Metalmind
@comtica.pl
| Access Points wifi with mesh
Hello,
Do you have some experience with building mesh wireless networks using 3com access points? Which models of AP and so on. Someone told me that 3CRWE876075 and 3CRWE955075 have mesh functionality, but I can't find proof of that in documentation.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowladge about mesh...
Regards,
Metalmind |
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TEEK
join:2000-05-09
Milford, MA
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Those APs have Bridging or WDS functionality. They both allow manual configuration of bridging partners (by radio mac address). You can bridge using the 5 GHz radio, and provide user access on the 2.4 GHz radios at the same time. Clients will be able to associate with any of the APs that they are configured to communicate with.
They will not automatically reconfigure links, which is typically what Mesh refers to.
Look at 3Com's WX series controller systems with the 3850 and 3950 Access Points for true Mesh operation.
-Teek |
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Metalmind
@comtica.pl
| reply to Metalmind
OK.
I can live without mesh. What I need to have is roaming and many SSID's on one AP. The point is to have separate SSID's associated to different VLAN's. Do you think I can achieve it using Gigabit Wireless Switch 3CRUS2475 and Acces Point 3CRWE776075 ?
This switch have VLAN's but I don't know if I can connect SSID to VLAN, or I need to have one to one AP-VLAN-SSID?
THX for tips.
P.S. WX series is too expensive to me. |
|
TEEK
join:2000-05-09
Milford, MA
·Verizon FIOS
·Verizon Online DSL
| Yeah, The Gigabit Unified Wired and Wireless switch with the 7760 or 8760 APs do support up to 4 SSIDs (each with the same or different security profiles) per radio.
So, the 7760 would support either 2.4 or 5 GHz and 4 SSIDs and the 8760 would support Both 2.4 and 5 GHz and 4 SSIDs per radio (total of 8).
You can associate a VLAN to any SSID, or you can assign VLANs to the user directly using 802.1x authentication.
Even 7760s and 8760's without the Unified switch to provide a single control point for the APs, support up to 4 SSIDs per radio.
The thing is, if you need more than 2 APs, and less than 24, the Unified switch is the way to go. It doesn't cost more than other Full Power PoE switches (which you need anyway) and will allow management of the APs and the switch in a single interface.
If you eventually need to upgrade your network more, the 8760 APs are upgradable to support the WX controller.
-TEEK |
|
Metalmind
@comtica.pl
| said by TEEK  : Even 7760s and 8760's without the Unified switch to provide a single control point for the APs, support up to 4 SSIDs per radio. Yes, but if I understand it correct, without Unified switch I will not have roaming.... |
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TEEK
join:2000-05-09
Milford, MA
·Verizon FIOS
·Verizon Online DSL
| Sure you will... Both have IAPP, although different forms.
In the 7760, you set up the IP addresses of the other APs that you want to roam with, and they will communicate session information to improve roaming speed. On the 8760, a method that will talk to other 8760s is used without any configuration, and is on by default. 8760's management interfaces will need to be in the same layer 3 subnet to implement IAPP and fast roaming.
Even without IAPP, you can roam to any other access point. It's just a matter of how long it takes to do the roam. For PC data connections, even roaming without IAPP is under 1 second in almost all cases, and you can't even see it in any standard data applications. The only application that you should worry about roaming times is voice applications, when roaming while using encryption. These IAPP methods, and that on the Unified switch are optimized to improve the roams of WPA2 encryption.
Roaming between APs that are not running encryption is quick and easy. The typical issue that network implementers need to overcome is delay in re-authenticating using user/password authentication, and re-keying on a different AP using pre-shared keys.
TEEK |
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