Wireless Access

I read with interest that the new build of Aruba Central includes automatic opmode selection (https://help.central.arubanetworks.com/2.5.2/documentation/online_help/content/access-points/cfg/ap-settings/conf_ap_dual.htm#Support).

I am a huge fan of this type of functionality and up until now, to the best of my knowledge, this has only been available with Cisco and Extreme Networks.

Is this functionality available with MM/MC deployments?

Yes for quite sometime now:

https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_86_Web_Help/Content/arubaos-solutions/access-points/supp-dual-5ghz-ramd.htm?Highlight=dual%205ghz

What I am trying to replicate is Extreme Network's Software Definable Radios functionality.  The 2.4/5 GHz selectable radio can be configured to monitor the RF network and usage and automatically switch between 2.4 and 5 GHz as required.  You can configure parameters (such as the maximum number of associated clients) that trigger or stop the radio changing mode.

It can change opmode to dual 5ghz, but that is only evaluated or changed once every 24 hours and not in realtime.  It would seem like a good idea to be able to dynamically change based on conditions, but it can make things more challenging to troubleshoot.  If you need do manage wifi for people who depend on it, you will want everything to be deterministic, so being able to change opmodes on the fly is cool conceptually, but it is a challenge from a management perspective.  If you have to troubleshoot an environment where opmodes are changing, you will have to piece together what radio was on what channel, and why.  That is mainly why Aruba improved from ARM  (channels constantly changing based on conditions) to Airmatch, which is a much more deterministic and holistic approach.

Thanks for that info.

One last question.  If I enable the automatic opmode selection and the radio is initially set to 2.4 GHz mode can it change to 5 GHz mode at a later time?  For example, if the 2.4 GHz radio is not being utilised (probably due to the number of 2.4 GHz radio exceeding the requirements for the number of 2.4 GHz clients) and a large number of 5 GHz clients enter the area will the radio be automatically changed to 5 GHz mode?