Proxim AP4000 Mesh Network Configuration

• To form or join a Mesh network, Mesh APs must have identical Mesh SSIDs and security modes (None or AES).
• All Mesh APs within a network must be on the same channel. The channel used by the Mesh portal will determine the channel used by the entire mesh network.
• Mesh APs must have static IP addresses, as the DHCP client will not function on wireless interfaces.
• On Mesh APs, Mesh and WDS functionality cannot co-exist on the same wireless interface. Mesh and WDS can co-exist on Mesh Portals.
• The maximum number of links in the mesh network is 6. Proxim recommends that administrators configure their Mesh network to allow between 20-30 access points per portal for an average per-client throughput of 300-500 Kbps. This recommendation is based on the following assumptions:
• 18 Mbps throughput is available at the portal (max is 25 Mbps, but APs will back off as distance between them increases).
• 20 wireless clients are supported per AP.
• Average utilization (time that a client is actually transferring data) is 10%.
• If the conditions on your network are different than the assumptions above, then the maximum number of APs should be adjusted accordingly.
  NOTE: Clients whose traffic must traverse multiple hops in order to reach the portal will have lower throughput than clients whose traffic traverses fewer hops.
•  Although this solution is designed to be flexible and have a short convergence time after a topology change, it is not recommended for high-speed roaming or a highly dynamic environment. Typical roaming times are as follows:
• When switching between portals on the same channel: >50 ms
•  When switching between portals on different channels: >500 ms
  These times apply whether the Mesh AP is mobile or stationary.
•  The Mesh network assumes that the uplink to the backbone will be provided by Mesh only. To avoid loops, the administrator should not configure alternate links to the backbone through Ethernet or WDS connections.
•  Mesh APs will detect and avoid loops caused by Mesh links; similarly, Spanning Tree will detect and avoid loops caused by WDS and wired links. However, neither Mesh APs nor Spanning Tree will detect loops caused by a mixture of Mesh and WDS/wired links. Administrators should avoid any such scenario while deploying Mesh.
• When VLAN is enabled, all APs in a Mesh network must have the same Management VLAN ID.
• For a Mesh AP, one uplink and up to 5 downlink connections are supported.
• For a Mesh Portal, up to six downlink connections are supported. Proxim recommends a maximum of 20-30 APs per portal.