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Cisco Aironet 1550 Series Outdoor Mesh Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
OL-24247-01
Chapter 1 Overview
Network Deployment Examples
Network Deployment Examples
The access point is a wireless device designed for wireless client access and point-to-point bridging,
point-to-multipoint bridging, and point-to-multipoint mesh wireless connectivity. The access point
provides 5-GHz backhaul capability to link with another access point to reach a wired network
connection or to provide repeater operations for other access points.
The access point plays two primary radio roles: a root access point (RAP) or a mesh (non-root) access
point (MAP), which is the default role of all access points. When the access point has a fiber or wired
Ethernet or cable connector connection to the controller (through a switch), the radio role is called a
RAP. In order to be considered a RAP, the access point must be configured as a RAP. A RAP is a parent
node to any bridging or mesh network. A controller can support one or more RAPs, each one parenting
the same or different wireless networks. There can be more than one RAP for the same mesh network
for redundancy. RAPs and MAPs can support wireless clients on the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz band. Client
access on 5-GHz is called universal client access.
When the access point does not have a wired Ethernet, fiber-optic, or cable connection to the controller,
the radio role is called a MAP. The MAPs have a wireless connection (through the backhaul interface)
to other MAPs and finally to a RAP with an Ethernet or cable connection through a switch to the
controller. MAPs can also have a wired Ethernet connection to a local LAN and serve as a bridge
endpoint for that LAN (using a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bridge connection).
Wireless Backhaul
The access point supports wireless backhaul capability using the 5 GHz radio to bridge to another access
point to reach a wired network connection to a controller (see Figure 1-22). The access point connected
to the wired network is considered a RAP in this configuration. The remote access point is considered a
MAP and transfers wireless client traffic to the RAP for transfer to the wired network. Control And
Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) control traffic is also transferred over this bridged
link.
Figure 1-22 Access Point Backhaul Example
Point-to-Point Bridging
The access points can be used to extend a remote network by using the 5 GHz backhaul radio to bridge
the two network segments as shown in Figure 1-23. To support Ethernet bridging, you must enable
bridging on the controller for each access point. By default this capability is turned-off for all access
points.
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(5 GHz)
(2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)