Authors: Raleigh Littles and Gregory Berberian WRIT 107T (FALL 2015)| HOLMS

ARUBA AP-205H A GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS ON HOW TO

INSTALL AND MAINTAIN AN ARUBA AP-205H.

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Table of Contents About This Manual ....................................................................................................................................... 2

Intended Audience .................................................................................................................................... 2

Manual Content ......................................................................................................................................... 3

How to Use this Manual ........................................................................................................................... 3

Safety/Legal .................................................................................................................................................. 4

Safety Guidelines for Access Point ........................................................................................................... 4

Safety Guidelines for Users ...................................................................................................................... 4

Legal Guidelines ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................ 6

Access Point Parts ......................................................................................................................................... 8

Parts List Table ....................................................................................................................................... 12

Determining Location for Access point ...................................................................................................... 13

Using AirWave Management Platform to determine location for an access point ................................. 14

How to Install an AP 205H ......................................................................................................................... 17

Required Tools ........................................................................................................................................ 17

Required Materials .................................................................................................................................. 18

Instructions .............................................................................................................................................. 18

Patching the Access Point ........................................................................................................................... 20

Materials and Equipment ........................................................................................................................ 20

Instructions .............................................................................................................................................. 20

Monitoring the status of the access point using AirWave Management Platform ...................................... 22

Checking data usage ............................................................................................................................... 27

Monitoring number of clients ................................................................................................................. 28

Checking Status Lights ........................................................................................................................... 29

Copyright information ................................................................................................................................ 30

Contact information .................................................................................................................................... 30

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About This Manual

This manual is a guide on how to install an Aruba 205-H access point (henceforth referred to as “the

access point”). This document is intended to guide an IT professional throughout all stages of the

installation, as well as through the basics of troubleshooting. This manual will assume that the reader has

a certain amount of experience and knowledge in the field of IT (see Intended Audience).

Intended Audience

This manual is written for people with the following skills:

Basic networking

Familiarity with Windows operating systems

General troubleshooting skills

Familiarity with a web browser such as Chrome or Firefox

Below is a summary the important assumptions we have established. We assume:

The user has sufficient knowledge of the field of IT (see Pre-requisites to using this manual)

The user is using a Windows system (for necessary screenshots).

The installation takes place in the United States (see Safety/Legal).

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Manual Content

The manual is divided into 9 sections.

How to Use this Manual

There are two ways you can use this document.

1. If you have not followed any of the steps in this manual, please read theit from beginning to end,

in the order given above.

2. If you need to troubleshoot/monitor an access point, you may read only the relevant sections. To

see which sections are intended for troubleshooting/monitoring, please refer to the Table of

Contents.

About this manual

Safety/Legal Glossary

Access point parts

How to install an AP 205H

Patching the access point

Monitoring the status of the access point using AMP

Copyright information

Contact information

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Safety/Legal

This section discusses safety issues and provides the necessary legal warnings for the installation and use

of the Aruba 205H Access Point.

Safety Guidelines for Access Point

In regards to safety of the access point, please follow the precautions below to ensure that the access point

stays in functional condition:

Do not drop an access point.

Do not subject an access point to extreme weather conditions.

Do not install an access point in an area where it is likely to encounter blunt force trauma from

other users.

Safety Guidelines for Users

In regards to the safety of the user, please follow the instructions below.

Ensure that the batteries (see Gathering necessary tools) for the drill are in good condition. If

they appear swollen or have acid leaking, immediately dispose of them.

If the drill has an off/on switch, always make sure to set it to “off” when not using the drill. This

prevents accidental activation of the drill which could cause bodily harm to the installer.

After the access point has been in use for a while, the back portion may become hot to the touch.

When handling wood screws (see glossary), always grab them by the threading and not the end,

as the ends are sharp and can pierce skin.

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Legal Guidelines

Before installing, note that in North America only the use of Channels 1-11 is legally permitted by the

Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In addition, note that, as per FCC regulations:

Improper termination of access points installed in the United States will be in violation of the FCC grant

of equipment authorization. Any such willful or intentional violation may result in a requirement by the

FCC for immediate termination of operation and maybe subject forfeiture.

(47 CFR 1.80)

In addition, this device is noted as being compliant with FCC’s radiation exposure limits for Class B

devices. As per FCC regulations, please only install and operate this access point with a minimum of 7.87

inches (20 cm) between the radiator and yourself.

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Glossary

Below is a glossary for the terms presented in the manual. These are not comprehensive and rigorous

definitions, but are only basic definitions to provide the reader with a working knowledge of the items.

AMP (Air Wave Management Platform): an online software used to manage access points on an

enterprise network.

Crimping: Crimping replaces an RJ-45 connector at the end of an Ethernet cable.

Ethernet: a family of standardized network technologies for wired networks.

Internet: the global intercommunicated networks that is a result of standardized communication

protocols.

Mounting plate/bracket: the plate that helps affix the access point to the wall.

RJ-45 connector: the name for the ‘male’ end of Ethernet cables.

Pin-out protocol: this refers to the order in which individual wires are arranged in any cable. Below is an

example of a pin out for USB (note that this will not be featured in the manual).

PoE (Power over Ethernet): standard that powers devices connected with Category 5-6 Ethernet patch

cables using the data cables as power transfer.

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Port-mappings: this refers to the use of various ports for connections in IT. Typically, ‘Enet0’

(sometimes abbreviated E0) is used for ethernet connections, whereas ‘data1’ or ‘data2’ is used for voice

connections.

Punch-block: the name for the ‘female’ end of the RJ-45 family that is used in Ethernet cables.

Punching: an operation that replaces the punch-block at the end of an Ethernet cable.

Switch: piece of networking hardware used as a central hub that provides the data for the access points,

as well as being a wired host for other devices. Underground fiber (in a fiber optic network) is fed to a

switch.

Wood screws: this refers to a type of screw that is able to drill into woods and walls. These are

distinguished from machine screws in that their edge is pointed.

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Access Point Parts

The 205-H access point by Aruba Networks is a networking device that provides wireless and wired

connection for an enterprise level network.

The antennas in the AP broadcast in 802.11a,b,ac,g,n at 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz. This allows devices connected

to the AP to get download speeds up to the range of 400-867 Mbps, depending on the devices’ operating

frequency.

The AP is shown below in the images:

Figure 1. Installed AP

Link Light

Front face of access

point

Figure 1: Front face of access point.

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Figure 2. Side face of access point.

Power

Connector

Network

uplink (E0

port)

USB Host

interface

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Network Uplink

(E0 port)

Mounting Holes

Heatsink

Figure 3: Rear face of access point.

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W

i

r

e

d

e

t

h

e

r

n

e

t

p

o

r

t

s

Figure 4: Bottom of access point, showing Ethernet ports that

are available for device connectivity.

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Parts List Table

Part Description Function

Link Light (Fig. 1) Small multi-color LED light

LED light which blinks or

holds a steady light at certain

colors depending on the

status of the AP

Power Connector (Fig. 2)

1.35/3.5 mm center-positive

circular plug, 9.5mm in

length

Power input for the AP (only

if power over Ethernet (POE)

is not utilized)

USB Port (Fig. 2) USB 3.0 female connector

USB port which allows

linked devices to connect to

the network

Network Uplink (E0)

(Fig. 2 & 3) Female RJ-45 connector

Port which can power and

deliver data to the AP

Pass Through (PT)

(Fig. 3) Female RJ-45 connector

Port which allows a pass

through to be used

Heat sink (Fig. 3) Metal plates protruding from

the back of the AP

Thermal regulation for the

AP

Wired Ethernet Ports

(Fig. 4) 4 female RJ-45 connectors

4 ports which provide wired

access for the client

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Determining Location for Access point

Before installing an access point, we must first determine the location that it will be placed. The following

factors should be considered in determining location for the access point.

Approximate number of devices (clients) that are expected

Proximity to hazards (water, extreme temperatures, etc)

Proximity to devices that emit electromagnetic waves, as this could cause interference.

A well-placed access point shall have the following features:

Protected from the elements

Provides good coverage

In an area that will not be

oversaturated by clients

Not subject to interference from

other sources

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Using AirWave Management Platform to determine location for an access point

To assist the location process, we recommend using AirWave Management Platform. AirWavePlatform

provides an interface for IT professionals to see which regions have poor coverage. This instruction will

explain how to access AMP’s coverage maps.

1. Navigate to Aruba’s Airwave Management Platform website.

2. Enter your login information and click “Log in”.

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3. Click on the “Visual RF” tab. You will then be presented with a geographic map of various

residences.

4. This is a zoomed map of the location selected in the previous step.

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5. Select “FT North”. You will then see a 3 dimensional representation of that sector.

6. Click on a floor that you want to view a coverage map for. For the purposes of this instruction,

select the 4th floor. You will then see a coverage map of the fourth floor.

In the screenshot, we see 2 access points (the AP icon over the green circle). The regions

in red are where the signal is the strongest, and blue is the area in which it is the weakest.

In areas where there is no color, the coverage from the access point is negligible.

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How to Install an AP 205H

This instruction explains how to mount the AP ontoa gang-box in order to broadcast wireless signal. This

section has 3 parts: Required tools, required materials, and instructions.

Required Tools

Cordless hand-held drill (see Fig 1)

Driving bit (for drill)

CAT 6 patch cables of varying lengths (see Fig 2)

T8H Torx Security Screw (see Fig 3)

Figure 1. (above) An example of a

cordless, handheld drill.

Figure 2. An example of a patch

cable.

Figure 3. An example of a T8H torx

security screw.

NOTE: Always exercise caution

when using hand tools. Before

continuing with the installation,

please refer to the “Safety

Guidelines for Users” section of this

manual.

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Required Materials

AP 205H (in box)

Corded/Cordless Drill

Driving Bit

Torx security screwdriver

Single Gang mounting bracket

2 #6-32 machine screws (in box)

T8H Torx security screw (in box)

6-inch CAT 5e Ethernet patch cable (2 if you plan on using the Pass-through port)

Instructions

1. Remove the current faceplate off of the gang-box if there is one.

2. Attach the driving bit on the drill and use it to secure the mounting bracket on the gang-

box using the 2 #6-32 machine screws as shown below:

© 2015 Aruba Networks, Inc

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3. Plug in the patch into the desired port(s)

Data connection (E0) for network uplink, and the pass through (PT) port if it is

desired

4. Attach the AP on to the mounting bracket, as shown below:

5. Secure the T8H Torx security screw into the upper right side of the wall mount using the

Torx screwdriver.

E0

PT

© 2015 Aruba Networks, Inc

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Patching the Access Point

This instruction will guide users on how to patch the access point. If you are unaware of what the

term “patch” means, please refer to the glossary. This instruction is broken into 2 parts:

“Materials and Equipment”, and “Instructions”.

Materials and Equipment

Aruba S3500-48P PoE Switch (refer to Fig. 1)

Patch Cable

Instructions

1. Use the cable extending from E0 on the access point and patch it to a port configured to

provide power and data to the AP.

NOTE: Refer to the switch’s manual for instructions on how to configure ports for usage

with an access point.

Figure 1: Aruba S3500-48P

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2. Refer to Figure 2 below and wait for the System Status light to go from Green-Flashing

to Green-Solid.

© Aruba Networks, 2015. All rights reserved.

Figure 2: Table of Link Light symbols

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Monitoring the status of the access point using AirWave Management

Platform

Note: The screenshots in this guide will assume that the AP you installed is FTN-0407, located in San

Catalina North Tower.

1. Open your company’s login page for AMP and login using your network credentials.

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2. Click on the AP/Devices tab, and use the dropdown menu to select the location in which your

access point is installed. You will see a list of the access points installed in this location, as well

as the number of clients and the usage.

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3. Find your specific access point by referring to the 10-column chart on the bottom of the page, and

search under the column that says Device for your access point.

3. Once you have located your access point, click on it. You will see a page with several panels:

device info, radios, clients, and usage. Below is an example screenshot of the page.

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5. Check if your access point is on by checking the status.

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6. View more information about your access point by scrolling down to “Recent AMP Device Events”.

This gives you more information about the access point regarding its status in the past.

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Checking data usage

One benefit of using Airwave Management Platform is that you can check how much data is being used

on your network. To do so, follow steps 1 through 4 of the Monitoring the status of an access point on

AMP instruction (see page x). Once you have done so, follow the instructions below.

1. You should see the following screen.

2. Look at the bottom right corner of your screen. There should be a graph with the title

“Usage”. At the top right of the graph, you can adjust the timescale, and you can also sort by

“Max” (Maximum) or “Avg” (Average).

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Monitoring number of clients

Another helpful feature of AirWave Management platform is the ability to manage the number of clients

(also called devices) that are connected to an access point. Monitoring the number of clients connected to

an access point can help prevent congestion issues. To begin this instruction, please follow steps 1

through 4 of the Monitoring the status of an access point on AMP guide. Once you have done so, continue

reading.

1. You should see the following screen.

2. Look at the bottom left of the screen. There is a graph with the title “Clients”. You can adjust

between choosing Max or Avg.

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Checking Status Lights

Reading status lights is an important part of the troubleshooting process – status lights can often

be an invaluable source of information for an access point’s condition. To read status lights on

your access point, please refer to the diagram below.

© Aruba Networks, 2015. All rights reserved. Figure 1: Status light codes.

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Copyright information

No reproduction in any form of this manual, in whole or in part (except for brief quotations in critical

articles or reviews), may be made without express written consent from both authors of this document.

Contact information

For any issues regarding copyright or criticism, please contact both authors, whose contact

information is provided below.

Raleigh Littles

6548 Cordoba Road (34.413899, -119.85549, 6m above sea level)

Goleta CA, 93117

(818) 438-0614

Gregory Berberian

6665 Sueno Road (34.412644, -119.861233, 6m above sea level)

Goleta CA, 93117

(626) 494-1030