Lab 5

Lab 5.4.8 Configure an AP as a repeater through the IOS CLI

Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Number of Team Members: Students will work in teams of two.

Objective

The student will extend the coverage of a basic service set topology by implementing an AP as a repeater.

Scenario

An AP can be configured as a repeater to extend the wireless infrastructure range or to overcome an obstacle that blocks radio communication. The repeater forwards traffic between wireless users and the wired LAN by sending packets to either another repeater or to an AP connected to the wired LAN. The data is sent through the route that provides the best performance for the client. In this lab, the Root AP will be PodP. The repeater AP will be PodQ.

A chain of several repeater APs can be setup, but throughput for client devices at the end of the repeater chain will be quite low. Because each repeater must receive and then re-transmit each packet on the same channel, throughput is cut in half for each repeater you add to the chain.

Topology

1 - 6 Fundamentals of Wireless LANs - Lab 5.4.8 Copyright  2003, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Preparation

Team	Access Point Name		SSID		Address
1	Pod1 (root) P		AP12		10.0.12.1/24
Pod2 (repeater) Q		AP12		10.0.12.2/24

PC1 should be connected to the wired network. A second team can use the BR350s for the lab, however students must use the VxWorks GUI to configure the steps. It is recommended that students use IOS based APs first.

Tools and Resources

Each team will need:

• 2 APs

• A wired PC (PC1)

• A wireless PC or laptop (PC2)

• Console cable

Additional Materials:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps430/products_installation_and_configuration_guide_book09186a0080147d69.html

Step 1 Basic AP Configuration to both APs

Console into the AP. Clear the configuration on both of the APs. Then put a basic configuration in the access-points.

A sample config is shown using Pod 1.(root AP)

ap(config)#hostname Pod1

Pod1(config)#enable secret cisco

Pod1(config)#int bvi 1

Pod1(config-if)#ip address 10.0.12.1 255.255.255.0

Pod1(config-if)#int dot11radio 0

Pod1(config-if)#no ssid tsunami

Pod1(config-if)#ssid AP12

Pod1(config-if-ssid)#authentication open

Pod1(config-if-ssid)#infrastructure-ssid

Pod1(config-if-ssid)#end

2 - 6 Fundamentals of Wireless LANs - Lab 5.4.8 Copyright  2003, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Pod1#copy run start

A sample config is shown using Pod 2. (repeater AP)

ap(config)#hostname Pod2

Pod2(config)#enable secret cisco

Pod2(config)#int bvi 1

Pod2(config-if)#ip address 10.0.12.2 255.255.255.0

Pod2(config-if)#int dot11radio 0

Pod2(config-if)#no ssid tsunami

Pod2(config-if)#ssid AP12

Pod2(config-if-ssid)#authentication open

Pod2(config-if-ssid)#infrastructure-ssid

Pod2(config-if-ssid)#end

Pod2#copy run start

Configure a client and make sure it can associate with the first AP and then the second AP. You will probably have to power off the AP that you are not testing. This will confimed that the APs are configured and operational and clients can connect to the APP.

Step 2 Basic Configure the repeater AP

A sample config is shown using Pod 1 as root and Pod 2 as repeater.

a. PodP will be the root AP and should have a SSID of “APPQ”. PodQ will become the repeater AP. The repeater AP will not require any Ethernet cables when configured in repeater mode. Also, if Aironet extensions are disabled, enable Aironet extensions.

b. Set the AP role in the wireless LAN to repeater.

Pod2#config t

Pod2(config)#int Dot11Radio 0

Pod2(config-if)#station-role repeater

Pod2(config-if)#dot11 extension aironet

Pod2(config-if)#end

Pod2# copy run start

c. MAC addresses can be entered for up to four parent APs. The repeater attempts to associate to MAC address 1 first; if that AP does not respond, the repeater tries the next AP in its parent list. (Optional) Enter the MAC address for the AP’s radio interface to which the repeater should associate.

Pod2(config-if)#parent 1 RRRR.RRRR.RRRR

(where RRRR.RRRR.RRRR = the MAC address of Pod1 11.b radio [not the fastethernet interface])

d. Verify the configuration

Sample config shown

Pod2#show run

interface Dot11Radio0

no ip address

no ip route-cache

ssid AP12

3 - 6 Fundamentals of Wireless LANs - Lab 5.4.8 Copyright  2003, Cisco Systems, Inc.

authentication open

infrastructure-ssid

parent 1 0987.1234.e345 <MAC address will vary>

speed basic-1.0 basic-2.0 basic-5.5 basic-11.0

rts threshold 2312

station-role repeater

Step 3 Verify Client Associates with Root

After the repeater is setup, force the client to associate with the repeater and not the root. Make sure the TCP/IP settings and SSID are configured on the laptop. The client may be associated with the repeater or the root. To ensure that the client is associated to the repeater AP:

a. Make sure the configuration on the root AP is saved by using the copy run start command

b. Remove the power from the root AP

c. Verify the client is associated to the repeater using the Aironet Client Utility.

d. When the client is associated with the repeater, re-power the root AP.

e. Once the root AP has booted, ping the root bridge from the client.

Step 4 Verify Connections on Repeater

After the client is associated with the repeater AP, check the LEDs on top of the repeater AP. If the repeater is functioning correctly, the LEDs on the repeater and the root AP to which it is associated behave like this:

• The status LED on the root AP is steady green, indicating that at least one client device is associated with it (in this case, the repeater).

• The status LED on the repeater AP is steady green when it is associated with the root AP and the repeater has client devices associated to it. The repeater's status LED flashes (steady green for 7/8 of a second and off for 1/8 of a second) when it is associated with the root AP but the repeater has no client devices associated to it.

The repeater AP should also appear as associated with the root AP in the root AP's Association Table. On PodP, verify that PodQ is connected. There may also be other wireless clients associated.

a. In privilege mode of the repeater, enter the following command to view what information can be displayed

Pod2#show dot11 associations ?

1. What information is available?

H.H.H Detailed client status

all-client Detailed status of all clients

bss-only Associations in BSS

client client information

repeater repeater information

statistics association statistics

| Output modifiers

4 - 6 Fundamentals of Wireless LANs - Lab 5.4.8 Copyright  2003, Cisco Systems, Inc.

b. Now check the detailed status of all clients

Pod2#show dot11 associations all-clients

Pod2#show dot11 associations all-client

Address : 0007.85b3.8850 Name : Pod2

IP Address : 10.0.12.2 Interface : Dot11Radio 0

Device : ap1200-Parent Software Version :

State : Assoc Parent : Our Parent

SSID : AP12 VLAN : 0

Hops to Infra : 0 Association Id : 1

Current Rate : 11.0 Encryption : Off

Key Mgmt type : NONE

Supported Rates : 1.0 2.0 5.5 11.0

Signal Strength : -27 dBm Connected for : 2541 seconds

Signal Quality : 80 % Activity Timeout : 66 seconds

Power-save : Off Last Activity : 0 seconds ago

Packets Input : 444 Packets Output : 145

Bytes Input : 63984 Bytes Output : 25975

Duplicates Rcvd : 0 Data Retries : 2

Decrypt Failed : 0 RTS Retries : 0

MIC Failed : 0

MIC Missing : 0

c. In privilege mode of the repeater, verify that the laptop is associated. There may also be other wireless clients associated.

a. Check the detailed status of all clients

Pod2#show dot11 associations all-clients

Pod2#show dot11 associations all-client

Address : 0007.eb30.a37d Name : VIAO

IP Address : 10.0.12.20 Interface : Dot11Radio 0

Device : 350-client Software Version : 5.20

State : Assoc Parent : self

SSID : AP12 VLAN : 0

Hops to Infra : 1 Association Id : 3

Clients Associated: 0 Repeaters associated: 0

Current Rate : 11.0 Encryption : Off

Key Mgmt type : NONE

Supported Rates : 1.0 2.0 5.5 11.0

Signal Strength : -32 dBm Connected for : 2866 seconds

Signal Quality : 88 % Activity Timeout : 22 seconds

Power-save : Off Last Activity : 3 seconds ago

Packets Input : 333 Packets Output : 1

Bytes Input : 20624 Bytes Output : 80

Duplicates Rcvd : 0 Data Retries : 0

Decrypt Failed : 0 RTS Retries : 0

MIC Failed : 0

MIC Missing : 0

Address : 000b.be0e.27e5 Name : AP2

IP Address : 10.0.12.8 Interface : Dot11Radio 0

Device : ap1200-Rptr Software Version : 12.2

State : Assoc Parent : self

SSID : AP12 VLAN : 0

Hops to Infra : 1 Association Id : 2

Clients Associated: 0 Repeaters associated: 0

Current Rate : 11.0 Encryption : Off

Key Mgmt type : NONE

5 - 6 Fundamentals of Wireless LANs - Lab 5.4.8 Copyright  2003, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Supported Rates : 1.0 2.0 5.5 11.0

Signal Strength : -25 dBm Connected for : 2870 seconds

Signal Quality : 85 % Activity Timeout : 43 seconds

Power-save : Off Last Activity : 20 seconds ago

Packets Input : 155 Packets Output : 480

Bytes Input : 29388 Bytes Output : 69571

Duplicates Rcvd : 0 Data Retries : 4

Decrypt Failed : 0 RTS Retries : 0

MIC Failed : 0

MIC Missing : 0

2. Is the laptop associated? What information can be used to verify the connection?

Step 5 Configure the 802.11a Radio as a repeater (Optional)

Erase the configuration on both APs. Return to step 1 and configure the repeater topology using the 801.11a radio instead. In this case, disable the 11b radios.