Wirefree Operation; Harmony Architecture - Proxim 7550 User Manual

3. Wirefree Operation

Harmony Architecture

The Harmony wirefree infrastructure family provides network connectivity to mobile
clients without the use of wires or cabling.
Each Harmony System must include at least one Access Point Controller. The AP
Controller centralizes the management, security, and filtering capabilities of a wireless
LAN. In a traditional wireless LAN, each Access Point duplicates this functionality
adding additional, unnecessary cost to the network infrastructure. By consolidating
these functions into one or more AP Controllers, additional Access Points can easily be
added as the network grows. Also, as new wireless standards are introduced in the
future, additional Access Points may be added at a lower cost than with a traditional
Access Point infrastructure.
The AP Controller handles all of the configuration and management of an Access
Point. On a Harmony network, each Access Point acts as an intermediary between its
mobile clients and the AP Controller, converting radio signals into Ethernet packets
and vice versa.
A single AP Controller can support a maximum of 10 Access Points (an AP Controller
can support more than 10 Access Points but a maximum of 10 APs per AP Controller is
the recommended configuration for best performance). A network subnet can support
up to 10 AP Controllers to form a Harmony System that can be managed using a single
user interface. The number of clients that can be supported by one Access Point
depends on the amount of information that each client exchanges with the network.
Therefore, the number of clients that can be supported by one Access Point will vary
based on the applications in use and how frequently network information is accessed.
When a Harmony OpenAir Access Point is connected to the network for the first time,
the AP Controller automatically configures it with the AP Default settings. In addition,
an OpenAir Access Point may be manually configured via the Harmony System's Web
browser interface. Refer to the Harmony Access Point Controller Model 7560 User's
Guide for information on how to access the Web browser interface.
16