H3C Technologies H3C WX3000E Series Wireless Switches - Manual (Page 453)

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Advantages of WLAN mesh
The WLAN mesh technology allows operators to easily deploy wireless networks anywhere and anytime.
WLAN mesh offers the following advantages:
• High performance/price ratio—In a mesh network, only the MPPs need to connect to a wired
network. In this way, the dependency on the wired network is reduced to the minimum extent, and
the investment in wired devices, cabling, and installation is also reduced.
• Excellent scalability—In a mesh network, the APs can automatically discover each other and initiate
wireless link setup. To add new APs to the mesh network, you need to install these new APs and
perform the related configurations.
• Fast deployment—Only the MPPs need to connect to a wired network, so WLAN mesh reduces the
network deployment time.
• Various application scenarios—The mesh network is applicable to enterprise, office, and campus
networks, which are common application scenarios of traditional WLANs, and also applicable to
large-sized warehouse, port, MAN, railway transportation, and crisis communication networks.
• High reliability—In a traditional WLAN, when the wired upstream link of an AP fails, all clients
associated with the AP cannot access the WLAN. Comparatively, in a mesh network, all APs are
fully meshed. There are multiple available wireless links for a mesh AP to reach a portal node in the
wired network to effectively avoid single point failure.
Deployment scenarios
This section includes WLAN mesh deployment scenarios.
Normal fit MP scenario
As shown in Figure 176 , two mesh networks are controlled by the same AC. At least one MPP in a mesh
has wired connectivity with the AC. When an MP comes up, it scans the network and forms temporary
connections with all available MPs in its vicinity. These temporary connections allow the MP to connect
to the AC to download its configurations. After downloading its configurations from the AC, the MP will
establish secure connections with neighbors sharing the same pre-shared key.