN in the Untagged VLAN listbox that does not have information defined for it (that is, one that has the description Unassigned) and you then click the Apply button, the Create VLAN page is displayed allowing you to enter information for that VLAN. Once you have entered the VLAN information, the Port Setup page is re-displayed and the port is placed in the VLAN. For information about the Create VLAN page, see "Defining VLAN Information".
If the port at the other end of the link supports VLT or 802.1Q tagging, you can specify that the port belongs to multiple VLANs. To specify that the port belongs to multiple VLANs using VLT tagging, set the VLT Tagging listbox to Enable. To specify that the port belongs to multiple VLANs using 802.1Q tagging, see "Placing a Port in Multiple VLANs".
FWD Unknown VLAN Tags Enabled / Disabled / Auto
Allows you to specify whether the port forwards traffic that uses unknown IEEE 802.1Q tags. If 802.1Q VLAN learning is disabled, you can specify:
If 802.1Q VLAN learning is enabled, you can specify:
For more information about forwarding VLAN traffic that uses unknown tags, see "Forwarding Traffic Containing Unknown 802.1Q Tags" .
Port State Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to enable or disable the port (that is, turn the port on or off).
Security Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the port uses security to guard against unauthorized users connecting devices to your network. When security is enabled on a port, it enters Single Address Learning Mode. In this mode, the Switch:
Once the first address is learned:
You cannot enable security on a port that is part of a resilient link, or a port that is part of a port trunk. For more information, see "Setting Up Resilient Links" and "Port Trunks".
PACE Stack Default / Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the port uses PACE (Priority Access Control Enabled) to support multimedia traffic:
VLT Tagging Enabled / Disabled
Allows you specify whether the port uses VLT (Virtual LAN Trunk) tagging. By specifying that the ports at both ends of a link use VLT tagging, you can create a VLT tagged link that carries traffic for all of the VLANs defined on your Switch. For more information about VLT tagging, see "Placing a Port in Multiple VLANs".
VLT tagging can only be used on links to legacy 3Com devices.
A port cannot use VLT tagging if:
It uses 802.1Q tagging - for more information about 802.1Q tagging, see "Placing a Port in Multiple VLANs".
It is the main or standby port of a resilient link, and the other port does not use VLT tagging - for more information about resilient links, see "Setting Up Resilient Links".
It belongs to a port trunk - for more information about port trunks, see "Port Trunks".
You cannot disable VLT tagging if the port is part of a resilient link pair.
802.1Q VLAN Learning Stack Default / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the port uses IEEE 802.1Q learning (GVRP) to place ports in VLANs automatically:
If 802.1Q VLAN learning is enabled, the settings of the FWD Unknown Tag listbox change - see the FWD Unknown Tag listbox description for more information.
For more information about IEEE 802.1Q VLAN learning, see "Using IEEE 802.1Q Learning".
By default, the console port is configured for direct connection to a terminal. You only need to change this configuration if you are connecting a modem to the port. You can configure the console port of the Switch using the Console Port Configuration page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Unit icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the console port on the Switch graphic. The Console Port Configuration page is displayed as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12 The Console Port Configuration page
The Console Port Configuration page contains the following elements:
Console connection Terminal / Modem
Allows you to specify the device that you are connecting to the console port.
Port Speed AutoConfig / 1200 / 2400 / 4800 / 9600 / 19200
Allows you to specify the line speed (baud) of the console port. If you select AutoConfig, the line speed of the port is automatically set to the line speed of the terminal or modem.
For the AutoConfig system to work, you need to reset the Switch.
Flow Control None / Hardware RTS/CTS
Allows you to specify the serial line flow control option suitable for your terminal or modem. See the documentation accompanying your terminal or modem if you are unsure of the correct setting.
You can change the management settings for the stack using the Management Settings Pages. These pages allow you to:
You can specify a descriptive name for the stack using the System Name page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the System Name hotlink. The System Name page is displayed as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13 The System Name page
The Name field allows you to enter a descriptive name for the stack. The name can be up to 20 characters long.
You can change the password for your user using the Password Setting page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Password Setting hotlink. The Password Setting page is displayed as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14 The Password Setting page
The Password Setting page contains the following elements:
New Password
Allows you to enter a new password for your user. The password can be up to 10 characters long.
Passwords must only contain alpha-numeric characters.
Confirm Password
Allows you to re-enter the new password. The password does not change unless you enter it in this field.
You can specify the physical location of the stack using the Location page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Location hotlink. The Location page is displayed as shown in Figure 15.
Figure 15 The Location page
The Getting Started pages allow you to enter basic setup information for the stack.
To access the Getting Started pages:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Getting Started hotlink. The first Getting Started page, Getting Started - Introduction, is displayed.
For information about using the Getting Started pages, see "The Getting Started Pages".
You can specify the location of the online help and documentation for the stack using the Documentation page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Documentation hotlink. The Documentation page is displayed as shown in Figure 16.
Figure 16 The Documentation page
The Documentation page contains the following elements:
Help
Allows you to specify the URL or file path of the online help for the stack. If the files are installed on your management workstation, on the CD-ROM, or on a network server, you must begin the file path with file://. If the files are stored on a Web server, you must begin the URL with http://. If you do not know where the online help is stored, see "Installing Online Help and Documentation".
Documentation
Allows you to specify the URL or file path of the online documentation for the stack. If the files are installed on your management workstation, on the CD-ROM, or on a network server, you must begin the file path with file://. If the files are stored on a Web server, you must begin the URL with http://. If you do not know where the online documentation is stored, see "Installing Online Help and Documentation".
You can specify the details of a person to contact about the stack using the Contact page.
To access the Contact page:
1 . Click the Management Settings icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Contact hotlink. The Contact page is displayed as shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17 The Contact page
You can configure the stack using the Configuration pages. These pages allow you to:
If an existing stack with STAP enabled is powered-up with a new unit that has STAP disabled, the setting of the new unit may override the whole stack. A similar issue may also be encountered with the broadcast storm control setting. The recommended procedure to overcome this problem is to either (i) configure the new unit appropriately before adding it to the stack or (ii) reconfigure the stack appropriately immediately after power-up.
You can configure the Switch Database of the stack using the Switch Database page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Switch Database hotlink. The Switch Database page is displayed as shown in Figure 18.
The Switch Database is used by the stack to determine if a packet should be forwarded, and which port should transmit the packet if it is to be forwarded. The database contains a list of entries, each containing three items:
The number of addresses that the database can hold depends on the number of Switch units in the stack. Each unit in the Switch 1100 family provides support for 6,000 addresses, and each unit in the Switch 3300 family provides support for 12,000 addresses.
Figure 18 The Switch Database page
Databases entries can have three states:
The Display Database Entries table on the Switch Database page displays the Switch Database entries for the stack:
To display a subset of the entries for the current unit:
1 . From the Port Filter listbox, select a port that has submitted the relevant entries or All Ports.
2 . From the VLAN Filter listbox, select the local ID of a VLAN associated with the relevant entries.
3 . In the Enter MAC Address field, enter the first few characters of the MAC (Ethernet) address for the relevant entries.
4 . From the Select Action Type listbox, select Search.
5 . Click the Apply button. The subset of entries is displayed.
6 . If there are more than 100 entries in the table, click the Next Page button to display the next 100 entries.
7 . To search for entries in the next VLAN, select Search Next from the Select Action Type listbox.
I
f you search for a specific MAC address, and the address is not in the database, the Display Database Entries table displays the message Not in Database.
To display the entire list of entries for all units in the stack:
1 . From the Select Action Type listbox, select Display All.
2 . Click the Apply button. The entire list of entries is displayed.
3 . If there are more than 100 entries in the table, click the Next Page button to display the next 100 entries.
The Switch Database page allows you to insert permanent entries for the current unit into the Switch Database.
To insert a permanent entry:
1 . From the Port Filter listbox, select a port for the entry.
2 . From the VLAN Filter listbox, select the local ID of a VLAN for the entry.
3 . In the Enter MAC Address field, enter the MAC (Ethernet) address for the entry.
4 . From the Select Action Type listbox, select Insert.
5 . Click the Apply button. The Display Database Entries table displays the new entry.
The Display Database Entries table is not automatically updated with the new entry. To update the table:
When inserting a permanent entry, two error messages can be displayed in the Status column of the Display Database Entries table:
The Switch Database page allows you to delete entries from the Switch Database.
To delete an entry:
1 . In the Enter MAC Address field, enter the MAC (Ethernet) address for the entry.
2 . From the Select Action Type listbox, select Delete.
3 . Click the Apply button. The Display Database Entries table displays the entry with the message Deleted. If the entry contained a multicast address, and the address is still stored against other ports or VLANs, the table displays Deleted on Port.
The Display Database Entries table is not automatically updated with the deletion. To update the table:
You cannot delete entries that have been added by the multicast filtering systems; if you try to delete one of these entries, the Display Database Entries table displays the message Cannot Delete (Multicast). For more information about multicast filtering, see "Multicast Filtering".
You can configure the advanced settings of the stack using the Advanced Stack Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Advanced Stack Setup hotlink. The Advanced Stack Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 19.
Figure 19 The Advanced Stack Setup page
The Advanced Stack Setup page contains the following elements:
PACE Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the ports in the stack use PACE (Priority Access Control Enabled) to support multimedia traffic. For information on specifying whether individual ports use PACE, see "Configuring a Port".
Forwarding Mode Fast Forward / Fragment Free / Store and Forward / Intelligent
Allows you to set the forwarding mode for units in the stack that belong to the Switch 1100/610 family:
Units in the Switch 3300/630 family only support the Store and Forward forwarding mode. If the stack is set to another forwarding mode, these units use the Store and Forward forwarding mode.
Spanning Tree Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the stack uses the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). Using STP makes your network more resilient to link failure and also provides a protection from loops - one of the major causes of broadcast storms; for more information, see "Spanning Tree Protocol".
CAUTION: If you enable STP, the stack takes several seconds to configure itself. During this time, you cannot communicate with the stack.
You cannot enable STP if you have set up resilient links on any Switch units in your stack. For more information about resilient links, see "Setting Up Resilient Links".
Broadcast Storm Control Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the stack uses Broadcast Storm Control. If Broadcast Storm Control is enabled, the stack automatically creates an alarm for each port to monitor the level of broadcast traffic on that port. If the broadcast traffic level rises to 2976 frames per second, the broadcast traffic on the port is blocked until the broadcast traffic level drops to 1488 frames per second.
Ageing Time (Secs) 0 / 60 ... 1000000
Allows you to specify the ageing time (in seconds) for all learned entries in the Switch Database of the stack; the default time is 1800 seconds (30 minutes). If you specify an ageing time of 0, the ageing process is disabled and the learned entries become non-ageing learned entries. For more information about the Switch Database, see "What is the Switch Database?".
FastIP Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the stack uses FastIP to reduce the load on routing devices when there is a large amount of inter-VLAN traffic on your network. FastIP requires your stacks to support IEEE 802.1Q learning; consequently, if you set the FastIP listbox to enabled, the 802.1Q VLAN Learning listbox is also set to enabled. For more information about FastIP, see "FastIP".
CAUTION: If you change the setting of the FastIP listbox, the stack needs to be reset before the change comes into effect.
802.1Q VLAN Learning Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the ports in the stack use IEEE 802.1Q learning (GVRP) to place ports in VLANs automatically. For more information about IEEE 802.1Q VLAN learning, see "Using IEEE 802.1Q Learning".
802.1p Multicast Learning Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the ports in the stack use IEEE 802.1p multicast filtering (GMRP) to filter and forward multicasts automatically. For more information about IEEE 802.1p multicast filtering, see "IEEE 802.1p Multicast Filtering".
IGMP Multicast Learning Enabled / Disabled
Allows you to specify whether the ports in the stack use IGMP multicast filtering to filter and forward multicasts automatically. For more information about IGMP multicast filtering, see "IGMP Multicast Filtering".
You can set up resilient links for the stack using the Resilient Links page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Resilient Links hotlink. The Resilient Links page is displayed as shown in Figure 20.
Figure 20 The Resilient Links page
The Resilient Link feature enables you to protect critical links and prevent network downtime if those links fail. A resilient link is comprised of a resilient link pair containing a main link and a standby link. If the main link fails, the standby link immediately and automatically takes over the task of the main link.
The resilient link pair is defined by specifying a main port and a standby port at one end of the link.
During normal operation, the main port is enabled and the standby port is disabled. If the main link fails, the main port is disabled and the standby port is enabled. If the main link becomes operational, you can then re-enable the main port and disable the standby port again.
When setting up resilient links, note the following:
The Resilient Links page displays the resilient link pairs that are set up for the stack:
The Resilient Links page allows you to create a resilient link pair. To do this:
1 . Click the Add... button. The first Add Resilient Links page is displayed.
2 . Select the Switch units that are to contain the main port and standby port of the resilient link pair.
3 . Click the Next... button.
4 . From the Main Link field, select the main port of the resilient link pair.
5 . Click the Next... button.
6 . From the Standby Link field, select the standby port of the resilient link pair.
7 . Click the Next... button. The Resilient Links page is displayed showing the new resilient link pair.
Version 2.6x of the Switch Management Software which will be released towards the end of 2000 has an additional option for resilient links.
After selecting the port for the Standby Link, click the the Next... button. The Switch Mode screen is displayed. From the dropdown list select either:
Symmetric, if currently in standby, if you wish the link to continue to operate on the standby link even after the main link is re-enabled.
Switchback, if currently in standby, if you want the link to automatically revert to the main link once the switch detects the main link is operational.
The Resilient Links page allows you to delete a resilient link pair. To do this:
1 . Click the resilient link pair.
2 . Click the Delete button.
The Resilient Links page allows you to swap the active (or enabled) port of a resilient link pair. To do this:
1 . Click the resilient link pair.
2 . Click the Swap button.
You can set up port trunks for the stack using the Port Trunk Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Port Trunks hotlink. The Port Trunks Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21 The Port Trunk Setup page
Port trunks are connections that allow devices to communicate using up to four links in parallel. Port trunks provide two benefits:
For more information, see "Port Trunks".
The Port Trunks Setup page allows you to display the ports that belong to each port trunk. To do this:
1 . From the Port Trunks Available listbox, select a port trunk.
2 . Click the Select button. The Available Ports listbox displays the ports that are available to be placed in the port trunk. The Trunk Members listbox displays the ports that belong to the port trunk.
The Port Trunks Setup page allows you to place ports in port trunks. To do this:
1 . From the Port Trunks Available listbox, select a port trunk.
2 . Click the Select button.
3 . Click a port in the Available Ports listbox.
4 . Click the Add >> button. The port is assigned to the port trunk, and the port is displayed in the Trunk Members listbox.
There are several conditions that need to be satisfied before a port can be placed in a port trunk. See "Port Trunks and Your Switch".
To place a port back in the Available Ports listbox, click the port in the Trunk Members listbox and click the << Remove button. The first (primary) port cannot be placed back in the Available Ports listbox until the other ports are placed back.
You can configure VLANs for the stack using the VLAN Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the VLANs hotlink. The VLAN Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22 The VLAN Setup page
A VLAN is a flexible group of devices that can be located anywhere in a network, but they communicate as if they are on the same physical segment. With VLANs, you can segment your network without being restricted by physical connections - a drawback of traditional network design. For more information about VLANs, see "Virtual LANs (VLANs)".
The VLAN Setup page allows you to define the required information about VLANs. To do this:
1 . Click the Create... button. The Create VLAN page is displayed.
2 . In the VLAN Name field, enter a descriptive name for the VLAN (for example, Marketing or Management). The name can be up to 32 characters long.
3 . In the 802.1Q VLAN ID field, enter a unique 802.1Q ID for the VLAN. The 802.1Q ID is used to identify the VLAN if you use 802.1Q tagging across your network, and can be any number between 2 and 4094. You only need to enter an ID in the 802.1Q VLAN ID field if you intend to use 802.1Q tagging on your network.
4 . In the Local ID listbox, enter a local ID for the VLAN. The local ID is used to identify the VLAN within the stack, and can be any number between 2 and 16 (VLAN 1, the Default VLAN, is already created and cannot be deleted). The Local ID corresponds to the VLAN IDs used in legacy 3Com devices.
5 . Click Apply. The VLAN information is defined, and the VLAN Setup page is displayed showing the port membership for the new VLAN.
The VLAN Setup page allows you to edit any VLAN information. To do this:
1 . From the VLANs Available listbox, select a VLAN.
2 . Click the Select button.
3 . Click the Edit... button. The Edit VLAN page is displayed.
4 . Edit the required information.
5 . Click Apply. The VLAN information is edited, and the VLAN Setup page is displayed.
You cannot edit the 802.1Q VLAN ID if ports are assigned to the VLAN.
The VLAN Setup page allows you to delete any VLAN information that you define in the Create VLAN page. To do this:
1 . From the VLANs Available listbox, select a VLAN.
2 . Click the Select button.
3 . Click the Delete button. The VLAN is deleted, and the VLAN Setup page displays the port membership of the Default VLAN.
You cannot delete the information for a VLAN if ports are assigned to that VLAN.
The VLAN Setup page allows you to display the ports that belong to each VLAN. To do this:
1 . From the VLANs Available listbox, select a VLAN.
2 . Click the Select button. The Available Ports listbox displays the ports in the stack that are available to be placed in the VLAN. The VLAN Members listbox displays the ports in the stack that belong to the VLAN.
To place a port in a single VLAN, use the Untagged VLAN listbox on the Port Setup page; see "Configuring a Port".
To place a port in multiple VLANs using VLT tagging, use the VLT Tagging listbox on the Port Setup page; see "Configuring a Port".
The VLAN Setup page allows you to place a port in multiple VLANs using 802.1Q tagging. To do this:
1 . From the VLANs Available listbox, select a VLAN.
2 . Click the Select button.
3 . Click the relevant port in the Available Ports listbox.
4 . Click the Add >> button. The port is assigned to the VLAN, and the port is displayed in the VLAN Members listbox.
5 . To place the port in another VLAN, repeat steps 1 to 4 with that VLAN.
To place a port back in the Available Ports listbox, click the port in the VLAN Members listbox and click the << Remove button.
The VLAN Members listbox displays two types of port that do not use 802.1Q tagging: untagged ports and VLT tagged ports. These ports cannot be moved from the VLAN using the VLAN Setup page:
To remove an untagged port from a VLAN, change its VLAN allocation using the Untagged VLAN listbox on the Port Setup page.
VLT tagged ports belong to all VLANs. To remove a VLT tagged port from a VLAN, specify that the port is no longer VLT tagged using the VLT Tagging listbox on the Port Setup page.
You can set up roving analysis ports for the stack using the Roving Analysis Setup page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Roving Analysis hotlink. The Roving Analysis Setup page is displayed as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23 The Roving Analysis Setup page
Roving analysis is a system that allows you to attach a network analyzer to one port and use it to monitor the traffic of other ports in the stack. The system works by enabling you to define an analysis port (the port that is connected to the analyzer), and a monitor port (the port that is to be monitored). Once the pair are defined, and you enable the system, the stack takes all the traffic going in and out of the monitor port and copies it to the analysis port.
Roving analysis is used when you need the functions of a network analyzer, but do not want to change the physical characteristics of the monitored segment by attaching an analyzer to that segment.
The Roving Analysis Setup page allows you to define monitor ports and analysis ports.
To define a monitor port and analysis port:
1 . Click a port in the Available Monitor Ports listbox to specify the monitor port.
2 . Click a port in the Available Analysis Ports listbox to specify the analysis port.
3 . Click Apply.
CAUTION: The analysis port should have a higher bandwidth than the monitor port. Otherwise, the roving analysis system cannot copy all the traffic effectively.
If a port belongs to a port trunk, you cannot specify that it is a monitor port or an analysis port. Consequently, it is not displayed in the Available Monitor Ports listbox or the Available Analysis Ports listbox.
An analysis port must be in the same VLANs as the monitor port it is copying. We therefore recommend that you manually place your analysis ports in all the VLANs used by the stack.
The Roving Analysis Setup page allows you to enable the roving analysis system. To do this:
1 . From the Roving Analysis State listbox, select Enabled.
2 . Click Apply.
You can reset all the Switch units in the stack using the Reset page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Reset hotlink. The Reset page is displayed.
To reset the stack, select Yes and then click Apply.
Resetting the Switch units in the stack simulates a power-off/on cycle. You may want to do this if you need to:
CAUTION: Resetting the stack causes some of the traffic being transmitted over the network to be lost. It also clears all Learned entries from the Switch Database.
The stack takes about 10 seconds to reset. While the stack is resetting, you cannot communicate with it.
You can initialize all the Switch units in the stack using the Initialize page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Initialize hotlink. The Initialize page is displayed.
To initialize the stack, select Yes and then click Apply.
Initializing the Switch units in the stack returns them to their default (factory) settings. The only information that does not return to its default setting is the IP and SLIP information, which is retained to ensure that you can continue managing the stack. You may want to initialize the stack if it has previously been used in a different part of your network, and its settings are incorrect for the new environment.
CAUTION: Use great care when initializing the stack - it removes all configuration information, including password and security information.
CAUTION: When initializing the stack, network loops may occur if you have set up port trunks, resilient links, VLANs, or the Spanning Tree Protocol. Before initializing the stack, ensure you have disconnected the cabling for all standby or duplicate links.
The stack takes about 10 seconds to initialize. While the stack is initializing, you cannot communicate with it.
You can upgrade the management software of all Switch units in the stack using the Software Upgrade page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Configuration icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Software Upgrade hotlink. The Software Upgrade page is displayed as shown in Figure 24.
Figure 24 The Software Upgrade page
To upgrade the management software:
1 . Copy the software upgrade file into an appropriate directory on a TFTP server. For information on using a TFTP Server, see the documentation that accompanies it.
CAUTION: You must ensure that the port connected to the TFTP server has 802.1Q VLAN learning disabled and belongs to the Default VLAN (VLAN 1). The server can only upgrade a stack if it is connected to the stack by the Default VLAN.
You can download a TFTP server called 3CServer (filename: 3cs117.zip) from the 3Com website http://www.3com.com. 3CServer can be installed and run on a Microsoft Windows® 95/98 or NT system.
2 . Enter the name of the software upgrade file in the Filename field. The filename format is:
s2sxx_yy.bin
CAUTION: You must use the s2sxx_yy.bin format, otherwise the upgrade fails.
3 . Enter the IP address of the TFTP server in the Server Address field.
4 . Click the Apply button. During the upgrade, the Power/Self Test LED flashes green and the command line interface is locked. The units in the stack upgrade one at a time, and each unit takes about 5 minutes; when the upgrade is complete, the Switch units in the stack are reset.
CAUTION: During the upgrade, do not power-down or reset any Switch units in the stack.
A power interrupt during the software upgrade may cause a corrupted agent image on the switch. If this occurs then subseq uent rebooting of the switch will be unsuccessful. The front panel LEDs 2 and 3 will be lit and the Power LED will flash. If this happens, the software agent must be upgraded using a serial upgrade. For more information, see Appendix A
.You can display statistics for the current Switch in the stack using the Health pages. These pages allow you to:
You can display a range of statistics for all the ports on the Switch using the Unit Graph page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Health icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Unit Graph hotlink. The Unit Graph page is displayed.
The graphs that can be displayed by the Unit Graph page are shown in Figure 25.
Figure 25 The graphs displayed by the Unit Graph page
You can choose to display graphs for Bandwidth Utilization or Total Errors.
To display the Bandwidth Utilization graph:
1 . From the listbox, choose Bandwidth Utilization.
2 . Click Apply.
To display the Total Errors graph:
1 . From the listbox, choose Total Errors.
2 . Click Apply.
If you click a port on the Bandwidth Utilization or Total Errors graph, the graph for that port is displayed.
You can display a range of statistics for a specific port on the Switch using the Port Graph page.
To access the page:
1 . Click the Health icon on the side-bar.
2 . Click the Port Graph hotlink. The Port Graph page is displayed.
The graphs that can be displayed by the Port Graph page are shown in Figure 26.
Figure 26 The graphs displayed by the Port Graph page
You can choose to display graphs for Utilization, Total Errors or Packet Size distribution:
To display the Utilization graph:
1 . From the first listbox, choose a port.
2 . From the second listbox, choose Utilization.
3 . Click Apply.
To display the Total Errors graph:
1 . From the first listbox, choose a port.
2 . From the second listbox, choose Total Errors.
3 . Click Apply.
To display the Packet Size Distribution graph:
1 . From the first listbox, choose a port.
2 . From the second listbox, choose Packet Size Distribution.
3 . Click Apply.