Bridge/workgroup bridge scenario and channels

I have been asked to provide a point - point wireless link between a
site with an adequate WAN connection and one with no WAN connection
then access from three small wired networks.

I have access to the following equipment ..

2 X Cisco 350 Wireless Bridges
5 X Cisco 1231 Access Points

I propose the follwing scenario ... a Root Bridge (Cisco 350) on the
WAN site, a Non Root Bridge on the non WAN site (Cisco 350) (for the
link) and three 1200 Access Points (in workgroup bridge mode).

I will use the two 350's to set up the point - point link back to the
WAN connection and use the 1231's in workgroup bridge mode as the link
back to the wireless network for the 3 wired networks.

The question I have is regarding the channels to use, I understand
that both the 350 bridges need to be on the same channel and have
assigned them channel 1, but I can find no documentation to indicate
which channels I should have the workgroup bridges on.

I realise that as I am using 802.11b devices I should only be using
channels 1, 6 and 11 so I don't have much room for manoeuvre and would
appreciate any advice.

Drop the ZZZ to reply

Cheers ...

Chris,

Am I following your proposed topology correctly?
I have it like this:

[rootBR350]~~~[nonrootBR350]~~~[wgb1]
~~~[wgb2]
~~~[wgb3]

I.e. there is no wired infrastructure
at all?

In that case, since nonrootBR350 has only
one radio, and all of your equipment must
connect to nonrootBR350, then all equipment
must be set to the same channel.

There is no significant performance
difference between channels 1, 6, 11, unless
your site has some specific interference
pattern.

Regards,

Aaron

---


~ I have been asked to provide a point - point wireless link between a
~ site with an adequate WAN connection and one with no WAN connection
~ then access from three small wired networks.
~
~ I have access to the following equipment ..
~
~ 2 X Cisco 350 Wireless Bridges
~ 5 X Cisco 1231 Access Points
~
~ I propose the follwing scenario ... a Root Bridge (Cisco 350) on the
~ WAN site, a Non Root Bridge on the non WAN site (Cisco 350) (for the
~ link) and three 1200 Access Points (in workgroup bridge mode).
~
~ I will use the two 350's to set up the point - point link back to the
~ WAN connection and use the 1231's in workgroup bridge mode as the link
~ back to the wireless network for the 3 wired networks.
~
~ The question I have is regarding the channels to use, I understand
~ that both the 350 bridges need to be on the same channel and have
~ assigned them channel 1, but I can find no documentation to indicate
~ which channels I should have the workgroup bridges on.
~
~ I realise that as I am using 802.11b devices I should only be using
~ channels 1, 6 and 11 so I don't have much room for manoeuvre and would
~ appreciate any advice.
~
~ Drop the ZZZ to reply
~
~ Cheers ...

Thanks for that Aaron,

I have a test scenario set up and all seems to be well although my
workgroup bridges only seemed to want to connect to the root bridge.

I have to set up a second ssid on the non root bridge for the
workgroup bridges to associate to and this seems to do the job.



On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 12:20:50 -0700, Aaron Leonard <Aaron@Cisco.COM>
wrote:

>Chris,
>
>Am I following your proposed topology correctly?
>I have it like this:
>
>[rootBR350]~~~[nonrootBR350]~~~[wgb1]
> ~~~[wgb2]
> ~~~[wgb3]
>
>I.e. there is no wired infrastructure
>at all?
>
>In that case, since nonrootBR350 has only
>one radio, and all of your equipment must
>connect to nonrootBR350, then all equipment
>must be set to the same channel.
>
>There is no significant performance
>difference between channels 1, 6, 11, unless
>your site has some specific interference
>pattern.
>
>Regards,
>
>Aaron
>
>---
>
>
>~ I have been asked to provide a point - point wireless link between a
>~ site with an adequate WAN connection and one with no WAN connection
>~ then access from three small wired networks.
>~
>~ I have access to the following equipment ..
>~
>~ 2 X Cisco 350 Wireless Bridges
>~ 5 X Cisco 1231 Access Points
>~
>~ I propose the follwing scenario ... a Root Bridge (Cisco 350) on the
>~ WAN site, a Non Root Bridge on the non WAN site (Cisco 350) (for the
>~ link) and three 1200 Access Points (in workgroup bridge mode).
>~
>~ I will use the two 350's to set up the point - point link back to the
>~ WAN connection and use the 1231's in workgroup bridge mode as the link
>~ back to the wireless network for the 3 wired networks.
>~
>~ The question I have is regarding the channels to use, I understand
>~ that both the 350 bridges need to be on the same channel and have
>~ assigned them channel 1, but I can find no documentation to indicate
>~ which channels I should have the workgroup bridges on.
>~
>~ I realise that as I am using 802.11b devices I should only be using
>~ channels 1, 6 and 11 so I don't have much room for manoeuvre and would
>~ appreciate any advice.
>~
>~ Drop the ZZZ to reply
>~
>~ Cheers ...

Drop the ZZZ to reply

Cheers ...

OK cool.

I believe that you should be able to configure the
WGBs preferentially to associate with the nonroot
bridge rather than with the root bridge, by using
the "parent" command under the radio interface.
(This was designed for use in repeater rather than
WGB mode, but I think it should work in WGB mode too.)

Regards,

Aaron

---


~ Thanks for that Aaron,
~
~ I have a test scenario set up and all seems to be well although my
~ workgroup bridges only seemed to want to connect to the root bridge.
~
~ I have to set up a second ssid on the non root bridge for the
~ workgroup bridges to associate to and this seems to do the job.
~
~
~
~ On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 12:20:50 -0700, Aaron Leonard <Aaron@Cisco.COM>
~ wrote:
~
~ >Chris,
~ >
~ >Am I following your proposed topology correctly?
~ >I have it like this:
~ >
~ >[rootBR350]~~~[nonrootBR350]~~~[wgb1]
~ > ~~~[wgb2]
~ > ~~~[wgb3]
~ >
~ >I.e. there is no wired infrastructure
~ >at all?
~ >
~ >In that case, since nonrootBR350 has only
~ >one radio, and all of your equipment must
~ >connect to nonrootBR350, then all equipment
~ >must be set to the same channel.
~ >
~ >There is no significant performance
~ >difference between channels 1, 6, 11, unless
~ >your site has some specific interference
~ >pattern.
~ >
~ >Regards,
~ >
~ >Aaron
~ >
~ >---
~ >
~ >
~ >~ I have been asked to provide a point - point wireless link between a
~ >~ site with an adequate WAN connection and one with no WAN connection
~ >~ then access from three small wired networks.
~ >~
~ >~ I have access to the following equipment ..
~ >~
~ >~ 2 X Cisco 350 Wireless Bridges
~ >~ 5 X Cisco 1231 Access Points
~ >~
~ >~ I propose the follwing scenario ... a Root Bridge (Cisco 350) on the
~ >~ WAN site, a Non Root Bridge on the non WAN site (Cisco 350) (for the
~ >~ link) and three 1200 Access Points (in workgroup bridge mode).
~ >~
~ >~ I will use the two 350's to set up the point - point link back to the
~ >~ WAN connection and use the 1231's in workgroup bridge mode as the link
~ >~ back to the wireless network for the 3 wired networks.
~ >~
~ >~ The question I have is regarding the channels to use, I understand
~ >~ that both the 350 bridges need to be on the same channel and have
~ >~ assigned them channel 1, but I can find no documentation to indicate
~ >~ which channels I should have the workgroup bridges on.
~ >~
~ >~ I realise that as I am using 802.11b devices I should only be using
~ >~ channels 1, 6 and 11 so I don't have much room for manoeuvre and would
~ >~ appreciate any advice.
~ >~
~ >~ Drop the ZZZ to reply
~ >~
~ >~ Cheers ...
~
~ Drop the ZZZ to reply
~
~ Cheers ...