Configuring Advanced Wireless Features - McAfee SG310 Administration Manual

Network Setup menu options
Wireless
Create a new Bridge. Select both the LAN interface and the WDS interface to be on the bridge.
6
Leave the Wireless port unconfigured.
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Configure the peer Access Point in a similar manner.
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Configuring WDS repeating
Use this procedure to configure WDS repeating.
Configure the wireless settings on the Access Point tab.
1
Select the WDS tab.
2
Set Mode to Automatic.
3
Click Add and enter the MAC of the main Access Point.
4
Click the Connections tab.
5
Create a new Bridge. Select both the Wireless interface and the WDS interface to be on the bridge.
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Configure the main Access Point in a similar manner; however, it will typically include the LAN interface
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on the bridge.
Configuring automatic WDS bridging and repeating
Use this procedure to configure WDS bridging and repeating:.
Configure the wireless settings on the Access Point tab.
1
Select the WDS tab.
2
Set Mode to Automatic.
3
Click Add and enter the MAC of the main Access Point.
4
Click the Connections tab, create a new Bridge. Select the Wireless interface, the LAN interface, and
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the WDS interface to all be on the bridge.

Configuring advanced wireless features

Use this procedure to configure advanced wireless settings. The default settings should be sufficient for
most configurations. Make sure the correct region is configured for your access point, since the region
setting restricts channels and frequencies in accordance with the local regulatory organization. Tweaking
these advanced wireless features can increase processing overhead, so balance performance requirements
with this in mind. Advanced wireless settings include packet fragmentation, RTS (Request to Send), and
beacon frames.
Normally, when a packet has an error, the entire packet must be retransmitted. If packet fragmentation is
enabled, the packet is split up into smaller fragments, and thus only the fragment that has an error needs
to be retransmitted, which increases performance. Fragmentation incurs an overhead per fragment, so
enabling it when it is not needed decreases performance.
RTS is used to negotiate when wireless clients can transmit. If you have two wireless clients out of range of
each other but both still within range of the access point, they may both attempt to transmit at the same
time, which causes a collision. Enabling RTS avoids these collisions, and thus increases performance. RTS
incurs an overhead for transmitting, so enabling it when it is not needed decreases performance. Since the
access point is in range of all wireless clients, you would not typically enable RTS for an access point.
Beacon frames are used to coordinate the wireless network. Sending beacon frames more often (that is,
using a lower beacon interval) increases responsiveness, but decreases performance due to higher
overheads. A DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication Message) is periodically included in the beacon frame. A
DTIM indicates to clients in power-saving mode that there are packets for them to receive. Sending a DTIM
more frequently increases responsiveness for clients in power-saving mode, but uses more electrical power
since the clients must stay awake longer.
92 McAfee UTM Firewall 4.0.4 Administration Guide