Wireless Controller Models WC7500, WC7600, WC7600v2, and WC9500 User Manual August 2018 202-11659-06 350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Wireless Controller Support Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit https://www.netgear.com/support/ to register your product, get help, access the latest downloads and user manuals, and join our community. We recommend that you use only official NETGEAR support resources. Compliance and Conformity For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
Wireless Controller 202-11659-02 October 2016 • • 202-11659-01 April 2016 • • Added the following new features: - Support for model WAC740 (see Supported NETGEAR Access Points). - Link aggregation for WAC740 access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List and Enable Link Aggregation on a WAC740 Access Point). - MU-MIMO for the WAC740 access point (see Configure WiFi Settings for the Basic Profile Group and Configure WiFi Settings for an Advanced Profile Group).
Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Models, Key Features, and Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model WC7500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model WC7600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model WC7600v2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model WC9500 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Management VLAN and Data VLAN Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 High-Level Deployment Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Scenario Example 1: Network With Single VLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Scenario Example 2: Advanced Network With VLANs and SSIDs . . . . . . . . . 47 Scenario Example 3: Advanced Network With Redundancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Manage the Time Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Manage the IP, VLAN, and Link Aggregation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Management VLAN Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Untagged VLAN Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Controller Link Aggregation Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Import a MAC List From a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Configure a Local MAC Authentication Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Remove a Local MAC Authentication Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Select an ACL for a Profile in the Basic Profile Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Select an ACL for a Profile in an Advanced Profile Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Configure Automatic Channel Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Override the Channel and Frequency for an Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Manage AirQual for a Profile Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 AirQual Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Configure AirQual for the Basic Profile Group . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Export a List of Users or Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Chapter 11 Maintain the Wireless Controller and Access Points Manage the Configuration File or Upgrade the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 Back Up the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 Restore the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Chapter 13 Monitor the WiFi Network and Its Components Monitor the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 View the Network Summary Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 View the Wireless Controllers in the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 View the Access Points in the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wireless Controller Appendix A Controller-Managed Access Points Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Change IP Address and VLAN Settings on a Controller-Managed Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382 Reenable the DHCP Client on a Controller-Managed Access Point . . . . . . . . . 383 Upgrade or Change Firmware on a Controller-Managed Access Point . . . . . .
1. 1 Introduction This chapter includes the following sections: • Models, Key Features, and Capabilities • What Can You Do With a Wireless Controller? • Licenses • Maintenance and Support Note: For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at netgear.com/support. Note: Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made available from time to time on netgear.com/support/download/.
Wireless Controller Models, Key Features, and Capabilities The NETGEAR Wireless Controller is a high-capacity, secured wireless controller intended for medium to large-sized businesses, higher education institutions, hospitals, and hotels. The wireless controller supports the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac protocols.
Wireless Controller Model WC7600v2 provides four RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet ports. These ports are available to access the wireless controller for management and for data and control communications between the wireless controller and the access points. Model WC9500 One WC9500 standalone wireless controller with the appropriate licenses can support up to 300 access points with up to 9,000 clients.
Wireless Controller Model Common Features and Capabilities The wireless controller provides the following common key features and capabilities: • • • • • WiFi modes - 802.11a - 802.11b - 802.11g - 802.11n - 802.11ac Autodiscovery of access points - Autodiscovery of access points in the same Layer 2 domain. - Autodiscovery of access points across a Layer 3 domain.
Wireless Controller • • Wireless and Radio Frequency (RF) management - Automatic control of access point transmit power and channel allocation to reduce interference. - Automatic load balancing of clients across access points. - Rate limiting per profile. - Multicast and broadcast rate limiting - ARP suppression Monitoring and reporting - Monitoring of the status of the network, wireless controllers, WLANs, and clients, and network usage statistics.
Wireless Controller For more information, see Chapter 8, Discover and Manage Access Points. • Centrally Manage Security in the Network - Manage secure access to the network and secure data transmission. Manage client authentication, encryption, WiFi client security separation, and MAC authentication in access point profiles. - Manage authentication servers for the network. Manage all internal and external authentication servers for the entire network or for access point profile groups.
Wireless Controller Licenses You must purchase and register licenses for the access points in your network. Licenses are tied to the serial number of the wireless controller. The WC7500 wireless controller comes with licenses for ten access points. The WC7600, WAC7600v2, and WC9500 wireless controllers come with trial licenses for two access points.
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Wireless Controller Package Contents The product package contains the following items: • One wireless controller appliance • One AC power cable • Rubber feet (four) with adhesive backing • One rack-mount kit • Straight-through Category 5 Ethernet cable • Wireless Controller Installation Guide If any of the parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR dealer.
Wireless Controller The following figure shows a close-up of the left side of the front panel. USB ports Digital access point counter LEDs (top to bottom): Power, Status, Fan, Stack Master 10/100/1000M RJ-45 ports and LEDs Figure 2. Front panel close-up models WC7500 and WC7600v2 From left to right, the front panel of models WC7500 and WC7600v2 show the components that are described in the following table. Table 3.
Wireless Controller WC7500 and WC7600v2 Back Panel Components The wireless controller comes with a single internal power supply and internal fans. The back panel provides a Kensington™ lock slot and the AC power supply connector for the 100–240V, 3A, 50–60 Hz power supply. Power supply connector Kensington lock slot Figure 3. Back panel models WC7500 and WC7600v2 Attach the power cord to the power supply connector. (The wireless controller does not provide an on/off power switch.
Wireless Controller Hardware Models WC7600 and WC9500 The front panel ports, slots, and LEDs, back panel components, and product label of models WC7600 and WC9500 are described in the following sections. WC7600 and WC9500 Front Panel Ports and Slots The following figure shows the front panel of models WC7600 and WC9500. (The label on the right states WC9500 but the front panel for the WC7600 is identical.
Wireless Controller From left to right, the front panel of models WC7600 and WC9500 show the components that are described in the following table. Table 4. Front panel components models WC7600 and WC9500 Component Description Digital counter Displays the number of connected access points that are in a healthy state. System LEDs From top to bottom: Power LED, Status LED, Fan LED, and Stack Master LED. These LEDs are described in Table 5 on page 26.
Wireless Controller From left to right, the back panel of models WC7600 and WC9500 provide the following components: • Power supply. 100–240V, 5A, 47–63 Hz power supply, which includes the following external components: - AC power socket. Attach the power cord to this socket. (The wireless controller does not provide an on/off power switch.) - Power supply with handle. The handle allows for easy removal and insertion of the power supply. - LED.
Wireless Controller Figure 9. Product label WC9500 LED Functions (All Models) The function of each LED is described in the following table. These LEDS apply to all models except where noted otherwise. Table 5. LED functions for all models LED Status Description Power LED Solid green The wireless controller is on. Off The wireless controller is off.
Wireless Controller Table 5. LED functions for all models (continued) LED Status Description Stack Master LED Solid green The wireless controller is functioning as the master controller in a stack. Note: Does not apply to WC7500 Solid yellow The wireless controller is functioning as a slave controller in a stack. SFP slot LEDs Solid green The slot is operating at 10G. Note: Does not apply to WC7500 and WC7600v2 Blinking green Data is being transmitted or received at 10G.
Wireless Controller • WND930 Outdoor Dual Band Wireless-N • WNDAP660 Premium 3x3 Dual Band Concurrent Wireless-N Access Point • WNDAP380R Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point with RFID support • WNDAP360 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point • WNDAP350 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point • WNAP320 Wireless-N Access Point • WNAP210v2 Wireless-N Access Point Note: The wireless controllers do not support model WNDAP620 3x3 Single Radio, Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point.
Wireless Controller Table 6. Minimum firmware versions (continued) Access Point Model Minimum Firmware Version on Standalone Access Point WNAP320 2.1.1 or a newer version is supported. WNAP210v2 All firmware versions are supported. A wireless controller system supports the following access points: • WAC740 4x4 Dual-Band Wireless AC Access Point - Supports concurrently 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac network devices. - Operates concurrently in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands.
Wireless Controller • WN370 Wall Mounted Wireless-N Access Point - Supports concurrently 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n network devices. - Operates in the 2.4 GHz radio band. - Supports speeds of up to 300 Mbps for 802.11n network devices. - Supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) with a power consumption that complies with the 802.3af standard. For product documentation and firmware, visit netgear.com/support/product/WN370. • WND930 Outdoor Dual Band Wireless-N - Supports 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.
Wireless Controller • WNDAP360 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point - Supports 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n network devices. - Operates concurrently in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands. - Supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) with a power consumption of up to 10.51W. - Accepts optional antennas. For product documentation and firmware, visit netgear.com/support/product/WNDAP360. • WNDAP350 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point - Supports 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n network devices.
Wireless Controller Supported NETGEAR Antennas A wireless controller system supports the following antennas: • ANT2409 Indoor/Outdoor 9 dBi Omni-directional Antenna - 9 dBi omni-directional antenna for indoor or outdoor use - WiFi signal 802.11g - Frequency range 2400–2485 MHz - Maximum range 11.5 km (7.2 miles) - Polarization vertical For product documentation and firmware, visit netgear.com/support/product/ANT2409v2.
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Wireless Controller Basic and Advanced Setting Concepts You can deploy the wireless controller in a small WiFi network with 10 or 20 access points or in a large WiFi network with up to 600 access points. Small networks require a basic configuration, but large networks can become complex and require you to configure the advanced features of the wireless controller.
Wireless Controller Before you start the configuration of your wireless controller, decide whether you can use a basic configuration (that is, follow the Basic submenus) or must use an advanced configuration (that is, follow the Advanced submenus). Once you make your choice, configuring the wireless controller can be fairly easy if you consistently follow either the Basic submenus or the Advanced submenus.
Wireless Controller Group-2 Group-3 Group-1 Group-4 2 3 4 5 6 7 Group-7 Group-8 5 GHz radio 2.4 GHz radio 1 Group-6 Group-5 8 1 2 Security profiles 3 4 5 6 7 8 Security profiles Figure 11. Advanced profile group architecture The following figure shows an example of three access point profile groups, in which the first profile group (Group-1) supports five security profiles.
Wireless Controller System Planning Concepts This section includes the following subsections: • Preinstallation Planning • Before You Configure a Wireless Controller Preinstallation Planning Before you install any wireless controllers, determine the following: • Number of access points required to provide seamless coverage • Number of licenses required to cover all access points that must be managed • Number of wireless controllers required • 802.
Wireless Controller untagged packets that are sent to the wireless controller are treated as management VLAN traffic. Note: Use a tagged VLAN or change the tagged VLAN ID only if the hubs and switches on your LAN support 802.1Q. If they do not, and you did not configure a tagged VLAN with the same VLAN ID on the hubs and switches in your network, IP connectivity might be lost. The management VLAN must provide IP connectivity between the wireless controller and the access points.
Wireless Controller Client Authentication and Data Encryption A user must authenticate to the WLAN to be able to access WLAN resources. The wireless controller supports several types of security methods, including those methods that require an external RADIUS or LDAP authentication server. The encryption option that you can select depends upon the authentication method that you selected. The following table lists the authentication methods available, with their corresponding encryption options: Table 7.
Wireless Controller High-Level Configuration Examples This section includes the following subsections: • Single Controller Configuration With Basic Profile Group • Single Controller Configuration With Advanced Profile Groups • Stacked Controller Configuration Single Controller Configuration With Basic Profile Group A basic configuration consists of a single wireless controller that controls a collection of access points that are organized into the basic default group.
Wireless Controller Single Controller Configuration With Advanced Profile Groups A more complex configuration consists of a single wireless controller that controls a collection of access points that are organized in access point profile groups and might use several profiles in each access point profile group. To set up a single wireless controller system with advanced profile groups: Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 1.
Wireless Controller Stacked Controller Configuration A stacked controller configuration can consist of up to three wireless controllers and up to 600 access points. Note: If the stack members are on different floors or in different buildings, you could configure a separate access point profile group for each building or floor. To set up a stacked controller configuration: Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 1.
Wireless Controller Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 3. Configure the slave wireless controllers and deploy them in the network. For each slave wireless controller, configure up to eight access point profile groups, and for each access point profile in a group, do at least the following: 1. Configure an SSID for WiFi access. Configuration > Profile > Advanced 2. Configure the network authentication and data encryption. 3. Assign the VLAN. 4.
Wireless Controller The following illustration shows a simplified view of how you can use VLANs to segregate traffic by user category.
Wireless Controller High-Level Deployment Scenarios This section provides three deployment scenarios to illustrate how the wireless controller can function in various network configurations: • Scenario Example 1: Network With Single VLAN • Scenario Example 2: Advanced Network With VLANs and SSIDs • Scenario Example 3: Advanced Network With Redundancy Scenario Example 1: Network With Single VLAN The following sample scenario consists of a simple network with a wireless controller, PoE switch, Layer 3
Wireless Controller The access points and wireless controller are connected in the same subnet and use the same IP address range that is assigned for that subnet. The configuration does not include any routers between the access points and the wireless controller. The access points are connected to a PoE switch, which, in turn, is connected to the wireless controller. The uplink of the PoE switch connects to a Layer 3 switch or router that provides Internet access.
Wireless Controller Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 5. When the access points are operating, open the Discovery Wizard to do the following: Access Point > Discovery Wizard 1. Specify the state of the access points. The state can be either factory default in a Layer 2 network or already installed and functioning in standalone mode. 2. Run the Discovery Wizard. 3. Select the access points that you want the wireless controller to manage and add them to the managed list.
Wireless Controller The access points and wireless controller are connected in the same subnet and same VLAN and use the same IP address range that is assigned for that subnet. The configuration does not include any routers between the access points and the wireless controller. The access points are connected to a PoE switch, which, in turn, is connected to the Layer 3 switch or router that provides Internet access.
Wireless Controller Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 4. Configure the following profiles, and configure network authentication and data encryption for these profiles: 1. A profile with SSID 1 and VLAN 10. Configuration > Profile > Basic 2. A profile with SSID 2 and VLAN 20. 3. If necessary for the selected network authentication options, configure one or more authentication servers. 5. Connect the wireless controller to the PoE switch. 6.
Wireless Controller • One redundant wireless controller • Four VLANs: VLAN 10, VLAN 20, VLAN 30, and VLAN 40 • Three SSIDs: SSID 1, SSID 2, and SSID 3 In this scenario, the VLANs and SSIDs are used to accommodate traffic for different user groups in a school that is spread out over two buildings.
Wireless Controller This network configuration requires the following conditions: • VLAN 1 is configured on the wireless controllers, core switch, and PoE switches. This VLAN is untagged. • VLANs 10, 20, and 30 are configured on the wireless controllers, core switch, and the PoE switch in Building 1. These VLANs are tagged. • VLANs 1, 10, 20, 30, and 40 are configured on the wireless controllers, core switch, and PoE switches. Except for VLAN 1, these VLANs are tagged.
Wireless Controller Step Configuration Web Management Interface Path 5. When the access points are operating, open the Discovery Wizard to do the following: Access Point > Discovery Wizard 1. Specify the state of the access points, which is the factory default state in a Layer 2 network. 2. Run the Discovery Wizard. 3. Select and add the access points that you want to be managed by the wireless controller to the managed list. Note: By default, all access points are added to the basic group. 6.
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Wireless Controller Application, Browser, and Port Requirements for RF Planning For you to be able to access the RF planning pages in the web management interface, make sure that your computer can run Adobe Flash Player and that Java is enabled in your browser. If you get a Java security warning, add an exception. To display the RF planning pages, you might need to refresh your browser’s cache. For most browsers, to refresh the cache, press the F5 key.
Wireless Controller Note: In a redundancy group, after a failover occurs to a redundant controller, RF planning is no longer accessible. Only after a switchback to the primary controller occurs, RF planning becomes available again. Planning Requirements To expedite your planning efforts, collect the information that is listed in Table 8 and Table 9 before you use RF planning. Use a worksheet similar to the following table to collect your building information. Table 8.
Wireless Controller Table 9.
Wireless Controller Recommended RF Planning Procedure for a Building We recommend that you first set up your building and floors to scale and define the floor plans. For more information, see Manage a Building and Floors for an RF Plan on page 57. Then, for each floor, perform the following tasks: • Use the WiFi Auto Planning Advisor See Use the WiFi Auto Planning Advisor to Generate an RF Plan for a Floor on page 71. • (Optional) Manually add and fine-tune access points on each floor.
Wireless Controller Add a Building and Floors The wireless controller includes a default building and default floor with a default floor map. You cannot remove the default building or default floor but you can replace the default floor map with a custom floor map. You can add up to 30 buildings, each of which can include up to 20 floors. However, the total number of floors that the wireless controller can support is 128. To add and define a building and floors: 1.
Wireless Controller The Floor-1 name displays. This default floor name was added automatically when you added the building. 8. Click Floor-1. The default floor map displays. This default floor map was added automatically when you added the building. 9. To add a custom floor map, click the Add Floor icon. 10. Define the floor: a. Enter a name for the floor. b.
Wireless Controller Add a Single Floor to a Building You can add a single floor to an existing building. To add a single floor to a building: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4.
Wireless Controller • To specify the floor length, click the Length(Y) button, select Meter or Feet from the menu, and enter the floor length. Note: If you do not want to enter the length or width or the information is not available, you can scale the floor later (see Scale a Floor on page 61). d. Click the Confirm button. The floor map is uploaded and displays onscreen. 8. Click the Save icon. Your settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 10. Click the Confirm button. The floor map is scaled. 11. Click the Save icon. Your settings are saved. Add a WiFi Coverage or WiFi Noncoverage Zone to a Floor A WiFi coverage zone on a floor is an area in which access points must provide WiFi coverage. A WiFi noncoverage zone on a floor is an area in which access points do not need to provide WiFi coverage, for example, a storage area.
Wireless Controller Remove a WiFi Coverage or Noncoverage Zone From a Floor After you add and save a WiFi coverage or noncoverage zone on a floor, you can remove it from the floor. To remove a WiFi coverage area or WiFi noncoverage zone from a floor: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller • Metal door (11 dB) • Heavy door (15 dB) • Thin window (2 dB) • Thick window 4 dB) These obstacles contribute to the WLAN signal degradation based on their construction materials and interferences. Note: Before you add a building obstacle, first define the floor dimensions (see Add a Single Floor to a Building on page 60) or scale the floor (see Scale a Floor on page 61). To add a WiFi building obstacle to a floor: 1.
Wireless Controller f. Click the Obstacle icon. g. Select the icon for the custom obstacle that you just added. 9. Select a line between two points on the map by anchoring the line at one point and releasing the line at the other point. 10. To remove the obstacle, click the Undo link, and repeat Step 7 though Step 9. 11. Click the Save icon. Your settings are saved. 12. To add another obstacle repeat Step 7 though Step 11.
Wireless Controller Add a WiFi Obstruction Area WiFi obstructions areas can be any of the following predefined areas: • Cubicle office area • Closed office area • Elevator shaft • Warehouse stock with low density • Warehouse stock with medium density • Warehouse stock with high density These areas contribute to the WLAN signal degradation based on openness (or lack thereof) and interferences.
Wireless Controller Remove a WiFi Obstruction Area After you add and save a WiFi obstruction area on a floor, you can remove it from the floor. To remove a WiFi obstruction area from a floor: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Planning. The page displays the Planning icons. 5. In the building tree on the left, click the + icon of the building that contains the floor. The floor names display. 6. Click the floor name. The floor map displays. 7. Click the Edit icon. A pop-up window opens and displays information about the floor plan. 8.
Wireless Controller 7. Change the name. 8. Click the Confirm button. Your settings are saved. Duplicate an Entire Building With All Floors You can duplicate an entire building with all floors and floor plans, including all floor definitions. For information about duplicating a single floor in a building, see Duplicate a Single Floor on page 69. To duplicate an entire building with all floors: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address.
Wireless Controller 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Layout. The page displays the Planning icons. 5. In the building tree on the left, click the + icon of the building that contains the floor. The floor names display. 6. Click the floor name. The floor map displays. 7. Click the Duplicate icon. A pop-up window opens. 8.
Wireless Controller 6. Click the floor name. The floor map displays. 7. Click the Trashcan icon. 8. Confirm the removal. The floor is removed. Remove an Entire Building With All Its Floors You can remove an entire building with all its floors. However, you cannot remove the default building. To remove an entire building: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller The WiFi auto planning advisor bases its calculations on the building and floor definitions and lets you enter the following parameters to determine the WiFi coverage for your environment: • NETGEAR access point (see Supported NETGEAR Access Points on page 28) • NETGEAR antenna (see Supported NETGEAR Antennas on page 32) • For each WiFi band of a selected access point, the following parameters: - 802.11 protocol (depending on the access point, 802.11b/g/n, 802.
Wireless Controller To run the WiFi auto planning advisor and generate an RF plan and heat map for a floor: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Planning.
Wireless Controller 8. Specify the WLAN requirements for the floor as described in the following table. Setting Description Select AP and External Antenna for Planning AP Model Specify the access point that you intend to use for the floor: 1. Click the Browse button. The access points that the wireless controller supports display in a pop-up window. 2. Click the access point. All calculations are performed with the selected access point. 3. Click the Confirm button.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Criteria of Auto-placement Wi-Fi Coverage Percentage Move the slider to the required WiFi coverage. The minimum coverage is 10 percent; The maximum coverage is 100 percent.
Wireless Controller Signal strength at this location The WiFi auto planning advisor generates a heat map that suggests the required number of access points (15 in the figure) and the locations on the floor map to achieve the optimum WiFi coverage that is based on the WLAN requirements that you specified (see Step 8). 10. To see the signal strength at a location on the floor map, point to the location (-44dBm at the location in the figure). 11. To switch the heat map to the 2.
Wireless Controller 16. To show the access points by model or without a label, on the right side, click the Label icon and select your preference. By default, the access point name is shown. Because this section describes an RF plan that is not yet deployed, the IP address and channel cannot be displayed on the map. 17. To save the floor map with its new configuration, click the Save icon. The settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 7. Click the AP icon. 8. Specify the access point settings as described in the following table. Setting Description AP name Enter a name for the access point. By default, the access points are numbered, for example, AP-16. AP Model Specify the access point that you intend to use for the floor: 1. Click the Browse button. The access points that the wireless controller supports display in a pop-up window. 2. Click the access point.
Wireless Controller Setting Description 2.4G Specify the settings for the 2.4 GHz band: • Enable. By default, the On radio button is selected and the 2.4 GHz band is enabled. To disable the 2.4 GHz band, select the Off radio button. • Channel. Leave the default selection Auto to enable the access point to select a channel automatically, or select a specific channel from the menu. • Protocol. When you select an access point, this field is populated automatically. • Transmission Power (dBm).
Wireless Controller 13. To add another access point to the floor map, change the properties for another access point, move another access point on the floor map, remove another access point from the floor map, or perform a combination of these tasks, repeat Step 7 through Step 12. 14. To turn the heat map on or off, on the right, click the HeatMap icon. If you turn on the heat map, the heat map is generated and displays. Use the color information on the right as guidance for WiFi coverage.
Wireless Controller To manually add and manage individual antennas on a floor map for an RF plan: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Planning.
Wireless Controller 9. Specify the antenna settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Name Enter a name for the antenna. By default, the access points are numbered, for example, Antenna-1. Model Specify the antenna that you intend to use for the floor: 1. Click the Browse button. The antennas that the wireless controller supports display in a pop-up window. 2. Click the antenna. All calculations are performed with the selected antenna. 3. Click the Confirm button.
Wireless Controller 12. To change the properties for an antenna, do the following: a. Double-click the antenna. A pop-up menu displays. b. From the pop-menu, select Edit Properties. The Edit Antenna pop-up window opens. This window is identical to the Add Antenna pop-up window. c. Change the properties. For information about the properties, see the previous table. d. Click the Confirm button. Your settings are saved and the pop-up window closes. 13.
Wireless Controller Display and Recalculate the WiFi Coverage for a Heat Map After you set up an RF plan and generate a heat map for a floor, you can display the WiFi coverage and view how the WiFi coverage changes if you change the minimum signal strength with the same number of access points and antennas. The default minimum signal strength is –62 dBm. The WiFi coverage percentage is calculated based on this value. You can change this value and recalculate the coverage percentage.
Wireless Controller 9. Click the Coverage Note: The Coverage icon. icon is masked if you did not generate a heat map. The Total Number of AP and Total Number of Antenna fields are based on the RF plan and fixed. The Wi-Fi Coverage Percentage (%) field displays the WiFi coverage based on the position of the Minimum Signal Strength slider at –62dBm. 10. Move the position of the Minimum Signal Strength slider to another dBm value. 11. Click the Re-Calculate button.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Planning. The page displays the Planning icons. 5. In the building tree on the left, click the + icon of the building that contains the floor. The floor names display. 6. Click the floor name. The floor map displays. 7. Click the Inventory icon. By default, the AP List tab is selected and the access point inventory displays.
Wireless Controller The inventory is based on the antennas that you added by running the WiFi auto planning advisor (see Use the WiFi Auto Planning Advisor to Generate an RF Plan for a Floor on page 71), the antennas that you added manually (see Manually Add and Manage Antennas on a Floor Map for an RF Plan on page 80), or a combination of both. 10. To change the properties for an antenna in the inventory, do the following: a. Select the antenna in the inventory table. b. Click the Edit Properties button.
Wireless Controller Download a Report for an RF Plan The report for an RF plan includes the following components: • Floor summary • Inventory summary that could serve as a purchase list • Detailed list of access points • Detailed list of antennas (if you added any manually) • Floor map with suggested locations of the access points and antennas • Heat map for the 2.4 GHz band • Heat map for the 5 GHz band You can download the report as a PDF or a Microsoft Word file.
Wireless Controller View the Heat Map for a Deployed Floor Plan For an RF plan, you can assign access points and antennas to a building and floor. However, these access points and antennas are used only for the purpose of planning and are not actual access points and antennas. Access points display on the floor map of a deployed floor plan only if you assign them to the building and floor.
Wireless Controller 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Plans > Heat Map. The page displays the Planning icons. 5. In the building tree on the left, click the + icon of the building that contains the floor. The floor names display. 6. Click the floor name. Access points before placement 7.
Wireless Controller . 11. To make adjustments to the WiFi coverage, drag the access points to new locations on the floor map. 12. To regenerate the heat map, on the right, click the HeatMap icon. The heat map is generated and displays. Use the color information on the right of the heat map as guidance for WiFi coverage. 13.
5.
Wireless Controller Connect Your Computer to the Wireless Controller To connect to the wireless controller for initial configuration, follow the steps in this section. You can also download your model’s installation guide by visiting downloads.netgear.com. To connect your computer to the wireless controller: 1. Configure the computer with a static IP address of 192.168.0.210 and 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask. 2.
Wireless Controller To log in to the wireless controller: 1. Open your browser and type http://192.168.0.250 in the browser’s address field. 2. When prompted, enter admin for the user name and password for the password, both in lowercase letters. 3. Click the Login button. The first time that you log in, the Change Password Notification pop-up window opens. Changing the password is optional. 4.
Wireless Controller In the Old Password field, the old password is automatically entered. 5. In the New Password field, enter your new password and repeat it in the Confirm New Password field. Note: You cannot change the default user name (admin), but you can create a new administrative account with a customized user name. For more information, see Add a Management User on page 247. 6. Click the OK button.
Wireless Controller To perform the initial configuration of the wireless controller: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > System > General.
Wireless Controller Your settings are saved. 13. If your network does not include a DHCP server, configure the wireless controller’s DHCP server. For more information, see Manage the DHCP Server on page 107. 14. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. The connection to the wireless controller is terminated because you changed its IP address. 15. Reconfigure your computer with an IP address and subnet mask that is in the same IP subnet as the new IP address of the wireless controller. 16.
Wireless Controller 6. (Optional but recommended) Configure logs, alerts, and alarms. For more information, see Configure Syslog, Alarm Notification, and Email Settings on page 115. 7. Configure security profiles: a. Configure the security profiles for the basic profile group or for advanced profile groups. For detailed configuration steps, see: • Manage Security Profiles for the Basic Profile Group on page 125. • Manage Security Profiles for Advanced Profile Groups on page 130. b.
Wireless Controller 12. (Optional) Configure WiFi and QoS settings. For more information, see Chapter 9, Configure WiFi, Radio Frequency, and QoS Settings. 13. (Optional but recommended) Back up the configuration. For more information, see Back Up the Configuration File on page 262. Choose a Location for the Wireless Controller The wireless controller is suitable for use in an office environment where it can be freestanding on its runner feet or mounted into a standard 19-inch equipment rack.
6.
Wireless Controller Configure the General Settings The General Settings page lets you configure the basic settings of your wireless controller. Note: You must select the correct country or region of operation. It might not be legal to operate the access points in a country or region not shown here. If your location is not listed, check with your local government agency or check the NETGEAR website for more information about which channels to use.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Name Enter a unique value as the wireless controller name. We recommend changing the name as soon as possible after setting up. The name must contain only alphabetical characters, numbers, and hyphens, and must be 31 characters or less. Country/Region From the menu, select the region of operation for the wireless controller and the access points that the wireless controller manages.
Wireless Controller 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > System > Time. 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Time Zone From the menu, select the local time zone for your country or region. Current Time This field is a nonconfigurable field that displays the current time at your location.
Wireless Controller For large deployments, we recommend that the wireless controller and access points are in separate VLANs to ensure uninterrupted connectivity between the wireless controller and the access points. The wireless controller and access points share heartbeat messages to keep synchronized and share configurations and client key data to facilitate seamless roaming.
Wireless Controller Configure the IP, VLAN, and Controller Link Aggregation Settings Note: Link aggregation is not supported on model WC7500 and model WC7600v2. You can configure the management IP address, VLAN settings, and link aggregation (LAG) settings of the wireless controller. To configure IP, VLAN, and controller LAG settings: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Setting Description IP Settings section IP Address Enter the IP address of the wireless controller. The default IP address is 192.168.0.250. To change it, enter an available IP address from the address range used on your LAN.
Wireless Controller Manage the DHCP Server Note: Make sure that a DHCP server is available; otherwise, the Discovery Wizard does not function correctly. If your network already includes a DHCP server, do not enable the DHCP server on the wireless controller. The wireless controller can function as a DHCP server. You can add multiple DHCP server pools for different VLANs. By default, no DHCP server pool is configured on the wireless controller but you can add one or more DHCP server pools.
Wireless Controller The DHCP Server List shows the DHCP servers that are already configured on the wireless controller. 5. Click the Add button. 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Enabled Select the Enabled check box to enable the DHCP server. If the check box is cleared, the DHCP server is disabled. Use VLAN Interface Select the Use VLAN Interface check box to allow the DHCP server to function with multiple VLANs. VLAN Enter the DHCP server VLAN ID.
Wireless Controller Setting Description IP Network Enter the IP address for the wireless controller in the VLAN that you specified in the VLAN field. Note: If you do not select the Use VLAN Interface check box, the IP address of the wireless controller’s management VLAN is used. Subnet Mask Enter the subnet mask that is assigned to the WiFi clients by the DHCP server. Default Gateway Enter the IP address of the default network gateway for all traffic beyond the local network.
Wireless Controller 5. Select the radio button in the Edit/Remove column that corresponds to the DHCP server for which you want to change the settings. 6. Click the Edit button. 7. Change the settings. 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Remove a DHCP Server You can remove a DHCP server. To remove a DHCP server: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Register Your Licenses Make sure that your licenses cover the number of access points in your network. Before you can register your licenses, you must configure the license server settings. Note: When you install your licenses, they replace the default trial license. For more information about licenses, see Licenses on page 18 and Manage Licenses on page 282.
Wireless Controller 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Update From Select one of the following radio buttons to specify the license update server: • Default Update Server. The default license update server is used. • Specify Update Server. You must specify the license update server. Fill in the Server Address field. Server Address Use a Proxy Server to Connect to the Internet Enter the IP address or FQDN of the server from which you import your licenses.
Wireless Controller The following figure shows some licenses already registered and installed. If you register licenses for the first time, the page does not yet show any licenses. 7. Complete the fields in the Customer Information section with the customer information that is associated with the key that you want to add and register. These fields are self-explanatory. 8.
Wireless Controller These fields are self-explanatory. 9. In the Registration Key field at the top of the page, enter the registration key for the license that you want to add and register. 10. Click the Add button. The license is added to the table. The key details in the table mean the same as the key details that are shown on the Inventory page (see the Key Details section in the table in View Your Licenses on page 282). 11. Click the Apply button. Your license is registered. 12.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Password Enter the password for wireless controller certificates. Controller Key Click the Choose File button, and select the controller key. Controller Certificate Click the Choose File button, and select the controller certificate. CA Certificate Click the Choose File button, and select the CA certificate. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > System > Alerts/Logs > Logs/Syslog. 5. In the Syslog Settings section of the page, configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Enable Syslog Enable the syslog settings by selecting the Enable Syslog check box. By default, the syslog settings are disabled.
Wireless Controller 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Configure the Syslog Settings for an External Syslog Location You can configure the settings to connect to an external syslog server if your network includes one. If you use an external syslog location, before you configure the IP address of the syslog server on the wireless controller, make sure that you set up a syslog server (such as a computer running a syslog service) and that the syslog server is available on the network.
Wireless Controller 5. In the Syslog Settings section of the page, configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Enable Syslog Enable the syslog settings by selecting the Enable Syslog check box. By default, the syslog settings are disabled. Log Level From the Log Level menu, select one of the following levels: • LOG_LEVEL_CRIT. Critical errors only are logged. • LOG_LEVEL_ERR. Noncritical errors and critical errors are logged. • LOG_LEVEL_WARN.
Wireless Controller 5. For each alarm severity (Minor, Normal, Major, and Critical), select the desired action from its corresponding Action menu. • No Action. When the alarm occurs, no action is taken. • Add To Syslog. When the alarm occurs, the wireless controller adds an entry to the syslog. • Send Email. When the alarm occurs, the wireless controller sends an email. 6. For each alarm severity for which you selected the Send Email option in the previous step, enter an email address. 7.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Server Address Enter the IP address of the server from which email notifications are sent. Port Enter the port number of the server from which email notifications are sent. The default port is 25. Sender Email Address Enter the email address from which email notifications are sent.
7.
Wireless Controller WiFi Security Profile Concepts Profiles are sets of configurations that you can apply to an access point. The configuration includes radio parameters, load-balancing parameters, and rate-limit parameters. Each WiFi radio on an access point can support 8 profiles. For example, the dual-band WNDAP660 access point can support a total of 16 profiles.
Wireless Controller For example, in an enterprise network in which all access points that are managed by the wireless controller serve the same WiFi networks and support the same settings, you can use the basic configuration. Large WLAN Networks For large network deployments that consist of different sets of WLAN networks, consider using the advanced configuration to create multiple profile groups. The access points that belong to the same profile group use the same WiFi, security, and QoS configurations.
Wireless Controller Note: You can configure profiles to function with different authentication servers. For example, you could set up a guest profile with no authentication, an engineering profile that uses external RADIUS authentication, and a marketing profile that uses external LDAP authentication. You can also use additional external RADIUS servers in other profiles. • Captive portals and guest portals.
Wireless Controller • Advanced security settings.
Wireless Controller Click + to add another profile. Your selection from the Network Authentication menu determines the information that is displayed onscreen. Select the Local radio button to display the Local MAC ACL Group menu. Select the External radio button to display the External Radius Server menu. By default, an NG_11g-01 profile and an NG_11a-01 profile are present in the basic profile group. 5. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to add a profile. 6.
Wireless Controller The newly created profile displays onscreen, and the tab for the new profile is automatically selected to let you configure the new profile. Note: The authentication server settings that you specify on the Authentication Server page affect the selections that are available from the Network Authentication menu. For more information, see Manage Authentication Servers and Authentication Server Groups on page 141.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Authentication Settings section Note: The options that display onscreen depend on the selection from Network Authentication menu. Note: The MAC ACL MAC ACL button displays only when you select Open System, Shared Key, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or WPA-PSK & WPA2-PSK from the Network Authentication menu. Select one of the following radio buttons: • Local. Use local MAC authentication. The Local MAC ACL Group menu displays so you can select a group.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Note: The Authentication Select one of the following radio buttons: Authentication Server Server • Local. Use the local authentication server. buttons and menu display • External. Use an external authentication server. only when you select WPA Select an external authentication server from the with Radius, WPA2 with Authentication Server menu.
Wireless Controller For information about how to change the settings, see Configure a Profile in the Basic Profile Group on page 125. 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Remove a Profile From the Basic Profile Group You can remove a profile from the basic profile group. To remove an existing profile: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller To add an advanced profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Profile > Advanced > Radio. Click + to add another profile group. 5.
Wireless Controller Remove an Advanced Profile Group You can remove an advanced profile group To remove an advanced profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4.
Wireless Controller 4. Select Configuration > Profile > Advanced > Radio. The Profile Groups page displays. 5. Click the Edit button. The Edit Profile (Group-X) page displays. 6. Click the tab for the radio that for which you want to add a profile. 7. Click the + button to add the profile to the selected advanced profile group. 8. To clone an existing profile, do the following: a. Select the Clone an existing Profile check box. b. Select a profile from the Profiles menu. 9. Click the Add button.
Wireless Controller The newly created profile displays onscreen, and the tab for the new profile is automatically selected to let you configure the new profile. Note: The authentication server settings that you specify on the Authentication Server page affect the selections that are available from the Network Authentication menu. For more information, see Manage Authentication Servers and Authentication Server Groups on page 141.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Authentication Settings section Note: The options that display onscreen depend on the selection from Network Authentication menu. Note: The MAC ACL MAC ACL buttons displays only when you select Open System, Shared Key, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or WPA-PSK & WPA2-PSK from the Network Authentication menu. Select one of the following radio buttons: • Local. Use local MAC authentication. The Local MAC ACL Group menu displays so you can select a group.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Note: The Authentication Select one of the following radio buttons: Authentication Server Server • Local. Use the local authentication server. buttons and menu display • External. Use an external authentication server. only when you select WPA Select an external authentication server from the with Radius, WPA2 with Authentication Server menu.
Wireless Controller 7. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to change a profile. 8. Click the tab for the profile that you want to change. 9. Change the settings. For information about how to change the settings, see Configure a Profile in an Advanced Profile Group on page 132. 10. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Remove a Profile From an Advanced Profile Group You can remove a profile from an advanced profile group.
Wireless Controller Network Authentication and Data Encryption Options This section describes the detailed network authentication and data encryption options that you can select in the procedures that are described in Configure a Profile in the Basic Profile Group on page 125 and Configure a Profile in an Advanced Profile Group on page 132.
Wireless Controller Table 10. Network authentication and data encryption settings (continued) Network Authentication Selection Data Encryption Configuration Steps Options Shared Key 64-bit WEP 128-bit WEP 152-bit WEP To configure Shared Key authentication with WEP: 1. From the Data Encryption menu, select a level of WEP encryption: - 64-bit WEP. Uses 40/64-bit encryption. - 128-bit WEP. Uses 104/128-bit encryption. - 152-bit WEP.
Wireless Controller Table 10. Network authentication and data encryption settings (continued) Network Authentication Selection Data Encryption Configuration Steps Options WPA2 with Radius AES TKIP + AES To configure WPA2 authentication with a RADIUS server: 1. Set up and enable an internal or external (RADIUS or LDAP) authentication server. For information, see Manage Authentication Servers and Authentication Server Groups on page 141.
Wireless Controller Table 10. Network authentication and data encryption settings (continued) Network Authentication Selection Data Encryption Configuration Steps Options WPA2-PSK AES TKIP + AES To configure WPA2-PSK authentication: 1. From the Data Encryption menu, select the type of encryption: - AES. Supports AES only. - TKIP + AES. Supports both TKIP and AES. 2. To display the characters in the WPA Passphrase (Network Key) field, select the Show Passphrase check box. 3.
Wireless Controller a more complex network with many profiles. You can then assign different RADIUS servers to different profiles. By default, the external RADIUS server for the basic authentication group is called basic-Auth. You cannot change this name. By default, the external RADIUS authentication servers for the advanced authentication groups are called Auth1 through Auth8, and you can change these names.
Wireless Controller Configure Basic Authentication Server Settings Use the basic Authentication Server page to set up the internal authentication server, the basic external RADIUS server (which is called Auth-basic), and the external LDAP server (which is called Auth-LDAP). After you set up these authentication servers, you can assign any of them to any profile, whether in the basic profile group or in an advanced profile group. To configure a basic authentication server: 1.
Wireless Controller Setting Description External RADIUS Server Enable Authentication Select the Enable Authentication check box to enable authentication. Enable Accounting Select the Enable Accounting check box to enable accounting. Primary Server Do the following for each server: 1. Specify the IP address. Secondary Server 2. Specify the port. The default port is 1812. For information about shared secret requirements, see Table 15 on page 395. 3. Specify the shared secret.
Wireless Controller For information about how to add an authentication server to a security profile in the basic profile group, see Configure a Profile in the Basic Profile Group on page 125. For information about how to add an authentication server to a security profile in an advanced profile group, see Configure a Profile in an Advanced Profile Group on page 132.
Wireless Controller 6. In the Group Name field, enter a unique name for the authentication group. By default, authentication groups are named Auth-1, Auth-2, Auth-3, and so on. 7. Specify the tasks for the accounting group by selecting one or both of the following check boxes: • Enable Authentication. Enables the authentication group to authenticate users. • Enable accounting. Enables the authentication group to perform accounting for users sessions. 8. Configure the external RADIUS server for the group.
Wireless Controller Manage MAC Authentication and MAC Authentication Groups MAC authentication lets you set up an external or a local access control list (ACL) with MAC addresses of clients to either allow or deny the network access privilege of the specified clients with the wireless controller–managed access point. The settings are applied only to managed access points. Note: The wireless controller can support an aggregate number of 4096 MAC addresses for all its local ACLs.
Wireless Controller To set up basic MAC authentication ACL: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Security > Basic > MAC ACL.
Wireless Controller • The MAC address that you want to add is not in Available Wireless Clients list: a. Enter the MAC address in the MAC Address field. b. Click the Add button. 7. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Remove a MAC Address From a Wireless Client List You can remove a MAC address from a wireless clients list. To remove a MAC address from a wireless clients list: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address.
Wireless Controller To import a MAC list from a file: 1. Create a text file that includes a list of MAC addresses. Each MAC address must be on a separate line with hard returns between lines as shown in the following example: 00:00:11:11:22:29 00:00:11:11:22:28 00:00:11:11:22:27 00:00:11:11:22:26 00:00:11:11:22:25 2. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Note: You cannot add multicast or broadcast MAC addresses to a MAC access control list (ACL). To set up a MAC authentication group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4.
Wireless Controller 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. For information about how to add a MAC authentication group to a security profile in the basic profile group, see Configure a Profile in the Basic Profile Group on page 125. For information about how to add a MAC authentication group to a security profile in an advanced profile group, see Configure a Profile in an Advanced Profile Group on page 132. Remove a Local MAC Authentication Group You can remove a local ACL group.
Wireless Controller 2. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 3. Enter your user name and password. 4. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 5. Select Configuration > Profile > Basic > Radio. The Edit Profile (Basic) page displays. 6.
Wireless Controller For more information about configuring an external MAC ACL, see Guidelines for External MAC Authentication on page 147. 2. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 3. Enter your user name and password. 4. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 5.
8. Discover and Manage Access Points 8 This chapter includes the following sections: • Access Point Discovery Guidelines • Discover Access Points With the Discovery Wizard • Manage the Managed AP List • Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups IMPORTANT: Before you use the wireless controller to discover your access points and push the configurations to the access points, do the following: 1. Make sure that you register a sufficient number of licenses. 2.
Wireless Controller Access Point Discovery Guidelines You must run the Discovery Wizard for the wireless controller to discover supported NETGEAR access points on the LAN or WAN. The wireless controller can discover access points that are still in their factory default state and access points that are already deployed in a standalone configuration. Both access points in the factory default state and deployed standalone access points run standalone firmware.
Wireless Controller • Assign each access point a unique IP address. (This requirement does not apply to Layer 2 discovery.) If two or more access points are assigned the same IP address, only one of them is discovered at a time. You must add the access point to the managed list, change its IP address, and run discovery again to discover the next access point with that IP address. • Enable DHCP option 43 (vendor-specific information) on an external DHCP server.
Wireless Controller Remote Access Point Discovery Guidelines The following guidelines apply to the discovery of remote access points: • Enable SNMP and SSH on all standalone access points. • Unblock the following ports in the firewall at the site where the wireless controller is located so that the remote access points can communicate with the wireless controller: - - For models WC7600 and WC9500: • TCP port 22.
Wireless Controller • • UDP port 7892. Used for access point registration with the wireless controller after discovery. • UDP port 7893. Used for access point registration with the wireless controller during multicast discovery. Enable DHCP option 43 (vendor-specific information) on the DHCP server. Specify the wireless controller’s IP address to allow the access points to receive the wireless controller’s IP address and the DHCP server to assign IP addresses to the access points.
Wireless Controller After the connection with the wireless controller is reestablished, the remote access point functions once again as a managed access point. Discover Access Points With the Discovery Wizard The Discovery Wizard provides two methods to find access points that are not yet on the managed access point list.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Access Point > Discovery Wizard. 5. Select the Out of Factory and L2 Subnet APs radio button. Note: The I am not sure radio button directs you to the product documentation. 6. Click the Next button. The wireless controller searches for NETGEAR products on the LAN based on MAC address and identifies which products are supported access point models.
Wireless Controller The effectiveness of the discovery process depends in part on how the access points on your LAN are set up. If each access point is configured with a unique IP address and is running current firmware, discovery is simple. If the discovery results are not what you expect, check the following: • Access points that the wireless controller already manages are not in the discovery list. To view the Managed AP List, select Access Point > Managed AP List.
Wireless Controller 12. Click the Add button. Depending on the type of access points that were discovered, a page that lets you enter or ignore a login name and a password might display. 13. If necessary, enter the login name and password. The Managed AP List page displays. Because this page is wide, it is shown in the following two figures.
Wireless Controller If one or more access points do not transition to the Connected state (see the Status column in the Managed AP List), see Resolve Problems With Access Points on page 371. For information about how to manage the Managed AP List, see Manage the Managed AP List on page 168.
Wireless Controller 5. Select the Installed and working in Standalone Mode radio button. Note: The I am not sure radio button directs you to the product documentation. 6. Click the Next button. 7. In the Range 1 section, fill in the Start IP and End IP fields. These IP addresses specify the range in which the wireless controller must discover access points. 8. To add more IP address ranges for the wireless controller to search in, do the following: a. Click the Add button.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller searches for NETGEAR products on the LAN based on MAC address and then identifies which products are supported access point models. A progress bar show the progress of the discovery process. When the discovery process is finished, the total number of access points is displayed and the table shows the access points that were discovered. For each access point, the table includes the model number, IP address, MAC address, and site. 10.
Wireless Controller 14. Either select individual access points to be added to the managed list or select all access points to be added to the managed list: • Select individual check boxes for discovered access points that you want to add to the managed list. • Select the check box in the upper right of the table heading to add all discovered access points to the managed list. 15. Click the Add button.
Wireless Controller By default, the access point upgrade process uses multicast. If you must configure a specific multicast IP address range for the upgrade process or disable multicast, see Configure Multicast Firmware Upgrade for Access Points on page 286. If one or more access points do not transition to the Connected state (see the Status column in the Managed AP List), see Resolve Problems With Access Points on page 371.
Wireless Controller The Managed AP List page shows the following entries for each access point that you added to the list: Item Description IP The IP address of the access point. MAC The MAC address of the access point. Model The model of the access point. Name The name of the access point.
Wireless Controller Item Description Status Shows one of the following states: • Authentication in progress. This state occurs during the discovery and upgrade process of a standalone access point when the wireless controller logs in to the access point using the access point’s password. This state can last several minutes. • Firmware upgrade. This state occurs after the access point receives the firmware file when the access point upgrades to the new firmware. This state can last several minutes.
Wireless Controller Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List For each individual access point, you can change the general information, IP settings, and VLAN settings, you can switch between the internal and external antenna (if the access point supports an external antenna), and you can enter location information. For a WAC740 access point that is on the managed list, you can also enable link aggregation by using the following procedure.
Wireless Controller 7. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Access Point Info section Name Enter a unique value that indicates the access point name. By default, the name is netgearxxxxxx, where xxxxxx represents the last six hexadecimal digits of the access point’s MAC address. You can change the name to one that is meaningful to you. Model The model of the access point. This field is populated during the access point discovery process and cannot be changed.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Group The group to which the access point is assigned. After the access point discovery process, the access point is automatically assigned to the basic group. If you set up profile groups, you can assign the access point to another profile group by selecting one from the menu. You can also change the group assignment later on the WLAN Group Assignment page.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Wireless Settings section Antenna You can specify which antenna the access point uses by making a selection from the menu: • Internal. The access point uses its internal antenna. • External. The access point uses its external antenna or antennas. External antennas are optional antennas that do not come standard with an access point. Plan Settings section Site Shows whether you designated the access point as a local or remote one: • Local.
Wireless Controller 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Access Point > Managed AP List. The Managed AP List page displays. 5. Select the radio button to the right of the access point that you want to remove. 6. Select the check box to the left of the access point that you want to remove. The Remove button becomes operational. 7. Click the Remove button. 8. Confirm the removal.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > WLAN Network. The settings are described in the following table. Setting Description IP The IP address of the access point. MAC The MAC address of the access point. Model The model of the access point. Name The name that you specified for the access point. Building The building to which the access point is assigned.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Status (continued) • • • Connecting. This state occurs when the wireless controller attempts to establish a management connection with the access point. Make sure that a DHCP server is enabled in the network. Otherwise, the access point remains in the Connecting state and does not transition to the Connected state. Connected.
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Wireless Controller Basic and Advanced WiFi, Radio Frequency Management, and QoS Configuration Concepts It is important to know how to configure your network and decide which configuration model better fits your needs, basic or advanced. Once you follow one, it is easy to use the same configuration model for the WiFi, radio frequency (RF) management, and Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Before you configure the WiFi settings, read Basic and Advanced Setting Concepts on page 34.
Wireless Controller • Global RF management settings. The following RF management settings apply to all profiles, whether in the basic profile group or in any of the advanced profile groups: - Allocating channels - Overriding allocated channels Configure the Radio On/Off Settings Radio On/Off is a green feature that can be used during scheduled vacations or plant shutdowns, on evenings, or on weekends.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Current Time This field is a nonconfigurable field that displays the current time for the wireless controller. Schedule Radio On/Off You can specify either when the radio is on by selecting the On radio button or when it is off by selecting the Off radio button. Schedule at From the menus, specify the time (hours and minutes) when you want to turn the radio either on or off.
Wireless Controller 5. Click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure the radio. 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Current Time This field is a nonconfigurable field that displays the current time for the wireless controller. Schedule Radio On/Off You can specify either when the radio is on by selecting the On radio button or when it is off by selecting the Off radio button.
Wireless Controller IMPORTANT: Unless your network and environment require that you use other WiFi settings, we recommend that you leave the WiFi settings as they are. Typically, the default WiFi settings do not need adjustment. Override the WiFi settings only if a specific need exists, such as when the settings that a device vendor specifies are different from the default settings.
Wireless Controller 5. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to configure the WiFi settings. 6. Select the Turn Radio On check box. The WiFi settings become accessible and you can configure them. If you cannot select the Turn Radio On check box, see the requirements are the beginning of this section. 7. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description MU MIMO (WAC740 access point and 802.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Wireless Mode The selections that are available depend on the selected radio mode. From the menu select the wireless mode: • 802.11b/bg/ng mode: - 802.11b. - 802.11bg. - 802.11ng. This is the default setting. • 802.11a/na/ac mode: - 802.11a. - 802.11na. - 802.1na/ac. This is the default setting. Note: If you select 802.11bg or 802.11b mode, both 802.11n- and 802.11g-compliant devices can connect to the access points. However, if you select 802.11ng mode, 802.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Aggregation Length (802.11ng and 802.11na/ac only) Enter the maximum length of aggregated MAC protocol data unit (AMPDU) packets. Larger aggregation lengths could lead to better network performance. Aggregation is a mechanism used to achieve higher throughput. The default setting depends on the selection from the Wireless Mode menu: • If the selection from the Wireless Mode menu is 802.11ng or 802.11na, the default setting is 65535.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Multicast/Broadcast Rate Limiting Select the enable radio button to enable multicast and broadcast rate limiting, which can increase bandwidth and minimize interference. To configure the maximum packet rate, enter a packet rate in the Multicast/Broadcast Rate Limiting Packet Count field. By default, the wireless controller uses the following maximum packets rates: • For the 2.4 Ghz radio, up to 63 packets per second.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Wireless > Advanced > Wireless. 5. Click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure the WiFi settings. 6. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to configure the WiFi settings. 7. Select the Turn Radio On check box. The WiFi settings become accessible and you can configure them.
Wireless Controller Setting Description MU MIMO (WAC740 access point and 802.11na/ac only) Select the MU MIMO check box to enable multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). By default, the MU MIMO check box is cleared and MU-MIMO is disabled. However, if a WAC740 is managed in a basic or advanced profile group, MU-MIMO is enabled automatically. 802.11ac Wave 2 supports MU-MIMO, which enables multiple users to receive data from the access point simultaneously using the same channel.
Wireless Controller Setting Description RTS Threshold (0-2347) Enter the size of the Request to Send (RTS) threshold packet. The RTS threshold is related to the transmission mechanism (CSMA/CA or CSMA/CD) for the packets.
Wireless Controller Setting Description High Density Bandwidth (802.11ng and 802.11na/ac only) Select the bandwidth type: • Auto. Automatically handles both high-density bandwidth (that is, high throughput) and low-density bandwidth (that is, extended range) environments. Auto is the default setting. • High. Enables a high bandwidth setting for dense environments in which multiple clients in a relatively small space require high bandwidth.
Wireless Controller Radio Frequency Management Concepts Radio frequency (RF) management lets you enable and specify settings for the following features: • Transmission power. You can manage automatic transmission power (that is, the initial power transmission level) and override transmission power settings for individual access points. • WLAN healing. WLAN healing is a special feature of RF management.
Wireless Controller Configure Automatic Transmission Power By default, automatic transmission (Tx) power control is enabled and the initial power transmission level for an access point is half of its capacity. Power is automatically adjusted in the follows ways: • When a client attempts to connect to an access point at low power, the access point’s Tx power is automatically increased above the default level.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Default Tx Power Make a selection from the menu to specify how the transmission (Tx) power is configured on the access points: Full, Half, Quarter, Eighth, or Minimum. By default, the selection from the menu is Half. When automatic Tx power control is enabled, the selection from the menu is used as the initial power level for the access points.
Wireless Controller 5. Click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure automatic transmission power. 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Default Tx Power Make a selection from the menu to specify how the transmission (Tx) power is configured on the access points: Full, Half, Quarter, Eighth, or Minimum. By default, the selection from the menu is Half.
Wireless Controller Override Transmission Power for Individual Access Points in the Basic Profile Group You can override the automatic transmission power settings for individual access points in the basic profile group. For information about the automatic transmission power for access points in the basic profile group, see Configure Automatic Transmission Power for the Basic Profile Group on page 193. To override transmission power for individual access points in the basic profile group: 1.
Wireless Controller Override Transmission Power for Individual Access Points in an Advanced Profile Group You can override the automatic transmission power settings for individual access points in an advanced profile group. For information about the automatic transmission power for access points in an advanced profile group, see Configure Automatic Transmission Power for an Advanced Profile Group on page 194. To override transmission power for an individual access point in an advanced profile group: 1.
Wireless Controller 7. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Configure WLAN Healing The wireless controller supports automatic WLAN healing through the following features: • Automatic channel allocation. Enables the wireless controller to distribute an access point channel automatically across the access points on a floor to reduce interference.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > RF Management > Basic > WLAN Healing. 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Maximum Neighbours to participate in Self-healing From the menu, select the maximum number of neighboring access points that increase or decrease power to cover for a failing access point. Selecting 0 (zero) disables this feature.
Wireless Controller 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > RF Management > Advanced > WLAN Healing. 5. Click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure RF management. 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table.
Wireless Controller Enable Band Steering If band steering is enabled, the wireless controller identifies WiFi clients that are dual-band capable and can force them to connect to the 5 GHz band rather than 2.4 GHz band. WiFi clients that are already connected to the 2.4 GHz band can be forced into the 5 GHz band. In general, the 5 GHz band provides more channels, provides more bandwidth, and causes less interference for WiFi clients. By default, band steering is disabled.
Wireless Controller 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Enable Band Steering for an Advanced Profile Group You can enable band steering for an advanced profile group. Note: Load balancing can steer clients to stronger access points. For more information, see Configure Load Balancing for an Advanced Profile Group on page 217 To enable for band steering for access points in an advanced profile group: 1.
Wireless Controller Configure Automatic Channel Allocation Automatic channel allocation distributes channels across the managed access points to reduce interference. Each wireless controller allocates channels for its managed access points, regardless of their configured security profiles. The wireless controller detects interference, traffic load on the access point, and neighborhood maps to determine the best channel for an access point.
Wireless Controller To configure automatic channel allocation: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > RF Management > Channel Allocation.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Automatic channel allocation Ensure that the enable radio button is selected during normal operation. Automatic channel allocation distributes channels across the managed access points to reduce interference. To disable automatic channel allocation, select the disable radio button.
Wireless Controller IMPORTANT: Changing channels might temporarily affect traffic on the managed access points in the network. 7. To run channel allocation immediately, click the Run Now button. Access points for which you configured channel override are not A pop-up window shows the list of allocated channels. The selected channels are applied to the managed access points. This option is useful when you add a new access point or change your network. 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 5. For each access point for which you want to override the channel, do the following: • To override the channel for the 2.4 GHz radio, select a channel and frequency from the 2.4 Ghz Channel menu and select the associated 2.4 Ghz Override check box. • To override the channel for the 5 GHz radio, select a channel and frequency from the 5 Ghz Channel menu and select the associated 5 Ghz Override check box.
Wireless Controller • Non-WiFi interference detection. This feature is also referred to as channel quality. The throughput of a WiFi network can be affected by the presence of non-WiFi interference sources such as microwave ovens and cordless phones. AirQual can detect non-WiFi interference and notify you through alerts. AirQual can detect up to 17 different non-WiFi interference devices, including Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, and analogue WiFi cameras.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Enable/Disable Select the Enable/Disable check box to enable AirQual. By default, the Enable/Disable check box is cleared and AirQual is disabled. Note: If you enable AirQual in a WiFi network that does not include WAC740 access points, AirQual does not take effect.
Wireless Controller Configure AirQual for an Advanced Profile Group You can configure AirQual for an advanced profile group. One WAC740 access point can monitor the WiFi channel utilization and interference for the entire advanced profile group that you select. To configure AirQual for an advanced profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Channel Utilization Threshold Move the Channel Utilization Threshold slider to the threshold position or enter a number from 1 to 100 in the associated field. If the channel utilization exceeds the threshold, the wireless controller generates an alert. By default, the threshold position is 0, which effectively disables the channel utilization feature. 7.
Wireless Controller WMM defines the following four queues in decreasing order of priority: • Voice. The highest priority queue with minimum delay, which makes it ideal for applications such as voice over IP (VoIP) and streaming media. • Video. The second highest priority queue with low delay is given to this queue. Video applications are routed to this queue. • Best Effort. The medium priority queue with medium delay is given to this queue. Most standard IP applications use this queue. • Background.
Wireless Controller 5. Click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure the QoS settings. 6. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to configure the QoS settings. 7. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description AIFS Specify a wait time (in milliseconds) for data frames. Valid values for arbitration inter-frame space (AIFS) are 1 through 255. The following are the default values for the AP EDCA parameters: • Data 0 (Best Effort).
Wireless Controller Setting Description CwMax Specify an upper limit (in milliseconds) for the doubling of the random backoff value. Valid values for this field are 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, or 1023. The value for the maximum contention window (CwMax) must be higher than the value for minimum contention window (CwMin). The following are the default values for the AP EDCA parameters: • Data 0 (Best Effort). 63 • Data 1 (Background). 1023 • Data 2 (Video). 15 • Data 3 (Voice).
Wireless Controller Load Balancing Concepts Load balancing allows the wireless controller to distribute access point clients (the “load”) equally among the access points that it manages. You configure load balancing per type of access point model and per radio. By default, load balancing is disabled.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Profile > Basic > Load Balancing. 5. For each radio on each access point model for which you want to configure load balancing, configure the settings as described in the following table.
Wireless Controller 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Configure Load Balancing for an Advanced Profile Group You can configure load balancing for each radio on access points of a particular model in an advanced profile group. You do not configure load balancing settings for an individual access point. Load balancing settings apply to all access points of that model in an advanced profile group. To configure load balancing for access point models in an advanced profile group: 1.
Wireless Controller 6. For each radio on each access point model for which you want to configure load balancing, configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Max Client Move the slider to specify or enter the maximum number of WiFi clients that can connect to each radio of an access point at one time. You can select a value of 64 to allow the maximum number of clients that a radio of an access point can support.
Wireless Controller On each managed access point (or on each radio in a managed dual-band access point), the available bandwidth is distributed in the specified percentages among the profiles in a profile group. The percentage that is configured for a single profile is shared among all the clients connected to it. However, you can configure rate limiting for clients of a profile, which means that the client rate limit that you set applies to each individual client.
Wireless Controller In the Profile Rate Limit section, the page provides a tab for each WiFi radio. 5. In the Profile Rate Limit section, click the tab for the radio for which you want to configure profile rate limiting. 6. For each profile on a WiFi radio, specify the rate limit as a percentage. You can move the sliders to adjust the values in the Rate Limit fields to the right of the sliders. Make sure that the total percentages of all profiles on one WiFi radio do not exceed 100 percent. 7.
Wireless Controller To configure client rate limiting for the basic profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Profile > Basic > Rate Limit.
Wireless Controller Configure Profile Rate Limiting for an Advanced Profile Group For each advanced profile group, and for each radio mode (802.11b/bg/ng mode and 802.11a/na/ac mode), rate limiting per profile adds up to a maximum of 100 percent. (It can be less than 100 percent.) To configure profile rate limiting for an advanced profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller 7. For each profile on a WiFi radio in the selected profile group, specify the profile rate limit as a percentage. You can move the sliders to adjust the values in the Rate Limit fields to the right of the sliders. Make sure that the total percentages of all profiles on one WiFi radio in the selected profile group do not exceed 100 percent. 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 5. In the Client Rate Limit section, click the tab for the profile group for which you want to configure client rate limiting. 6. In the Client Rate Limit section, click the tab for the radio for which you want to configure client rate limiting. 7. For each profile on a WiFi radio in the selected profile group, select a value in Mbps from the Rate Limit menu. You can select a value from 0 Mbps (which disables client rate limiting) and 50 Mbps (the maximum value). 8.
Wireless Controller by disabling all LEDs. You can configure a different setting for each model access point that supports management of the LED behavior. This feature is useful if an access point is installed in a hotel guest room and you want to make sure that guests are not disturbed by the blue light of the LEDs. Manage the LED Behavior for the Basic Profile Group You can manage the LED behavior of WN370, WAC720, WAC730, and WAC740 access points that support the basic profile group.
Wireless Controller Manage the LED Behavior for an Advanced Profile Group For each advanced profile group, you can manage the LED behavior of WN370, WAC720, WAC730, and WAC740 access points that support the profile group. To manage the LED behavior of WN370, WAC720, WAC730, or WAC740 access points that support an advanced profile group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
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Wireless Controller Manage Rogue Access Points The wireless controller can detect rogue access points in your network, you can classify the detected rogue access points, and you can import a list of known access points. Rogue Access Point Concepts Rogue access point detection is disabled by default on the wireless controller. If you want to detect rogue access points, you must enable rogue access point detection. Scanning might affect the service availability of the access point temporarily.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Security > Basic > Rogue AP. The wireless controller can support a total of up to 512 access points from the known and unknown lists combined. 5. Next to Rogue AP Detection, select the enable radio button. 6. Next to Alert Severity, select the severity of the alarm when a rogue access point is detected: • Major. A major alarm is triggered. • Minor.
Wireless Controller To view and classify rogue access points: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Security > Advanced > Rogue AP.
Wireless Controller b. Click one of the following two buttons, both of which are located below the Rogue List: • Known. Moves the selected access points to the known list. • Unknown. Moves the selected access points to the unknown list. 6. For each known access point, enter a name in the Name column. A name allows access points to be more easily identified. 7. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Wireless Controller 8. Click the Import button. The wireless controller imports the MAC addresses that are in the text file into the Rogue List table. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Manage Guest Network Access Through Guest Portals and Captive Portals Users with management (admin) credentials—for example, receptionists or hotel clerks—can provision guests. Guests must provide their email address, or both a login name and password.
Wireless Controller Note: If the network authentication uses an external RADIUS server, you cannot configure captive portal authentication. That is, if you configure an external RADIUS server with WPA, WPA2, or WPA & WPA2 (or if you use legacy 802.1X), you cannot configure captive portal authentication; the network authentication must be Open System, Shared Key, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or WPA-PSK & WPA2-PSK (see Network Authentication and Data Encryption Options on page 138).
Wireless Controller To configure a basic guest portal or captive portal: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Captive Portal > Basic.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Portal Settings section Portal Type Select one of the following radio buttons: • Guest. A guest portal with a field for entering an email address. Guests do not need to provide a password and can get unlimited access to the network. You do not need to configure guest accounts. • Captive. A captive portal with a field for entering a login user name and a field for entering a password.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Background Page You can either select a background image or configure a custom background page. To navigate to and select an image file for the background of the login page, do the following: 1. Keep the Background Page Default radio button selected. 2. Next to Load Backgrounds Image, click the Choose File button. 3. Navigate to and select an image file. You can use a .bmp, .gif, .jpg, or .png image.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Login Panel You can either keep the default login panel or configure a custom login panel. The default login panel for a guest portal provides an email field and a login button. The default login panel for a captive portal provides a user name and password field and a login button. You can customize the login panel to suit your needs. For example, for a captive portal login panel for a hotel, you could change the user name to a room number.
Wireless Controller 8. Assign the captive portal or guest portal to a security profile in the basic profile group, in an advanced profile group, or in both: • Basic profile group. Assign the captive portal or guest portal to a security profile in the basic profile group: a. Select Configuration > Profile > Basic > Radio. The Edit Profile (Basic) page displays. b. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to assign the portal. c. Click the tab for the profile to which you want to assign the portal. d.
Wireless Controller To configure an advanced guest portal or captive portal: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Captive Portal > Advanced.
Wireless Controller The previous figure shows the settings for a captive portal. The settings for a guest portal are identical, except for the RADIUS server settings, which you cannot configure for a guest portal. 5. Click the + button to create an additional portal. The new portal displays on the advanced Captive Portal Settings page, and the tab for the new portal is automatically selected to let you configure the new group. 6. In the Name field, enter a unique name for the portal.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Background Page You can either select a background image or configure a custom background page. To navigate to and select an image file for the background of the login page, do the following: 1. Keep the Background Page Default radio button selected. 2. Next to Load Backgrounds Image, click the Choose File button. 3. Navigate to and select an image file. You can use a .bmp, .gif, .jpg, or .png image.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Login Panel You can either keep the default login panel or configure a custom login panel. The default login panel for a guest portal provides an email field and a login button. The default login panel for a captive portal provides a user name and password field and a login button. You can customize the login panel to suit your needs. For example, for a captive portal login panel for a hotel, you could change the user name to a room number.
Wireless Controller 10. Assign the captive portal or guest portal to a security profile in the basic profile group, in an advanced profile group, or in both: • Basic profile group. Assign the captive portal or guest portal to a security profile in the basic profile group: a. Select Configuration > Profile > Basic > Radio. The Edit Profile (Basic) page displays. b. Click the tab for the radio for which you want to assign the portal. c. Click the tab for the profile to which you want to assign the portal. d.
Wireless Controller Remove a Portal You can remove a portal. To remove a portal: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Configuration > Captive Portal > Advanced.
Wireless Controller - License management only users. These users can configure only licenses, that is, they can access only the License configuration menu tab under the Maintenance main navigation tab (for more information, see Manage Licenses on page 282). • WiFi users. Users with credentials to access the WiFi network. These users do not need to use the captive portal or the guest portal to access the WiFi network, nor is their access subject to expiration. • Captive portal users.
Wireless Controller The previous figure contains some account examples. 5. Select the radio button for the admin user name. 6. Click the Edit button. 7. In the Old Password field, enter the current password. 8. In the New Password field, enter the new password and repeat it in the Confirm New Password field. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. The password is saved and pushed to all controller-managed access points.
Wireless Controller Add a Management User You can add an administrator, a user with read-only access to the wireless controller’s web management interface, a user who can provision captive portal users only, and a user who can manage licenses only. To add a management user: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3.
Wireless Controller 6. Configure the user settings as described in the following table. Setting Description User Name Enter a unique user name. Only alphanumerical characters and underscore characters (_) are supported. User Type From the menu, select the type of user, which determines the users’s access to the wireless controller’s web management interface. • Administrator. Full access with read and write capabilities. • Read Only.
Wireless Controller The previous figure contains some account examples. 6. Click the Add button. 7. Configure the client settings as described in the following table. Setting Description User Name Enter a unique user name. Only alphanumerical characters and underscore characters (_) are supported. Password Enter a password in the Password field. Confirm the password in the Confirm Password field. Authentication Type From the menu, select one of the following protocols: • EAP.
Wireless Controller Add a Captive Portal Account If you configure a captive portal (see Configure a Basic Guest Portal or Captive Portal on page 233), you can add a captive portal account. Note: If you configure a guest portal, you cannot add a captive portal account. To add a captive portal account: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2.
Wireless Controller The previous figure contains some account examples. 6. Click the Add button. 7. Configure the account settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Account Name Enter a unique account name. Only alphanumerical characters and underscore characters (_) are supported. Amount Enter the total amount that is charged for the period during which access is available. Enter whole numbers only. Currency Sign Enter the currency that is associated with the amount.
Wireless Controller Note: If you configure a guest portal, you cannot add a logo or message. To add a logo and message on printed captive portal user information: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller The previous figure contains some account examples. 6. To load a logo that displays on the print message, click the Choose File button, and follow the directions of your browser to navigate to the logo and select it. You can upload a logo in .bmp, .gif, .jpg, or .png format. The maximum size for the file is 5 MB. 7. To specify a message, in the field below the Message Required check box, enter the message. 8.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Maintenance > User Management. The User Management page displays with the Management tab and associated page in view. 5. Click the Captive Portal Users tab. The previous figure contains some account examples. 6. Click the Add button. 7. Configure the user settings as described in the following table. Setting Description User Name Enter a unique user name.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Password Use one of the following methods to populate the password fields. Method 1: 1. Enter a password in the Password field. 2. Confirm the password in the Confirm Password field. Method 2: Click the Generate button. A password is generated automatically. Expiry Select one of the following radio buttons: • Account. Select a captive portal account from the menu.
Wireless Controller 4. Select Maintenance > User Management. The User Management page displays with the Management tab and associated page in view. 5. Click the Captive Portal Users tab. The previous figure contains some account examples. 6. Click the Bulk Add button.
Wireless Controller 7. Configure the user settings as described in the following table. Setting Description User Name Prefix Enter a user name prefix. Only alphanumerical characters and underscore characters (_) are supported. Note: As an example, if you want to add 17 captive portal users for a group of conference guests that are booked in a hotel under the name Johnson, enter Johnson_. Then, for the start index, enter 1, and for the end index, enter 17.
Wireless Controller Change the Settings for a User or Account You can change the settings for a user or an account. To change the settings for a user or an account: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Maintenance > User Management. The User Management page displays with the Management tab and associated page in view. 5. Click one of the following tabs: • Management • WiFi Clients • Captive Portal Account • Captive Portal Users 6.
Wireless Controller 5. Click one of the following tabs: • Management • WiFi Clients • Captive Portal Account • Captive Portal Users 6. Click the EXPORT button. The selected list is opened or saved as a zipped CSV file to a location that you specify. 7. To complete the procedure, follow the directions of your browser.
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Wireless Controller Manage the Configuration File or Upgrade the Firmware This section includes the following subsections: • Back Up the Configuration File • Restore the Configuration File • Upgrade the Firmware The configuration settings of the wireless controller are stored in a configuration file on the wireless controller. This file can be saved (backed up) to a computer, retrieved (restored) from the computer, cleared to factory default settings, and replaced by a newer version (upgraded).
Wireless Controller A dialog box displays, showing the file name of the backup file. The backup file is in the following format: backup.tgz. 6. To save the configuration file, follow the instructions of your browser. Restore the Configuration File Restore only settings that were backed up from your model wireless controller. (You cannot restore settings that were backed up from another model wireless controller.) To restore the configuration file from a backed-up file: 1.
Wireless Controller Upgrade the Firmware The wireless controller provides two methods for upgrading its firmware: • Scheduled, automatic update • Manual update The wireless controller lets you retain two firmware versions in permanent storage (in the active partition and in the backup partition) so that you can switch from one firmware version to another. You can select which firmware version to load during the next boot cycle and which firmware version to upgrade.
Wireless Controller 4. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 5. Select Maintenance > Upgrade > Firmware Upgrade. The previous figure shows the fields that display when you select the FTP radio button. When you select the TFTP or Local File radio button, fewer fields are shown. 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Server Parameters section (TFTP and FTP only) Server IP Enter the IP address of the TFTP or FTP server. File Name Enter the file name of the firmware. User Name (FTP only) Enter the user name to access the FTP server. Password (FTP only) Enter the password to access the FTP server. Boot Information section Active Partition This field is an informational field that displays the active partition and the current firmware version.
Wireless Controller Note: After you upgrade the firmware, if the browser does not display the latest features of the web management interface, clear the browser’s cache, and refresh the page. Reboot the Wireless Controller The Reboot/Reset Controllers page lets you reset the wireless controller. To reboot the wireless controller: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Note: Restoring the factory default settings of the wireless controller does not restore the settings of the access points that the wireless controller manages. To reset the wireless controller: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller Manage Extended Storage The Extended Storage page displays information about an optional directly attached external storage device such as a USB memory stick or external hard drive, and lets you mount and dismount the storage device. Such a device is referred to as an extended storage device. You can use an extended storage device to store more floor heat maps and extended statistics history. Note: Do not reboot the wireless controller while an extended storage device is connected.
Wireless Controller 5. Mount or unmount the extended storage device: • To mount the extended storage device, do the following: a. Attach the extended storage device to the USB port on the front panel of the wireless controller. b. Click the Mount button. The storage details become visible on the Extended Storage page. • To unmount the extended storage device, do the following: a. Click the Unmount button. b. Remove the extended storage device from the USB port.
Wireless Controller 5. Enable SNMP and configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description SNMP Select the SNMP check box to enable SNMP for the wireless controller. Read-Only Community Name Enter the community string that allows the SNMP manager to read the wireless controller’s MIB objects. The default setting is public. Read-Write Community Name Enter the community string that allows the SNMP manager to read and write the wireless controller’s MIB objects.
Wireless Controller Specify Session Time-Outs If an HTTP session times out, the user is redirected to the login page for password verification. To specify the length of the HTTP session time-out for the wireless controller: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller Save the System Logs You can save the system logs to a zipped log file on your computer. The information that is stored in the system logs depends on the log settings. For information about how to configure which information is recorded and stored in the logs, see Configure the Syslog Settings for an Internal Syslog Location on page 115. To save the system logs: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address.
Wireless Controller Save and Clear the Logs for an Access Point You can save the logs for a managed access point to a zipped log file on your computer. After you save the logs, they are automatically deleted from the access point. To save and clear the logs for a managed access point: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2.
Wireless Controller CAUTION: After you save the logs, they are automatically deleted from the access point. 8. Click the Save button. 9. Follow the directions of your browser. The default name of the zipped log file is ap_logs_XX_XX_XX_XX_XX_XX.tgz, in which XX_XX_XX_XX_XX_XX is the MAC address of the access point. View Alerts and Events The wireless controller lets you view the following alerts and events: • System alerts.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Maintenance > Logs & Alerts > System Alerts. 5. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button.
Wireless Controller 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Maintenance > Logs & Alerts > RF Events. 5. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button.
Wireless Controller 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Maintenance > Logs & Alerts > Load Balancing. 5. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button.
Wireless Controller View Rate-Limit Events The wireless controller generates alerts for rate-limit events such as the violation of a rate-limit threshold. To view rate-limit events: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller View Redundancy Events The wireless controller generates alerts for redundancy events such as the redundant wireless controller coming up or going down, or a failover to another wireless controller. To view redundancy events: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller View Stacking Events The wireless controller generates alerts for stacking events such as a slave wireless controller coming up or going down, or two wireless controllers synchronizing. To view stacking events: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller Manage Licenses The License page allows you to import, register, and view the licenses that you require for your network. For more information about licenses, see Licenses on page 18. The License page provides four tabs: • Inventory. Provides an overview of your licenses. For information, see View Your Licenses on page 282. • Server Settings. Allows you to configure the server settings to import your licenses. For information, see Configure the License Server Settings on page 111.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the page. Setting Description Summary section Total AP License The number of access points that your licenses support. Nmode License Status Availability of the 802.11n mode license. (This license is available by default, indicated by either Preinstalled or Available.) Used License Count The number of access points that are used from the total number that your licenses support.
Wireless Controller Retrieve Your Licenses If NETGEAR exchanged your wireless controller for another one, your licenses no longer display on the Inventory and Registration pages. You must retrieve your licenses from the license update server. To retrieve licenses after you receive a replacement unit from NETGEAR: 1. Make sure that the wireless controller is connected to the Internet. 2. Make sure that the DNS servers are configured correctly.
Wireless Controller Reboot Access Points Under normal circumstances, you do not need to reboot an access point. If a problem occurs with an access point, you can reboot it to see if this resolves the problem. To reboot an access point: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller Configure Multicast Firmware Upgrade for Access Points When you add access points to the managed list (see Chapter 8, Discover and Manage Access Points), the wireless controller upgrades the firmware of the access points to the latest firmware that is loaded on the wireless controller. By default, this firmware upgrade process uses multicast, which allows all access points to be upgraded simultaneously.
Wireless Controller Setting Description Start IP Enter the start IP address of the multicast range that the wireless controller must use. End IP Enter the end IP address of the multicast range that the wireless controller must use. Port Number Enter the port number that the wireless controller must use. The default number is 69. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Disable Multicast Firmware Upgrade There might be network configurations in which you cannot use multicast.
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Wireless Controller Stacking Concepts The wireless controller supports stacking of up to three units for management of up to 150 access points (models WC7600 and WC7600v2) or 600 access points (model WC9500) through purchased licensing (see Licenses on page 18). In a stack, one wireless controller functions as the master controller, and the other two wireless controllers function as slave controllers.
Wireless Controller After you configure the stack, you can change profiles, security settings, and WiFi settings on the master controller, synchronize these changes with the slave controllers, and let the slave controllers push the changes to the individual access points that they manage. For ease of management, you can configure location-based profiles on the master controller and assign a location to each slave controller.
Wireless Controller Note: A single WC9500 wireless controller that does not function in a stack can manage up to 300 access point; a single WC9500 wireless controller in a stack can manage up to 200 access points. If a WC9500 wireless controller does not function in a stack and manages more than 200 access points and you add the WC9500 wireless controller to a stack, all access points are removed from its managed list.
Wireless Controller The Stacking table shows the master wireless controller with its IP addresses. 5. Click the Add button. 6. Configure the settings for the slave controller as described in the following table. Setting Description Controller IP Enter the IP address of the slave controller. This is the address that you use to log in to the slave controller’s web management interface.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller is added to the Stacking table but the local IP address for the slave controller is not yet shown. 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. After the configuration of the master controller synchronizes with the slave controller, the stack is established.
Wireless Controller The Stacking table shows the following fields: Setting Description Role The role or function that the wireless controller provides in the stack: either Master or Slave. Controller IP The IP address of the wireless controller. In a stacking configuration, the controller IP address is identical to the local IP address. Local IP The local IP address of the wireless controller in the stacking group. This IP address remains constant.
Wireless Controller Remove a Wireless Controller From a Stack You can remove a wireless controller from a stack. To remove a wireless controller from a stack: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4.
Wireless Controller Select Which Wireless Controller in a Stack to Configure After you add one or more wireless controllers to the stack, most pages of the web management interface display a controller selection menu at the top. This menu lets you select the wireless controller that you want to configure. Figure 18.
Wireless Controller The controller selection menu shows Self in orange font as the wireless controller that you are accessing through the web management interface. 5. In the controller selection menu, next to Self, click the + button. The IP address of the other wireless controller in the stack displays in white font in the controller selection menu. 6. In the controller selection menu, click 172.16.192.31, which is the IP address of the other wireless controller in the stack.
Wireless Controller 7. To change back to the original wireless controller, in the controller selection menu next to the IP address (172.16.192.31), click the + button. In the controller selection menu, Self displays in white font to the left of the IP address of the other wireless controller in the stack. 8. In the controller selection menu, click Self. The web management interface accesses the original wireless controller in the stack. The controller selection menu once again shows Self in orange font.
Wireless Controller Manage Redundancy for a Single Controller The wireless controller supports 1:1 redundancy with failover. Redundancy is implemented through the use of the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP). For information about N:1 redundancy, see Manage a Redundancy Group With N:1 Redundancy on page 305. VRRP Redundancy Concepts You can configure two controllers to form a redundancy group.
Wireless Controller Example of a 1:1 Redundancy Configuration The following figure shows a configuration with a primary controller and a redundant controller before a failover occurs. Figure 19. Primary and redundant controllers before a failover The following figure shows the settings on the Stacking/Redundancy page before a failover occurs. Figure 20.
Wireless Controller The following figure shows a configuration with a primary controller and a redundant controller after a failover occurred in which the primary controller went down and the redundant controller became the active controller. Figure 21.
Wireless Controller The Stacking/Redundancy page displays. 5. Select the Enable Redundancy check box. The Redundancy page expands to display the Redundancy table and the Secondary Controller Information pop-up window opens. 6. Configure the settings for the redundant controller (that is, the secondary controller) as described in the following table. Setting Description Controller IP Enter the IP address of the redundant controller.
Wireless Controller 8. Configure the VRRP ID and local IP address of the primary controller (that is, the master) as described in the following table. These settings are required so that the primary controller and redundant controller can establish a redundancy group. The following table also includes descriptions of the nonconfigurable fields. Setting Description Controller Role This is a nonconfigurable field that shows that the role of the primary controller.
Wireless Controller WARNING: Enabling redundancy causes the redundancy process on the primary wireless controller to restart, which might temporarily affects traffic on the managed access points in the network. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. After the configuration of the primary controller synchronizes with the redundant controller, redundancy goes into effect. 10. Select Monitor > Controller > Summary. The Summary page displays for the controller. 11. Click the REFRESH button.
Wireless Controller Manage a Redundancy Group With N:1 Redundancy The wireless controller supports N:1 redundancy with failover. Redundancy is implemented through the use of the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP). For information about 1:1 redundancy, see Manage Redundancy for a Single Controller on page 299.
Wireless Controller When the primary controller that went down and for which the redundant controller took over comes back up and is stable, a switchback occurs automatically, in which case ownership of the controller IP address is returned to the primary controller that came back up. The redundant controller reassumes its passive position, and redundancy is once again available for all primary controllers in the redundancy group.
Wireless Controller Figure 22. Primary and redundant controllers in an N:1 configuration before a failover The following figure shows the N:1 settings on the Redundancy page before a failover occurs. Figure 23.
Wireless Controller The following figure shows an N:1 configuration with three primary controllers and one redundant controller after a failover occurs: Figure 24. Primary and redundant controllers in an N:1 configuration after a failover Configure a Redundancy Group With N:1 Redundancy To enable N:1 redundancy, configure the redundancy settings on the primary controllers (the master and one or two slaves) and on the redundant controller (the secondary controller) that serves all primary controllers.
Wireless Controller To configure N:1 redundancy for a stack of three controllers: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Stacking. The page displays the stacking configuration. 5.
Wireless Controller 6. Configure the settings for the redundant controller (that is, the secondary controller) as described in the following table. Setting Description Controller IP Enter the IP address of the redundant controller. This is the address that you use to log in to the redundant controller’s web management interface. UserName The user name is a nonconfigurable field that displays the user name with which you log in to the web management interface of the redundant controller.
Wireless Controller 8. Configure the VRRP ID and local IP address of all primary controllers (that is, the master and the slaves) as described in the following table. These settings are required so that the primary controllers and redundant controller can establish a redundancy group. The following table also includes descriptions of the nonconfigurable fields. Setting Description Controller Role This is a nonconfigurable field that shows that the role of the primary controller.
Wireless Controller WARNING: Enabling redundancy causes the redundancy process on the primary wireless controller to restart, which might temporarily affects traffic on the managed access points in the network. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. After the configuration of the primary controller that functions as the master in the stack synchronizes with the redundant controller, redundancy goes into effect. 10. Select Monitor > Controller > Summary.
Wireless Controller Replace a Redundant Controller After you configure redundancy, you can replace the redundant controller with another one. Even if you change only the password of the redundant controller, use the replace tool. To replace a redundant controller: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3.
Wireless Controller 6. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Controller IP Enter the IP address of the redundant controller. This is the address that you use to log in to the redundant controller’s web management interface. UserName The user name is a nonconfigurable field that displays the user name with which you log in to the web management interface of the redundant controller. By default, the user name is admin.
Wireless Controller To remove a redundancy group: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Stacking. 5. Clear the Enable Redundancy check box. 6. Click the Apply button.
13. Monitor the WiFi Network and Its Components 13 This chapter includes the following sections: • Monitor the Network • Monitor the Wireless Controller • Monitor the SSIDs on the Wireless Controller • Monitor Local Clients in the Network Note: The information that is shown in the figures in this chapter is not always consistent. That is, the information in one figure might be for a different network configuration than the information in another figure.
Wireless Controller Monitor the Network Note: The Network configuration menu tab displays under the Monitor main navigation menu tab only if you configured stacking. If you did not configure stacking, see Monitor the Wireless Controller on page 332. Note: Monitoring the network does not apply to the WC7500. For this model, see Monitor the Wireless Controller on page 332.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Stacking/Redundancy Status table, the Network Status table, and the Rogue Access Points section of the page. Item Description Stacking/Redundancy Status Role The role of the wireless controller in a stacking configuration (Master or Slave). Service IP The service IP address of the wireless controller. In a stacking configuration, the service IP address is identical to the local IP address.
Wireless Controller Item Access Points Description Up The number of access points that a wireless controller manages and that are running correctly. This number is shown for each wireless controller in the stack and for all wireless controllers together. Down The number of access points that a wireless controller manages but cannot ping. This number is shown for each wireless controller in the stack and for all wireless controllers together.
Wireless Controller 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Monitor > Network > Controller. The following table explains the fields of the Controllers table on the network Controllers page. Item Description Controller IP The IP address of the wireless controller. Name The name of the wireless controller (see Configure the General Settings on page 101).
Wireless Controller View the Access Points in the Network You can monitor all managed access points in the network and see which wireless controller manages a particular access point. To view the network Access Point page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Access Point page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the access point. Status The status of the access point (healthy or down). Name The name of the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171). Model The model of the access point. MAC The MAC address of the access point. IP The IP address of the access point.
Wireless Controller Item Description 2.4/5 GHz Channel The active 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz channel on the access point. This information can change after initial configuration of the access point because of automatic channel allocation. The color coding specifies the channel utilization on each radio and means the following: • Green. 0–40 percent utilization. • Light green. 41–60 percent utilization. • Orange. 61–80 percent utilization. • Red. 81–100 percent utilization. • NA.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the AP Details pop-up window.
Wireless Controller Item Description AP Info This information is self-explanatory. Profile Info For each security profile that is configured on the selected access point, the following information displays: Type The type of profile (802.11b/bg/ng or 802.11a/na/ac). SSID The WiFi network SSID for the security profile. Security The security mode (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2) for the security profile. VLAN The VLAN ID or VLAN name for the security profile.
Wireless Controller 11. Click the OK button. The AP Details pop-up window closes, and the network Access Point page displays again. View the Clients in the Network You can view all clients that are connected to managed access points and see which wireless controller manages a particular access point. To view the Clients page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Clients page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the client. MAC The MAC address of the WiFi client. IP The IP address of the WiFi client. Note the following: • If clients and the access point to which they are connected are in the same VLAN, all receive an IP address from the same DHCP server.
Wireless Controller Item Description RSSI The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the WiFi client. Building The building to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175).
Wireless Controller c. To display details about the client, point to the client. A pop-up window opens and displays details about the client. d. To close the floor plan, click the Back button. The Clients page displays again. 10. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. 11. To display details about a client, do the following: a. Select the radio button that corresponds to the clients for which you want to see the details.
Wireless Controller Item Description Auth The security mode that the WiFi client is using to connect to the access point (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2). Client Type The wireless mode that the WiFi client is using to connect to the access point (802.11ng, 802.11bg, 802.11b, 802.11ac, 802.11na, or 802.11a). Cipher The type of encryption that the WiFi client is using (None, WEP, AES, TKIP, or TKIP + AES). AID The association ID of the client.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Profiles page. Item Description SSID The WiFi network SSID for the security profile. Profile Name The name of the security profile. Security The security mode (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2) for the security profile. Radio Mode The wireless mode for the security profile (802.11b/bg/ng or 802.11a/na/ac). Status The status of the security profile (Active or Inactive). No.
Wireless Controller 7. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button. • To change the number of entries onscreen, from the Entry Per Page menu, select 20, or 40, or 60, and so on, or All. 8. To display the latest information onscreen, click the REFRESH button. 9.
Wireless Controller To view the wireless controller Summary page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Monitor > Controller > Summary.
Wireless Controller Item Description Wireless Clients Open The number of WiFi clients that are connected to managed access points using security profiles configured with open mode. WEP The number of WiFi clients that are connected to managed access points using security profiles configured with WEP. WPA The number of WiFi clients that are connected to managed access points using security profiles configured with WPA.
Wireless Controller View Wireless Controller Usage The page displays graphics that show the access point usage, SSID usage, and number of clients on the wireless controller. Note: The Java plug-in is required to display the graphics. To view the Usage page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3.
Wireless Controller Data for the 2.4 GHz network (for the combined 802.11b, 802.11bg, and 802.11ng modes) is shown in purple; data for the 5 GHz network (for the combined 802.11a, 802.11na, and 802.11ac modes) is shown in green. The page shows the following graphs: • AP Usage. Displays the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz traffic usage in MB for access points. • SSID Usage. Displays the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz traffic usage in MB for SSIDs. • Number of Clients.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Access Point page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the access point. Status The status of the access point (healthy or down). Name The name of the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171). Model The model of the access point. MAC The MAC address of the access point. IP The IP address of the access point.
Wireless Controller Item Description 2.4/5 GHz Channel The active 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz channel on the access point. This information can change after initial configuration of the access point because of automatic channel allocation. The color coding specifies the channel utilization on each radio and means the following: • Green. 0–40 percent utilization. • Light green. 41–60 percent utilization. • Orange. 61–80 percent utilization. • Red. 81–100 percent utilization. • NA.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the AP Details pop-up window. Item Description AP Info This information is self-explanatory.
Wireless Controller Item Description Profile Info For each security profile that is configured on the selected access point, the following information displays: Type The type of profile (802.11b/bg/ng or 802.11a/na/ac). SSID The WiFi network SSID for the security profile. Security The security mode (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2) for the security profile. VLAN The VLAN ID or VLAN name for the security profile.
Wireless Controller View Clients on Access Points That the Wireless Controller Manages You can view all clients that are connected to access points that the wireless controller manages. To view the Clients page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Clients page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the client. MAC The MAC address of the WiFi client. IP The IP address of the WiFi client. Note the following: • If clients and the access point to which they are connected are in the same VLAN, all receive an IP address from the same DHCP server.
Wireless Controller Item Description Usage (KBytes) The traffic usage of the WiFi client in KB. RSSI The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the WiFi client. Building The building to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175).
Wireless Controller A pop-up window opens and displays details about the client. d. To close the floor plan, click the Back button. The Clients page displays again. 10. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. 11. To display details about a client, do the following: a. Select the radio button that corresponds to the clients for which you want to see the details. b. Click the Details button.
Wireless Controller Item Description Auth The security mode that the WiFi client is using to connect to the access point (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2). Client Type The wireless mode that the WiFi client is using to connect to the access point (802.11ng, 802.11bg, 802.11b, 802.11ac, 802.11na, or 802.11a). Cipher The type of encryption that the WiFi client is using (None, WEP, AES, TKIP, or TKIP + AES). AID The association ID of the client.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Neighboring Clients page. Item Description Location This radio button is nonfunctional. MAC The MAC address of the neighboring client. RSSI The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the neighboring client. Rogue Shows whether or not (Yes or No) the neighboring client is connected to a rogue access point. 5. To sort the table, click the double triangle icon or single triangle icon at the top right of a column. 6.
Wireless Controller 9. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. View Neighboring Access Points That the Wireless Controller Does Not Manage You can monitor the access points that the wireless controller detects but does not manage. To view the Rogue AP page: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Item Description Privacy The security of the access point (Secured or Unsecured). Last Beacon The last beacon that the access point transmitted. Type The category that the access point belongs to (Neighbor AP or Rogue AP). Classification The status of the access point (Known or Unknown). Name The name of the access point, if a name is assigned. 5. To sort the table, click the double triangle icon or single triangle icon at the top right of a column. 6.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the Profiles page. Item Description SSID The WiFi network SSID for the security profile. Profile Name The name of the security profile. Security The security mode (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2) for the security profile. Radio Mode The wireless mode for the security profile (802.11b/bg/ng or 802.11a/na/ac). Status The status of the security profile (Active or Inactive). No.
Wireless Controller 8. To display the latest information onscreen, click the REFRESH button. 9. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. View DHCP Leases That Are Provided by the Wireless Controller You can view the current DHCP clients that were allocated IP addresses by the DHCP server on the wireless controller. To view the DHCP Leases page: 1.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the DHCP Leases page. Item Description Host Name The host name of the DHCP client. IP The IP address that is allocated to the DHCP client. End Time The DHCP lease end time for the DHCP client. End Date The DHCP lease end date for the DHCP client. MAC The MAC address of the DHCP client. VLAN The VLAN name or number that the DHCP server and DHCP client are using to connect. 5.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Monitor > Controller > Captive Portal Users. The following table describes the fields of the Captive Portal Users page. Item Description User Name The login name of the user. Account Name The account name, if any, that is associated with the user. IP The IP address of the user. MAC The MAC address of the device with which the user is logged in.
Wireless Controller 10. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. View the Guest Email Address Database for Access Points That the Wireless Controller Manages You can view the email addresses of users who are or were logged in through a guest portal. The email address database can contain a maximum of 12,000 entries. To view the guest email address database: 1.
Wireless Controller The table shows the user email addresses and the date and time that the user logged in. 5. To sort the table, click the double triangle icon or single triangle icon at the top right of a column. 6. To search the table, in the Search field, enter the information that you are looking for, such as an IP address or MAC address. 7.
Wireless Controller The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4. Select Monitor > Controller > AirQual. The AP List includes the WAC740 access points for which AirQual is enabled. (In the previous figure, AirQual is enabled for a single WAC740 access point only.) 5.
Wireless Controller 7. To search the table, in the Search field, enter the information that you are looking for, such as an IP address or MAC address. 8. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button.
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the SSID Mapping page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the access point. Name The name of the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171). Location The location of the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171). Status The status of the access point (healthy or down). MAC The MAC address of the access point.
Wireless Controller Item Description Building The building to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175). Floor The floor to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175). 2.
Wireless Controller Monitor the WiFi Network and Its Components 359
Wireless Controller The following table describes the fields of the AP Details pop-up window. Item Description AP Info This information is self-explanatory. Profile Info For each security profile that is configured on the selected access point, the following information displays: Type The type of profile (802.11b/bg/ng or 802.11a/na/ac). SSID The WiFi network SSID for the security profile. Security The security mode (Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2) for the security profile.
Wireless Controller 11. Click the OK button. The AP Details pop-up window closes, and the SSID Mapping page displays again. Monitor Local Clients in the Network You can monitor all clients that were accepted into the network by all wireless controllers in the network, including the clients that are roaming in the network: To view the clients in the network: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250.
Wireless Controller Note: The Network configuration menu tab displays under the Monitor main navigation menu tab only if you configured stacking. The following table describes the fields of the Clients table on the Local Client List page. Item Description Select The radio button that lets you select the client. MAC The MAC address of the WiFi client. IP The IP address of the WiFi client.
Wireless Controller Item Description Building The building to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175). Floor The floor to which you assigned the access point (see Change Access Point Information on the Managed AP List on page 171 or Assign Access Points to Buildings, Floors, and Advanced Profile Groups on page 175).
Wireless Controller The Local Client List page displays again. 10. To export the table, do the following: a. Click the EXPORT button. b. To save the file, follow the directions of your browser. 11. To display details about a client, do the following: a. Select the radio button that corresponds to the clients for which you want to see the details. b. Click the Details button. The following table describes the fields of the Client Details pop-up window.
Wireless Controller Item Description Cipher The type of encryption that the WiFi client is using (None, WEP, AES, TKIP, or TKIP + AES). AID The association ID of the client. RSSI The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the WiFi client. Tx Power The transmit power of the WiFi client. Tx Rate The transmit rate in Mbps of the WiFi client. Tx Bytes The number of bytes that the WiFi client transmitted. Rx Rate The receive rate in Mbps of the WiFi client.
14.
Wireless Controller Troubleshoot Basic Functioning After you turn on power to the wireless controller, verify that the following sequence of events occurs: 1. When power is first applied, verify that the Power LED is lit green and that the Status LED is lit yellow. 2. After approximately two minutes, verify the following: a. The Status LED is lit green. b. The left Ethernet port LED is lit for any local port that is connected. If the port’s left LED is lit, a link is established to the connected device.
Wireless Controller Troubleshoot the Web Management Interface If you are unable to access the wireless controller’s web management interface from a computer on your local network, try to isolate the problem. You can most likely solve the problem by following the suggestions that are described in the following sections. Check the Ethernet Cabling Check the Ethernet connection between the computer and the wireless controller as described in the previous section (see Ethernet Port LEDs Are Not Lit).
Wireless Controller Check the Internet Browser If the Ethernet cabling and IP address configuration are fine, the Internet browser might prevent you from accessing the web management interface. Check the following: • Make sure that you are using the http://address login rather than the https://address login. • Make sure that Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX is enabled in your browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, click the Refresh button to be sure that the Java applet is loaded.
Wireless Controller If the path is not working, you see this message: Request timed out If the path is not functioning correctly, one of the following problems might be occurring: • Wrong physical connections Make sure that the Ethernet LEDs are lit. If they are off, follow the instructions in Ethernet Port LEDs Are Not Lit on page 367. • Wrong network configuration - Verify that the Ethernet card driver software and TCP/IP software are both installed and configured on your computer.
Wireless Controller Resolve Network Problems If a network loop occurs, make sure that you did not connect a GBIC and the Ethernet port on the wireless controller (or two GBICs on the wireless controller) to the same network switch. Make only a single connection from a wireless controller to a network switch. Resolve Problems With Access Points If you encounter access point discovery or connection problems, the information in this section might help you to resolve these problems.
Wireless Controller Resolve Connection Problems If the Power LED of an access point blinks amber, the access point lost its connection to the wireless controller. In this situation, check the network connectivity between the access point and the wireless controller.
Wireless Controller Ping an Access Point You can ping an access point to see if the wireless controller can reach the access point. To ping an access point: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button. The wireless controller’s web management interface opens and displays the Summary page. 4.
Wireless Controller Trace a Route to an Access Point You can trace a route to verify the route from the wireless controller to an access point. To trace a route to an access point: 1. Open a web browser, and in the browser’s address field, type the wireless controller’s IP address. By default, the IP address is 192.168.0.250. The wireless controller’s login window opens. 2. Enter your user name and password. 3. Click the Login button.
Wireless Controller View the Console Debug Logs of an Access Point Note: On the wireless controller, you can view console debug logs for the WNDAP660, WAC720, WAC730, and WAC740 access points only. The console debug logs that you can download by connecting a device with a serial cable to an access point’s console point can be very useful for troubleshooting or debugging a WLAN network. However, it might not always be possible to physically connect to an access point.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Enable Console Logs Enable the console log settings by selecting the Enable Console Logs check box. By default, the console log settings are disabled. Server IP Address Enter the IP address of the syslog server or UDP server. Note: If you use a syslog server on the network, the number of the logs that are sent to the syslog server might increase considerably.
Wireless Controller Capture WiFi Packets You can use the wireless controller packet capture utility to capture WiFi packets in a network. This capability can be useful for analyzing a WiFi deployment, monitoring a WiFi network, debugging protocols, determining WiFi network bottlenecks, and, in general, troubleshooting any irregularities in a WiFi network.
Wireless Controller 5. Configure the settings as described in the following table. Setting Description Capture Beacon Select the Capture Beacon check box to enable capturing of beacon frames. If the check box is cleared (which is the default), beacon frames are ignored during the packet capture process. Capture Probe Select the Capture Probe check box to enable capturing of probe requests and responses.
Wireless Controller 9. If you specified that the file with captured packets must be saved to the access point logs, do the following to retrieve and view the content of the file: a. Select Maintenance > Logs & Alerts > Logs. b. If the table contains many entries, navigate through the table by using the following buttons and menu that display at the bottom of the table: • To move to the next page, click the Next button. • To move to the previous page, click the Previous button.
A. Controller-Managed Access Points A Standalone access points provide a full web management interface. Access points that are controlled by a wireless controller provide a limited web management interface.
Wireless Controller Overview Except for the WAC740 and WN370 access points, all access points can function in either standalone mode or controller-managed mode. • Standalone mode. When an access point functions in standalone mode, the access point’s provides a full web management interface that allows you to configure and manage all features that the access point supports. For more information about standalone mode, see the user manual for your access point.
Wireless Controller Change IP Address and VLAN Settings on a Controller-Managed Access Point By default, a controller-managed access point functions as a DHCP client. The only reason to manually change the IP address settings on a controller-managed access point is that you must assign a static IP address to the access point.
Wireless Controller 4. In the IP Settings section, select the DHCP client disable radio button. The fields become available. By default, the DHCP client enable radio button is selected and the access point functions as a DHCP client. 5. In the IP Settings sections, configure the IP address information for the access point in the network. 6. In the Controller Settings section, configure the IP address for the wireless controller in the network. 7.
Wireless Controller address to the access point. For information about the requirements of a DHCP server that enable a wireless controller to discover access points in a network, see Access Point Discovery Guidelines on page 156. To reenable the DHCP client on a controller-managed access point: 1. Find the IP address of the access point on your network. For more information, see Manage the Managed AP List on page 168. 2. In the address bar, enter the IP address of the access point.
Wireless Controller 5. In the address bar, enter the IP address of the access point. A login window displays. 6. Enter the user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. 7. Select Configuration > Upgrade > Firmware Upgrade. The page states the current firmware version that is running on the access point. 8. Click the Choose File button and locate and select the firmware version on your computer.
Wireless Controller c. Reconfigure the static IP address setting and the VLAN settings or reenable the DHCP client. For more information, see Change IP Address and VLAN Settings on a Controller-Managed Access Point on page 382 and Reenable the DHCP Client on a Controller-Managed Access Point on page 383. If you cannot connect to the access point, its IP address might be the factory default IP address. • The access point’s IP address is reset to the factory default IP address. Do the following: a.
Wireless Controller The Upgrade page displays. The page states the current firmware version that is running on the access point. g. Reconfigure the static IP address setting and the VLAN settings or reenable the DHCP client. For more information, see Change IP Address and VLAN Settings on a Controller-Managed Access Point on page 382 and Reenable the DHCP Client on a Controller-Managed Access Point on page 383.
Wireless Controller Enable Link Aggregation on a WAC740 Access Point Setting up a static link aggregation group (LAG) connection between a WAC740 access point, a switch, and a wireless controller involves the following steps: 1. Connect both LAN Ethernet ports on a WAC740 access point to a switch. For more information, see the Dual Band Wireless AC Access Point Model WAC740 Hardware Installation Guide, which you can download by visiting netgear.com/support/download/. 2.
Wireless Controller The Network Settings page displays. (The full path is Configuration > System > Network Settings.) 4. In the Link Aggregation section, select the enable radio button. By default, the disable radio button is selected. 5. Click the Apply button. You changes are saved. Change the Password on an Access Point Do not change the password on a controller-managed access point. The admin password of the wireless controller is pushed to all access points that the wireless controller manages.
Wireless Controller to log into the access point to load a standalone firmware image or change the configuration, you can change the password to block access. To change the password on an access point that is no longer managed by a wireless controller but does not function in standalone mode either: 1. In the address bar, enter the IP address of the access point.
Wireless Controller Convert an Access Point From Controller-Managed to Standalone Note: You cannot convert a WAC740 or RN370 access point to a standalone access point. The WAC740 and WN370 access points are intended to function as controller-managed access points only. To change a controller-managed access point to a standalone firmware version and use the access point in standalone mode, do the following: 1.
B.
Wireless Controller Factory Default Settings You can restore the wireless controller to its factory default settings on the Reboot/Reset Controllers page (see Reboot the Wireless Controller on page 267) or by using the Reset button on the front panel (see Use the Reset Button to Restore Default Settings on page 370). The wireless controller returns to the factory configuration settings that are shown in the following table. Table 12.
Wireless Controller Table 13. Technical and physical specifications models WC7500 and WC7600v2 (continued) Feature Default Setting Storage temperatures –20° to 70°C (–4° to 158°F) Storage humidity 5% minimum to 95% maximum relative humidity, noncondensing Safety and EMI UL, FCC, CE, RCM, CCC, VCCI, KCC, BIS Environmental WEEE, RoHS, REACH For a list of all features and capabilities of the wireless controller, see the datasheet: • For the WC7500, visit netgear.com/support/product/WC7500.
Wireless Controller Password Requirements Note: We recommend that you change the administrator password of the wireless controller to a secure password (see Change the Password of the Default admin Account of the Wireless Controller on page 245). The administrator password that you configure on the wireless controller is also pushed to all managed access points. The following table lists the password requirements. Table 15.
Wireless Controller Table 15. Password requirements (continued) Web Management Interface Path Advanced profile: 3. Click Edit. WPA-PSK 5. Make a selection from the Network Authentication menu. Section in This Manual Length Hexadecimal 10 fixed 128-bit WEP Hexadecimal 26 fixed 152-bit WEP Hexadecimal 32 fixed TKIP Alphanumerics and Up to 63 special characters, excluding quotes TKIP + AES 4. Select a profile. Restrictions Allowed Characters Shared Key 64-bit WEP 1.
Index known and unknown 231 limited management web interface 380 local 156, 166, 170 managed status 170 models, supported 28 password, changing 245 pinging 373 rebooting 285 remote 162, 166, 170 RF planning, adding and managing 77 rogue detecting and managing 228 viewing in the network 319 viewing on the managed access point 325, 340, 360 viewing on the wireless controller 347 standalone mode autodiscovery 165 described 381 returning to 174, 391 supported models 28 tracing a route 374 troubleshooting 371 Tx
Wireless Controller band steering, configuring 202 described 35 group name, changing 131 LED behavior, configuring 226 load balancing, configuring 217 overriding transmission power 197 profiles, adding and configuring 132 QoS, configuring 211 radio, turning on and off 181 rate limiting, configuring 222 wireless settings, configuring 187 WLAN healing, configuring 199 advanced settings, described 34, 122 AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 139 aggregated MAC protocol data unit (AMPDU) 186, 190 aggregation len
Wireless Controller automatic 203–206 manual 206 channel width 185, 189 channels, available 205 classify rogue access points 229 client separation 127, 134 client VLANs 38, 43 clients, DHCP 173 clients, viewing accepted in the network 362 neighboring in the network 346 on the access point 325, 340, 360 on the wireless controller 327, 334, 342 clients, wireless, maximum number 215 color coding, channels 323, 338 community names, SNMP 271 compliance, regulatory WC7500 and WC7600v2 394 WC7600 and WC9500 394 c
Wireless Controller F factory default IP addresses, access points 386 factory default settings, wireless controller 393 factory default state, access point autodiscovery 160 failover, redundancy 299, 305 Fan LED, described 26 fans WC7500 and WC7600v2 22 WC7600 and WC9500 25 features, overview 15–17 firmware minimum version for access points 28 multicast, using for access point upgrade 286 upgrading stacked redundancy group 315 wireless controller 264 version, viewing 320 floors, RF planning adding 57 heat
Wireless Controller startup procedure 93 troubleshooting 367 legacy 802.
Wireless Controller basic profile group. profiles. See security profiles.
Wireless Controller signal strength 215 slave controller, stacking 290, 292 slots and ports WC7500 and WC7600v2 20 WC7600 and WC9500 23 sniffer 368 SNMP, enabling 270 soft reset 267 software minimum version for access points 28 multicast, using for access point upgrade 286 upgrading stacked redundancy group 315 wireless controller 264 version, viewing 320 spectrum analysis 37 SSID (service set ID or wireless network name) 127, 134 Stack Master LED, described 27 stacked redundancy group, upgrading firmware
Wireless Controller wireless controller 264 URL redirecting, captive portals 235 USB port WC7500 and WC7600v2 21 WC7600 and WC9500 24 users, managing 244 utilization, WiFi channels 207 V VAR information, licenses 113 video QoS queue 212 Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) 299, 305 VLANs clients 38, 43 DHCP server 108 management 37, 43, 103 security profiles 127, 134 settings, access points 173 untagged 104, 173 voice calls, preventing channel allocation 205 voice QoS queue 212 VRRP (Virtual Router R