Wireless Access

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Access network design for branch, remote, outdoor, and campus locations with HPE Aruba Networking access points and mobility controllers.
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APs keep on changing power levels

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  • 1.  APs keep on changing power levels

    Posted Nov 29, 2012 11:15 PM

    Hi,

     

    We have APs that keeps on changing their power levels. We are using arm to manage channel assignments and transmit powers. What could be causing the problem, is the co-channel interference between APs high? How do we fix the problem through arm? Thanks.



  • 2.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Nov 30, 2012 05:10 AM

    You need to find out why the access point is changing power levels:

     

    "Show log wireless all" will tell you why.

     

     



  • 3.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    Posted Nov 30, 2012 08:01 AM

    My guess is due to outside noise of some sort most likley on the 2.4 -- do you have band steering enabled?



  • 4.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    Posted Nov 30, 2012 02:19 PM

    you can verify that using following command. 

     

    (3600) #show ap arm history ap-name test

    Interface :wifi0
    ARM History
    -----------
    Time of Change Old Channel New Channel Old Power New Power Reason
    -------------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- ------
    2012-11-30 11:14:12 36+ 161- 24 24 I
    2012-11-30 11:08:42 161- 36+ 24 24 I
    2012-11-30 08:57:08 153- 48- 24 24 I
    2012-11-30 08:50:04 48- 153- 24 24 I
    2012-11-30 08:42:22 48- 48- 21 24 P+
    2012-11-30 08:34:39 48- 48- 18 21 P+
    2012-11-30 08:27:48 48- 48- 24 18 P-
    2012-11-30 08:26:42 161- 48- 24 24 I

     

    I: Interference, R: Radar detection, N: Noise exceeded, E: Error threshold exceeded, INV: Invalid Channel, G: Rogue AP Containment, M: Empty Channel, P+: Increase Power, P-: Decrease Power, OFF: Turn off Radio, ON: Turn on Radio

     



  • 5.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    Posted Dec 02, 2012 03:31 AM

    Hello,

     

    I checked the logs and it keeps on saying ARM increasing power cov-index...new rra..... and then it will say after wards ARM decreasing power cov-index...new rra. 



  • 6.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    Posted Dec 02, 2012 03:32 AM

    Yes we have band steering enabled. 



  • 7.  RE: APs keep on changing power levels

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Dec 02, 2012 07:29 AM

    An RF environment is dynamic and ARM makes changes to adjust.  Changing power levels is normally associated with coverage, and other interferring WLAN devices .  I would not worry about it too much, especially if there are other WLANs that are not yours.  ARM is simply trying to help things in that type of envionment.  That is fairly typical.  If ARM is changing channels hundreds of times a day, that would be something to investigate.

     

    The majority of users in typical environments never touch their ARM settings and it works well.

     

    The best thing that you can do is read the ARM Supplement here which decribes in detail why ARM makes the adjustments that it does:  http://support.arubanetworks.com/DOCUMENTATION/tabid/77/DMXModule/512/Command/Core_Download/Default.aspx?EntryId=2569