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Q. What is Cisco® Network Assistant?
A. Cisco Network Assistant is a PC-based network management application for wired and wireless LANs for growing businesses with up to 40 or fewer switches and routers. It uses Cisco Smartports technology to offer centralized network management and configuration to simplify deployment and ongoing maintenance.
Q. What are the system requirements for Cisco Network Assistant?
A. Cisco Network Assistant 5.0 requires the following at minimum:
• Pentium III-based IBM PC or compatible computer
• Memory requirement: 256 MB DRAM (1 GB DRAM recommended)
• Minimum screen resolution is 1024x768
• Windows XP (Service Pack 1 or later) or Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3 or later)
• Windows Server
Q. Can Cisco Network Assistant function under any other operating systems
(UNIX, Linux, or Mac OS)?
(UNIX, Linux, or Mac OS)?
A. No, Cisco Network Assistant only runs under Microsoft Windows.
Q. Does Cisco Network Assistant 5.0 have any performance enhancements?
A. Yes. Launching Cisco Network Assistant, device discovery, Smartports propagation, and multiple-port configuration propagation speeds have all been enhanced.
Q. How much does Cisco Network Assistant 5.0 cost?
A. Cisco Network Assistant is available at no charge.
Q. How do I get Cisco Network Assistant 5.0?
A. You can download Cisco Network Assistant at www.cisco.com/go/cna. If you already have Cisco Network Assistant 4.0 installed on your PC, you can upgrade to the 5.0 version through the Dynamic Application Update function embedded in the application. You can access this feature through Application -> Application Updates.
Q. Do I need to be a registered Cisco.com user to download Cisco
Network Assistant?
Network Assistant?
A. Yes, but registration is free and only takes a few minutes. See details at http://www.cisco.com/go/cna.
Q. Can Cisco Network Assistant manage a multiple-vendor network?
A. No, Cisco Network Assistant exclusively manages Cisco devices.
Q. Do I need networking experience to use Cisco Network Assistant?
A. Although Cisco Network Assistant is a simple, intuitive, GUI-based application, relevant knowledge of the networking principles will help you get the most out of the application.
Q. Does Cisco Network Assistant 5.0 manage only the Cisco Catalyst® Express 500 Series Switches?
A. No, Version 5.0 also manages a variety of Cisco Catalyst switches, including the new Cisco Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E Series Switches, wireless access points, integrated services routers, and IP phones. For a complete list of supported devices, see the data sheet at http://www.cisco.com/go/cna.
Q. When I plug in a new device on my Cisco Network Assistant-supported platform, why do I not see it on the Cisco Network Assistant topology view?
A. The polling interval can range from 3 to 30 minutes. You can change the polling interval using the Preferences menu. However, to see the devices immediately, you need to click the refresh button on the top toolbar.
Q. How do I add security to my access point?
A. You can add security to your access point by clicking Configure -> Wireless -> Secure-Wireless. The wizard will guide you through the process of configuring security. You can also use online help if you have additional questions.
Q. Am I required to create a Cisco voice VLAN for IP phones?
A. No. A voice VLAN is not required, but creating one will provide better voice quality and allow the prevention of any device that is not a voice device from entering the voice VLAN.
Q. What are the differences between Cisco Network Assistant 4.0 and 5.0?
A. You can see a list of the new features in Cisco Network Assistant by going to
Help->What's New?
Help->What's New?
Q. How do I make the alerts go away?
A. To access the alerts, click the alert icon in the lower-right corner of Cisco Network Assistant. When the dialog box appears, click the alert to read about the problem. Next, click Resolve for instructions about how to fix the problem. Cisco Network Assistant is a dynamic management tool; as soon as the issue is fixed, the alert will disappear. Another option is to acknowledge the notifications.
Q. Can I apply Smartports to devices other than switches in my network?
A. No. Smartports can only be applied to switch ports to support any of the roles provided.
Q. What Smartports roles are supported in Cisco Network Assistant 5.0?
A. Cisco Network Assistant 5.0 supports Wireless Access Point, IP Phone, Switch, Router, Desktop + IP Phone, Server, Diagnostics, Guest, and Other Smartports roles. Server, Printer, Guest, Diagnostics, and Other are only supported on the Cisco Catalyst Express 500 Series.