Configuring the radio and Ethernet ports
Basic radio port configuration

This section describes how to configure the bridge radio. Use the Root Radio pages in the management system to set the radio configuration. The Root Radio pages include the following:

  • Root Radio Identification: Contains the basic locating and identity information for the bridge radio port.
  • Root Radio Hardware: Contains settings for the SSID, data rates, transmit power, antennas, radio channel, and operating thresholds of the bridge.
  • Root Radio Advanced: Contains settings for the operational status of the radio port. This page can also be used to make temporary changes in port status, to help with troubleshooting network problems.

Follow these steps to reach the Root Radio Identification page shown in Figure :

  1. On the Summary Status page, click Setup.
  2. On the Setup page, click Identification in the Root Radio row, under Network Ports.

The Root Radio Identification page is used to enter basic locating and identity information for the bridge radio. Figure shows the Root Radio Identification page.

Root Radio Identification Page Settings
The following settings can be changed on the Root Radio Identification page:

  • Primary Port Settings: Two options allow for the designation of the radio port as the primary port on the bridge:
    1. Primary Port? The primary port determines the MAC and IP addresses of the bridge. The default primary port of the bridge is the Ethernet port. The Ethernet port is connected to the wired LAN, so this setting is usually set to no. Select no to set the Ethernet port as the primary port. Select yes to set the radio port as the primary port.
    2. Adopt Primary Port Identity? Select yes, to adopt the primary port MAC and IP addresses for the radio port. Select no to use different MAC and IP addresses for the radio port. Bridges acting as root units adopt the primary port settings for the radio port. When putting a bridge in standby mode, select no for this setting. Some advanced wireless bridge configurations also require different identity settings for the radio port.
  • Default IP Address: Use this setting to assign an IP address for the radio port that is different from the Ethernet IP address of the bridge. For example, when the bridge is in standby mode. During normal operation, the radio port adopts the identity of the Ethernet port.
  • Default IP Subnet Mask: Enter an IP subnet mask to identify the subnetwork so that the IP address can be recognized on the LAN. If DHCP or BOOTP is not enabled, this field is the subnet mask used. If DHCP or BOOTP is enabled, this field provides the subnet mask, but only if no server responds to the request made by the bridge.
  • Service Set ID (SSID): An SSID is a unique identifier that client devices use to associate with the bridge. SSIDs help client devices distinguish between multiple wireless networks in the same vicinity and provide access to VLANs through wireless client devices. Several bridges on a network or sub-network can share an SSID. Up to 16 SSIDs can be configured on a bridge. An SSID can be any alphanumeric, case-sensitive entry from two to 32 characters long. Click More… to go to the Root Radio Service Sets page, where additional SSIDs can be created. From this page, an existing SSID can be edited or removed from the system. This setting can also be entered on the Express Setup page.
  • LEAP User Name: Use this field if the radio is set up as a repeater and authenticates to the network using LEAP. When the radio authenticates using LEAP, the bridge sends this user name to the authentication server. Information about how to set up a repeater access point as a LEAP client is covered in Module 8.
  • LEAP Password: Use this field if the radio is set up as a repeater and authenticates to the network using LEAP. When the radio authenticates using LEAP, the bridge uses this password for authentication.