User's Manual

6.2 Multiple Users Impacted
If multiple users are impacted and they are clustered together, and other users
served by this one Access Point are OK, then consider the following sources of the
problem:
1. Misalignment
2. Antenna damage
3. Interference
If the cluster of users is located at one edge of the Access Point’s beamwidth, then
check the Access Point alignment. A recent storm may have changed the alignment
or degraded its performance. A utility worker on the pole may have accidentally
bumped it out of alignment.
The Access Point is a robust unit and tested to severe weather conditions.
Nevertheless, a storm could have damaged the radome covering the antenna. A
utility worker on the pole could also have accidentally damaged the radome and
antenna.
If interference is suspected, the general direction can be estimated from a map with
the locations of the subscribers and vectors drawn for the direction of their outdoor
unit pointing to the Access Point.
Confirming this requires a directional antenna and a spectrum analyzer. Pointing to
the suspected source of the interference, the spectrum analyzer will help determine
the extent of the interference -- its power level, bandwidth, etc. If it is consistent,
day-to-day, then it may be appropriate to move the entire sector to another
downstream frequency within the 5.8 GHz band.
If only a couple of users are impacted, and there is an alternative Access Point for
them to point to, then rotate their antennas to the new Access Point.
6.3 Entire Sector
A sudden loss of a whole sector may be caused by a hardware failure:
a) Cable to the Access Point
b) Power to the Access Point
c) Complete AP misalignment
d) Internal failure of the Access Point
e) Interference incoming to the Access Point
Remember, just like the wired modems, if the Downstream has a hardware failure,
all the modems will have lost communication in both directions. Subscribers looking
at their modem’s user interface will see no incoming signal.
Internal failures of the AP are rare, but when they do happen the fastest way to
restore service is to replace the entire unit with a pre-configured spare. The old unit
goes back to the shop for testing and replacement of the failed module.
ARCXtend manual, August 2003 6-2