3Com 4200G Getting Started Manual page 41

IP Configuration You can use one of the following methods to configure IP information for
your switch. This is essential if you wish to manage your switch across the
network.
Manual IP Configuration
When you configure the IP information, the switch retains the
information that you enter until you change it again. You should use the
Manual IP configuration method if:
you do not have a DHCP or BootP server on your network.
■
you want to remove the risk of the IP address ever changing.
■
your DHCP or BootP server does not allow you to allocate static IP
■
addresses. (Static IP addresses are necessary to ensure that the switch
is always assigned the same IP information.)
For most installations, 3Com recommends that you manually configure
the switch's IP information. 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, follow the instructions
in "Manually Configuring IP Information" on page 42.
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. Most DHCP servers allow you to configure
static IP addresses so that you know what IP address will be allocated to
the switch. Refer to the documentation that accompanies your DHCP
server.
For a detailed description of how automatic IP configuration operates on
the Switch 4200G, refer to the Configuration Guide available in PDF
format on 3Com's Web site at www.3com.com.
Setting Up Your Switch 41