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36
Navigating to Access Points Management
To view or edit information on access points in a cluster, click the
Cluster > Access Points
tab.
Understanding Clustering
A key feature of the D-Link DWL-2210AP is the ability to form a dynamic, configuration-aware
group (called a
cluster
) with other D-Link DWL-2210APs in a network in the same subnet.
Access points can participate in a self-organizing cluster which makes it easier for you to
deploy, administer, and secure your wireless network. The cluster provides a single point
of administration and lets you view the deployment of access points as a single wireless
network rather than a series of separate wireless devices.
What is a Cluster?
A cluster is a group of access points which are coordinated as a single group via D-Link
DWL-2210AP administration. You cannot create multiple clusters on a single wireless
network (
SSID
). Only one cluster per wireless network is supported.
How Many APs Can a Cluster Support?
Up to eight access points are supported in a cluster at any one time. If a new AP is
added to a network with a cluster that is already at full capacity, the new AP is added in
standalone mode
. Note that when the cluster is full, extra APs are added in standalone
mode regardless of the configuration policy in effect for new access points.
For related information, see “Cluster Mode”, “Standalone Mode”, and “Set Configuration
Policy for New Access Points” in this manual.
Managing Access Points and Clusters
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37
Which Settings are Shared as Part of the Cluster Configuration and
Which Are Not?
Most configuration settings defined via the D-Link DWL-2210AP Administration Web
•
Of the same radio and band configuration (all one-radio, single-band APs;
the D-Link DWL-2210AP is a one-radio, single-band AP)
•
On the same
LAN
•
Access points of the same model will form a cluster.
•
Access points of other brands will not join the cluster. These APs should be
administered with their own associated Administration tools.
The cluster configuration includes:
• Network name (SSID)
• Administrator password
• Configuration policy
• User accounts and authentication
• Wireless interface settings
• Guest Welcome screen settings
• Network Time Protocol (NTP) settings
• Radio settings
• Security settings
•
QoS
queue parameters
• MAC address filtering
Having a mix of APs on the network does not adversely affect D-Link DWL-2210AP
clustering in any way. However, it is helpful to understand the clustering behavior for
administration purposes:
Settings Shared in the Cluster Configuration
A single D-Link DWL-2210AP can form a cluster with itself (a “cluster of one”) and
with other D-Link DWL-2210APs. In order to be members of the same cluster, access
points must be:
What Kinds of APs Can Cluster Together?
Managing Access Points and Clusters
Page 38 / 193
38
•
Location descriptions
•
WDS bridges
•
Ethernet (Wired) Settings, including enabling or disabling Guest access
•
Guest interface configuration
Settings that are not shared must be configured individually on the Administration pages
for each access point. To get to the Administration pages for an access point that is
a member of the current cluster, click on its IP Address link on the Cluster > Access
Points page of the current AP.
Cluster Mode
When an access point is a cluster member, it is considered to be in cluster mode. You
define whether you want new access points to join the cluster or not via the configuration
policy you set in the Basic Settings. (See “Set Configuration Policy for New Access
Points” in this manual.) You can reset an access point in cluster mode to standalone
mode. (See “Removing an Access Point from the Cluster” in this manual.)
Standalone Mode
The D-Link DWL-2210AP can be configured in
standalone
mode. In standalone mode, an
access point is not a member of the cluster and does not share the cluster configuration,
but rather requires manual configuration that is not shared with other access points.
(See “Set Configuration Policy for New Access Points” and “Removing an Access Point
from the Cluster” in this manual.)
Standalone access points are not listed on the Cluster > Access Points tab in the
Administration UIs of APs that are cluster members. You need to know the IP address for
standalone access points in order to configure and manage it directly. (See “Navigating
to an AP by Using its IP Address in a URL” in this manual.)
The Basic Settings tab for a standalone access point indicates only that the current mode
is standalone and provides a button for adding the access point to a cluster (group).
When the cluster is full (eight APs is the limit), extra APs are added in
standalone
mode
regardless of the configuration policy in effect for new access points. See “How
Many APs Can a Cluster Support?” in this manual.
Settings Not Shared by the Cluster
The few exceptions (settings
not
shared among clustered access points) are the
following most of which, by nature, must be unique:
• IP addresses
• MAC addresses
Managing Access Points and Clusters
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39
If a cluster configuration policy is in place, when a new access point is deployed, it
attempts to rendezvous with an existing cluster.
If it is unable to locate a cluster, then it establishes a new cluster on its own.
If it locates a cluster but is rejected because the cluster is full, or the clustering policy is
to ignore new access points, then the access point will deploy in standalone mode.
Cluster Size and Membership
The upper limit of a cluster is eight access points. The “Cluster” Web administration
pages provides a real-time, visual indicator of the number of access points in the current
cluster and warn when the cluster has reached capacity. (See “Step 6. Configure “Basic
Settings” and start the wireless network” in this manual.)
If a cluster is present but is already full, new access points will deploy in standalone
mode.
Intra-Cluster Security
To ensure that the security of the cluster as a whole is equivalent to the security of a
single access point, communication of certain data between access points in a cluster
is done using Secure Sockets Layer (typically referred to as SSL) with private key
encryption.
Both the cluster configuration file and the user database are transmitted among access
points using SSL.
Auto-Synch of Cluster Configuration
If you are making changes to the AP configuration that require a relatively large amount
of processing (such as adding several new users), you may encounter a synchronization
progress bar after clicking “Update” on any of the Administration pages.
Cluster Formation
A cluster is formed when the first D-Link DWL-2210AP is configured. (See “Quick Steps
for Setup and Launch of Your Wireless Network” and “Configuring Basic Settings” in
this manual.)
You can re-enable cluster mode on a standalone access point. (See “Adding an Access
Point to a Cluster” in this manual.)
When the cluster is full (eight APs is the limit), extra APs are added in
standalone
mode
regardless of the configuration policy in effect for new access points. See “How
Many APs Can a Cluster Support?” in this manual.
If you click on any of the Cluster tabs on the Administration pages for an access point
in standalone mode, you will be redirected to the Basic Settings page because Cluster
settings do not apply to standalone APs.
Managing Access Points and Clusters
Page 40 / 193
40
Location
Description of where the access point is physically located.
MAC Address
Media Access Control (
MAC
) address of the access point.
A MAC address is a permanent, unique hardware address for
any device that represents an interface to the network. The MAC
address is assigned by the manufacturer.
You cannot change the MAC address. It is provided here for
informational purposes as a unique identifier for the access
point.
The address shown here is the MAC address for the bridge
(br0). This is the address by which the AP is known externally to
other networks.
To see MAC addresses for Guest and Internal interfaces on the
AP, see the Status > Interfaces tab.
IP Address
Specifies the IP address for the access point. Each IP address
is a link to the Administration Web pages for that access point.
You can use the links to navigate to the Administration Web
pages for a specific access point. This is useful for viewing data
on a specific access point to make sure a cluster member is
picking up cluster configuration changes, to configure advanced
settings on a particular access point, or to switch a standalone
access point to cluster mode.
Field
Description
Understanding Access Point Settings
The access points tab provides information about all access points in the cluster.
From this tab, you can view location descriptions, IP addresses, enable (activate) or
disable (deactivate)
clustered
access points, and remove access points from the cluster.
You can also modify the location description for an access point.
The IP address links provide a way to navigate to configuration settings and data on
an access point.
Standalone access points (those which are not members of the cluster) are not shown
on this page.
Note that auto-synchronization always occurs during configuration updates that affect
the cluster, but the processing time is usually negligible. The auto-synch progress bar
is displayed only for longer-than-usual wait times.
The progress bar indicates that the system is busy performing an auto-synch of the
updated configuration to all APs in the cluster. The Administration Web pages are not
editable during the auto-synch.
Managing Access Points and Clusters

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