Wireless

Current configuration

Hostname	Wireless IP	Wireless MAC	FastEthernet IP	BVI IP	Channel	Mode	Location	Config Status	Notes
bridge-a	10.1.0.2		10.1.0.1	10.2.0.1	2412	root bridge wireless-clients	GOD	OK	-
bridge-b	10.1.0.4		10.1.0.3	10.2.0.2	2437	root bridge wireless-clients	GOD	OK	-
bridge-c	10.1.0.16		10.1.0.15	10.2.0.3		root bridge wireless-clients	Monster	OK	-
bridge-d	10.1.0.18		10.1.0.17	10.2.0.4		non-root bridge wireless-clients		OK	-
bridge-e	10.1.0.40	001f.9ed3.3fe0	10.1.0.41	10.2.0.40		root bridge wireless-clients	Clive's Study	OK	-
bridge-f	10.1.0.xx		10.1.0.xx	10.2.0.x		non-root bridge wireless-clients	Clive's Study	OK	-
Bravo	10.1.0.14		10.1.0.13	10.2.0.8		root	God	OK	-
Charlie	10.1.0.11		10.1.0.12	10.2.0.11	2447	root	Monster	?	-
Delta	10.1.0.10		10.1.0.9	10.2.0.6	2472	root access-point	Stored	OK	-
Echo	10.1.0.8		10.1.0.7	10.2.0.7	Not Set	repeater	Hub	OK	-
Foxtrot	10.1.0.6		10.1.0.5	10.2.0.5		repeater	-	Failed to connect - 2017-09-15	-
Golf	10.1.0.31		10.1.0.30	10.2.0.30	2447	repeater	Navaar	OK	-
Hotel	10.1.0.20		10.1.0.19	10.2.0.19	Not Set	root	-	OK	-

Capabilities

These radios operate in the 2.4Ghz microwave band, and support 802.11b/g wifi connections. We have many units:

 12(?) x omnidirectional, indoor units, two with standard antennas, two with (high-gain?) antennas.
    (Aironet 1200 series)

 6x weather-proofed point-to-point units with highly-directional integrated antennas,
    with separate (indoor) breakout boxes.
    (Aironet 1300 series)

Controlling the units

These wireless base-stations are sophisticated computers in their own right. They run the Cisco IOS operating system: specifically, version 12.3. By default, they can be controlled via a serial console, using the special cyan RJ45-DB9 serial cable provided or the cyan USB-serial cables.

They can also be controlled via telnet and have a web interface which is occasionally useful. By default, configured to use DHCP to acquire their own IP address, but we have over-ridden this for obvious reasons (it's hard to telnet to a device when you don't know what its address is ...).

Connecting

Windows XP

Use Hyperterminal to connect to a unit:

 -> Use 9600 baud, no parity, 1 stop bit, and disable hardware flow control.

OSX/Linux

There should be a USB/Serial cable in the box. Clive will also have one in his bag of stuff. But if you lose his, it will be painful ...

1. Find the port number in terminal:

$ ls -ltr /dev/*usb*
crw-rw-rw-  1 root  wheel   21,   2  7 Apr 16:33 /dev/tty.usbserial-AH0668GD
crw-rw-rw-  1 root  wheel   21,   3  7 Apr 16:33 /dev/cu.usbserial-AH0668GD

1. You can use screen to connect:

$ screen /dev/tty.usbserial-AH0668GD 9600

Log in

If you've got things right, then if you have the cable plugged in when you turn a wireless base-unit on, you should see boot-time messages start to scroll past for about a minute after power-on.

Press <ENTER> when prompted to bring up control menu.

Prompt is displayed as: ap> -- or, if the device has been given a different hostname, either manually or via DHCP, then it will appear as: hostname>

Pressing '?' will display a list of commands. <TAB> will auto-complete unambiguous partial commands.

The access point default username is 'Cisco' and the default password is 'Cisco'.

Configuring units

Common

* Enter admin mode
    - Gain privileged access: "enable"
    - The default username and password is 'Cisco'.
* Enter config mode.
    - Enter (configuration) context: "configure terminal"

* Set the local hostname:
    - Set hostname: "hostname NEWHOSTNAME"

Note: this will change the default prompt from 'ap' to the hostname you specify.

* Configure AP to use a broadcast NTP time signal:
    - Enable the SNTP client, to listen to the first broadcast signal:
      "sntp broadcast client"
 
* Configure AP to maintain a network map:
    - Enable network-map generation: "dot11 network-map 1"

* Configure AP with the PDCREW wireless network details:
    - Mint the new SSID: "dot11 ssid PDCREW"
    - Set the shared secret to connect to this AP:
      "authentication open"
      "authentication key-management wpa"
      "wpa-psk ascii PASSWORD"

NOTE: The WPA-PSK has to be 8 characters or longer. You know what the password is ...

    - Allow to be used as an infrastructure ssid
     "infrastructure-ssid optional"
    - Set the SSID to be announced:
      "guest-mode"
    - Exit from SSID sub-mode: "exit"

* Turn the radio on, and add the PDCREW SSID to it:
    - Select a radio interface to add the SSID to: 
      "interface dot11radio 0"
    - Tell the wireless system to use correct regional settings:
      "world-mode dot11d country-code GB outdoor"
    - Set the radio to optimise for range (as opposed to speed)
      "speed range"
    - Set the power settings to locally-permitted maximums.
      "power local cck maximum"
      "power local ofdm maximum"
    - Set to channel 1:
      "channel 1"
    - Turn the radio on:
      "no shutdown"
    - Configure encryption mode ciphers:
      "encryption mode ciphers tkip"
    - enable extensions:
      "dot11 extension aironet"
    - Add the SSID to this radio:
      "ssid PDCREW"
    - Set the ip address
      "ip address 10.1.0.x 255.0.0.0"
    - Exit SSID configuration mode: "exit"

 * Configure the ethernet port
    - select interface
     "interface FastEthernet 0"
    - Set the ip address
      "ip address 10.1.0.x 255.0.0.0"
    - Exit SSID configuration mode: "exit"
   
 * Enable spanning-tree protocol on the local bridge:
    - bridge 1 protocol ieee

 * Save your work
    "copy running-config startup-config"

Root bridge

* Configure radio to operation in a root bridge role:
    - Enable configuration mode: "configuration terminal"
    - Select 2.4Ghz radio: "interface dot11radio 0"
    - Set role: "station-role root bridge wireless-clients"

Non-root bridge

* Specify that the PDCREW network is the one to connect to:
    - Enable configuration mode: "configuration terminal"
    - Select the PDCREW network: "dot11 ssid PDCREW"    
    - Specify that it should be used: "infrastructure-ssid optional"

* Configure radio to operation in a non-root bridge role:
    - Select 2.4Ghz radio: "interface dot11radio 0"
    - Set role: "station-role non-root bridge wireless-clients"

Field AP

 * The AP will, by default, operate in a root access-point mode.

Repeater

XXX This section is as-yet untested.

* Configure radio to operation in a repeater role:
    3. Select 2.4Ghz radio: "interface dot11radio 0"
    4. Set role: "station-role repeater"

Finish

* Review the current SSID list:
  - "show running-config ssid PDCREW"

You should see something like:

dot11 ssid PDCREW

  authentication open
  authentication key-management wpa
  guest-mode
  wpa-psk ascii 7 140716081E013D7D76

end

* Show the network-map:
    1. show dot11 network-map

* Show live configuration:
    1. show running-config

* Commit live configuration as the new default:
    1. copy running-config startup-config

* Show neighbouring Cisco equipment:
    1. show cdp neighbors [detail]

Factory reset

1200 series

To return the wireless base-stations to factory settings, power off the device, then -- while holding the 'mode' button down -- power the wireless device back up. Continue to hold the 'mode' button down for a few seconds, then release.

1300 series

If you can login (enable):

• Enter erase nvram to erase all NVRAM files including the startup configuration.
• Enter Y when the following CLI message appears: Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all configuration files! Continue? [confirm].
• Enter reload when the following CLI message appears: Erase of nvram: complete. This command reloads the operating system.
• Enter Y when the following CLI message appears: Proceed with reload? [confirm].

If you can't login, try really hard to log in. Otherwise:

• Open the CLI with a Telnet session or a connection to the bridge console port.
• Reboot the bridge by removing and reapplying power.
• Allow the bridge to boot until the command prompt appears and the bridge begins to inflate the image.
• Press ESC when you see lines that are similar to these on the CLI:

Loading "flash:/c1310-k9kw-7mx.v122_15_ja.200040314-k9w7-mx.v122_15_ja.20040314"
...#############################################################################

Note: In order to access the boot loader, you must press ESC twice. But this action depends on the terminal-emulation software that you use. Messages that are similar to these appear:

Error loading "flash:/c1310-k9kw-7mx.v122_15_ja.200040314-k9w7-mx.v122_15_
ja.20040314"
Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
Boot process terminated.
The system is unable to boot automatically. The BOOT environment variable needs to 
be set to a bootable image.
C1310 Boot Loader (C1310-BOOT-M), Version 12.2 [BLD-v122_15-ja_throttle.20040314 100]
bridge:

• At the bridge: prompt, issue the dir flash: command in order to view a directory of the Flash file system. The directory is similar to this directory:

bridge: dir flash:

Directory of flash:/

2	-rwx		0		<date>	env_vars
5	drwx		384		<date>	C1310-k9w7-mx.v133_15_JA.20040314
3	-rwx		1128		<date>	config.txt
4	-rwx		5		<date>	private-config

3693568 bytes available (4047872 bytes used)
bridge:

• Delete or rename the files config.txt and env_vars, and reboot the bridge. Note: Do not forget the / character before the filenames.

bridge: delete flash:/config.txt
Are you sure you want to delete flash:/config.txt (y/n)?y
File "flash:/config.txt" deleted

bridge: delete flash:/env_vars
Are you sure you want to delete "flash:/env_vars" (y/n)?y
File "flash:/env_vars" deleted

• Issue the boot command in order to reboot the bridge at the bridge: prompt, or simply power cycle the bridge.

Old bits from early experiments, probably not really worth keeping, but just might be

Aquarion's notes, essentially

==

Wireless Topology

---

Suggested wireless topology; at this point, only units 1-3 have been configured.

                      (- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -)     v ~ ~ v ~ ~ v ~ ~ v
 [ GOD network ] ---- |             | --- |     |     |     |
                      RB           NRB    AP    R     R     R

                      #1            #2    #3    #4    #5    #6

    RB : Root-bridge
    NRB: Non-root bridge
    AP : Root access point
    R  : Wireless repeater.
                                      Wireless MAC       Ethernet MAC		channel
    #1  -- bridge-a	10.1.0.2 & 1   00:26:cb:6a:8d:b0  88:43:e1:d1:fd:ac     1	\ 1300-series
    #2  -- bridge-b    10.1.0.4 & 3   00:23:5e:0b:6b:40  00:23:5e:99:56:02     1	/
    #3  -- field-ap    10.1.0.6 & 5   00:14:69:2d:4a:10  00:14:6a:40:44:49     6	\  
    #4  -- repeater-1  10.1.0.8 & 7                                            11	  1200-series
    #5  -- repeater-2  10.1.0.10 & 9   		  00:19:E8:8C:77:AC     13
    #6  -- repeater-3  10.1.0.12 & 11              	  00:14:69:ee:3b:ab     8                      	/
    #7  -- repeater-4  10.1.0.13                         00:13:80:ec:bb:b8	5

These are only suggested IPs; at present, they are all using DHCP to establish their own IP, and these have not yet been configured in the AD.

Ideally, the repeaters will also be configured such that wired devices attached to them will be bridged onto the crew network. (Note: this has security implications - we don't want players to be able to do this!)

[ In practice, this appears not to be supported? ]

Performance

---

At Odyssey E1, 2013, bridge-[a/b] and the field-ap were all configured and test-deployed:

 * bridge-a was propped up on a desk in GOD
 * bridge-b was propped up on a box outside the bar, in the ~middle of the IC field.

This was an initial test, but it proved to be unexpectedly successful. Despite there being in the way:

 * Most of GOD
 * A wet hedgerow
 * Several (dampened) tents
 * A number of people milling about
 * A fair distance

... a solid signal could be established between the two bridge units, despite not having done any careful alignment. (Perhaps we were just lucky?)

'show dot11 statistics client-traffic' shows:

27-0026.cb6a.8db0 pak in 12503 bytes in 2295602 pak out 4385 bytes out 693295

     dup 0 decrpyt err 0 mic mismatch 0 mic miss 0
     tx retries 1159 data retries 1158 rts retries 1
     signal strength 74 signal quality 18