Controllerless Networks

Hi
I have a scenario with 3 x AP-375 that will be connected using mesh. They will be mounted on the roof of 3 houses lined in a row. The distance between both side APs (mesh point)  to the center AP (which will be mesh portal) should not exceed 10m. All 3 APs are currently on 8.7.1.9 firmware version. The APs are intended to serve as backhaul only with each house having a switch and client APs forming a cluster across the mesh connection.

I have seen the post with instructions on how to configure mesh for AP-387. I have followed the procedure with just 2 x AP for testing purpose. I was unable to get the mesh point established with mesh portal after waiting for more than 15-30 mins. The LED on the mesh point would be steady red. When I execute the command 'show ap mesh neighbor' on the mesh point, it returns message 'mesh module is busy'. The following result returned when 'show ap mesh cluster status' was entered on the mesh point:
mesh cluster: enabled, mesh-cluster-name: <name>, mesh role: mesh point, mesh-split-5G: full range, mesh mobility: disabled. Similar result for mesh portal except the mesh role showed "mesh portal"

Configurations for mesh portal as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, removed Setmeup SSID

Configurations for mesh point as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, eth-0 bridging, eth-0 > meshprofile (admin UP, trunk mode native vlan 1, allow all, trusted), removed Setmeup SSID

I refer to the configurations for 8.7 user guide. Under the chapter for mesh, the above method is for standalone AP. There is a cluster-based configuration which I assumes the mesh portal and mesh point belongs to the same instant cluster. I have tried that as well using default profile but when I do a 'show ap mesh cluster status', the mesh-cluster is disabled. 

Appreciate some advise and guidance here.

Thanks.

------------------------------
Simon Lim
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I've just seen mesh in cluster mode, however I would not see why it wouldn't work in standalone unless mesh is disabled in standalone as it doesn't make sense.

What should work is initially put all in the same cluster, connected wired. Then remove the wired from some of the APs and power them through the AC. Do you have access to Aruba TAC Support? It may be good to go through the logs and see what happens to find out what may be the reason the mesh does not come up.

How do you power the mesh point APs?

------------------------------
Herman Robers
------------------------
If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.

In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 19, 2022 07:28 PM
From: Simon Lim
Subject: Mesh Configuration with AP-375

Hi
I have a scenario with 3 x AP-375 that will be connected using mesh. They will be mounted on the roof of 3 houses lined in a row. The distance between both side APs (mesh point)  to the center AP (which will be mesh portal) should not exceed 10m. All 3 APs are currently on 8.7.1.9 firmware version. The APs are intended to serve as backhaul only with each house having a switch and client APs forming a cluster across the mesh connection.

I have seen the post with instructions on how to configure mesh for AP-387. I have followed the procedure with just 2 x AP for testing purpose. I was unable to get the mesh point established with mesh portal after waiting for more than 15-30 mins. The LED on the mesh point would be steady red. When I execute the command 'show ap mesh neighbor' on the mesh point, it returns message 'mesh module is busy'. The following result returned when 'show ap mesh cluster status' was entered on the mesh point:
mesh cluster: enabled, mesh-cluster-name: <name>, mesh role: mesh point, mesh-split-5G: full range, mesh mobility: disabled. Similar result for mesh portal except the mesh role showed "mesh portal"

Configurations for mesh portal as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, removed Setmeup SSID

Configurations for mesh point as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, eth-0 bridging, eth-0 > meshprofile (admin UP, trunk mode native vlan 1, allow all, trusted), removed Setmeup SSID

I refer to the configurations for 8.7 user guide. Under the chapter for mesh, the above method is for standalone AP. There is a cluster-based configuration which I assumes the mesh portal and mesh point belongs to the same instant cluster. I have tried that as well using default profile but when I do a 'show ap mesh cluster status', the mesh-cluster is disabled. 

Appreciate some advise and guidance here.

Thanks.

------------------------------
Simon Lim
------------------------------

Hi Herman

Thanks. I found a doc write up by Ariyap and followed it and got it working after fiddling around some configurations. But the main problem was a switch providing insufficient poe power.

------------------------------
Simon Lim
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 20, 2022 05:13 AM
From: Herman Robers
Subject: Mesh Configuration with AP-375

I've just seen mesh in cluster mode, however I would not see why it wouldn't work in standalone unless mesh is disabled in standalone as it doesn't make sense.

What should work is initially put all in the same cluster, connected wired. Then remove the wired from some of the APs and power them through the AC. Do you have access to Aruba TAC Support? It may be good to go through the logs and see what happens to find out what may be the reason the mesh does not come up.

How do you power the mesh point APs?

------------------------------
Herman Robers
------------------------
If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.

In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 19, 2022 07:28 PM
From: Simon Lim
Subject: Mesh Configuration with AP-375

Hi
I have a scenario with 3 x AP-375 that will be connected using mesh. They will be mounted on the roof of 3 houses lined in a row. The distance between both side APs (mesh point)  to the center AP (which will be mesh portal) should not exceed 10m. All 3 APs are currently on 8.7.1.9 firmware version. The APs are intended to serve as backhaul only with each house having a switch and client APs forming a cluster across the mesh connection.

I have seen the post with instructions on how to configure mesh for AP-387. I have followed the procedure with just 2 x AP for testing purpose. I was unable to get the mesh point established with mesh portal after waiting for more than 15-30 mins. The LED on the mesh point would be steady red. When I execute the command 'show ap mesh neighbor' on the mesh point, it returns message 'mesh module is busy'. The following result returned when 'show ap mesh cluster status' was entered on the mesh point:
mesh cluster: enabled, mesh-cluster-name: <name>, mesh role: mesh point, mesh-split-5G: full range, mesh mobility: disabled. Similar result for mesh portal except the mesh role showed "mesh portal"

Configurations for mesh portal as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, removed Setmeup SSID

Configurations for mesh point as follows:
standalone, extended ssid disabled, mesh-cluster-name, mesh-cluster-key, no mesh-disable, eth-0 bridging, eth-0 > meshprofile (admin UP, trunk mode native vlan 1, allow all, trusted), removed Setmeup SSID

I refer to the configurations for 8.7 user guide. Under the chapter for mesh, the above method is for standalone AP. There is a cluster-based configuration which I assumes the mesh portal and mesh point belongs to the same instant cluster. I have tried that as well using default profile but when I do a 'show ap mesh cluster status', the mesh-cluster is disabled. 

Appreciate some advise and guidance here.

Thanks.

------------------------------
Simon Lim
------------------------------