Copyright 2016. Cambium Networks Inc. All rights reserved.
2
Table of Contents
OVERVIEW
2
CONFIGURATION
2
M
ESH
WLAN
4
M
ESH
S
ECURITY
4
VLAN
S
4
R
ADIOS
4
STATUS
5
Overview
cnPilot Enterprise series of WiFi access points support wireless mesh allowing the
user to easily extend the range of their network and to cover areas where a cable
run might be hard to do. Users can also mix and match device types, so a link is also
allowed between a cnPilot E400 AP and an ePMP1000 Hotspot. Mesh support was
added in software version 2.0.
Mesh links form between two radios at a time: a radio configured as a
base
will
operate like a normal AP right after it comes up. Ie. Its radio will beacon on startup
so its SSID can be seen by radios configured as mesh
clients.
The mesh-client radios
will scan all available channels on startup, looking for a base AP to connect with. The
base and client APs identify each other by a common SSID configured on both the
devices. When a base is detected, the client will associate with the base just as a
regular wireless client would. Once the association and any security handshake (for
instance with WPA2) completes, the APs start bridging packets across that link.
A radio that is configured for mesh can still service clients at the same time, the radio
does not have to be dedicated to mesh. Up to 5 such client radios can connect to a
base radio.
Configuration
Mesh configuration is done in the Wireless-LAN context. When the user selects a
WLAN, one of the configuration items there is ‘Mesh’ which defaults to
Off
but can
be configured to one of
Base
or
Client.
The radio where this WLAN is mapped would
then act accordingly as a base or a client.
