Meru Networks AP300 User manual

Meru Access Point
Installation Guide
Copyright © Meru Networks, Inc., 2003–2009. All rights reserved.
Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
August 2009
Document Number: 882-70037 Rev D Rel 3.7 Ver 8 Access Point Installation Guide

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc. Contents iii
Contents
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Other Sources of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Meru Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Website Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
External References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Typographic Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Contacting Meru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Customer Services and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Chapter 1 Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
AP300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
AP200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
AP150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
OAP180. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 Installing the AP300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Unpack the AP300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Determine Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Additional Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Install the AP300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Select a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Attach the Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Install the Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Check AP300 LED Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Where to Go From Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 3 Installing the AP200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Unpacking the AP200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Installing the Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Selecting a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Attaching the AP200 Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mounting the Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Checking LED Activity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

iv Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
Ethernet Connector LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
AP200 Status LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Where to Go From Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 4 Installing the AP150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Unpacking the AP150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Installation Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Installing the Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Selecting a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Attaching the AP150 Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mounting the Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Checking LED Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
AP150 Status LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Where to Go From Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 5 Installing the OAP180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Unpacking the OAP180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installation Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing the Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Selecting a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Test Basic Link Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Mounting the Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Connect Antennas and Ground Wire to OAP180 . . . . . . . . . . 61
Align Antenna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Checking LED Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Antenna Gain Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Where to Go From Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Appendix A Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Wireless Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Appendix B AP Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Power Over Ethernet Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Mounting Brackets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Appendix C Mounting Bracket Stencils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
AP150 and AP300 Rev A Mounting Bracket Stencil . . . . . . . . . . 81
AP300 Rev B Mounting Bracket Stencil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc. Contents v
Appendix D Cautions and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Appendix E Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
For OAP180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
EMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Underwriters Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Radio Frequency Interference Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Canada. Industry Canada (IC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Europe—EU Declaration of Conformity and Restrictions . . . . . . . . . 99
IEEE 802.11a Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
EEE 802.11b/g Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Singapore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Manufacturing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
AP300 Plenum Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

vi Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.About This Guide vii
About This Guide
This guide provides installation instructions for the Meru Access Points, which includes the
AP300, AP200, OAP180, and AP150 models. The term access point is used interchangeably
throughout this document to apply to any model when there are no differences among the
models.
Audience
This guide is intended for people installing the Meru Wireless LAN System Access Points
(AP).
Other Sources of Information
Additional information is available in the following Meru publications, Web site, and
external references.
Meru Publications
zMeru System Director Release Notes
zMeru System Director Getting Started Guide
zMeru Controller Installation Guide
zMeru System Director Command Reference
zMeru System Director Configuration Guide
Website Resources
For the first 90 days after you buy a Meru controller, you have access to online support. If
you have a support contract, you have access for the length of the contract. See this web
site for information such as:
zMeru System Director Release Notes

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.About This Guide viii
zKnowledge Base (Q&A)
zDownloads
zOpen a ticket or check an existing one
zCustomer Discussion Forum
The URL is: http://support.merunetworks.com
External References
zStevens, W. R. 1994. TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1, The Protocols. Addison-Wesley,
Reading, Mass.
zGast, M.S. 2002. 802.11 Wireless Networks, The Definitive Guide. O’Reilly and
Associates, Sebastopol, Calif.
Typographic Conventions
This document uses the following typographic conventions to help you locate and identify
information:
Note: Provides extra information, tips, and hints regarding the topic.
Caution!
Identifies important information about actions that could result in
damage to or loss of data, or could cause the application to behave
in unexpected ways.
Warning!
Identifies critical information about actions that could result in
equipment failure or bodily harm.

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.About This Guide ix
Contacting Meru
You can visit Meru Networks, Inc. on the Internet at this URL:
http://www.merunetworks.com
Customer Services and Support
For assistance, contact Meru Customer Services and Support 24 hours a day at
[phone] (+1-888-Meru-WLA(N)) or [phone]. Email can be sent to
[email protected].
Meru Networks, Inc. Customer Services and Support provide end users and channel part-
ners with the following:
zTelephone technical support
zSoftware update support
zSpare parts and repair service
RMA Procedures
Contact Meru Customer Services and Support for a Return Material Authorization (RMA) for
any Meru equipment.
Please have the following available when making a call:
zCompany and contact information
zEquipment model and serial numbers
zMeru software release and revision numbers (for example, 3.0.0-35)
zA description of the symptoms the problem is manifesting
zNetwork configuration

© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.About This Guide x

AP300
© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.Access Points 1
Chapter 1
Access Points
Access Points contain radio devices that communicate with the Meru Controller and
form the wireless LAN (WLAN). The Meru Controller and Access Points connect to the
site’s wired LAN through wired switches. Wireless clients associate with the Access
Points as they roam throughout the WLAN. As such, they are an extension of the wired
LAN, providing the wireless benefits of client mobility, enhanced access, and
dynamic network configuration.
Figure 1: Wireless LAN Connected to Network
AP300
The AP300 Access Point series delivers high performance, full-speed, Wi-Fi certified
802.11n based on draft 2.0 connectivity while simultaneously supporting legacy
802.11a/b/g devices. AP300 is available in the configurations shown below.
Meru AP

2Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
AP300
AP300 Configurations
Features for the AP300 include:
z802.11n support with channel bonding in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands.
Channel bonding combines two 20Mhz channels into a single-wide 40Mhz channel
for increased throughput.
zDual-band external antenna options optimized for MIMO mode
zPlug and Play deployment using centralized controller platforms
zMulti-layered security including standard WPA2, 802.11i security such as
automatic traffic inspection
zEach of these Access points may be powered by a standard 802.3af PoE device.
zAir Traffic Control technology for 802.11n devices and legacy a/b/g devices
z3x3 MIMO with 3 chains and 3 receive chains, delivering full 300Mbps data rates using 2
spatial streams
zFor AP302 and AP311, the a/b/g radio software upgrades to 802.11n for maximum
investment protection.
zChannel span architecture which requires no channel planning or configuration
zSix standard multiband, omni-directional antennas for AP302, AP320 and AP311.
Three standard multiband, omni-directional antennas for AP310 and AP301.
zPowered by 5 volt DC input, 802.3af compliant PoE device, or draft 802.3at
compliant PoE device.
Model Configuration
AP320 Two dual-band 802.11n radios with 3x3 MIMO
AP310 Single dual-band 802.11n radio with 3x3 MIMO
AP311 Single dual-band 802.11n radio and single 802.11a/b/g
radio (AP320 upgradeable)
AP302 Two dual-band 802.11a/b/g radios (AP320 upgradeable)
AP301 Single dual-band 802.11a/b/g radio (AP310 upgradeable)

AP200
© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.Access Points 3
Figure 2: AP300
AP200
The AP200 series provides two models that conform to the specifications provided by
the IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g protocols and provide backward compatibility for the
802.11b protocol. An AP200 works with most standard Wi-Fi clients.
zThe AP201 houses a single 802.11a/b/g radio device
zThe AP208 supports a maximum of two radio devices that can simultaneously run
two protocols (802.11b, g or b/g on interface 1 and 802.11a on interface 2).
Alternately the second radio can be configured to run as an RF monitor to a Meru
Controller, providing real-time status of RF activity to optimize the wireless
network.
The AP200 series (referred hereafter as the AP200, unless specifically referring to the
AP201 or AP208) is housed in a metal case with a plastic removable cover. As such, it
can be used for plenum installations when the plastic cover is removed.
A
2
A
2
A
L
A
N
R
F
1
R
F
2
2

4Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
AP200
Figure 3: AP200
AP200
00109

AP150
© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.Access Points 5
AP150
The AP150 has two 802.11 radios for simultaneous 802.11a and 802.11b/g WLAN
access. It is an ideal option for enterprise-wide data-only WLAN implementations and
small-sized converged data and voice WLAN implementations. The AP150 works in
conjunction with Meru Controller products and can be easily integrated into existing
Layer 2 and Layer 3 wired network environments to provide enterprise-grade Wi-Fi
access with multi-layered security options, basic VoWLAN support, centralized
configuration, troubleshooting tools, remote management and RF visualization capa-
bilities.
The AP150 has the following features:
zDual 802.11b/g and 802.11a radios
zSimultaneously support for 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a clients
zContention Management for high density of data clients
zBasic VoWLAN QoS support for small density of voice clients
zMultiple ESSIDs with individual security policies to ensure separation of different
user groups or dynamic VLAN assignment per user based on RADIUS credentials
zZero configuration required at the access point; the installation procedure is a
simple plug-n-play
zAutomatic AP discovery, configuration
zIntelligent load balancing of clients
zLayer 2 or 3 connectivity for flexible deployment options
zLocking mechanism secures access point when mounted in public areas
Figure 4: AP150
PWR
LAN
RADIO2
RADIO1
00175

6Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
OAP180
OAP180
The OAP180 Rugged Access Point with dual 802.11a/bg radios is designed to provide
secure Wi-Fi connectivity to outdoor locations such as campuses, parking lots, and
pole tops, or to harsh indoor locations such as breweries, food processing plants or
warehouses. The OAP180 supports the following features:
zSimultaneous support for 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g clients using dual
802.11a and 802.11b/g radios
zFull support of System Director features
zAutomatic AP discovery and configuration
zNo channel planning required with single channel installations
zIntelligent load balancing of clients
zPoE (Power over Ethernet) support
zRoHS compliant
zLocking mechanism for security when mounted in public areas
Figure 5: Rugged OAP180 Access Point
Console PoE
C
onso
l
e
P
ort
P
o
E
(E
t
h
ernet
)
P
ort
5
Ethernet
Cable

Safety Precautions
© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.Installing the AP300 7
Chapter 2
Installing the AP300
This chapter describes how to install and configure the AP300. It contains the following sections:
zSafety Precautions
zUnpack the AP300
zDetermine Power Requirements
zInstallation Requirements
zInstall the AP300
zCheck AP300 LED Activity
Safety Precautions
IMPORTANT—Read and follow the regulatory instructions in Appendix E before installing and operating
this product.
If an optional power supply is used, it must be the one supplied by Meru Networks.
The AP300 is only intended for installation in Environment A as defined in IEEE 802.3af. All intercon-
nected equipment must be contained within the same building, including the interconnected equip-
ment's associated LAN connection.

8Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
Unpack the AP300
Unpack the AP300
The AP300 series has five models as shown below. Depending on which model you are installing, you
will have either six or three antennas. The drawings in this chapter show six antennas.
Confirm that the AP300 shipping package contains these items:
zAP300 with attached mounting bracket
zSix (AP320, AP311, AP302) or three (AP310, AP301) antennas
Determine Power Requirements
Your power requirements will vary, depending on which AP300 radios are deployed and what mode is
used. See below. AP300 works with all switches that support standard 802.3af and pre standard
802.3at.
Model Radio 1 (Ant4, Ant5, Ant6) Radio 2 (Ant1, Ant2, Ant3)
AP320 a/b/g/n with 3 dual band omni-
directional antennas
a/b/g/n with 3 dual band omni-
directional antennas
AP311 a/b/g/n with 3 dual band omni-
directional antennas
a/b/g with 3 dual band omni-directional
antennas
AP310 a/b/g/n with 3 dual band omni-
directional antennas NA
AP302 a/b/g with 3 dual band omni-directional
antennas
a/b/g with 3 dual band omni-directional
antennas
AP301 a/b/g with 3 dual band omni-directional
antenna NA

Installation Requirements
© 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.Installing the AP300 9
Installation Requirements
An array of holes on the mounting bracket allows the AP300 to be mounted on the wall and over junc-
tion boxes or molly bolts. There are holes for passing the PoE Ethernet or external power supply cable
through the bracket if the bracket is mounted on a junction box. A template of this bracket is included
in Appendix E of this guide.
The AP300 has a security cable slot so you can lock the AP300 with a standard security cable, such as
those used to secure laptop computers.
These optional mounting kits can be purchased to mount the AP300 either from the ceiling or inside an
enclosure:
zSuspended Ceiling Rail Mounting Kit: ACC-MNT-SCRMKIT
zAbove Suspended Ceiling Mounting Kit (T-Bar Hanger): ACC-MNT-ASCMKIT
zInside a Hoffman Enclosure using Hoffman compatible mounting bracket: ACC-AP300-BHE
(enclosure not provided)
AP300 Configuration Power Options
1 radio – a/b/g mode External power supply or PoE 802.3af
1 radio – n-mode External power supply or PoE 802.3af
2 radios – 1 a/b/g mode, 1 n mode
For 2x2 MIMO mode, use either a power supply or or a
802.3af compliant PoE.
For 3x3 MIMO mode, use either a power supply or a pre-
standard 802.3at compliant PoE.
2 radios – both n mode
For 2x2 MIMO mode, use either a power supply or or a
802.3af compliant PoE.
For 3x3 MIMO mode, use either a power supply or a pre-
standard 802.3at compliant PoE.
2 radios – both a/b/g mode External power supply or PoE 802.3af

10 Meru Access Point Installation Guide © 2009 Meru Networks, Inc.
Install the AP300
To complete AP300 installation, you need the items listed below.
Additional Equipment
A power source is needed to power the AP300. Available options are:
zExternal ACC-AP300-PWR power supply
z802.3af compliant PoE device
zPre-standard 802.3at compliant PoE device
AP150, AP200, and AP300 work with all switches that support standard 802.3af.
Install the AP300
Select a Location
All AP300 interconnected equipment must be contained within the same building, including the inter-
connected equipment's associated LAN connection. In addition, the AP300 should be mounted in a loca-
tion that meets the following conditions:
Installation Type Consumable Items Required
Horizontal mounting None
Vertical mounting over a wall
stud
zTwo #6 x 2" wood screws for a wood stud; or
zTwo #6 x 1½" metal screws for a metal stud
zMounting bracket
Vertical mounting on sheetrock
zTwo #6 x 1" screws
zTwo #4-6 x 7/8" ribbed plastic wall anchors
zMounting bracket
Horizontal mounting below a
hanging ceiling
zTwo caddy fasteners
zTwo plastic spacers
zTwo keps nuts (with attached lock washer)
zMounting bracket
Using existing third party
brackets
zUse included shoulder screws