Adding a second NWA130BE WAP

CecilWard

I'm thinking of adding a second NWA130BE WAP but I have no idea how to proceed.
What about mutual interference and channel assignments?
How do I ensure roaming works well?
Do I need a controller?

Background: Ive just upgraded from having two 14 year old NWA3560-n (802.11n) WAPs. I set these up by hand with different config settings on each regarding channel assignments and admin IPv4 addresses. I was never sure how well this setup worked regarding roaming.

It seems that the current WAP uses extremely wide channels - 160MHz in 5GHz and 320 MHz in 6GHz. I’m concerned about this hogging all the space that a second WAP will need.

Hope that you can help me.

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @CecilWard ,

1/ When transitioning APs from Standalone mode to Nebula management, reconfiguration is indeed necessary.

• If you prefer not to reconfigure, you can continue using Standalone mode. In this case, simply configure your second NWA130BE identical to the first one.Our roaming function and the tips provided earlier are applicable to all management methods.
• However, we strongly recommend using Nebula for configuration. This allows you to configure all APs in your site simultaneously.

2/ The NWA130BE performs optimally when ceiling mounted. However, non-ceiling mounting is also possible, though it may not yield the best performance.

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @CecilWard ,

The DCS (Dynamic Channel Selection) feature enables both access points to automatically select and use the best channel in your environment.

To configure DCS in Standalone mode, follow this path: Configuration > Object > AP Profile > Radio > Add/Edit

CecilWard

Could be because the width is 160 MHz?

CecilWard

hi judy - I solved this. It doesn’t allow the use of the button because I have 160MHz width selected. It’s intelligent and changing the width to 80MHz makes the button available. As you know, there’s presumably nowhere else to choose a position for avslot 160MHz wide in 5GHz. I hope I’ve got that right.

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @CecilWard ,

For optimal deployment and configuration of your second NWA130BE, we recommend using the Nebula Control Center for easy management of your access points.

To learn more about deployment, interference, and channel assignments, please refer to these articles:

How to Set up Seamless Wireless Roaming on Nebula? — Zyxel Community

How to measure signal overlap for effective client roaming? — Zyxel Community

How to Enable DCS Settings on Nebula? — Zyxel Community

CecilWard

Thanks Judy, that’s extremely helpful. A couple of questions:

1. Can I convert a standalone config to Nebula without losing everything?
2. Do I need to ceiling-mount the WAPs?

CecilWard

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @CecilWard ,

1/ When transitioning APs from Standalone mode to Nebula management, reconfiguration is indeed necessary.

• If you prefer not to reconfigure, you can continue using Standalone mode. In this case, simply configure your second NWA130BE identical to the first one.Our roaming function and the tips provided earlier are applicable to all management methods.
• However, we strongly recommend using Nebula for configuration. This allows you to configure all APs in your site simultaneously.

2/ The NWA130BE performs optimally when ceiling mounted. However, non-ceiling mounting is also possible, though it may not yield the best performance.

CecilWard

If I make the second WAP’s config the same as the first, will the two WAPs not simply fight over the same range of frequencies in 5GHz, say?

Zyxel_Judy

Hi @CecilWard ,

The DCS (Dynamic Channel Selection) feature enables both access points to automatically select and use the best channel in your environment.

To configure DCS in Standalone mode, follow this path: Configuration > Object > AP Profile > Radio > Add/Edit

CecilWard

Know why, but it doesn’t let me select DCS. It could be (FYI - I only have one WAP just now.

CecilWard

Could be because the width is 160 MHz?

Zyxel_Judy

HI @CecilWard ,

it doesn’t let me select DCS

Could you provide a screenshot and a detailed description of the issue? You can configure DCS even if there is only one AP at your site.

CecilWard

hi judy - I solved this. It doesn’t allow the use of the button because I have 160MHz width selected. It’s intelligent and changing the width to 80MHz makes the button available. As you know, there’s presumably nowhere else to choose a position for avslot 160MHz wide in 5GHz. I hope I’ve got that right.