Ceiling-mounted APs to replace Grandstream APs: Aruba IAP-315

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Ceiling-mounted APs to replace Grandstream APs: Aruba IAP-315

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meow
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#2679523 23-Mar-2021 21:38

Jase2985:

One thing i will give cambium is, they explain the setting next to the option to give a little more context

Well these are "real" enterprise grade AP's and way above the Ubiquiti stuff - they don't have to be simple!

I've got some coming to try out also as this is a damn good deal.

I'm currently using some Cambium WiFi 6 enterprise grade kit (soon to write a review) and these have taken quite a bit of trial and error to configure.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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Jase2985

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#2679527 23-Mar-2021 21:51

i get that its just every manufacture calls something a different name and when you switch ecosystems its a bit of a learning curve to get them going.

Is there a way to copy the config to multiple devices easily?

ShinyChrome

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#2679531 23-Mar-2021 22:25

Jase2985:
Is there a way to copy the config to multiple devices easily?

They are designed be managed by the first AP becoming the virtual controller, then adopting and provisioning the rest with the same configuration

Ge0rge

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#2679533 23-Mar-2021 22:28

Jase2985:
i get that its just every manufacture calls something a different name and when you switch ecosystems its a bit of a learning curve to get them going.

Is there a way to copy the config to multiple devices easily?

I got one up and running with a little bit of fiddling, each subsequent AP has essentially cloned the first once factory reset and rebooted, by itself.

However, under Maintenance -> Configuration you can view a text document of your current configuration, with options to back it up and restore it. While I haven't tried it, I assume that you could copy it from one device to multiple if you only have one powered up at a time. The built in method seems much more effective though.

Jase2985

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#2679568 24-Mar-2021 05:49

ok i guess i just need to connect the other ones up and go from there

sbiddle

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#2679582 24-Mar-2021 07:40

Jase2985:

i get that its just every manufacture calls something a different name and when you switch ecosystems its a bit of a learning curve to get them going.

The basics are the same, it's more that there are so many settings that affect WiFi performance that are hidden by default in something like a UniFi AP and more visible in something like these Aruba APs.

Hardware like Aruba, Cisco, Ruckus, Mist or Aerohive (which I consider to be the higher end "enterprise" brands) offer significantly more functionality, and it's assumed that people installing it have a pretty good knowledge of how to deploy and configure WiFi solutions. Even gaining access to some of this hardware brand new requires end resellers and installers to have undergone training.

You can use a classic example where in many situations an install of UniFi AP's will work perfectly. There are also situations where it can also perform terribly, and people not understanding super basic fundamentals such as power levels (the stupid "auto" setting which still equates to high power), basic rate settings (keep these at default settings on a large network and you'll lose huge amounts of capacity just from broadcast traffic), frequency settings (auto isn't always the answer), band steering, and channel widths (larger isn't always better). Settings such as channel widths can have a massive impact on things such as band steering if you're running 80MHz 5GHz channels and 20MHz 2.4GHz because you'll have such a huge difference in power levels.

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Jase2985

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#2679892 24-Mar-2021 17:09

one of my devices will just not stay connected to one of my AP's. it will connect with excellent signal (about a meter or so away) then a few moments later it will disconnect and connect to one thats about 8m away through 2 walls.

havent tried any other devices yet but i had factory reset the AP and let it provision itself and its still doing it.

My third AP is on the same channel etc as the one that's having issues and the phone has no issues connecting and staying connected so i dont think its related to the channel or channel width.

jonathan18

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#2680585 25-Mar-2021 17:19

jonathan18:

BTW, does anyone have a compatible PoE injector or power adapter they'd be willing to sell me?

The relevant Aruba data sheet states:

Direct DC source: 12Vdc nominal, +/- 5%
- Interface accepts 2.1/5.5-mm center-positive circular
plug with 9.5-mm length

Going through my box of unused adapters I found one that I believe will work; it's 12V 1.5A; plug carries the positive on the centre pin; plug fits the socket perfectly. Photo of adapter below.

Can someone please let me know if I've missed something critical here, before I try using the adapter with one of the APs?

Thanks heaps.

richms

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#2680599 25-Mar-2021 17:43

It may be a 2.5mm hole, and IME those will connect somewhat and work for a while and then mysterioulsy loose connection making the device reboot at the worst possible time.

Richard rich.ms

jonathan18

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#2680731 25-Mar-2021 21:26

So I can't just stick a little bit of foil or something similar in the centre pin to improve the contact, he asks semi-seriously?

Ge0rge

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#2680734 25-Mar-2021 21:34

Technically you could - just remember that "Temporary Fixes" usually become the most permanent...

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#2680843 26-Mar-2021 07:04

im using the chorus model 300 ont psu for my one at the moment as the the ont is connected to my sentry lite ups via a different cable

sbiddle

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#2680850 26-Mar-2021 07:17

Jase2985:

one of my devices will just not stay connected to one of my AP's. it will connect with excellent signal (about a meter or so away) then a few moments later it will disconnect and connect to one thats about 8m away through 2 walls.

havent tried any other devices yet but i had factory reset the AP and let it provision itself and its still doing it.

My third AP is on the same channel etc as the one that's having issues and the phone has no issues connecting and staying connected so i dont think its related to the channel or channel width.

What sort of settings did you configure for band steering, load balancing and client match?

Jase2985

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#2680861 26-Mar-2021 07:33

band steering to prefer 5ghz

No client match

no load balancing

as mentioned each AP has the same settings but its only affecting one of them

sbiddle

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#2680867 26-Mar-2021 07:58

It it staying on 5GHz between both AP's or say moving from 5GHz to 2.4GHz or vice versa? What are the SNR figures of each connection when attached? If it is jumping between bands what channel width are you running at 5GHz?

Remember client devices are ultimately making the decision as to which AP they connect to and features such as band steering and balancing are custom addons to the WiFi specs that attempt to influence behavior of client devices. It doesn't mean a client will always do exactly what they should!

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