When you set up the standby access point, you must enter the MAC address of the access point that the standby unit will monitor. Record the MAC address of the monitored access point before you configure the standby access point.

The standby access point must duplicate several key settings on the monitored access point. These settings are:

• Primary SSID (as well as additional SSIDs configured on the monitored access point)
• Default IP Subnet Mask
• Default Gateway
• Data rates
• WEP settings
• Authentication types and authentication servers

If the monitored access point goes offline and the standby access point takes its place in the network, matching settings ensures that client devices can switch easily to the standby access point. Check the monitored access point and record these settings before you set up the standby access point.

Note: Wireless client devices associated to the standby access point lose their connections during the hot standby setup process.

The standby access point monitors another access point in a device-to-device relationship, not in an interface-to-interface relationship. For example, you cannot configure the standby access point's 5-GHz radio to monitor the 5-GHz radio in access point alpha and the standby's 2.4-GHz radio to monitor the 2.4-GHz radio in access point bravo. You also cannot configure one radio in a dual-radio access point as a standby radio and configure the other radio to serve client devices.

The table below lists the possible status values of the standby access point.