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    I'm back... And now to answer some more questions:

    WirelesswizardCWSP Escribi?3:

    So its time for some more questions.
    I understand that you can Apply config files from the master to the
    slaves.So the settings in the Master and the slave will be always the same.

    Can we upload config files in groups?
    Say Swicth 1,2,3,4 will have config file 1.bin
    10,11,12,13,14 will have config file 2.bin

    Does Aruba keep track of Auth and Unauth Devices?[Wlan Client Devices].


    Aruba Master and LOCAL (slave is such a non-PC term) switches have some basic switch-specific configuration parameters - IP addresses, DHCP and NAT Pools, VLANs, local authenticaion users & passwords, etc. All other parameters are configured on the Master switch(es - redundancy using VRRP), and pushed to the Local switches. Overall configuration includes things like RADIUS servers, Firewall rule sets, SSIDs, radio parameters, etc. You CANNOT enter these on the local switches - they must be entered on the Master switch (which makes sense since they are global in nature). In general, once I set up a local switch's IP addresses, etc. during install & commisioning, I never have to go back to that switch's configuration again unless things like pool addresses are added or changed.

    Further - AP based functions (SSIDs, radio parameters, etc) are hierarchical. There is a DEFAULT configuration that all APs will get unless specifically modified. The APs are addressed using a location numbering scheme of <building>.<floor>.<AP#>, so to address the 5th AP in Building 10 on the 2nd floor, you would use 10.2.5 as the AP location code. Wild cards can be used, so to address all of the APs on the 2nd floor in building 10, you would use 10.2.0. Similarly, 10.0.0 would address all APs in building 10, and 0.0.0 is the wild card for ALL APs.

    My configuration (entered on the Master switch) consists of addressing various APs as needed to "modify them from the default configuration. So if I want an SSID to appear in a particular building, I would define an AP group of <building>.0.0 with that SSID. This makes it easy to manage the wireless network as a homogeneous entity, with exceptions based on location codes.

    The switches are managed by either the WebUI or command line interface. The CLI so very Cisco-like in structure and funcitonality - show, config t, etc. The config files are stored as text, just like a Cisco IOS show running-config...

    I know this is kind of confusing if you haven't played with it, but you pick it up quickly as you use it. I hope I explained all that well enough so that you understand the concepts.

    Yes, the Aruba switches maintain all client authentication information. So I can look up authenticated and non-authenticated users and see which AP they are associated to. I can view users by authentication method as well. For instance, I know that my guest users (captive portal logons) amount to about 5% of my total authenticated users and that my VPN users are about 1.5-2 times the number of 802.1X/WPA/WPA2 authenticated users.

    Ben Miller Escribi?3:

    I understand that the network is live. I was just looking at the map you posted and I saw that many of the buildings on campus have yet to be covered (you mentioned this as well, I think). I am just curious to hear back on how things are working once you guys have full coverage throughout campus.


    Actually, we have a lot of the buildings partially covered - my guess is between 50-60% of the buildings have some or full coverage. You'll notice that the CDC is shown on the map (upper left quadrant), but it is NOT part of Emory, so I don't have to light it up :-). And there is Emory Healthcare - Hospital & Clinics - I'm working on those now. There is also the Oxford campus in Covington GA about 40 miles east that is not shown on the map which ahs a fair amount of coverage. Perhaps the most significant point is that Emory has full coverage in ALL of their residence halls and frat houses on campus. Not many schools can make that claim.

    compughter Escribi?3:

    When 802.11n is released the frenzy will be that more exciting.

    I can see you using an N type architecture with the demand for more wireless"Speed". The killer apps are live video feeds.


    802.11N is going to be very exciting, but I don't even want to speculate of video feeds over wireless (it will happen) right now - I've got too many other things to worry about.

    Someone once said that the medium continues to change - once upon a time phones were wired and TV was wireless. Now we have cell phones (wireless), and cable TV (wired). I guess it 's time the network move from wired to wireless - like phones :-)

    Now - if we can only get the damn WLAN client drivers to function more reliably...

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