Separate lan and wan ports, Multiple mounting options, Antenna support for 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz radios – Brocade Mobility 5181 Access Point Product Reference Guide (Supporting software release 4.4.0.0) User Manual
Page 19: Sixteen configurable wlans
Brocade Mobility 5181 Access Point Product Reference Guide
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Feature overview
1
Separate LAN and WAN ports
The Mobility 5181 Access Point has one LAN port and one WAN port, each with their own MAC
address. The access point must manage all data traffic over the LAN connection carefully as either
a DHCP client, BOOTP client, DHCP server or using a static IP address. The access point can only
use a Power-over-Ethernet device when connected to the LAN port.
For detailed information on configuring the Mobility 5181 Access Point LAN port, see
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a widely dispersed telecommunications network. In a corporate
environment, the WAN port might connect to a larger corporate network. For a small business, the
WAN port might connect to a DSL or cable modem to access the Internet. Regardless, network
address information must be configured for the Mobility 5181 Access Point’s intended mode of
operation.
For detailed information on configuring the access point’s WAN port, see
The LAN and WAN port MAC addresses can be located within the LAN and WAN Stats screens.
For detailed information on locating the access point’s MAC addresses, see
on page 180. For information on access point
MAC address assignments, see
“Mobility 5181 Access Point MAC address assignment”
Multiple mounting options
The Mobility 5181 Access Point rests on a flat surface, attaches to a wall, mounts under a ceiling or
above a ceiling (attic). Choose a mounting option based on the physical environment of the
coverage area. Do not mount the Mobility 5181 Access Point in a location that has not been
approved in a Mobility 5181 Access Point radio coverage site survey.
For detailed information on the mounting options available, see
“Mounting a Mobility 5181 Access
Antenna support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios
The Mobility 5181 Access Point supports several 802.11a and 802.11b/g radio antennas. Select
the antenna best suited to the radio transmission requirements of your coverage area.
For an overview of the Radio 1 (2.4 GHz) and Radio 2 (5 GHz) antennas supported on the Mobility
5181 Access Point’s connectors, see
on page 396. The Mobility 5181
Access Point uses an antenna suite primarily suited for outdoor use.
Sixteen configurable WLANs
A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a data-communications system that flexibly extends the
functionalities of a wired LAN. A WLAN does not require lining up devices for line-of-sight
transmission, and are thus, desirable for wireless networking. Roaming users can be handed off
from one Mobility 5181 Access Point to another like a cellular phone system. WLANs can therefore
be configured around the needs of specific groups of users, even when they are not in physical
proximity. Sixteen WLANs are configurable on each Mobility 5181 Access Point.