Main Help Topics

If you need to set up a device quickly with a simple configuration, you can enter all the essential settings for basic operation on the Express Setup page. If you need to change or update a basic setting, you can find it quickly and easily on the Express Setup page. The first time the device is turned on, this is the default web page. It remains the default page until a configuration is successfully applied by clicking the Apply or OK button.

Settings

System Name

This is the name of the system that appears in the titles of management system pages and in the Association Table page. The system name is not an essential setting, but it helps identify the device on your network.

MAC Address

The Media Access Control (MAC) address is a unique serial number permanently assigned to the device's Ethernet controller by the manufacturer. You cannot change the MAC address.

Configuration Server Protocol

This setting must match the network's method of IP address assignment. Click the Configuration Server link to open the Boot Server Setup page, which contains detailed settings for configuring the device to work with your network's BOOTP or DHCP servers for automatic assignment of IP addresses.

Note Cisco recommends assigning a static IP address to your bridge to simplify network management and to prevent delays in receiving an address through DHCP. To assign a static IP address to your bridge, select None from the Configuration Server Protocol pull-down menu and enter the IP address for the bridge in the Default IP Address field.

The Configuration Server Protocol pull-down menu contains the following options:

None -- Use this setting if your network does not have an automatic system for IP address assignment or if you want to assign a static IP address to the bridge.
BOOTP -- With Bootstrap Protocol, IP addresses are hard-coded based on MAC addresses.
DHCP -- With Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, IP addresses are leased for predetermined periods of time.

Default IP Address

This field allows the assignment or change of the IP address. The significance of such a change depends on whether or not DHCP is enabled for the network. If DHCP/BOOTP is not enabled, the IP address you enter in this field is the device's IP address. If DHCP/BOOTP is enabled, this field provides the IP address only if no server responds with an IP address for the device.

Default IP Subnet Mask

Enter an IP subnet mask to identify the subnetwork so the IP address can be recognized on the LAN. If DHCP/BOOTP is not enabled, this field is the subnet mask. If DHCP/BOOTP is enabled, this field provides the subnet mask only if no server responds to the DHCP or BOOTP request.

Default Gateway

Insert the IP address of your default internet gateway. A 255.255.255.255 entry indicates no gateway. Clicking on the Gateway link takes you to the Routing Setup page, which contains detailed settings for configuring the device to communicate with the IP network routing system.

Service Set ID (SSID)

The SSID is an identifier unique to your network that client devices must use to associate with a device. The SSID helps client devices distinguish between multiple wireless networks and VLANs in the same vicinity and provides access to VLANs by wireless client devices. Several access points on a network or sub-network can share an SSID. You can configure up to 16 SSIDs on each radio of an access point. An SSID can be any alphanumeric, case-sensitive entry from 2 to 32 characters long.

This setting appears twice on the page, once for the internal radio and once for the external radio. You can use the same setting or different settings for each radio.

Clicking on the more link takes you to the AP Radio Service Sets page where you can create additional SSIDs. Multiple SSIDs are used to support VLANs on your access point. You can create up to 16 SSIDs to support your VLAN configuration.

If you want to prevent client devices from associating with a non-root bridge on your network, select Non-Root Bridge w/o Clients from the Role in the radio network pull-down menu. To prevent client devices from associating with a root bridge, follow these steps:

1. Assign an SSID to your bridges that is different from the SSID used by access points and client devices. Keep the bridge SSID confidential.
2. Select no for the Allow Broadcast SSID to Associate setting on the Root Radio Hardware page.
3. Assign a WEP key to the bridges that is different from the WEP key used by client devices.

You can enter non-ASCII characters in the SSID by typing a backslash ( \ ), a lower-case x, and the characters to represent the non-ASCII character. For example, \xbd inserts the symbol .

Role in Radio Network

Use this pull-down menu to select the role of the device on your network. This setting appears twice on the page, once for the internal radio and once for the external radio module. You can use the same setting or different settings for each radio. The menu contains the following options:

Root Bridge -- One bridge in each group of bridges must be set as the root bridge. A root bridge can only communicate with non-root bridges and other client devices and cannot associate with another root bridge. Use the Bridge Spacing setting to enter the distance between the root bridge and the non-root bridges with which it communicates.

Non-Root Bridge w/Clients -- Use this setting for non-root bridges that accept associations with client devices, and for bridges acting as repeaters. Non-root bridges can communicate with other non-root bridges, root bridges, and client devices. A repeater bridge can be attached to a LAN segment but does not need to be.

Note Bridges set to non-root do not receive dynamic WEP keys for their data transmissions. Non-root bridges use the static WEP keys configured in their management systems.

Non-Root Bridge w/o Clients -- Use this setting for non-root bridges that should not accept associations from client devices. A bridge set to Non-Root Bridge w/o Clients communicates only with another root or non-root bridge.

Root Access Point -- Use this setting to set up the bridge as a rugged access point connected to the wired LAN. When you select Access Point, the bridge’s Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) function is disabled.

Repeater Access Point -- Use this setting to set up the bridge as a rugged repeater access point. A repeater access point is not connected to the wired LAN; it is placed within radio range of an access point connected to the wired LAN to extend the range of your infrastructure or to overcome an obstacle that blocks radio communication. When you select Repeater, the bridge’s STP function is disabled.

Site Survey Client -- Use this setting when performing a site survey for a repeater access point. When you select this setting, clients are not allowed to associate and the bridge’s STP function is disabled.

Optimize Radio Network For

You can use this setting to select either preconfigured settings for the radio or customized settings for the radio. This setting appears twice on the page, once for the internal radio and once for the external radio module. You can use the same setting or different settings for each radio. Selecting Throughput maximizes the data volume handled by the device but might reduce the range. All data rates are set to basic. Selecting Range maximizes the device's range but might reduce throughput. The lowest date rate (1.0 on the internal radio and 6.0 on the radio module) is set to basic, and the other data rates are set to Yes.

Clicking on the Custom link takes you to the AP/Root Radio Hardware page which offers a range of specific parameter settings.

Ensure Compatibility With

IEEE 802.11 is the industry wireless networking standard. Use this setting to automatically configure the device to be compatible with other devices on your wireless LAN. This setting appears twice on the page, once for the internal radio and once for the external radio module. You can use the same setting or different settings for each radio. If your network contains Cisco Aironet devices, choose 2Mb/sec Clients to operate at a maximum speed of two megabits per second. Choose non-Aironet 802.11 if there are non-Cisco Aironet devices on your wireless LAN.

Security Setup

Links you to the page where you can set up security options. This page is only used when VLANs are disabled.

SNMP Admin Community

To use Simplified Network Management Protocol, enter a community name. This name automatically appears in the list of users authorized to view and make changes to the management system, and SNMP is enabled.

Click the SNMP link to go to the SNMP Setup page, where you can edit other SNMP settings. You can define other SNMP communities with the User Management pages.

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