Planet Technology SGSW-24040R, WGSW-24040R Management Access Overview, Administration Console

User’s Manual of WGSW-24040 / WGSW-24040R

SGSW-24040 / SGSW-24040R

3.2 Management Access Overview

The Managed Switch gives you the flexibility to access and manage it using any or all of the following methods:

„An administration console

„Web browser interface

„An external SNMP-based network management application

The administration console and Web browser interface support are embedded in the Managed Switch software and are available for immediate use. Each of these management methods has their own advantages. Table 3-1 compares the three management methods.

Method		Advantages	Disadvantages
Console	•	No IP address or subnet needed	• Must be near switch or use dial-up connection
	•	Text-based	• Not convenient for remote users
	•	Telnet functionality and HyperTerminal	• Modem connection may prove to be unreliable
		built into Windows	or slow
		95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP operating
		systems
	•	Secure
Web Browser	•	Ideal for configuring the switch remotely	• Security can be compromised (hackers need
	•	Compatible with all popular browsers	only know the IP address and subnet mask)
	•	Can be accessed from any location	• May encounter lag times on poor connections
	•	Most visually appealing
SNMP Agent	•	Communicates with switch functions at	• Requires SNMP manager software
		the MIB level	• Least visually appealing of all three methods
	•	Based on open standards	• Some settings require calculations
			• Security can be compromised (hackers need
			only know the community name)
		Table 3-1Management Methods Comparison

3.3 Administration Console

The administration console is an internal, character-oriented, and command line user interface for performing system administration such as displaying statistics or changing option settings. Using this method, you can view the administration console from a terminal, personal computer, Apple Macintosh, or workstation connected to the switch's console (serial) port. There are two ways to use this management method: via direct access or modem port access. The following sections describe these methods. For more information about using the console, refer to Chapter 5 Command Line Interface Console Management.

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