Specifications

Altitude 3500 Series Access Point Product Reference Guide
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CAUTION
An access point is Base Bridge mode logs out whenever a Client Bridge associates to the Base Bridge
over the LAN connection. This problem is not experienced over the access point’s WAN connection. If this situation
is experienced, log-in to the access point again.
The access point in client bridge mode attempts to establish up to 3 simultaneous wireless connections.
The second and third connections are established in the background while the system is running. The
first connection needs to be established before the system starts bridging traffic.
The dual-radio model access point affords users better optimization of the mesh networking feature by
allowing the access point to transmit to other access points (in base or client bridge mode) using one
independent radio and transmit with its associated MUs using the second independent radio. A single-
radio access point has its channel utilization and throughput degraded in a mesh network, as the access
point’s single radio must process both mesh network traffic with other access points and MU traffic
with its associated devices.
Client Bridge Configuration Process Example
In this example, two access points are described with the following configurations:
● AP #1 base bridge
● AP #2 repeater (both a base and client bridge)
In the case of a mesh enabled radio, the client bridge configuration always takes precedence over the
base bridge configuration. Therefore, when a radio is configured as a repeater (AP #2), the base bridge
configuration takes effect only after the client bridge connection to AP #1 is established. Thus, AP #2
keeps scanning to find the base bridge, form the uplink and start beaconing as a base bridge for
downstream client bridge connection. This is by design, as there is no reason to use a partially broken
connection with no uplink to a base bridge.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
The access point performs mesh networking using STP as defined in the 802.1d standard.
Once device association is complete, the client and base bridge exchange Configuration Bridge Protocol
Data Units (BPDUs) to determine the path to the root. STP also determines whether a given port is a
redundant connection or not.
Defining the Mesh Topology
When a user wants to control how the spanning tree determines client bridge connections, they need to
control the mesh configuration. The user must be able to define one node as the root. Assigning a base
bridge the lowest bridge priority defines it as the root.
NOTE
Extreme Networks recommends using the Mesh STP Configuration screen to define a base bridge as a
root. Only advanced users should use the Advanced Client Bridge Settings screen’s Preferred List to define the
mesh topology, as omitting a bridge from the preferred list could break connections within the mesh network.