Users Guide

Dell Networking W-Series ArubaOS 6.5.x | User Guide Secure Enterprise Mesh | 578
Chapter 23
Secure Enterprise Mesh
The secure enterprise mesh solution is an effective way to expand network coverage for outdoor and indoor
enterprise environments without any wires. Using mesh, you can bridge multiple Ethernet LANs or you can
extend your wireless coverage. As traffic traverses across mesh APs, the mesh network automatically
reconfigures around broken or blocked paths. This self-healing feature provides increased reliability and
redundancy: the network continues to operate if an AP stops functioning or a connection fails. Dellcontrollers
provide centralized configuration and management for APs in a mesh environment; local mesh APs provide
encryption and traffic forwarding for mesh links.
Mesh Overview Information
The following topics in this chapter describes the components of the Dell secure enterprise mesh architecture
and profiles, as well as factors that should be taken into consideration when planning your mesh deployment.
l Understanding Mesh Access Points on page 578
l Understanding Mesh Links on page 580
l Understanding Mesh Profiles on page 582
l Understanding Remote Mesh Portals (RMPs) on page 586
l Mesh Deployment Planning on page 590
l Mesh Deployment Solutions on page 588
l Mesh Deployment Planning on page 590
Mesh Configuration Procedures
The following topics describe the procedures required to configure your secure enterprise mesh solution:
1. Creating and Editing Mesh Radio Profiles on page 597
2. Creating and Editing Mesh Radio Profiles on page 597
3. Creating and Editing Mesh High-Throughput SSID Profiles on page 602
4. Configuring Ethernet Ports for Mesh on page 608
5. Provisioning Mesh Nodes on page 611
6. Verifying Your Mesh Network on page 613
Dell strongly recommends staging mesh APs before deploying them. Identify the physical location of the APs,
configure them for mesh, provision the APs and verify connectivity before physically deploying them in a live network.
If you are configuring an AP as both a remote access point and a mesh portal, see also Configuring Remote
Mesh Portals (RMPs) on page 615
Understanding Mesh Access Points
Mesh APs learn about their environment when they boot up. Mesh APs are either configured as a mesh portal
(MPP), an AP that uses its wired interface to reach the controller, or a mesh point (MP), an AP that establishes
an all-wireless path to the mesh portal. Mesh APs locate and associate with their nearest neighbor, which