Configuring a Small Business's Routing, Switching, Wireless, Security, and Voice Network with a Single, Easy-to-Use Tool
Cisco® Configuration Assistant simplifies the task of configuring, deploying, and administering Cisco small business network solutions. Designed specifically for small business networks serving up to 100 users, this PC-based application with a simple graphical user interface (GUI) that allows you to discover and configure Cisco Smart Business Communications System (SBCS) platforms. (For a full list of platforms supported, refer to Table 1.) After the network is deployed, Cisco Configuration Assistant can synchronize network configuration settings, provide troubleshooting tools, and present the real-time status of all of the Cisco small business devices in the network. Together, these capabilities substantially reduce the time the system administrator must devote to deploying and configuring the network.
A Comprehensive Communications Solution
Cisco Configuration Assistant provides comprehensive configuration, deployment, and ongoing network management support by the system administrator for the entire line of products in the Cisco SBCS. For a full list of supported features, refer to the SBCS 1.6 Feature Reference Guide.
• Setup wizards: Cisco Configuration Assistant 2.1 includes an easy-to-use telephony setup wizard that allows users to configure IP addressing functions such as the WAN IP address and the voice and data VLAN IP address. The wizard also adds configuration options for automated attendant, business schedules, localization, inbound and outbound dial plans, users and phones, and call blast and hunt groups.
The wireless voice setup wizard provides trouble-free setup for wireless LAN security and quality of service (QoS) for the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series, Cisco 521 Wireless Express Access Point, and Cisco SPA525G wireless IP phone.
• Voice configuration: Cisco Configuration Assistant can interact with and configure key voice applications and devices. Simply access the telephony services through the phone icon on the Cisco Configuration Assistant dashboard to easily set up and configure the phone system's users and phones. Cisco Configuration Assistant 2.1 adds support for multisite configuration, allowing a maximum of five Cisco Unified Communications 500 sites to be networked together in a full-mesh data and voice virtual private network (VPN).
• Security configuration: Cisco Configuration Assistant allows users to activate the most commonly used Cisco software security features, including Network Address Translation (NAT) and firewalls. The tool can also configure the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series as a VPN server or the Cisco 500 Series Secure Router as a VPN client.
In addition, Cisco Configuration Assistant supports advanced security functions such as SSL VPN, intrusion prevention, URL filtering, and voice over IP (VoIP) pass-through on the Cisco 500 Series Secure Routers.
• Switch configuration: Cisco Configuration Assistant provides a quick and easy way to configure LAN ports on the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series and the Cisco Catalyst® Express and ESW 500 Series Switches. The tool enables dynamic VLAN assignment of voice and data traffic and simplifies activation of QoS, security, and Power over Ethernet (PoE) features. The Smartports feature in Cisco Configuration Assistant allows each switch port to be customized to match the device that is connected, whether it is an IP phone, PC, access point, router, or LAN switch.
Features and Benefits
Cisco Configuration Assistant provides the following features and benefits:
• Multiple network views: Users can view the status of devices and monitor the network from three perspectives: the System Dashboard, Topology View, or Front Panel View. The System Dashboard (Figure 1) is an intuitive, Adobe Flash® based view for displaying common system metrics. The System Dashboard comes with a drag-and-drop palette that allows you to select which metrics to show or hide. Displayable metrics include system status; event notifications; and CPU, memory, PoE, flash, and voicemail storage utilization.
Figure 1. System Dashboard in Cisco Configuration Assistant
• Network synchronization: This feature detects inconsistent settings in the network, such as VLAN mismatches, incorrect time settings, and problems with security policies. Working with the Troubleshooting Advisor, users can easily detect and fix these inconsistencies. Error notification messages also appear on the System Dashboard.
• Simplified troubleshooting: Cisco Configuration Assistant can consolidate all the system logs required into a single archive with one button press. This archive can be sent to Cisco technical support for troubleshooting. For troubleshooting basic network connectivity, Cisco Configuration Assistant supports common utilities such as ping and traceroute, which can be run from a Cisco SBCS device. For the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series, Cisco Configuration Assistant also supports voice diagnostics for testing inbound and outbound dial plans, without the need to make test calls from an IP phone.
For advanced troubleshooting, Cisco Configuration Assistant can enable commonly used Cisco IOS® Software debug commands and include the output from these commands in the troubleshooting log, which can be sent to Cisco technical support for further troubleshooting.
Supported Devices
Tables 1 and 2 list devices supported by Cisco Configuration Assistant.
Table 1. Cisco Unified IP Phones Supported by Cisco Configuration Assistant 2.1
Cisco Unified IP Phones
Cisco Unified IP phones 7900 Series: 7906G, 7911G, 7931G, 7940G, 7941G, 7941G-GE, 7942G, 7945G, 7960G, 7961G, 7961G-GE, 7962G, 7965G, 7970G, 7971G-GE, 7975G, Cisco Unified IP Conference Station 7936 and 7937G; Cisco Unified IP Phone Expansion Module 7914, 7915, and 7916 and Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G and 7925G
Cisco SPA 500 Series IP phones: SPA 501G, SPA 502G, SPA 504G, SPA 508G, SPA 509G, and the SPA 525G wireless IP phone.
Cisco IP Communicator: Cisco Unified Video Advantage, Cisco ATA 186 Analog Telephone Adapter.
Table 2. Platforms supported by Cisco Configuration Assistant 2.1
Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business
UC540W-4FXO-K9
• UC platform with 4 public switched telephone network (PSTN) trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 virtual interface card (VIC) slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point Feature licenses for call control, voicemail, and Cisco Unified IP Phones. PAK license upgrade supported
UC540W-2BRI-K9
• UC platform with 2 Basic Rate Interface (BRI) trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 virtual interface card (VIC) slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point Feature licenses for call control, voicemail, and Cisco Unified IP Phones. PAK license upgrade supported
UC520-8U-4FXO-K9
• 8-user configuration with 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 virtual interface card (VIC) slot for expansion
UC520-8U-4FXO-K9
• 8-user configuration with 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 virtual interface card (VIC) slot for expansion
UC520-8U-2BRI-K9
• 8-user configuration with 2 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-16U-4FXO-K9
• 16-user configuration with 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-16U-2BRI-K9
• 16-user configuration with 2 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520W-8U-4XFO-K9
• 8-user configuration with 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point
UC520W-8U-2BRI-K9
• 8-user configuration with 2 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point
UC520W-16U-4FXO-K9
• 16-user configuration with 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point
UC520W-16U-2BRI-K9
• 16-user configuration with 2 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
• Integrated Wi-Fi Access Point
UC520-24U-8FXO-K9
• 24-user configuration with 8 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-24U-4BRI-K9
• 24-user configuration with 4 BRI trunks (BRI), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-32U-8FXO-K9
• 32-user configuration with 8 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-32U-4BRI-K9
• 32-user configuration with 4 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-48U-T/E/F-K9
• 48-user configuration with T1/E1 voice interface, 4 PSTN trunks (FXO), 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
UC520-48U-T/E/B-K9
• 48-user configuration with T1/E1 voice interface, 2 BRI trunks, 4 analog ports (FXS), 8 PoE ports, 1 VIC slot for expansion
Cisco 520 Series Secure Routers
SR520-FE-K9
Secure router with Fast Ethernet
SR520-ADSL-K9
Secure router with asymmetric DSL (ADSL) over basic telephone service
SR520-ADSLI-K9
Secure router with ADSL over ISDN
SR520W-FE-K9
Secure router with Fast Ethernet and 802.11g radio
SR520W-ADSL-K9
Secure router with ADSL over basic telephone service and 802.11g radio
SR520W-ADSLI-K9
Secure router with ADSL over ISDN and 802.11g radio
SR500-T1-K9
Secure router with T1
Voice Interface Cards
VIC3-2FXS/DID
2-port FXS voice/fax interface card
VIC-4FXS/DID
4-port FXS voice/fax interface card
VIC3-4FXS/DID
4-port FXS voice/fax interface card
VIC2-2FXO
2-port FXO voice/fax interface card
VIC2-4FXO
4-port FXO voice/fax interface card
VWIC2-1MFT-T1/E1
T1/E1 voice interface card
VIC2-2BRI-NT/TE
2-port BRI voice/fax interface card
Cisco Mobility Express Solution
AIR-AP521G-A-K9
AIR-AP521G-E-K9
AIR-AP521G-P-K9
Cisco 521 Wireless Express Access Point (Cisco IOS Software)
Eight 10/100 access ports with PoE and one 10/100/1000BASE-T or Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) uplink
WS-CE520-24TT-K9
Twenty-four 10/100 access ports and two 10/100/1000BASE-T uplinks
WS-CE520-24LC-K9
Twenty 10/100 access ports, four 10/100 access ports with PoE ports, and two 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP uplinks
WS-CE520-24PC-K9
Twenty-four 10/100 access ports with PoE and two 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP uplinks
WS-CE520G-24TC-K9
Twenty-four 10/100/1000BASE-T ports and two 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP uplinks
Cisco Small Business Pro ESW 500 Series Switches
ESW-520-24-K9
Twenty-four 10/100BASE-T ports
ESW-520-24P-K9
Twenty-four 10/100BASE-T PoE ports
ESW-520-48-K9
Forty-eight 10/100BASE-T ports
ESW-520-48P-K9
Forty-eight 10/100BASE-T PoE ports
ESW-540-24-K9
Twenty-four 10/100/1000BASE-T ports
ESW-540-24P-K9
Twenty-four 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE ports
ESW-540-48-K9
Forty-eight 10/100/1000BASE-T ports
Maximum Supported Devices
Cisco Configuration Assistant supports up to 25 non-IP phone devices in a small office network, including:
• Combination of five Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series or Cisco 500 Series Secure Routers
• 10 autonomous wireless access points
• Two wireless controllers
The number of Cisco Unified IP Phones supported depends on the user license capacity of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series and the available switch ports in the network.
System Requirements
Table 3 describes the minimum system requirements for Cisco Configuration Assistant.
Table 3. Cisco Configuration Assistant 2.1 Minimum System Requirements
System Requirements
Operating systems
Windows: Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 1 or later) or Windows Vista Ultimate Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, with Adobe Flash Player 10 or later
• Guest OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Windows Vista Ultimate. Cisco Configuration Assistant also supports remote control via Virtual Network Computing (VNC) clients
