LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY

By this limited Power of Attorney, the undersigned
hereby constitutes and appoints Mark D. Michael,
Julie Powell, Karen Zimlinghaus or Stacy Romain-Bishop,
acting jointly or severally, his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

(1)	 execute for and on behalf of the undersigned
a Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Form 3
initial statement of beneficial ownership or Form 4
indicating any changes in the undersigned's beneficial
ownership of 3Com Corporation common stock reportable
on such form;

(2)	execute for and on behalf of the undersigned a
SEC Form 5 indicating any changes in the undersigned's
beneficial ownership of 3Com Corporation common stock
reportable on such form for the fiscal year in which
such change occurs;

(3)	do and perform any and all acts for and on
behalf of the undersigned which may be necessary or
desirable to complete the execution of any such
Form 3, Form 4, or Form 5 and the timely filing of
such forms with the SEC and any other appropriate
entity or authority; and (4)	take any other
action of any type whatsoever in connection with
the foregoing which, in the opinion of such
attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the
best interest of, or legally required by, the
undersigned, it being understood that the documents
executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned, pursuant to this Limited Power of
Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain
such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact
may approve in his discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such
attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and
perform all and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary and proper to be done in the
exercise of any of the rights and powers herein
granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or do if personally present, with
full power of substitution or revocation, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact or his substitute or substitutes,
shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of
this Limited Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.

Unless terminated in writing by the undersigned, the
authority granted under this Limited Power of Attorney
 shall expire at such time as the undersigned ceases
to be an affiliate of 3Com Corporation.

IN WITHNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this
Limited Power of Attorney to be executed as of
this 14 day of July, 2003.

/s/ Nick Ganio
_______________________
Signature

Nick Ganio
_______________________
Print Name