Chapter 3 - Configuration Parameters - Proxim Harmony User Manual

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Chapter 3
Configuration Parameters
The Harmony 802.11a Access Point must be used in conjunction with a Harmony AP
Controller. A Harmony system generally consists of one or more Harmony AP
Controllers, one or more Harmony Access Points, and one or more mobile clients that
have an 802.11a adapter installed. Each Access Point acts as an intermediary between
its mobile clients and the AP Controller, converting radio signals into Ethernet packets
and vice versa. The Harmony AP Controller handles all of the configuration and
management of the Access Points on the network, monitoring Ethernet traffic and
determining which packets should be forwarded to mobile clients.
An Access Point and Controller use a technique known as IP Tunneling to encapsulate
packets destined for or sent by mobile clients. Encapsulated packets from the Access
Point are destined for the AP Controller's IP address; encapsulated packets from the
AP Controller are destined for the Access Point's IP address.
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 Access Points 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.
An Access Point and AP Controller do not need to be on the same switch or hub in
order to communicate. In addition, Access Points may be installed on different IP
subnets from the AP Controller(s) on the local subnet.
When a Harmony 802.11a Access Point is connected to the network for the first time,
the AP Controller automatically configures it with the AP AutoConfigure Default
settings. Refer to the Harmony Access Point Controller User's Guide for additional
information about AP Controllers and the Harmony architecture.