CBW 240AC backhaul implementation

[HNeuwirth1553]

I have an xfinity X1 router, broadcasting wireless, and 2 WAP 371 all on same SSID.  I have some coverage issues and purchased three  240AC to implement a mesh (i have three of them) and have a few questions before I get started:

1. It would be very convenient to place two of the 240AC on POE ethernet on my network. Does the unit have capability for ethernet backhaul and, if so, how do I set it up

2. The WAP 371 units will likely be redundant. Is there any advantage to leaving them in place on the same SSID?  My system generally services 10 clients, three of whom are using video

3. Is there a CISCO iphone app to check on signal strength and quality

thanks for any help

[cyberconsultants]

What's your total coverage area in square feet, how many stories, commercial or residential? And what's the placement of the Comcast built-in AP and the two WAP371s look like?

[HNeuwirth1553]

Thank you. 3000 SF, two stories basically long rectangles. Residential, lots of masonry and a little steel, one outbuilding 60 feet from rear of building. comcast X1 front wall upper story. one WAP 371 50 feet away rear wall upper story, second WAP 371 lower story, right side wall with ethernet through lots of masonry. 

Marginal coverage of outbuilding, 10 feet higher than upper story and 50 feet from rear wall. and marginal coverage left wall of upper story with this configuration. 

[cyberconsultants · Accepted solution]

Point taken about it being a somewhat tricky site survey with the masonry and steel... but then again, not so much because it's essentially a 1,500 square foot × two-story square prism (i.e. a two-story rectangular box).

Is there any way to put the upper-story 371 on the left-side wall, either upper or lower (even better) stories? Wondering if you can make your AP placement more symmetrical is what I'm getting at (which screws up the existing outbuilding coverage, I know).

Did you happen to land on mesh to specifically address outbuilding coverage-only? Or because of the suspected overall coverage issues?

Any VLANs configured? Or is this just a flat-network, matching SSID/s configured on all three APs?

Before answering any of that or thinking about moving anything, you should go through each of these steps thoroughly and make all recommended changes. You could also try this with the Comcast device's wireless disabled and see how only the two 371s perform after this fine tuning.

I know you're really asking about mesh here, but I strongly suspect those 371s and the Comcast device, if not just the 371s alone, should easily be able to cover ~10 wireless clients in the main building, even if they were all streaming internet video simultaneously.

The only reasonably question coverage area is the outbuilding, obviously. That could be addressed a couple different ways without using mesh if it's <100 feet away from the main building.

[HNeuwirth1553]

Thanks again.  The settings advice in your linked article was very helpful.  It led, eventually, to my finding the current Cisco business access point administration manual which answered my initial question. Yes, implementation topology can include multiple 240AC on an ethernet backhaul and wireless mesh for other units.  

I solved my problem(s) by swapping out WAP 371's with 240AC units and  placing an additional 240AC in the attic.

[cyberconsultants]

Ah-ha, so mesh for the new attic AP I'm guessing? Makes sense to serve the elevated outbuilding if an Ethernet drop up there is impracticable.

Welcome for link to the guide, was hoping it might do something like that. Thanks for the follow-up.