WI-FI Mesh DONE

Introduction: In this article we will explain how to setup WI-FI Mesh

Step 1: Setup

Router with Wi-Fi If you are using a Peplink|Pepwave router with Wi-Fi as the wired AP for the mesh, you need to set up a few items:

a) Navigate to AP >Wireless Mesh and create a new Mesh Profile. Select the MeshID, Frequency (always use 5GHz unless you know why you are choosing 2.4) and Shared Key(these need to match any other APs in the mesh) Save, no need to apply yet.

You need to enable the newly created Mesh Profile in AP > Settings Save and Apply Changes 

Step 2: Navigate to AP > Mesh and add a profile as described in the router section, you also need to check the enable box on this profile. Save. Apply Changes

You're done, nothing else is needed for the APs!

AP Controller Integration

If you are trying to deploy a mesh on a network that has a Peplink|Pepwave router that supports the AP Controller feature, you can streamline provisining the Mesh settings, along with the SSID and Radio settings as well.

Before doing the above settings, check to see if your AP tab has the ability to control external APs:

Once you have this enabled, set up the mesh and SSID settings you want, and then plug in your APs to the network so they can receive the initial provisioning. After that, you can move them to whatever location and let them discover the network wirelessly.

Notes:

• Each AP will auto detect if they have a wired uplink to the network. If it has a wired uplink and a mesh profile that is active, it will allow other wireless mesh APs with matching Mesh ID and Key to join the network

• Each AP without an Ethernet uplink will scan for a wired Mesh AP with the same ID and Key on the selected frequency band

• The Mesh simply forms a backbone for the APs, you still need to configure SSIDs just like you would otherwise - using built in AP controller, IC2 SSIDs, or locally programming into each AP (if you really like doing things the hard way)

• This is a Layer 2 connection, so VLAN tagged SSIDs will function like they would on a wired network

• The 8.1.1 and later firmware also supports managing the mesh settings via the AP controller, so you can automate this deployment, you could sync APs on the wired network and then deploy them wirelessly after the first sync

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