Network Access - Cisco Mesh Access Points Deployment Manual

Mesh Network Components
This figure shows the relationship between RAPs and MAPs in a mesh network.
Figure 1: Simple Mesh Network Hierarchy

Network Access

Wireless mesh networks can simultaneously carry two different traffic types. They are as follows:
• Wireless LAN client traffic
• MAP Ethernet port traffic
Wireless LAN client traffic terminates on the controller, and the Ethernet traffic terminates on the Ethernet
ports of the mesh access points.
Access to the wireless LAN mesh for mesh access points is managed by the following authentication methods:
• MAC authentication—Mesh access points are added to a database that can be referenced to ensure they
• External RADIUS Authentication—Mesh access points can be externally authorized using a RADIUS
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are provided access to a given controller and mesh network.
server such as Cisco ACS (4.1 and later) that supports the client authentication type of Extensible
Authentication Protocol-FAST (EAP-FAST) with certificates.
Cisco Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 7.3
Network Access
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