1. Introduction
1.1. Overview
The wireless Dual-Radio Bridge-AP (
DRBAP
for short) is a multifunction device that has two inde-
pendently configurable IEEE 802.11g interfaces. Each IEEE 802.11g interface can be configured ei-
ther as an AP (Access Point) interface or a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. An AP interface enables
wireless clients to associate with this device for IEEE 802.11
infrastructure
applications and the
wireless clients can be authenticated by IEEE 802.1x/RADIUS. A LAN-to-LAN bridge interface en-
ables the device to connect to at most 6 other bridges wirelessly by the Wireless Distribution System
(WDS) technology.
With the sleek and intuitive Web-based user interface and Windows-based user interface (Wireless
Network Manager), an administrator can easily and clearly manage the dual-radio bridge-AP. With its
maximal versatility and ease-of-management, this device can satisfy system integrators’ various re-
quirements.
In Chapter 2, we describe the steps to install and configure a newly acquired DRBAP. Following the
steps, the DRBAP can be quickly set up to work. In Chapter 3, detailed explanation of each Web man-
agement page is given for you to understand how to fine-tune the settings of a DRBAP to meet his or
her specific needs. In addition to using Web-based management user interface to configure a DRBAP,
the Windows-based Wireless Network Manager can also be used to configure and monitor deployed
DRBAPs. See the on-line help of Wireless Network Manager for more information.
1.2. Features
IEEE 802.11g
Dual interfaces.
Each of the two IEEE 802.11g interfaces can be configured, according
to the operation mode, as an AP (Access Point) interface or a LAN-to-LAN bridge inter-
face.
Operational modes
Bridge Repeater
.
In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as
LAN-to-LAN bridge interfaces. A bridge repeater forwards packets between two
wireless LAN-to-LAN bridges. It’s possible to use multiple bridge repeaters between
two LAN-to-LAN bridges if the distance is very long.
AP Repeater.
In this mode, one WLAN interface is configured as an AP interface,
and the other is configured as a LAN-to-LAN bridge interface. The AP repeater is
suitable for situations in which Ethernet wiring between the AP and the network
backbone is impossible or costs highly.
Dual AP.
In this mode, both WLAN interfaces are configured as AP interfaces. The
dual AP can handle
twice
the number of wireless clients than a normal AP. It can be
treated as “two APs in a box.”
AP interface
Enabling/disabling SSID broadcasts.
The administrator can enable or disable
the SSID broadcasts functionality for security reasons. When the SSID broadcasts
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