Channel utilization missing from the SNMP MIB?

rwhitton

Is there a good reason that the channel utilisation (for each channel) figure doesn't appear to be available in the SNMP MIB? I've had a good search for it and drawn a blank. If I've missed it then can someone advise the OID?

Specifically I'm using WAX510D access points but I expect it applies to all of the models that report the channel utilisation in the web interface.

Are there any plans to add this to the MIB? It would be useful. I have an interference situation. Occasionally the channel utilisation spikes in the 90% region. To help determine the root cause I want to be able to read this value every few seconds and chart the results against time to look for a pattern.

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @rwhitton ,

Currently, there is no OID available for monitoring channel utilization in APs.

that report the channel utilisation in the web interface

The feature to monitor channel utilization is available in both Standalone and Nebula Cloud modes, with different navigation paths for each mode.

In Standalone mode:

Monitor > Wireless > AP information > Radio List

In Nebula mode:

Device > Access points

Occasionally the channel utilisation spikes in the 90% region

High channel utilization often indicates significant interference within your network environment. To potentially resolve this issue, you may adjust specific settings related to the radio channel width and DCS same to the image below.

By the way, keep your APs away from other electronic devices that can cause interference, such as microwaves, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices. Also, physical obstructions like walls and furniture can impact signal strength and increase channel utilization.

rwhitton

Zyxel should add this to the MIB, however in the meantime…

I bodged what I wanted (i.e. a means to periodically poll the value) via ssh in bash:

while true
do
echo "show wireless-hal statistic" | sshpass -p my_password ssh -T admin@access-point.my.domain | grep Channel | paste -s | ts >>/tmp/wifi.log
done

(note ssh must be enabled in the AP)

Without worrying too much about the timebase this can then simply be turned into a plot with something like:

cat /tmp/wifi.log | cut -d' ' -f8 | gnuplot -p -e 'plot "/dev/stdin" with points'

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @rwhitton ,

Thank you for your sharing.

Related to the Channel Utilization OID, we are considering this as a potential feature for future evaluation. You can view and contribute to this idea in the following section:

https://community.zyxel.com/en/discussion/22165/addition-of-channel-utilization-oid-for-snmp-use

Thank you for using Zyxel products and service.