Configure Basic Radio Settings on the WAP571 or WAP571E

Objective

The radio is the physical component of the Wireless Access Point (WAP) that creates a wireless network. The radio settings on the WAP control the behavior of the radio and determine the kind of wireless signals the device transmits.

The objective of this article is to explain how to configure the basic radio settings on the WAP571 or WAP571E.

Applicable Devices

• WAP571
• WAP571E

Software Version

• 1.0.0.15

Configure Radio Settings

Step 1. Log in to the access point web-based utility and choose Wireless > Radio.

Note: The images used in this article is from the WAP571. Images may vary depending on the model of your device.

Note: Out of the box, you'll need to go through the Setup Wizard.

Configure Global Radio Settings

Step 2. In the TSPEC Violation Interval field, enter the time interval (in seconds) that the WAP needs to wait before it reports the associated clients that do not adhere to mandatory admission control procedures. These reports are sent through the system log and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), a protocol for managing device on IP networks.

Configure Basic Radio Settings

Step 3. In the Radio Setting Per Interface area, click the radio button that corresponds to the Radio frequency that needs to be configured.

Note: In the image below, we chose Radio 1 (5 GHz) as an example.

The options are:

• Radio 1 — Has a radio frequency of 5 GHz and supports the following radio modes: 802.11 a/n/ac, and 802.11n/ac. Refer to the Configuration of 5 GHz Basic Radio Settings section.
   
• Radio 2 — Has a radio frequency of 2.4 GHz and supports the following radio modes: 802.11/b/g, 802.11 b/g/n, and 802.11n. Refer to the Configuration of 2.4 GHz Basic Radio Settings section.

Configure 5 GHz Basic Radio Settings

Step 4. In the Basic Settings area, check the Enable check box to enable the radio interface.

Note: The MAC Address shown is the MAC address of the radio interface.

Step 5. Choose the desired radio mode from the Mode drop-down list.

The options are:

• 802.11a —€” Only 802.11a clients can connect to the WAP device. The clients can get a maximum of 54 Mbps bandwidth when this mode is selected.
   
• 802.11a/n/ac — 802.11a, 802.11n, and 802.11ac clients that operate in the 5 GHz frequency can connect to the WAP device. The 802.11n clients can get a maximum of 150 Mbps bandwidth and 802.11ac clients can get up to 1 Gbps.
   
• 802.11n/ac — Only 802.11n and 802.11ac clients that operate in the 5 GHz can connect to the WAP device.

Note: The mode chosen as an example is 802.11a/n/ac.

Step 6. Choose the channel bandwidth for the radio from the Channel Bandwidth drop-down list.



 

The options are:

• 20 MHz — Limits the use of channel bandwidth to a 20 MHz channel.
   
• 20/40 MHz — Consists of two 20 MHz channels that are contiguous in the frequency domain.
   
• 80 MHz — Limits the use of channel bandwidth to an 80 MHz channel.

Note: The 20/40 MHz is chosen as an example. If 20 or 80 MHz is chosen, the options to configure the Primary Channel field is not available. Skip to Step 9.

Step 7. From the Primary Channel drop-down list, choose a channel to set as primary. The primary channel is used for devices that only support 20/40 MHz channels.

The options are:

• Upper — sets the upper 20 MHz channel as the primary channel.
   
• Lower — Sets the lower 20 MHz channel as the primary channel.

Note: The Primary Channel is set to Lower as an example. The web-based utility disables the Primary Channel drop-down if the Channel is set to Auto.

Step 8. Choose the range of the radio spectrum that the radio uses to transmit and receive from the Channel drop-down list.

Note. If Auto is chosen, the WAP scans available channels and chooses a channel where the least traffic is detected.

Step 9. Click Save.

Configure 2.4 GHz Basic Radio Settings

Step 1. In the Radio Setting Per Interface area, click the Radio 2 (2.4 GHz) radio button.

Step 2. In the Basic Settings area, check the Enable check box to enable the radio interface.

Note: The MAC Address shown is the MAC Address of the radio interface.

Step 3. Choose the desired radio mode from the Mode drop-down list.

The options are:

• 802.11b/g — 802.11b and 802.11g clients can connect to the WAP device. The 802.11b clients can get a maximum of 11 Mbps bandwidth while an 802.11g client can support a maximum of 54 Mbps.

• 802.11 b/g/n — 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n clients which operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency can connect to the WAP.

• 2.4 GHz 802.11n — Only 802.11n clients that operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency can connect to this radio mode.

Note: The 802.11n standard is the only specification that allows a 40 MHz-wide channel. Steps 3 to 5 are only applicable if you chose a radio mode that support 802.11n in Step 3. If you did not choose 802.11n, proceed to Step 6.

Step 4. Choose the channel bandwidth for the radio from the Channel Bandwidth drop-down list.

The options are:

• 20 MHz — Limits the use of channel bandwidth to a 20 MHz channel.
   
• 20/40 MHz — Consists of two 20 MHz channels that are contiguous in the frequency domain.

Note: The 20/40 MHz is the option chosen as an example. If 20 MHz is chosen, the options to configure the Primary Channel field is not available. Skip to Step 7.

Step 5. From the Primary Channel drop-down list, choose a channel to set as primary. The primary channel is used for devices that support 20/40 MHz channels only.

The options are:

• Upper — Sets the upper 20 MHz channel as the primary channel.
   
• Lower — Sets the lower 20 MHz channel as the primary channel.

Note: The web-based utility disables the Primary Channel drop-down if the Channel Bandwidth is set to 20 MHz or if the Channel field is set to Auto.

Step 6. Choose the range of the radio spectrum that the radio uses to transmit and receive from the Channel drop-down list.

Note: If Auto is chosen, the WAP scans the channels and chooses the channel with the least traffic.

Step 7. Click Save.

You should now have configured the basic radio settings of your WAP device.