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Overview

Operation Reference > AWC-DCN > Overview

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AWC-DCN (AWC-Dynamic Client Navigation)

AWC-DCN improves the wireless environment by coordinating the connection between the AP and the wireless client as follows:

• Load Balancing
  Equalizes the number of associated wireless clients across the APs
  
• Elimination of Sticky Clients
  Prompts wireless clients with poor connectivity to move to another, better AP
  
• DCN Band Steering
  When moving wireless clients between APs, they may be prompted to move 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio bands for optimal performance
  

◼ Load Balancing
If certain thresholds are exceeded, the wireless AP will prompt the wireless client to move to another wireless AP which has AWC-DCN.
When a wireless client is connected to AP1 under high load and within the coverage of the lower load AP2, roaming to AP2 will improve overall wireless performance.
Load balancing is performed in such a way to equalize the load among APs.

◼ Elimination of Sticky Clients
Detects "sticky clients" amongst wireless clients.
First, AWC-DCN utilizes IEEE 802.11k Radio Resource Measurement (RRM) to find the optimal wireless AP to which to move the sticky client.
If a sticky client is detected, IEEE 802.11v Wireless Network Management (WNM) is used to direct the sticky client to the optimal AP.
The AP determines if it is a sticky client or not based on information about the connected clients (e.g., packet transmit/receive status, signal strength, etc.).

◼ DCN Band Steering
Since the 5GHz band is generally faster than the 2.4GHz band, band steering is used to improve performance, taking into account the load balancing and sticky client elimination described above.

Note

AWC-DCN and conventional band steering cannot be used together. If you want to use AWC-DCN on multiple radio bands, set up DCN VAPs on both radio bands. This activates DCN band steering, making its own different radio bands candidates for destination.

Differences in Fast Roaming between AWC-DCN and AP Profile

• When Fast Roaming is disabled
  The decision about whether roaming is required is made by the wireless client.
  The wireless client sends a disassociation request to the currently connected AP and processes the disassociation. It then sends an association request to another AP, followed by the association procedure.
  
• When Fast Roaming is enabled
  The decision about whether roaming is required is made by the wireless client.
  By pre-sharing the steps of the authentication request to the destination AP, wireless clients can connect by omitting the steps involved in association.
  
• When AWC-DCN is used
  Using IEEE 802.11v WNM, AWC-DCN prompts the wireless AP to move to another wireless AP.
  AWC-DCN is not involved in the roaming process. AWC-DCN is responsible for gathering information before initiating roaming, providing the destination, and facilitating the move.
  IEEE 802.11k RRM/IEEE 802.11v WNM only provides a framework, and simply enabling it will not cause the AP to spontaneously request information about neighboring APs or prompt wireless clients to roam. AWC-DCN is the mechanism that enables these functions to operate effectively.
  

Configured VAPs

The DCN VAP, which optimizes the number of associating clients by AWC-DCN, is defined in the "DCN Profile".
The DCN profile creates a DCN group, which is the administrative unit of the AWC-DCN. It sets the monitor intervals of the sticky client and load, specifies the applicable APs, in addition to configuring the DCN VAP.
The configurations which are related to the management and basic operation of APs, such as Basic Configuration (Timezone, NTP, syslog, and SNMP configurations), Radio Configuration, and LAN Configuration, are defined in AP Profile.
For VAP configuration with a VAP number that overlaps with the AP profile, the DCN profile takes precedence.
If other profiles are applied at the same time, the SC profile, CB profile, DCN profile, and AP profile will take precedence in that order.

Note

AWC-DCN is not supported mixed with AWC-SC or AWC-CB.

Supported Wireless APs

The following AP models can be used with the AWC-DCN:

• TQ series
  
  • TQ6602 GEN2, TQ6702 GEN2, TQm6602 GEN2, and TQm6702 GEN2
    Firmware Version 8.0.2-0.1 or later
    

Support Limits

The number of AWC-DCN-related settings that can be managed by the AWC Plug-in is as follows:

• Number of profiles
  Unlimited
  
• Number of APs per DCN profile
  350 APs (up to the maximum number of managed APs per profile)
  
• Number of VAPs (multiple SSIDs) per DCN
  
  • TQ6602 GEN2, TQ6702 GEN2, TQm6602 GEN2, and TQm6702 GEN2
    32 VAPs (16 for each of 2.5GHz and 5GHz)
    

Process of introducing AWC-DCN

To build a hybrid wireless system, follow the steps below:

1. Create a management group.
   
2. Resister APs.
   
3. Create the AP profile.
   
4. Create the DCN profile, and select the APs to assign.
   
5. Turn the DCN profile ON.
   
6. Assign the AP profile to apply the AP and DCN profiles to the APs.
   

Notes

• The wireless client must support IEEE 802.11k/v/r.
  
• DCN profile needs to be associated with a management group. That is, all APs which that apply the same DCN cocnfigurations must belong to the same management group.
  
• When creating SSIDs for DCN VAPs, SSIDs that overlap with other DCN profiles cannot be used.
  
• AWC-DCN is not supported mixed with AWC-SC or AWC-CB.
  
• AWC-DCN cannot be used with Band Steering.
  
• AWC-DCN cannot be used with WDS.
  
• Emergency mode can not be used in conjunction with AWC-SC.
  When configuring an AP Profile, do not set "Condition" to "Only Emergency Mode" on the radio used for AWC-DCN.
  In addition, do not set any VAP Statuses to "Emergency" in the radio band.
  

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C613-04169-00 Rev A

11 Jul 2024 13:42