Controllerless Networks

Hello all!  I'm new to 802.11n network management and am really just running our equipment through some simple tests for the actual networks.  I'm very used to automated cycling and data gather and was trying to setup test just to get me using the equipment and tools and get better at designing tests.

Currently wanting to do something simple:

Single IAP-215 with one client connected and using OmniPeek to collect data (aggregated data from 3 channels).

I want to switch channels on the IAP-215 on 5GHz networks and just get the reconnect time for the client.  At the moment, I've been poking around the Web UI and switching channels manually (slow, tedious, and can't really be automated unless using Xnee or something similar).

I have run into something strange though.  When I switch channels with the AP, I see that the beacon stops broadcasting on channel X (expected), but it takes one to two minutes before it starts broadcasting on the new channel Y (very slow).  Does the AP reboot during channel changes?  That seems really weird to me.

So I guess I have the following questions:

1.  How long should a channel change take via the Web UI?

2a.  What are the commands to change channels from the CLI?

2b.  Is there anyway to automate the process so I can just run a boatload of cycles over night?

3.  Currently running OmniPeek on a Windows 7 OS.  Any suggestions for an OS to use?  I have access to a few different Linux distros as well as windows.

What method are you using to switch channels?

Are you switching to a DFS channel?

I haven't been using any dynamic switching, everything by manually selection channels.  I'm working out of an isolation chamber and was switching between between 100+, 116+ and 147+ via the Web UI.

Like I said, haven't set up anything to be automated or dynamic yet.  Trying to take baby steps and understand bit-by-bit.

Zummarius,

When you want to switch to a DFS channel, there is a minimum time that the channel has to be observed to make sure there is no radar (4 minutes, two minutes?)  If you are just switching channels, instead of allowing arm to choose channels, it will not be scanning those channels ahead of time to check for radar, and you will encounter a delay.  Try doing channel switching with non-DFS channels below and see if you have the same delay:

36 40 44 48 149 153 157 161 165

Okay, that sped things up quite a bit.

What are the commands to change channels from the CLI?

Thanks!

something like this is possible i believe

iap-01# configure
We now support CLI commit model, please type "commit apply" for configuration to take effect.
iap-01 (config) # arm
iap-01 (ARM) # g-channels 7
iap-01 (ARM) # end
iap-01# commit apply
committing configuration...
configuration committed.

of course a-channels for the other band.