Cisco FM3200 Base Manual

Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless
Backhaul FM3200 Endo
Installation and Configuration Manual
(Formerly Fluidmesh)
Edition 1.17 (Firmware V8.3.5)

2021-03-15
Copyright © Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco
trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party
trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the
word 'partner' does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any
other company. (1110R) © 2018–2020 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents
1. HAZARDOUS CONDITION WARNINGS ........................................................... 7
1.1. Water Ingress Hazard ............................................................................. 8
1.2. Radio-Frequency Transmission Hazard .................................................... 9
1.3. Hot Surfaces Hazard ............................................................................. 10
2. Reporting Mistakes And Recommending Improvements .................................... 11
3. Getting Started .............................................................................................. 12
3.1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 12
3.1.1. Cisco FM3200 Endo ..................................................................... 12
The Cisco FM3200 Endo Radio Transceiver ...................................... 12
Introduction .................................................................................... 12
Unit Function And Throughput Speed ............................................... 13
Data Throttling ................................................................................ 13
Unit Configuration ........................................................................... 13
Role Adaptability ............................................................................. 13
Environmental Rating ...................................................................... 13
Product Specifications ..................................................................... 13
Transceiver And Gateway Unit Power Consumption .......................... 13
3.2. Fluidmesh Architecture ......................................................................... 15
3.2.1. Overview ..................................................................................... 15
Wireless Network Architectures ........................................................ 15
The FluidMAX TDMA Protocol ......................................................... 15
3.2.2. Fluidmesh Technologies ............................................................... 16
Prodigy .......................................................................................... 16
FM Racer ....................................................................................... 16
3.2.3. Point-To-Point Wireless Bridge ...................................................... 17
3.2.4. Mesh Network Architecture ........................................................... 18
3.3. Fluidmesh Network Addressing ............................................................. 18
3.3.1. Bridge IP Addressing ................................................................... 18
3.3.2. Unit Identification And Addressing ................................................. 19
Mesh- And Bridge-Capable Radio Transceiver Identification ............... 19
Operating The Unit In Mesh Point Mode Or Mesh End Mode .............. 20
Network Addressing ........................................................................ 21
Fluidmesh Radio Transceivers ................................................... 21
Connecting And Configuring An Ethernet Edge Device ...................... 21
Fluidmesh Radio Transceivers ................................................... 22
4. Installing The Radio ....................................................................................... 23
4.1. Installing The Radio Using Tie-Wraps Or Hose Clamps ........................... 23
4.2. Installation On A DIN Rail ...................................................................... 24
4.3. Installation Using The Sliding Bracket ..................................................... 25
5. Hardware Installation ..................................................................................... 27
5.1. Fluidmesh Hardware Installation ............................................................ 27
5.1.1. Best Practice For Shielded CAT5/6 Connectors .............................. 27
5.1.2. Cisco FM3200 Endo Status And Link LEDs ................................... 27
Unit And Link Quality Status ............................................................ 27
Boot Sequence ............................................................................... 28
5.1.3. Supplying Power To The Cisco FM3200 Endo ................................ 28
Connecting Power To The Cisco FM3200 Endo ................................. 29
Connecting Power Through A LAN Ethernet Port ......................... 29
5.1.4. Rebooting The Firmware And Resetting The Unit To Factory
Defaults ............................................................................................... 30
Device Firmware Reboot ................................................................. 31
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Resetting The Unit To Factory Settings ............................................. 31
5.1.5. Suitability For Outdoor Installation ................................................. 32
5.2. Connecting The Cisco FM3200 Endo To Networking And
Communications Hardware .......................................................................... 33
5.2.1. Terminal Assignments For Power And Data Connectors .................. 33
RJ45 Ethernet ................................................................................ 33
5.2.2. Connecting LAN Cables To The Unit ............................................. 35
Bottom Housing And RJ45 LAN Cables ............................................ 35
5.2.3. Connecting The Antennas To The Cisco FM3200 Endo .................. 37
RPSMA Antenna Connections ......................................................... 37
6. Using The Fluidmesh Partner Portal ............................................................... 40
6.1. Accessing The Partner Portal ................................................................ 40
6.2. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication For Security .................................... 41
6.3. Administering Plug-In License Codes ..................................................... 43
6.4. Using The RACER™ Radio Configuration Interface ................................. 43
6.5. Viewing The Technical Documentation For Your Fluidmesh Device ........... 43
7. Device Configuration Using The Configurator Interface .................................... 45
7.1. Software And Hardware Prerequisites .................................................... 47
7.2. Accessing The Cisco FM3200 Endo For Device Configuration ................. 47
7.2.1. Initial Configuration With The Unit In Provisioning Mode .................. 48
7.3. Switching Between Offline And Online Modes ......................................... 53
Uploading A Device Configuration File From FM Racer ............................ 54
7.4. General Settings ................................................................................... 56
7.4.1. The General Mode Window .......................................................... 56
Changing The Operational Mode ...................................................... 57
Changing The Operational Mode On A Mesh Network-Capable
Unit .......................................................................................... 57
Changing The Prodigy Version ......................................................... 58
Changing The LAN Parameters ........................................................ 59
7.4.2. Wireless Settings ......................................................................... 60
Modifying The Wireless Settings ...................................................... 60
Important Considerations For Wireless Settings ................................ 62
Point-To-Point And Point-To-Multipoint Considerations ....................... 62
Co-Location Considerations ............................................................. 63
Channel Width Considerations ......................................................... 63
Dynamic Frequency Selection Considerations ................................... 64
7.4.3. Antenna-Alignment Tools And Physical Statistics ............................ 65
7.4.4. Spectral Analysis ......................................................................... 67
7.5. Network Control .................................................................................... 69
7.5.1. Ping Softdog ................................................................................ 69
7.5.2. FM-QUADRO .............................................................................. 71
FM-QUADRO For Mesh Network-Capable Devices ........................... 71
Plotting And Interpreting The Wireless Links ..................................... 72
Viewing Live Data For A Radio Or Wireless Link ................................ 76
Viewing Live RSSI Data For A Wireless Link ..................................... 79
Manipulating The FM-QUADRO View ............................................... 80
Changing The Relative Position Of Device Icons ............................... 80
Showing KPI Values For Wireless Links ............................................ 81
Adding An Aerial Map To The FM-QUADRO View ............................. 82
Adjusting The Transparency Of The Aerial Map View ......................... 83
Exporting A Network Representation File .......................................... 84
7.5.3. Advanced Tools ........................................................................... 85
Using The Ping Test Tool ................................................................. 85
Using The Bandwidth Test Tool ........................................................ 86
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Using The Path MTU Discovery Tool ................................................ 87
7.6. Advanced Settings ................................................................................ 88
7.6.1. Advanced Radio Settings ............................................................. 88
Using The FluidMAX Management Setting ........................................ 89
Using The Max TX Power Setting ..................................................... 90
Using The Data Packet Encryption Setting ........................................ 90
Using The Maximum Link Length Setting .......................................... 91
7.6.2. ................................................................................................... 92
7.6.3. Ethernet Settings ......................................................................... 92
7.6.4. Static Routes ............................................................................... 93
7.6.5. Pass Lists And Block Lists ............................................................ 94
7.6.6. Multicast ..................................................................................... 97
Multicast Management For Mesh Network-Capable Devices .............. 97
Configuring Multicast Within A Layer-3 Network .............................. 100
7.6.7. SNMP Configuration .................................................................. 101
Using SNMP V2c .......................................................................... 102
Using SNMP V3 ............................................................................ 103
7.6.8. Wireless Access Point Configuration ........................................... 105
7.6.9. RADIUS Configuration ............................................................... 109
7.6.10. NTP Configuration .................................................................... 113
7.6.11. L2TP Configuration ................................................................... 114
7.6.12. VLAN Settings .......................................................................... 115
VLAN Configuration ....................................................................... 115
Rules For Packet Management ....................................................... 116
7.6.13. Fluidity Settings ........................................................................ 118
Handoff Logic And Rate Adaptation Settings ................................... 121
7.6.14. Miscellaneous Settings ............................................................. 122
7.7. Management Settings ......................................................................... 124
7.7.1. View Mode Settings ................................................................... 124
7.7.2. Changing The Administrator Username And Password ................. 127
Enabling Remote Access To The Unit By Telnet .............................. 128
7.7.3. Overwriting And Upgrading The Unit Firmware ............................. 129
7.7.4. Plug-In Management .................................................................. 131
7.7.5. The Device Status View ............................................................. 135
The Device Status Window ............................................................ 135
7.7.6. Saving And Restoring The Unit Settings ...................................... 137
7.7.7. Resetting The Unit To Factory Defaults ........................................ 139
Rebooting The Unit ....................................................................... 140
7.7.8. Logging Out .............................................................................. 140
7.7.9. Viewing The End-User License Agreement .................................. 141
8. Software Plug-Ins ........................................................................................ 143
8.1. Available Plug-Ins ............................................................................... 143
8.2. Plug-In Management Procedures ......................................................... 147
8.2.1. Plug-In Activation ....................................................................... 147
8.2.2. Deactivating An Active Plug-In .................................................... 149
8.2.3. Reactivating A Deactivated Plug-In ............................................. 152
8.2.4. Exporting And Uploading Multiple Activation Codes ...................... 153
8.2.5. Sharing License Codes And Accepting Shared License Codes ...... 154
9. Troubleshooting .......................................................................................... 156
9.1. I Cannot Get The Log-In Screen .......................................................... 156
9.2. I Cannot Log In To The FM Racer Interface .......................................... 156
9.3. I Forgot The Administrator Password ................................................... 156
9.4. The Wireless Link Is Poor Or Non-Existent In Bridge Mode .................... 157
9.5. I Purchased A Fluidmesh Device, But It Is Not Shown In FM Racer ........ 157
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9.6. I Cannot Connect My Fluidmesh Device To The FM Racer Interface ....... 157
9.7. I Applied Configuration Settings To The Device Using FM Racer, But I
Have Lost Connection To The Device In FM Racer. ..................................... 158
9.8. How Do I Connect An Existing Pre-FM Racer Device To FM Racer? ....... 158
10. Electrical Power Requirements ................................................................... 160
11. Heat Radiation Data ................................................................................... 163
12. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Interference Statement .. 165
13. Notices And Copyright ............................................................................... 168
14. Fluidmesh End-User License Agreement ..................................................... 170
14.1. Preamble ......................................................................................... 170
14.2. Notice .............................................................................................. 170
14.3. Definitions ........................................................................................ 170
14.4. License Grant ................................................................................... 171
14.5. Uses And Restrictions On Use ........................................................... 171
14.6. Open-Source Software ...................................................................... 172
14.7. Termination ...................................................................................... 173
14.8. Feedback ......................................................................................... 173
14.9. Consent To Use Of Data .................................................................... 173
14.10. Warranty Disclaimer ........................................................................ 174
14.11. Limitation Of Liability ....................................................................... 174
14.12. Exclusion Of Liability For Emergency Services .................................. 175
14.13. Export Control ................................................................................ 175
14.14. General .......................................................................................... 176
15. Contact Us ................................................................................................ 177
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1. HAZARDOUS CONDITION WARNINGS
Like all other global technology vendors, Fluidmesh is required to comply
with all local health and government regulations in the locations in which
we operate. This includes meeting radio frequency (RF) exposure limits
for our products.
Our equipment is tested in accordance with regulatory requirements as a
condition to our ability to market and sell in any given jurisdiction. As an
equipment manufacturer, Fluidmesh defers to expert national and
international health organizations responsible for guidance on the safety
of RF signals, specifically the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
Health Canada, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other national
and global health agencies.
In May 2019, the FDA stated that there is "no link between adverse health
effects and exposure at or under the current RF energy exposure limit",
and that the current FCC RF exposure limits are sufficient to insure the
safety of users.
If any Fluidmesh hardware unit breaks down or malfunctions, emits smoke
or an unusual smell, if water or other foreign matter enters the unit
enclosure, or if the unit is dropped onto a hard surface or damaged in any
way, power off the unit immediately and contact an authorized Fluidmesh
Networks dealer for assistance.
If you are adjusting and/or controlling a Fluidmesh device using control
software such as the RACER™ interface or the device's local Configurator
interface, do not make configuration changes unless you know with
certainty that your changes will not negatively impact people or animals in
the vicinity of the device and its antennas.
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1.1. Water ingress hazard
CAUTION
In all circumstances where the Cisco FM3200 Endo will be
installed in an outdoor location, it is compulsory to mount the
Cisco FM3200 Endo inside an FM-SHIELD auxiliary mounting
kit.
The FM-SHIELD auxiliary mounting kit is a proprietary
Fluidmesh solution, and is designed specifically to assure the
long-term durability and reliability of compatible radio
transceivers that have been installed in outdoor environments.
If you need further information regarding the recommended
usage of FM-SHIELD, contact your Fluidmesh Networks
representative.
Relevant technical specifications for FM-SHIELD can be found
in the Fluidmesh FM-SHIELD installation manual.
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1.2. Radio-frequency transmission hazard
WARNING
The system shown in this manual is designed to be installed
and operated in a way that avoids contact with the antennas by
human beings. The legislation quoted in this section is
designed to reduce overall exposure of human beings to RF
radiation.
This section gives minimum separation distances between
antennas and humans. It is strongly recommended that the
system be installed in a location where these minimum
separation distances can be maintained at all times.
United States: This system has been evaluated for RF
exposure for humans, in accordance with FCC regulation CFR
47 Part 2.1091. To maintain compliance, the minimum
separation distance from the antenna to general bystanders is
20cm/7.9in. (all FM Ponte kit and x200 radio transceivers), or
21cm/8.3 in. (all FM1300 Otto and x500 radio transceivers).
Canada: This system has been evaluated for RF exposure for
humans, in accordance with ISED regulation RSS-102. To
maintain compliance, the minimum separation distance from
the antenna to general bystanders is 20cm/7.9in. for all
Fluidmesh radio transceivers.
Europe / Australia / New Zealand: This system has been
evaluated for RF exposure for humans, in accordance with
standard EN 62232. To maintain compliance, the minimum
separation distance from the antenna to general bystanders is
20cm/7.9in. for all Fluidmesh radio transceivers.
Before activating any device capable of transmitting RF
signals, make sure that all persons and animals are protected
from possible RF exposure.
Make sure that all RF feeds are securely connected to an
appropriate antenna. Never activate any RF-capable device
that is not connected to an antenna.
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1.3. Hot surfaces hazard
WARNING
The outer surfaces of transceiver and gateway unit enclosures
may become hot during normal operation. During normal
operation, do not touch or handle the unit enclosure without
personal protective equipment.
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2. REPORTING MISTAKES AND
RECOMMENDING IMPROVEMENTS
You can help improve this manual.
If you find any mistakes, or if you know of a way to improve the
procedures that are given, please let us know by E-mailing your
suggestions to [email protected].
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3. GETTING STARTED
3.1. Introduction
3.1.1. Cisco FM3200 Endo
The Cisco FM3200 Endo radio transceiver
Introduction
The Cisco FM3200 Endo is designed to operate in the sub-6 GHz range
as a wireless data backhaul link. In non-technical terms, this means it is
designed to function as an intermediate radio link between a core wired
data network and a sub-network. The unit is designed primarily for
mobility applications based on Fluidity technology, in which specialized
antennas need to be deployed (for example, train-to-ground, automated
mining vehicles, industrial automation and similar applications).
The Cisco FM3200 Endo is configured as a multiple input/multiple output
(MIMO) 2x2 radio transceiver. In a 2x2 scenario, two separate spatial
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streams are transmitted by one transceiver unit, and are available to be
re-combined by the radio chipset of a second transceiver unit.
Unit function and throughput speed
The unit is designed to handle mission-critical video, voice, and data with
extremely high reliability. It can be used to create point-to-point, point-to-
multipoint or mesh network links, with real throughput of up to 150 Mbps
(under optimal wireless link conditions).
Data throttling
The unit's FluidThrottle functionality allows you to specify the maximum
amount of data throughput the unit will be required to handle at any time.
The unit's throughput capacity can be upgraded to different levels using
software plug-ins.
Unit configuration
Role adaptability
The unit is equipped with FluidMAX. This is a software technology that
allows you to easily change the role of the unit, so that it is able to function
as part of a Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, or Mesh network
architecture without having to replace physical hardware. The unit can use
time-division multiple access (TDMA), or carrier sense multiple access
(CSMA) protocols.
Environmental rating
The unit is certified for outdoor usage, equipped with vibration-proof
connectors, and designed for fast installation and enhanced reliability in
harsh environments.
Product specifications
For detailed product specifications, refer to the product data sheet for the
Cisco FM3200 Endo.
Transceiver and gateway unit power consumption
In service, Fluidmesh transceiver units and gateway units consume
electrical power at the rates given in the table below.
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IMPORTANT
In service, transceiver and gateway units will consume power
at various levels between the quoted lower limit and upper
limit, depending on data traffic load, signal strength,
environmental conditions such as line-of-sight and atmospheric
moisture, and other factors.
Note that the power consumption of transceiver units tends to
be affected in inverse proportion to the unit temperature (in
other words, power consumption tends to rise when the
temperature of the unit falls, and the other way around).
Table 1. Power consumption figures (transceiver units)
Unit series Minimum power
consumption
Nominal power
consumption (typical
conditions)
Maximum power
consumption
(realistic system-
design
assumption)
FM Ponte kit 4 Watts 6 to 7 Watts 10 Watts
FM1200 Volo 4 Watts 6 to 7 Watts 10 Watts
FM1300 Otto 8 Watts 10 to 12 Watts 15 Watts
FM3200-
series
4 Watts 6 to 7 Watts 10 Watts
FM4200-
series
4 Watts 6 to 7 Watts 10 Watts
FM3500
Endo
8 Watts 10 to 12 Watts 15 Watts
FM4500-
series
8 Watts 10 to 12 Watts 15 Watts
FM 4800
Fiber
13 Watts 15 to 17 Watts 20 Watts
Table 2. Power consumption figures (gateway units)
Unit Maximum power consumption (realistic system-
design assumption)
FM1000 Gateway 60 Watts
FM10000 Gateway
(Gen. 1)
275 Watts (redundant AC power supply)
250 Watts (non-redundant AC power supply)
FM10000 Gateway
(Gen. 2)
300 Watts (redundant AC power supply)
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3.2. Fluidmesh Architecture
3.2.1. Overview
Wireless network architectures
Depending on the network design and the type of components used, the
Cisco FM3200 Endo can be used to create wireless network
architectures, including:
• Point-to-point (P2P) links.
• Point-to-multipoint (PTMP) sectors.
• Mesh networks.
• Mobility networks.
• Mixed networks that are capable of using any combination of types
listed above.
The FluidMAX TDMA protocol
Individual radio transceivers can easily be assigned different roles within
the same network, using Fluidmesh’s patented FluidMAX™ technology. A
typical example of a general network architecture that uses a combination
of Fluidmesh components is shown below:
FluidMAX™ enables high-performance deployments of outstanding
flexibility. The following section shows how to build point-to-point, point-to-
multipoint and mesh networks using Fluidmesh products.
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3.2.2. Fluidmesh technologies
Prodigy
Prodigy is Fluidmesh's proprietary implementation of the Multi-Protocol-
Label-Switching (MPLS) standard.
IMPORTANT
A Fluidmesh device only features Prodigy selection if the
installed Prodigy engine includes the selection feature.
Fluidmesh devices that are designed to operate exclusively in
Bridge Mode (in other words, point-to-point configuration) do
not feature Prodigy.
Prodigy 2.0 offers greatly improved performance compared to Prodigy 1.0.
New features include:
• Fluidity (through software plug-ins)
• Traffic engineering
• Advanced Quality of Service (QoS)
Note that Prodigy 2.0 is only compatible with device firmware versions 6.5
and higher.
IMPORTANT
Prodigy 1.0 and Prodigy 2.0 are not compatible with each
other. Do not implement the two protocol versions within the
same network.
If you are expanding an existing network using new Fluidmesh
hardware components, make sure that all components are
compatible with each other by:
1. Upgrading all network components within the same
network to firmware version 6.5 or higher, and:
2. Configuring all network components within the same
network to operate using either Prodigy 1.0 or Prodigy
2.0.
Use of Prodigy 1.0 is only recommended if the network
contains older Fluidmesh devices that are not compatible with
Prodigy 2.0.
Select the Prodigy version you need by using the General
Mode page of the Configurator interface.
FM Racer
RACER™ is Fluidmesh's web-based configuration portal. It is the primary
interface with which to configure Fluidmesh radio devices.
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You can operate FM Racer using any internet-connected computer with a
web browser.
IMPORTANT
For a detailed description of the differences between FM Racer
and the local Configurator interface, refer to “Device
configuration using the configurator interface” (page 45).
3.2.3. Point-to-point wireless bridge
A point-to-point wireless bridge allows two local networks to communicate
with each other. A simplified example is shown in Figure 1 (page 17).
In context of the overall network architecture, the two local networks are
called network segments.
Figure 1. Point-to-point network architecture
All network activity that takes place on wireless bridges is 'transparent' to
the network hosts. In other words, a wireless bridge forwards packets
from one network segment to another according to a 'Forwarding table'.
The forwarding table is built by learning the network topology from
analysis of incoming traffic.
In this configuration, no explicit interaction takes place between the
wireless bridge and the network hosts. The network segments on either
side of the wireless bridge share the same IP subnet. Therefore, each
network host must use a unique IP address within the subnet.
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3.2.4. Mesh network architecture
Fluidmesh Networks offers wireless networking solutions that are based
on the mesh networking architecture, but can also fill more traditional
networking roles if needed. This allows substantial reliability and flexibility
advantages when compared to traditional wireless solutions.
A simplified example of a wireless mesh network is shown in Figure 2
(page 18). In such a network, every Fluidmesh hardware component
transmits the data packets that come from the components directly linked
to it.
In a reliable mesh network with an acceptable amount of redundancy,
every stream of data packets may reach the base station through any of a
variety of paths. The Cisco FM3200 Endo is designed to act as an
'intelligent router' that is able to forward packets coming from other
Fluidmesh components in real time, based on an optimal, software-
determined path. In addition, the absence of any single point of failure
greatly increases reliability when compared to any other wireless or wired
data-transmission technology.
Figure 2. Fluidmesh Mesh Networking Architecture
3.3. Fluidmesh network addressing
3.3.1. Bridge IP addressing
If needed, the Cisco FM3200 Endo can be operated in Bridge mode. This
creates a single point-to-point connection between two network segments.
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A simplified example of a Bridge mode connection is shown in Figure 3
(page 19).
As shipped from the factory, the wired ethernet ports of all Fluidmesh
hardware components are assigned the same default IP address of
192.168.0.10/24.
No default IP address is associated with the wireless interface.
Figure 3. Wireless network architecture (bridge configuration)
3.3.2. Unit identification and addressing
Mesh- and bridge-capable radio transceiver identification
CAUTION
This section contains theoretical explanations of the underlying
concepts behind mesh network addressing, and is intended for
use by qualified network engineers only.
• For specific instructions on Fluidmesh hardware
installation, see “Hardware installation” (page 27).
• For specific instructions on how to configure a
Fluidmesh radio transceiver unit using the configurator
interface, see “Device configuration using the
configurator interface” (page 45).
Regardless of its configuration and operating mode, every Fluidmesh
radio transceiver is shipped from the factory with a unique unit
identification (ID) number. This number always takes the following form:
5.a.b.c
The triplet a.b.c uniquely identifies the individual physical hardware unit,
and cannot be changed.
The unit ID number is used to identify the physical hardware units within
the configurator interface that is used for configuration of the unit.
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A simplified diagram demonstrating the relationship between a wired LAN,
and a linked mesh radio network containing a mesh end unit and mesh
point units, is shown in Figure 4 (page 20).
Figure 4. Fluidmesh Network Addressing
Operating the unit in Mesh Point mode or Mesh End mode
If the Cisco FM3200 Endo radio transceiver unit is installed as part of a
mesh network architecture, it can be set to operate in either of two
operating modes:
•Mesh Point Mode: This is the default operating mode. Each radio
transceiver unit that is part of the network, but is not connected to
the wired LAN backbone, must be set in Mesh Point mode.
•Mesh End Mode: Each radio transceiver unit that is part of the
network and is connected to the wired LAN backbone must be set
in Mesh End Mode. A Mesh End transceiver unit is always the
junction point between the wireless network and any IP-based wired
network.
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