3
3Com
®
AirConnect
®
11 Mbps Wireless LAN Solution Features and Benefits
Features
Benefits
Reliable Performance Without Wires
Load balancing
PC Cards and PCI cards automatically switch to the best available Access Point when the
current Access Point becomes congested or the signal weakens. This ensures uninter-
rupted access to network services and optimum data rates.
Dynamic rate shifting
Access Points dynamically support 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps for maximum availability and
reliability of network connections. The proper data rate is determined automatically,
based on signal strength.
Antenna diversity
All 3Com AirConnect products feature antennae with signal diversity. Each product has
two antennae to improve the likelihood of strong signal reception.
Separate, movable antenna
PCI cards feature a separate antenna that can be placed on a wall, desktop, or bookcase
for desktop computers (PCI Card)
to allow the best reception, regardless of the computer’s location.
Ease of Installation
PowerBASE-T
Reduces installation cost and effort by eliminating the need to run separate AC circuits—
the PowerBASE-T module supplies each Access Point with low-voltage DC power over
the 10BASE-T connection.
Site survey utility
Helps IT managers determine the best placement for each Access Point by logging the
signal strength from different locations in the building.
Extended Roaming
PC Cards let users travel between Access Points as well as roam throughout the company
without losing their network connection.
DHCP support
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) automatically obtains leased IP
addresses from a DHCP server. This allows notebook users to roam seamlessly, automat-
ically obtaining new IP addresses as they suspend and resume operations.
DynamicAccess
®
mobile
Helps IT administrators create and distribute location-specific configuration profiles for
connection manager
various LAN, modem, and wireless communications. One-click access to a menu of
preset profiles reduces help desk calls from users as they change locations or
connection types.
Power-saving modes
Access Points can buffer packets, allowing PC Cards to reduce their power consumption
by entering a sleep mode when out of range and resume full connectivity when they
sense a new Access Point.
Manageability
SNMP support
3Com AirConnect provides support for monitoring a wide array of network and wireless
parameters using your existing network management platforms.
Embedded HTTP server
Each Access Point contains an integrated Web server that allows administrators to
access and set configuration parameters, monitor performance, and run diagnostics
from any Web browser—anywhere on the network.
Bulk configuration
For even greater ease of administration, the configuration of any Access Point can be
automatically propagated to other Access Points on the same subnet.
Remote configuration and
Administrators can use HTTP, Telnet, Serial, PPP, or SNMP to remotely configure or
firmware upgrade
upgrade Access Points. A firmware upgrade utility allows you to easily upgrade PC Cards
and PCI adapters with the latest features, easing IT burdens and lowering the total cost
of ownership.
Security
Access control
This utility ensures that only 3Com AirConnect devices programmed with the WLAN ser-
vice area ID of a given 3Com AirConnect Access Point can connect to that Access Point.
For greater security, you can create an access control list specifying the MAC addresses
of the wireless devices that are allowed to associate with a particular 3Com AirConnect
Access Point.
Encryption*
Wireless clients have the option of using 40- or 128-bit encryption* keys and the RC4
algorithm to encrypt the wireless portion of data transmissions. AirConnect Access
Points also offer the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) defined in the 802.11b standard.
Standards-based
IEEE802.11b-
AirConnect products comply with IEEE802.11b at 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps. They offer
and Wi-Fi
™
-compliant
backwards compatibility with the original 802.11 standard at 1 and 2 Mbps,
interoperating with other Direct Spread Spectrum products. The AirConnect Wireless
LAN solution is also Wi-Fi
™
certified, and is part of the Wi-Fi test bed, ensuring
cross-vendor interoperability.
