User Guide: AWC plug-in version 3.13.1 for VST-APL

# Create AP Profile

Let's create an AP profile for the cellular wireless network.
In the Smart Connect (SC) settings, general settings of the APs are configured in the AP profile. The settings related to the SC management SSIDs are configured in the SC profile. To manage APs for channel blanket, you always have to apply an AP profile to the APs.
When both an AP profile and a SC profile are applied to an AP, the SC profile has precedence over the AP profile and overwrites the AP configuration with its content. When a configuration item is included only in the AP Profile, the configurations will be applied as is.
You cannot create a VAP for client service in the wireless band which AWC-SC uses.
In this network, since the VAPs (SSID for SC management and SSID for standby factory default APs), indispensable for Smart Connect, are operated in Radio 2, and the cell-type VAPs for general client services are operated in Radio 1, the AP Profile defines the basic settings for APs, as well as the wireless settings for Radio 1 and the settings for cell-type VAPs.
Also, for Radio 2, each item of wireless settings that is not defined in the SC Profile (especially inactivation of band steering, neighbor AP detection, etc., which cannot be used together with AWC-SC) should be defined in the AP Profile.
Let's create an AP Profile for all TQ5403.

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Profile" from the AWC Plug-in menu.
   The AP Profile list screen will appear.
2. Click "Create" at the top right of the screen.
   The "Select Country, AP Series and Profile Type" dialog box will appear.
3. Select a Country.
   If the default country code for the currently logged in user is configured, it is selected by default.
4. Select "TQ Series" from "Series".
5. Select "Profile Type".
   There are several options for this item, depending on the supported feature set of the AP model.
   Select "Tri[11ac Wave2]" suitable for TQ5403.
   If you are configuring a Smart Connect network using the TQ6602 GEN2/TQ6702 GEN2, select "Dual[11ax] GEN2". Refer to Operation Reference > Wireless Configuration > Configure AP Profiles for the setting items when "Dual[11ax] GEN2" is selected.
6. Click "OK".
   The AP Profile configuration screen will appear.
7. Configure general parameters in the "Profile Configuration" section.
   - Enter "TQ5403AP" in "AP Profile Name".
   - The "Profile Type", "Country" and "Series" fields show the options selected in the earlier "Select Country, AP Series and Profile Type" dialog box.
   - Select the Management Groups that you want this AP Profile to belong to.
     An AP Profile can be used in multiple Management Groups by selecting those groups in this dialog box.
     Here we check "3F Group" which we created earlier.
     Note that you cannot uncheck the "Default Wireless Group".
8. You can specify the AP's system settings in the "Basic Configuration" section.
   If the Profile Type is "Dual[11ax] GEN2", "Dual[11ax]", "Tri[11ac Wave2]", "Tri[11ac Wave2] with External Antenna", or "Dual[11ac Wave2]", by configuring the User Settings in AP Profile, you can set a username and password to the APs in a batch.
   But even when the APs are under the AWC Plug-in's control, each AP's web interface is still accessible.
   Now we are going to change the administrator account (username and password) of the AP's web interface in order to prevent someone from accessing the APs.

   > Note

   > > You can also change the administrator account of an AP before adding it to the AWC Plug-in.

   > Note

   > > If you configure the usernames and passwords in both the AP profile and the AP-specific configuration on the same AP, the username and password in the AP-specific configuration will take effect.

   In the "Basic Configuration" section, set "User Settings" to "Enable". Enter a new username and password (twice).
   The allowed characters vary depending on the AP model.
   - Username
     1 to 12 characters in length, with letters and digits. Must begin with a letter.
   - Password
     Should be 0 to 32 characters in length, with alphabets (case-sensitive), numbers and symbols (! # % ( ) + , - . / ; = ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ may be used).
   If you check "Disable" on the "AP's User Settings" you can restrict username and password setting in the AP-specific configuration, but leave it unchecked to allow the per-AP account control this time.
9. In the "Timezone" section, select a timezone to apply to the APs.
   Here, we set the time display to NZST (New Zealand Standard Time). Select "(UTC+12:00) Pacific/Auckland" from the drop-down list.
   You can also narrow down the choices displayed in the drop-down list by entering a part of the above timezone character string in the search field above the drop-down list, such as "tokyo" in this case.
   Once you select one of the time zones, additional item for "Daylight Saving Time" will appear. Here we leave "Disable" as default.
10. The "NTP Client" field is used to enable/disable the NTP client on the APs.
    To use the AWC (Autonomous Wave Control) feature, which we will describe later, you have to enable the NTP client.
    Here we enable the NTP client.
    When you enable the NTP client, an additional "NTP Server IP Address/Hostname" field will appear. Enter the IP address of the switch (192.168.1.1) that is configured as an NTP server.
11. The "Syslog Client" field lets you enable or disable the syslog client feature on the APs.
    If you want the APs to send log messages to the syslog server, enable this item.
    Here we set the syslog client to disabled.
12. You can enable or disable the SNMP agent on the APs in the "SNMP Agent" section.
    If you want to monitor and configure the APs with SNMP manager, enable this item.
    Here we set the syslog client to disabled.
13. Clicking "+ Detail" will show "MAC Address List", "LED", and "Virtual IP Address for Captive Portal".
    - "MAC Address List" lets you specify MAC address lists (blacklist or whitelist) used by MAC Access Control features with a MAC Address List on the APs.
      Here, leave "MAC Address List" blank.
    - The "LED" field lets you select the operational mode of the AP's LEDs.
      Here we choose "Turn On" for "LED".
    - The "Virtual IP Address for Captive Portal" is a security feature that hides the management IP address from attackers by displaying a temporary IP address as the IP address of the web server that provides Captive Portal.
      Here, leave "Virtual IP Address for Captive Portal" disabled as we do not use Captive Portal.
14. "LAN Configuration" lets you configure Ethernet links on the AP.
    The TQ5403 has two LAN ports and can use a wider uplink with link aggregation (LAG), provided that both ends of the LAG (a parent switch and the AP) are correctly configured.

    Table 1: AT-TQ5403 Wired Network
    Item Name | Value | Description
    --- | --- | ---
    LAN 2 Port | Disable | Specifies TQ5403 and TQm5403's LAN1/PoE and LAN2 ports behavior, such as link aggregation or cascading. Static LAG: Enables link aggregation. A static LAG should also be configured on the switch ports to which the AP connects. Cascade: Enables cascading function, the LAN2 port will work as a cascade port. Disable: Neither link aggregation nor cascading function will be enabled. The LAN2 port is also disabled. The AP can only use the LAN1/PoE port. Note AWC-SC does not support the use with link aggregation.

    In this example, we will not be using link aggregation or cascading features. Please make sure that Disable is selected.
15. You can specify configuration parameters for radio waves in the "Radio Configuration" section.
    Depending on the selected "Profile Type", configure "Radio 1 (2.4GHz)", "Radio 2 (5GHz W52/W53)" and "Radio 3 (5GHz W56)" appropriately. You can switch the radio by clicking the "Radio 1", "Radio 2" and "Radio 3" buttons at the top of the screen.
    Here we are going to operate a multi-channel VAP for employees on Radio 1, and the Smart Connect network on Radio 2, so configure Wireless Configuration as follows.
    - Disable "Radio Transmission" for Radio 3 because we are not going to use Radio 3.
    - "Emergency Mode" is not used because Smart Connect cannot be used together.
      You can also enable Radio 3 to operate emergency only network on the radio. However, the wireless band 5GHz W56 used as Radio 3 is required notto interfere withthe operation of weather and military rader by law, and is not suitable for emergency use.
    - We are going to use Radio 1 to serve multi-channel network for employees. Enable "Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM)" and "APSD" to achieve stable communication on mobile IP phones and lower power consumptions.
    - Radio 2 is used as a wireless band dedicated to Smart Connect.
      Since the Bandwidth is already set to 40 MHz in the SC Profile, it is not specified in the AP Profile. This time, we set to "40MHz" explicitly.
    - Here, since a network for employees is assumed, "Wireless Client Isolation" is not required. Leave "Disable" as default.

      > Note

      > > When using TQ5403, TQ5403e, TQm5403, TQ6602 GEN2, TQm6602 GEN2, TQ6702 GEN2 and TQm6702 GEN2, "Wireless Client Isolation" can be enabled for each VAP. "Wireless Client Isolation" for each VAP is not supported in other models. If you use other models and set up a configuration where employee and visitor VAPs coexist, it is advised that you set up the wireless clients of other visitors and employees so that the visitor's wireless client devices cannot see the other visitors' or employees' wireless client devices.

    - Here, we do not use "Airtime Fairness", so set "Disable".
    - Leave the "RTS Threshold" default value of 2347 because there is no need to change it for this scenario.
    - Band Steering will not be used because we use only the 2.4GHz band this time. Specify "Disable".

    Table 2: TQ5403 Wireless Configuration
    Item Name | Value | Description
    --- | --- | ---
    Radio 1 | Radio 2 | Radio 3
    Radio Transmission | Enable | Enable | Disable | Specify whether to transmit and receive radio waves in the selected frequency band.
    Mode | b/g/n | a/n/ac |  | Specify the wireless modes (protocols) to use.
    Bandwidth | 40MHz | 40MHz |  | Specify the bandwidth to use. IEEE 802.11ac and IEEE 802.11n can aggregate two or four adjacent channels to make a large 40MHz or 80MHz channel. Since the Bandwidth of Radio 2 is overwritten with the value specified in the SC Profile, the default "20MHz" may be used.
    Use Conditions | Always | Always |  | Select "Always" to always use the wireless feature. Select "Only Emergency Mode" to use the radio band only in emergency mode. Refer to Enable Emergency Mode for more details.
    Wireless Client Isolation | Disable | Disable |  | Specify whether to block communications between wireless clients connected to the same radio.
    Airtime Fairness | Disable | Disable |  | Specify whether to give each client an equal amount of airtime regardless of its speed.
    Auto Channel Selection | All | All |  | Specify the channels to use. All channels are selected by default.
    Maximum Wireless Clients | 200 | 200 |  | Specify the maximum number of clients that can connect to the APs.
    Legacy Rate Sets | All | All |  | Specify valid rates to use when IEEE 802.11b/g or IEEE 802.11a is being used.
    Multicast Tx Rate | 11 Mbps | 6 Mbps |  | Specify the fixed Transmission Rate for IEEE 802.3 Multicast/Broadcast.
    RTS Threshold | 2347 | 2347 |  | If the packet to be transmitted is larger than this size in IEEE 802.11b/g/a, an RTS packet is transmitted before transmitting the packet. Specifying "2347" disables RTS transmission.
    Band Steering | Disable | Disable |  | Specify whether to use the Band Steering feature, which encourages clients supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz to prefer 5GHz in order to reduce congestion in 2.4GHz. Note Band Steering cannot be used with Channel Blanket or Smart Connect.
    Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) | Enable | Enable |  | Specify whether to use Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM). When enabled, WMM information is included in the AP beacon. This shortens the frame transmission interval for video/audio streaming and VoIP traffic and therefore keeps communication quality high.
    APSD | Disable | Disable |  | Specify whether to use APSD (Automatic Power Save Delivery). Enabling APSD can lower power consumption of mobile devices (VoIP) and therefore increase the battery life. The mobile device should also support APSD (U-APSD).
    Neighbor AP Detection | Disable | Disable |  | Specify whether to detect rogue APs in the radio band. When enabled, APs detect the radio waves of wireless APs managed/unmanaged by the AWC Plug-in that use the same wireless band nearby, and reflects them in AWC calculations. If you disable this, these functions may not work properly. Also, configure not to detect rogue APs in the radio band used by AWC-SC.

    ◼ Radio 1
    ◼ Radio 2
    ◼ Radio 3
16. Configure VAPs in the "VAP (Multiple SSID) Configuration" section.
    When applying the AP Profile and SC Profile, if there are specific configuration items for either AP or SC Profiles, those items will be applied to the AP as they are. If there are conflicting configuration items between the Profiles, the settings of the SC Profile take precedence over the AP Profile.
    In this example, we will configure a multi-channel network VAP "ForStaff" in VAP1 on Radio 1.

    > Note

    > > Because VAP1 cannot be disabled on an AP profile, if you apply this AP profile to APs as usual, the default SSID "Default-1" will be activated without any security.
    > > If you are going to build a multi-channel VAP and apply a common AP Profile with the AP that does not use Smart connect, it is recommended that a dummy VAP with security applied be created for VAPs that are overwritten by SC Profile.

    > Note

    > > In the radio band used by AWC-SC, the other VAPs will be disabled automatically.

    Table 3: AT-TQ5403 VAP (Multiple SSID) Configuration
    Item Name | Value | Description
    --- | --- | ---
    Radio 1 VAP 1
    VAP Status | Enable | Enables or disables the VAP.
    VLAN ID | 100 | Specify a VLAN ID (between 1 and 4094) to use on the VAP (mandatory)
    SSID | ForStaff | Specify an SSID (network name) to use on the VAP.
    Broadcast SSID | Enable | Specify whether to broadcast the SSID on the VAP.
    Security | WPA Personal | Specify a security method for the VAP.
    Security Key (WPA-PSK) | 5+@f/=0N1y | Specify an encryption key for the VAP.
    WPA Versions | WPA2 | Specify a WPA version to use on the VAP.
    Encryption Protocol | CCMP | Specify an encryption protocol to use on the VAP.
    Management Frame Protection (MFP) | Disable | Specify whether to protect Management Frames.
    Broadcast Key Refresh Rate | 0 | Specify an interval at which to refresh the broadcast key that is sent to clients on the VAP. Specifying "0" stops the key from refreshing.
    Captive Portal | Disable | Specify whether to use the Captive Portal feature on the VAP.
    MAC Access Control | Disable | Specify whether to use MAC Access Control on the VAP.
    Fast Roaming | Disable | Specify whether to use Fast Roaming of wireless clients.
    Wireless Client Isolation | Disable | Specify whether to block communication between wireless clients connected to the same VAP.
    Inactivity Timer | 300 | Specify the delay before disconnecting a client that disappears without notifying the APs.
    Duplicate AUTH received | Ignore | Select how to process connection requests from clients that have maintained a connection.
    Association Advertisement | Enable | Specify whether to use Association Advertisement.
    DTIM Period | 1 | Specify how frequently to insert a DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication Map) in the AP's beacons.
    Proxy ARP | Enable | Specify whether to use Proxy ARP.
    Passpoint | Disable | Specify whether to use Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0).

    ◼ Radio 1
17. Click "Add" at the top right of the screen.
    Now you can see the newly created AP Profile "TQ5403AP".

29 Apr 2025 14:51