Manualshelf

User's Manual Part 1

ManualsBrandsProxim Wireless ManualsElectronics802.11 a/b/g Access Point
11121314151617181920
Introduction MeshMAX 5054 Series User Guide
Introduction to Wi-Fi and Mesh Networking
10
Figure 1-2 Mesh Startup Topology Example - Step 1
In Figure 1-2, MP1 and MP9 are APs configured as Mesh portals, each on a different channel. When they are up and
running, they will transmit beacons with a Mesh information element (IE) containing a Mesh SSID, and respond to probe
requests that contain Mesh IEs with the same Mesh SSID.
To find Mesh connections, Mesh AP (MAP) 2 through 8 will scan all allowed channels, either actively or passively. In
active scanning, the MAP sends a broadcast probe request; in passive scanning, the MAP listens for beacons. Active
scanning is used in regulatory domains that do not use Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS); passive scanning is used in
DFS-controlled regulatory domains. As other Mesh APs are discovered, MAP2 through MAP8 will build a neighbor table
from the beacons and probe responses they receive. The neighbor table contains three kinds of links:
• Active: Link with a Mesh neighbor that has gone through association and authentication, and the port is open.
• Connected: Link with a Mesh neighbor that has gone through association and authentication, but the port is closed.
• Disconnected: Possible link to a Mesh neighbor that has not gone through association and authentication.
From the neighbor table, MAP2 through MAP8 will select the best possible connection to the backbone network. This
connection is the active link. If a link to the backbone on a different channel is significantly better than any on the current
channel, then MAP2 through MAP8 will switch to a new channel and join the Mesh network on that channel.
In Figure 1-2 through Figure 1-4, the circles approximately indicate the range of the respective Mesh radios. As shown in
these figures, MAP2 and MAP4 will discover Mesh Portal (MP) 1, and MAP7 and MAP8 will discover MP9. MAP3 is also
within reach of MAP2 and MAP4, but they will not allow MAP3 to connect until they have established a Mesh link to the
Mesh Portal.