Mesh Deployment Planning

The following considerations are recommended when planning and deploying a mesh solution:

• Pre-Deployment Considerations

• Outdoor-Specific Deployment Considerations

• Configuration Considerations

• Post-Deployment Considerations

• Dual-Port AP Considerations

Pre-Deployment Considerations

• Stage the APs before deployment. Identify the location of the APs, configure them for mesh, provision them, and verify connectivity before physically deploying the mesh APs in a live network.
• Ensure the Mobility Conductor has Layer-2 or Layer-3 network connectivity to the network segment where you plan to install the mesh portal.
• Keep the AP packaging materials and reuse them to send the APs to the installation location.
• Verify the layout of the physical location to determine the appropriate configuration and placement of the APs. Use this information to avoid problems that would necessitate a physical recovery.
• Label the AP before sending it to the physical location for installation.

Outdoor-Specific Deployment Considerations

• Provision the AP with the latitude and longitude coordinates of the installation location. This allows you to more easily identify the AP for inventory and troubleshooting purposes.
• Identify a radio line of sight between the antennas for optimum performance. The radio line of sight involves the area along a link through which the bulk of the radio signal power travels.
• Identify the minimum antenna height required to ensure a reliable mesh link.
• Scan your proposed site to avoid radio interference caused by other radio transmissions using the same or an adjacent frequency.
• Consider extreme weather conditions known to affect your location, including temperature, wind velocity, lightning, rain, snow, and ice.
• Allow for seasonal variations, such as growth of foliage.

For more detailed outdoor deployment information, refer to the installation guide that came with your outdoor AP.

Configuration Considerations

• On dual-radio APs, you can configure only one of the radio for mesh. If you want a dual-radio AP to carry mesh backhaul traffic and client services traffic on separate radios, it is recommended to use 802.11a 802.11a provides specifications for wireless systems. Networks using 802.11a operate at radio frequencies in the 5 GHz band. The specification uses a modulation scheme known as orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) that is especially well suited to use in office settings. The maximum data transfer rate is 54 Mbps. radios for mesh-backhaul traffic and 802.11g 802.11g offers transmission over relatively short distances at up to 54 Mbps, compared with the 11 Mbps theoretical maximum of 802.11b standard. 802.11g employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), the modulation scheme used in 802.11a, to obtain higher data speed. Computers or terminals set up for 802.11g can fall back to speed of 11 Mbps, so that 802.11b and 802.11g devices can be compatible within a single network. radios for traditional WLAN Wireless Local Area Network. WLAN is a 802.11 standards-based LAN that the users access through a wireless connection. access.
• If you configure more than one mesh node in the same VLAN Virtual Local Area Network. In computer networking, a single Layer 2 network may be partitioned to create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated so that packets can only pass between them through one or more routers; such a domain is referred to as a Virtual Local Area Network, Virtual LAN, or VLAN., prevent network loops by enabling STP Spanning Tree Protocol. STP is a network protocol that builds a logical loop-free topology for Ethernet networks. on the Layer-2 switch used to connect the mesh nodes.
• Mesh nodes learn a maximum of 1024 source MAC Media Access Control. A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on a network. addresses; this cannot be changed.
• Place all APs for a specific mesh cluster in the same AP group.
• Create and keep separate mesh cluster profiles for specific mesh clusters. Do not overwrite or delete the cluster profiles.
• Enable bridging on mesh point Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. ports when deploying LAN Local Area Network. A LAN is a network of connected devices within a distinct geographic area such as an office or a commercial establishment and share a common communications line or wireless link to a server. bridging solutions.
• APs configured as mesh points support secure jack operation on Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 0. APs with multiple Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. ports configured as mesh portals support secure jack operation on Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1. If an AP with multiple Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. ports is configured as a mesh point, it supports secure jack operation on Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1 and Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 0.
• Mesh networks forward tagged or untagged VLAN Virtual Local Area Network. In computer networking, a single Layer 2 network may be partitioned to create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated so that packets can only pass between them through one or more routers; such a domain is referred to as a Virtual Local Area Network, Virtual LAN, or VLAN. traffic, but do not tag traffic. The allowed VLANS Virtual Local Area Network. In computer networking, a single Layer 2 network may be partitioned to create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated so that packets can only pass between them through one or more routers; such a domain is referred to as a Virtual Local Area Network, Virtual LAN, or VLAN. are controlled by the wired AP profile.
• Mesh APs provisioned on different managed device can interoperate if those APs are configured with the same country code, cluster name, and cluster key. However, the mesh recovery profile created on one managed device is not able to recover settings for mesh APs provisioned on another managed device unless the recovery profile is on Mobility Conductor and the other mesh nodes were provisioned by a managed device connected to that conductor.

Post-Deployment Considerations

• Do not connect mesh point Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. ports in such a way that causes a network loop.
• Have a trained professional install the AP. After installation, check to ensure the AP receives power and boots up, enabling RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator. RSSI is a mechanism by which RF energy is measured by the circuitry on a wireless NIC (0-255). The RSSI is not standard across vendors. Each vendor determines its own RSSI scale/values. outputs.

Although the AP is up and operational, it is not connected to the network.

• Align the AP antenna for optimal RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator. RSSI is a mechanism by which RF energy is measured by the circuitry on a wireless NIC (0-255). The RSSI is not standard across vendors. Each vendor determines its own RSSI scale/values..
• Do not delete or modify mesh cluster profiles once you use them to provision mesh nodes. You can recover the mesh point if the original cluster profile is still available. It is recommended to create a new mesh cluster profile if needed.
• If you create a new mesh cluster profile for an existing deployment, you must re-provision the AP for the new profile to take effect. If you re-provision mesh nodes that are already operating, re-provision the most distant (highest hop count) mesh points first, followed by the mesh portals. If you re-provision the mesh portal first, the mesh points may be unable to form a mesh link. Note that re-provisioning the AP causes it to automatically reboot, which may cause a disruption of service to the network.

Dual-Port AP Considerations

A dual-port AP has two 10/100 Mbps Megabits per second Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. ports (Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 0 and Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1, respectively). When using these APs in a mesh environment, note the following Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. port requirements:

• If configured as a mesh portal:
  • Connect Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 0 to the managed device to obtain an IP address. The wired AP profile controls Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1.
  • Only Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1 supports secure jack operation.
• If configured as a mesh point, Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 0 and Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. 1 can be configured using separate wired-port-profiles.