Firetide 4200-1 User Manual

Installation & Setup Guide

HotPoint

HotPoint 4000/5000 AP

FWC2050 WLAN Controller

HotPoint 5100 MIMO Indoor Access PointHotPoint 5200 MIMO Outdoor Access Point

FWC2050 Controller

Manual Revision 2.0 2011-02-14
The contents of this Installation Guide are subject to change without notice.
Please refer to the Firetide partners web site, partners.retide.com, for current versions.

HotPoint 4100 MIMO Indoor Access PointHotPoint 4200 MIMO Outdoor Access Point

Safety Instructions

Firetide 5200 units must be installed by a qualied professional. Failure to install this equipment
properly may result in equipment damage, personal injury, or death.

Explanation of Graphic Symbols

This symbol alerts the user to the presence of non-insulated dangerous voltage that
may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute a risk of lethal electric shock to persons.

This symbol alerts the user to important operating, maintenance, and servicing instruc­tions. Failing to comply with instructions may result in electrical shock.

This symbol alerts the user to the presence of important operating, maintenance, and
servicing instructions. Failing to comply with this instruction may result in a hazard.

Do not open the cover

• Dangerous voltages inside.

• No serviceable parts inside.

• Refer to qualied service personnel.

Caution! Risk of electric shock!

POWER LINES CAN BE LETHAL

Do not install Firetide products where possible contact with power lines can be made. Antennas, poles, towers, guy wires, or cables
may lean or fall and contact these lines. People may be injured or killed if they are touching or holding any part of equipment when
it contacts electric lines. Make sure there is NO possibility that equipment or personnel can come in contact directly or indirectly with
power lines.

ASSUME ALL OVERHEAD LINES ARE POWER LINES

The horizontal distance from a tower, pole or antenna to the nearest power line should be at least twice the total length of the pole/
antenna combination. This will ensure that the pole will not contact power if it falls either during or after installation.

SURVEY THE SITE

Look over the entire site before beginning any installation and anticipate possible hazards. Never assume anything without checking
it out for yourself! Don’t take shortcuts!

TO AVOID FALLING, USE SAFE PROCEDURES WHEN WORKING AT HEIGHTS ABOVE GROUND

• Select equipment locations that will allow safe and simple installation.

• Don’t work alone. A friend or co-worker can save your life if an accident happens.

• Don’t attempt repair work when you are tired. Not only will you be more careless, but your primary diagnostic tool - deductive reason­ing - will not be operating at full capacity.

• Use approved non-conducting ladders, shoes, and other safety equipment. Make sure all equipment is in good repair.

• If a tower or pole begins falling, don’t attempt to catch it. Stand back and let it fall.

• If anything such as a wire or pole does come in contact with a power line, DON’T TOUCH IT OR ATTEMPT TO MOVE IT. Instead, save
your life by calling the power company.

• Don’t attempt to erect antennas or towers on windy days.

• MAKE SURE ALL TOWERS AND POLES ARE SECURELY GROUNDED, AND ELECTRICAL CABLES CONNECTED TO ANTENNAS HAVE LIGHTNING
ARRESTORS. This will help prevent re damage or human injury in case of lightning, static build-up, or short circuit within equipment
connected to the antenna. The HotPoint access point has built-in lightning protection. Be sure that any other equipment connected
to the HotPoint access point also has the same level of protection.

• The base of the antenna pole or tower must be connected directly to the building protective ground or to one or more approved
grounding rods, using 10 AWG ground wire and corrosion-resistant connectors.

• Refer to the National Electrical Code for grounding details.

IF AN ACCIDENT SHOULD OCCUR WITH THE POWER LINES

• DON’T TOUCH THAT PERSON, OR YOU MAY BE ELECTROCUTED.

• Use a non-conductive dry board, stick, or rope to push or drag them so they no longer are in contact with electrical power.

• Once they are no longer contacting electrical power, administer CPR if you are certied.

• Immediately have someone call for medical help.

2 HotPoint FWC 2050 & Access Point User Guide February 2011

Table of Contents

The MIMO HotPoint Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Setting Up Your FWC2050 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setting Up Your Access Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

HotPoint 5000 versus HotPoint 4000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Access Point Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Conguration Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

System Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Proles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

WLAN Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Captive Portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

WLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Backup/Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Reboot/Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Logs & Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Planning Coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Access Point Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

FWC2050 Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Reset Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Limited End User Product Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Firetide - Reliable Connectivity Anywhere 3 February 2011

Chapter 1 The MIMO HotPoint Family

The Firetide MIMO HotPoint Wireless Access Point System delivers a complete solution for indoor
and outdoor wireless mesh networks. Firetide’s MIMO HotPoint family consists of ve components:

The FWC2050 Wireless LAN Controller: Each FWC2050 can control and manage up to 50 Firetide
MIMO Access Points.

The HotPoint 5100 Indoor Access Point: A dual-radio system supporting 802.11a, b, g, and n
modes. One radio operates on the 2.4 GHz band and the other on the 5 GHz band. Each 5100 is in
a UL2043 plenum-rated enclosure.

The HotPoint 5200 Outdoor Access Point: A dual-radio system 802.11a, b, g, and n modes. One
radio operates on the 2.4 GHz band and the other on the 5 GHz band. Each 5200 is in a NEMA 4X/
IP67-rated cast aluminum enclosures and has a weatherproof Ethernet connector. The unit will ac­cept PoE or an external power supply.

The HotPoint 4100 Indoor Access Point: A single-radio system supporting 2.4 or 5 GHz operation
in 802.11a, b, and g modes.

The HotPoint 4200 Outdoor Access Point: A single-radio system supporting 2.4 or 5 GHz opera­tion in 802.11a, b, and g modes.

To ease management of multiple access points in enterprise applications, a virtual AP model is of­fered. Each FWC2050 WLAN controller can support up to 8 ‘group’ denitions, and each group sup­ports 8 proles per radio - 16 total. Almost any combination of groups and proles can be applied
to individual access points, making it easy to support multiple classes of users and applications
on the same hardware.

Feature 5000 4000 Feature 5000 4000

WLAN Controller Support Yes Yes Heat Maps Yes* Yes*

7000 series integrated mode Yes Yes SNMP No No

Web UI-based conguration Yes Yes WDS Server Yes No

VPN, Firewall No No Walled Garden No No

URL Redirect-Captive Portal Yes* Yes* HotView Pro Yes Yes

11n MIMO support Yes No Rogue AP Detection Yes* Yes*

Modes of Operation 802.11abgn 802.11abg RF Power Mgmt Yes* Yes*

Number of Clients 128 32 Number of VAPs 128 4

Policy mgmt - rate limit Yes* Yes* Number of Radios 2 1

Automatic Channel Allocation Yes* Yes* DHCP Server Yes* Yes

* Available only in conjunction with WLAN Controller.

Integration with Firetide HotPort Mesh Networks

In locations where access to Ethernet or power is limited, the HotPoint 4100, 4200, 5100 and 5200
can be paired with a HotPort 7000 Mesh Node for backhaul. The HotPort 7201/7202 Series is also
capable of powering the HotPoint 5100/5200 Series.

Setting Up Your FWC2050

The FWC2050 can be set up in any indoor location, but the best option is to place the unit in the
data center, wiring closet, or other location with access to UPS-protected power and the enterprise
backbone network.

The FWC requires AC power and a wired Ethernet connection. Refer to the specications section
for details.

4 HotPoint FWC 2050 & Access Point User Guide February 2011

Figure 1. FWC2050 Controller

Setting Up Your Access Points

The HotPoint 4100 and 5100 can be installed in any indoor location. The location should be
selected based on antenna and coverage plans - best RF performance is obtained with antennas
connected directly to the HotPoint AP, or with short, good-quality cables.

The HotPoint 4200 and 5200 can be installed in any outdoor location. Again, location should be
determined by antenna and coverage needs, not by Ethernet or power availability. The HotPoint
4200 has a built-in 2.4 GHz antenna, and it also has an N connector for an external 5 GHz antenna
if required.

Figure 2. Firetide HotPoint 5100 Indoor and 5200 Outdoor MIMO Access Points

Figure 3. Firetide HotPoint 4100 Indoor and 4200 Outdoor Access Points

Firetide - Reliable Connectivity Anywhere 5 February 2011

Chapter 2 Getting Started

System Requirements

The FWC2050 Controller, if used, must have layer 2 or layer 3 connectivity to all Firetide 4000 Series and 5000 Series Access Points.

The system requires a DHCP server. If your network has one, it can be used. If desired, you can use the DHCP server built into the
FWC2050.

HotPoint 5000 versus HotPoint 4000

There are few operation or conguration differences between systems based on the 5000 Series and the 4000 Series. Access Points can
be mixed or matched to meet enterprise needs.

HotPoint 4000 Series do no support MIMO operation, and do not support DFS. HotPoint 4000 Series have only one radio per unit. They
are otherwise essentially identical from a management and operational viewpoint.

Logging In

The default IP address for the FWC2050 is 192.168.224.250.

Log in to your FWC2050 Wireless Management System administrative interface for the rst time at http://192.168.224.250,
using the default username (admin) and password (password)

Firetide recommends that you change the user name and password, and the default IP address.

6 HotPoint FWC 2050 & Access Point User Guide February 2011

Chapter 3 Access Point Tab

Discovery

Firetide HotPoint 5000 Access Points can operate as stand-alone devices, or be associated with Firetide Wireless Controllers. Controller­based operation, called Managed Mode, offers many additional features, including roaming. The Controller can auto-discover and man­age the access points in the same layer-2 domain, or across a layer-3 domain, but certain conditions must be met

Discovery for Initial Setup

New or factory-reset APs operate in stand-alone mode, unaware of the existence of the Controller. The Controller can discover these
units as long as they are on the same layer-2 subnet. Once an AP is discovered, it switches into Managed Mode. APs in Managed Mode
will look for a Controller whenever they reboot, using IP multicast.

Access Points in stand-alone mode (including any factory-reset APs) can only be discovered within the local subnet.

At the end of the discovery process, each discovered AP will be running a controller-based software image and will have attached itself
to the controller that discovered it. It will be ready to accept client connections.

Re-Discovery

Once an AP has been discovered, it remains a Managed AP until it is factory reset. Managed APs will actively look for the Control­ler after a reboot. This process uses IP multicast, and can work across multiple subnets, if you enable multicast routing for address

224.0.100.250 between controller and the APs. Alternately, you can enable DHCP option 43 on the DHCP server and provide the con­troller’s IP address. APs will get their address via this DHCP server and get the controller’s IP as part of the option 43.

For the discovery process to work, the FWC 2050 and the APs must be running compatible rmware versions. Contact Firetide for details
on rmware levels. In addition, DHCP service must be available, either from a system-wide DHCP server or via the DHCP service offered
by the FWC2050.

Last Discovered

or

The results of the auto-discovery are shown in the “Last Discovered” page under Discovery menu. Access Points can also be
added manually.

Firetide - Reliable Connectivity Anywhere 7 February 2011