Virtual Access Points; Maximum Wireless Client Stations; Security; Configuring Overlapping Wireless Cells - Colubris Networks CN3000 Administrator's Manual

Chapter 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - How it works - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 2
Radio waves cannot penetrate metal, instead they are reflected. This means that a
wireless access point is able to transmit through wood or plaster walls and closed
windows. However, the steel reinforcing found in concrete walls and floors may block
transmissions, or reduce signal quality by creating reflections. This can make it difficult
for a single unit to serve users on different floors in a concrete building. Such
installations will require a separate wireless access point on each floor.
Virtual access The CN3000 enables you to create multiple wireless networks (also known as virtual
access points) all sharing the same wireless port. Each network has its own SSID
points
(network name), BSSID (MAC address), and configuration settings that are defined in a
profile. Up to 16 profiles can be created.
The advantages of this are:
• Permits different layer 2 security options to be active at the same time. For example,
• When used in conjunction with the CN300/CN320, permits each SSID to be mapped
The default profile (named "Colubris Networks") controls the settings for the parameters
that are shared by all profiles. This includes:
• radio settings (operating frequency, distance between access points, transmit power)
• wireless port address and mask
• dynamic key length and key change interval for 802.1x/WPA
Configure this profile on the Wireless > Wi-Fi page.
Configuring profiles
• To configure the shared default profile settings, open the Wireless > Wi-Fi page. See
• To define a new profile, open the Wireless > WLAN profiles page. See page
Maximum The total number of wireless client stations that can be connected to the CN3000 at any
given time is 255, with a maximum of 50 client stations taking advantage of any active
wireless client
wireless VPN security option (IPSec, PPTP, L2TP).
stations
To manage the load on the network, each wireless profile can be configured to limit the
maximum number of wireless connections it will accept. This enables you to balance
traffic between the profiles and ensure that one profile does not consume all available
bandwidth.

Security

To preserve network security, the CN3000 and the CN300/CN320 block all
communications between wireless client stations. If required, you can disable this
feature.
Configuring Overlapping wireless cells are caused when two or more access points are within
transmission range of each other. This may be under your control (when setting up
overlapping
multiple cells to cover a large location), or out of your control (when your neighbors set
wireless cells up their own wireless networks). In either case, the problems you face are similar.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WPA, 802.1x, and WEP. can all be active enabling a wide range of client stations to be
supported by a single access point.
to a VLAN for traffic segmentation. See
VLANs" on page 90 for an example.
page 214 for details.
details.
"Scenario 6: Public/private access with
218 for