AP Controller Enhancement (1) – Smart Mesh, Radio Management, SSID settings Enhancement

Zyxel_Lynn

Overview

In this firmware release, Zyxel firewalls acting as AP Controllers (APC) introduce a series of major enhancements, extending management capabilities for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 access points.
These updates improve Smart Mesh control, radio configuration, SSID flexibility, and client access control, ensuring unified management across both Nebula and on-premise deployments.

1. What is the AP Controller feature?

The Zyxel firewall can act as an AP Controller (APC) to centrally manage access points, providing features similar to Nebula for on-premises deployments. This release introduces major enhancements in Smart Mesh, Radio Management, and SSID control.

2.What’s new in Smart Mesh (Wi-Fi 7 MLORB)?

• Uplink Radio Selection (MLORB):
• When managing Wi-Fi 7 APs, administrators can now manually select uplink band combinations (MLORB) for Mesh connections.
• Behavior:
  Wi-Fi 7(uplink)→ Wi-Fi 7(downlink) Mesh: uses multi-link (5 GHz + 6 GHz).
  Wi-Fi 6(uplink)→ Wi-Fi 7(downlink) Mesh: uses single-link (5 GHz).
  Wi-Fi 6(uplink)→ Wi-Fi 6(downlink) Mesh: single-link only.

3. How are Smart Mesh uplink details displayed?

A new Uplink Information Column has been added in the Managed AP List, showing:

• Uplink Signal (dBm)
• TX/RX Data Rate

The Uplink Tx/Rx Rate displayed value aggregates all active MLORB links, while the Uplink Signal identifies which radio achieves the higher throughput.
For example, if 5 GHz outperforms 2.4 GHz, the uplink signal reflects the stronger 5 GHz link.

4. How can I verify Mesh connections in logs?

A new field, MLD (Multi-Link Device) MAC Address, is logged in the AP Event Log.
Each link has its own radio MAC, allowing administrators to trace Mesh traffic across radios.
To view:

1. Go to Log & Report > Log / Events > AP.
2. Click Query – the firewall retrieves event logs from each managed AP.
3. Search for entries containing MLD MAC Address.

5. What is the new AP Radio Settings section?

Located under Wireless > WLAN > Radio Setting, this new section allows per-radio configuration for:

• 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands
• Channel, channel width, transmit power, and mode

Settings are stored in the AP Controller, not on the local AP.

6. What does the lock/unlock icon mean?

• Locked 🔒 – AP follows its own custom radio setting.
• Unlocked 🔓 – AP uses the global radio setting.

This visual cue lets administrators quickly tell whether an AP inherits the global configuration or has local overrides.

7. What is the Radio MAC Address field?

The Radio MAC Address corresponds to the BSSID seen by client devices.
It identifies which specific AP radio a client is connected to, aiding troubleshooting and network mapping.

8. Whatis “Airtime Fairness”?

Airtime Fairness is a new optional parameter currently supported only in per-AP radio settings.
It is intended for extended radio monitoring and stability testing and will be expanded to global settings in future releases.

9.What’s new for BandFlex AP models?

BandFlex APs managed by the AP Controller can now fix their operation band ( 5GHz / 6 GHz).
Previously, this setting was not available when under firewall management.

10.What is the AP Tag feature?

AP Tags group APs for more granular SSID control.
Administrators can assign tags to specific APs to decide which APs broadcast which SSIDs.

• Each AP Group can have its own tags.
• Tags cannot be shared between different AP Groups.
• Up to 32 tags per AP, 32 per AP Group, and 8 groups total (256 tags maximum).

Example:

Using Tags on SSID

• All APs broadcast the SSID if no tags are assigned to the SSID
• An AP broadcasts the SSID if at least one of the AP's tags matches one of the SSID's tags

This provides flexible SSID control within multi-AP environments.