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Setting Up Your Switch 35
For most installations, 3Com recommends that you configure the switch IP
information manually. This makes management simpler and more reliable as it is
not dependent on a DHCP or BootP server, and eliminates the risk of the IP address
changing.
To manually enter IP information for your switch, work through the “Manually
Configuring IP Information” on page 36.
Automatically Configuring the IP Address using DHCP
By default the switch attempts to configure its IP Information by obtaining an IP
address from a DHCP server on the network.
When using automatic IP configuration it is important that the switch’s IP address
is static, otherwise you will not know what the IP address is and it will be difficult
to manage that switch. Most DHCP servers allow you to configure static IP
addresses. Refer to the DHCP server’s documentation for instructions.
For a detailed description of how automatic IP configuration operates, refer to the
Switch 4500G Configuration Guide on 3Com’s Web site at www.3com.com.
You should use DHCP to automatically configure the IP address infomration if:
■ Your network uses DHCP to allocate IP information.
■ Flexibility is needed. If the switch is deployed onto a different subnet, it will
automatically reconfigure itself with an appropriate IP address, instead of you
having to manually reconfigure the switch.
If the switch is not allocated with an automatic IP address, the IP configuration will
be blank or shown as ‘’’’.
If you use the automatic IP configuration method, you need to discover the
automatically allocated IP information before you can begin managing the switch.
Follow the instructions in
“Viewing Automatically Configured IP Information” on
page 42.
Preparing to Manage
Your Switch
Once your switch’s initial set up is complete you can set up your chosen
management method as described in
“Methods of Managing a Switch” on
page 31.
For detailed information about the specific web interface operations and
command line interface commands and problem solving, refer to the “Switch
4500G Command Reference Guide” on the 3Com Web site.