Configuring and Managing IP Interfaces and Services 109
Nortel WLAN Security Switch 2300 Series Configuration Guide
Adding an IP Interface
You can add an IP interface to a VLAN by statically configuring an IP address or by enabling the Dynamic Host Config-
uration Protocol (DHCP) client on the VLAN.
Statically Configuring an IP Interface
To add an IP interface to a VLAN, use the following command:
set interface vlan-id ip {ip-addr mask | ip-addr/mask-length}
Enabling the DHCP Client
The WSS Software DHCP client enables a WSS to obtain its IP configuration from a DHCP server. A switch can use the
DHCP client to obtain the following configuration information:
• IP address
• Default gateway
• DNS domain name
• DNS server IP address
The DHCP client is implemented according to “RFC 2131: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol” and “RFC 2132:
DHCP Options and BOOTP Vendor Extensions”. The client supports the following options:
• (12) Host Name (the WSS system name)
• (55) Parameter request list, consisting of (1) Subnet Mask, (3) Router, (15) Domain Name, and (6) Domain Name
Server
• (60) Vendor Class Identifier, set to NORTEL x.x.x, where x.x.x is the WSS Software version
The DHCP client is enabled by default on an unconfigured WSS-2350 when the factory reset switch is pressed and held
during power on. The DHCP client is disabled by default on all other switch models, and is disabled on an WSS-2350 if
the switch is already configured or the factory reset switch is not pressed and held during power on.
You can enable the DHCP client on one VLAN only.
WSS Software also has a configurable DHCP server. (See “DHCP Server” on page 607.) You can configure a DHCP
client and DHCP server on the same VLAN, but only the client or the server can be enabled. The DHCP client and
DHCP server cannot both be enabled on the same VLAN at the same time.
How WSS Software Resolves Conflicts with Statically Configured IP
Parameters
WSS Software compares the IP parameter values already configured on the switch with the values received from the
DHCP server, and resolves any conflicts as follows:
• IP address—If the VLAN also has a statically configured IP address, WSS Software uses an address from the
DHCP server instead of the statically configured address.
WSS Software sends an ARP for the IP address offered by the DHCP server to verify that the address is
not already in use.
● If the address is not in use, WSS Software configures the VLAN that has the DHCP client enabled
with the IP address received from the DHCP server. WSS Software then configures the other values
as follows:
