Specifications

BPG_11n_v1.0 | Page 9
We ask such questions as:
•
Which RADIUS servers are they using?
•
Will FIPS-140 be required?
•
Which authentication and encryption types are to be used? Keep in mind that the
only two types of encryption that will realize the benefits of great data rate offered by
802.11n are clear (no encryption) and WPA2 per the specification. We also ask about
network management user roles. This task involves identifying who needs to do
what in the way of network management so that levels of access to EzRF Network
Manager can be configured as required.
Detail Controller and VLAN Configuration Plans
In this section we discuss a deep dive into the existing or proposed wired side of things. We
need to learn about the VLANs that are or will be in place. We need to plan ahead to integrate
effectively with them. Often times the recommendation is to allocate separate VLANS for
wireless clients. We also need to learn about the DHCP scopes and DNS addresses. We also
ask about spanning tree as this has Nplus1 implications.
Designing WLANs with the AP300
GENERAL GUIDELINES
In this section some general guidelines are presented. As with all such guidelines, they apply
to a wide variety of installations however they may not be applicable to a specific project that
you may be involved with.
Network Time Service
It is always best practice to use a Network Time Protocol service. Using NTP to sync all
networking gear is always advisable as it facilitates the correlation of events across diverse
systems for a give point in time. In a future publication we will detail network management
best practices.
VLANs and WLANs - Wired and Wireless
In terms of VLAN to ESS mappings, the Meru system allows one-to-one, one-to-many or
many-to-one (e.g. RADIUS assigned VLANs). This flexibility can easily accommodate the
existing switched L2 and L3 environments.
It is possible to have a single ESS (aka WLAN) mapped to a single VLAN on the wired side
that supports voice, video and data for example. Often this is the best configuration.
However there are cases where it is preferable to segment different traffic types on to
separate ESS profiles and VLANs. One common of example for this type of approach is
separating voice traffic for other types of traffic. Again, this is certainly not a requirement for
Meru Networks, it is recommended for the case when the switching network has segmented
voice traffic to a separate VLAN.
MERU BEST PRACTICES GUIDE | 11n Design, Implementation and Optimization