AMX NXA-WAPZD1000, Operation/Reference Manual, Page: 134 / 154

Deploying a Smart Mesh Network
130 NXA-WAPZD1000 ZoneDirector Smart WLAN Controller
Deploying a Wireless Mesh via the NXA-WAPZD1000
Deploying a wireless mesh via an NXA-WAPZD1000 involves the following steps:

Step 1: Prepare for Wireless Mesh Deployment

Step 2: Enable Mesh Capability on the NXA-WAPZD1000

Step 3: Provision and Deploy Mesh Nodes

Step 4: Verify That the Wireless Mesh Network Is Up
Step 1: Prepare for Wireless Mesh Deployment
Before starting with your wireless mesh deployment, performing a number of tasks that can help ensure a
smooth deployment is highly recommended.

Ensure that the APs that will form the mesh are of the same radio type.
- 802.11g APs can only mesh with other 11g APs.
- Single band 11n APs can only mesh with other single band 11n APs.
- Dual band 11n APs can only mesh with other dual band 11n APs.

Plan Your Wireless Mesh Network - Survey your deployment site, decide on the number of APs
that you will deploy (including the number of Root APs and Mesh APs), and then create a simple
sketch of where you will deploy each Root AP and Mesh AP. Remember that Root APs need to be
connected to the NXA-WAPZD1000 via their Ethernet ports. Make sure that the Root AP locations
can be wired easily, if cabling is not yet available.

Make Sure That Your Access Points Support Mesh Networking - Verify that the access points that
you are planning to include in your wireless mesh network all provide mesh capability. Note that
only firmware versions 6.0.0.0.* and later (for both the NXA-WAP1000 and the NXA-
WAPZD1000) support mesh networking.

Enable Auto Approval - If you do not want to have to manually approve the join requests from each
mesh AP when they start forming the wireless mesh, you can enable Auto Approval. For
instructions on how to enable Auto Approval, please refer to the Adding New Access Points to the
WLAN section on page 69.
Step 2: Enable Mesh Capability on the NXA-WAPZD1000
If you did not enable mesh capability on the NXA-WAPZD1000 when you completed the Setup Wizard, you
can enable it on the Configure > Mesh screen (page 95).
Step 3: Provision and Deploy Mesh Nodes
In this step, you will connect each AP to the same wired network as the NXA-WAPZD1000 to provision it
with mesh-related settings. After you complete provisioning an AP, you must reboot it for the mesh-related
settings to take effect.
To provision and deploy a mesh node:
1.
Using one of the AP's Ethernet ports, connect it to the same wired network to which the NXA-
WAPZD1000 is connected, and then power it on. The AP detects the NXA-WAPZD1000 and sends a join
request.
2.
If Auto Approval is enabled, continue to Step 3. If Auto Approval is disabled, log into the NXA-
WAPZD1000, check the list of currently active access points for the AP that you are attempting to
provision, and then click the corresponding Allow link to approve the join request. For detailed
procedures on approving join requests, please refer to the Verifying/Approving New APs section on
page 69.
3.
After the AP has been provisioned, disconnect it from the wired network, unplug the power cable, and
then move the device to its deployment location.

If you want the AP to be a Root AP, reconnect it to the wired network using one of its Ethernet
ports, and then power it on. When the AP detects the NXA-WAPZD1000 again through its Ethernet
port, it will set itself as a Root AP, and then it will start accepting mesh association requests from
Mesh APs.

If you want the AP to be a Mesh AP, power it on but do not reconnect it to the wired network. When
it does not detect the NXA-WAPZD1000 through its Ethernet port within 90 seconds, it will search
for other Root APs or Mesh APs and, once mesh neighbor relationships are established, form a
mesh tree.