Chapter 5 D-Link Unified Access System; D-Link Unified Access System Components; D-Link Unified Switch; D-Link Access Point - D-Link DWS-3160-24TC Hardware Installation Manual

DWS-3160 Series Gigabit Ethernet Unified Switch Hardware Installation Guide
Chapter 5

D-Link Unified Access System Components

D-Link Unified Access System Topology
The D-Link Unified Access System is a wireless local area network (WLAN) solution that enables WLAN deployment
while providing state-of-the-art wireless networking features. It is a scalable solution that provides secure wireless
connectivity and seamless layer 2 and layer 3 roaming for end users.
D-Link Unified Access System Components
The D-Link Unified Access System components include the D-Link Unified Switch and the D-Link Access Point (AP).
With the default D-Link License Management Service (DLMS) agreement, this Switch can manage up to 12 unified
Access Points. After an optional upgrade of the license agreement, purchased from D-Link, this Switch can manage
up to 48 unified Access Points per unified Switch. The most powerful feature of this Switch is that up to 4 Switches
can form a cluster to manage up to 192 unified Access Points centrally with a single IP address.
The switch tracks the status and statistics for all associated WLAN traffic and devices. You can configure up to 4 peer
D-Link Unified Switches that share various information about APs and their associated wireless clients. The peer
Unified Switches can be directly connected to each other, separated by Layer 2 bridges, or located in different IP
Subnets. Wireless clients can roam among the access points managed by peer Unified Switches without losing
network connections. Whether or not you have a peer group, the D-Link Unified Access System can support a total of
8000 wireless clients

D-Link Unified Switch

The D-Link Unified Switch handles Layer 2+ switching functions for traffic on the wired and wireless LAN. The Unified
Switch user interface allows you to configure and monitor all AP settings and maintain a consistent configuration
among all APs in the network.
The Unified Switch supports advanced data path connectivity, mobility control, security safeguards, control over radio
and power parameters, and management features for both network and element control. The Unified Switch allows
you to control the discovery, validation, authentication, and monitoring of peer Unified Switches, D-Link Access Points,
and clients on the WLAN, including discovery and status of rogue APs and clients.
The D-Link Unified Access System works with the following D-Link switches:
• DWS-3160-24TC
• DWS-3160-24PC

D-Link Access Point

The D-Link Access Point can operate in one of two modes: Standalone Mode or Managed Mode.
•
In Standalone Mode, the D-Link Access Point acts as an individual access point in the network, and you
manage it by connecting to the AP and using the Administrator Web User Interface (UI) or Command Line
Interface (CLI).
•
In Managed Mode, the D-Link Access Point is part of the D-Link Unified Access System, and you manage it
by using the D-Link Unified Switch. If an AP is in Managed Mode, the Administrator Web UI services on the
AP are disabled. Access is limited to the CLI through Telnet.
The Standalone Mode is appropriate for small networks with only a few APs. The Managed Mode is useful for any size
network. If you start out with D-Link Access Points in Standalone Mode, you can easily transition the APs to Managed
Mode when you add a Unified Switch to the network. By using the AP in Managed Mode, you can centralize AP
D-Link Unified Access System
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