10/10/03
Airespace Switch and Appliance Features
90-100584-004
Airespace Product Guide
28
Airespace Switch and Appliance Features
Airespace Switch and Appliance Features
Because Airespace Wireless Switches and WLAN Appliances perform most of the processes normally
performed by SOHO Access Points, it can reduce the amount of inter-AP traffic on the wired backbone
network when used in
. When operated in
, Airespace Switches and
Appliances connect to the associated Airespace APs through the switched network. When deployed in
, Airespace Wireless Switches simultaneously communicate with their associated APs
through their front-panel ports as well as through the switched network.
Note that the 4101 and 4102 Airespace WLAN Appliances are designed to operate exclusively in
. As such, they are limited to controlling
. However the operator
can use
Airespace Control System Software
as a gateway to independently detect and manage
After each Airespace Switch or Appliance is installed and configured, the AireOS
is activated, and the AireOS manages and controls associated Airespace APs and/or
third-party APs (
only), with information about their relative positions, IP
Addresses, and MAC addresses. This information allows all Airespace Switches and Appliances within
each
to constantly monitor and dynamically adjust the RF environment, maxi-
mizing performance, minimizing interference, and distributing the client load.
When operated in
, the 4012 or 4024 Airespace Wireless Switches communicate
directly with Airespace APs and third-party APs via 10/100Base-T Ethernet cables.
When operated in
, the 4012 and 4024 Airespace Wireless Switches communicate with
Airespace APs via 10/100Base-T Ethernet or 1000Base-T or 1000Base-SX cables through the switched
network.
When operated in
, the 4101 and 4102 Airespace WLAN Appliances communicate with
Airespace APs via 1000Base-SX cables through the switched network. Note that the 4102 Airespace
WLAN Appliance uses two redundant GigE connections to bypass single network failures. At any given
time one of the 4102 Airespace WLAN Appliance GigE connections is active and the other is passive.
Upon a switched network failure, the active connection becomes passive, and the passive connection
becomes active.
The 4012 or 4024 Airespace Wireless Switches communicate with switched network via front-panel 10/
100Base-T Ethernet Port 1, or via a 1000Base-T or 1000Base-SX Network Port. The 4101 or 4102
Airespace WLAN Appliances communicate with switched network via one (4101) or two (4102)
1000Base-SX Network Ports: the 4102 Airespace WLAN Appliance uses two redundant GigE connec-
tions to bypass single network failures.
Regardless of operating mode, the network operator can control the Airespace Switches and Appliances
with the following AireOS management interfaces:
•
Airespace Control System Software
(ACS Software Server) inband or out-of-band
via an 10/100Base-T Service/Management Port (recommended), or via the switched network.
•
With the built-in
Airespace Command Line Interface
via a serial RS232-C Console Port (direct
connection), or via the switched network (Telnet connection).
•
With the built-in
Airespace Web Browser Interface
via a dedicated 10/100Base-T Service/
Management Port (recommended), or via the switched network, using either http or https (http
+ SSL).
Refer to the following for more information about the Airespace Switches and Appliances:
•
Airespace Switch and Appliance Model Numbers
•
•
•
