Wireless Bridge

This chapter describes how to configure the Wireless Bridge settings. It contains the following topics:

Wireless Bridge

The Wireless Distribution System (WDS) allows you to connect multiple WAP devices. With WDS, the WAP devices communicate with one another wirelessly. This provides a seamless experience for roaming the clients and managing multiple wireless networks. You can configure the WAP device in point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bridge mode based on the number of links to connect.

In the point-to-point mode, the WAP device accepts client associations and communicates with the wireless clients. The WAP device forwards all traffic meant for the other network over the tunnel that is established between the access points. The bridge does not add to the hop count. It functions as a simple OSI Layer 2 network device.

In the point-to-multipoint bridge mode, one WAP device acts as the common link between multiple access points. In this mode, the central WAP device accepts the client associations and communicates with the clients. All other access points associate only with the central WAP device that forwards the packets to the appropriate wireless bridge for routing purposes.

The WAP device can also act as a repeater. In this mode, the WAP device serves as a connection between two WAP devices that may be too far apart to be within cell range. When acting as a repeater, the WAP device does not have a wired connection to the LAN and repeats signals by using the wireless connection. No special configuration is required for the WAP device to function as a repeater, and there are no repeater mode settings. The wireless clients can still connect to an WAP device that is operating as a repeater.

Before you configure WDS on the WAP device, note these guidelines:

  • All Cisco WAP devices participating in a WDS link must have the following identical settings:

    • Radio

    • IEEE 802.11 Mode

    • Channel Bandwidth

    • Channel (Auto is not recommended)

    When operating bridging in the 802.11n 2.4 GHz band, set the Channel Bandwidth to 20 MHz, rather than the default 20/40 MHz. In the 2.4 GHz, 20/40 MHz band, the operating bandwidth can change from 40 MHz to 20 MHz if any 20 MHz WAP devices are detected in the area. The mismatched channel bandwidth can cause the link to disconnect.

  • When using WDS, be sure to configure WDS on both WAP devices participating in the WDS link.

  • You can have only one WDS link between any pair of WAP devices. That is, a remote MAC address may appear only once on the WDS page for a particular WAP device.

Configuring WDS Bridge

To configure a WDS bridge:

Procedure

Step 1

Select Wireless Bridge.

Step 2

Click WDS as the Wireless Bridge Mode.

Step 3

Check Untagged VLAN and select a number added in VLANs Setting Table for the untagged VLAN ID of WDS. The default value is 1. A packet of the VLAN sent out from WDS will be untagged. An untagged packet received by WDS will be classified to the VLAN (tagged).

Step 4

Check Enable to enable a WDS port in the WDS Settings.

Step 5

Configure the remaining parameters:

  • Radio — Specifies the Radio ID: Radio 1 (5 GHz) or Radio 2 (2.4 GHz).

  • Local MAC Address — Specifies the physical or MAC address of the current or local WAP device to which data is transmitted from.

  • Remote MAC Address — Specifies the MAC address of the destination WAP device. You can find the MAC address on the Monitor> Dashboard> Wireless page.

  • Encryption — Select the type of encryption to use on the WDS link (None, or WPA Personal).

    If you are not concerned about the security issues on the WDS link, you may decide not to set any type of encryption. Alternatively, if you have security concerns, you can choose the WPA Personal. In WPA Personal mode, the WAP device uses WPA2-PSK with CCMP (AES) encryption over the WDS link. See WPA/PSK on WDS Links for more information about encryption options.

Step 6

Repeat these steps for up to four WDS interfaces.
Step 7

Click Apply.

Step 8

Replicate this procedure on devices connecting to the bridge.

Note 

You can verify if the bridge link is up by accessing the Monitor > Dashboard > Wireless page. In the Interface Status table, the WDS(x) status should state Up.

WPA/PSK on WDS Links

These additional fields appear when you select WPA/PSK as the encryption type:

  • WDS ID — Enter an appropriate name for the new WDS link that you have created. It is important that the same WDS ID is also entered at the other end of the WDS link. If this WDS ID is not the same for both WAP devices on the WDS link, they will not be able to communicate and exchange data.

    The WDS ID can be any alphanumeric combination within a range of 2-32 characters.

  • Key — Enter a unique shared key for the WDS bridge. This unique shared key must also be entered for the WAP device at the other end of the WDS link. If this key is not the same for both WAPs, they will not be able to communicate and exchange data.

    The WPA-PSK key is a string of at least 8 characters to a maximum of 63 characters. Acceptable characters include uppercase and lowercase alphabetic letters, the numeric digits, and special symbols such as @ and #.

WorkGroup

The WorkGroup feature enables the WAP device to extend the accessibility of a remote network. In the WorkGroup mode, the WAP device acts as a wireless station (STA) on the wireless LAN. It can bridge traffic between a remote wired network or associated wireless clients and the wireless LAN that is connected using the WorkGroup mode.

The WorkGroup feature enables support for STA-mode and AP-mode operation simultaneously. The WAP device can operate in one Basic Service Set (BSS) as an STA device while operating on another BSS as a WAP device. When the WorkGroup mode is enabled, the WAP device supports only one BSS for wireless clients that associate with it, and another BSS with which the WAP device associates as a wireless client.

We recommend that you use the WorkGroup mode only when the WDS bridge feature cannot be operational with a peer WAP device. WDS is a better solution and is preferred over the WorkGroup solution. Use WDS if you are bridging the Cisco WAP571/E devices. If you are not, then consider the WorkGroup. When the WorkGroup feature is enabled, the VAP configurations are not applied; only the WorkGroup configuration is applied.


Note

The WDS feature does not work when the WorkGroup mode is enabled on the WAP device.

In WorkGroup mode, the BSS managed by the WAP device while operating in WAP device mode is referred to as the access point interface, and associated STAs as the downstream STAs. The BSS managed by the other WAP device (that is, the one to which the WAP device associates as an STA) is referred to as the infrastructure client interface, and the other WAP device is referred as the upstream AP.

The devices connected to the wired interface of the WAP device, as well as the downstream stations associated with the access point interface of the device, can access the network connected by the infrastructure client interface. To allow the bridging of packets, the VLAN configuration for the access point interface and the wired interface must match that of the infrastructure client interface.

The WorkGroup mode can be used as a range extender to enable BSS to provide access to remote or hard-to-reach networks. A single radio can be configured to forward packets from associated STAs to another WAP device in the same ESS, without using WDS.

Before you configure WorkGroup on the WAP device, note these guidelines:

  • All WAP devices participating in WorkGroup must have the following identical settings:

    • Radio

    • IEEE 802.11 Mode

    • Channel Bandwidth

    • Channel (Auto is not recommended)

    See Radio (Basic Settings) for information on configuring these settings.

  • WorkGroup mode currently supports only IPv4 traffic.

  • WorkGroup mode is not supported across a Single Point Setup.

To configure WorkGroup mode:

Procedure

Step 1

Select Wireless Bridge.

Step 2

Click WorkGroup.

Step 3

Select the WGB Port to which the configuration parameters will be applied.

Step 4

Click Edit to configure the following parameters for the infrastructure client interface (Uplink / Downlink):

Table 1. Infrastructure client interface (Uplink / Downlink)

WGB Port

Uplink

Downlink

Enabled

Check the check box to enable the infrastructure client interface.

Check the check box to enable the Access Point SSID interface.

Radio

Specifies the Radio ID: Radio 1 (5 GHz) or Radio 2 (2.4 GHz).

Specifies the Radio ID: Radio 1 (5 GHz) or Radio 2 (2.4GHz).

SSID

Specifies the current SSID of the BSS.

Note 

There is an arrow next to SSID for SSID Scanning. This feature is disabled by default, and is enabled only if AP Detection is enabled in Rogue AP Detection (which is also disabled by default).

The SSID for the Access Point SSID does not need to be the same as the Infrastructure Client SSID.

Encryption

The type of security to use for authenticating as a client station on the upstream WAP device. It can be one of the following:

  • None

  • WPA Personal

  • WPA Enterprise

The type of security to use for authenticating. The options are:

  • None

  • WPA Personal

Connection Status

Indicates whether the WAP is connected to the upstream WAP device.

Not Applicable (N/A)

VLAN ID

Specifies the VLAN associated with the BSS.

Configure the Access Point Interface with the same VLAN ID as advertised on the Infrastructure Client Interface.
Note 

The Infrastructure Client Interface will be associated with the upstream WAP device with the configured credentials. The WAP device may obtain its IP address from a DHCP server on the upstream link. Alternatively, you can assign a static IP address.

SSID Broadcast

Specifies if the broadcast of the SSID is available, enabled or disabled.

Check if you want the downstream SSID to be broadcast. SSID Broadcast is enabled by default.

Client Filter

Not Applicable (N/A)

Choose one of the following options:

  • Disabled—The set of clients in the APs BSS that can access the upstream network is not restricted to the clients specified in a MAC address list.

  • Local—The set of clients in the APs BSS that can access the upstream network is restricted to the clients specified in a locally defined MAC address list.

  • RADIUS—The set of clients in the APs BSS that can access the upstream network is restricted to the clients specified in a MAC address list on a RADIUS server.

Note 

If you choose Local or RADIUS, see Client Filter for instructions on creating the Client filter list.

Step 5

Click Apply. The associated downstream clients now have connectivity to the upstream network.