Access Points

The AP cluster is a dynamic, configuration-aware group of APs in the same subnet of a network. Each cluster can have up to 10 members. The cluster provides a single point of administration and enables you to view the deployment of access points as a single wireless network rather than a series of separate wireless devices. A network subnet can have multiple clusters. Clusters can share various configuration information, such as VAP settings and QoS queue parameters.

A cluster can be formed between two APs if the following conditions are met:

-	The APs use the same radio mode (for example, radio 1 uses 802.11g)

-	The APs are connected on the same bridged segment.

-	The APs joining the cluster have the same Cluster Name.

-	Clustering mode is enabled on both APs.

Viewing and Configuring Cluster Members

The Access Points tab allows you to start or stop clustering on an AP, view the cluster members, and configure the location and cluster name for a cluster member. From the Access Points page, you can also click the IP address of each cluster member to navigate to configuration settings and data on an access point in the cluster.

If clustering is currently disabled on the AP, the Enable Clustering button is visible. If clustering is enabled, the Disable Clustering button is visible. You can change clustering option information only when clustering is disabled.

The following table describes the configuration and status information available on the cluster Access Points page when clustering is enabled.

Field	Description
Status	If the status field is visible, then the AP is enabled for clustering. If clustering is not enabled, then the AP is operating in stand-alone mode and none of the information in this table is visible. To disable clustering on the AP, click Disable Clustering.
Location	Description of where the access point is physically located.
MAC Address	Media Access Control (MAC) address of the access point. The address shown here is the MAC address for the bridge (br0). This is the address by which the AP is known externally to other networks.
IP Address	Specifies the IP address for the access point. Each IP address is a link to the Administration Web pages for that access point. You can use the links to navigate to the Administration Web pages for a specific access point. This is useful for viewing data on a specific access point to make sure a cluster member is picking up cluster configuration changes, to configure advanced settings on a particular access point, or to switch a standalone access point to cluster mode.

The following table describes the cluster information to configure for an individual member.

Field	Description
Location	Enter a description of where the access point is physically located. The location can be a maximum of 64 characters in length. All alphanumeric characters except double quote (") are valid. Null or empty space is not allowed.
Cluster Name	Enter the name of the cluster for the AP to join. The name can be a maximum of 64 characters in length. All alphanumeric characters except double quote (") are valid. Null or empty space is not allowed. The cluster name is not sent to other APs in the cluster. You must configure the same cluster name on each AP that is a member of the cluster. The cluster name must be unique for each cluster you configure on the network.

Removing an Access Point from the Cluster

To remove an access point from the cluster, do the following.

1.	Go to the Administration Web pages for the clustered access point.

The Administration Web pages for the standalone access point are displayed.

2.	Click the Cluster > Access Points tab in the Administration pages.

3.	Click Disable Clustering.

The change will be reflected under Status for that access point; the access point will now show as standalone (instead of cluster).

Adding an Access Point to a Cluster

To add an access point that is currently in standalone mode back into a cluster, do the following.

1.	Go to the Administration Web pages for the standalone access point.

The Administration Web pages for the standalone access point are displayed.

2.	Click the Cluster > Access Points tab in the Administration pages for the standalone access point.

The Access Points tab for a standalone access point indicates that the current mode is standalone and provides a button for adding the access point to a cluster (group).

3.	Click Enable Clustering.

The access point is now a cluster member. Its Status (Mode) on the Cluster > Access Points tab now indicates cluster instead of Not Clustered.

Navigating to Configuration Information for a Specific AP

In general, the Access Point is designed for central management of clustered access points. For access points in a cluster, all access points in the cluster reflect the same configuration. In this case, it does not matter which access point you actually connect to for administration.

There may be situations, however, when you want to view or manage information on a particular access point. For example, you might want to check status information such as client associations or events for an access point. In this case, you can navigate to the Administration Web interface for individual access points by clicking the IP address links on the Access Points tab.

All clustered access points are shown on the Cluster > Access Points page. To navigate to clustered access points, you can simply click on the IP address for a specific cluster member shown in the list.

Navigating to an AP by Using its IP Address in a URL

You can also link to the Administration Web pages of a specific access point, by entering the IP address for that access point as a URL directly into a Web browser address bar in the following form:

http://IPAddressOfAccessPoint

where IPAddressOfAccessPoint is the address of the particular access point you want to monitor or configure.