*****  QUICK START FOR THE RoamAbout CONFIGURATOR APPLICATION  *****

The RoamAbout Configurator has been developed to provide easy setup and
software management of Digital RoamAbout wireless networks.  This application 
has been designed SPECIFICALLY for RoamAbout wireless networks and can assist
a user in two roles: as a setup/configuration tool for new Access Points, and
as a management tool to assist the on-going management and support of
Digital RoamAbout wireless networks.   As such it includes a number of
interesting features to make your RoamAbout wireless network easier
to configure and manage, and even to allow it to perform better.


FEATURES INCLUDE:

-   The ability to make parameters changes on multiple RoamAbout Access
    Points in a wireless network with a single command.

-   Built in integrity checking for many wireless parameter changes.  This
    will warn the user if a common wireless network management mistakes
    is about to be made, or if the operation requested is unusual and
    usually not recommended.

-   Integrity checking of an existing wireless network configuration
    for consistent settings and common management errors.

-   Improved wireless network performance thru easy packet filtering
    and Digital recommended filter settings.

-   Integration with a BOOTP/TFTP application for simple Access Point
    software upgrades, also called flash upgrades.

-   The ability to manage an Access Point remotely, without a console.

-   Support for both Direct Sequence (DS) and Frequency Hopping (FH)
    technology.


INSTALLATION

The Configurator is a self installing product.  It will add a Program Group
called "RoamAbout".  For full functionality, all RoamAbout Access Points 
should be at version V2.4 or greater.


INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFIGURATOR MAIN WINDOW

The main window of the configurator is broken into left and right half.
The right half contains buttons which are used to invoke groups of management
commands, while the left half is used to select one or more Access Points
to receive a particular command.

The left side of the main application window contains the Access Point
managed list box.  This is used to display a "managed list" of Access Points
that the configurator knows about, and can therefore manage.  Before a user
can manage an Access Point (AP) with the configurator, the AP must be
added to the managed list.  Before discussing how this is done, a quick
description of what should be in a managed list follows.

It is recommended that all APs in a wireless domain be included in a
managed list, and that different domains be represented by different lists.
The managed list can be viewed as window into a database of information on
a particular wireless domain.  Wireless networks with multiple domains should
have multiple managed lists.  This easy to do, as managed lists can be saved
and retrieved in the form of configuration files.  (.cfg files)

RoamAbout Access Points are added to the appropriate managed list in
one of two scenarios.  These two scenarios show the double role that the
configurator has been designed to play: to be a setup tool for new Access
Points, and to be a management tool for operating wireless networks.

In the first scenario, the configurator is used to assist a user in the
initial setup of an Access Point right out-of-the-box.  As part of this
initial setup procedure, the new Access Point is automatically added
to the managed list of the configurator.  In the second scenario, the
configurator is incorporated into an existing wireless network.  Since
the Access Points are already setup, all that is needed is to make the
configurator aware of them.  In both scenarios, the "Setup/Add Access Point"
button can be used to perform the desired action. 


SETTING UP A NEW ACCESS POINT

When setting up a new Access Point, the first operation to be performed
is to insert a PC Card and attach an antenna as specified in the User's
Guide.  The Access Point is then operational and the management settings
are set to the default.

In order to modify any settings the first step is often to load an IP
address so that SNMP management communication can take place.  The easiest
way for this to occur is thru the console, menu option #8.
However, for installations that do not wish to use the console, the
IP address can be loaded on the Access Point with the configurator.  To
use the configurator you will need to know the hardware (MAC) address
of the wired port from the front panel of the AP, and be able to reset
the power to the Access Point when required.

To set up an Access Point with the configurator, press the "Setup/Add New
Access Point" button on the top right portion of the main window.  The
first operation is to ask you if you need to load an IP address.  Answer
appropriately.  The procedure then walks the user through the Identification
and Wireless Parameters management command dialog boxes to allow the user
to minimally customize the Access Point.

It is highly recommended that all fields in the "Identification" dialog
be set to appropriate values, and that the fields in the Wireless Parameters
dialog be set as needed.  For DS technologies, this is usually the Domain ID,
Beacon Key, Station Name settings, and DES encryption key (for DES equipped 
units); for the FH technologies this is often the Domain, Security ID, and 
Master Name settings.



MANAGEMENT COMMAND DIALOG BOXES

After all Access Points in the wireless domain have been represented in the
managed list, the right half of the main window contains buttons that
are used to invoke dialog boxes which can perform groups of management
operations.  At the top of each dialog is a combo box which contains a
listing of all Access Points currently selected in the managed list.

These dialogs have been designed to perform two purposes.  They can display
data (SNMP GETs) from a single AP at a time, and they can be used to modify
data (SNMP SETs) on one or more Access Points at a time.  When viewing data,
the Access Point to which the displayed data applies is shown in the combo 
box at the top of the dialog box.  When setting data, the default targets for
set commands will be all selected APs in the managed list to allow for easy
group sets.  Access Points that are selected for sets are confirmed before
proceeding.


VIEWING DATA FROM ACCESS POINTS

The easiest way to view Access Point data is to select an AP in the managed
list box on the left half of the main window, and then press the button
on the right half which corresponds to the information you are interested in
to invoke the management dialogs.  To view data from another AP, close the
dialog box and repeat the process.

An alternative method can be used to minimize the opening and closing of
the dialog boxes.  In this case, select some or all of the APs in the
managed list and then choose a management function button to invoke a
dialog.  In order to view data from a particular AP, simply select that
AP in the combo box at the top of the particular management dialog.
The combo box is loaded with the APs selected in the managed list when the
dialog box is invoked.  


SETTING DATA ON SINGLE OR A GROUP OF ACCESS POINTS

By specifying a group of Access Points and then invoking a dialog, you
have followed the first step needed to perform a powerful function, group
sets.  With group sets, the changes you make to data in the dialog can
be propagated to any number of Access Points with a few keystrokes.

After modifying data in a management function dialog, the data field turns
red.  This is to make it clear which pieces of data will be modified with a
subsequent set command.  Editing data also causes the OK button to become
active.  This is the dialog button which is to be pressed to commit to the
changes made in the dialog. (Cancel will exit the dialog without making
any changes.)

If a single AP has been selected in the managed list, the specified changes
are invoked right away to that single Access Point.  If multiple APs have
been selected (including all), a group set command will be performed on all
Access Points selected.  However, before the changes occur a selection box
will be appear asking the user to confirm the group of APs which are to
be modified.  Access Points can be removed from the group set list at this
point by deselecting them.  Pressing OK at this point causes the configurator
to issue a set command on all red data items to all selected APs.

The group set functionality was designed to easily change domain-wide
parameters such as Domain ID and Beacon Key for Direct Sequence technology,
or Domain and Security ID for Frequency Hopping technology.  Protocol
filters are another value which is often set on a domain-wide basis, and
this performance enhancing action is easily accomplished as well.


INTEGRITY CHECKING AND WARNINGS

When many wireless parameters are modified, the configurator has logic
built into it which will warn a user if they are performing an operation
which may be a common mistake for a wireless network manager.  This warning
can be overridden in all cases, but these warnings are designed to help
an inexperienced wireless network manager set the network up in a consistent
way.

In addition, certain parameters in the wireless network can be tested for
consistency at any time in an operating wireless domain.  These checks are
performed by making a selection under the Integrity main menu choice.
Wireless network parameters, operating modes, and firmware revisions are
some of the values that can be integrity/consistency checked at any time.

Note that the subset of Access Points that are included in an integrity
check are only those that are selected in the AP managed list box.
Therefore it is recommended that the "Select All" button be pressed to
select all Access Points in a domain before running the check(s).


ACCESS POINT SOFTWARE (FLASH) UPGRADES

The software running inside the Access Point can be easily upgraded with
the configurator.  In order to have your Access Point operating at its
best, it is recommended that an AP be running the latest revision of the
AP software.  If you feel that the Access Point is not running as intended,
the first step in the problem resolution should be to load the latest AP
firmware.

Should you wish to load the Access Point with an upgraded version of the
firmware, it is suggested that you copy the .bin file to the same directory
as the configurator.  As part of the flash upgrade, the configurator will
ask for the location of the .bin file, and the default location will be
the configurator directory.  After obtaining this information, a BOOTP/TFTP
loader called the NetRider Loader will be launched by the configurator, and
a flash upgrade request will be made to a single Access Point.

Some things to note here.  First, a flash upgrade command, or a reset command
of any sort cannot be made to a group of Access Points.  Second, be aware
that a major version flash upgrade may cause the loss of the IP address on the
Access Point, so the IP address may have to be reloaded, and management
communications with that Access Point will be lost in the meantime.  Third,
you will see the flash load happen on the UI of the NetRider Loader.
After this happens, the Access Point will still need to process the new
software, and will be unavailable for a few minutes afterwards.  The easiest
way to know this has completed is to look for normal flashing of the front
panel lights.  Until this happens, trying to read data from the Access Point
with the configurator will fail because the AP is not responding.


CONFIGURATION FILES AND THE SELECTION MENU

The "managed list" is a term that has been assigned to a domain of Access
Points being managed by the configurator.  These APs are listed in the
managed list box on the left half of the main window.  These managed lists
can be saved and retrieved in the form of configuration files.

To save a list of Access Points to a configuration file, use the standard
File "Save" or "Save As" menu choices.  The standard file open is used to 
read a managed list configuration into the configurator.

As part of using the managed list, Access Points are added and occasionally
deleted from the list.  One method of adding an Access Point to the managed
list was described in the section entitled "Setting Up a New Access Point".

A second method of adding an AP is available under the selection menu.  By
choosing Selection/Add and specifying an IP address when prompted, an
Access Point is added to the managed list.  It is recommended that this
method only be used on preconfigured APs, because the configurator uses
Identification information it gets from the Access Point to create an entry
in the managed list.  If this information is still blank because it has
been configured before, the list entry will be confusing to read.

As another part of controlling the display characteristics of an entry in
the managed list, the user has the ability to specify whether or not to show
IP address and Location information as part of the entries in the list.  It
is recommended that the user enable the display of these parameters in the
Selection menu as it helps in identification.


OPTIONS

The options selection in the configurator's main menu allows the user to
customize the SNMP R/W community string, and the timeout/retry parameters for
SNMP commands.  In addition, the toolbar and status bar can be selected or
deselected as part of the options menu.

When modifying a community string, there are typically one of two primary
scenarios in mind.  The first is the case where the Access Points already
have a user specified community string, and the configurator must use
that community string to obtain SNMP information.  In this case, the
R/W community string is modified in the community string dialog box,
and the "Change community string on AP also" check box is left blank.

The second scenario occurs when a user wishes to change the R/W community
string on an Access Point itself.  In that case, the user makes a change
to the R/W Community field and checks the "Change community string on AP
also" check box.  This causes a change command to be sent to the AP, and the
configurator also changes its internal community string to keep in sync with
the Access Point.


HELP FILES

A help file is shipped with the configurator, this file is always being
improved upon and expanded.  It is suggested that you check the RoamAbout
web site, http://www.networks.digital.com/dr/wireless, once in a while for 
improved versions of the help file.


FEEDBACK

The configurator is meant to be a tool to help the users with the RoamAbout
wireless LAN products.  Should you have any suggestions for useful features 
or any other reason, feel free to send mail to "RoamAbout@lkg.dec.com".