Main Help Topics

The Ethernet Hardware page contains these settings:

• Speed
• Loss of Backbone Connectivity # of Secs (1 - 10000)
• Loss of Backbone Connectivity Action
• Loss of Backbone Connectivity SSID

The page displays content-addressable memory (CAM) size (not a defined feature in this release) and contains a note indicating the the access point supports Ethernet inline power from powered switches.

Settings

Speed

The Speed drop-down menu lists five options for the type of connector, connection speed, and duplex setting used by the port. The option you select must match the actual connector type, speed, and duplex settings used to link the port with the wired network.

The default setting, Auto, is best for most networks because the best connection speed and duplex setting are automatically negotiated between the wired LAN and the access point. If you use a setting other than Auto, make sure the hub, switch, or router to which the access point is connected supports your selection.

• Auto -- This is the default and the recommended setting. The connection speed and duplex setting are automatically negotiated between the device and the hub, switch, or router to which the access point or bridge is connected.
  
  Note  Some switches with inline power do not fully support Ethernet speed auto-negotiation. If your 1200 series access point is powered by a switch with inline power, the Auto setting is applied only after you reboot your access point.
  
  
• 10-Base-T/Half Duplex -- Ethernet network connector for 10-Mbps transmission speed over twisted-pair wire and operating in half-duplex mode.
  
  
• 10-Base-T/Full Duplex -- Ethernet network connector for 10-Mbps transmission speed over twisted-pair wire and operating in full-duplex mode.
  
  
• 100-Base-T/Half Duplex -- Ethernet network connector for 100-Mbps transmission speed over twisted-pair wire and operating in half-duplex mode.
  
  
• 100-Base-T/Full Duplex -- Ethernet network connector for 100-Mbps transmission speed over twisted-pair wire and operating in full-duplex mode.

Loss of Backbone Connectivity # of Secs

This setting specifies the amount of time the access point has before it takes action when it detects a loss of backbone connectivity (such as a loss of Ethernet link and no active trunks available on its radio). The action the access point takes is specified in the Loss of Backbone Connectivity Action setting, described in the next section.

Loss of Backbone Connectivity Action

• No action -- No action is taken.
  
  
• Switch to repeater mode - The access point disassociates all its current clients and becomes a repeater during the period when its backbone connectivity is lost. The access point attempts to communicate with another root access point using the same SSIDs. If it establishes a connection, clients can associate with the root access point through this repeater to maintain connectivity to the backbone LAN. If an appropriate root access point is found, no clients can associate to this access point.
  
  
• Shut the radio off -- The access point effectively removes itself from the infrastructure by disassociating its current clients and not allowing further associations until backbone connectivity is restored.
  
  
• Restrict to SSID -- The access point disassociates all its current clients and switches to use the SSID configured in the Loss of Backbone Connectivity: SSID setting. After this action is taken, only a client using the specified SSID can associate with the access point, allowing an administrator to perform failure recovery or diagnostic procedures.

Loss of Backbone Connectivity SSID

This setting specifies the SSID used by the access point if the Loss of Backbone Connectivity Action setting is set as Restrict to SSID and backbone connectivity is lost for longer than the time specified in the Loss of Backbone Connectivity: Number of Seconds setting.

The setting also defines an administrator-only SSID an administrator uses to communicate with the access point for diagnostic and failure-recovery purposes.

If VLANs are active on the access point, the SSID names are displayed in the Loss of Backbone Connectivity SSID field.

Note   When backbone connectivity is restored, the access point restores itself to the settings established during normal operation.

Action Buttons