Cisco Systems 350 manual Repeater Bridge, Rugged Access Point, Bridge Non-root Repeater

Chapter 1 Overview

Role in a Wireless Network

Repeater Bridge

You can also use a bridge as a repeater. A repeater bridge is placed between two bridges to extend the range of your infrastructure or to overcome an obstacle that blocks radio communication. The repeater bridge may or may not be attached to a LAN segment.

The repeater forwards traffic between wired LAN segments by sending packets to another bridge. Figure 1-4shows a bridge set up as a repeater.

Figure 1-4 Repeater Bridge

File server

LAN segment A

LEFT

SERIAL PORT	RIGHT/PRIMARY
ONLINE
	POWER ETHERNET

Bridge

(root unit)

Workstation A

LEFT
SERIAL PORT	RIGHT/PRIMARY
ONLINE
	POWER ETHERNET

Bridge		Bridge
(non-root)		(repeater)
LEFT
SERIAL PORT		RIGHT/PRIMARY
ONLINE	POWER ETHERNET

LAN segment B

Workstation B

53088

You can set up a chain of repeater bridges, but throughput across the repeater chain will be quite low. Because each repeater must receive and then re-transmit each packet on the same channel, throughput is cut in half for each repeater you add to the chain. For example, throughput is halved for data sent from workstation B to workstation A in Figure 1-4.

Rugged Access Point

The bridge has a metal housing, so you can install it in surroundings that would be too harsh for a bridge or an access point with a plastic housing. The bridge must be protected from water, but it will operate in extreme temperatures. Refer to the “Role in Radio Network” section on page 3-4for instructions on setting up the bridge as an access point. Figure 1-5shows a bridge functioning as a rugged access point.

Cisco Aironet 350 Series Bridge Software Configuration Guide

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