DNA1720-3AAA07.

fm Page 1 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:28 PM

SUPERSTACK® 3 SWITCH 4400 SERIES

SOFTWARE VERSION 2.02
RELEASE NOTES
Please use these notes in conjunction with the following
documents: About This Software Version
■ “SuperStack 3 Switch Implementation Guide” The version 2.02 agent feature set is a compatible
Part number: DUA1720-3BAA01 superset of that provided by all previous versions of this
agent. This agent provides support for the following:
■ “SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 Getting Started Guide”
Part number: DUA1720-3AAA02 ■ SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 (24-port) (3C17203)

■ “SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 Series Management ■ SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 (48-port) (3C17204)
Quick Reference Guide”
Upgrading to Software Version 2.02
Part number: DQA1720-3AAA01
3Com strongly recommends that you upgrade all
■ “SuperStack 3 Switch Management Interface
Switch 4400 units (24-port and 48-port) which are
Reference Guide” (HTML format supplied on the
running a previous software agent to version 2.02
Switch CD-ROM)
software agent.
Part number: DHA1720-3AAA01
CAUTION: Network problems may occur if you do not
Software License Agreements upgrade all Switch 4400 units in a stack to version 2.02
software agent.
Before you use the software on the SuperStack 3 Switch
4400 Series CD-ROM, please ensure that you read the
license agreement text. You can find this text in the New Features
license.txt on the CD-ROM.
The version 2.x agent includes the following new
features:
■ Automatic IP Configuration — the Switch
attempts to configure itself by communicating with
address allocation servers on the network or by
selecting from a pool of addresses.

Part No. DNA1720-3AAA07

Published December 2001
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2 SUPERSTACK® 3 SWITCH 4400 SERIES SOFTWARE VERSION 2.02 RELEASE NOTES

■ Webcache Support — allows local storage

(caching) of frequently accessed web pages on a Enhancements and Fixes for Known Faults
3Com Webcache attached to your network. The following known faults in version 2.01 software
■ Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) — an agent have been fixed in the version 2.02 software
enhanced version of the Spanning Tree Protocol agent:
that allows faster determination of Spanning Tree ■ If Webcache Redirection and Spanning Tree are
topology throughout the bridged network. both enabled the Switch may not detect spanning
■ RMON Event Notification — you can receive tree state changes on aggregated links. This can
notification via email, SMS (Short Message cause one or more ingress ports in an aggregated
Service), or pager, of certain RMON events that link to discard HTTP traffic. This has been fixed in
occur. the version 2.02 software agent.
■ The Switch 4400 2.01 version number is incorrect
For a detailed description of each feature, please refer in the software agent header. If you use
to the Implementation Guide that accompanies your 3Com Network Supervisor to upgrade to version
Switch. 2.01, an upgrade failure will be reported even
The Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) is enabled by though the unit is successfully upgraded. This is
default in the version 2.x software agent. This may because of the discrepancy between the version
affect your existing network configuration. Use the information stored in the software agent header
Bridge > Spanning Tree > Setup operation in the Web and the Switch 4400 unit.
interface or the bridge spanningTree You can use 3Com Network Supervisor to upgrade
stpState CLI command to change this if necessary. to version 2.02 without experiencing this problem.
Spanning Tree Fast Start is enabled by default in the
version 2.x software agent. This may affect your Software Upgrades
existing network configuration. Use the
bridge port stpFastStart CLI command to How do I upgrade the Software on my Switch 4400?
change this if necessary.
To upgrade the software on the Switch 4400 do the
following:
1 Download the upgrade software for the Switch from
3Com’s Web site and run the (filename.exe)
executable file.
2 If necessary, download the TFTP server applications
into the management station.
DNA1720-3AAA07.fm Page 3 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:28 PM

Points to Note when using the Switch 4400 Series 3

3 Install the TFTP server (file name 3cs117.zip) on a a Two messages will appear, ‘Software Upgrade has
Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000 machine. begun’...and a Telnet message ‘connection to host
lost’.
4 Launch the TFTP server application.
b The entire time the upgrade is in process, the
5 Make sure the TFTP server is on.
Power/Self test LED will flash ON/OFF Green.
6 Point the Upload/Download default directory on the
c When the software upgrade is complete, the
TFTP server to the directory where the upgrade file is
Switch will reboot itself.
located.
7 Make sure the Switch being upgraded has an IP
address assigned to it. Points to Note when using the Switch 4400
8 Telnet to the Switch.
Series
a To Telnet to the Switch, click Start in Microsoft TFTP Upgrades
Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000 machine. Note that when initiating a TFTP upgrade using the
b Click Run. Web interface or CLI, if an incorrect TFTP server IP
address or software upgrade filename is entered you
c In the text area, type the Telnet IP address.
will not be able to correct the IP address or filename
d Click OK. until the TFTP upgrade operation has timed out. The
9 Press Enter to receive a login prompt.
default time out period is 5 minutes.

10 Log into the Switch management. You can avoid the 5 minute time out period by
initialising the unit or stack. Use the
a The default user login is admin.
system control initalize CLI command to
b There is no default password for admin (press do this if necessary.
Enter).
Configuring Link Aggregations
11 From the main menu, select System.
12 Select SoftwareUpgrade. When creating an aggregation between two systems
the ports in the aggregation must not be physically
13 Enter the IP address of the TFTP server connected to connected together until the aggregation has been
the Switch. correctly configured at both ends of the link. Failure
14 Enter the upgrade file name. to configure the aggregation at both ends before
physically connecting the ports can result in a number
of serious network issues such as lost packets and
network loops.
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4 SUPERSTACK® 3 SWITCH 4400 SERIES SOFTWARE VERSION 2.02 RELEASE NOTES

Stacking Units ■ Half-duplex flow control

Switch 4400 units can be stacked together and then 3Com recommends that all module configuration
treated as a single manageable unit with one IP parameters should be reviewed after an expansion
address. Any combination of 24-port and 48-port module has been replaced.
units is allowed in a single stack, as long as the total
number of front panel ports does not exceed the limit Adding Units to the Stack
of 192 ports.
3Com recommends that you initialize a Switch 4400
Roving Analysis unit that has previously been used elsewhere in your
network before you add it to an existing stack. If you
Roving analysis is supported in: do not initialize the unit, problems may be caused by
■ a standalone Switch 4400 (24-port) unit conflicting Switch configurations.
■ a single Switch 4400 (24-port) unit within a stack CD-ROM
of Switch 4400 units
When using the setup.exe that displays the splash
■ a standalone Switch 4400 (48-port) unit screen on the CD-ROM you may experience a
problem if you have an early version of virus checker
Roving analysis is not supported:
installed on your PC. If you experience this problem
■ across a stack of Switch 4400 units the following error is displayed when the
■ in a single Switch 4400 (48-port) unit within a setup.exe is activated:
stack of Switch 4400 units Application Error
Exception EResNotFound in
Replacing Expansion Modules Module 0DSCD.EXE at 0016:0B37
Resource TMainForm not found.
When an expansion module is replaced by another
module of a different type, the configuration of the You can either:
expansion module will not be completely reset to
■ Turn off your virus checking software whilst using
factory defaults. Specifically the following module
the CD-ROM
associated parameters will not be reset:
■ Static addresses or
■ Resilient links ■ Upgrade your virus checking software to the latest
■ IGMP router ports version.

■ Spanning Tree port data

DNA1720-3AAA07.fm Page 5 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:28 PM

Known Problems with the Management Software 5

Serial Cable upgrade has failed. This utility is available on the

When using a serial cable you must ensure that it is CD-ROM that accompanies your Switch. It replaces
wired correctly as described in Appendix B of the the Serial Update Utility.
Getting Started Guide.
Serial Update Utility
Telnet and HyperTerminal The Serial Update utility operates on a PC running the
DOS operating system or in a DOS box running under
Accessing the Command Line Interface via Telnet or Windows 95/98. The utility may not operate correctly
Windows HyperTerminal using TCP/IP may not work in a DOS box running under Windows 2000 or in
correctly on some platforms unless it has been other operating system environments.
configured to send line feeds with carriage returns. To
set this for Telnet enter set crlf when in command
mode. To set this for HyperTerminal click on the Known Problems with the Management
Settings tab in the Properties screen, click ASCII Software
Setup.. and ensure that Send line ends with line feeds
■ Half-duplex flow control (backjamming) cannot be
is checked within the ASCII Sending section.
enabled or disabled on a per port basis. If any port
You should not configure HyperTerminal in the above on a specific unit is reconfigured, all half-duplex
way if you are using a console cable to make a direct ports on that unit will be changed to the new
connection to the Switch. configuration.
■ IGMP querying is disabled by default due to
Serial Web Utility potential interoperability issues with core products
If the error "STARTWEB caused an invalid that do not follow the lowest IP address election
page fault in module ICMP.DLL......." is method. Refer to Chapter 3 “Using Multicast
displayed after launching the Serial Web Utility, you Filtering” of the Implementation Guide for more
need to obtain the icmp.dll file dated 14.10.1996 information about this method.
from Microsoft and copy it to your Windows System If you wish to run multicast sessions in a network
directory. that does not contain any IGMP routers (or
queriers), you can configure the Switch 4400 to
Software Update Utility
automatically negotiate with compatible devices
The Software Update Utility (SUU) is a Windows on VLAN 1 to become the querier. Use the
application used to serially update the software to the bridge multicastFilter igmp
Switch via the console port. The preferred method for queryMode CLI command. The Switch 4400 is
updating the software on the Switch is via a TFTP compatible with any device that conforms to the
upgrade. The SUU should only be used if a TFTP IGMP v2 protocol.
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6 SUPERSTACK® 3 SWITCH 4400 SERIES SOFTWARE VERSION 2.02 RELEASE NOTES

■ IP multicasts will only be forwarded within a VLAN 3Com recommends that you disable Webcache
if an IGMP router is present in that VLAN. Redirection on each unit before you upgrade the
stack and re-enable it when all of the units have
■ The Switch Database is not cleared for Aggregated
been upgraded. You can use the feature
Links on non-master units in a stack. If Spanning
cacheConfig disableCache CLI command or
Tree blocks a port then the Switch Database is
the System > Cache Config > Modify Cache Web
cleared so that a new entry can be learnt. In a
interface operation to disable Webcache
stack-wide Aggregated Link configuration that is
Redirection.
blocked, the Switch Database is only cleared on
one of the units in the stack. This means that Alternatively you can reset the entire stack after
traffic is not forwarded because it is sent down a the software upgrade has been completed.
blocked port. Loss of connectivity will occur until
■ When setting up a SLIP IP address and an IP
either the address is re-learnt against another port
address for the unit you must ensure that the
or the learned entries are removed (aged out) from
assigned IP addresses are different.
the Switch Database.
■ If you use Netscape to manage your Switch you
■ Auto-MDIX mode is not available if may experience problems when trying to change
auto-negotiation is disabled on a port. That port the user password.
will only operate in MDI mode.
3Com recommends that if you use Netscape and
■ If you disable autonegotiation via the CLI, the link you need to change the password you do so via
is not re-negotiated to the new port mode, which the CLI command. To do this from the Web
causes a duplex mismatch. interface Device View, use the System > Telnet >
■ If autonegotiation is disabed and the port mode is Connect operation to start a Telnet connection and
changed from 100 Mbps to 10Mbps, the link goes then use the security device user modify
down. CLI command.
■ If autonegotiation is disabled the port mode ■ If the error The previous command window
cannot be set to half duplex. This causes the port is still active is displayed when using the
to be permanently in full duplex mode when Web interface, you must close that window before
autonegotiation is disabled, regardless of what you can select another operation. You should then
setting is made in the CLI. press Reload (Netscape) or Refresh (Internet
Explorer) in your Web browser.
■ If Webcache Redirection is enabled and you
upgrade the software of the units in a stack, the
flow of HTTP traffic through the stack can be
blocked.
DNA1720-3AAA07.fm Page 7 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:28 PM

Known Incompatibility Issues 7

■ The Switch 4400 Web interface can only be The products listed above disable auto-negotiation
accessed by any of the following Web browsers: when a port is added to an aggregated link (trunk).
■ Microsoft Internet Explorer v4.0 In order for link aggregation (trunking) to work, ports
■ Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.0 at either end of an aggregated link (trunk) must be
identically configured. To resolve the incompatibility,
■ Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.5
you must complete the following steps:
■ Netscape Communicator v4.5
1 On any of the switches listed, you must disable TCMP
■ Netscape Communicator v4.6 on a trunk (aggregated link) that connects to a Switch
■ Netscape Communicator v4.7 4400 Series, as TCMP is not supported on the Switch
4400 Series.
■ The Switch 4400 Web interface can be accessed
on any of the following PC operating systems: 2 You must disable auto-negotiation on all ports on the
Switch 4400 Series that you want to place in an
■ Microsoft Windows 95
aggregated link before you place them in the
■ Microsoft Windows 98 aggregated link. This will result in 10/100 Mbps ports
■ Microsoft Windows NT v4.0 being set to half duplex mode. Gigabit and
100BASE-FX ports will be set to full duplex mode.
■ Microsoft Windows 2000
3 The Switch 4400 does not support the aggregation of
half duplex links. You must ensure that all 10/100
Known Incompatibility Issues ports that you want to aggregate are configured to
An incompatibility exists in the default settings for full duplex mode on both link partners.
Link Aggregation between the Switch 4400 and the Refer to the Management Interface Reference Guide
following 3Com products: on the CD-ROM that accompanies the
■ Switch 4007 Switch 4400 Series for more information about
configuring aggregated links.
■ Switch 3900
■ Switch 9300
■ CoreBuilder 9000 family
■ CoreBuilder 9400
■ CoreBuilder 3500
DNA1720-3AAA07.fm Page 8 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:28 PM

8 SUPERSTACK® 3 SWITCH 4400 SERIES SOFTWARE VERSION 2.02 RELEASE NOTES

3Com Network Supervisor Documentation Errors and Omissions

The CD-ROM contains 3Com Network Supervisor. SuperStack 3 Switch Implementation Guide
(DUA1720-3BAA01)
3Com Network Supervisor provides powerful yet Page 80
easy-to-use network management. Focused on the The first bullet point in the Important Considerations
needs of small to medium enterprises, it enables you list should read:
to manage your network more efficiently.
■ The Switch 4400 supports the SuperStack 3
To download the latest 3Com Network Supervisor Webcache 1000/3000.
and Service Pack please visit:
http://www.3com.com/tns/

For HP OpenView users the Superstack Switch 4400

series (and all other 3Com managed products) are
fully supported by the 3Com Integration Kit for HP
OpenView (3C15300).

Duplicated Switch 4400 Listings

If you have created a map containing Switch 4400
(48-port) units using 3Com Network Supervisor 3.0
and you re-open it after installing Service Pack 3, you
will see two Switch 4400 (48-port) units in the
Properties dialog and the Inventory report with the
same number.

To fix this run the Network Discovery tool on the map

to bring the database up to date, removing the
outdated SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 (48-port) entry. Copyright © 2001, 3Com Technologies. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United
States and may or may not be registered in other countries.
3Com and SuperStack are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. The 3Com logo
and CoreBuilder are trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Netscape Communicator is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications. Other
brand and product names may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their
respective holders.