Configuring Radio Settings

CHAPTER 6
Configuring Radio Settings
This chapter describes how to configure radio settings for the wireless device.
Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide for Cisco Aironet Access Points
6-1
Chapter 6 Configuring Radio Settings
Enabling the Radio Interface
Enabling the Radio Interface

The wireless device radios are disabled by default.
Note Beginning with Cisco IOS Release 12.3(8)JA there is no SSID. You must create an SSID before you can
enable the radio interface.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to enable the access point radio:
Command Purpose
Step 1 configure terminal Enter global configuration mode.
Step 2 dot11 ssid ssid Enter the SSID. The SSID can consist of up to 32 alphanumeric
characters. SSIDs are case sensitive.
Step 3 interface dot11radio {0 | 1slot/port} Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface.
The 2.4-GHz and the 802.11n 2.4-GHz radio is radio 0
The 5-GHz and the 802.11n 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
Step 4 ssid ssid Assign the SSID you created in Step 2 to the appropriate radio
interface.
Step 5 no shutdown Enable the radio port.
Step 6 end Return to privileged EXEC mode.
Step 7 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
Use the shutdown command to disable the radio port.
6-2
Configuring the Role in Radio Network

Table 6-1 shows the role in the radio network for each device.
Table 6-1 Device Role in Radio Network Configuration
Role in
Radio AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP
Network 1040 1140 1260 1530 1550 1600 1700 2600 3500 3600 3700 700 2700
Access Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
point
point
(fallback to
radio
shutdown)
point
(fallback to
repeater)
Repeater Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Root bridge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Non-root Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
bridge
Root bridge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
with
wireless
clients
Non-root Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
bridge with
wireless
clients
Workgroup Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
bridge
Universal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
workgroup
bridge1
Scanner Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Spectrum – – – – Yes – Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes – Yes
Install – – – Yes – – – – – – – – –
[automatic |
non-root |
root]
1. When configuring a universal workgroup bridge using AES-CCM TKIP, the non-root device should use only TKIP or
AES-CCM TKIP as ciphers in order to associate to the root device. The non-root device will not associate with the root
if it is configured only AES-CCM. This configuration results in a mismatch in the multicast cipher between the root
and non-root devices.
6-3
You can configure the role of an access point or bridge in a radio network. You can also configure a
fallback role for root access points. The wireless device automatically assumes the fallback role when
its Ethernet port is disabled or disconnected from the wired LAN. There are two possible fallback roles:
• Repeater—When the Ethernet port is disabled, the wireless device becomes a repeater and
associates to a nearby root access point. You do not have to specify a root access point to which the
fallback repeater associates; the repeater automatically associates to the root access point that
provides the best radio connectivity.
• Shutdown—the wireless device shuts down its radio and disassociates all client devices.
Note When configuring a universal workgroup bridge using AES-CCM TKIP, the non-root device should use
only TKIP or AES-CCM TKIP as ciphers in order to associate to the root device. The non-root device
will not associate with the root if it is configured only AES-CCM. This configuration results in a
mismatch in the multicast cipher between the root and non-root devices.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to set the wireless device radio network role and
fallback role:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio { 0 | 1 } Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface:
2.4-GHz radio and the 802.11n 2.4-Ghz radio is interface 0.
5-GHz radio and the 802.11n 5-GHz radio is interface 1.
6-4
Command Purpose
Step 3 station-role Set the wireless device role.
• Set the role to non-root bridge with or without wireless
non-root {bridge | wireless-clients}
clients, repeater access point, root access point or bridge,
scanner, or workgroup bridge.
repeater
• When in bridge mode, they are interoperable with outdoor
root {access-point | ap-only | bridge access point/bridge only on supported bridge features.
[wireless-clients] |fallback [ • The bridge mode radio supports point-to-point and
repeater | shutdown]} point-to-multipoint configuration.
scanner • An outdoor access point/bridge operating as a non-root

bridge can associate with another non-root bridge as long
workgroup-bridge {multicast | as the station role for the non-root bridge is set to non-root
mode <client | infrastructure>| wireless clients.
universal <Ethernet client MAC • The Ethernet port is shut down when any one of the radios
address>} is configured as a repeater. Only one radio per access point
may be configured as a workgroup bridge or repeater.
• The dot11radio 0|1 antenna-alignment command is
available when the access point is configured as a repeater.
• A workgroup bridge can have a maximum of 254 clients,
presuming that no other wireless clients are associated to
the root bridge or access point.
• A universal workgroup bridge configures the access point
in workgroup bridge mode and able to interoperate with
non-Cisco access points. You must enter the Ethernet client
MAC address. The workgroup bridge associates with the
configured MAC address only if it is present in the bridge
table and it should not be a static entry. If validation fails,
the workgroup bridge associates with its BVI MAC
address. Also, the universal workgroup bridge role
supports only one wired client.
• Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is configurable on access
points in bridge modes.
• (Optional) Select the root access point fallback role. If the
wireless device Ethernet port is disabled or disconnected
from the wired LAN, the wireless device can either shut
down its radio port or become a repeater access point
associated to any nearby root access point.
Note When you enable the role in the radio network as a non root bridge or a workgroup bridge and enable
the interface using the no shut command, the physical status and the software status of the interface will
be up only if the device on the other end access point or bridge is up. Otherwise, only the physical status
of the device will be up. The software status of the device comes up only when the device on the other
end is configured and up.
6-5
Universal Workgroup Bridge Mode

When configuring the universal workgroup bridge role, you must include the client MAC address. The
workgroup bridge will associate with this MAC address only if it is present in the bridge table and is not
a static entry. If validation fails, the workgroup bridge associates with its BVI MAC address. In universal
workgroup bridge mode, the workgroup bridge uses the Ethernet client MAC address to associate with
Cisco or non-Cisco root devices. The universal workgroup bridge is transparent and is not managed.
Note The universal workgroup bridge role supports only one wired client.
You can enable a recovery mechanism and make the workgroup bridge manageable again by disabling
the Ethernet client, causing the universal workgroup bridge to associate with an access point using its
own BVI address.
The roaming keyword has been added to the interface command world-mode dot11d country-code
country [indoor | outdoor | both] to support the “airline flying between different countries” scenario.
The keyword causes the workgroup bridge to do passive scanning once it is deathenticated from a root
access point. See the “Enabling and Disabling World Mode” section on page 6-26 for more information
on this command.
Point-to-point and Multi Point bridging support for 802.11n platforms

The point-to-point and point-to-multipoint bridging is supported on all 802.11n access points. The 5
GHz bands support 20- and 40-MHz and the 2.4-GHz bands support 20 MHz.
The following are supported on all 802.11n access points:
• MIMO, short-range bridging (on campus or inter-building bridge deployments), with dipole and
MIMO antennas (line of sight and short range) under 1 Km.
• 20-MHz and 40-MHz 802.11n support.
• Workgroup bridge (WGB) short-range support.
• SISO (single-in, single-out), MCS 0-7 and legacy bridge rates (802.11 a/b/g and 802.11n) using one
outdoor antenna.
Note The aforementioned support is only for short range links and is not a replacement for the AP 1400 or
other Bridge products.
The following are not supported by AP models with internal antennas, in their bridging modes:
• The distance command. The distance command is supported only on access points that are
approved for outdoor use.
• Outdoor MIMO bridging using external antennas.
Note In point-to-multipoint bridging, WGB is not recommended with the root bridge. WGB should be
associated to the root AP in point-to-multipoint bridging setup.
6-6
Configuring Dual-Radio Fallback

The dual-radio fallback features allows you to configure access points so that if the non-root bridge link
connecting the access point to the network infrastructure goes down, the root access point link through
which a client connects to the access point shut down. Shutting down the root access point link causes
the client to roam to another access point. Without this feature, the client remains connected to the access
point, but will not be able to send or receive data from the network.
Figure 6-1 Dual-Radio Fallback
Access point 11 a Root bridge Access point

mode 11 a non-root
Fast Ethernet bridge mode
11 a Root 11 b/g root

bridge mode access point
mode
Clients
Access point
146930
Note This feature is supported by all dual-radio access points.
This feature does not affect the fallback feature for single-radio access points.
You can configure dual-radio fallback in three ways:

• Radio tracking
• Fast Ethernet tracking
• MAC-address tracking
Configuring Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation

The autonomous access point can be configured as a root bridge or a non-root bridge. A wireless link
can be created between the root and non-root bridges.
Figure 2 shows the connection failure caused by changes of access points with different roles. At first,
AP1 is root bridge and AP2 is non-root bridge. The connection is established between AP1 and AP2.
Then AP2 is removed and replaced by AP3. If AP3 has the same role of root bridge as AP1, the
connection between AP1 and AP3 cannot be established until either AP1 or AP3 change to non-root
bridge manually.
6-7
Figure 2 Changes in Train Composition Breaking Wireless Bridge Link
Configuring the access points to auto bridge mode can make this manual adjustment automatically.
The access points in auto bridge mode can detect the potential candidate for association when two access
points are coming close enough to each other. The role negotiation will happen when the received RSSI
is higher than a configured RSSI threshold. The access point with a lower MAC address will become the
root bridge. The other will be non-root bridge. After the connection is established successfully, if the
received RSSI is continuously lower than the configure threshold for 10 seconds, the access points will
disassociate from each other and the access point role will be changed back to the initial auto bridge
status.
Figure 3 Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation
Even if there are more than two access points qualified for the association criteria, only one automatic
bridge connection can be established. If this connection is not the correct one, when the unwanted access
point moves away, the other access point can make the correct connection. In deployment, the RSSI
threshold must be adjusted accordingly to avoid such situation.
For a dual radio access point, the 5 GHz radio interface can be used for wireless bridge connection, and
the 2.4 GHz radio interface can be used for on-board Wi-Fi service and to accept wireless client
association.
When configured with auto bridge mode, AP will be in one of the following status:
• AUTO_ROOT_INIT—AP works in root bridge mode and uses beacon to find potential peer AP for
association.
6-8
• AUTO_ROOT_WORKING—AP works in configured or DFS selected channel as a root bridge.

• AUTO_NON_ROOT—AP works in non-root bridge mode.
When two auto bridge APs receive the beacon from each other, they will change the roles respectively.
The AP with lower MAC address will change to AUTO_ROOT_WORKING state. Meanwhile its serving
channel will be set to the configured one. The AP with higher MAC address will change its role to
AUTO_NON_ROOT.
Failure of establishing wireless bridge link or lost of wireless association will roll back the AP to
AUTO_ROOT_INIT role and restart discovery after time out.
A root bridge only allows a non-root bridge to associate using the infrastructure SSID. Non-root bridges
use this SSID to associate with root devices. The auto bridge SSID should be configured with the
infrastructure-ssid command for the connection to be successfully established.
Note The auto bridge access point can only associate to another auto bridge access point. It cannot associate
to an access point of other mode, and will not accept other client associations.
Note The wireless bridge auto-negotiation feature is supported only on the IW3700 series.
Recommended Antennas
A directional and low gain antenna is recommended for this wireless bridge auto negotiation connection.
A directional antenna directs signal at a specific narrow angle, which can be oriented at the target access
point and reduce the risk of incorrect bridge connections.
Configuring Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the radio interface to work in auto
bridge mode and configure the RSSI threshold:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | 1} Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface.
Step 3 station-role auto-bridge Configure the radio interface to auto bridge role.
Step 4 auto-bridge rx-sensitivity <dbm> Configure RSSI threshold for the radio interface. This
command is available only if the access point is in auto bridge
mode. The default value of RSSI threshold is -40 dBm.
Configuration Example
dot11 ssid auto-bridge
vlan 910
authentication open
authentication key-management wpa version 2
infrastructure-ssid
wpa-psk ascii 7 00554155500E5D5157
6-9
!
dot11 ssid passenger-wifi
vlan 911
authentication open
authentication key-management wpa version 2
wpa-psk ascii 7 00554155500E5D5157
!
interface Dot11Radio0
encryption mode ciphers aes-ccm
encryption vlan 911 mode ciphers aes-ccm
ssid passenger-wifi
station-role root
!
interface Dot11Radio0.910
encapsulation dot1Q 910 native
bridge-group 1
!
encapsulation dot1Q 911
bridge-group 2
!
ssid auto-bridge
channel width 80
station-role auto-bridge
auto-bridge rx-sensitivity 40
!
bridge-group 1
!
bridge-group 2
!
interface GigabitEthernet0
no ip address
duplex auto
speed auto
!
interface GigabitEthernet0.910
bridge-group 1
!
interface GigabitEthernet0.911
bridge-group 2
(Optional) Configuring Channel

The existing channel configuration command is also available for the auto bridge mode. The serving
channel and channel width can be configure using following command:
(config-if)# channel ?
<36-5825> One of: 36 40 44 48 149 153 157 161 165 5180 5200 5220 5240 5745
5765 5785 5805 5825
dfs Use Dynamic Frequency Selection
width Bandwidth
6-10
Verifying the Auto Bridge Status

Use the following command to display the current auto bridge role and status:
# show controllers d1 frequency
DFS Blocked Frequencies: none

Beacon Flags: 0, Interface Flags 20105, Interface Events 0, Mode 4004; Beacons are
disabled; Probes are disabled
mode AUTO_NON_ROOT, status: access point(with client)is now working stably
Radio Tracking
You can configure the access point to track or monitor the status of one of its radios. It the tracked radio
goes down or is disabled, the access point shuts down the other radio. If the tracked radio comes up, the
access point enables the other radio.
• To track radio 0, enter the following command on radio 1:
# station-role root access-point fallback track d0 shutdown
• To track radio 1, enter the following command on radio 0:

# station-role root access-point fallback track d1 shutdown
Fast Ethernet Tracking

You can configure the access point for fallback when its Ethernet port is disabled or disconnected from
the wired LAN. You configure the access point for fast Ethernet tracking as described in the
“Configuring the Role in Radio Network” section on page 6-3.
Note Fast Ethernet tracking does not support the Repeater mode.
• To configure non-802.11n access points for Fast Ethernet tracking, in the radio interfaces
configuration mode enter the following command:
# station-role root access-point fallback track fa 0
• To configure 802.11n access points for Gigabit Ethernet tracking, in the radio interfaces
configuration mode enter the following command:
# station-role root fallback shutdown
MAC-Address Tracking
You can configure the radio whose role is root access point to go up or down by tracking a non-root
bridge or workgroup bridge, using its MAC address, on another radio. If the client disassociates from
the access point, the root access point radio goes down. If the client reassociates to the access point, the
root access point radio comes back up.
6-11
Limiting Clients per Radio
MAC-address tracking is most useful when the client is a non-root bridge access point connected to an
upstream wired network.
For example, to track a a non-root bridge or workgroup bridge, having a MAC address
12:12:12:12:12:12, enter the following command:
# station-role root access-point fallback track mac-address 12:12:12:12:12:12 shutdown
Limiting Clients per Radio

You can set the number of clients allowed for association with an interface, using the command
max-client 1-255, under the dot11 radio interface configuration. This setting is disabled by default. The
minimum number of clients allowed is 1 and the maximum is 255.
ap(config-if)# max-client 1-255
For setting this via the GUI:
Step 1 Go to Network > Network Interfaces.

Step 2 On the side menu, click Dot11 Radio 2.4 GHz or Dot11 Radio 5 GHZ depending on which radio interface
you want to limit the clients.
Step 3 On the radio interface’s settings page, you can either enable or disable the Max-Client option.
Step 4 If you enable the Max-Client option, then in the text box provided alongside the Max-Client option,
specify the number of clients allowed for association with the interface.
Step 5 Click Apply.
Configuring Radio Data Rates

You use the data rate settings to choose the data rates the wireless device uses for data transmission. The
rates are expressed in megabits per second. The wireless device attempts to transmit at the highest data
rate set on the CLI or GUI interfaces. If there are obstacles or interference, the wireless device steps
down to the next lower rate that allows data transmission. You can set each data rate to one of three states:
• Basic (the GUI labels Basic rates as Required)—Allows transmission at this rate for all packets, both
unicast and multicast. At least one of the wireless device's data rates must be set to Basic.
• Enabled—The wireless device transmits only unicast packets at this rate; multicast packets are sent
at one of the data rates set to Basic.
• Disabled—The wireless device does not transmit data at this rate.
Note At least one data rate must be set to basic.
6-12
You can use the Data Rate settings to set an access point to serve client devices operating at specific data
rates. To set the 2.4-GHz, 802.11g radio to serve only 802.11g client devices, set any Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) data rate (6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54) to Basic.
You can configure the wireless device to set the data rates automatically to optimize either the range or
the throughput. When you enter range for the data rate setting, the wireless device sets the 1 Mbps rate
to basic and the other rates to enabled. The range setting allows the access point to extend the coverage
area by compromising on the data rate. Therefore, if you have a client that is not able to connect to the
access point while other clients can, one reason may be because the client is not within the coverage area
of the access point. In such a case using the range option will help in extending the coverage area and
the client may be able to connect to the access point. Typically the trade-off is between throughput and
range. When the signal degrades (possibly due to distance from the access point,) the rates will
renegotiate down in order to maintain the link (but at a lower data rate). Contrast that against a link
configured for a higher throughput that will simply drop when the signal degrades enough to no longer
sustain a configured high data rate, or roam to another access point with sufficient coverage, if one is
available. The balance between the two (throughput vs. range) is one of those design decisions that has
to be made based on resources available to the wireless project, type of traffic the users will be passing,
service level desired, and as always, the quality of the RF environment.When you enter throughput for
the data rate setting, the wireless device sets all data rates to basic (i.e. 12 rates for 2.4 Ghz and 8 rates
for 5 GHz).
Note When a wireless network has a mixed environment of 802.11b clients and 802.11g clients, make sure
that data rates 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps are set to required (basic) and that all other data rates are set to
enable. The 802.11b adapters do not recognize the 802.11g rates and do not operate if data rates higher
than 11Mbps are set to require on the connecting access point.
Access Points Send Multicast and Management Frames at Highest Basic Rate
Access points running recent Cisco IOS versions are transmitting multicast and management frames at
the highest configured basic rate, and is a situation that could causes reliability problems.
Access points running LWAPP or autonomous IOS should transmit multicast and management frames at
the lowest configured basic rate. This is necessary in order to provide for good coverage at the cell's
edge, especially for unacknowledged multicast transmissions where multicast wireless transmissions
may fail to be received.
Since multicast frames are not retransmitted at the MAC layer, stations at the edge of the cell may fail
to receive them successfully. If reliable reception is a goal, then multicasts should be transmitted at a
low data rate. If support for high data rate multicasts is required, then it may be useful to shrink the cell
size and to disable all lower data rates.
Depending on your specific requirements, you can take the following action:
• If you need to transmit the multicast data with the greatest reliability and if there is no need for great
multicast bandwidth, then configure a single basic rate, one that is low enough to reach the edges of
the wireless cells.
• If you need to transmit the multicast data at a certain data rate in order to achieve a certain
throughput, then configure that rate as the highest basic rate. You can also set a lower basic rate for
coverage of non-multicast clients.
6-13
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the radio data rates:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | 1slot/port} Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface. The
2.4-GHz radio and 2.4-GHz N radio is radio 0, and the 5-GHz
radio and 5-GHz N radios radio 1.
6-14
Command Purpose
Step 3 speed Set each data rate to basic or enabled, or enter range to
optimize range or throughput to optimize throughput.
802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio:
{[1.0] [2.0] [5.5] [6.0] [9.0] [11.0] • (Optional) Enter basic-1.0, basic-2.0, basic-5.5,
[12.0] [18.0] [24.0] [36.0] [48.0] basic-6.0, basic-9.0, basic-11.0, basic-12.0, basic-18.0,
[54.0] [basic-1.0] [basic-2.0] basic-24.0, basic-36.0, basic-48.0, and basic-54.0 to set
[basic-5.5] [basic-6.0] [basic-9.0] these data rates to basic on the 802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio.
[basic-11.0] [basic-12.0] Note The client must support the basic rate that you select or
[basic-18.0] [basic-24.0] it cannot associate to the wireless device. If you select
[basic-36.0] [basic-48.0] 12 Mbps or higher for the basic data rate on the 802.11g
[basic-54.0] | range | radio, 802.11b client devices cannot associate to the
throughput [ofdm] | default } wireless device 802.11g radio.
802.11a 5-GHz radio:
Enter basic-6.0, basic-9.0, basic-12.0, basic-18.0,
{[6.0] [9.0] [12.0] [18.0] [24.0] basic-24.0, basic-36.0, basic-48.0, and basic-54.0 to set
[36.0] [48.0] [54.0] [basic-6.0] these data rates to basic on the 5-GHz radio.
[basic-9.0] [basic-12.0] [basic-18.0]
(Optional) Alternatively, enter range or throughput or
[basic-24.0] [basic-36.0]
ofdm-throughput (no ERP protection) to automatically
[basic-48.0] [basic-54.0] |
optimize radio range or throughput. When you enter
range | throughput | range, the wireless device sets the lowest data rate to basic
ofdm-throughput | default} and the other rates to enabled. When you enter
802.11n 2.4-GHz radio: throughput, the wireless device sets all data rates to basic.
{[1.0] [11.0] [12.0] [18.0] [2.0] (Optional) On the 802.11g radio, enter speed throughput
[24.0] [36.0] [48.0] [5.5] [54.0] [6.0] ofdm to set all OFDM rates (6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48)
[9.0] [basic-1.0] [basic-11.0] to basic (required) and set all the CCK rates (1, 2, 5.5, and
[basic-12.0] [basic-18.0] 11) to disabled. This setting disables 802.11b protection
[basic-24.0] [basic-36.0] mechanisms and provides maximum throughput for
[basic-48.0] [basic-5.5] [basic-54.0] 802.11g clients. However, it prevents 802.11b clients from
[basic-6.0] [basic-9.0] [default] associating to the access point.
[m0-7] [m0.] [m1.] [m10.] [m11.]
• (Optional) Enter default to set the data rates to factory
[m12.] [m13.] [m14.] [m15.] [m2.]
default settings (not supported on 802.11b radios).
[m3.] [m4.] [m5.] [m6.] [m7.]
[m8-15] [m8.] [m9.] [ofdm] On the 802.11g radio, the default option sets rates 1, 2, 5.5,
[only-ofdm] | range | throughput} and 11 to basic, and rates 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 to
enabled. These rate settings allow both 802.11b and
802.11n 5-GHz radio:
802.11g client devices to associate to the wireless device
{[12.0] [18.0] [24.0] [36.0] [48.0] 802.11g radio.
[54.0] [6.0] [9.0] [basic-12.0] On the 5-GHz radio, the default option sets rates 6.0, 12.0,
[basic-18.0] [basic-24.0] and 24.0 to basic, and rates 9.0, 18.0, 36.0, 48.0, and 54.0
[basic-36.0] [basic-48.0] to enabled.
[basic-54.0] [basic-6.0] [basic-9.0]
[default] [m0-7] [m0.] [m1.] [m10.]
[m11.] [m12.] [m13.] [m14.] [m15.]
[m2.] [m3.] [m4.] [m5.] [m6.] [m7.]
[m8-15] [m8.] [m9.] | range |
throughput}
6-15
Configuring MCS Rates
Command Purpose
speed (continued) On the 802.11n 2.4-GHz radio, the default option sets
rates 1.0, 2.0, 5.5, and 11.0 to enabled.
On the 802.11n 5-GHz radio, the default option sets rates
to 6.0, 12.0, and 24.0 to enabled.
The default MCS rate setting for both 802.11n radios is
0–15.
Use the no form of the speed command to remove one or more data rates from the configuration. This
example shows how to remove data rates basic-2.0 and basic-5.5 from the configuration:
ap# configure terminal
ap(config)# interface dot11radio 0
ap(config-if)# no speed basic-2.0 basic-5.5
ap(config-if)# end

Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) is a specification of PHY parameters consisting of modulation order
(BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM) and FEC code rate (1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6). MCS is used in 802.11n
radios, which define 32 symmetrical settings (8 per spatial stream):
• MCS 0–7
• MCS 8–15
• MCS 16–23
• MCS 24–31
MCS is an important setting because it provides for potentially greater throughput. High throughput data
rates are a function of MCS, bandwidth, and guard interval. 802.11 a, b, and g radios use 20-MHz
channel widths.
Tip For the latest information on the Data Rates based on MCS Index, Guard Interval (GI), and channel
width, for you access point, refer to its Cisco Aironet (AP series name) Series Access Points Data Sheet
on the Cisco.com site.
MCS rates are configured using the speed command. The following example shows a speed setting for
an 802.11n 5-GHz radio:
no ip address
no ip route-cache
!
ssid 1260test
!
speed basic-1.0 2.0 5.5 11.0 6.0 9.0 12.0 18.0 24.0 36.0 48.0 54.0 m0. m1. m2. m3. m4.
m8. m9. m10. m11. m12. m13. m14. m15.
6-16
Enabling 11ac MCS rates
MCS rates are configured using the speed command.

To enable 11ac rates, it is mandatory to have at least one basic rate and one 11n rate enabled.
The following example shows a speed setting for an 802.11ac 5-GHz radio:
!
!
ssid 11ac
!
speed 6.0 9.0 12.0 18.0 24.0 36.0 48.0 54.0 m0. m1. m2. m3. m4. m5. m6. m7. m8. m9. m10.
m11. m12. m13. m14. m15. m16. m17. m18. m19. m20. m21. m22. m23. a1ss9 a2ss9 a3ss9
Channel width 80
Configuring unicast-mcs-only
If you want to configure the autonomous AP to transmit data only at MCS rate, use the command speed
unicast-mcs-only.
Note This command applies to both 2.4G and 5G radio interface, but only available for WGB mode of the
Cisco IW3702 access point.
For example, assume the configured rate set for WGB radio is basic-12.0 m0. m1. m2. m3. m4.
By default, speed unicast-mcs-only is disabled. All the configured rate (basic-12.0 m0. m1. m2. m3.
m4.) is available for data transmit.
When speed unicast-mcs-only is enabled, unicast data transmitting rate will be limited to the MCS
range of m0. m1. m2. m3. m4. Other data, such as management frames broadcast or multicast data, will
be transmitted in mandatory rate (basic rates).
The following example shows the configuration of speed unicast-mcs-only:
no ip address
!
!
ssid 11i
!
antenna gain 0
antenna a-antenna
peakdetect
ampdu transmit priority 1
amsdu transmit priority 6
amsdu transmit priority 7
speed unicast-mcs-only
speed basic-12.0 m0. m1. m2. m3. m4.
packet retries 32 drop-packet
station-role workgroup-bridge
end
6-17
Configuring Radio Transmit Power

Radio transmit power is based on the type of radio or radios installed in your access point and the
regulatory domain in which it operates. To determine what transmit power is available for your access
point and which regulatory domain it operates in, refer to the hardware installation guide for that device.
hardware installation guides are available at cisco.com. Follow these steps to view and download them:
Step 1 Browse to http://www.cisco.com.

Step 2 Click Technical Support & Documentation. A small window appears containing a list of technical
support links.
Step 3 Click Technical Support & Documentation. The Technical Support and Documentation page appears.
Step 4 In the Documentation & Tools section, choose Wireless. The Wireless Support Resources page appears.
Step 5 In the Wireless LAN Access section, choose the device you are working with. An introduction page for
the device appears.
Step 6 In the Install and Upgrade section, choose Install and Upgrade Guides. The Install and Upgrade Guides
page for the device appears.
Step 7 Choose the hardware installation guide for the device. The home page for the guide appears.
Step 8 In the left frame, click Channels and Antenna Settings.
Table 6-2 shows the relationship between mW and dBm.
Table 6-2 Translation between mW and dBm
dBm -1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
mW 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 80 100 125 150 200 250
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to set the transmit power on access point radios:
Command Purpose
The 2.4-GHz radio is radio 0, and the 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
The 2.4-GHz 802.11n radio is 0, and the 5-GHz 802.11n radio
is 1
Step 3 power local Set the transmit power for the 802.11b, 2.4-GHz radio or the
5-GHz radio to one of the power levels allowed in your
These options are available for the
regulatory domain.
802.11a, 5-GHz radio (in dBm), and
for the 2.4-GHz 802.11n radio (in Note See the hardware installation guide for your access
dBM): point to determine the power settings for your
{22 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4} regulatory domain.
6-18
Command Purpose
Step 4 power local Set the transmit power for the 802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio to one of
the power levels allowed in your regulatory domain. Settings
These options are available for the
are in dBm.
802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio:
On the 2.4-GHz, 802.11g radio, you can set Orthogonal
power local cck settings:
Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) power levels and
{ -1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | Complementary Code Keying (CCK) power levels. CCK
maximum } modulation is supported by 802.11b and 802.11g devices.
power local ofdm settings: OFDM modulation is supported by 802.11g and 802.11a
devices.
{ -1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 |maximum }
Note See the hardware installation guide for your access
Note These options are not point to determine the power settings for your
available on 802.11n APs. regulatory domain.
Note The 802.11g radio maximum transmission power level

depends the AP model. See the AP data sheet for the
power levels.
Use the no form of the power command to return the power setting to maximum, the default setting.
Limiting the Power Level for Associated Client Devices

You can also limit the power level on client devices that associate to the wireless device. When a client
device associates to the wireless device, the wireless device sends the maximum power level setting to
the client.
Note Cisco AVVID documentation uses the term Dynamic Power Control (DTPC) to refer to limiting the
power level on associated client devices.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to specify a maximum allowed power setting on
all client devices that associate to the wireless device:
Command Purpose
The 2.4-GHz radio is radio 0, and the 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
The 2.4-GHz 802.11n radio is 0, and the 5-GHz 802.11n radio
is 1.
6-19
Configuring Radio Channel Settings
Command Purpose
Step 3 power client Set the power level allowed on client devices that associate to
the wireless device. You can:
These options are available for both
802.11n 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz clients • Set any power level value in dBm from -127 to 127
(in dBm):
• Set the power level to local, to set the client power level to
{-127 to 127 | local | maximum} that of the access point.
• Set the power level to maximum, to set the client power to
the allowed maximum.
Note The settings allowed in your regulatory domain might
differ from the settings listed here.
Use the no form of the client power command to disable the maximum power level for associated clients.
Note Aironet extensions must be enabled to limit the power level on associated client devices. Aironet
extensions are enabled by default.

The default channel setting for the wireless device radios is least congested; at startup, the wireless
device scans for and selects the least-congested channel. For the most consistent performance after a site
survey, however, we recommend that you assign a static channel setting for each access point. The
channel settings on the wireless device correspond to the frequencies available in your regulatory
domain. See the access point hardware installation guide for the frequencies allowed in your domain.
Note In places where RF interference might be causing clients to occasionally get disconnected from the
wireless network, setting the wireless interface to run on a different channel, such as channel 1 (2412),
might avoid the interference.
Each 2.4-GHz channel covers 22 MHz. The channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap, so you can set up
multiple access points in the same vicinity without causing interference. Both 802.11b and 802.11g
2.4-GHz radios use the same channels and frequencies.
The 5-GHz radio operates on 9 channels from 5180 to 55825 MHz on 802.11n APs, and on 8 channels
from 5180 to 5805 on 1140 series APs. Each channel covers 20 MHz, and the bandwidth for the channels
overlaps slightly. For best performance, use channels that are not adjacent (44 and 46, for example) for
radios that are close to each other.
Note Too many access points in the same vicinity creates radio congestion that can reduce throughput. A
careful site survey can determine the best placement of access points for maximum radio coverage and
throughput.
6-20
Because they change frequently, channel settings are not included in this document. For up-to-date
information on channel settings for your access point or bridge, see the Channels and Maximum Power
Settings for Cisco Aironet Autonomous Access Points and Bridges. This document is available on
cisco.com at the following URL:
http://cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6521/tsd_products_support_install_and_upgrade.html
Channel Widths for 802.11n

802.11n allows both 20-MHz and 40-Mhz channel widths consisting of 2 contiguous non-overlapping
channels (for example, 5-GHz channels 36 and 40). 802.11n radios operate in the same band. However
the channel widths can be independently configured.
One of the 20-MHz channels is called the control channel. Legacy clients and 20-MHz high throughput
clients use the control channel. Beacons can only be sent on this channel. The second 20-MHz channel
is called the extension channel. 40-MHz stations may use this channel and the control channel
simultaneously.
A 40-MHz channel is specified as a channel and -1 as extension. So here, the control channel is channel
40-MHz and the extension channel is 36-Mhz below it.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to set the wireless device channel width:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface.
1slot/port}
The 2.4-GHz radio and the 802.11n 2.4-GHz is radio 0.
The 5-GHz radio and the 802.11n 5-GHz is radio 1.
Step 3 channel Set the default channel for the wireless device radio. To search for
{frequency | least-congested | the least-congested channel on startup, enter least-congested.
width [20 | 40-above | 40-below] Use the width option to specify a bandwidth to use. This option is
| dfs} available on all 802.11n APs, but only for the d1 (5 GHz) radio. It
has three settings: 20, 40-above, and 40-below. Choosing 20 sets
the channel width to 20 MHz. Choosing 40-above sets the channel
width to 40 Mhz with the extension channel above the control
channel. Choosing 40-below sets the channel width to 40 MHz
with the extension channel below the control channel.
Note The channel command is disabled for 5-GHz radios that
comply with European Union regulations on dynamic
frequency selection (DFS). See the “Setting the 802.11n
Guard Interval” section on page 6-26 for more information.
Step 5 copy running-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
startup-config
6-21
Dynamic Frequency Selection

Access points with 5-GHz radios configured at the factory for use in the United States, Europe,
Singapore, Korea, Japan, Israel, and Taiwan now comply with regulations that require radio devices to
use Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) to detect radar signals and avoid interfering with them. When
an access points detects a radar on a certain channel, it avoids using that channel for 30 minutes. Radios
configured for use in other regulatory domains do not use DFS.
When a DFS-enabled 5-GHz radio operates on one of the 15 channels listed in Table 6-3, the access point
automatically uses DFS to set the operating frequency. When DFS is enabled, the access point monitors
its operating frequency for radar signals. If it detects radar signals on the channel, the access point takes
these steps:
• Blocks new transmissions on the channel.
• Flushes the power-save client queues.
• Broadcasts an 802.11h channel-switch announcement.
• Disassociates remaining client devices.
• If participating in WDS, sends a DFS notification to the active WDS device that it is leaving the
frequency.
• Randomly selects a different 5-GHz channel.
• If the channel selected is one of the channels in Table 6-3, scans the new channel for radar signals
for 60 seconds.
• If there are no radar signals on the new channel, enables beacons and accepts client associations.
• If participating in WDS, sends a DFS notification of its new operating frequency to the active WDS
device.
Note You cannot manually select a channel for DFS-enabled 5-GHz radios in some regions, depending on the
regulatory requirements. The access points randomly selects a channel in that case.
The full list of channels that require DFS is shown in Table 6-3.
Table 6-3 DFS Channel List
Channel Frequency Channel Frequency Channel Frequency

52 5260 MHz 104 5500 MHz 124 5620 MHz
56 5280 MHz 108 5520 MHz 128 5640 MHz
60 5300 MHz 112 5560 MHz 132 5660 MHz
64 5320 MHz 116 5580 MHz 136 5680 MHz
100 5500 MHz 120 5600 MHz 140 5700 MHz
For autonomous operation, DFS requires random channel selection among the channels listed in
Table 6-3. The channels not listed in Table 6-3 do not require random selection and may be manually
configured.
Channels requiring Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) may be manually selected from the 5 GHz
radio configuration menu. To know the DFS channels, use the show controllers d1 command.
6-22
The GUI/CLI used to manually configure non-DFS channels can also be used to select DFS channels as
well. The default channel selection is "DFS", which randomly selects a channel.
If radar is detected on a manually configured DFS channel, the channel will be changed automatically
and will not return to the configured channel.
Prior to transmitting on any channels listed in Table 6-3, the access point radio performs a Channel
Availability Check (CAC). The CAC is a 60 second scan for the presence of radar signals on the channel.
The following sample messages are displayed on the access point console showing the beginning and
end of the CAC scan:
*Mar 6 07:37:30.423: %DOT11-6-DFS_SCAN_START: DFS: Scanning frequency 5500 MHz for

60 seconds
*Mar 6 07:37:30.385: %DOT11-6-DFS_SCAN_COMPLETE: DFS scan complete on frequency

5500 MHz
When operating on any of the DFS channels listed in Table 6-3, having already performed the CAC, the
access point constantly monitors the channel for radar. If radar is detected, the access point stops
forwarding data packets within 200 ms and broadcasts five beacons that include an 802.11h channel
switch announcement, indicating the channel number that the access point begins using. The following
example message displays on the access point console when radar is detected:
*Mar 6 12:35:09.750: %DOT11-6-DFS_TRIGGERED: DFS: triggered on frequency 5500 MHz

When radar is detected on a channel, that channel may not be used for 30 minutes. The access point
maintains a flag in non-volatile storage for each channel that it detects radar on in the last 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the flag is cleared for the corresponding channel. If the access point is rebooted before
a flag is cleared, the non-occupancy time is reset to 30 minutes when the channel initializes.
Note The maximum legal transmit power is greater for some 5-GHz channels than for others. When it
randomly selects a 5-GHz channel on which power is restricted, the access point automatically reduces
transmit power to comply with power limits for that channel.
Note We recommend that you use the world-mode dot11d country-code configuration interface command to
configure a country code on DFS-enabled radios. The IEEE 802.11h protocol requires access points to
include the country information element (IE) in beacons and probe responses. By default, however, the
country code in the IE is blank. You use the world-mode command to populate the country code IE.
Radar Detection on a DFS Channel

If your AP is installed near a radar station, it may detect radar activity on multiple channels. By using
the peakdetect command on interface dot11radio1, you can ensure that the AP will detect radar signals
and avoid interfering with them using Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS). By default this command is
enabled.
However, in cases where you suspect that the APs are getting false DFS triggers due to
in-band/off-channel weather radar signals that cannot be resolved using physical RF signal filters, you
can set the AP to not detect radar signals. If you do not want the AP to detect radar signals, use the
no peakdetect command on interface dot11radio1.
When an access point detects a radar on a DFS channel, the access point creates a file in its flash memory.
The file is based on the 802.11a radio serial number and contains the channel numbers on which the radar
is detected. This is an expected behavior and you should not remove this file.
6-23
CLI Commands
The following sections describe CLI commands that apply to DFS.
Confirming that DFS is Enabled

Use the show controllers dot11radio1 command to confirm that DFS is enabled. The command also
includes indications that uniform spreading is required and channels that are in the non-occupancy
period due to radar detection.
This example shows a line from the output for the show controller command for a channel on which DFS
is enabled. The indications listed in the previous paragraph are shown in bold:
ap#sh controllers dot11Radio 1
!
Radio ElliotNess 5, Base Address f4ea.6710.6590, BBlock version 0.00, Software version
4.10.1
Serial number: FOC16145K24
Unused dynamic SQRAM memory: 0x00007CB4 (31 KB)
Unused dynamic SDRAM memory: 0x0008E490 (569 KB)
Spectrum FW version: 1.14.2
Number of supported simultaneous BSSID on Dot11Radio1: 16
Carrier Set: Americas (OFDM) (US) (-A)
Uniform Spreading Required: Yes
Configured Frequency: 0 MHz Channel 0
Allowed Frequencies: * Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) only
5180( 36) 5200( 40) 5220( 44) 5240( 48) *5260( 52) *5280( 56) *5300( 60)
*5320( 64) *5500(100) *5520(104)
*5540(108) *5560(112) *5580(116) *5660(132) *5680(136) *5700(140) 5745(149)
5765(153) 5785(157) 5805(161)
5825(165)
Listen Frequencies:
5180( 36) 5200( 40) 5220( 44) 5240( 48) 5260( 52) 5280( 56) 5300( 60)
5320( 64) 5500(100) 5520(104)
5540(108) 5560(112) 5580(116) 5600(120) 5620(124) 5640(128) 5660(132)
5680(136) 5700(140) 5745(149)
5765(153) 5785(157) 5805(161) 5825(165)
DFS Blocked Frequencies: none

Beacon Flags: 0, Interface Flags 20109, Interface Events 0, Mode 9; Beacons are disabled;
Probes are disabled
Configured TxPower: 14 dBm
Allowed Power Levels: 14 11 8 5 2 dBm
Allowed Client Power Levels: 14 11 8 5 2 dBm
Antenna: Rx[a b c d ]
Tx[a b c d ofdm all]
External
Gain [Allowed 12, Reported 0, Configured 0, In Use 12]
(dBi x 2)
6-24
Configuring a Channel
Use the channel command to configure a channel. The command for the interface is modified to only
allow you to select a specific channel number and to enable DFS.
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio1 dfs Enter the configuration interface for the 802.11a radio
Step 3 channel {number | dfs |band <1 - For number, enter a channel frequency from 36 to 5825.
4>}
Enter dfs and one of the following frequency bands to use
dynamic frequency selection on the selected channel:
1—5.150 to 5.250 GHz
2—5.250 to 5.350 Ghz
3—5.470 to 5.725 GHz
4—5.725 to 5.825 GHz
If you attempt to configure a channel that may only be selected
by dfs, the following message appears:
This channel number/frequency can only be used by
Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)
Note The channel dfs command is not supported in -P and
-Q regulatory domains.
Step 4 end Return to the privileged EXEC mode.
Step 5 show running-config Verify your entries
Step 6 copy running-config startup-config (Optional) Save your entries to the configuration file.
The following example configures the 5 GHz radio to use DFS:

ap# configure terminal
ap(config)# interface dot11radio1
ap(config-if)# channel dfs
ap(config-if)# end
Blocking Channels from DFS Selection

If your regulatory domain limits the channels that you can use in specific locations--for example, indoors
or outdoors--you can block groups of channels to prevent the access point from selecting them when DFS
is enabled. Use this configuration interface command to block groups of channels from DFS selection:
[no] dfs band [1] [2] [3] [4] block
The 1, 2, 3, and 4 options designate blocks of channels:
• 1—Specifies frequencies 5.150 to 5.250 GHz. This group of frequencies is also known as the UNII-1
band.
band.
• 3—Specifies frequencies 5.470 to 5.725 GHz. This group of frequencies is also known as UNII-2
extended.
6-25
Enabling and Disabling World Mode
band.
This example shows how to prevent the access point from selecting frequencies 5.150 to 5.350 GHz
during DFS:
ap(config-if)# dfs band 1 2 block
This example shows how to unblock frequencies 5.150 to 5.350 for DFS:
ap(config-if)# no dfs band 1 2 block
This example shows how to unblock all frequencies for DFS:

ap(config-if)# no dfs band block
Setting the 802.11n Guard Interval

The 802.11n guard interval is the period in nanoseconds between packets. Two settings are available:
short (400ns) and long (800ns).
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to set the 802.11n guard interval.
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | 1} Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface.
The 802.11n 2.4-GHz radio is radio 0
The 802.11n 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
Step 3 guard-interval {any | long} Enter a guard interval.
• any—allows the AP to use 400 ns with clients supporting
short GIs, and 800 ns with clients not supporting short GIs,
i.e. either the short (400ns) or long (800ns) guard interval.
• long—allows only the long (800ns) guard interval.
Step 5 copy running-config (Optional) Save your entries in the configuration file.
startup-config
Enabling and Disabling World Mode

You can configure the wireless device to support 802.11d world mode, Cisco legacy world mode, or
world mode roaming. When you enable world mode, the AP adds channel carrier set information to its
beacon. Client devices with world mode enabled receive the carrier set information and adjust their
settings automatically. For example, a client device used primarily in Japan could rely on world mode to
adjust its channel and power settings automatically when it travels to Italy and joins a network there.
World mode is disabled by default.
6-26
Disabling and Enabling Short Radio Preambles
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to enable world mode:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0slot/port | 1} Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface.
Step 3 world-mode Enable world mode.
dot11d country_code code
• Enter the dot11d option to enable 802.11d world mode.
{ both | indoor | outdoor }
world-mode roaming – When you enter the dot11d option, you must enter a
| legacy two-character ISO country code (for example, the ISO
country code for the United States is US). You can find
a list of ISO country codes at the ISO website.
– After the country code, you must enter indoor,
outdoor, or both to indicate the placement of the
wireless device.
• Enter the legacy option to enable Cisco legacy world
mode.
• Enter the world-mode roaming to place the access point
in a continuous world mode configuration.
Note Aironet extensions must be enabled for legacy world
mode operation, but Aironet extensions are not
required for 802.11d world mode. Aironet extensions
are enabled by default.
Use the no form of the command to disable world mode.
Disabling and Enabling Short Radio Preambles

The radio preamble is a section of data at the head of a frame that helps the APs and clients to
synchronize their communication. You can set the radio preamble to long or short:
• Short—A short preamble improves throughput performance. Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client
Adapters support short preambles. Any 802.11b or 802.11g certified device supports short
preambles. However, some client devices still require long preambles, even when they are 802.11b/g
certified.
• Long—Long preambles are used by legacy 802.11 only devices, and some 802.11b/g devices that
expect long preambles for optimal operations. If these client devices do not associate to the wireless
devices, you should use short preambles.
6-27
Configuring Transmit and Receive Antennas
You cannot configure short or long radio preambles on the 5-GHz radio.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to disable short radio preambles:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio { 0slot/port } Enter interface configuration mode for the 2.4-GHz radio
interface.
Step 3 no preamble-short Disable short preambles and enable long preambles.
Short preambles are enabled by default. Use the preamble-short command to enable short preambles if
they are disabled.
Configuring Transmit and Receive Antennas

You can select the antenna the wireless device uses to receive and transmit data. There are three options
for both the receive and the transmit antenna:
• Gain—Sets the resultant antenna gain in dB.
• Diversity—This default setting tells the wireless device to use the antenna that receives the best
signal. If the wireless device has two fixed (non-removable) antennas, you should use this setting
for both receive and transmit. If the device has three removable antennas, you can use this setting to
have all of them operate in diversity mode
• Right—If the wireless device has removable antennas and you install a high-gain antenna on the
wireless device's right connector, you should use this setting for both receive and transmit. When
you look at the wireless device's back panel, the right antenna is on the right.
• Middle—If the wireless device has removable antennas and you install a high-gain antenna on the
wireless device middle connector, you should use this setting for receiving only. The antennas
available for transmitting in a three-antenna configuration are the right and left antennas.
• Left—If the wireless device has removable antennas and you install a high-gain antenna on the
wireless device's left connector, you should use this setting for both receive and transmit. When you
look at the wireless device's back panel, the left antenna is on the left.
This does not apply for dual antenna APs such as the 1600, 2600, and 3600 series. Please check the
respective hardware guides for further information.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to select the antennas the wireless device uses
to receive and transmit data:
Command Purpose
2.4-GHz radio is radio 0, and the 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
6-28
Enabling and Disabling Gratuitous Probe Response
Command Purpose
Step 3 antenna again dB Specifies the resultant gain of the antenna attached to the
device. Enter a value from –128 to 128 dB.
Note This setting does not affect the behavior of the wireless
device; it only informs the management platform on
your network of the device antenna gain.
Step 4 antenna receive Set the receive antenna to diversity, left, middle, right, or all.
{diversity | left | middle | right}
Note For best performance with two antennas, leave the
On the 2600 and the 3600 series, receive antenna setting at the default setting, diversity.
this command is: For one antenna, attach the antenna on the right and set
the antenna for right.
antenna receive
{a-antenna | ab-antenna |
On the 2600 and the 3600 series APs:
abc-antenna | abcd-antenna}
• a-antenna—to use antenna A
• ab-antenna—to use antennas A and B
• abc-antenna—to use antennas A, B, and C
• abcd-antenna—to use antennas A, B, C, and D
Step 5 antenna transmit Set the transmit antenna to diversity, left, or right.
{diversity | left | right}
Note For best performance with two antennas, leave the
On the 2600 and the 3600 series, receive antenna setting at the default setting, diversity.
this command is: For one antenna, attach the antenna on the right and set
antenna transmit the antenna for right.
{a-antenna | ab-antenna |
On the 2600 and the 3600 series APs:
abc-antenna | abcd-antenna}
• a-antenna—to use antenna A
• ab-antenna—to use antennas A and B
• abc-antenna—to use antennas A, B, and C
• abcd-antenna—to use antennas A, B, C, and D
Enabling and Disabling Gratuitous Probe Response

Gratuitous Probe Response (GPR) aids in conserving battery power in dual mode phones that support
cellular and WLAN modes of operation. GPR is available on 5-Ghz radios and is disabled by default.
You can configure two GPR settings:
• Period—This setting determines the time between GPR transmissions in Kusec (or milliseconds)
intervals from 10 to 255 (similar to the beacon period)
• Speed—The speed is the data rate used to transmit the GPR
Selecting a longer period reduces the amount of RF bandwidth consumed by the GPR with the possibility
of shorter battery life. Selecting higher transmission speeds also reduces the amount of bandwidth
consumed but at the expense of a smaller cell size.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to enable GPR and set its parameters:
6-29
Disabling and Enabling Aironet Extensions
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {1}slot/port Enter interface configuration mode for the 5-GHz radio
interface.
Step 3 probe-response gratuitous Enable the Gratuitous Probe Response feature using default
{period | speed} period (10 Kusec) and speed (6.0 Mbps).
Step 4 period Kusec (Optional) Enter a value from 10 to 255. The default value is 10
Step 5 speed (Optional) Sets the response speed in Mbps. The default value
{[6.0] [9.0] [12.0] [18.0] [24.0] is 6.0.
[36.0] [48.0 ] [54.0] }
The optional parameters can be configured independently or combined when you do not want to use the
defaults, as shown in the following examples:
(config-if)# probe-response gratuitous period 30
(config-if)# probe-response gratuitous speed 12.0
(config-if)# probe-response gratuitous period 30 speed 12.0
Use the no form of the command to disable the GPR feature.
Disabling and Enabling Aironet Extensions

By default, the wireless device uses Cisco Aironet 802.11 extensions to detect the capabilities of Cisco
Aironet client devices and to support features that require specific interaction between the wireless
device and associated client devices. Aironet extensions must be enabled to support these features:
• Load balancing—The wireless device uses Aironet extensions to direct client devices to an access
point that provides the best connection to the network based on factors such as number of users, bit
error rates, and signal strength.
• Message Integrity Check (MIC)—MIC is an additional WEP security feature that prevents attacks
on encrypted packets called bit-flip attacks. The MIC, implemented on both the wireless device and
all associated client devices, adds a few bytes to each packet to make the packets tamper-proof.
• Cisco Key Integrity Protocol (CKIP)—Cisco's WEP key permutation technique based on an early
algorithm presented by the IEEE 802.11i security task group. The standards-based algorithm, TKIP,
does not require Aironet extensions to be enabled.
• Repeater mode—Aironet extensions must be enabled on repeater access points and on the root
access points to which they associate.
• World mode (legacy only)—Client devices with legacy world mode enabled receive carrier set
information from the wireless device and adjust their settings automatically. Aironet extensions are
not required for 802.11d world mode operation.
• Limiting the power level on associated client devices—When a client device associates to the
wireless device, the wireless device sends the maximum allowed power level setting to the client.
Disabling Aironet extensions disables the features listed above, but it sometimes improves the ability of
non-Cisco client devices to associate to the wireless device.
6-30
Configuring the Ethernet Encapsulation Transformation Method
Aironet extensions are enabled by default. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to
disable Aironet extensions:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | 1slot/port Enter interface configuration mode for the radio interface. The
} 2.4-GHz radio is radio 0, and the 5-GHz radio is radio 1.
Step 3 no dot11 extension aironet Disable Aironet extensions.
Use the dot11 extension aironet command to enable Aironet extensions if they are disabled.
Configuring the Ethernet Encapsulation Transformation Method

Frames contain a field that specifies the upper Layer protocol that should be used (such as IP, IPX, ARP,
etc). This field is necessary at the receiver level to direct the frame properly in the receiver network stack.
There are two main techniques for protocol indication:
• EtherType—A 16 bit value that indicates the protocol carried in the frame. EtherType is used in
Ethernet 2.0/DIX networks.
• LLC/SNAP—A 6 byte header that allows for an 802.2 link layer protocol indication. LLC/SNAP is
used in 802.3 and 802.11 networks.
When the access point receives from the wired network frames that use EtherType information, it needs
a mechanism to convert this EtherType information to SNAP/LLC information. There are two
transformation methods:
• 802.1H—This method provides good performance for Cisco Aironet wireless products.
• RFC 1042—Use this setting to ensure good interoperability with non-Cisco Aironet wireless
equipment. RFC 1042 is used by other manufacturers of wireless equipment and is the default
setting. This is the default setting.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the encapsulation transformation
method:
Command Purpose
6-31
Enabling and Disabling Reliable Multicast to Workgroup Bridges
Command Purpose
Step 3 payload-encapsulation Set the encapsulation transformation method to RFC 1042
(rfc1042, the default setting) or 802.1h (dot1h).
rfc1042 | dot1h
Enabling and Disabling Reliable Multicast to Workgroup

Bridges
The Reliable multicast messages from the access point to workgroup bridges setting limits reliable
delivery of multicast messages to up to 20 Cisco Aironet Workgroup Bridges that are associated to the
AP. The default setting, disabled, reduces the reliability of multicast delivery but allows more
workgroup bridges to associate to the wireless device.
Access points and bridges normally treat workgroup bridges not as client devices but as infrastructure
devices, like access points or bridges. Treating a workgroup bridge as an infrastructure device means that
the wireless device reliably delivers multicast packets and some broadcast packets, including Address
Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets, to the workgroup bridge.
The AP sends multicast frames to a multicast address, and then again sends the multicast frames to the
workgroup bridge, encapsulated in a unicast frame, that is acknowledged by the workgroup bridge. This
verification mechanism creates wireless overhead, and reduces the throughput on the access point.
The performance cost of reliable multicast delivery—duplication of each multicast packet sent to each
workgroup bridge—limits the number of infrastructure devices, including workgroup bridges, that can
associate to the wireless device. To increase beyond 20 the number of workgroup bridges that can
maintain a radio link to the wireless device, the wireless device must reduce the delivery reliability of
multicast packets to workgroup bridges. With reduced reliability, the wireless device cannot confirm
whether multicast packets reach the intended workgroup bridge, so workgroup bridges at the edge of the
wireless device's coverage area might lose IP connectivity. When you treat workgroup bridges as client
devices, you increase performance but reduce reliability.
Note This feature is best suited for use with stationary workgroup bridges. Mobile workgroup bridges might
encounter spots in the wireless device's coverage area where they do not receive multicast packets and
lose communication with the wireless device even though they are still associated to it.
A Cisco Aironet Workgroup Bridge provides a wireless LAN connection for up to eight
Ethernet-enabled devices.
6-32
Enabling and Disabling Reliable Multicast to Workgroup Bridges
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the encapsulation transformation
method:
Note To configure reliable multicast forwarding, this configuration should be done on the AP, and not on the
workgroup bridge.
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface dot11radio {0 | 1} Enter interface configuration mode for the 2.4-GHz radio
interface.
Step 3 infrastructure-client Enable reliable multicast messages to workgroup bridges.
Use the no form of the command to disable reliable multicast messages to workgroup bridges.
The workgroup bridge will start receiving the multicast frame and then the unicast copy of the same
frame, which results in duplication of frames at the receiver level and is therefore inefficient.
To configure the workgroup bridge to consider only the multicast frame or the unicast copy at the
workgroup bridge radio level, use the following commands:
Command Purpose
station-role workgroup-bridge You can set either one of the following:
multicast mode
• Client—Client-mode accepts only 3-MAC address header
{client | infrastructure} mulitcast packets
• Infrastructure—Infrastructure-mode accepts only 4-MAC
address header multicast packets
If you set reliable multicast on the AP, then you are
recommended to use infrastructure at workgroup bridge level.
If you do not set reliable multicast at the AP, use client at the
workgroup bridge level.
For example, the following command uses infrastructure at the workgroup bridge level:
WGB(config-if)# station-role workgroup-bridge multicast mode infrastructure
6-33
Enabling and Disabling Public Secure Packet Forwarding

Public Secure Packet Forwarding (PSPF) prevents client devices associated to an access point from
inadvertently sharing files or communicating with other client devices associated to the access point. It
provides Internet access to client devices without providing other capabilities of a LAN. This feature is
useful for public wireless networks like those installed in airports or on college campuses.
Note To prevent communication between clients associated to different access points, you must set up
protected ports on the switch to which the wireless devices are connected. See the “Configuring
Protected Ports” section on page 6-35 for instructions on setting up protected ports.
To enable and disable PSPF using CLI commands on the wireless device, you use bridge groups. You
can find a detailed explanation of bridge groups and instructions for implementing them in this
document:
• Cisco IOS Bridging and IBM Networking Configuration Guide, Release 12.2. Click this link to
browse to the Configuring Transparent Bridging chapter:
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/software/ios122/122cgcr/fibm_c/bcfpart1/bcftb.
htm
You can also enable and disable PSPF using the web-browser interface. The PSPF setting is on the Radio
Settings pages.
PSPF is disabled by default. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to enable PSPF:
Command Purpose
Step 3 bridge-group group port-protected Enable PSPF.
Use the no form of the command to disable PSPF.
6-34
Configuring Protected Ports

To prevent communication between client devices associated with different access points on your
wireless LAN, you can set up protected ports on the switch to which the wireless devices are connected.
Alternatively, you should isolate ports on the same switch that leads to APs between which you do not
want communication to occur.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to define a port on your switch as a protected
port:
Command Purpose
Step 2 interface interface-id Enter interface configuration mode, and enter the type and
number of the switchport interface to configure, such as
gigabitethernet0/1.
Step 3 switchport protected Configure the interface to be a protected port.
Step 5 show interfaces interface-id Verify your entries.
switchport
To disable protected port, use the no switchport protected interface configuration command. This
command is only valid at an individual switch level. It does not isolate APs connected to different
switches. You can use this command on ports to all APs on a given switch among which you do not want
communication to occur. Alternatively, you can use private VLAN configuration for the AP.
Note When using wireless domain services (WDS), make sure not to block communication between the APs
and their WDS.
For detailed information on configuring private VLANs and on protected ports and port blocking, see
the Catalyst 3750 Software Configuration Guide, at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12-2_55_se/configur
ation/guide/scg3750.html
6-35
Configuring the Beacon Period and the DTIM
Configuring the Beacon Period and the DTIM

The beacon period is the amount of time between access point beacons in Kilomicroseconds. One Kµsec
equals 1,024 microseconds. The Data Beacon Rate, always a multiple of the beacon period, determines
how often the beacon contains a delivery traffic indication message (DTIM). The DTIM tells power-save
client devices that a packet is waiting for them.
For example, if the beacon period is set at 100, its default setting, and the DTIM is set at 2, its default
setting, then the AP sends a beacon containing a DTIM every 2 beacons, or every 200 Kµsec, or every
200 ms. One Kµsec equals 1,024 microseconds.
The default beacon period is 100, and the default DTIM is 2. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode,
follow these steps to configure the beacon period and the DTIM:
Command Purpose
The 2.4-GHz radio and the 802.11n 2.4-GHz radio is 0.
The 5-GHz radio and the 802.11n 5-GHz radio is 1.
Step 3 beacon period value Set the beacon period in the range 20 to 4000. Enter a value in
Kilomicroseconds.
Step 4 beacon dtim-period value Set the DTIM in the range 1 to 100. Enter a value in
Kilomicroseconds.
Configure RTS Threshold and Retries

The RTS threshold determines the packet size at which the wireless device issues a request to send (RTS)
before sending the packet. A low RTS Threshold setting can be useful in areas where many client devices
are associating with the wireless device, or in areas where the clients are far apart and can detect only
the wireless device and not each other. You can enter a setting ranging from 0 to 23472347 bytes.
Maximum RTS retries is the maximum number of times the wireless device issues an RTS before
stopping the attempt to send the packet over the radio. Enter a value from 1 to 128.
The default RTS threshold is 2347 for all access points and bridges, and the default maximum RTS
retries setting is 3264. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the RTS
threshold and maximum RTS retries:
Command Purpose
The 2.4-GHz radio and the 2.4-GHz 802.11n radio is 0.
The 5-GHz radio and the 5-GHz 802.11n radio is 1.
6-36
Configuring the Maximum Data Packet Retries
Command Purpose
Step 3 rts threshold value Set the RTS threshold. Enter an RTS threshold from 0 to
23472347.
Step 4 rts retries value Set the maximum RTS retries. Enter a setting from 1 to 128.
Use the no form of the command to reset the RTS settings to defaults.
Configuring the Maximum Data Packet Retries

The maximum data retries setting determines the number of attempts the wireless device makes to send
a packet before giving up and dropping the packet.
The default setting is 32. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the
maximum data retries:
Command Purpose
Step 3 packet retries value [drop-packet] Set the maximum data retries. Enter a setting from 1 to 128.
If the drop-packet option is used, the device stops trying to send
the current packet, and moves on to try sending the next packet
in the queue, without disconnecting.
When the drop-packet option is not used, the wireless device
determines that the link is not usable anymore, stops trying to
send the current packet and terminates the connection.
Use the no form of the command to reset the setting to defaults.
6-37
Configuring the Fragmentation Threshold
Configuring the Fragmentation Threshold

The fragmentation threshold determines the size at which packets are fragmented (sent as several pieces
instead of as one block). Use a low setting in areas where communication is poor or where there is a great
deal of radio interference.
The default setting is 23382346 bytes. Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to
configure the fragmentation threshold:
Command Purpose
Step 3 fragment-threshold value Set the fragmentation threshold. Enter a setting from 256 to
2346 bytes for the 2.4-GHz radio. Enter a setting from 256 to
2346 bytes for the 5-GHz radio.
Use the no form of the command to reset the setting to defaults.
Configuring the CCA Threshold

Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) is a mechanism for determining whether the channel is idle or not
before actually transmitting. The device physically listens to the channel. If the channel power is above
a predifined threshold, the channel is considered busy and the transmitting will not start.
Note This configuration is supported only on the IW3702 platform.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the CCA threshold:
Command Purpose
Step 3 cca-threshold value Configure the CCA threshold for the radio interface.
The CCA threshold value range is from 30 to 100, which means
-100dBm to -30 dBm.
6-38
Configuring the RX-SOP Threshold
Configuring the RX-SOP Threshold

Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx SOP) determines the Wi-Fi signal level in dBm at
which an access point's radio demodulates and decodes a packet. As the Wi-Fi level increases, the radio
sensitivity decreases and the receiver cell size becomes smaller. Reduction of the cell size affects the
distribution of clients in the network.
Rx SOP is used to address clients with weak RF links, sticky clients, and client load balancing across
access points. Rx SOP helps to optimize the network performance at high-density deployments such as
stadiums and auditoriums where access points need to optimize the nearest and strongest clients.
Note This configuration is supported only on the IW3702 platform.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to configure the Receiver Start of Packet
Detection (RX-SOP) threshold:
Command Purpose
Step 3 rxsop-threshold value Configure the RX-SOP threshold for the radio interface.
The RX-SOP threshold value range is from 60 to 100, which
means -100dBm to -60 dBm.
Enabling Short Slot Time for 802.11g Radios

You can increase throughput on the 802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio by enabling short slot time. Reducing the
slot time from the standard 20 microseconds to the 9-microsecond short slot time decreases the overall
backoff, which increases throughput. Backoff, which is a multiple of the slot time, is the random length
of time that a station waits before sending a packet on the LAN.
Many 802.11g radios support short slot time, but some do not. When you enable short slot time, the
wireless device uses the short slot time only when all clients associated to the 802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio
support short slot time.
Short slot time is supported only on the 802.11g, 2.4-GHz radio. Short-slot time is not supported by
802.11b clients. If you enable short slot time, 802.11b clients will not be able to join or communicate
with the AP radio. Short slot time is disabled by default.
In radio interface mode, enter this command to enable short slot time:
ap(config-if)# short-slot-time
Enter no short-slot-time to disable short slot time.
6-39
Performing a Carrier Busy Test
Performing a Carrier Busy Test

You can perform a carrier busy test to check the radio activity on wireless channels. During the carrier
busy test, the wireless device drops all associations with wireless networking devices for 4 seconds while
it conducts the carrier test and then displays the test results.
In privileged EXEC mode, enter this command to perform a carrier busy test:
dot11 interface-number carrier busy
For interface-number, enter dot11radio 0 to run the test on the 2.4-GHz radio, or enter dot11radio 1 to
run the test on the 5-GHz radio.
Note The interface must be enabled for the carrier busy test to be performed.
Use the show dot11 carrier busy command to re-display the carrier busy test results.
ap#dot11 dot11Radio 1 carrier busy
ap#show dot11 carrier busy
Frequency Carrier Busy %
--------- --------------
5180 2
5200 0
5220 2
5240 1
5260 1
5280 0
5300 1
5320 0
5500 0
5520 0
5540 0
5560 0
5580 0
5660 0
5680 0
5700 0
5745 0
5765 0
5785 0
5805 0
5825 0
Configuring VoIP Packet Handling

You can improve the quality of VoIP packet handling per radio on access points by enhancing 802.11
MAC behavior for lower latency for Wireless class of service 5 (Video) and wireless class of service 6
(Voice).
Follow these steps to configure VoIP packet handling on an access point:
Step 1 Using a browser, log in to the access point.

Step 2 Click Services in the task menu at the top of the web-browser interface.
Step 3 In the left menu, click Stream.
6-40
The Stream page appears.

Step 4 Click the tab for the radio to configure.
Step 5 For both CoS 5 (Video) and CoS 6 (Voice) user priorities, choose Low Latency from the Packet Handling
drop-down list and enter a value for maximum retries for packet discard in the corresponding field.
Packets in other queues are dequeued, giving delay-sensitive data preferential treatment over other
traffic.
The default value for maximum retries is 3 for the Low Latency setting (Figure 6-4). This value indicates
how many times the access point will try to resend a lost packet before discarding it.
Note You may also configure the CoS 4 (Controlled Load) user priority and its maximum retries value.
Step 6 Click Apply.
Figure 6-4 Packet Handling Configuration
You can also configure VoIP packet handling using the CLI. For a list of Cisco IOS commands for
configuring VoIP packet handling using the CLI, consult the Cisco IOS Command Reference for Cisco
Aironet Access Points and Bridges.
Once you have defined the retry level, you can also configure the speed at which those frames should be
sent. This is done at the bottom of the page, in the Low Latency Packet Rates section. You can set each
rate to:
• Nominal—The AP will try to use this rate to send the Low Latency Packets (using the faster rate
first, and of course depending on the client signal level).
• Non-nominal—The AP will try not to use that rate, but will revert to it if no nominal rate is possible.
• Disabled—The AP will not try to use that rate.
From the CLI, use radio interface config commands as follows (The CLI commands offer more options
than the GUI page):
packet max-retries number 1 number 2 fail-threshold number 3 number 4 priority value drop-packet
6-41
In the previous command:

• Number 1—Defines the number of times the AP should try to resend a packet that was not received
properly (not acknowledged), for a given priority level. Once number 1 is reached, the AP drops the
packet and tries to send the next one (to the same recipient).
• Number 3—Determines how many consecutive packets (sent to one recipient) can fail before the AP
decides that its fail-rate exceeds an acceptable threshold.
• Number 2—Once the fail-threshold is exceeded, the AP may still resend failed packets, but with a
different number of attempts than before the threshold is exceeded. This is number 2. For example,
you can decide initially to resend each packet 3 times (number 1). Then, if your AP fails to send a
certain number of consecutive packets (for example 100, as number 3), you can decide that
conditions are degraded, and that your AP should only try to resend each following packet once
(which is number 2).
• Number 4—Determines how many more consecutive packets the AP should try to resend with
number 2 retries before de-associating the target client.
Example:
ap(config-if)# packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 priority 6 drop-packet
In this example, the AP tries to resend each packet of priority level 6 three times (number one = 3). If
more than 100 consecutive packets (number three = 100) fail to the same destination, the AP sends each
consecutive packet to that destination only once (number two = 0). If 500 more packets (number four =
500) fail to that same destination, the AP disconnects that client.
When using the GUI, number one is defined manually (default is 3). Number 2 defaults to 0, number 3
defaults to 100 and number 4 defaults to 500. These numbers can then be changed from the CLI.
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries ?
<0-128> # packet retries before dropping pkt if first fail-threshold not
reached
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 ?
<0-128> # packet retries before dropping pkt if 2nd fail-threshold not
reached
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 ?
fail-threshold maximum # consecutive dropped packets thresholds
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fa
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold ?
<0-1000> # consecutive dropped packets before switching max-retries
thresholds
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 ?

<0-1000> number of consecutive dropped packets before disassociating client
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 ?

priority qos user-priority
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 p

ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 priority ?
<0-7> qos user-priority number
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 priority 6 ?

drop-packet Don't retry pkts, just drop packets when max retries reached
6-42
Configuring ClientLink
ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 priority 6 d

ap(config-if)#packet max-retries 3 0 fail-threshold 100 500 priority 6 drop-packet
Low latency Packet rates can also be defined at the interface level, using the following command which
defines the nominal rates and the allowed rates to use:
traffic-stream priority value sta-rates {[nominal rates] | [rates]}
ap(config-if)# traffic-stream priority 6 sta-rates ?
12.0 Allow 12.0 Mb/s rate
nom-12.0 Allow Nominal 12.0 Mb/s rate
<cr>
Example:
ap(config-if)# traffic-stream priority 6 sta-rates nom-5.5 nom-11.0 nom-6.0 9.0 nom-12.0
nom-24.0
For the voice queue (UP 6 specifically), you can also use the interface command packet speed to
determine the rates allowed to use to send packets in the voice queue:
packet speed 5.5 11.0 6.0 9.0 12.0 24.0 priority 6
Notice that the packet speed command focuses on defining the allowed rates, while the command
traffic-stream priority also defines the preferred rates among the allowed rates. If you use both
commands for the voice queue, the rates defined as nominal in the traffic stream priority command are
tried first, then non nominal rates and packet speed rates are attempted.
Configuring ClientLink
Cisco ClientLink (referred to as Beam Forming) is an intelligent beamforming technology that directs
the RF signal to 802.11a/g devices to improve performance by 65%, improve coverage by up to 27%
percent, and reduce coverage holes.
Cisco ClientLink helps extend the useful life of existing 802.11a/g devices in mixed-client networks and
802.11n clients supporting only one traffic stream. It is beneficial for organizations that move to 802.11n
and want to ensure that all clients on the network, regardless of type, are guaranteed the bandwidth and
throughput they need.
Note CLientLink Ver 1 supports 802.11 a/g devices and ClientLink Ver 2 supports 802.11 a/g devices and
802.11n devices with one spatial stream.
6-43
Debugging Radio Functions
Note ClientLink is not supported on the 1040, 702 series access points.
Using the CLI to Configure ClientLink

To enable ClientLink, enter this CLI command in interface configuration mode on 802.11n radio
interfaces:
beamform ofdm
Note Currently the ClientLink configuration option is not available through GUI.
To determine the threshold from which you start doing ClientLink, use the following command:
ap(config-if)# beamform rssi 30to128-rssi-threshold-in-dBm
ClientLink is disabled by default. Additional details can be found on cisco.com at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5678/ps10092/white_paper_c11-516389.html
Debugging Radio Functions

Use the debug dot11 privileged EXEC command to begin debugging of radio functions. Use the no form
of this command to stop the debug operation. The command syntax is:
[no] debug dot11
{events | packets | forwarding | mgmt | network-map | syslog | virtual-interface}
The syntax is described in Table 6-4.
Table 6-4 Syntax for debug dot11 Command
Syntax Description
events Activates debugging of all radio related events
packets Activates debugging of radio packets received and
transmitted
forwarding Activates debugging of radio forwarded packets
mgmt Activates debugging of radio access point
management activity
network-map Activates debugging of radio association
management network map
syslog Activates debugging of radio system log
virtual interface Activates debugging of radio virtual interfaces
This example shows how to begin debugging of all radio-related events:

AP# debug dot11 events
This example shows how to begin debugging of radio packets:

AP# debug dot11 packets
6-44
802.11r Configuration
This example shows how to begin debugging of the radio system log:
AP# debug dot11 syslog
This example shows how to stop debugging of all radio related events:
AP# no debug dot11 events
Note Debugging not enabled is the default of the command.
802.11r Configuration
802.11r enables fast roaming across access point in the same subnet using Wireless Domain Service.
When you enable 802.11r, a Mobility Domain Information Element (MDIE) is advertised in the AP
beacons. The same MDIE is announced by all APs associated to the same WDS. The last 2 bytes of the
WDS BVI IP address (IPv4 or Ipv6) is used as MDIE. 802.11r compatible clients use this MDIE to
identify APs belonging to the same domain and between which fast roaming is possible.
For a client to move from its current AP to a target AP utilizing the FT protocols, the message exchanges
are performed using one of two methods:
• Over-the-Air—The client communicates directly with the target AP using IEEE 802.11
authentication with the FT authentication algorithm. To set this, use the command:
ap(config-if)#dot11 dot11r pre-authentication over-air
• Over-the-DS—The client communicates with the target AP via the current AP. The communication
between the client and the target AP is carried in FT action frames between the client and the current
AP, and is then sent through the WDS to the target AP. To set this, use the command:
ap(config-if)#dot11 dot11r pre-authentication over-ds
On an AP radio, you can enable 802.11r support, and decide if roaming dialog should occur over the air
(default) or over the DS, and also configure the maximum time allowed for a client to complete the
roaming transaction. The maximum time allowed for a client to complete the roaming transaction is
called Re-association Timer. This timer allows you to add security to your network by preventing
attackers from opening many 802.11r transactions without completing any of them, which can overload
the AP. You can set this timer using the following command:
ap(config-if)#dot11 dot11r reassociation-time value 20to1200-timeout-value-in-milli-seconds
Example:Enable 802.11r, with authentication over the DS, and re-association time value of 200 ms.
aap(config-if)#dot11 dot11r pre-authentication over-ds
ap(config-if)#dot11 dot11r reassociation-time value 200
Note Test 802.11r before implementing it into your network. Some non-802.11r clients do not support 802.11r
MDIE and do not operate well in 802.11r environments.
6-45
Setting Traffic Rate Limits for an SSID and Radio Interface
Setting Traffic Rate Limits for an SSID and Radio Interface

To limit the bandwidth usage by wireless client devices, you can limit the traffic rate to and from wireless
client devices. This rate limiting feature can be:
• Configured for each SSID and can be applied on one or both radio interfaces
• Applied only to TCP/UDP on IPv4. Not supported for IPv6 traffic.
• Applied to both input (ingress) and output (egress) traffic on a radio interface
The rate limiting feature is available for VLANs. If you have more than one SSID configured on the same
interface, then you cannot configure rate limits without having VLANs.
For information on configuring multiple SSIDs, see Chapter 7, “Configuring Multiple SSIDs”.
For information on VLANs, see Chapter 14, “Configuring VLANs”.
As part of Quality of Service (QoS) feature, a rate limiting feature which limits the input or output
transmission rate of a class of traffic based on user-defined criteria is present. See Chapter 15,
“Configuring QoS”, for more information on that.
Configuring Rate Limits
To configure the rate limits, use the command

rate-limit {tcp | udp} {input | output} data-rate rate burst-size size, where;
• Date-rate is the average rate of data transmission, specified in Kilobits/sec.
• Burst-size is the total data that can be transmitted before the traffic is throttled. It is specified in
Kilobits.
These parameters are converted and limited to the nearest multiple of 8, whereby data-rate is converted
to KiloBytes/sec and burst-size is converted to Bytes, and then are considered for rate limiting.
To understand how these parameters work, follow this example. Consider the average data rate as
10 Bytes/sec and the burst-size as 20 Bytes. Then the rate limit applied here is such that in a duration of
2 seconds (calculated as Burst-size/Average Rate) the total data transmission is not allowed to exceed
20 Bytes. This also allows for more data to be transmitted per second as long the average data-rate does
not exceed 10 Bytes/sec.
To configure via the GUI, go to Security > SSID Manager. Under the Rate Limit Parameters section,
you can limit input or output traffic for TCP or UDP, as required. You can also specify the rate and
burst-size in each case.
Viewing the Rate Limit Statistics
To view the statistics of rate limits, for each ssid configured on a given interface, use the command
show interface dot11radio {0 | 1} qos-info
To clear the statistics counters, use the command clear counters dot11Radio {0 | 1}
To view the rate limit statistics via the GUI, go to Network > Network Interface > Radio0-802.11N
2.4GHz or Radio1-802.11N 5GHz. To clear the statistics, click Clear.
6-46

Configuring Radio Settings

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Configuring Radio Settings

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CHAPTER 6

Configuring Radio Settings

Enabling the Radio Interface

Use the shutdown command to disable the radio port.

Configuring the Role in Radio Network

Table 6-1 Device Role in Radio Network Configuration

scanner • An outdoor access point/bridge operating as a non-root

Universal Workgroup Bridge Mode

Point-to-point and Multi Point bridging support for 802.11n platforms

Configuring Dual-Radio Fallback

Figure 6-1 Dual-Radio Fallback

Access point 11 a Root bridge Access point

11 a Root 11 b/g root

You can configure dual-radio fallback in three ways:

Configuring Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation

Figure 2 Changes in Train Composition Breaking Wireless Bridge Link

Figure 3 Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation

• AUTO_ROOT_WORKING—AP works in configured or DFS selected channel as a root bridge.

Configuring Wireless Bridge Auto Negotiation

(Optional) Configuring Channel

Verifying the Auto Bridge Status

DFS Blocked Frequencies: none

• To track radio 1, enter the following command on radio 0:

Fast Ethernet Tracking

Limiting Clients per Radio

ap(config-if)# max-client 1-255

For setting this via the GUI:

Step 1 Go to Network > Network Interfaces.

Configuring Radio Data Rates

Note At least one data rate must be set to basic.

Configuring MCS Rates

Enabling 11ac MCS rates

MCS rates are configured using the speed command.

Configuring Radio Transmit Power

Step 1 Browse to http://www.cisco.com.

Table 6-2 shows the relationship between mW and dBm.

Table 6-2 Translation between mW and dBm

Note The 802.11g radio maximum transmission power level

Limiting the Power Level for Associated Client Devices

Configuring Radio Channel Settings

Channel Widths for 802.11n

Dynamic Frequency Selection

Table 6-3 DFS Channel List

Channel Frequency Channel Frequency Channel Frequency

*Mar 6 07:37:30.423: %DOT11-6-DFS_SCAN_START: DFS: Scanning frequency 5500 MHz for

*Mar 6 07:37:30.385: %DOT11-6-DFS_SCAN_COMPLETE: DFS scan complete on frequency

*Mar 6 12:35:09.750: %DOT11-6-DFS_TRIGGERED: DFS: triggered on frequency 5500 MHz

Radar Detection on a DFS Channel

Confirming that DFS is Enabled

DFS Blocked Frequencies: none

The following example configures the 5 GHz radio to use DFS:

Blocking Channels from DFS Selection

This example shows how to unblock all frequencies for DFS:

Setting the 802.11n Guard Interval

Enabling and Disabling World Mode

Use the no form of the command to disable world mode.

Disabling and Enabling Short Radio Preambles

Configuring Transmit and Receive Antennas

Enabling and Disabling Gratuitous Probe Response

Use the no form of the command to disable the GPR feature.