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Documentation Home for Self-Managed and Enterprise-Managed APs | Administrators Guide
Configuring Radio Settings
The following sections describe how to configure Radio Settings on the Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP:
Understanding Radio Settings
Radio settings directly control the behavior of the radio device in the access point and its interaction with the physical medium; that is, how/what type of electromagnetic waves the AP emits. You can specify whether the radio is on or off, radio frequency (RF) broadcast channel, beacon interval (amount of time between AP beacon transmissions), transmit power, IEEE 802.11 mode in which the radio operates, and so on.
The Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP is available as a single or dual band access point with one or two radios.
The single band access point can broadcast in the following modes:
The dual band access point is capable of broadcasting in the following modes:
- Atheros Turbo 5 GHz
- Atheros Dynamic Turbo 5 GHz
- Atheros Turbo 2.4 GHz
- Atheros Dynamic Turbo 2.4 GHz
For more information about Atheros Turbo modes see 802.11a Turbo.
The IEEE mode along with other radio settings are configured as described in Navigating to Radio Settings and Configuring Radio Settings.
Navigating to Radio Settings
To specify radio settings, navigate to Advanced > Radio tab, and update the fields as described below.
Configuring Radio Settings
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Field
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Description
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Radio
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The Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP is available as a one-radio or two-radio access point.
One-Radio AP:
If you have a one-radio version of the Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP, this field is not included on the Radio tab.
Two-Radio AP:
If you have a two-radio version of the Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP, specify Radio One or Radio Two. On a two-radio AP, the rest of the settings on this tab apply to the radio selected in this field. Be sure to configure settings for both radios.
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Status (On/Off)
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Specify whether you want the radio on or off by clicking On or Off.
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Mode
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The Mode defines the Physical Layer ( PHY) standard being used by the radio.
The Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP is available as a single or dual band access point.
Single-Band AP:
For the Single-Band AP, select one of these modes:
Dual-Band AP:
For the dual band access point, select one of these modes.
- Atheros Turbo 5 GHz
- Atheros Dynamic Turbo 5 GHz
- Atheros Turbo 2.4 GHz
- Atheros Dynamic Turbo 2.4 GHz
Notes:
If you have a two-radio AP, different modes may available depending on whether Radio One or Radio Two is selected in the Radio field above.
Atheros Turbo 5 GHz is IEEE 802.11a Turbo mode.
Atheros Turbo 2.4 GHz is IEEE 802.11g Turbo mode.
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Super AG
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Enabling Super AG provides better performance by increasing radio throughput for an radio mode (IEEE 802.11b, g, a, and so on). Keep in mind that, with Super AG enabled, the access point transmissions will consume more bandwidth.
- To enable Super AG click Enabled.
- To disable Super AG click Disabled.
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Channel
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The Channel defines the portion of the radio spectrum that the radio uses for transmitting and receiving. The range of channels and the default channel are determined by the Mode of the radio interface.
For most Modes, the default is "Auto". Auto is the recommended mode because it automatically detects the best channel choices based on signal strength, traffic loads, and so on.
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Beacon Interval
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Beacon frames are transmitted by an access point at regular intervals to announce the existence of the wireless network. The default behavior is to send a beacon frame once every 100 milliseconds (or 10 per second).
The Beacon Interval value is set in milliseconds. Enter a value from 20 to 2000.
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DTIM Period
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The Delivery Traffic Information Map ( DTIM) message is an element included in some Beacon frames. It indicates which client stations, currently sleeping in low-power mode, have data buffered on the access point awaiting pick-up.
The DTIM period you specify here indicates how often the clients served by this access point should check for buffered data still on the AP awaiting pickup.
Specify a DTIM period within the given range (1 - 255).
The measurement is in beacons. For example, if you set this to "1" clients will check for buffered data on the AP at every beacon. If you set this to "2", clients will check on every other beacon. If you set this to 10, clients will check on every 10th beacon.
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Fragmentation Threshold
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Specify a number between 256 and 2,346 to set the frame size threshold in bytes.
The fragmentation threshold is a way of limiting the size of packets (frames) transmitted over the network. If a packet exceeds the fragmentation threshold set here, the fragmentation function will be activated and the packet will be sent as multiple 802.11 frames.
If the packet being transmitted is equal to or less than the threshold, fragmentation will not be used.
Setting the threshold to the largest value (2,346 bytes) effectively disables fragmentation.
Fragmentation involves more overhead both because of the extra work of dividing up and reassembling of frames it requires, and because it increases message traffic on the network. However, fragmentation can help improve network performance and reliability if properly configured.
Sending smaller frames (by using lower fragmentation threshold) may help with some interference problems; for example, with microwave ovens.
By default, fragmentation is off. We recommend not using fragmentation unless you suspect radio interference. The additional headers applied to each fragment increase the overhead on the network and can greatly reduce throughput.
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RTS Threshold
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Specify an RTS Threshold value between 0 and 2347.
The RTS threshold specifies the packet size of a request to send ( RTS) transmission. This helps control traffic flow through the access point, especially one with a lot of clients.
If you specify a low threshold value, RTS packets will be sent more frequently. This will consume more bandwidth and reduce the throughput of the packet.
On the other hand, sending more RTS packets can help the network recover from interference or collisions which might occur on a busy network, or on a network experiencing electromagnetic interference.
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Maximum Stations
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Specify the maximum number of stations allowed to access this access point at any one time.
You can enter a value between 0 and 2007.
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Transmit Power
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Provide a percentage value to set the transmit power for this access point.
The default is to have the access point transmit using 100 percent of its power.
 Recommendations:
- For most cases, we recommend keeping the default and having the transmit power set to 100 percent. This is more cost-efficient as it gives the access point a maximum broadcast range, and reduces the number of APs needed.
- To increase capacity of the network, place APs closer together and reduce the value of the transmit power. This will help reduce overlap and interference among APs. A lower transmit power setting can also keep your network more secure because weaker wireless signals are less likely to propagate outside of the physical location of your network.
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Rate Sets
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Check the transmission rate sets you want the access point to support and the basic rate sets you want the access point to advertise.
Rates are expressed in megabits per second.
- Supported Rate Sets indicate rates that the access point supports. You can check multiple rates (click a checkbox to select or de-select a rate). The AP will automatically choose the most efficient rate based on factors like error rates and distance of client stations from the AP.
- Basic Rate Sets indicate rates that the access point will advertise to the network for the purposes of setting up communication with other APs and client stations on the network. It is generally more efficient to have an AP broadcast a subset of its supported rate sets.
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Updating Settings
To apply your changes, click Update.
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Note
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If you are using the two-radio version of the Devicescape Enterprise-Managed AP, keep in mind that both Radio One and Radio Two are configured on this tab. The displayed settings apply to either Radio One or Radio Two, depending on which radio you choose in the Radio field (first field on tab). When you have configured settings for one of the radios, click "Update" and then select and configure the other radio. Be sure to click "Update" to apply the second set of configuration settings for the other radio.
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