Wireless AP Overview

Extreme Networks ExtremeWireless APs use the 802.11 wireless standards (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) for network communications, and bridge network traffic to an Ethernet LAN. In addition to the Wireless APs that run proprietary software and communicate with a controller only, Extreme Networks offers a Cloud-enabled AP. The 3805i and the AP39xx series are radar capable, Cloud-enabled APs that interoperate fully with ExtremeCloud and other ExtremeWireless products.

A wireless AP physically connects to a LAN infrastructure and establishes an IP connection to a controller, which manages the AP configuration through the Wireless Assistant. The controller also provides centralized management (verification and upgrade) of the AP firmware image.

A UDP-based protocol enables communication between an AP and a controller. The UDP-based protocol encapsulates IP traffic from the AP and directs it to the controller. The controller decapsulates the packets and routes them to the appropriate destinations, while managing sessions and applying roles.