3Com was an American company that manufactured computer network devices. The company started as a consulting firm that helped companies connect their computers. It developed and sold network switches, routers, wireless access points, and an assortment of wired computer products. 3Com, which stood for Computer Communication Compatibility, played a significant role in creating the internet and WiFi technology. When the company was built in 1979, its primary focus was Ethernet, a computer technology co-invented by 3Com’s founder Robert Metcalfe. Ethernet enables computing devices to communicate with each other over a wired network. The company went public in March 1984 after realizing multiple opportunities in the emerging personal computer market. It followed a successful run over the next few years. It continued to capitalize on this market with a series of acquisitions and mergers, including one with Bridge Communications in 1987. In 1997, 3Com merged with USRobotics, which was famous for its dial-up modems. However, this move did not bear much fruit as the modem market began to shrink shortly afterward. 3Com investors sued the company for $259 million for concealing the actual value of the market at the time of the merger. 3Com dropped the Local Access Network (LAN) division in 2003, relenting a large portion of the market share to a rival company, CISCO. The company experienced a slow decline over the next seven years. But in 2007, 3Com fully gained full ownership of H3C Technologies Co. after years of sharing it 50-50 with Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies. This acquisition rebranded 3Com and expanded its footprint into the Chinese market, contributing to half of its sales in 2009. In addition, over 300 large corporations in China were using 3Com’s technology in their day-to-day operations. However, the expansion wasn’t enough to revive the company. 3Com was acquired for $2.7 billion in April 2010 by American tech giant Hewlett-Packard. Their product portfolio at the time included network switches, WAN routers, IP voice systems, and network switches. 3Com now operates under HP’s Aruba Network division.
With such a rich history, it’s no wonder the company has so many products out there, from new to used. Finding the right documentation can be difficult, especially in the English language. This is the reason why we opened up a section dedicated to 3Com User Manuals, where you can view or download each PDF.