18
The access point is typically deployed in a mesh network configuration. In a typical mesh deployment,
one or more RAPs have a wired network connection through a switch to a controller. Other remote
MAPs without wired network connections use the backhaul feature to optimally link to a RAP that is
connected to the wired network. In the mesh network, the links between the access points are referred
to as the backhaul links.
Intelligent wireless routing is provided by the patent-pending Adaptive Wireless Path protocol
(AWPP). This enables each MAP to identify its neighbors and intelligently choose the optimal path to
the RAP with the wired network connection by calculating the cost of each path in terms of signal
strength and the number of hops required to get to a controller with signal strength given priority since
signal strength determines the bandwidth available for backhaul.
Figure 7 illustrates a typical mesh configuration using MAPs and RAPs.
Figure7 Typical Mesh Configuration Using MAPs and RAPs
148441
WCS
Network
RAP
MAP 1 MAP 2 MAP 3
MAP 4 MAP 6
MAP 5
MAP 7 MAP 8 MAP 9