Users Guide

228 | Secure Enterprise Mesh Dell PowerConnect W-Series ArubaOS 6.1 | User Guide
3. In the Profile Details window pane, click the Mesh radio profile drop-down list and select New. Enter a new
mesh radio profile name in the field to the right of the drop-down list. You cannot use spaces in radio profile
names.
4. Configure your desired mesh radio settings. Table 42 describes the parameters you can configure in the mesh
radio profile
Table 42 Mesh Radio Profile Configuration Parameters
Parameter Description
Mesh radio profile Select an existing radio profile to modify or create a new radio profile.
The radio profile can have a maximum of 32 characters.
Default: Mesh radio profile named “default.”
Maximum Children Indicates the maximum number of children a mesh node can accept.
Default: 64 children. The range is 1–64.
Maximum Hop
Count
Indicates the maximum hop count from the mesh portal.
Default: 8 hops. The range is 1–32.
Heartbeat
threshold
Indicates the maximum number of heartbeat messages that can be lost between neighboring mesh nodes.
Default: 10 missed heartbeats. The range is 1–255.
Link Threshold Use this setting to optimize operation of the link metric algorithm.
Indicates the minimal RSSI value. If the RSSI value is below this threshold, the link may be considered a
sub-threshold link. A sub-threshold link is one whose average RSSI value falls below the configured link
threshold.
If this occurs, the mesh node may try to find a better link on the same channel and cluster (only neighbors
on the same channel are considered).
Default: 12. The supported threshold is hardware dependent, with a practical range of 10–90.
Reselection mode Use this setting to optimize operation of the link metric algorithm. The reselection mode specifies the
method a mesh node uses to find a better uplink to create a path to the mesh portal. Only neighbors on the
same channel in the same mesh cluster are considered.
Available options are:
 reselect-anytime—Mesh points using the reselect-anytime reselection mode perform a single
topology readjustment scan within 9 minutes of startup and 4 minutes after a link is formed. If no better
parent is found, the mesh point returns to its original parent. This initial scan evaluates more distant
mesh points before closer mesh points, and incurs a dropout of 5–8 seconds for each mesh point. After
the initial startup scan is completed, connected mesh nodes evaluate mesh links every 30 seconds. If a
mesh node finds a better uplink, the mesh node connects to the new parent to create an improved path
to the mesh portal.
 reselect-never—Connected mesh nodes do not evaluate other mesh links to create an improved path
to the mesh portal.
 startup-subthreshold—Mesh points using the startup-subthreshold reselection mode perform a single
topology readjustment scan within 9 minutes of startup and 4 minutes after a link is formed. If no better
parent is found, the mesh point returns to its original parent. This initial startup scan evaluates more
distant mesh points before closer mesh points, and incurs a dropout of 5–8 seconds for each mesh
point. After that time, each mesh node evaluates alternative links if the existing uplink falls below the
configured threshold level (the link becomes a sub-threshold link). Dell recommends using this default
startup-subthreshold value.
 subthreshold-only—Connected mesh nodes evaluate alternative links only if the existing uplink
becomes a sub-threshold link.
NOTE: Starting with ArubaOS 3.4.1, if a mesh point using the startup-subthreshold or subthreshold-only
mode reselects a more distant parent because its original, closer parent falls below the acceptable
threshold, then as long as that mesh point is connected to that more distant parent, it will seek to reselect a
parent at the earlier, shorter distance (or less) with good link quality. For example, if a mesh point
disconnects from a mesh parent 2 hops away and subsequently reconnects to a mesh parent 3 hops away,
then the mesh point will continue to seek a connection to a mesh parent with both an acceptable link
quality and a distance of two hops or less, even if the more distant parent also has an acceptable link
quality.