Configuring PCs & Laptops


You can configure the global settings and interface settings on the PC or laptop with the Config tab. Additionally, the Desktop tab provides tools to configure IP settings, configure dial-up settings, use a terminal window, open a host command line interface, open a web browser, configure Linksys wireless settings, establish a VPN connection, generate PDUs, and issue SNMP requests.

 

Global Settings

In the global settings, you can change the Display Name of the PC or laptop. You may set the PC or laptop to either automatically obtain IPv4 or IPv6 configurations with DHCP or manually set the Gateway and DNS Server with Static. For IPv6, Auto Config will automatically configure the Gateway and DNS Server IP addresses.

 

Algorithm Settings

In the Algorithm Settings, you can override the global Algorithm Settings by unchecking Global Settings and then set your own values for the Maximum Number of Connections and Maximum Number of Opened Sessions.

 

Interface Configuration

PCs and laptops can support Ethernet (copper or fiber), modem, or wireless interfaces. In general, you can set the interface Port Status, Bandwidth, Duplex, MAC Address, IP Address, Subnet Mask, Link Local Address, and IPv6 Address. These options vary slightly for each interface type.

 

IP Configuration Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the IP Configuration icon to bring up this utility. If the PC or laptop is connected to a DHCP configured router or server, you can use DHCP to automatically obtain IP configurations. Otherwise, you may manually set IP configurations with Static.

 

Modem Dial-up Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the Dial-up icon to bring up this utility. You can establish a modem connection by connecting the PC or laptop to a cloud that is connected to a router. The cloud acts like a phone company between the PC or laptop and the router. Several conditions must be met before the connection can be successful:

 

If all the requirements are met, press the Dial button to make the call. The status line (as well as link lights) will tell you if the connection is successful. Note that you still must configure all relevant IP settings manually if you want to ping between the PC and the router. Use the Disconnect button to terminate the connection at any time.

 

Terminal Utility

If the PC or laptop is connected to a router or a switch via a console connection (via the RS 232 port on the PC), use the Terminal application to gain access to the CLI of the device. In the Desktop tab, click the Terminal icon to bring up this utility. Choose the appropriate port configuration parameters for the console session, and then click on the OK button. The Terminal window appears with the CLI of the device.

 

Command Prompt Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the Command Prompt button to bring up the command prompt. In the prompt, you can issue the following commands:

  • ?
  • arp
  • help
  • ipconfig
  • ipv6config
  • netstat
  • ping
  • snmpget
  • snmpgetbulk
  • snmpset
  • ssh
  • telnet
  • tracert

 

Web Browser Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the Web Browser button to bring up the web browser. The web browser allows you to access a server or the Linksys Web Configuration. If the PC or laptop is directly or indirectly connected to a server with HTTP service enabled, you can type in the domain name or IP address of the server to access the website on the server. If the PC or laptop is connected to a Linksys WRT300N wireless router, you can type in the IP address of the Linksys WRT300N wireless router to access the Linksys Web Configuration. A prompt will appear asking for user name and password (default admin for both user name and password).

 

PC Wireless Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the PC Wireless button to bring up the wireless client software. Note that the Linksys-WMP300N wireless hardware module is required for access. In the Linksys wireless client software, you can check Link Information to view wireless network status and statistics, Connect to any available Linksys wireless networks within range, and add/edit/delete Profiles to connect to wireless routers not broadcasting their SSID.

 

VPN Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the VPN button to bring up the VPN client utility that allows you to create a VPN connection to a VPN server. To create a VPN connection, enter the GroupName, Group Key, Host IP (Server IP), Username, Password, and then click on the Connect button. To disconnect the VPN connection, click on the Disconnect button.

 

Traffic Generator Utility

The Traffic Generator utility is similar in functionality to the Add Simple PDU and Add Complex PDU tool in the Common Tools Bar, but with some key differences. First of all, when you load a save file, packets are not sent automatically by the Traffic Generator. Another key difference is that the Traffic Generator is unable to send multiple PDUs simultaneously. Also, when you close the utility, packets will stop sending immediately.

Visually, the Traffic Generator is nearly identical to the Add Complex PDU dialog with several differences. Instead of a One Shot parameter, the Traffic Generator has a Single Shot option. There is no field to enter a time value to send the PDU as the PDU will be sent the moment you click on the Send button. As for the Periodic option, when you click on the Send button, the button will become a Stop button and the dialog will gray out. The Traffic Generator will then send a PDU at every interval that you entered. If you want to stop sending PDUs, click on the Stop button or close the utility.

PDUs generated by the Traffic Generator are not added to the User Created PDU Window. As such, if you want to see if the PDUs failed or were successful, you will need to view the PDU's status in Simulation Mode.

 

MIB Browser Utility

In the Desktop tab, click the MIB Browser button to issue SNMP requests to retrieve a router or switch's data or make changes to them. To set up the MIB Browser for SNMP requests, click on the Advanced button and set the Address, Port, Read Community, and Write Community that is configured on the router or switch. Afterwards, select the desired SNMP Version and click the OK button. The next step is to browse through the SNMP MIB tree and select the desired object instance (OID) for the router or switch. If you want to retrieve data, set Operations to either Get or Get Bulk and then click on the Go button. The data for the OID will be shown in the Result Table. If you want to change a writable OID, select Set in the Operations menu to reveal the SNMP Set dialog. In the SNMP Set dialog, select the appropriate Data Type for the OID, enter a Value, and then click the OK button. Lastly, click on the Go button in the main MIB Browser dialog to set the OID value.