Network Deployment Examples; Wireless Backhaul; Point-To-Point Bridging - Cisco Aironet 1540 Series Hardware Installation Manual

Chapter 1 Overview

Network Deployment Examples

The access point is a wireless device designed for wireless client access and point-to-point bridging,
point-to-multipoint bridging, and point-to-multipoint mesh wireless connectivity. The access point
provides 5-GHz backhaul capability to link with another access point to reach a wired network
connection or to provide repeater operations for other access points.
The access point plays two primary radio roles: a root access point (hereafter called a RAP) or a mesh
(non-root) access point (hereafter called a MAP), which is the default role of all access points. When the
access point has a fiber or wired Ethernet connection to the controller (through a switch), the radio role
is called a RAP. In order to be considered a RAP, the access point must be configured as a RAP. A RAP
is a parent node to any bridging or mesh network. A controller can support one or more RAPs, each one
parenting the same or different wireless networks. There can be more than one RAP for the same mesh
network for redundancy. RAPs and MAPs can support wireless clients on the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz band.
Client access on 5-GHz is called universal client access.
When the access point does not have a wired Ethernet connection to the controller (through a switch),
the radio role is called a MAP. The MAPs have a wireless connection (through the backhaul interface)
to other MAPs and finally to a RAP which has an Ethernet connection through a switch to the controller.
MAPs may also have a wired Ethernet connection to a local LAN and serve as a bridge endpoint for that
LAN (using a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bridge connection).

Wireless Backhaul

The access point supports wireless backhaul capability using the 5 GHz radio to bridge to another access
point to reach a wired network connection to a controller (see
to the wired network is considered a RAP in this configuration. The remote access point is considered a
MAP and transfers wireless client traffic to the RAP for transfer to the wired network. Control And
Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) control traffic is also transferred over this bridged
link.
Figure 1-4

Point-to-Point Bridging

The access points can be used to extend a remote network by using the 5 GHz backhaul radio to bridge
the two network segments as shown in
bridging on the controller for each access point. By default this capability is turned-off for all access
points.
Access Point Backhaul Example
(5 GHz)
Figure
Cisco Aironet 1540 Series Outdoor Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
Figure 1-4). The access point connected
(2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
1-5. To support Ethernet bridging, you must enable
Network Deployment Examples
1-7