3Com Megahertz
Access Point User Guide
Accessing the UI 

Previous Main Next

Accessing the UI

In order to configure an AP, you need access to the Web and you need to know the IP address of the AP. In the address/URL text box of your browser, type IP address of the AP and press Enter.

Using a Web Browser

Using a Web browser to gain access to the UI requires the workstation to have a TCP/IP stack and access to a Web browser. The remote station can be on either the wired or wireless LAN. There are two methods for setting up the Web Help file:

  1. Placing the Help file on the network Web server
  2. Placing the Help file on the local workstation hard disk.

To use this feature, the Web browser (Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater, or Netscape) requires JavaScript.

Help File Access

A network Web server is required to access the Help file from the AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management System Web pages. This procedure is intended for Microsoft Internet Information Server. The network Web server can be different. If this is the case, some of the procedures will differ.

Setup Network Web Server Help File Access

To create the Help file on a network Web server, a network or system administrator uses the procedure below. (NT4 is used in this example.)

  1. Create a directory on the network Web server in which the AP Web Site Help Files will reside. Often this is a sub directory to C:\InetPub\wwwRoot.
  2. Copy all .gif and .htm files to the directory or folder.
  3. Select Start from the Windows Task Bar.
  4. Select Programs→Microsoft Internet Server (common) →Internet Service Manager.
  5. Make sure the server WWW service is running.
  6. Select Properties→Service Properties to display the WWW service properties for the server. The WWW Service Properties window opens.
  7. Select the Directories tab.
  8. Click Add to open the Directories dialog box.
  9. Type the complete path to the directory created in step one.
  10. Select Virtual Directory.
  11. Type the folder alias (i.e., AirConnectHelp).
  12. Click OK.
  13. Enable the Default document option.
  14. Type AirConnectHelp.htm as the default document and click Apply.
  15. Click OK to exit the window.
Setup Local Workstation Help File Access

To access the Help file from a local workstation, users need to load the Help file on the hard disk. To install the Help file, run the InstallShield program.

  1. Select AirConnect Firmware & Software Downloads from the disk or 3Com Web site at http://support.3com.com.
  2. Find and click the APHTMLHelp_Install32_102.exe file. The Unpacking WAP HTML Help window displays indicating that the file is decompressing and the installation wizard is about to run. The WAP HTML Help Installation Setup dialog box displays.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Help file on the local workstation hard disk.

To access the Help file located on the local workstation, follow the procedure below.

  1. Click Start from the Windows Task bar.
  2. Select Programs→3Com (or the directory name created during the installation process).
  3. Click WAP HTML Help to launch the help file program.

To exit the Help file, do the following.

  1. Click File from the Windows menu bar .
  2. Select Close/Exit.

Accessing the Web Browser UI

Using a Web browser to gain access to the UI requires that the workstation have a TCP/IP stack and access to a Web browser. The remote station can be on the wired or wireless LAN.

To verify that the Web Server option is enabled for the AP, do the following:

  1. Access the UI using a Serial or Telnet connection.
  2. Select System Configuration.
  3. Verify that the Web Server option on the System Configuration dialog box is enabled.
  4. Select Save-[F1] to save the configuration .

You must always reset the AP after you make configuration changes if you want the changes to be initiated. To reset the AP, follow the procedure below.

  1. Select Special Functions.
  2. Select Reset AP.
  3. Select Yes at the confirmation prompt.

To enable Help file access, change the Help URL parameter using the following procedure.

  1. Select Special Functions.
  2. Select Alter Filename(s)/HELP URL/TFTP Server/DHCP using Tab, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow.
  3. Press ENTER.
  4. Select the .HELP URL field using the Tab or Down Arrow.
  5. Type the IP address/URL (Universal Request Locator) of the Web server or the directory/folder of the Web server for the Help file location.
  6. Press ENTER.
  7. Select OK-[CR] using the Tab or Down Arrow and press ENTER.
  8. Select the Save Configuration option to save the new setting .
  9. Select Yes at the confirmation prompt.
  10. The Main Menu displays.
  11. Reset the AP for changes to take effect.

To access the AP UI via a Web browser from a workstation, do the following:

  1. Set the IP address of the workstation and the subnet mask from the NCPA properties window.

The workstation, in this case, is the workstation or laptop computer running the Web browser. The informational message instructs you to reboot the system for property changes to take effect.

  1. Ping the AP to verify the connection by typing the command below at the default DOS prompt:
Ping -t xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
    If the ping receives no response, verify that the hardware connections, IP address, gateway address, and subnet mask are correct. If these items are correct, contact your network administrator for assistance.
  1. Start your Web browser (Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater, or Netscape 3.0 or greater).
  2. Type the IP Address for the associated AP to access that AP via the Web browser. The AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management System main page displays.
  3. (The Web pages look different than the Telnet, Direct Serial, or Dial-Up Connections. Access the different page types using the nodes located in the left frame. Refer to the online help file for Web page navigation, page contents, and parameter use.)
  4. Turn off the caching function for the browser to view configuration, function, or option changes on the Web page(s).
  5. For Netscape
    1. Select EditPreferences from the menu bar.
    2. Select AdvancedCache when the Preferences dialog box opens.
    3. Select Every time under the Document in cache is compared to document on network item.
  6. For Internet Explorer
    1. Select ViewInternet Options from the menu bar.
    2. Select Temporary Internet files and Settings.
    3. Select Every visit to the page under the Check for newer versions of stored pages item.
    You must set this option so that the latest version of a Web page is displayed.

You can access help from any AirConnect Access Point Configuration Management System Web page. To do so, select Help from the top right-hand corner of any page.

You can change the caching options in the Easy Setup and Configuration pages. To access the Easy Setup and Configuration pages, follow the procedure below.

  1. Select Easy Setup and Configuration. The Username and Password Required dialog box displays.
  2. Type the (case sensitive) AP name.
  3. 3Com Access Point
  4. Type the (case sensitive) password:
  5. 3Com
  6. Exit the browser to manually terminate the session.

Changing UI Access

To change the System Password, do the following:

  1. Select Configuration→Security from the navigation pane.
  2. Select System Password.
  3. Type the new password and press Enter.
  4. Select Save Settings to confirm the save.