User's Manual

1 Overview
4 Installation and Configuration Guide: Airgo Access Point
Portal Architecture
To support the range of network sizes and configurations served by Airgo products, Airgo has
designed a built-in, flexible, portal services architecture for management and security. Each AP can
be configured as an NM Portal AP to support the following services:
Figure 2 illustrates portal services within the Airgo network. NM Portal provides overall network
management functionality and monitoring. The enrollment portal feature enables verification of
additional APs and authorization for operation in the network. The security portal feature verifies
the identity of individual users wanting access to the network.
Figure 2: Portal Services
Regardless of network size, configuring one or more Airgo APs as NM Portals yields the following
benefits:
• Even with as few as two APs in a network, NM Portal offers a single point of focus for
monitoring the network and managing security. Configuring the first AP as an NM Portal
makes it easy to enroll additional APs.
• The configuration of the NM Portal AP is easily distributed to the other APs in the network,
assuring consistent application of configuration parameters.
Service Description
Management NM Portal services provide network management functionality for small to
mid-size wireless networks. Each Airgo AP configured as an NM Portal can
operate in stand-alone mode to provide network management for the entire
network or as a location or branch manager working in conjunction with NMS
Pro, the Airgo Professional Network Management System.
Security Security portal services include support for secure user authentication by way
of a RADIUS server internal to the Airgo AP. Security portal services are part
of NM Portal, but can also be configured independently for backup
authentication in the event that the primary internal RADIUS server becomes
unavailable.
Enrollment Each Airgo wireless network requires an enrollment server to verify the
identity of Airgo APs and authorize them for operation in the network. The
enrollment portal feature is automatically enabled in the access point as part of
NM Portal. NM Portal should be used for enrollment unless NMS Pro has
been implemented as the enterprise network management solution.
A0028B
NM Portal:
Manage and
Monitor the
Network
Other APs
Enrollment Portal:
Verify AP Identity
Security Portal:
Authenticate Clients