Prerequisites for CleanAir
You can configure Cisco CleanAir only on CleanAir-enabled access points.
Only Cisco CleanAir-enabled access points using the following access point modes can perform Cisco CleanAir spectrum monitoring:
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Local—In this mode, each Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point radio provides air quality and interference detection reports for the current operating channel only. An AP can only measure air quality and interference when the AP is not busy transmitting wi-fi frames. This implies that CleanAir detections will be drastically lower if the AP is having a high channel utiliaztion.
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FlexConnect—When a FlexConnect access point is connected to the controller , its Cisco CleanAir functionality is identical to local mode.
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Monitor—When Cisco CleanAir is enabled in monitor mode, the access point provides air quality and interference detection reports for all monitored channels.
The following options are available:
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All—All channels
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DCA—Channel selection governed by the DCA list
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Country—All channels are legal within a regulatory domain
Note
Suppose you have two APs, one in the FlexConnect mode and the other in the monitor mode. Also suppose that you have created a profile enabling EAP attack against 802.1x auth. The Airmagnet (AM) tool, which can generate different types of attacks, fails to generate any attack even if you have provided valid AP MAC and STA MAC addresses. But if the AP MAC and STA MAC addresses in the AM tool are swapped, that is, the AP MAC address is specified in the STA MAC field and the STA MAC address is specified in the AP MAC field, then the tool is able to generate attacks, which the AP in the Monitor mode is also able to detect.
Note
The access point does not participate in AQ HeatMap in Prime Infrastructure.
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SE-Connect—This mode enables a user to connect a Spectrum Expert application running on an external Microsoft Windows XP or Vista PC to a Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point in order to display and analyze detailed spectrum data. The Spectrum Expert application connects directly to the access point, bypassing the controller. An access point in SE-Connect mode does not provide any Wi-Fi, RF, or spectrum data to the controller. All CleanAir system functionality is suspended while the AP is in this mode, and no clients are served. This mode is intended for remote troubleshooting only. Up to three active Spectrum Expert connections are possible.