The WS 2000 Wireless Switch automatically detects Access Ports when they are attached to one of the switch’s LAN ports.
When the switch starts communication with an Access Port that can be adopted by the switch, it uploads the firmware appropriate for the Access Port. At this time, the Access Port becomes active. The switch also automatically adds the Access Port to the list of known ports under the left menu item, Network Configuration --> Wireless --> Access Ports-->
<Access Port Name>.
For an Access Port to be adopted by the WS 2000 Wireless Switch, three things must be configured:
1. The Country field in the System Settings screen must be set.
2. The Access Port’s MAC Address must be set as one of the addresses that can be adopted by one of the enabled WLANs.
3. A WLAN that can adopt Access Port must be associated with an enabled subnet. (See Configuring Wireless LANs.) The switch can adopt up to six Access Ports at a time, but the number of Access Ports listed can exceed six in number. A dual-radio 802.11a/b Access Port counts as one Access Port with respect to the maximum allowed; however, each radio will be listed as a separate Access Port in the list of Access Ports.
The switch creates a default name for a newly found switch consisting of “AP” and a unique number. During this detection process, the switch collects the following information from the Access Port:
The switch also sets several default values for the channel and the power level based upon the Location information set in the System Settings screen and upon settings in the Access Port Default Settings screen for the radio type.
The WS 2000 Wireless Switch GUI also allows the administrator to refine the basic Access Port configuration that is set at the point of detection. To examine or change that information:
1. Select Network Configuration --> Wireless --> Access Ports from the left menu and then click the + to the left of the menu item. The detected Access Ports will be listed under the menu item, with the radio type listed in brackets (for example, [B}).
2. Select the Access Port item to examine or modify. There are two ways to distinguish between Access Ports when they are labeled with the default “AP#” name.
• Look on the bottom of the Access Ports and take note of the MAC address (which looks like AA:BB:CC:DD EE:FF) and compare it with the MAC address in the Access Port windows.
• Note the order in which Access Ports were plugged into the switch. The Access Port numbers are assigned in order, starting with AP1.
MAC address Each Access Port has a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address by which it is identified. This address is burned into the ROM of the Access Port. Also, this address appears on a sticker attached to the bottom of the Access Port.
Radio type This field indicates the wireless protocol that the Access Port follows. The WS 2000 Wireless Switch supports 802.11b and 802.11 a/b dual-radio Access Ports.
Physical port This field specifies the physical LAN port on the switch to which the Access Port is connected.
Adopted by This field contains a list of defined WLANs that have adopted this Access Port (see Configuring Wireless LANs and Access Port Adoption for the process of adopting an Access Port).
The following screen is displayed with the settings for the selected Access Port.
3. From this screen, the administrator can change several pieces of information about each Access Port.
4. In the Radio Settings area, the administrator can specify a number of characteristics of the radio.
Name Administrators can change the names of the Access Ports from Access Port# to something much more descriptive, so that they can easily identify which Access Port is being referenced in the various screens and in the left menu. The name is limited to a string of 13 characters.
Location This field is a memory aid for the administrator. Enter text that describes where the Access Port is physically located. The name is limited to a string of 13 characters.
Placement Select either Indoors or Outdoors from the Placement pop-up menu. The setting will affect the selection available for several of the other advanced settings.
Channel Specify a channel for communications between the Access Port and mobile units. The range of legally approved communications channels varies depending on the installation location. It is best to use a different channel number for each Access Port. Communications will be the clearest for nearby Access Ports if the channel numbers are 5 numbers apart (1, 6, 11).
Power Level Specify a Power Level in milliwatts (mW) for RF signal strength. The optimal power level is best determined by a site survey prior to installation. Available settings include 1, 5, 15, 30, and 100.
Consult the site survey for recommendations of the power level.
Set a higher power level to ensure RF coverage in WLAN environments that have more electromagnetic interference or greater distances between the Access Port and mobile units.
Decrease the power level according to the proximity of other Access Ports. Overlapping RF coverage may cause lost packets and difficulty for roaming mobile units trying to engage an Access Port.
5. Click Apply to save changes.
This screen also provides the ability to change several advanced settings for the Access Ports. For more information, see Advanced Access Port Settings.