Cambium Networks ePMP Elevate User manual

Introduction and Concept
Migration Steps
Warranty and Support
Capabilities and Specifications
Quick Start Guide

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Introduction and Concept
ePMP™ Elevate allows the network operator, by remotely or locally software upgrading each ePMP Elevate-
compatible subscriber device and installing an ePMP 1000 or ePMP 2000 access point, to receive substantial
network performance and scalability benefits without requiring new subscriber hardware or physical
installations. This Quick Start Guide provides guidance through the preparation and migration process using
ePMP Elevate.
Migration Step 1: Review the ePMP Elevate Prerequisite Checklist
Please reference the information in this section to ensure a smooth ePMP Elevate migration experience.
Caution! The ePMP Elevate migration process does require a brief system outage during access
point transition. Please plan migration windows appropriately to minimize customer impact. Careful
preparation and device pre-configuration will reduce resultant system downtime.
3RD-PARTY SUBSCRIBER MODULE REQUIREMENTS/ACTIONS
Verify that your subscriber device is ePMP Elevate-compatible.
Visit the
ePMP Elevate website
for an up-to-date listing of ePMP Elevate-compatible 802.11n devices.
All subscriber devices must be capable of 3rd-party software (ePMP Elevate) installation.
ePMP Elevate devices may operate only as subscriber modules. ePMP Elevate does not support
device operation in point-to-point, access point, or standard Wi-Fi modes.
Verify that your subscriber native software version is supported
XM/XW software version 5.6.6 is recommended. Other software versions not officially tested.
Verify/configure your current network’s Network Mode.
If your current network is operating in
Router
mode, the network must be configured to operate in
Bridge
mode prior to ePMP Elevate transition.
Verify/configure your current network’s Channel Size.
All subscribers must be configured with a channel width of
10 MHz
,
20 MHz
, or
40 MHz
prior to ePMP
Elevate transition.
Record all subscriber RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio)
metrics prior to transition.
Verify WPA2 Pre-shared Key settings. After upgrade ePMP Elevate subscribers are configured with
the default ePMP
WPA2 Pre-shared Key
of Cam39-Tai!wdmv.If the ePMP access point has been
configured with a new, non-default
WPA2 Pre-shared Key
, this key must be configured on all network
subscribers to allow network entry.
FREQUENCY SUPPORT AND REGULATORY CERTIFICATIONS
Upgraded ePMP Elevate subscriber modules support operation in the frequency range 5150 – 5980 MHz.
Upon upgrading to ePMP Elevate subscribers will be configured to scan all available frequencies to facilitate
network entry.
Caution!
The user must ensure that deployed ePMP products operate in accordance to local regulatory limits. ePMP
and ePMP Elevate-compatible devices may not share regulatory certifications in all regions.
Some 3rd-party radio devices were originally FCC-certified and labeled to operate in the 5.8 GHz frequency
range only. An ePMP Elevate upgrade enables 3rd-party radios to operate within the U-NII-1 through U-NII-
4 frequency band range 5150 – 5980 MHz. To ensure FCC regulatory compliance for ePMP Elevate-upgraded
radio devices:
1. A new label must be applied to the device with the updated FCC ID clearly visible. 3rd-party radio
manufacturers support FCC label requests online (labels are shipped directly).

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2. FCC-allowed transmit power in the 5.8 GHz band has been reduced with the latest regulatory
guidelines. ePMP Elevate adheres to these FCC power limits, and an upgrade to ePMP Elevate
software may introduce a reduction of the device’s operating transmit power to adhere to regulatory
limits (as a result of the ePMP access point’s transmit power control mechanism).
Although the access point does dynamically control subscriber output power, the subscriber’s
configured transmit power parameter is not altered upon upgrade.
This potential reduction of transmit power may have an impact on your network’s radio link budgets.
Cambium Networks’ LINKPlanner tool allows operators to model link scenarios based on transmit
power, geography, distance, antenna height, and other factors.
Migration Step 2: Pre-configure the ePMP access point for deployment
To ensure a quick subscriber transition of ePMP Elevate devices to the ePMP access point, follow the
procedure below to pre-configure the ePMP access point.
Note
ePMP Lite AP devices must be upgraded with an ePMP Full AP license prior to migrating with ePMP Elevate
ACCESS POINT PRE-CONFIGURATION EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
ePMP 1000 or ePMP 2000 connectorized access point connected to PoE power supply port “Gigabit
Data+Power” by Ethernet cable
PC connected to PoE power supply port “Gigabit Data” by Ethernet cable
Power Supply powered on
Supported browser – Chrome v29, Firefox v24, Internet Explorer 10, Safari v5 or later
ACCESS POINT PRE-CONFIGURATION PROCEDURES
To ensure a quick subscriber transition of ePMP Elevate devices to the ePMP access point, follow the
procedure below to pre-configure the ePMP access point.
Access Point software upgrade
To support registration from ePMP Elevate subscribers, the
ePMP must be running ePMP Software Release 3.2 or later.
1
Download ePMP Software Release 3.2 (or later) from the
Cambium Support website
.For example, the Software
Release 3.2 software package is named
ePMP-
GPS_Synced-v3.2.tar.gz.
2
Using a web browser, navigate to the access point’s
default IP address 192.168.0.1.
3
Login to the access point web management interface
with username: admin and password: admin.
4
Navigate to Tools > Software Upgrade and click the
Browse…
button to select the software release file
downloaded in step 1.
5
Click Upgrade, then click the Reboot Device button.
Access Point license generation and installation
To support registration from ePMP Elevate subscribers, the
ePMP 1000/2000 access point must be configured with the
appropriate licensing. ePMP Elevate entitlement IDs are
emailed to operators by Cambium Networks distributors. The
entitlement ID is used to generate a license key which is copied

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from the Cambium Networks License Key website and pasted to the ePMP access point to unlock ePMP
Elevate functionality.
Generate license via the Cambium Networks License Keys website
1
Navigate to the Cambium Networks Entitlement Activation
website.
2
Enter your entitlement IDs and click Check. Applicable
entitlements are displayed below.
3
Click Activate to enact your entitlement.
4
Navigate to the Cambium Networks ePMP License Keys website.
5
Enter the LAN MAC Address of the ePMP access point.
6
Read the terms and conditions then acknowledge agreement by ticking the corresponding
checkbox.
7
Click Request Key. An alphanumeric key is displayed below.
8
Copy the license key to the clipboard (Ctrl-C).
Enter the ePMP Elevate license key on the ePMP
access point
1
Using a web browser, navigate to the access
point’s default IP address 192.168.0.1.
2
Login to the access point web management
interface with username: admin and password:
admin.
3
In the access point web management interface,
navigate to Tools > License Management.
4
Paste the provided license key in field License
Key.
Configure additional ePMP access point parameters
per your network deployment
1
Using the ePMP access point web management
interface, configure all applicable radio, QoS
(Quality of Service), system, networking, and
security parameters.
Note
After upgrade, ePMP Elevate subscribers retain
only their configured
IP Address
and
Device
Name
. All other parameters, including
configured access point SSIDs, frequency
configuration, VLAN, etc. must be configured
after upgrade to ePMP Elevate.
2
Verify access point basic security parameters:
•
Wireless Security
is set to
Open
or
WPA2
,
and
•
WPA2 Security Key
(if applicable) is
configured to the system default of Cam39-
Tai!wdmv
After upgrade, ePMP Elevate subscribers are
configured with
Wireless Security
options
RADIUS and WPA2 enabled, meaning that both

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security options will be attempted upon network entry.
After upgrade ePMP Elevate subscribers are configured
with the default ePMP
WPA2 Pre-shared Key
of Cam39-
Tai!wdmv.If the ePMP access point has been configured
with a new, non-default
WPA2 Pre-shared Key
, this key
must be configured on all network subscribers to allow
network entry.
3
After configuring access point parameters, click Save then
click the Reboot button.
Migration Step 3: Install and power on
the ePMP access point on-site
For additional ePMP access point installation
requirements, see the ePMP User Guide, available
here: Cambium Support website.
Option 1 (Preferred): When possible, install the
ePMP access point onsite after pre-configuration.
This technique offers the best opportunity to
minimize the network outage time required upon
subscriber transition to the ePMP access point.
Option 2: Alternatively, the ePMP access point
may be installed as a direct replacement to the
currently operating access point using the same
mounting equipment (when possible). This
technique will require more subscriber downtime
than option 1.
Migration Step 4: Upgrade ePMP Elevate-compatible subscribers
Installing the ePMP Elevate software on supported subscriber modules allows registration of the subscriber
to the ePMP access point. This procedure may be completed remotely (over-the-air, does not require a site
visit) or locally (via direct wired Ethernet connection to each subscriber module, requires a site visit).
Caution! The ePMP Elevate migration process does require a brief system outage during access
point transition. Once the ePMP Elevate software has been installed on a subscriber, it will no longer
register to its original access point, and network entry will only be available via the ePMP access point.
Please plan migration windows appropriately to minimize customer impact. Careful preparation and
device pre-configuration will reduce resultant system downtime.
SUBSCRIBER SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO EPMP ELEVATE
1
Download ePMP Elevate software (based on device type) from the Cambium Support website.
2
Using a web browser, navigate to the subscriber module’s configured management IP address.
3
Login to the subscriber module using your configured username and password.

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4
Upgrade the device software using the ePMP Elevate software package from Step 1.
5
Reboot the device.
The subscriber will now begin to scan all available frequencies and channel bandwidths for network
entry via the installed ePMP access point.
Note
After upgrade, ePMP Elevate subscribers retain only their configured IP Address and Device Name. All
other parameters, including configured access point SSIDs, frequency configuration, VLAN, etc. may
be configured over-the-air after upgrade to ePMP Elevate.
SUBSCRIBER MODULE POST-UPGRADE NOTES
•After upgrade, the ePMP Elevate subscriber module may be accessed via its previously-configured
management IP address.
•ePMP Elevate subscriber modules may be access via default username: admin and password admin.
•To reduce scan time at startup, it is recommended to configure only your primary and alternate
frequencies / channel sizes. These may be configured on the ePMP Elevate subscriber’s Configuration >
Radio page
•After upgrade, the ePMP Elevate subscribers are configured by default to attempt network entry to the
first ePMP access point scanned. To specify a specific access point SSID, configure the Preferred APs
table (located on the ePMP Elevate subscriber’s Configuration > Radio page) to match the SSID
configuration on the deployed ePMP access point.
Migration Step 5: Power down original access point, power on ePMP access point
Caution! This step will introduce a brief system outage as the ePMP Elevate subscribers are
migrated to the ePMP access point
ACCESS POINT TRANSITION
1
Power down the existing access point. When possible, it is recommended to physically remove
original access point equipment after verifying subscriber registration and link quality (Migration Step
6).
2
Power on the ePMP access point. After this step, the ePMP Elevate-upgraded subscribers will register
to the ePMP access point.
Migration Step 6: Verify subscriber registration and link quality
EPMP ELEVATE SUBSCRIBER REGISTRATION
VERIFICATION
1
Log into the ePMP access point web management
interface.
2
On the access point Home page, verify that the
Registered Subscriber Modules
statistic displays
the expected subscriber count.
3
Navigate to the access point Monitor > Wireless
page and validate subscriber
RSSI
and
SNR
values. Updated FCC transmit power regulations
may affect link budget, see
Frequency Support and
Regulatory Certifications
.
4
To test wireless link data capacity, navigate to the
access point page
Tools
>
Wireless Link Test
.

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Migration Step 7: Remove original access point equipment
Once the ePMP link has been validated, the original access point equipment may be removed.
ePMP Elevate Warranty and Support
Cambium Networks supports software maintenance of ePMP Elevate, and ePMP Elevate subscribers are
operated at the user’s own risk. For ePMP Elevate software support after migration, visit the Cambium
Networks Support Website.
Cambium Networks does not accept any liability for reliability or interface responsiveness of ePMP Elevate-
compatible hardware upgraded with ePMP Elevate.
Cambium Networks does not accept any liability for hardware damage or replacement.
ePMP Elevate Capabilities and Specifications
The following table provides detail of ePMP Elevate operation after installation/upgrade:
Registration
and Licensing
Total Registration
Capacity
120 subscribers
ePMP Elevate
Subscriber
Licensing
ePMP 1000/2000 access points support a maximum number of
ePMP Elevate subscriber modules based on the purchased ePMP
Elevate licensing.
ePMP Subscriber
Licensing
Cambium ePMP subscriber modules are not limited by licensing,
and may be deployed up to the platform limit (120 subscribers,
inclusive of upgraded ePMP Elevate subscriber modules).
Additional ePMP
Elevate Licensing
Additional licenses may be purchased and installed on the ePMP
1000/2000 access point to increase the capacity of supported ePMP
Elevate subscribers.
Modes of
Operation
Scheduler Modes
TDD (Time Division Duplex) and Flexible
ePMP Elevate
Subscriber Mode
Support
ePMP Elevate devices may operate only as subscriber modules.
ePMP Elevate does not support device operation in point-to-point,
access point, or standard Wi-Fi modes.
Radio
Operation
Frequencies
Supported
5150 – 5980 MHz
Note
The available spectrum for operation depends on the region. When
configured with the appropriate country code, the unit will only
allow operation on those channels which are permitted by the
regulations.
Channel Sizes
Supported
5, 10, 20, 40 MHz
Device
Management
cnMaestro
Inventory management, device onboarding, daily operations, and
maintenance of ePMP Elevate subscriber modules and ePMP
products is supported by cnMaestro cloud-based management
software.
ePMP Elevate subscriber modules may also be managed by other
third-party Network Management/Element Management systems
via the ePMP software SNMP protocol support.