Table Of Contents
Managing Your WLAN Radio Environment
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Configuring Your Network for Radio Management
Understanding the Radio Manager
What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?
Understanding WDS Access Points
Understanding WLSM WDS Devices
Understanding Radio Performance—Coverage and Capacity
Types of Radio Measurements
Beacon Measurements
CCA Measurements
RPI Histogram Measurements
Collecting Radio Location Data
Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
Understanding AP Radio Scans
Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans
Viewing AP Radio Scan Jobs
Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs
Creating a New AP Radio Scan Job
Viewing AP Radio Scan Job Run Logs
Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
Understanding Client Walkabouts
Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout
Viewing Client Walkabout Jobs
Managing Client Walkabout Jobs
Creating a New Client Walkabout
Running the Walkabout
Viewing Client Walkabout Run Logs
Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
Understanding Radio Monitoring
Guidelines for Running Radio Monitoring
Starting Radio Monitoring
Reporting Path Loss Results
Reporting Historical Path Loss Results
Reporting Channel Load Data
Reporting Historical Channel Load Data
Deleting RM Measurements
Generating Radio Parameters
Understanding Radio Parameter Generation
Using RM Assisted Configuration
Guidelines for Running RM Assisted Configuration
Viewing Assisted Configuration Tasks
Managing Assisted Configuration Tasks
Creating a New Assisted Configuration Task
Viewing the Configured Radio Parameters Report
Detecting Rogue APs
Understanding Rogue AP Detection
Guidelines for Detecting Rogue APs
Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings
Managing Unknown APs
Determining the Location of Rogue APs
Generating Rogue AP Reports
Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports
Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
Guidelines for Detecting Switch Ports and Suppressing Ports
Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
Monitoring Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
Detecting Interference
Understanding Interference Detection
Guidelines for Detecting Interference
Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings
Displaying Interference Faults
Using Scanning-Only APs
Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
Guidelines for Using Scanning-Only APs
Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings
Enabling Scanning-Only Mode
Viewing Reporting APs
Viewing the Unregistered Clients Report
Evaluating AP Radio Performance
Understanding Auto Re-Site Survey
Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys
Assigning Auto Re-Site Survey Network Settings
Establishing Baseline Data
Monitoring AP Radio Performance
Healing Your Network
Understanding Self Healing
Guidelines for Healing Your Network
Running Self Healing
Monitoring Network Self Healing
Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
Guidelines for Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
Assigning Ad-Hoc Network Detection Network Settings
Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
Viewing Ad-Hoc Network History
Managing Your WLAN Radio Environment
The Radio Manager simplifies the deployment, expansion, and day-to-day management of your WLAN radio environment. The Radio Manager:
•
Automatically configures network-wide radio parameters during initial deployment and network expansion.
•Continuously monitors the radio environment, detects interference, rogue access points, and ad-hoc networks, adjusts APs to cover potential areas of lost coverage, and alerts the WLAN administrator to radio network changes.
•Provides information to help visualize the network radio topology, including the path loss between APs and radio frequency coverage.
To use the Radio Manager to manage your WLAN radio environment, follow these procedures:
Figure 9-1 Radio Manager Setup Overview
Step 1: Configure your network to use the Radio Manager.
All the device information shown under the Radio Manager tab is polled from the managed devices in your network. The WLSE polls and receives Radio Manager aggregated data from WDS devices and provides intelligent processing of this data. The WLSE can manage multiple subnets, so it can receive Radio Manager data from many WDS devices.
The WLSE must register with each WDS in each managed AP subnet to receive Radio Manager data. If the WLSE is not registered, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
For more information about preparing your network to manage radio devices, see:
•What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?
•Configuring Your Network for Radio Management
•Verifying Radio Management Capability
•The Installation and Configuration Guide for the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine. For information about locating this document, see Finding WLSE Documentation on Cisco.com.
Step 2: Collect radio location measurements.
After the access points have been configured for radio management, you can use selections under the Radio Manager or Location Manager tabs to gather radio location measurements. The Radio Manager uses these measurements to characterize the radio environment and determine the channels and power limits for each 802.11 Basic Service Set (BSS).
To collect this data, you can either:
•Run a wizard that walks you through the data collection process (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard)
•Run each data collection procedure separately:
a. Run AP Radio Scan
b. Run Client Walkabout
c. Enable Radio Monitoring
For more information about how to collect radio location measurements, see Collecting Radio Location Data.
Step 3: Generate optimal radio parameters values for the APs.
You can use the selections under the Radio Manager or Location Manager tabs to recommend optimal radio transmit power, channel selection, and beacon interval (optional) for each AP, then apply these configuration settings.
To generate these parameters, you can either:
•Run a wizard that walks you through the parameter generation process
•Run the RM Assisted Configuration procedure
For more information about generating AP radio parameters, see Generating Radio Parameters.
Step 4: Manage your WLAN network.
After you have configured your network for radio management, collected the radio location data, and generated the radio parameters, you can use the Radio Manager to manage your WLAN environment.
For example, you can:
•Detect rogue APs (see Detecting Rogue APs).
•Locate the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected (see Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports).
•Detect non-802.11 interference (see Detecting Interference).
•Use dedicated APs to monitor the surrounding air space for rogue access points (see Using Scanning-Only APs).
•Evaluate AP radio performance (see Evaluating AP Radio Performance).
•Adjust neighboring AP interfaces to cover potential areas of lost coverage (see Healing Your Network).
•Detect ad-hoc networks (see Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks).
•Use a graphical view of the APs on each floor of your building(s) to display the predicted coverage of each AP (see Viewing Your WLAN Radio Environment with Location Manager).
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Understanding the Radio Manager
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Collecting RM Data
Generating Radio Parameters
Detecting Rogue APs
Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports
Detecting Interference
Using Scanning-Only APs
Performing Auto Re-Site Surveys
Healing Your Network
Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
Configuring Your Network for Radio Management
Before you can use the radio management features provided by WLSE, you must configure your network.
Caution If your network is not properly configured,
none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
Procedure
Step 1 Be sure that all APs are managed (discovered, inventoried, and managed—see Managing Devices).
Step 2 Configure one or more WDS devices (for more information about WDS, see What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?):
•AP-WDS: You can configure one or more APs in each AP subnet to run WDS. When multiple WDSs exist in the same subnet, one WDS becomes the active WDS and the other WDSs become backups.
For more information about configuring AP-WDS devices, see the "Radio Management Setup—IOS Devices" chapter in Configuring Devices for Management by the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9. For information about locating this document, see Finding WLSE Documentation on Cisco.com.
•WLSM-WDS: You can also configure a Wireless LAN Services Module (WLSM) device to run WDS. A WLSM device is a module for the Catalyst 6000 switch that provides WDS to the wireless network. For information about configuring WLSM-WDS devices, see the WLSM device documentation.
Step 3 Configure your devices for radio management.
For information about radio management configuration procedures, see the "Radio Management Setup—IOS Devices" chapter in Configuring Devices for Management by the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9.
To verify that you have correctly configured the network for radio management, use the Verify RM Capability option in the Location Manager (see Verifying Radio Management Capability).
Step 4 Enable LEAP authentication.
Note All APs must authenticate with a WDS using LEAP. This requirement is separate from the client's authentication scheme—clients can use a non-LEAP security scheme, but the AP and WLSE must use LEAP to authenticate to the WDS.
Note A WDS can connect to Cisco's ACS v3.2 as the LEAP Authentication server. You can use the AP's LEAP Local Authentication Server feature if the customer is not using LEAP for any purpose other than to fulfill the requirement on the WLSE/WDS/AP.
Note Do not set a session timeout on the ACS server that is less than 600 seconds. A session timeout of less than 600 seconds can disrupt Radio Manager operations.
For more information about enabling LEAP authentication, see the Configuring Devices for Management by the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9. For information about locating this document, see Finding WLSE Documentation on Cisco.com.
Step 5 Configure the WLCCP credentials (see Enter WLCCP Credentials for Wireless Domain Services).
Step 6 Verify that the active WDS appears under the device tree:
a. Select Reports > Device Center.
b. Open the Wireless Domain Services folder.
c. Open the Active WDS folder.
d. Select the device.
e. Select WDS Summary Report.
f. Verify that the WLSE to WDS Authentication Status column contains the string "KeysSetUpWithWDS" or "Authenticated".
You can also verify this setting by running the "show wlccp wnm status" command on the active WDS in enable mode. A typical output would look like this:
NMS-AP1200-1#show wlccp wnm status
WNM IP Address: 172.16.0.0 Status: SECURITY KEYS SETUP
where:
•172.16.0.0 = IP address of WLSE
•Status = SECURITY KEYS SETUP. This indicates that the active WDS is properly authenticated with WLSE.
Step 7 Verify that the APs are managed and registered with WDS:
a. Select Reports > Device Center.
b. Open the Wireless Domain Services folder.
c. Open the Active WDS folder.
d. Select the device.
e. Select WDS Registered APs. A list of all the APs that are registered with this WDS is displayed.
You can also verify this setting by running the "show wlccp wds ap" CLI command on the active WDS in enable mode.
Step 8 Configure the ACS server to support fast roaming and simultaneous logins.
For information about configuring the ACS server to support roaming and simultaneous logins, see the ACS server documentation. For other information about configuring the ACS server, see the "Setting Up an ACS Server" chapter in Configuring Devices for Management by the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9. For information about locating these documents, see Finding WLSE Documentation on Cisco.com.
Step 9 Configure the AAA server to allow multiple jobs.
For information about configuring the AAA server to multiple logins, see the AAA server documentation. For other information about configuring the AAA server, see the "Setting Up an ACS Server" chapter in Configuring Devices for Management by the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9. These documents are also located on Cisco.com.
Step 10 Now you are ready to collect radio location data (see Collecting Radio Location Data).
Related Topics
•Understanding the Radio Manager
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding the Radio Manager
The Radio Manager consists of:
•Procedures that gather data about the radio environment.
•The Radio Manager database, which contains radio data and parameters.
•Features that use the information in the database.
Figure 9-2 Radio Manager Overview
The following topics describe how the WLSE implements radio management:
•What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?
•Understanding Radio Performance—Coverage and Capacity
•Types of Radio Measurements
What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?
The critical software component in the network is a set of IOS features called the Wireless Domain Services (WDS). Two types of devices can supply the WDS:
•An access point configured for WDS
Each WDS access point supports one AP subnet. You can add additional WDS access points for redundancy. The priorities you set on the WDS access points determine which one is the active and which ones are backups.
•A Wireless LAN Services Module (WLSM)
Each WLSM supports multiple AP subnets, as long as all of the subnets are served by the switch on which the WLSM is installed.
The following topics describe these devices types:
•Understanding WDS Access Points
•Understanding WLSM WDS Devices
Understanding WDS Access Points
The WDS provides control path technologies that must be active on an AP in each AP subnet; a backup WDS can also be defined in each AP subnet. The WDS provides:
•Fast, secure layer-2 wireless client roaming—The WDS acts as an 802.1x authenticator for wireless clients within the layer-2 network.
•Radio Management (RM) data aggregation—The WLSE provides intelligent processing of aggregated data collected by the WDS access points from other wireless clients in the network. The WLSE can manage multiple subnets, so it can receive radio data from many APs running WDS.
Caution The WLSE must register with the WDS in each managed AP subnet to receive Radio Manager data.
If the WLSE
is not registered, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
Without a WDS to perform data aggregation, the communication between the access points and WLSE looks like this:
Figure 9-3 WLSE-AP Communications—Without WDS
Using this approach, the WLSE can communicate with the APs using only these two methods:
•Primary: SNMP
•Secondary: CLI over telnet or SSH
When you set up WLSE to manage the APs (the basic network management configuration), your network looks something like this:
Figure 9-4 AP to WLSE Data Aggregation
After you configure the network for Radio Management tasks (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management), the WLSE communicates all Radio Management activities with one or more WDS APs instead of all APs in the network. Each WDS AP collects data from other wireless clients in the network and sends this aggregated data to the WLSE.
Figure 9-5 WLSE-AP Communications—With WDS
Understanding WLSM WDS Devices
A Wireless LAN Services Module (WLSM) device is a module for the Catalyst 6000 switch that provides WDS to the wireless network. Each WLSM supports multiple AP subnets, as long as all of the subnets are served by the switch on which the WLSM is installed.
You can add a second WLSM to serve as a standby. The WLSE authenticates with both the HSRP active and HSRP standby WLSM devices (WLSM uses HSRP to handle redundancies). In the reports, both WLSM devices (HSRP active and HSRP standby) will appear as active WDSs.
If the HSRP active WLSM goes down, the HSRP standby WLSM will communicate with the AP subnets (see Figure 9-6).
Figure 9-6 WLSE-WLSM Communications
Figure 9-7 illustrates a network that uses both AP and WLSM WDS devices to manage the access points in the network. In this example, additional access points have been identified as backup AP-WDS devices (AP1 and AP4), and an additional HSRP-based WLSM-WDS device has been added to as a standby for the active WLSM-WDS.
Figure 9-7 Sample Network Using AP-WDS and WLSM-WDS Devices
Understanding Radio Performance—Coverage and Capacity
The Radio Manager:
•Quantifies the performance within a region
Each region is defined by the rough degree of contention and packet collisions experienced by clients in the region due to traffic outside of the BSS.
The inter-BSS contention and collision translates into performance degradation, which the Radio Manager estimates for all potential clients within the region. Contention and collisions from managed APs and rogue and friendly APs are used in the performance evaluation.
Note All relevant APs are used in the performance evaluation regardless of building or floor placement.
•Takes the region sizes into account to assure coverage over the region
The types and sizes of performance regions determine the expected maximum, minimum, and average performance of a particular domain.
AP/Client Relationships
The Radio Manager acquires knowledge of the WLAN radio environment from measurements obtained from Cisco APs and Cisco clients. Figure 9-8 illustrates the relationships between three APs and their clients.
Figure 9-8 AP/Client Relationships
In this example, the measuring client and one other client are associated with AP A, but neither client detects the other AP's signal. AP B is close enough to be detected by the measuring client, and AP C is out of range, but the measuring client does detect some of AP C's associated clients. Table 9-1 describes these relationships in more detail.
Table 9-1 AP/Client Relationships
Item
|
Description
|
1
|
The measuring client identifies access point B as a source of 802.11 contention.
|
2
|
The measuring client detects contention from a client in another BSS and identifies access point C as the BSS access point.
|
3
|
The measuring client reports significant contention due to clients in another BSS. Access point C is identified as the BSS access point.
|
4
|
The measuring client indicates intermittent non-802.11 interference and describes the statistics of its received strength.
|
5
|
The measuring client identifies another client in its BSS that appears to be hidden from it.
|
Radio Performance Regions
Radio performance regions within a BSS depend on the placement and transmit power of other co-channel APs. The transmit power of a BSS defines a set of RF reception rings around its AP (see Figure 9-9).
Figure 9-9 RF Reception Rings
1
|
Planned BSS coverage
|
3
|
Uplink may be decodable
|
2
|
Downlink RF influence
|
4
|
Uplink RF influence
|
Two rings correspond to the downlink:
•The planned BSS coverage ring (1) corresponds to the area in which clients can reliably receive the downlink signal.
•The downlink RF influence ring (2) corresponds to the area in which reception is difficult, but the downlink signal may still contend or collide with a downlink from another AP on the same channel.
Two similar rings correspond with areas of reception and the RF influence emanating from a client positioned at the edge of the BSS coverage ring. The significant ring, the uplink RF influence ring (4), corresponds to the signal that originates from a client sending packets up to its AP.
Uplink Contention Regions
In Figure 9-10, AP1 and AP2 share the same channel. AP2 is examined as the BSS of interest, while AP1 is the cochannel neighbor. The highlighted performance region corresponds with an area in which BSS2 clients must contend with traffic from BSS1. The source of contention is shown as a set of clients in BSS1 near the edge of their planned coverage ring. This is known as uplink contention because it delays uplink traffic from clients to their AP.
Figure 9-10 Sample Performance Region
1
|
BSS2 performance region: AP2 clients that experience contention from AP1's clients
|
2
|
Source of contention: AP1 clients that cause the contention.
|
If AP2 has neighbors sharing the same channel on all sides, then similar uplink contention regions are defined in the direction of each neighboring AP. If any of these neighbors is closer than the one shown in Figure 9-10 or uses a higher power limit, then the uplink contention region is larger than shown in the figure. If clients of the neighboring BSSs are close enough to be detected by AP2, then AP2 experiences downlink contention due to the clients' traffic.
The BSS may also contain regions in which a client receives traffic that has collided with packets from another station. This occurs when the intended source and interfering source do not detect each other. This happens when:
•Stations in the same BSS are hidden from each other.
This situation can be remedied by blocking out time for an access point using RTS/CTS (request-to-send, clear-to-send) commands.
•A client in a neighboring BSS is within range of the client of interest but is not detected by the latter client's AP.
This situation is an inter-BSS interference problem that could exist in any dense WLAN and cannot be remedied with RTS/CTS. One goal of the Radio Manager is to minimize this occurrence with good radio configurations.
Types of Radio Measurements
The following topics describe the radio measurements and the benefits they provide to the Radio Manager:
•Beacon Measurements
•CCA Measurements
•RPI Histogram Measurements
Beacon Measurements
Beacon measurements are used to discover and monitor the presence of neighboring APs, regardless of whether they are controlled by the Radio Manager. This helps the Radio Manager characterize the overlap of co-channel BSSs and the redundancy of other-channel BSSs on the downlink.
The transmitting station address identifies the neighbor AP to the Radio Manager. The signal strength helps the Radio Manager assess the overlap of cochannel BSSs and the coverage redundancy of other-channel BSSs.
Contents
Received strength, identity, and body of neighbor AP beacon or probable response.
Benefits to AP Scan & Client Walkabout
Measure radio connectivity of APs and characterize potential BSS downlink coverage.
Benefits to Normal Operations
Identify specific sources of 802.11 contention, monitor known APs, detect new APs, roughly locate clients, determine path loss, and detect rogue APs.
Related Topics
Beacon Information Table
CCA Measurements
CCA (Clear Channel Assessment) measurements, which can be collected on a serving or non-serving channel, characterize the degree of 802.11 contention at the location of the reporting STA. They are used to determine how heavily a channel is loaded.
CCA measurements include the CCA Busy Fraction, which measures the accumulated duration of all packets divided by the measurement interval length. This value includes successful packets and erroneous packets. The value range is 0 to 255, where 0 represents no traffic and 255 represents traffic occurring 100% of the time.
Contents
Fraction of time that STA observes channel busy with 802.11 traffic.
Benefits to AP Scan & Client Walkabout
Find channels already busy with 802.11 traffic to avoid in radio configuration.
Benefits to Normal Operations
Characterize degree of 802.11 contention at the location of the reporting STA.
Related Topics
Reporting Channel Load Data
RPI Histogram Measurements
Received Power Indicator (RPI) Histogram measurements can be collected on a serving or non-serving channel. The RPI Histogram data provides a measure of RF energy due to a combination of background noise and background signals, including non-802.11 devices and 802.11 devices whose signals cannot be properly decoded. The histogram helps the Radio Manager assess the non-802.11-decodable RF energy contending with the WLAN at different locations. This information helps the Radio Manager decide the best channel for each BSS in the vicinity of the measuring STA.
Contents
Received strength and statistics of non-802.11 radio frequency energy.
Benefits to AP Scan & Client Walkabout
Find channels with non-802.11 radio frequency energy to avoid in radio configuration, if possible.
Benefits to Normal Operations
Monitor for new non-802.11 radio frequency energy and alarm, if necessary.
Related Topics
Detecting Interference
Collecting Radio Location Data
Radio location measurements characterize the radio environment and provide the information other Radio Manager features require to determine the channels and power limits for each Basic Service Set (BSS). To gather these measurements:
1. Perform an AP Radio Scan. The AP Radio Scan procedure detects all neighboring APs and produces path loss data used for rogue location estimations, radio parameter generation data, and coverage display data.
Note If you do not run AP Radio Scan, the Coverage Display in the Location Manager will be computed using the default pass loss model. Because no path loss measurement data has been collected, the coverage views could be distorted.
For information about running AP radio scans, see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data.
2. Perform a Client Walkabout (optional, but recommended). The additional data generated by a client walkabout helps provide optimal coverage for the radio parameter generator. For information about running client walkabouts, see Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data.
If you do not perform a client walkabout, you must enter a floor plan that includes the distances between APs (see Adding Floors to Location Manager).
3. Enable Radio Monitoring. Radio Monitoring periodically gathers RF statistics, identifies specific signal sources, and is your primary means of detecting rogue access points.
Note If you never enable Radio Monitoring or run AP Radio Scan, no unknown radios (rogue or friendly) will be detected. If you run AP Radio Scan but do not enable Radio Monitoring, some unknown radios will be detected, but not as many as would be detected if Radio Monitoring was running. Self healing also relies on the data generated by Radio Monitoring and AP Radio Scan.
For information about running Radio Monitoring, see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data.
You can also use the Assisted Site Survey wizard, which is part of Location Manager, to walk you through the process of determining the optimal radio transmit power and channel selection. This wizard interface steps you through AP radio scan, client walkabout, and radio parameter generation (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Deleting RM Measurements
•Understanding the Radio Manager
•Types of Radio Measurements
Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
The AP Radio Scan procedure produces path loss data used for rogue location estimations, radio parameter generation data, self healing monitoring, and coverage display data. You can use this procedure to:
•Create, view, and manage AP radio scan jobs.
•Specify the APs that will participate in the scan procedure.
•Schedule a new job to run immediately or at a certain date and time. You can also specify whether this job will run only once or periodically.
These topics describe the procedures for collecting AP Radio Scan data:
•Understanding AP Radio Scans
•Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans
•Viewing AP Radio Scan Jobs
•Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs
•Creating a New AP Radio Scan Job
•Viewing AP Radio Scan Job Run Logs
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Understanding the Radio Manager
•Collecting Radio Location Data
Understanding AP Radio Scans
Each AP broadcasts beacons and simultaneously listens for neighboring beacons. The AP Radio Scan procedure uses the resulting AP-to-AP measurements to establish the path loss model for the WLAN. You should run AP Radio Scan during initial setup, then periodically to capture any changes (for example, when APs are added, deleted, or moved).
How It Works
During the scanning process, AP Radio Scan performs the following tasks:
1
|
Sets the selected APs to transmit beacons on the same channel at maximum transmit power. The maximum power threshold is user configurable.
During a scan, AP frequencies, data rates, and power levels are temporarily changed but no data rates are modified. Then, for each AP, the channel is fixed and the procedure steps through the power levels up to the specified maximum transmit power level.
Note The radio scan uses temporary configuration parameters so the AP can revert back to its normally configured parameters if the AP is reset or loses connection with the WLSE during the procedure.
|
2
|
Measures the signal strength and calculates the path loss of each AP.
|
3
|
Repeats this step, with the APs transmitting at successively lower power levels until the lowest setting is reached, to determine the power step calibration of each AP.
|
4
|
Saves this information in the database as AP radio locations, sets all APs back to their original power and channel settings, and notifies the user when the scan is complete.
|
Data Produced
The result of AP Radio Scan is a snapshot of the radio frequency interference at each AP and a set of signal strength measurements indicating the level at which each AP receives each neighbor AP. When the neighbor AP is controlled by WLSE, the Radio Manager uses that AP's current transmit level to compute the path loss between the two APs, which it saves to characterize the radio frequency environment. When the neighbor AP is not under WLSE control, the Radio Manager saves the received signal strength.
These results are used in RM Assisted Configuration, Location Manager, Radio Manager Reports, and Faults to:
•Determine how an AP is positioned relative to other APs
•Determine the amount of path loss due to obstructions (such as walls) between APs
•Compute rogue location estimations, radio parameter generation data, and coverage display data
Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans
Before running AP Radio Scan, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
Note Be sure that the community string you are using provides write access. To run AP Radio Scan, you must have SNMP write access. Most other WLSE functions only require read access.
•Define the location elements (buildings and floors) and place the APs in the floors (optional, but recommended—see Adding Buildings to Location Manager and Adding Floors to Location Manager). This will help you get the best results from the Location Manager displays.
Note If you deploy only a single AP, WLSE cannot gain any knowledge about the building's radio environment. In this case, WLSE applies a default indoor path loss model and displays the coverage using this model. Without any measurements, WLSE assumes the transmission characteristics are the same in all directions, so the coverage display appears as circular.
Tips:
•If you do not run AP Radio Scan, the Coverage Display in the Location Manager will be computed using the default pass loss model (because no path loss measurement data has been collected). In this case, coverage for each AP will appear as a perfect circle.
•You should run an AP radio scan during initial setup, then periodically during brief maintenance periods when the WLAN is not in use to capture any changes made to the APs (for example, when APs are added, deleted, or moved).
•A running scan job temporarily degrades wireless LAN service, which might affect client associations. To minimize any disruption, schedule scan jobs to run during off-hours (for example, 2:00AM).
Note AP Radio Scan jobs affect an access point's performance. With all APs configured to the same channel and maximum power, there is some degradation in throughput. In addition, while the APs step through their various power settings, there might be some loss of coverage. This only lasts for the length of the AP scan (3 to 4 minutes).
•When you run a new AP radio scan, the previously-collected radio location information for the selected APs is deleted automatically.
•Instead of using AP Radio Scan, you can use the Assisted Site Survey wizard, which is part of Location Manager, to walk you through the process of determining the optimal radio transmit power and channel selection. This wizard interface steps you through AP radio scan, client walkabout, and radio parameter generation (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
Related Topics
•Understanding AP Radio Scans
Viewing AP Radio Scan Jobs
Note Your login determines whether you can use this procedure.
Before You Begin
Before you can run an AP Radio scan job, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Review the guidelines for running AP radio scans (see Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan. The AP Radio Scan screen appears.
Figure 9-11 Sample AP Radio Scan Screen
1
|
Job state selection list
|
2
|
List of jobs
|
3
|
Job management buttons
|
Step 2 From the Job State list, select the type of job you want to view:
•Scheduled—Lists all AP radio scan jobs that have been scheduled
•Unscheduled—Lists all AP radio scan jobs that have not been scheduled
•Running—Lists all AP radio scan jobs that are currently running
•All—Lists all AP radio scan jobs
The screen refreshes to show you details about the specified jobs. The information displayed depends on the selected job state:
Table 9-2 Job Details—Scheduled and Unscheduled
Field
|
Description
|
Job Name
|
The job name.
|
Recurring
|
Indicates if the job is run periodically (Yes or No).
|
Next Schedule
|
For scheduled jobs, this indicates when the job will run. For completed jobs, this is the time the job ran.
|
Owner
|
The user who last edited the job.
|
Table 9-3 Job Details—Running
Field
|
Description
|
Job Name
|
The job name.
|
Recurring
|
Indicates if the job is run periodically (Yes or No).
|
Job Start Time
|
The time the job started.
|
Percent Complete
|
The percent of the job that has completed running.
|
Next Schedule
|
Firmware jobs are not recurring.
|
Owner
|
The user who last edited the job.
|
Table 9-4 Job Details—All
Field
|
Description
|
Job Name
|
The job name.
|
Recurring
|
Indicates if the job is run periodically (Yes or No).
|
Job State
|
The state of the job.
Note A job in the DidNotStart state must be rescheduled.
|
Next Schedule
|
For scheduled jobs, this indicates when the job will run. For completed jobs, this is when the job ran.
|
Last Run Status
|
The status of the job the last time it was run.
|
Owner
|
The user who last edited the job.
|
Step 3 From this window, you can use the job management buttons (see Figure 9-11) to manage your AP radio scan jobs (see Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs).
Related Topics
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
•Sorting Table Data
Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs
The buttons below the table of AP radio scan jobs (see Viewing AP Radio Scan Jobs) allow you to manage these jobs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use these procedures.
Before You Begin
Before you can run an AP Radio scan job, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Review the guidelines for running AP radio scans (see Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan. The AP Radio Scan screen appears (see Figure 9-11).
Step 2 From the Job State list, select the type of job you want to manage. The screen refreshes to show the corresponding jobs.
Note AP radio scan jobs created using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard cannot be edited or run using the Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan tab. To manage these jobs, see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard.
Step 3 Click the radio button for the job you want to manage, then click one of the buttons that appear after the list of jobs:
•Filter—This button displays a limited set of AP radio scan jobs, making it easier to search for a particular job by name. The filter remains in effect until the page is refreshed.
Note You can use % as a wildcard: for example, entering %name% displays all the jobs that contain the word "name."
•Edit—Use this button to edit jobs from the displayed list of previously-created jobs.
Note If you have deleted the image that was associated with the job you are editing, the job will show that no image has been selected.
•Run Now—Use this button to run the currently selected job immediately. This option clears all other schedule settings.
•Stop—Use this button to stop a running AP Radio Scan job.
•Delete—Use this button to delete jobs from the displayed list of jobs. Jobs that are scheduled, unscheduled, completed, or did not start can be deleted. Jobs that are running cannot be deleted.
•Copy Job—Use this button to create a new job using the data (maximum transmit power and selected APs) from a previously-created job.
Note This procedure does not copy the schedule data.
•Job Run Log—Use this button to view the run log for a selected job (see Viewing AP Radio Scan Job Run Logs).
•Refresh—To be certain that you are looking at the latest information, click the Refresh button to refresh the job list after you have made changes to one or more AP radio scan jobs.
Related Topics
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
•Sorting Table Data
Creating a New AP Radio Scan Job
Note Your login determines whether you can use this procedure.
Before You Begin
Before you can run an AP Radio scan job, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Review the guidelines for running AP radio scans (see Guidelines for Running AP Radio Scans).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan. The AP Radio Scan job creation screen appears.
Step 2 Enter a name for the job and click New Job. For guidelines on job names, see "Naming Guidelines."
The window refreshes with the Job Creation menu in the left pane and the Job Name dialog box in the right pane.
Note Clicking on any subtab before you have saved your entries in the Job Creation window will reset the window and you will lose all the information you entered.
Step 3 Select the following numbered choices in the left pane to create and run the AP radio scan jobs:
Note These steps, except Schedule Job, must be completed, but do not have to be done in order. You can omit scheduling the job and edit the job later to provide a schedule.
1. Job Name—See Name the Job and Select the Maximum Transmit Power.
2. Select AP—See Select the APs.
3. Filter By PHY—See Select Radio Types.
4. Schedule Job—See Schedule the Job.
5. Finish—See Finish the Job.
Name the Job and Select the Maximum Transmit Power
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Job Name.
Step 2 Enter the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Job Name
|
Enter a unique name for the job. For guidelines on naming jobs, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Description
|
Enter a description of the job. For guidelines on entering descriptions, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Maximum Transmit Power
|
You can choose to enter a lower power setting when, for example, the default power level might affect a neighboring network.
|
Step 3 Go to the next step, Select the APs.
Select the APs
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Select AP. All managed devices are listed in the Device selector in the middle pane.
Step 2 Select the devices you want to include in the job (see Using the Device Selector).
Step 3 Go to the next step, Select Radio Types.
Select Radio Types
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Filter By PHY.
Step 2 Select the type of 802.11 radio that will perform the AP radio scan. By default, both options (11a and 11b/11g) are selected.
Note Only radios of the selected types will take part in the scan. If a selected AP has no interfaces of the desired radio types, this is noted in the job run log.
Step 3 Go to the next step, Schedule the Job.
Schedule the Job
When scheduling an AP radio scan job, you can:
•Create multiple scan jobs, but only one job can be run at a time.
•Select Run Now to start the job immediately, or you can schedule the job for a future date and time.
•Save a job without scheduling it, then edit the job later to add the scheduling information.
Note A running scan job temporarily degrades wireless LAN service, which might affect client associations. To minimize any disruption, schedule scan jobs to run during off-hours.
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Schedule Job.
Step 2 Enter the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Run Now
|
Click to run the job. The job will run after you click Save (see Finish the Job).
Note This option ignores all of the other scheduling options (Start Date, Start Time, and Repeat).
|
Start Date
|
From the lists, select the month, day, and year you want your job to run.
|
Start Time
|
From the list, select the hour and minutes of the day you want your job to run.
|
Repeat
|
Enable
|
Check to run the job repeatedly.
|
Every
|
Indicate how often you want the job to repeat by entering a numerical value, then selecting an interval of time: Hours, Days, Weeks, or Months.
Note Selecting this option runs the job periodically, starting with the date and time that you entered in the Start Date and Start Time lists.
|
Step 3 Go to the next step, Finish the Job.
Finish the Job
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish to save your settings. The Finish dialog appears.
Step 2 Click Save to save the AP Radio Scan jobs settings. The job will be added to the list of scheduled jobs or run immediately, depending on whether you scheduled the job for a later time or chose Run Now in the scheduling screen.
Note If a warning message appears saying that WLSE server is ahead of or behind your local time, see Understanding Time Discrepancy Problems in Job Scheduling
The screen refreshes and the AP Radio Scan Job Save Summary window displays the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Name
|
Name of the job.
|
Description
|
Job description, if any.
|
Maximum Power
|
The maximum power setting selected for the job.
|
Selected APs
|
Names of the devices selected for the job.
|
Schedule
|
Scheduled date and time for the job, or No Schedule if the job has not been scheduled.
You do not have to complete the scheduling information—you can save a job without scheduling it, then edit the job later to add the schedule.
|
At the scheduled time, the AP Radio Scan job will begin scanning for neighboring APs. The job stops automatically after all the required APs respond with the appropriate radio measurements.
Step 3 To view the progress of a running job, select Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan > Job Run Log (see Viewing AP Radio Scan Job Run Logs).
Step 4 To stop the job manually, see Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs.
Step 5 After the AP Radio Scan has completed successfully, you should:
a. Run a client walkabout (optional, but recommended)—see Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data.
b. Configure your APs—see Using RM Assisted Configuration.
Viewing AP Radio Scan Job Run Logs
Use the Job Run Log button to view the run log for a selected job. The job run log displays information about running and completed AP Radio Scan jobs.
To view the progress of a running job:
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > AP Radio Scan > Job Run Log.
The Job Runs table appears in a separate browser window. This table contains the following information for each run:
Field
|
Description
|
Select Run
|
Select this button to see the details for that run.
The details for the selected job run appear below the list of runs for that job.
|
Job Start Time
|
The time the job started.
|
Job End Time
|
The time the job ended.
|
Job Status
|
The status of the job.
|
Percent Complete
|
The percent of the job that completed.
|
The job run log appears below this table.
Step 2 To view the details for a different job run, select another run from the Job Runs table and click Job Run Log.
Related Topics
•Managing AP Radio Scan Jobs
Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
Client Walkabout measurements can help determine AP coverage, and are used to provide optimal coverage for the radio parameter generator.
Note Client Walkabout is currently supported only when using Cisco cards or non-Cisco client adapters that are Cisco Compatible Extensions version 2 (CCXV2) compliant. For the client adapters that support this feature, see the Supported Devices Table for the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9, on Cisco.com.
Client Walkabout allows you create, view, and manage client walkabout jobs. Use this procedure to:
•Specify a group of APs that will participate in the walkabout.
•Start and stop a client walkabout.
These topics describe the procedures for managing Client Walkabout jobs:
•Understanding Client Walkabouts
•Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout
•Viewing Client Walkabout Jobs
•Managing Client Walkabout Jobs
•Creating a New Client Walkabout
•Running the Walkabout
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Generating Radio Parameters
•Understanding the Radio Manager
•Collecting Radio Location Data
Understanding Client Walkabouts
After running AP Radio Scan, you can run a client walkabout. A client walkabout is an optional step that reports all detected APs and provides optimal coverage for the radio parameter generator (see Generating Radio Parameters).
Note Running a client walkabout does not modify the Location Manager coverage display. Client walkabout data is used only by the radio parameter generator and the Assisted Site Survey Wizard (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
How It Works
During a client walkabout, you walk the client (typically a laptop) around the desired coverage area. During the walkabout, you can use up to five clients, each identified by its 802.11 MAC address, to cover different areas. Walk these client stations around the area of WLAN or a portion of the WLAN where you want proper coverage. During the walkabout:
•The APs are set to the same channel.
•The transmit power in the APs is increased so that the power required to cover the edges of the WLAN can be determined.
As you walk the coverage area, the serving AP changes as the client moves from one BSS to another. As long as the client remains inside the coverage area, the serving AP continually commands it to measure and report the signal strength and background radio frequency energy it receives from neighboring APs. All measurements are passed to the Radio Manager, which incorporates them into its RF environment database. This database provides the information that is used to compute the next radio configuration.
Data Produced
Although these measurements are not accompanied by location information, sets of measurements correspond to specific locations in the WLAN coverage area. The Radio Manager uses these measurements to create measurement objects, each containing path losses to the strongest controlled APs and received signal strength from uncontrolled sources at a specific location. These results are used in RM Assisted Configuration, Location Manager, and Radio Manager reports.
Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout
General
•If you do not perform a client walkabout, you must enter a floor plan that includes the distances between APs (see Adding Floors to Location Manager).
•Instead of using Client Walkabout, you can use the Assisted Site Survey wizard, which is part of Location Manager, to walk you through the process of determining the optimal radio transmit power and channel selection. This wizard interface steps you through AP radio scan, client walkabout, and radio parameter generation (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
Configuring Your Access Points
•When you set up your APs, do not enable the option in the ACU (Aironet Client Utility) that periodically scans for a better AP if the threshold is below a specified value. This feature conflicts with the Radio Manager procedures.
•Although there is no limit to the number of APs that may participate in a walkabout and no performance impact when you include a large number of APs, the total number of data points collected during a walkabout job does affect the processing time of RM Assisted Configuration:
–The more data points, the longer it takes to calculate the parameters.
–Too few data points might skip locations between APs, which could result in a recommended transmit power that is higher than expected.
Performing the Walkabout
To set the coverage area, walk the client around the area. Use these guidelines as you walk:
•Only one walkabout job can be active at any time.
•Walk at a slow, measured pace. The client takes measurements every 10 seconds, so if you walk too quickly, you will not collect enough data points.
•Walk a grid pattern that covers the entire area.
•Walk the edges of the network.
•Emphasize areas where you want coverage, such as conference rooms and other enclosed areas.
•When you have finished collecting the data, stop the walkabout. The client will continue taking measurements if you do not explicitly stop the process.
•Client walkabout data collection is cumulative, so you can stop and start as often as necessary.
•For a network that contains both 11a and 11b/g radios (for example, when you are using a AP1200 dual mode AP), both types of radios must participate in a Client Walkabout operation to generate location data. Data collected using the 11b clients during a Client Walkabout cannot be used for 11a network planning. You can mix the two types of clients together in the same Client Walkabout procedure, but you must collect the Client Walkabout data using both types of clients.
•To delete the current client walkabout data, use the Manage RM Measurements tab (see Deleting RM Measurements).
To minimize the time it takes to calculate the radio parameters, try to use these guidelines when performing the walkabout:
•Walk around the proximity of each AP for which you want coverage for approximately 2 minutes. At a rate of capturing one walkabout location every 10 seconds, this will yield about 12 walkabout locations over a 2-minute period. For a floor that contains 10 APs, this translates to a 20-minute walkabout that covers the perimeter of the floor as well as the areas between different APs.
•If you use the Location Manager's RM Assisted Wizard (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard), you can also see the walkabout results in a table that includes each AP and the number of walkabout locations that can hear that AP. If a location can hear multiple APs, it will be counted multiple times, once per AP. Therefore, the sum of the total location numbers across all selected APs may be (and almost always is) larger than the total number of actual walkabout locations.
•You can run RM Assisted Configuration either on a per-building or per-floor basis. You will usually get better channel combinations if you run RM Assisted Configuration for an entire building.
•A longer walkabout will generate more location data. Although collecting more location samples can improve the parameter generation results, it will also increase the number of computations. For a floor consisting of the 10 APs described above, a WLSE1105 will take 10 to 12 minutes or less to complete the parameter generation process—without other jobs, such as inventory, configuration, discovery, or other Radio Manager tasks running simultaneously.
Note Because the WLSE 1130 and WLSE 1130-19 are higher performance products, their parameter generation speed will be significantly better than a WLSE1105.
Related Topics
•Understanding Client Walkabouts
•Running the Walkabout
•Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
Viewing Client Walkabout Jobs
Use the default Client Walkabout screen to view client walkabout jobs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this procedure.
Before You Begin
Before you can run a client walkabout, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Client Walkabout. The Client Walkabout screen appears.
Figure 9-12 Sample Client Walkabout Screen
1
|
Client walkabout state selection list
|
2
|
List of walkabouts
|
3
|
Walkabout management buttons
|
Step 2 From the Client Walkabout State list, select the type of walkabout you want to view (Running or All). The window refreshes and the walkabouts are displayed.
Field
|
Description
|
Name
|
The client walkabout name.
|
Status
|
The status of the walkabout.
|
Last Run Started
|
The time the last run of this client walkabout was started.
|
Last Run Stopped
|
The time the last run of this client walkabout was stopped.
|
Owner
|
The user who last edited the job.
|
Step 3 From this window, you can use the walkabout management buttons (see Figure 9-12) to manage your client walkabout jobs (see Managing Client Walkabout Jobs).
Related Topics
•Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
•Sorting Table Data
Managing Client Walkabout Jobs
The buttons below the table of client walkabout jobs (see Viewing Client Walkabout Jobs) allow you to manage these jobs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use these procedures.
Before You Begin
Before you can run a client walkabout, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Client Walkabout. The Client Walkabout screen appears (see Figure 9-12).
Step 2 From the Client Walkabout State list, select the type of walkabout you want to manage (Running or All). The screen refreshes to show the corresponding jobs.
Note Client walkabout jobs created using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard cannot be edited or run using the Radio Manager > Client Walkabout tab. To manage these jobs, see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard.
Step 3 Click the radio button for the job you want to manage, then click one of the buttons that appear after the list of client walkabouts:
•Filter—This button displays a limited set of client walkabouts, making it easier to search for a particular walkabout by name. The filter remains in effect until the page is refreshed.
Note You can use % as a wildcard: for example, entering %name% displays all the walkabouts that contain the word "name."
•Edit—Allows you to edit previously-created walkabouts.
•Delete—Deletes the selected walkabout from the displayed list of previously-created walkabouts. Walkabouts that are running cannot be deleted.
•Start—Starts the selected client walkabout.
•Stop—Stops the walkabout that is currently running.
•Detailed—Allows you to view the details of the selected client walkabout.
The Client Walkabout Details window shows the following information for each job:
Field
|
Description
|
Name
|
Name of the walkabout.
|
Description
|
Walkabout description, if any.
|
Power Mode
|
AP power setting selected for the walkabout.
|
Max. Power
|
The value of the AP power setting. This field is populated only if you entered a value in Use No More Than __ mW (see Enter Walkabout Options).
|
Selected APs
|
Names of the AP devices selected for the walkabout.
|
Client MAC Address
|
The list of client MAC addresses to be used during the walkabout.
|
Status
|
The status of the walkabout.
|
Last Run Started
|
The time the last run of this client walkabout was started.
|
Last Run Stopped
|
The time the last run of this client walkabout was stopped.
|
•Walkabout Location Data—Allows you to view the AP locations collected during a client walkabout job.
Note AP location information is available only for the most recently completed walkabout. If a new walkabout job is in progress, this information is not available for the latest completed walkabout.
The Client Walkabout Details window shows the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
AP Name
|
The name of the access point
|
IP Address
|
The IP address for that access point.
|
Number of Location Data
|
The number of location data points collected for that access point.
|
•Job Run Log—Use this button to view the run log for a selected walkabout (see Viewing Client Walkabout Run Logs).
•Refresh—Allows you to refresh the list of walkabouts to make sure you are looking at the latest information.
Related Topics
•Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
Creating a New Client Walkabout
Note Your login determines whether you can use this procedure.
Before You Begin
Before you can run a client walkabout, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Configure the walkabout client to associate with the APs selected for the walkabout.
•Review the guidelines for running client walkabouts (see Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Client Walkabout.
Step 2 Click New.
The window refreshes with the Client Walkabout menu in the left pane and the Client Walkabout Name dialog box in the right pane.
Note Clicking on any subtab before you have saved your entries in the Job Creation window will reset the window and you will lose all the information you entered.
Step 3 Select the following numbered choices in the left pane to create a client walkabout:
Note All these steps must be completed, but do not have to be done in order.
1. Name—See Name the Walkabout.
2. Select AP—See Select the APs.
3. Filter By PHY—See Select Radio Types
4. Enter Client MAC—See Enter Client MAC Addresses
5. Options—See Enter Walkabout Options
6. Finish—See Finish Creating the Walkabout
Step 4 Run the client walkabout (see Running the Walkabout).
Name the Walkabout
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Name.
Step 2 Enter the following data:
Field
|
Description
|
Job Name
|
Enter a unique name for the walkabout.
To make each job easy to identify, consider including the floor number or a similar identifier in the job name.
For additional naming convention guidelines, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Description
|
Enter a description of the walkabout. For guidelines on entering descriptions, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Step 3 Go to the next step, Select the APs.
Select the APs
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Select AP. All managed devices are listed in the Device selector in the middle pane.
Step 2 Select the APs you want to include in the job (see Using the Device Selector).
Note In each walkabout job, include only the APs on that floor (see Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout).
Step 3 Go to the next step, Select Radio Types.
Select Radio Types
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Filter By PHY.
Step 2 Select the type of 802.11 radio that will perform the client walkabout. By default, both options (11a and 11b/11g) are selected.
Note Only radios of the selected types will take part in the walkabout. If a selected AP has no interfaces of the desired radio types, this is noted in the Job Run Log.
Step 3 Go to the next step, Enter Client MAC Addresses.
Enter Client MAC Addresses
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Enter Client MAC.
Step 2 Enter the 802.11 MAC addresses for up to five clients, or select up to five MAC addresses from the Most Recent pulldown list. These are the clients that will move around during the walkabout.
Note Entering a MAC address that consists of more than 12 characters will generate an error message.
Step 3 Go to the next task, Enter Walkabout Options.
Enter Walkabout Options
During a walkabout, the transmit power in the APs is increased so that the power required to cover the edges of the WLAN can be determined. Use this option to reset the maximum transmit power level used by the APs.
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Options.
Step 2 Select the AP power setting.
You can choose to enter a lower power setting when, for example, the default power level might affect a neighboring network.
Step 3 Go to the next task, Finish Creating the Walkabout.
Finish Creating the Walkabout
Before selecting this option, you must name the walkabout, select the devices, enter the client MAC addresses, and choose the AP power setting option.
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish to save your settings. The Finish dialog appears.
Step 2 Click Save to add the walkabout to the list of client walkabout jobs.
Note If a warning message appears saying that WLSE server is ahead of or behind your local time, see Understanding Time Discrepancy Problems in Job Scheduling.
The screen refreshes and the Client Walkabout Summary window shows the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Name
|
Name of the walkabout.
|
Description
|
Walkabout description, if any.
|
Power Mode
|
AP power setting selected for the walkabout.
|
Maximum Power
|
The value of the AP power setting. This field is populated only if you entered a value in Use No More Than __ mW (see Enter Walkabout Options).
|
Devices
|
Names of the AP devices selected for the walkabout.
|
Client MAC Address
|
The list of client MAC addresses to be used during the walkabout.
|
Step 3 Run the walkabout (see Running the Walkabout).
Running the Walkabout
When you start a client walkabout, the walkabout job starts immediately and continues until you stop the procedure. Only one client walkabout job can be active at any time.
Note The Client Walkabout feature temporarily degrades wireless LAN service, which might affect client associations. You should run a walkabout job during off-hours to minimize any disruptions to the network.
Before You Begin
Before you can run a client walkabout, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Review the guidelines for running client walkabouts (see Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout).
Procedure
Step 1 Take the client (typically a laptop) to the area where the walkabout will be run.
Step 2 Select Radio Manager > Client Walkabout. A list of the current Client Walkabout jobs appears.
Note Client walkabout jobs created using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard cannot be run using the Radio Manager > Client Walkabout tab. To manage these jobs, see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard.
Step 3 Select the name of the client walkabout job that you want to run from the list.
Step 4 Click Start.
Step 5 To set the coverage area, walk the client (the laptop) around the area (see Guidelines for Running a Client Walkabout).
Step 6 When you have finished collecting the data, stop the walkabout. Select the walkabout job name from the list and click Stop.
Note The client will continue taking measurements if you do not explicitly stop the process.
Step 7 To view the results of the walkabout:
•Click Detailed to view walkabout details (see Managing Client Walkabout Jobs.)
•Click Walkabout Details to view the AP locations collected during a walkabout (see Managing Client Walkabout Jobs).
•Use the Location Manager to view the results of the walkabout job (see Viewing Your WLAN Radio Environment with Location Manager).
Step 8 After the client walkabout has completed successfully, you are ready to generate the radio parameters and configure your APs (see Using RM Assisted Configuration).
Viewing Client Walkabout Run Logs
Use the Job Run Log button to view the run log for a selected job. The job run log displays information about running and completed AP Radio Scan jobs.
To view the progress of a running client walkabout:
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Client Walkabout. The list of Client Walkabout jobs appears.
Step 2 Select a job from the list and click Job Run Log.
The Job Runs table appears in a separate browser window. This table contains the following information for each run:
Field
|
Description
|
Select Run
|
Select this button to see the details for that run.
The details for the selected job run appear below the list of runs for that job.
|
Job Start Time
|
The time the job started.
|
Job End Time
|
The time the job ended.
|
Job Status
|
The status of the job.
|
Percent Complete
|
The percent of the job that completed.
|
The job run log appears below this table.
Step 3 To view the details for a different job run, select another run from the Job Runs table and click Job Run Log.
Related Topics
•Managing Client Walkabout Jobs
Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
Radio Monitoring periodically gathers radio frequency statistics, identifies specific signal sources, and is your primary means of detecting rogue access points. The following sections explain how and where to use Radio Monitoring:
•Understanding Radio Monitoring
•Guidelines for Running Radio Monitoring
•Starting Radio Monitoring
•Reporting Path Loss Results
•Reporting Historical Path Loss Results
•Reporting Channel Load Data
•Reporting Historical Channel Load Data
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Understanding the Radio Manager
•Collecting Radio Location Data
Understanding Radio Monitoring
Radio Monitoring runs on the specified Cisco IOS APs and its associated CCXV2-compliant clients to continuously monitor the WLAN radio environment and discover any new APs that are transmitting beacons. It generates alerts when new APs appear or interference occurs.
Note Radio Monitoring is your primary means of detecting rogue APs. If you disable Radio Monitoring, you will not have access to these features: continuous detection of rogue APs, self-healing networks, auto re-site surveys, and certain Radio Manager reports.
Note If you never enable Radio Monitoring or run AP Radio Scan, no unknown radios (rogue or friendly) will be detected. If you run AP Radio Scan but do not enable Radio Monitoring, some unknown radios will be detected, but not as many as would be detected if Radio Monitoring was running. Self healing also relies on the data generated by Radio Monitoring and AP Radio Scan.
How It Works
During normal operation, the Radio Manager requests measurements from Cisco APs and clients to monitor the WLAN radio frequency environment. These measurements occur less frequently than during a client walkabout (see Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data), typically one or more minutes apart.
Radio Monitoring allows you to select which channels are monitored; both APs and clients can measure serving and non-serving channels. You make this choice when you enable Radio Monitoring.
When you enable the Client Registration Scanning feature, the WLSE will command all clients (CCXv2.5 or later with radio management capability) to perform the same radio measurements both on- and off-channels. The clients will then scan other channels in a similar manner to the APs under Radio Manager command.
Note Clients that participate in Radio Monitoring do not increase the coverage area of the network.
Data Produced
The channel measurements collected by Radio Monitoring are used for radio configuration, rogue AP discovery, and interference detection. These results are used in Location Manager and Faults.
Guidelines for Running Radio Monitoring
•Radio Monitoring takes measurements every 90 seconds.
•Leave Radio Monitoring continuously running on your network so new APs are discovered promptly, the necessary faults are generated, and your reports are accurate and current.
•To detect interference and rogue APs, Radio Monitoring must be running.
•You can add an AP to the Radio Monitoring list and also include it in an AP Radio Scan or Client Walkabout; the measurement requests for these two features supersede the Radio Monitoring requests. When the other, shorter term procedures end, the APs return to normal radio monitoring mode.
•Radio Monitoring produces the data for these reports:
–Run the Path Loss Between Managed APs report to view the calculated path loss data (see Reporting Path Loss Results).
–Run the Channel Loading report to determine how busy the environment is before you deploy new sets of access points (see Reporting Channel Load Data).
•To detect rogue APs, you should enable both serving channel and non-serving channel scanning (see Detecting Rogue APs). If only serving channel scanning is enabled, then only the APs configured on the same channel as the rogue will actually report the rogue. By monitoring non-serving channels as well, Radio Manager can detect rogue APs that might not have been discovered had it monitored only the channel on which the AP is transmitting.
Related Topics
•Understanding Radio Monitoring
Starting Radio Monitoring
Note Your login determines whether you can use this procedure.
Before You Begin
Before you can select devices to be included in radio monitoring, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management). If your network is not properly configured, none of the Radio Manager functions will work.
•Define the location elements (buildings and floors) and place the APs in the floors (optional, but recommended). This will help you get the best results from the Location Manager displays.
•Review the guidelines for running Radio Monitoring (see Guidelines for Running Radio Monitoring).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Radio Monitoring. The Radio Monitoring Options window appears.
Step 2 Click Enable to monitor your WLAN environment.
Step 3 For Serving Channel Monitoring, select one or both of the following check boxes for measurements on the channel the devices are configured to:
•APs to perform monitoring measurements on the Cisco IOS APs on the serving channel (the channel on which the AP is transmitting).
•Clients to perform monitoring measurements on CCX-compliant clients on the serving channel.
Step 4 For Non-Serving Channel Monitoring, select one or both of the following check boxes to measure other channels in the band:
•APs to perform monitoring measurements on the Cisco IOS APs on the non-serving channels (the channels on which the AP is not transmitting).
•Clients to perform monitoring measurements on CCX-compliant clients on the non-serving channels.
Note To detect rogue APs, you should enable both serving channel and non-serving channel scanning (see Guidelines for Running Radio Monitoring).
Step 5 For Client Registration Scanning select:
•Enable to enable AP scanning to track client association and probe requests and report the information.
•Disable to disable AP scanning.
Note The Client Registration Scanning option is applicable only for an AP in scanning mode (see Using Scanning-Only APs). When an AP is in scanning mode, it monitors the radio environment by looking for rogue APs and unassociated clients; it does not accept client associations.
Step 6 From the menu in the left pane, click Select AP. All managed devices are listed in the Device selector in the middle pane.
Step 7 Select the devices you want to monitor (see Using the Device Selector).
Step 8 From the menu in the left pane, click Filter By PHY to select the type of 802.11 radio that you want to monitor.
Note Only radios of the selected types are monitored. If a selected AP has no interfaces of the desired radio types, this is noted in the job run log.
Now that you have selected your radio monitoring options, you need to save your settings.
Step 9 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish. The Finish dialog box appears.
Step 10 Click Save to save your radio monitoring options.
Radio Monitor will now begin monitoring the devices you selected.
Related Topics
•Collecting Radio Location Data
•Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
•Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
•Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings
•Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings
•Reporting Path Loss Results
•Reporting Channel Load Data
Reporting Path Loss Results
Use the Path Loss Between Managed APs report to:
•View the calculated path-loss data after you run AP Radio Scan.
•Periodically to check whether your WLAN radio environment has changed. If the changes are significant, you can use Auto Re-Site Survey (see Evaluating AP Radio Performance) to automatically trigger an alarm if the changes significantly degrade the network performance or capacity.
For a selected access point, this report displays:
•The surrounding access points that can hear the selected AP.
•The path loss (in decibels) between the selected AP and each of the surrounding APs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I have just finished running an AP Radio Scan. How can I view the calculated path loss data?
•I have not run an AP Radio Scan recently. How can I check to see if my WLAN radio network has changed?
Before You Begin
Before you can display the path loss data between two managed access points, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
•Enable Radio Monitoring (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data)
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Path Loss Between Managed APs Report.
Step 4 Click View. The report displays the following data for the selected access points:
Table 9-5 Path Loss Between Managed APs Report
Column
|
Description
|
AP Name
|
The name of the access point.
|
Interface Name
|
The name of the radio interface.
|
PHY
|
The physical interface type (11a, 11b, or 11g) of the radio interface.
|
Channel
|
The radio channel used.
|
Neighbor AP Name
|
The name of the neighbor access point.
|
Neighbor Interface Name
|
The interface name of the neighbor access point.
|
Path Loss
|
The amount in decibels of path loss between the two access points.
|
As Of
|
The time the WLSE polled information from the device.
For more information, see Understanding WLSE Time Displays.
|
Related Topics
•Reporting Historical Path Loss Results
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
Reporting Historical Path Loss Results
The historical path loss report displays the previous path loss information for selected a AP (or group). The information is collected every 15 minutes and saved to the path loss historical table. The data in the historical table is trimmed every 60 minutes.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Before You Begin
Before you can display the historical path loss data between two managed access points, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
•Enable Radio Monitoring (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data)
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Path Loss Historical Report.
Step 4 Click View. The report displays the previous path loss data for the selected access points. For more information about path loss data, see Reporting Path Loss Results.
Related Topics
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
Reporting Channel Load Data
Radio measurement data, the Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) measurement in particular, provides information about how heavily a channel is loaded. For a selected access point, you can use the Channel Loading report to display the percentage of time a channel is being used.
Note This type of report has very little use in case of an isolated office building, but can be very useful in crowded spaces (such as among New York high rise buildings with many WLANs from neighboring companies).
The Channel Loading report shows the background loading of each AP—in particular, how often the channel is busy due to traffic that is not generated by the reporting AP radio. This information is useful even before running AP Radio Scan just to see how busy the environment is before deploying new sets of access points. You can also run this same report from time to time just to see whether this environment has changed.
Note Channel load information is collected only from access points on the Radio Monitoring list.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How can I determine the current channel loads for the existing access points in my network?
•How can I determine if the channel loads for the access points in my WLAN radio environment have changed?
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Before You Begin
Before you can display channel loading data for an access point, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data).
•Enable Radio Monitoring (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Channel Loading Report.
Step 4 Click View. The report displays the following data for the selected access points:
Table 9-6 Channel Loading Report
Column
|
Description
|
AP Name
|
The name of the access point.
|
PHY
|
The physical interface type (11a, 11b, or 11g) of the radio interface.
|
Channel
|
The radio channel used.
|
Average Near (%)
|
The average (of 15 minutes) channel loading detected by the access point from the nearest clients.
|
Average Far (%)
|
The average (of 15 minutes) channel loading detected by the access point from the farthest clients.
|
Peak Near (%)
|
The average (of 15 minutes) peak value detected by the access point from the nearest clients.
|
Peak Far (%)
|
The average (of 15 minutes) peak value detected by the access point from the farthest clients.
|
As Of
|
The time the WLSE polled information from the device.
For more information, see Understanding WLSE Time Displays.
|
Related Topics
•Reporting Historical Channel Load Data
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
Reporting Historical Channel Load Data
The historical channel load report displays the previous channel load information for selected a AP (or group). The information is collected every 15 minutes and saved to the channel load historical table. The data in the historical table is trimmed every 60 minutes.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Before You Begin
Before you can display the historical channel load data for an access point, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data).
•Enable Radio Monitoring (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Channel Loading Historical Report.
Step 4 Click View. The report displays the previous channel load data for the selected access points. For more information about channel load data, see Reporting Channel Load Data.
Related Topics
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
Deleting RM Measurements
You can use Manage RM Measurements to delete previously-collected radio location measurements, including links and path loss data.
Use this feature only under these circumstances:
•When new APs have been added.
•After any major reconfiguration of a floor (changes in the physical environment).
•If you notice any inconsistencies in reports.
When you run a new AP radio scan, the radio location information for the selected APs is deleted automatically.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Manage RM Measurements.
Step 2 Choose the radio location measurements to be deleted:
•Delete Radio Measurements—Deletes the AP radio locations collected during AP radio scans and radio monitoring.
Note When you choose this option, all features that rely on AP radio scans are affected. After deleting the radio measurement data, for example, you must re-run AP Radio Scan on the selected devices before you can use RM assisted configuration, self healing, rogue AP detection, or the Location Manager coverage displays.
•Delete Walkabout Measurements—Deletes the client radio locations collected during client walkabouts.
Note When you choose this option, all data collected during the client walkabouts is removed.
Step 3 From the menu in the left pane, click Select Devices. All managed devices are listed in the Device selector in the middle pane.
Step 4 Select the devices (see Using the Device Selector). Only measurements for the selected devices will be deleted.
Step 5 From the menu in the left pane, click Filter By PHY.
Step 6 Select the 802.11 radio types. Only measurements for radios of the selected types will be deleted.
Step 7 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish. The data for the selected devices and radio types is deleted immediately.
Related Topics
•Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data
•Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data
•Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
Generating Radio Parameters
You can use selections under the Radio Manager or Location Manager tabs to recommend optimal radio transmit power, channel selection, and beacon interval (optional) for each AP, then apply these configuration settings. There are two ways to generate radio parameters and configure your APs:
•Use RM Assisted Configuration
Use this option after you have collected data from a AP radio scanning and a client walkabout.
•Use the Assisted Site Survey Wizard
Use this option, which is part of Location Manager, when you want to use a wizard interface to step through AP radio scan, client walkabout, and radio parameter generation (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
The following topics describe how to use RM Assisted Configuration to generate radio parameters and configure your APs:
•Understanding Radio Parameter Generation
•Using RM Assisted Configuration
•Viewing the Configured Radio Parameters Report
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Understanding the Radio Manager
Understanding Radio Parameter Generation
Radio Manager can generate optimal radio parameters for a given selection of APs. The radio parameters include:
•AP operating channel
•AP Tx power level and client power level
•AP beacon interval
RM Assisted Configuration calculates the optimal radio transmit power, channel selection, and beacon interval (optional), and then applies these configuration settings to the APs, if desired.
Note If you use RM Assisted Configuration to change the AP power and channel, the WLSE database will reflect the change within several seconds (using an on-demand inventory on those changed APs to update the data). However, if you change the AP's configuration directly using the AP's interface, WLSE will not know about the change until it performs the next scheduled inventory (the default is 12-hour intervals).
How It Works
RM Assisted Configuration uses data collected from client walkabouts and AP radio scans to calculate the optimal settings for the APs. The radio parameter generation process (RPG)—and the amount of time this process takes— depends on the following factors:
•The number of managed radios involved.
•The number of allowed channels and power steps involved. The more available radio channels and power steps, the more solutions there are to evaluate and the longer RPG will take to finish.
•The number of radios links each managed radio can hear as its neighbor. This includes other managed neighboring APs but can also include non-managed APs (such as friendly neighbor APs, rogue APs, and non-802.11 interference). The more radio links it has to other devices, the longer it takes RPG to process all of these constraints.
Note RM Assisted Configuration chooses power and channel settings that will balance the radio transmissions across the entire radio space, not just the managed APs. If surrounding unknown APs are more heavily skewed towards one channel, that channel will likely be minimized within the managed APs. In this case, when viewing the channel plan for managed APs, it may appear that all channels have not been evenly spread across the managed APs. This behavior can be overridden by selecting the option to ignore unknown radios from the constraints selection page. In this case the RPG algorithm will make its channel selections based only on managed APs.
•The number of walkabout points (actual or generated).If a walkabout is performed, RPG examines only the locations collected during the walkabout sessions. If no walkabout is performed, walkabout locations are automatically generated. The number of generated walkabout locations is dependent on the floor size. RPG ensures that each walkabout (actual or generated) point has adequate coverage and throughput.
•The areas of coverage. The larger the areas to be covered, the more data points RPG will check. (This directly impacts the generated walkabout points.)
•The selected radio bands. RPG runs 11a (5GHz) and 11b/11g (2.4GHz) bands separately. If you choose both bands, RPG will separate them internally.
•The number of simultaneous jobs. RPG uses a significant amount of the WLSE CPU, so simultaneous jobs will greatly impact the completion time of the RPG process.
Data Produced
RM Assisted Configuration recommends optimal radio transmit power, channel selection, and beacon interval (optional) for the managed APs.
Related Topics
•Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard
Using RM Assisted Configuration
Use RM Assisted Configuration to configure your APs. This feature uses the measurement data collected from client walkabouts and AP radio scans.
The following topics describe how to run RM Assisted Configuration:
•Guidelines for Running RM Assisted Configuration
•Viewing Assisted Configuration Tasks
•Managing Assisted Configuration Tasks
•Creating a New Assisted Configuration Task
Guidelines for Running RM Assisted Configuration
Tips:
•Before you run RM Assisted Configuration, you must run AP Radio Scan on the devices you select for an RM Assisted Configuration job.
Note If you delete RM measurement data, you must re-run AP Radio Scan on those devices before running an RM Assisted Configuration job.
If you have not run (or re-run) AP Radio Scan on the selected devices before running RM Assisted Configuration, the Radio Manager will assume no radio links exist for these devices and use the default RM measurement data. In that case, the recommended radio settings generated by RM Assisted Configuration will not be optimum.
•To get optimal channel settings, run RM Assisted Configuration on a per building basis. That is, include all APs in one building in a single RM Assisted Configuration task.
•Instead of using RM Assisted Configuration, you can use the Assisted Site Survey Wizard (part of Location Manager) to use a wizard interface to step through AP radio scan, client walkabout, and radio parameter generation (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard).
•Use the WLSE to make any configuration changes. If you must make a manual change to the AP, run another inventory job to update the WLSE database.
Caution If you use the AP's interface to make a change to the AP and an AP radio scan is run before WLSE's next inventory, WLSE will remember the
old setting, set the new channel for the AP radio scan, then
restore the old setting. This overwrites the changes done manually on the AP.
Related Topics
•Understanding Radio Parameter Generation
Viewing Assisted Configuration Tasks
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > RM Assisted Configuration. The RM Assisted Configuration screen appears.
Figure 9-13 Sample RM Assisted Configuration Screen
1
|
Radio configuration job selection list
|
2
|
List of radio configuration jobs
|
3
|
Job management buttons
|
Step 2 From the pulldown menu, select the type of configuration tasks you want to view:
•All—Lists all configuration tasks
•Planning—Lists configuration tasks whose constraints are still being calculated by the RM Assisted Configuration engine.
Note A configuration job stays in the Planning state if something disrupts the network, for example, a server crashes or is restarted.
•Unscheduled—Lists all configuration tasks that have not been scheduled
•Scheduled—Lists all configuration tasks that have been scheduled
•Completed—Lists all completed configuration tasks
The screen refreshes to show you details about the specified configuration tasks. By clicking on the corresponding column heading, you can sort the configuration tasks by name, status, next schedule, or owner.
Step 3 From this window, you can manage existing assisted configuration tasks (see Managing Assisted Configuration Tasks).
Managing Assisted Configuration Tasks
The buttons below the list of existing assisted configuration tasks (see Viewing Assisted Configuration Tasks) allow you to manage these tasks.
Note Your login determines whether you can use these options.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > RM Assisted Configuration. The RM Assisted Configuration screen appears (see Figure 9-13).
Step 2 From the RM Assisted Configuration pulldown menu, select the configuration tasks you want to edit. The screen refreshes to show the corresponding tasks.
Note Parameter generation jobs created using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard cannot be edited or run using the Radio Manager > RM Assisted Configuration tab. To manage these jobs, see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard.
Step 3 Click on the radio button next to the task you want to manage, then click one of the buttons that appear after the lists of tasks:
•Filter—This button displays a limited set of radio configuration jobs, making it easier to search for a particular job by name. The filter remains in effect until the page is refreshed.
Note You can use % as a wildcard: for example, entering %name% displays all the walkabouts that contain the word "name."
•Edit—Allows you to edit assisted configuration tasks that were previously created.
•Copy—Allows you to create a new assisted configuration task that is similar to a previously created configuration task, you can make a copy of an existing configuration task and then make modifications to the copied task.
•Delete—Allows you to delete assisted configuration tasks that were previously created.
•Details—Allows you to view details of selected configuration tasks.
•Run Log—Use this button to view the run log for a selected configuration job.
•Refresh—Refreshes the list of configuration tasks to make sure you are looking at the latest information. You might also need to refresh the configuration tasks if you have a configuration in the Planning state.
Creating a New Assisted Configuration Task
You can use RM Assisted Configuration to configure the power level, channel settings, and beacon interval of an AP or a group of APs. Using AP Scan and Client Walkabout data, RM Assisted Configuration generates optimal values for the radio parameters of a given group of APs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Before You Begin
Before you can create a new RM assisted configuration task, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
Note If you delete RM measurement data, you must re-run AP Radio Scan on those devices before running an RM Assisted Configuration job.
•Perform a Client Walkabout (optional but recommended) or added device information in Location Manager (see Using Client Walkabouts to Collect RM Data and Viewing Your WLAN Radio Environment with Location Manager).
•Review the guidelines for running RM Assisted Configuration (see Guidelines for Running RM Assisted Configuration).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > RM Assisted Configuration. The RM assisted configuration information appears.
Note Clicking on any subtab (for example, Radio Monitoring or Client Walkabout) before you have saved your entries in the Jobs window will cause the window to reset and you will lose all the information you entered.
Step 2 Enter a task name in the blank field and click New. The screen refreshes with the Job Name dialog box in the right pane, and the Task Creation job in the left pane.
Step 3 Select the following numbered choices in the left pane to create a new RM assisted configuration task:
1. Name—See Naming the Configuration Task.
2. Select Devices—See Selecting Devices.
3. Filter by PHY—Filtering by Radio Type.
3. Constraints/Goals—See Assigning Constraints and Goals.
4. Calculate Parameters—See Calculating Parameters.
5. Results— See Viewing the Calculated Results.
6. Schedule—See Scheduling the Configuration Job.
7. Finish— See Finishing the Task.
Naming the Configuration Task
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Name.
The screen refreshes so you can enter information about the new task. You will see the name you entered in the Task Name field.
Step 2 Enter the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Task Name
|
Enter a unique name for the job. For guidelines on naming jobs, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Description
|
Enter a description of the job. For guidelines on entering descriptions, see "Naming Guidelines."
|
Step 3 Go to the next step, Selecting Devices.
Selecting Devices
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Select Devices. All managed devices are listed in the Device selector in the middle pane.
Step 2 Select the devices you want to include in the job (see Using the Device Selector).
Note AP Radio Scan must already have been run on any devices you select.
Note If you have deleted RM measurement data, you must re-run AP Radio Scan on those devices.
Step 3 Go to the next step, Filtering by Radio Type.
Filtering by Radio Type
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Filter By PHY.
Step 2 Select the type of 802.11 radio that you want to include in the assisted configuration task.
Note Only radios of the selected types are included in the assisted configuration task. If a selected AP has no interfaces of the desired radio types, this is noted in the job run log.
Step 3 Go to the next step, Assigning Constraints and Goals.
Assigning Constraints and Goals
Procedure
Step 1 Select whether you want to apply the constraints to:
•All APs that you selected
•Individual APs
If you selected to apply the constraints to individual APs, a list box appears in which you can select the AP on which to apply the constraints. Click on the AP name in the list box.
Step 2 Select the channel set option:
•Recommended—Use the channels Radio Manager recommends in the Recommended field.
•Custom—Select the channels from the Custom selection box. You can Ctrl-click to select more than one channel from the selection box.
Note Some channels are not approved for use in specific regulatory domains. Table 9-7 lists the regulatory domains and their valid, approved channel sets.
Table 9-7 Regulatory Domains and Their Approved Channel Sets
Radio Type
|
Regulatory Domain
|
Approved Channel Set
|
802.11b/g
|
FCC (United States)
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
|
DOC (Canada)
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
|
ETSI
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
Spain
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
France
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
Belgium
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
MKK (Japan)
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (b only)
|
Singapore
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
Taiwan
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
|
Israel
|
5, 6, 7, 8
|
Australia
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
|
China
|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
|
802.11a
|
FCC (United States)
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157, 161
|
DOC (Canada)
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157, 161
|
ETSI
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140
|
Spain
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140
|
France
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64
|
Belgium
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140
|
MKK (Japan)
|
34, 38, 42, 46
|
Singapore
|
36, 40, 44, 48
|
Taiwan
|
52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157, 161
|
Israel
|
N/A
|
Australia
|
36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157, 161
|
China
|
149, 153, 157, 161, 165
|
1
Step 3 Enter values for the minimum and maximum transmit powers. You might choose to enter a lower power setting when, for example, the default power level might affect a neighboring network. You must enter a numeric value greater than zero and less than 100.
Note The recommendation is to give WLSE the full range of power settings (that is, 1mW to 100mW) when it generates radio parameters. The minimum and maximum fields are included to handle any special cases that WLSE could not know about. For example, you could have an agreement with a neighboring office that you will not configure an AP higher than 50mW. Or you may have special knowledge about the environment where it is known that an AP should not be configured at less than 5mW. It is these types of cases where the minimum and maximum fields should be changed from something other than the default.
Step 4 If you want to restrict the data that is used when calculating radio parameters, select one or both of these options:
•Ignore Rogue APs and Friendly APs when calculating Radio Parameters
•Ignore Walkabout Location Data when calculating Radio Parameters
Step 5 Enter values for the expected maximum number of clients per AP and the expected average number of clients per AP. You must enter a numeric value greater than zero and less than 500.
Step 6 Select whether to enable black hole mitigation. If you select this option, Radio Manager recommends a beacon interval (which is slightly altered from what the AP is configured to) for the APs. If you do not select the Black Hole Mitigation option, Radio Manager displays the beacon interval to which the AP is currently configured.
Step 7 Go to the next step, Calculating Parameters.
Calculating Parameters
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Calculate Parameters. The Calculate Parameters screen appears.
Step 2 Click Calculate.
As the Radio Manager calculates the parameters, a progress bar indicates the progress it is making in its calculations.
Note Depending on the number of APs selected for the job and how much data was collected during Client Walkabout, the calculating parameters step could take a while to complete.
Step 3 To stop the parameter calculation, click Stop Calculations.
Step 4 Go to the next step, Viewing the Calculated Results.
Viewing the Calculated Results
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Results.
After Radio Manager calculates the parameters for the assisted configuration job, it displays the calculation results. These results specify the following information:
Field
|
Description
|
Name
|
Name of the AP
|
Transmit Power
|
Recommended transmit power for this AP. If the radio type is 11g, the CCK power and OFDM power are also displayed.
|
Channel
|
Recommended channel for the AP
|
Beacon Interval
|
Recommended beacon interval for the AP. If you did not select the Enable Black Hole Mitigation option, this column displays the value to which the AP is currently configured (see Assigning Constraints and Goals).
|
Estimated Max Throughput
|
The estimated maximum megabytes per second that the AP can process.
The maximum throughput is an estimated value that is calculated from either:
•Data collected from all client walkabouts.
•Predicted walkabout data if no walkabouts were performed.
Using the walkabout data and the potential RF configuration parameters, an analysis is performed to predict the degree of transmit collisions and contention that may result in the coverage area for each AP, given a predefined ratio of AP-to-client and client-to-AP traffic. The collision and contention values are then applied to the theoretical throughput maximum to come up with the real predicted throughput.
|
Step 2 To review these results in the Location Manager, click Preview.
Step 3 Go to the next step, Scheduling the Configuration Job.
Scheduling the Configuration Job
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Schedule. The Schedule RM Assisted Configuration Job screen appears.
Step 2 To start the assisted configuration task immediately, click Run Now.
Step 3 To run the assisted configuration task at a later time, under Run Later, select a Month, Day, Year to run the configuration task. You must also specify the start time by selecting the hour and minute to start the job.
Step 4 Go to the next step, Finishing the Task.
Finishing the Task
Procedure
Step 1 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish.
Note If a warning message appears saying that WLSE server is ahead of or behind your local time, see Understanding Time Discrepancy Problems in Job Scheduling.
The Done form appears indicating that the job has completed or has been scheduled (if you scheduled it to run later).
Related Topics
•Viewing the Configured Radio Parameters Report
Viewing the Configured Radio Parameters Report
Use the Configured Radio Parameters report to display the radio configuration parameters for a selected access point.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How can I display the current radio configuration parameters for an access point?
Before You Begin
Before you can display the radio configuration parameters, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
•Configure the radio parameters by running either RM Assisted Configuration (see Using RM Assisted Configuration) or the Assisted Site Survey Wizard (see Using the Assisted Site Survey Wizard)
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Configured Radio Parameters Report.
Step 4 Click View. The Configured Radio Parameters report displays the following information:
Table 9-8 Configured Radio Parameters Report
Column
|
Description
|
AP Name
|
The name of the access point.
|
Interface Name
|
The name of the radio interface.
|
MAC Address
|
The MAC address of the access point.
|
PHY
|
The physical interface type (11a, 11b, or 11g) of the radio interface.
|
Channel
|
The radio channel used.
|
Transmit Power
|
The power level of the radio transmission (in milliwatts).
|
Data Rate
|
The data rates supported by this interface (in Mbps).
|
Beacon
|
The amount of time between beacons (in kilo microseconds).
|
Admin Status
|
The administrative status of the access point.
For more information about the radio interface port's administrative status values, see Setting RF Port AdminStatus Threshold.
|
Operational Status
|
The operational status of the access point.
For an explanation of the possible operational status values, see Viewing the WDS Summary Report.
|
As Of
|
The time the WLSE polled information from the device.
For more information, see Understanding WLSE Time Displays.
|
Related Topics
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Generating Radio Parameters
Detecting Rogue APs
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager rogue AP detection feature:
•Understanding Rogue AP Detection
•Guidelines for Detecting Rogue APs
•Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings
•Managing Unknown APs
•Determining the Location of Rogue APs
•Generating Rogue AP Reports
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Rogue AP Detection
Radio Monitoring continuously monitors your WLAN radio environment to discover the presence of any new APs that are transmitting beacons. Any newly discovered AP that cannot be identified as a known authorized AP generates a new fault. You can view unknown AP faults under Faults > Display Faults.
The Radio Monitoring feature uses the radio measurement capabilities on Cisco IOS APs and Cisco client adaptors to discover any new 802.11 APs that are transmitting beacons. Both clients and APs periodically scan for other 802.11 beacon frames on all channels. Reports of detected beacons are returned to the Radio Manager, which validates these beacons against a list of APs known to be authorized to provide wireless access.
Note For the access points that support this feature, see the Supported Devices Table for the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, 2.9, on Cisco.com.
A newly discovered AP that cannot be identified as a known authorized AP generates an administrator alert. You can categorize this new AP as one of the following AP types:
Table 9-9 Access Point Category Types
Type
|
Description
|
Managed AP
|
An AP that is authorized to provide wireless access to the LAN and requires management services provided by the WLSE.
Note Only managed APs can participate in Radio Manager operations (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
|
Unmanaged AP
|
An AP that is authorized to provide wireless access to the LAN but does not require any management services from the WLSE.
|
Friendly AP
|
An AP that is not connected to the LAN, but is known to be detectable by client's or AP's 802.11 radios within the managed WLAN. A Friendly AP is an AP that you know exists, for example, a neighboring network's AP or a neighboring company's AP.
|
Rogue AP
|
An AP that may or may not be connected to the LAN, is detected by client's or AP's 802.11 radios within the managed WLAN, and has not been identified as Friendly, Unmanaged, or Managed. By default, all unknown radios are classified as Rogue until you change them to Friendly, Unmanaged, or Managed.
|
How It Works
Rogue AP detection is based on the detection of an unknown radio interface broadcasting over the air. When Radio Monitoring detects a rogue AP, a new fault is generated. When you select the link in the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary Table for an unknown access point, the Rogue Access Point Details window displays information about the rogue AP (see Managing Unknown APs).
Related Topics
•Guidelines for Detecting Rogue APs
•Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points
Guidelines for Detecting Rogue APs
To run rogue AP detection:
1. Be sure you have satisfied the prerequisites for running rogue AP detection (see Managing Unknown APs).
2. Assign the network-wide settings for detecting unknown access points (see Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings).
3. View faults that are generated when unknown (rogue or friendly) access points are detected (see Managing Unknown APs).
4. Determine the location of rogue access points (see Determining the Location of Rogue APs).
Tips:
•An 11a-capable client that is associated with an 11g network cannot detect 11a rogues. No matter what the client is capable of supporting, it only searches for rogues that match the band of the AP. Therefore, when a client is associated to a 2.4Ghz AP (b or g), it only detects 2.4Ghz rogues (b or g). When it is associated to a 5Ghz (11a) AP, it only detects 5Ghz (11a) rogues.
•To detect all rogue APs in a network in which several hundred 11g APs have been deployed, you must also deploy 11a APs. Depending on the deployment, however, you might not have to deploy one 11a for each 11g radio. Using scanning-only APs (see Using Scanning-Only APs), it is possible to completely cover the area for 11a rogue AP detection using fewer APs.
•A scanning-only AP that has a dual radio (both a and g) can detect all types of (a, b, and g) rogues.
•Although you might be tempted to disable Radio Monitoring and detect rogue APs only during AP Radio Scans, this approach is not recommended. AP Radio Scan jobs can detect rogues, but only during the scan (approximately 3 to 4 minutes); any rogues that show up after the scan are not detected. In addition, because the scan is so short, it is possible that some rogues will not be detected because they do not respond with a Probe Request during the active scan. When Radio Monitoring is enabled, the rogue will eventually be detected by the beacon frame; it is statistically possible that a beacon will not be seen during an AP scan.
Related Topics
•Understanding Rogue AP Detection
•Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points
Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Rogue AP Detection to enable rogue AP detection and to assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when a rogue AP is detected. This fault can be viewed under Faults > Display Faults.
This option also allows you to enable automatic rogue access point suppression and to view unknown APs that have been automatically suppressed (see Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports).
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) to be notified when a rogue AP is detected.
•I want to specify the severity of a rogue AP detection notifications.
•I want to view the current rogue AP detection faults associated with the current [P1...P5] setting.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Rogue AP Detection. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 To enable rogue AP detection:
a. Click Enable.
b. From the dropdown list, select the severity level to assign the fault when a rogue access point is detected.
c. Click Reset to refresh any fields you have changed but want to restore, or Apply to set the new entries.
d. To see the faults associated with this threshold, click View current faults for this setting (see Viewing Current Faults).
Step 3 Enable (or disable) automatic rogue AP suppression (see Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports).
Related Topics
•Managing Unknown APs
•Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points, page 10-28
Managing Unknown APs
Use the Faults > Display Faults option to view the fault that is generated when an unknown (rogue or friendly) AP is detected.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How do I change the category type of a rogue AP to friendly?
•How do I delete a rogue AP from the database?
•How do I view a list of APs that have reported the rogue AP and the location of the AP?
•How do I find the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected?
•I have just been notified of a rogue AP and I have determined it is a friendly AP. How do I delete the AP and clear the fault?
Before You Begin
Before you can view or manage the faults generated by an unknown access point, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Create buildings and floors in Location Manager (see Adding Floors to Location Manager).
•Place APs on the floor images (see Adding Devices to the Floor).
•Optional (but necessary to accurately locate rogue APs): Perform an AP Radio Scan on all APs on the specified floor (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data).
•Enable Radio Monitoring on all APs (for both serving and non-serving channels) on the specified floor (see Starting Radio Monitoring).
Note If only serving channel scanning is enabled, then only the APs configured on the same channel as the rogue will actually report the rogue.
•Set network-wide policies to enable rogue AP detection and assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when a rogue AP is detected (see Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings).
•Review the guidelines for detecting unknown access points (see Guidelines for Detecting Rogue APs).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any rogue AP detection faults.
Step 3 Click the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the fault. The WLSE Unknown AP Details screen appears. This screen contains the following information:
Rogue Access Point Details
This table contains information about the rogue AP. It also provides options that allow you to:
•Change the classification of an access point from Rogue to Friendly.
•Delete the rogue AP from the database.
Table 9-10 Rogue Access Point Details Table
Column
|
Description
|
BSSID
|
Basic Service Set (BSS) identifier.
|
State
|
The state of the device.
|
Vendor
|
The name of the vendor that manufactured this AP.
|
Change To Friendly AP
|
To add this AP to the list of recognized APs, click Change To Friendly AP. Then refresh your browser window to view the updated fault display.
Note It may be a few seconds before the classification is changed.
|
Delete
|
To delete this unknown AP, click Delete. Then refresh your browser window to view the updated fault display.
Note It may be a few seconds before the rogue AP is deleted.
|
Beacon Information
This table contains information about the beacon on which the rogue AP is transmitting.
Table 9-11 Beacon Information Table
Column
|
Description
|
SSID
|
Service set identifier used by client devices to associate with an access point.
|
Beacon Interval
|
The beacon interval on which the rogue AP is transmitting.
|
Channel
|
The channel on which the rogue AP is transmitting.
|
PHY
|
The physical interface type (11a, 11b, or 11g) of the radio interface.
|
Data Rates
|
The data rates supported by this interface (in Mbps).
|
Location Estimation
Table 9-12 Location Estimation Table
Column
|
Description
|
Location
|
The estimated location (building and floor) of the rogue AP.
The following messages indicate that a problem occurred when trying to identify the location:
•Estimated location could not be determined. Reporting AP location was not specified.
When the APs are not placed using the Location Manager, WLSE cannot determine the location of the rogue because it does not know the location of the reporting AP. Use the Location Manager to define the location elements (buildings and floors) and place the APs in the floors.
•Location could not be determined. Device was reported by clients only.
When a rogue access point is detected only by clients, the Location Manager cannot determine the location of the rogue because the client's own location can change rapidly.
|
Location (continued)
|
•Estimated location is Bldg X / Floor Y, but the "Reported by" section is blank.
The "Reported by" section will be blank if the reporting AP is unmanaged or has been deleted.
|
Timestamp
|
The time, based on the client browser, the rogue was detected (see Understanding WLSE Time Displays).
|
View in Location Manager
|
Click View in Location Manager to display a graphical view of the approximate location of the rogue AP.
For more information about how the Location Manager locates an unknown radio, see Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points, page 10-28.
|
Switch Port Tracing
To find the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected (if it is connected), the Switch Port Location feature uses the rogue AP's BSSID that it hears over the air to make a heuristic guess of the rogue's Ethernet MAC address. This might not be possible, however, if its Ethernet MAC address and BSSID do not follow the one-off rule, where the MAC address is the same or one-off of the BSSID.
Table 9-13 Switch Port Tracing Table
Column
|
Description
|
Switch IP
|
The IP address of the switch to which the rogue AP is connected.
|
Switch Port
|
The port of the switch to which the rogue AP is connected.
|
Traced MAC Address
|
The MAC address of the rogue AP.
|
Timestamp
|
The time, based on the client browser, the rogue AP switch port was detected (see Understanding WLSE Time Displays).
|
Re-Trace
|
Click Re-Trace to locate the switch port again. This is useful if the rogue AP was moved and connected to a different port.
The Re-Trace Switchport window allows you to enter additional seed devices. Using CDP discovery, the Switch Port Location feature uses these seed devices to find the neighboring switches, and then tries to locate the rogue Ethernet MAC on these switches by querying the MAC address table.
For more information about the Switch Port Location feature, see Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression.
|
Reporting APs
This table contains information about the APs that have detected the rogue AP.
Table 9-14 Reporting APs Table
Column
|
Description
|
Reporting AP IP Address
|
The IP address of the AP that has located the rogue AP.
|
Reporting AP BSSID
|
The basic service set (BSS) identifier that contains the AP that has located the rogue AP.
|
RSSI
|
Received signal strength indicator of the reporting AP. This value is used to estimate the location of the rogue AP relative to the reporting AP.
|
Reporting AP Location
|
The physical location of the AP that has located the rogue AP.
|
Fault History
This table contains a history of the faults raised against this rogue AP.
Table 9-15 Fault History Table
Column
|
Description
|
State
|
The state of the device. For a description of the states, see Understanding Fault States.
|
Severity
|
The fault severity level.
|
Description
|
A description of the fault.
Note For an explanation of the faults, in the online help click Troubleshooting, or on Cisco.com see the Fault Description Table in the FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide for the Wireless LAN Solution Engine, Release 2.9.
|
Change
|
A description of the state change.
|
Timestamp
|
The time, based on the client browser, that the state of the device last changed (see Understanding WLSE Time Displays).
|
By
|
Displays the username of the person who changed the fault state.
Note If the fault state has not been cleared or acknowledged, nothing is displayed in this column.
|
Step 4 To clear a fault that is generated when a rogue (unknown) AP is detected, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Related Topics
•Assigning Rogue AP Detection Network Settings
•Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points
•Determining the Location of Rogue APs
•Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports
Determining the Location of Rogue APs
The Fault Summary Screen displays a list of the APs that have reported a rogue AP and, if available, the building and floor in which each AP is located. If enough information has been gathered, it also reports the approximate location of the rogue.
Note You can also display the estimated location of rogue radios using the Location Manager (see Displaying Information About Rogue Access Points, page 10-28).
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I have just been notified of a rogue AP. Which APs are reporting the rogue AP?
•I have just been notified of a rogue AP. Where is its physical location in my network?
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any rogue AP detection faults.
Step 3 Click the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the fault.
Step 4 The Fault Details screen contains the following information:
Figure 9-14 Sample Unknown AP Detail Screen
1
|
A list of the APs that have reported the rogue AP and, if available, the building and floor in which each AP is located.
|
2
|
The approximate location (if enough information is available) of the rogue AP.
|
Related Topics
•Detecting Rogue APs
•Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports
•Displaying the Location of Unknown or Rogue Radios
Generating Rogue AP Reports
Use the Faults > Display Faults option to create a list of the rogue APs.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•Is there a report that shows all of the rogue APs?
Before You Begin
See the prerequisites for detecting unknown access points (see Managing Unknown APs).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Figure 9-15 Sample Fault Screen Summary
Step 2 Select Unknown Access Points from the Products list (1).
Step 3 Click Apply (2). A list of the rogue access points is displayed.
Related Topics
•Managing Unknown APs
•Sorting Table Data
•Clearing Summary Table Faults
Detecting Switch Port Locations and Suppressing Ports
When a rogue AP fault is generated, the Rogue Access Point Details window displays information about the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected.
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager switch port location and suppression feature:
•Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
•Guidelines for Detecting Switch Ports and Suppressing Ports
•Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
•Monitoring Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
To find the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected, check the Switch Port Location information displayed in the Unknown AP Detail screen (see Switch Port Tracing Table). The Switch Port Location feature tries to determine the rogue AP's Ethernet MAC address from its BSSID (or radio MAC address) that it hears over the air. The algorithm used to find the Ethernet MAC address assumes that the Ethernet MAC address is in the range of plus or minus 1 of the BSSID.
How It Works
The switch port location feature uses the AP that first detected the rogue AP as the seed device. From the seed device, WLSE tries to find any of the three MAC addresses on any port. If it finds any of the MAC addresses on any port, WLSE reports the port as a port to which the rogue AP is connected. You can chose to suppress the switch port and you can enable automatic suppression of switch ports so that each time a rogue AP is detected and WLSE finds the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected, it automatically disables the switch port (see Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression.
Data Produced
When a rogue AP fault is generated, the Rogue Access Point Details window displays information about the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected. (see Managing Unknown APs).
Guidelines for Detecting Switch Ports and Suppressing Ports
To run switch port detection and suppression:
1. Be sure you have satisfied the prerequisites for running switch port detection (see Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression).
2. Assign the network-wide settings for enabling automatic rogue access point suppression (see Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression).
3. View information about unknown APs that have been automatically suppressed (see Monitoring Automatic Rogue AP Suppression).
Tips:
•If the Switch Port Location feature is unable to locate the switch port to which the rogue AP is connected, click Re-Trace on the Rogue Access Point Details window to locate the switch port again (see Managing Unknown APs).
•In rare cases, the Auto Suppress feature can suppress a port other than the port to which the rogue AP is connected. The algorithm that is used to find the Ethernet MAC address uses the radio MAC address and assumes that Ethernet MAC address is in the range of +-1 of the radio MAC address. This may not be true in all cases. If the trace finds any of the three MAC addresses on any port, WLSE shuts those ports down. There is no guarantee that the switch port to which the rogue is connected can be traced in all cases, because there is no guaranteed way to find the Ethernet MAC address from the radio MAC address.
Related Topics
•Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
Enabling Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Rogue AP Detection to enable or disable automatic rogue access point suppression.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) to suppress the switch port and enable the automatic suppression of switch ports.
Before You Begin
Before you can suppress rogue APs, you must satisfy the requirements for detecting rogue APs (see Managing Unknown APs).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Rogue AP Detection. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 To enable automatic rogue AP suppression:
a. Click Enable.
b. Click Apply to set the new entry.
c. To view the rogue APs that are currently being suppressed, click View current suppression. The following table appears:
Field
|
Description
|
Switch IP Address
|
The IP address of the switch to which the rogue AP is connected.
|
Switch Port
|
The port to which the rogue AP is connected.
|
Suppressed AP
|
The MAC address of the rogue AP.
|
Timestamp
|
The time, based on the client browser, the rogue AP switch port was detected (see Understanding WLSE Time Displays).
|
Related Topic
•Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
•Managing Unknown APs
Monitoring Automatic Rogue AP Suppression
Use Faults > Display Faults to view information about unknown APs that have been automatically suppressed.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to see a list of the currently suppressed switch ports.
•I want to find the switch port to which a rogue AP is connected.
Before You Begin
Before you can suppress rogue APs, you must satisfy the requirements for detecting rogue APs (see Managing Unknown APs).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any rogue AP detection faults.
Step 3 Click the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the device in question.
Step 4 The Fault Details screen contains information about the switch to which the rogue AP is connected.
Figure 9-16 Sample Switch Port Tracing Details
Note If you suspect that the rogue AP was moved and connected to a different port, click Re-Trace to locate the switch port again.
Related Topic
•Understanding Switch Port Location and Suppression
•Managing Unknown APs
Detecting Interference
Radio Monitoring continuously monitors your WLAN radio environment to discover the presence of any interference.
Note Interference information is collected only from access points that are on the Radio Monitoring list and the clients associated with these APs.
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager interference detection feature:
•Understanding Interference Detection
•Guidelines for Detecting Interference
•Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings
•Displaying Interference Faults
Related Topics
•RPI Histogram Measurements
•Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Interference Detection
When you activate Radio Monitoring, you can start interference detection and choose what level of signal strength and duration of signal is required to detect interference. Only APs in the radio monitoring list and clients associated with these APs can participate in interference detection.
How It Works
The Radio Monitoring feature uses the radio measurement capabilities to discover any new interference. The WLSE defines interference as a non-802.11 signal. An interference fault, therefore, reports signals that cannot be decoded by the AP; that is, energy that cannot be decoded as a valid 802.11 signal.
If a signal can be decoded as 802.11, then it is a contending signal, not interference. While this neighboring 802.11 signal may interfere with the operation of the AP, it is not causing any radio interference. However, because the AP can actually decode the signal, the two APs will be contending for the channel. Neither one will be allowed to transmit at the same time because they are following the MAC rules. In other words, they never cause each other any radio interference. You can use the Location Manager to see the interaction of 802.11 signals and determine the amount of overlap between neighboring APs.
Data Produced
When Radio Monitoring detects interference, a new fault is generated. To view details about the interference, click the link in the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary Table for an device to view the Fault Details window (see Viewing Fault Details).
Guidelines for Detecting Interference
To run interference detection:
1. Set the threshold condition for interference detection (see Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings).
2. Enabled ongoing monitoring of your WLAN radio environment (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
3. Assign the network-wide settings for enabling interference detection (see Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings).
4. View information about faults that are generated when radio interference is detected (see Displaying Interference Faults).
Tips:
•It is recommended, though not required, that you place your APs in the Location Manager (see Viewing Your WLAN Radio Environment with Location Manager).
•When the signal from a friendly AP is strong enough to cause an interference fault but not strong enough to see the signal as a valid 802.11 signal, there is no way to exclude the transmission from this device. If WLSE can decode the signal as 802.11, then it will not classify it as interference; if it cannot decode the signal, it does not know it comes from a friendly device.
Therefore, if you see "Non-802.11 Interference Detected" fault messages from a friendly AP, you should raise the level at which interference is faulted (see Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings).
Related Topics
•Understanding Interference Detection
Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Interference Detection to enable radio frequency interference detection and to assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when interference is detected. When interference is detected, a fault is generated and can be viewed under Faults > Display Faults.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) to be notified when the interference level for a radio type exceeds a certain level for a specified time.
•I want to choose what level of signal strength and duration of signal is required to detect interference.
•I want to choose at what level of signal strength and duration of signal an interference fault is automatically cleared.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Interference Detection. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 To enable interference detection, complete the following:
Field
|
Description
|
Interference Fault Severity
|
Select the severity level you would like to associate with this setting. For more information about fault severity levels, see Displaying Faults.
|
Enable 802.11b/g Interface Settings
- and -
Enable 802.11a Interface Settings
|
Select to enable the setting.
|
Degraded
|
From the list, select the severity level, the interference level, the percentage, and the time interval before the status is Degraded.
|
Up
|
From the list, select the interference level, the percentage and the time interval before the status is cleared.
|
Step 3 Click Reset to refresh any fields you have changed but want to restore, or Apply to set the new entries.
Step 4 To see the faults associated with this threshold, click View current faults for this setting (see Viewing Current Faults).
Related Topics
•Detecting Interference
•Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
Displaying Interference Faults
Use Faults > Display Faults to view the fault that is generated when radio interference is detected. This screen allows you to:
•View a list of APs that have reported the interference and, if available, the building and floor in which the AP is located.
•View a history of the interference faults for the selected device.
•Clear a fault that is generated when radio frequency interference is detected.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How can I see a history of radio frequency interference in my network?
•I have just been notified of radio interference and I have determined it is no longer a problem. How do I clear the fault?
Before You Begin
Before using the interference detection option, you must:
•Set the threshold condition for interference detection (see Assigning Interference Detection Network Settings).
•Enable ongoing monitoring of your WLAN radio environment (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
•Review the guidelines for detecting interference (see Guidelines for Detecting Interference).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display interference faults.
Step 3 Select the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the fault. The Fault Details screen displays the information about the fault for the selected device (see Viewing Fault Details).
Step 4 To clear an interference fault, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Related Topics
Detecting Interference
Using Scanning-Only APs
The scanning-only AP mode puts a radio interface in a dedicated mode that monitors the surrounding air space without carrying any regular WLAN user traffic. Because the scanning-only AP dedicates itself in the radio monitoring mode, it can detect rogue devices and unassociated clients more reliably and faster than a regular AP or client.
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager Scanning-Only AP Mode feature:
•Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
•Guidelines for Using Scanning-Only APs
•Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings
•Enabling Scanning-Only Mode
•Viewing Reporting APs
•Viewing the Unregistered Clients Report
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
The scanning-only AP mode puts a radio interface in a dedicated mode that monitors the surrounding air space without carrying any regular WLAN user traffic. Scanning APs:
•Function in a "listen-only" mode that does not allow client associations.
•Monitor the radio environment by looking for rogue APs and unassociated clients.
•Detect buglighted clients (clients associated with unauthorized APs).
Note For information about the APs and firmware versions for which Scanning-Only AP mode is supported, see the Supported Devices Table for the CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine, Release 2.9.
How It Works
Scanning-Only AP mode can be used for rogue AP detection; the fault that is generated is the same as when a regular AP or client detects a rogue AP. Scanning-only APs improve rogue AP detection by performing on-channel scanning (listening to the beacon without sending any messages) for a set period of time. It stays on each channel several seconds before moving on to the next channel on the list.
Scanning-only AP mode can be enabled on a per-radio interface. If an AP contains two or more radio interfaces, each interface can be configured into scanning-only AP mode or any other mode independent of other radio interfaces.
Note An 11a-capable client that is associated to an 11g network cannot detect 11a rogues. No matter what the client is capable of supporting, it only searches for rogues that match the band of the AP. Therefore, when a client is associated to a 2.4Ghz AP (b or g), it only detects 2.4Ghz rogues (b or g). When it is associated to a 5Ghz (11a) AP, it only detects 5Ghz (11a) rogues. An AP in scanning-only mode that has a dual radio (both a and g) can detect all types of (a, b, and g) rogues.
A fault is generated when WLSE detects any unregistered clients. The fault report shows all detected unregistered clients that have not been acknowledged and cleared by the administrator.
Note This release only detects clients using a null SSID to probe the network.
Guidelines for Using Scanning-Only APs
To use scanning-only APs:
1. Be sure you have satisfied the prerequisites for using scanning-only APs (see Enabling Scanning-Only Mode).
2. Assign the scanning-only AP network-wide settings (see Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings).
3. Enable scanning-only mode on selected access points (see Enabling Scanning-Only Mode).
4. Find the APs that are reporting to an AP in scanning-only mode (see Viewing Reporting APs).
Tips:
•When a Scanning-Only AP participates in an AP Radio Scan, it behaves like a regular AP. That is, the transmit beacon is set on a designated channel at maximum power. After the AP Radio Scan is complete, the Scanning-Only AP is returned to "listen-only" mode and will no longer transmit any signal or accept any associations.
•Even though configuring Scanning-Only APs and configuring WDS are independent features, they will contend with each other on the same CPU if both are enabled on the same AP. To make certain than Scanning-Only AP traffic does not affect the real time performance for fast roaming, do not configure a Scanning-Only AP to act as a WDS (active or backup) to support fast roaming clients. However, if the subnet contains only Scanning-Only APs and no regular APs serving fast roaming clients, you can configure one of the Scanning-Only APs to run WDS.
Related Topics
•Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Scanning AP to assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when the client registration request count for a AP in scanning-only mode exceeds a specified limit. This fault can be viewed under Faults > Display Faults.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to specify the severity and threshold levels for client registration request counts.
•I want to view the current client registration request count for a [P1...P5] setting.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Scanning AP. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 Complete the following:
Field
|
Description
|
Priority
|
Severity level to assign to the fault.
|
Count limit
|
Client registration request count limit for a 15 minute period
|
Step 3 Click Apply to set the new entries.
Step 4 Click View current faults for this setting to see the faults associated with this threshold (see Viewing Fault Details).
Step 5 To enable Scanning-Only mode on selected APs, see Enabling Scanning-Only Mode.
Related Topics
•Understanding Scanning-Only AP Mode
•Viewing Reporting APs
Enabling Scanning-Only Mode
After you have configured the scanning AP fault settings, you can enable scanning-only AP mode on a per-radio interface.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) a particular AP to track client associations and probe requests.
•I want to display a list of the APs running in scanning-only mode.
Before You Begin
Before you can enable scanning mode on an AP, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
•Perform an AP Radio Scan (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
Note When a Scanning-Only AP participates in an AP Radio Scan, it behaves like a regular AP. That is, the transmit beacon is set on a designated channel at maximum power. After the AP Radio Scan is complete, the Scanning-Only AP is returned to "listen-only" mode and will no longer transmit any signal or accept any associations.
•Enable Radio Monitoring (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data)
•Set network-wide policies for detecting client registration request counts that exceed a specified limit (see Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings).
•Review the guidelines for enabling scanning-only mode (see Guidelines for Using Scanning-Only APs).
Procedure
Step 1 Use a template-based configuration job to configure one or more APs as scanning-only APs (see Using IOS Templates). Follow these guidelines when you create the template:
•Keep the configuration simple. For example, do not configure VLAN/SSID for Scanning-Only APs.
•Do not configure the scanning-only AP as an active/backup WDS (to serve fast roaming traffic).
Note Even though configuring Scanning-Only APs and configuring WDS are independent features, they will contend with each other on the same CPU if both are enabled on the same AP. To make certain that Scanning-Only AP traffic does not affect the real time performance for fast roaming, do not configure a Scanning-Only AP to act as a WDS (active or backup) to support fast-roaming clients. However, if the subnet contains only Scanning-Only APs and no regular APs serving fast-roaming clients, you can configure one of the Scanning-Only APs to run WDS.
Step 2 Use Radio Monitoring to enable or disable the Client Registration Scanning setting for selected APs (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
Note This setting will be applied to APs that are configured as scanning-only APs. It will not be applied to APs that are configured as regular APs.
a. Select Radio Manager > Radio Monitoring. The Radio Monitoring Options window appears.
b. For Client Registration Scanning select
–Enable to enable AP scanning to track client association and probe requests and report the information.
–Disable to disable AP scanning.
Step 3 Use one of these methods to determine which APs are running in scanning-only mode:
•Select Devices > Discover > Inventory. The Scanning AP folder in the Device Selector contains the APs that are running in scanning-only mode.
•Select Reports. In report types where the Device Selector is displayed, the Scanning AP folder contains the APs that are running in scanning-only mode.
Step 4 In a heavy-load environment, APs running in scanning-only mode may face sporadic connection loss and image upgrade failure. To resolve these problems, use the following AP configuration CLI commands to balance CPU time:
scheduler interval <100-xxx>
scheduler allocate <3000-xxx> <1000-xxx>
Many newer Cisco platforms use the command scheduler allocate instead of scheduler interval. The scheduler allocate command takes two parameters: a period in microseconds for the system to run with interrupts enabled, and a period in microseconds for the system to run with interrupts masked. Please refer to the IOS documentation for more information about these commands.
Related Topic
•Using Scanning-Only APs
•Viewing Reporting APs
Viewing Reporting APs
Use Faults > Display Faults to find the APs that are reporting to an AP in scanning-only mode.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to view a list of the APs reporting to an AP in scanning-only mode.
Before You Begin
You must satisfy the prerequisites for running one or more APs in scanning-only mode (see Enabling Scanning-Only Mode).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display unregistered client faults.
Step 3 Select the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the fault. The Fault Details screen displays the information about the fault for the selected device (see Viewing Fault Details).
Step 4 To clear an unregistered client fault, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Viewing the Unregistered Clients Report
The unregistered clients report displays any unregistered clients that are present in the wireless network. Unregistered clients are determined to be clients that, during the observation interval, are unsuccessfully attempting to authenticate with the APs and the number of failed attempts crosses the threshold defined by the administrator.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to view the unregistered clients that are present in my network.
Before You Begin
Before you can display the unregistered clients report, you must enable one or more APs to run in scanning-only mode (see Enabling Scanning-Only Mode).
Note This report is only available from APs in scanning-only mode.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Radio Manager. The window refreshes with a device selector in the left pane.
Step 2 From the device selector, click to expand the Scanning AP folder and select an access point or a folder. The right pane refreshes.
Step 3 From the Report Name list, select Unregistered Clients Report.
Step 4 Click View. The report displays the following data for the selected access points:
Table 9-16 Unregistered Clients Report
Column
|
Description
|
Scanning AP
|
The IP address of the reporting AP.
|
Client MAC
|
The MAC address of the unregistered client.
|
Probe Request
|
The probe request from the unregistered client.
|
Association Request
|
The association request from the unregistered client.
|
Last Scan Time
|
Indicates the time, based on the client browser, that a scan was run and the unregistered client was detected.
|
Related Topics
•Using the Basic Report Features
•Using Scanning-Only APs
Evaluating AP Radio Performance
The following sections will help you understand how to use the Radio Manager Auto Re-Site Survey feature to evaluate AP radio performance:
•Understanding Auto Re-Site Survey
•Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys
•Assigning Auto Re-Site Survey Network Settings
•Establishing Baseline Data
•Monitoring AP Radio Performance
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Auto Re-Site Survey
Auto Re-Site Survey extends the Radio Manager Assisted Site Survey Wizard functionality. It periodically evaluates:
•The current AP radio performance on a per-floor basis against baselined performance data that you specify (see Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys).
•Alerts the user when the performance falls below a preset threshold.
How It Works
The Auto Re-Site Survey option uses data collected from previous RM Assisted Configuration jobs. The Auto Re-Site Survey option compares the current performance of the selected APs against the performance data collected the last time radio parameter generation was generated for the specified APs and applied to the specific floor. If the APs' radio performance has decreased by 20% (a user-configurable setting), a fault is generated and you are asked if you want to generate new radio parameters. The new radio parameters are compared against the existing data, and if the newly generated radio parameter yield better results, you can apply the new radio parameters to the selected APs.
Data Produced
Auto Re-Site Survey generates a fault if the radio performance of the specified floor decreases by the percentage you specify. In addition, Auto Re-Site Survey allows you to generate new radio parameters and apply those parameters to the APs of the specified floor. (See Establishing Baseline Data.)
Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys
To run auto re-site surveys:
1. Assign the network-wide settings for auto re-site surveys (see Assigning Auto Re-Site Survey Network Settings).
2. Establish baseline data (see Establishing Baseline Data).
Note You should establish a set of baseline data only after you have determined that your network is stable and the parameter settings are optimal.
3. Monitor the AP radio performance (see Monitoring AP Radio Performance).
Tips:
•You cannot modify the "total throughput" and "coverage details" values after the WLSE has produced the survey results of an Automated Re-site Survey; these values are computed based upon current Radio Management data values.
You can, however, set a percentage value in Faults > Manage Network Wide Settings > Auto Re-Site Survey. The percentage you set, for a floor or building, will be monitored with respect to the base for throughput and coverage. For example, if you set the percentage to 15%, WLSE issues a fault whenever the throughput or coverage values have more than a 15% change in the value (up or down) you previously set.
If you would like to change those values, perhaps to increase performance, use the other Radio Management tools, such as RM Assisted Configuration and Client Walkabout, to fine-tune the network configuration.
Related Topics
•Understanding Auto Re-Site Survey
Assigning Auto Re-Site Survey Network Settings
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Auto Re-Site Survey to enable the Auto Re-Site Survey feature and to assign the percentage level at which a reduction in performance on an access point will generate a fault and the severity level assigned to the fault. This fault can be viewed under Faults > Display Faults.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) to be notified when the current radio performance on an AP decreases.
•I want to specify the severity and percentage levels assigned when the radio performance of an AP decreases.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Auto Re-Site Survey. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 To enable automatic re-site surveys, complete the following:
Field
|
Description
|
Enable
|
Select to enable the setting.
|
Settings
|
From the list, select the severity level and percentage. The severity level will be assigned to the fault when the radio performance of the AP decreases by the specified percentage.
|
Step 3 Click Apply to set the new entries.
Step 4 Click View current faults for this setting to see the faults associated with this threshold (see Viewing Current Faults).
Step 5 To establish baseline performance data, see Establishing Baseline Data.
Related Topics
•Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys
Establishing Baseline Data
The Auto Re-Site Survey feature compares the current performance of the selected APs against baseline performance data for a floor. You can also use Auto Re-Site Survey to establish this baseline data.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to save the current performance data as the base data for future comparisons.
Before You Begin
Note You should establish a set of baseline data only after you have determined that your network is stable and the parameter settings are optimal.
Before using the Auto Re-Site Survey option, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
•Create buildings and floors in Location Manager (see Adding Floors to Location Manager)
•Place APs on the floor images (see Adding Devices to the Floor).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan on all APs on the specified floor (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
•Enable Radio Monitoring on all APs on the specified floor (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data)
•Set network-wide policies for detecting network performance degradation. See Assigning Auto Re-Site Survey Network Settings.
•Review the guidelines for running automatic re-site surveys (see Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Auto Re-Site Survey. The Review Current screen displays the building, floor, and frequency band of the APs on the specified floor that are already enabled for Auto Re-Site Survey.
Step 2 From the menu in the left pane, click Select Floor, then select a building from the Floors Selector list. The floors for the selected building appear in the Available Floors list.
Step 3 Click on a floor, and click the right arrows (>>) to add it to the Selected Floors list.
Step 4 From the menu in the left pane, click Set Base Values. The default is to calculate the performance of all floors. You can select individual floors from the Selected Floors pulldown menu and set its baseline data.
Step 5 To set the baseline values for all floors, click Compute and Apply. The current performance data for each floor (specified in Step 3) is calculated and becomes the baseline performance data for future comparisons.
Step 6 To set the baseline values for individual floors:
a. Select a floor from the Selected Floors dropdown list. The current values for that floor are displayed.
b. For one or both radio types, select:
–Re-evaluate to evaluate the current performance of the selected floor.
–Current > Base to make the current data the base for future comparisons.
Step 7 Click Finish to complete Auto Re-Site Survey. The Finish form appears.
Step 8 Click Save to save your Auto Re-Site Survey settings.
Step 9 To view the log generated by the Auto Re-Site Survey process:
a. Click Review Current from the menu in the left pane.
b. Click ARSS Run Log (located below the list of buildings, floors, and frequencies). The ARSS Run Log table appears in a separate browser window. This table contains the following information for each run:
Field
|
Description
|
Select Run
|
Select this button to see the details for that run.
The details for the selected job run appear below the list of runs for that job.
|
Start Time
|
The time the job started.
|
End Time
|
The time the job ended.
|
c. The Auto Re-Site Survey run log for the selected run appears below this table. To view the details for a different run, select another run from the table and click ARSS Run Log.
d. To be certain that you are looking at the latest information, click the Refresh button to refresh the job list.
Step 10 Every hour, the collected baseline data is compared against the current performance. If there is a 20% (default value) degradation in performance, a fault is generated.
In the Faults Detail Conditions table for an Auto Re-Site Survey fault, the presence of an icon (a note pad with glasses) between the Description and Timestamp columns in the Fault Detail Conditions table indicates that there is additional building and floor information for this fault. Select the icon to view these details (see Monitoring AP Radio Performance).
Related Topics
•Guidelines for Running Auto Re-Site Surveys
•Device Fault Details
Monitoring AP Radio Performance
Use Faults > Display Faults > Fault Details to view the fault that is generated when any AP radio performance degradations are detected.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want to monitor the performance of an AP radio.
•I have just been notified of a decrease in the radio performance of an AP and I want to view the total throughput and coverage details.
•I have just been notified of a decrease in the radio performance of an AP and I have determined it is no longer a problem. I want to clear the fault.
Before You Begin
You must establish baseline performance data for each floor (see Establishing Baseline Data).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any faults related to AP radio performance degradation.
Step 3 To display more information about a fault, click the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for that fault.
The Fault Details screen displays details about the device, its current fault conditions, and a fault history (see Viewing Fault Details).
Step 4 The presence of an icon (a note pad with glasses) between the Description and Timestamp columns in the Fault Detail Conditions table indicates that there is additional information about an AP radio performance degradation fault.
If you select this icon, a new window displays the following information:
Table 9-17 Auto Re-Site Survey Fault Details
Column
|
Description
|
Faults Details (first row)
|
See Device Fault Details
|
Building
|
All buildings that have performance degradations.
Note Performance degradations are defined as a 20% difference between the base and current performance values.
|
Floor
|
All floors that have performance degradations.
|
Auto Re-Site Survey Details
|
A note pad with glasses icon. Select this icon to display the Auto Re-Site Survey Details window.
|
The Auto Re-Site Survey Details window displays the following information for the selected floor:
Table 9-18 Auto Re-Site Survey Details Window
Column
|
Description
|
Faults Details (first row)
|
See Device Fault Details
|
PHY Type
|
The type of 802.11 radio (11a or 11b/11g).
|
Timestamp
|
Indicates the time, based on the client browser, that the performance readings were collected for that band on that floor.
|
Dataset
|
CURRENT or BASELINE. The BASELINE dataset contains the initial readings for a floor; the CURRENT dataset contains the current values. A fault is issued when there is a 20% difference between the current and baseline values.
|
Throughput
|
Data transfer rate.
|
Coverage Details
|
A list of the coverage details by power step.
|
RM Assisted Configuration
|
Click RM Assisted Configuration to run the RM Assisted Configuration feature.
|
Step 5 To clear a radio performance fault, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Related Topics
•Device Fault Details
Healing Your Network
When the Radio Manager detects the loss of an AP radio, it can attempt to eliminate any coverage holes produced by the failed interface by adjusting the power levels of the neighboring APs.
Note Your login determines whether you can use this option.
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager Self Healing feature:
•Understanding Self Healing
•Guidelines for Healing Your Network
•Running Self Healing
•Monitoring Network Self Healing
Related Topics
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Self Healing
Self Healing runs on the WLSE and uses SNMP to adjust neighboring APs in response to a downed AP. To determine if a radio is down, Self Healing uses beacon information that was obtained using WLCCP via the WDS(s). Self Healing performs two functions:
•Monitoring—Detecting a downed radio.
•Compensation—Modifying neighbor radios in response to a downed radio.
How Monitoring Works
Self Healing uses path loss data (collected from AP Radio Scan and Radio Monitoring) and WDS registration information to determine a set of radio links for monitoring purposes. If all monitored links to a given AP are missing for more than three measurement report intervals and the AP was not administratively shut down, a self-healing event is triggered.
Self Healing monitoring:
•Is enabled per floor.
•Requires that all radios on the monitored floor enable Radio Monitoring (to produce beacon reports).
•Considers a radio to be stale (down) if its beacons can reliably be heard by at least one other radio in the same building and no radio has reported hearing its beacons. (In this case, off-building and off-site radios are not included because the number of radios to check during every monitoring pass could become too large and cause significantly slower response times.)
How Compensation Works
When a radio is detected as down, Self Healing compensation uses any neighboring radio (including off-building and off-site radios) to compensate for the potential areas of lost coverage.
Note In this case, a neighboring radio is any radio that might have heard the downed radio's beacon at any time—especially during an AP Radio Scan, where the Radio Manager tries all the channels and powers to determine who can listen to whom. This type of neighbor is determined by beacon detections over the air, not physical placement.
Using the information previously gathered from AP Radio Scans and Radio Monitoring, Radio Manager adjusts the transmit power levels of neighboring APs (which might or might not be on the same floor as the failed AP) to cover the potential areas of lost coverage, then generates a Self Healing fault.
Note Self Healing modifies the power setting only, not the channel frequency or beacon interval, of the neighboring APs.
Self healing is not triggered under the following conditions:
•When you are adjusting your network and you administratively shut down an AP's radio. Because this is an administrator-controlled operation, WLSE does not perform self healing on the network. In this case, when the device is re-enabled, all APs will still retain their original settings.
•When you are adjusting the power settings or channel settings.
•If an AP has an enabled hot-standby AP. In the event of a failure and the hot-standby takes over, Self Healing will monitor the hot-standby AP.
Specifying Backup WDSs For Self Healing
The WDS provides WLSE with the data it needs to determine if a radio is up. If all the WDS devices configured for the APs on a floor are down (non-operational), self healing might try to heal those APs due to the missing data.Therefore, all the APs on a floor configured with self healing should be registered with WDSs that have at least one standby.
Note A fault is triggered when Radio Monitoring is not enabled for a radio.
If you have self healing enabled, you must specify one or more standby WDS devices:
•Any AP can be used as a backup WDS.
•You can have more than one backup, and your backups can have backups.
•You can configure HRSP on a second WLSM, which will then function as a standby WDS for your primary WLSM-WDS device.
For more information about WDS devices, see What is WDS and Why Do I Need It?.
Data Produced
When Self Healing detects a network failure, a new fault is generated. (See Monitoring Network Self Healing.)
Guidelines for Healing Your Network
To run self healing:
1. Be certain you have satisfied the prerequisites for running self healing (see Running Self Healing).
2. Select the buildings and floors for which self healing will be enabled and assign the self healing settings (see Running Self Healing).
3. View the faults that are generated when self healing is activated (see Monitoring Network Self Healing).
4. After the self healing process is complete, locate the failed interfaces and the AP interfaces that were modified to replace them (see Running Self Healing).
Tips:
•The Self Healing fault is always enabled. When you set up Self Healing for a floor, you will always receive a fault notification when a network disruption occurs.
•Self Healing modifies the power setting only, not the channel frequency or beacon interval, of the neighboring APs.
•Because Self Healing can change APs on different floors (or buildings) from the failed AP to cover any hole in coverage, but must do so without changing the channel frequency, the network might be operating in a sub-optimal manner. To prevent this, enable Auto Re-Site Survey (see Evaluating AP Radio Performance) and Self-Healing on the surrounding floors.
•If an AP has a hot-standby enabled, it is not monitored by Self Healing. In the event of a failure and the hot-standby takes over, Self Healing will monitor the hot-standby AP.
Related Topics
•Understanding Self Healing
Running Self Healing
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How do I specify which floors will run self healing?
•I want to set the severity of a self healing notification.
•How do I specify whether the changes to neighboring APs are to be applied automatically or manually?
•I want to view the current self healing faults for a [P1...P5] setting.
•How can I monitor the progress of a self healing job?
Before You Begin
Before you can use Self Healing, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
Note Before you enable self healing, you must specify one or more backup AP-WDSs or a single standby WLSM-WDS (see Understanding Self Healing).
•Create buildings and floors in Location Manager (see Adding Floors to Location Manager)
•Place APs on the floor images (see Adding Devices to the Floor).
•Perform an AP Radio Scan on all APs on the specified floor (see Using AP Radio Scans to Collect RM Data)
•At a minimum, enable Radio Monitoring on all APs (for both serving and non-serving channels) on the specified floor (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
Note You will get better results if Radio Monitoring is enabled on all APs on all floors within range of the radios you want to monitor.
•Review the guidelines for running self healing (see Guidelines for Healing Your Network).
Procedure
Step 1 Select Radio Manager > Self Healing. The Review Current form appears displaying the floors currently selected for Self Healing.
Step 2 From the menu in the left pane, click Select Floors and select a building from the Buildings list. The floors for the selected building appear in the Available Floors list.
Step 3 Select a floor and click the right arrows ( >>) to add it to the Selected Floors list.
Step 4 From the menu in the left pane, click Finish.
Step 5 From the list, select the severity level to assign to the fault when a self healing fault is triggered.
Step 6 You can choose to automatically apply changes to neighboring APs:
•When automatic self healing is enabled, neighboring APs are adjusted to accommodate the loss of coverage.
•When automatic self healing is disabled, the changes to neighboring APs must be applied from the Faults Display Details page for each fault occurrence.
Step 7 Click Save. A new window displays the buildings and floors on which Self Healing is enabled. Close this window to view the Review Current screen.
Step 8 To view the log generated by the self healing process, select the run and click Self Healing Run Log (located below the list of buildings and floors).
The Self Healing Run Log table appears in a separate browser window. This table contains the following information for each run:
Field
|
Description
|
Select Run
|
Select this button to see the details for that run.
The details for the selected job run appear below the list of runs for that job.
|
Start Time
|
The time the job started.
|
End Time
|
The time the job ended.
|
The Self Healing run log for the selected run appears below this table. To view the details for a different run, select another run from the table and click Self Healing Run Log.
Self Healing creates a log file for each run (every 6 minutes). To be certain you are looking at the latest information, click the Refresh button to refresh the job list.
Step 9 To view more details about the fault that is generated while Self Healing is in progress, see Monitoring Network Self Healing.
Step 10 Because Self Healing can chose an AP on a different floor or building from the failed AP to cover any holes in coverage, you should enable Auto Re-Site Survey to monitor performance of your APs (see Evaluating AP Radio Performance).
Related Topic
•Understanding Self Healing
•Guidelines for Healing Your Network
•Monitoring Network Self Healing
Monitoring Network Self Healing
Use Faults > Display Faults to monitor self healing in your network.
Before You Begin
Before using the Self Healing option, you must:
•Satisfy the prerequisites for running self healing (see Running Self Healing).
•Review the guidelines for running self healing (see Guidelines for Healing Your Network).
Example
•I have just been notified that self healing has been initiated. How do I track its progress?
•I have just been notified that self healing has been initiated. How do I display a list of the failed interfaces and the neighboring AP interfaces that were modified to replace them?
•How do I review the history of self healing actions in my network?
•The self healing process on my network is complete. How can I view the new power settings? How do I clear the faults associated with this process?
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any self healing faults.
Step 3 To display the Fault Details window, select the Description or Timestamp field in the Fault Summary table for the fault. Use the Fault Details screen (see Viewing Fault Details) to:
•Displays details about the device
•Locate the failed interface
•Display new and previous AP power settings
Step 4 The presence of an icon (a note pad with glasses) between the Description and Timestamp columns in the Fault Detail Conditions table indicates that there is additional information about a self healing fault.
If you select this icon, a new window displays the following information:
Table 9-19 Self Healing Fault Details
Column
|
Description
|
Faults Details (first row)
|
See Device Fault Details
|
Failed Interface
|
MAC address of the failed radio.
|
Modified Interface/ Message
|
The IP address, MAC address, and radio interface type of the AP that has been modified to compensate for the failed radio.
|
Old OFDM(11g) Power
|
Previous OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) setting on the modified AP (11g radios only).
|
New OFDM(11g) Power
|
New OFDM setting on the modified AP (11g radios only).
|
Old CCK/Tx Power
|
Previous setting on the modified AP. Contains:
•For 11b and 11g radios: CCK (Complementary Code Keying) value
•For 11a radios: Tx value
|
New CCK/Tx Power
|
New setting on the modified AP. Contains:
•For 11b and 11g radios: CCK (Complementary Code Keying) value
•For 11a radios: Tx value
|
Step 5 When automatic self healing is disabled, the changes to neighboring APs must be applied from this page for each fault occurrence. To apply the new settings, click Apply Changes Now.
Step 6 To see the changes immediately and graphically in Location Manager, run an inventory for the affected APs. This will show the new coverage details for the adjusted APs as well as the previous coverage for the downed AP (see Viewing Your WLAN Radio Environment with Location Manager).
Step 7 To clear a self healing fault, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Related Topics
•Healing Your Network
Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
The following sections will help you understand how and where to use the Radio Manager ad-hoc network detection feature:
•Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
•Guidelines for Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
•Assigning Ad-Hoc Network Detection Network Settings
•Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
•Viewing Ad-Hoc Network History
Related Topics
•Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data
•Typical Scenarios and FAQs
Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
When setting up a wireless local area network (WLAN), nodes are typically set up as access points to act as bridges to a wired network. The 802.11 standard also specifies an ad-hoc mode for client radio network interface cards (NIC). In this way clients can set up a local network in which participants communicate directly with each other. This is known as an independent basic service set network configuration (IBSS), also known as an ad-hoc network.
Computer manufacturers, specifically laptop manufactures, are supplying radio NIC's as standard components. The likelihood of having ad-hoc networks created inside an infrastructure WLAN is expected to increase. A member of a wired or infrastructure WLAN that participates in an ad-hoc could potentially provide unwilling and unwanted access to a wired network. Security conscious customers would like to identify when and where an ad-hoc network is created within their management domain.
When creating an ad-hoc network, the participants issue beacons that synchronize their communication. APs deployed in an infrastructure WLAN can detect these beacons, and therefore the Radio Manager can detect ad-hoc network creation using this beacon information.
Note The Radio Manager does not classify IBSS beacons as interference data because it only identifies energy as interference when it cannot interpret the signal data. Because the IBSS beacons are 802.11 data, it does interpret these signals and handles them as rogue intrusions.
Guidelines for Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
To run ad-hoc network detection:
1. Be sure you have satisfied the prerequisites for enabling ad-hoc network detection (see Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks).
2. View the faults that are generated when an ad-hoc network is detected (see Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks).
Related Topics
•Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
Assigning Ad-Hoc Network Detection Network Settings
Use Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Ad-hoc Network Detection to enable ad-hoc network detection and to assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when an ad-hoc network is detected. When an ad-hoc network is detected, a fault is generated and can be viewed under Faults > Display Faults.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I want (or no longer want) to be notified when an ad hoc network is detected.
•I want to specify the severity of an ad hoc network detection notification.
•I want to view the current ad-hoc network faults associated with the current [P1...P5] setting.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Manage Network-Wide Settings > Ad-hoc Network Detection. The network settings dialog appears.
Step 2 To enable ad-hoc network detection:
a. Click Enable.
b. From the dropdown list, select the severity level to assign the fault when an ad-hoc network is detected.
c. Click Apply to set the new entries.
d. To see the faults associated with this threshold, click View current faults for this setting (see Viewing Current Faults).
Related Topics
•Viewing Ad-Hoc Network History
•Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
Use Faults > Display Faults to view the fault that is generated when an ad-hoc network is detected. This screen allows you to:
•View a list of APs that have reported the ad-hoc network and, if available, the building and floor the AP is in.
•View a list of clients that are associated with the ad-hoc network (if available). The grouping is based upon the SSID used in the ad-hoc network.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•I have just been notified of an ad hoc network. What part of my network has detected this? Where is it physically in my network?
•I have just been notified of an ad hoc network. What other NICs are participating in this network?
•I have just been notified of an ad hoc network and I have determined it is no longer a problem. How do I clear the fault?
Before You Begin
Before you can detect ad-hoc networks, you must:
•Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management).
•Enable Radio Monitoring on all APs (for both serving and non-serving channels) on the specified floor (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data).
•Set network-wide policies to enable ad-hoc network detection and assign a severity level to the fault that is generated when an ad-hoc network is detected. See Assigning Ad-Hoc Network Detection Network Settings.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Faults > Display Faults. The Faults Summary screen appears.
Step 2 Select the filtering criteria to display any ad-hoc network detection faults.
Step 3 Click the Description or Timestamp fields in the Fault Summary table for the fault.
Step 4 The Rogue Ad-hoc Network Details screen contains the following information:
Figure 9-17 Sample Rogue Ad-hoc Network Detail Screen
1
|
A list of the APs that have reported the ad-hoc network and, if available, the approximate location (building and floor) of each reporting AP.
|
2
|
The approximate location of the ad-hoc participant.
|
3
|
A list of the other NICs that are participating in this network.
This list is a "best effort" given the beacon information. The source MAC address in the beacon is used to identify each NIC. The ad-hoc network is identified based on the BSSID and the SSID combination used in the network.
|
Step 5 To clear a fault that is generated when an ad-hoc network is detected, select Faults > Display Faults.
Note Because only the creation of a network can be detected, this is the only means of clearing an ad-hoc network detection fault.
For more information about clearing faults, see Clearing Summary Table Faults.
Related Topics
•Assigning Ad-Hoc Network Detection Network Settings
•Viewing Ad-Hoc Network History
•Understanding Ad-Hoc Network Detection
Viewing Ad-Hoc Network History
Use Reports > Ad-hoc Networks to view a history of the APs within buildings and floors that have reported ad-hoc networks.
Note The NICs participating in an ad-hoc network will be a best effort given the beacon information.
Typical Scenarios and FAQs
•How can I see a history of any ad-hoc networks and their participating clients?
Before You Begin
Before you can detect ad-hoc networks, you must:
1. Configure your network for radio management (see Configuring Your Network for Radio Management)
2. Enable Radio Monitoring on all APs (for both serving and non-serving channels) on the specified floor (see Using Radio Monitoring to Collect RM Data)
3. Set network-wide policies for detecting client registration request counts that exceed a specified limit. See Assigning Scanning-Only AP Network Settings.
Procedure
Step 1 Select Reports > Ad-hoc Networks. The ad-hoc network reports screen appears.
Figure 9-18 Sample Ad-hoc Networks Report
1
|
Dropdown list
|
2
|
Search filter text entry
|
3
|
The addresses, user names, or BSSID values that satisfy the search criteria
|
4
|
Ad-Hoc Client Participation report
|
Step 2 From the dropdown list, select the method you want to use to search for clients.
•To view information about the participating clients, select Participant MAC Address, Participant IP Address, or Participant EAP User Name. You can use an asterisk (*) as a wild card to denote numbers and letters
Note The MAC address must be entered in hexadecimal format (for example 0070eb37c90).
•To view information about the network, select Network BSSID.
•To narrow the search, enter any filtering criteria in the text box below. Click Search to view the clients that apply to your criteria.
The addresses, user names, or BSSID values that satisfy the search criteria are displayed below the Search field, and the Ad-Hoc Client Participation report appears to the right. This report contains the following information:
Table 9-20 Ad-Hoc Client Participation Report
Column
|
Description
|
Client MAC Address
|
The MAC address of each client radio (that WLSE knows of) that is participating in the network (there could be more). The source MAC address in the beacon is used to identify each NIC.
|
BSSID
|
Basic Service Set Identifier—The unique identifier for the ad-hoc network.
|
Last SSID
|
The last Service Set Identifier. The SSID is an identifier that client devices use to associate with the access point.
|
Last Known IP Address
|
Last known IP address of the client when it was associated with any AP managed by the WLSE.
Note This information might not be available or it might not be current.
|
Last Known EAP Name
|
The RADIUS username of the client. (User names are not available for non-EAP authentications.)
The RADIUS username is generally available in all EAP authentication cases, except for PEAP and EAP-TTLS. In these instances, the availability of the information is dependent on vendor support.
Note This information might not be available or it might not be current.
|
Last Known Client Name
|
Last known client name.
Note This information might not be available or it might not be current.
|
Last Association With
|
The last AP managed by WLSE with which the client was associated.
Note This information might not be available or it might not be current.
|
PHY
|
The type of 802.11 radio the client is using (11a or 11b/11g).
|
Estimated Location
|
The estimated location of the client (uses the same location algorithm as rogue AP detection).
|
Reported By Client
|
Y = A client detected the network.
N = An infrastructure AP detected the network.
|
First Seen
|
The time WLSE first heard one of the ad-hoc network beacons that was transported to WLSE via the WDS setup. For more information, see Understanding WLSE Time Displays.
|
Step 3 To view the clients that participated in an ad-hoc network during a specific time period, select the dates from the Start Date and End Date lists. Click Filter by Date.
Related Topics
•Detecting Ad-Hoc Networks
•Using the Basic Report Features
