NETGEAR WFS709TP-100NAS Chapter Adding Local WFS709TPs, Moving to a Multi-Switch Environment

Chapter 10

Adding Local WFS709TPs

This chapter explains how to expand your network by adding a local WFS709TP ProSafe Smart Wireless Switch to a master WFS709TP configuration. Typically, this is the first expansion of a network with just one WFS709TP (which is a by definition a master switch). This chapter is a basic discussion of creating master-local WFS709TP configurations. More complicated multi- switch configurations are discussed Chapter 11, “Configuring Redundancy”.

This chapter describes the following topics:

•“Moving to a Multi-Switch Environment” on page 10-1

•“Configuring Local WFS709TPs” on page 10-2

Moving to a Multi-Switch Environment

For a single WLAN configuration, the master switch is the WFS709TP that controls the RF and security settings of the WLAN. Additional WFS709TPs to the same WLAN serve as local switches to the master WFS709TP. A local WFS709TP operates independently of the master WFS709TP and depends on the master WFS709TP only for its security and RF settings. You configure the Layer 2 and Layer 3 settings on the local WFS709TP independent of the master WFS709TP. The local WFS709TP needs to have connectivity to the master WFS709TP at all times to ensure that any changes on the master are propagated to the local WFS709TP.

Some of the common reasons to move from a single-switch to a multi-switch WFS709TP environment include:

•Scaling to include a larger coverage area

•Setting up remote access points (APs)

•Network setup requires APs to be redistributed from a single WFS709TP to multiple WFS709TPs

10-1

v1.0, June 2007