User's Manual

7 Preparing the Access Point

The access point is a radio device which is susceptible to common causes of interference that can reduce

throughput and range. Follow these basic guidelines to ensure the best possible performance:

• For information on planning and initially configuring your Cisco mesh network, refer to the Cisco

Wireless Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 7.6. These documents are

available on cisco.com.

• Do not install the access point in an area where structures, trees, or hills obstruct radio signals to and

from the access point.

• You can install the access point at any height, but best throughput is achieved when the access points

are mounted at the same height.

Note To perform path loss calculation and to determine how far apart to install access points, consult

an RF planning expert.

Note See the 1530 Series Hardware Installation Guide for information on conducting a site survey prior to

installing the access point.

Avoiding Damage to Radios in a Testing Environment

The radios on outdoor units (bridges) have higher transmit power levels than radios on indoor units (access

points). When you test radios in a link, you must avoid exceeding the maximum receive input level of the

receiver. At levels higher than the normal operating range and packet error rate (PER) performance of the

receiver is degraded. At even higher levels, the receiver can be permanently damaged.

To avoid receiver damage and PER degradation, you can use one of the following techniques:

• Separate the omnidirectional antennas by at least 2 ft (0.6 m) to avoid receiver damage or by at least 25

ft (7.6 m) to avoid PER degradation.

• Reduce the configured transmit power to the minimum level.

• Cable the radios together using a combination of attenuators, combiners, or splitters to achieve a total

attenuation of at least 60 dB.