3com WX2200 3CRWX220095A User Manual

C

HAPTER

 5: C

ONFIGURING

 

AND

 M

ANAGING

 P

ORTS

 

AND

 VLAN

S

VLANs are not configured on MAP access ports or wired authentication 
ports, because the VLAN membership of these types of ports is 
determined dynamically through the authentication and authorization 
process. Users who require authentication connect through WX switch 
ports that are configured for MAPs or wired authentication access. Users 
are assigned to VLANs automatically through authentication and 
authorization mechanisms such as 802.1X. 

By default, none of a WX switch’s ports are in VLANs. A switch cannot 
forward traffic on the network until you configure VLANs and add 
network ports to those VLANs. 

A wireless client cannot join a VLAN if the physical network ports on the 
WX switch in the VLAN are down. However, a wireless client that is 
already in a VLAN whose physical network ports go down remains in the 
VLAN even though the VLAN is down. 

Generally, VLANs are equivalent to IP subnets. If a WX switch is 
connected to the network by only one IP subnet, the switch must have at 
least one VLAN configured. Optionally, each VLAN can have its own IP 
address. However, no two IP addresses on the switch can belong to the 
same IP subnet. 

You must assign the system IP address to one of the VLANs, for 
communications between WX switches and for unsolicited 
communications such as SNMP traps and RADIUS accounting messages. 
Any IP address configured on a WX switch can be used for management 
access unless explicitly restricted. (For more information about the system 
IP address, see Chapter 6, “Configuring and Managing IP Interfaces and 
Services,” on page 103.)

When a user successfully authenticates to the network, the user is 
assigned to a specific VLAN. A user remains associated with the same 
VLAN throughout the user’s session on the network, even when roaming 
from one WX switch to another within the Mobility Domain.