Brocade Mobility 5181 Access Point Product Reference Guide (Supporting software release 4.4.0.0) - Manual (Page 379)

Brocade Mobility 5181 Access Point Product Reference Guide 365
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Configuring mesh networking support
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2. Select the Create button to configure a new WLAN specifically to support mesh networking.
An existing WLAN can be modified (or used as is) for mesh networking support by selecting it
from the list of available WLANs and clicking the Edit button.
3. Assign an ESSID and Name to the WLAN that each access point will share when using this
WLAN within their mesh network.
Brocade recommends assigning a unique name to a WLAN supporting a mesh network to
differentiate it from WLANs defined for non mesh support. The name assigned to the WLAN is
what is selected from the Radio Configuration screen for use within the mesh network.
NOTE
It is possible to have different ESSID and WLAN assignments within a single mesh network
(one set between the Base Bridge and repeater and another between the repeater and Client
Bridge). However, for ease of management and to not waste network bandwidth, Brocade
recommends using the same ESSID across the entire mesh network.
4. Use the Available On check boxes to specify the access point radio(s) used with the target
WLAN within the mesh network.
The Available On check boxes are for making this WLAN available for base bridges or repeaters
to connect to. The Available On check box should only be selected for a mesh WLAN if this
target access point is to be configured as a base bridge or repeater on the radio. If the WLAN is
to be defined for client bridge support only, the Available On checkbox should not be selected.
Instead, it only needs to have the Enable Client Bridge Backhaul option selected.
5. Use the Maximum Clients field to define the number of Clients allowed to associate with this
WLAN. This number should be defined based on the number of client bridge and repeaters
within this mesh network. This value can be increased as the mesh network grows and devices
are added.
Only advanced users should define the number of devices allowed to associate with the WLAN,
as setting the value too low could restrict devices from joining an expanding mesh network,
and setting it too high could prohibit other WLANs from granting access to the all the devices
needed.
6. Select the Enable Client Bridge Backhaul checkbox to make this WLAN available in the Mesh
Network Name drop-down menu within the Radio Configuration screen. Only WLANs defined
for mesh networking support should have this checkbox selected, in order to keep the list of
WLANs available (within the Radio Configuration screen) restricted to just WLANs configured
specifically with mesh attributes.
7. Refer to the Security Policy drop-down menu to select the security policy used within this WLAN
and mesh network.
A security policy for a mesh network should be configured carefully since the data protection
requirements within a mesh network differ somewhat compared to a typical wireless LAN. No
Encryption is a bad idea in a mesh network, since mesh networks are typically not guest
networks, wherein public assess is more important than data protection. Brocade also
discourages user-based authentication schemes such as Kerberos and 802.1x EAP, as these
authentication schemes are not supported within a mesh network.