User's Manual Part 2

Troubleshooting MeshMAX 5054 Series User Guide
Troubleshooting Concepts for Subscriber Module
229
Communication Issues
Two Units Are Unable to Communicate Wirelessly
If a wireless link is possible after testing two units within close distance of each other, then there are two possible reasons
why wireless connectivity is not possible while the MP.11 units are at their desired locations:
There may be a problem in the RF path, for example, a bad connector attachment (this is the most common problem in
installations) or a bad cable (water ingress).
NOTE: The cables can be swapped with known good ones as a temporary solution to verify cable quality.
Another reason may be related to an interference problem caused by a high signal level from another radio. This can be
checked by changing the frequency and then verifying whether another channel works better or by changing the
polarization as a way of avoiding the interfering signal. To know in advance how much interference is present in a given
environment, a Spectrum Analyzer can be attached to a (temporary) antenna for measuring the signal levels on all
available Channels.
NOTE: The antennas are usually not the problem, unless mounted upside down causing the drain hole to be quickly
filled with radome.
If a wireless link is not possible after testing two units within close distance of each other, then the problem is either
hardware or configuration related, such as a wrong Network name, Encryption key, Network Secret or Base Station
Name. To eliminate these issues from being a factor, resetting the both units to factory defaults is the recommended
solution.
If a wireless link is not possible after resetting the units and verifying that one unit is a BSU with WORP Base interface
configured and the other is a Satellite, then the problem is not configuration related and the only remaining reason is a
possible hardware problem. Acquiring a third unit and then testing it amongst the existing units will help pinpoint the
broken unit.
Setup and Configuration Issues
The following issues relate to setup and configuration problems.
Lost Password
If you lost your password, you must reset the Subscriber unit to the default settings. See Hard Reset to Factory Default.
The default password is public. If you record your password, keep it in a safe place.
The Subscriber Module Responds Slowly
If the Subscriber unit takes a long time to become available, it could mean that:
• No DHCP server is available.
• The IP address of the Subscriber unit is already in use.
Verify that the IP address is assigned only to the Subscriber unit. Do this by switching off the Subscriber unit and then
pinging the IP address. If there is a response to the ping, another device in the network is using the same IP address.
If the Subscriber unit uses a static IP address, switching to DHCP mode could remedy this problem.
• There is too much network traffic.
TFTP Server Does Not Work
With TFTP, you can transfer files to and from the Subscriber unit. Also see TFTP Server Setup. If a TFTP server is not
properly configured and running, you cannot upload and download files. The TFTP server:
• Can be situated either local or remote
• Must have a valid IP address
• Must be set for send and receive without time-out