Cisco AP with 2.4 Ghz and Aerohive AP with 5Ghz

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Team,

I have a scenario, where we have to run both Cisco and Aerohive AP Parallelly on the same premises..

I am proposing them to use 2.4 ghz in one type of Access point and 5 Ghz in another type of access point..

Kindly share the prons and cons or any best practice solution for such type of deployment.. Like what should be distance between these two different OEM AP..

what other parameter I need to consider it..

Thanks & Regards

Anil Singh

[Scott Fella]

Not a good idea!  You will not have roaming support between the two and both systems will be adjusting channel and power which will make the environment unstable.

-Scott 

*** Please rate helpful posts *** 

[anilkumar.cisco]

then what is the benefit of 2.4 and 5 Ghz, if both would not be able to operate on different vendor AP at same environment..

My plan is to Use 2.4 Ghz in Cisco and 5 Ghz in Aerohive only..

I think then there will be no interference.

Regards

Anil Singh

[Scott Fella]

This is up for discussion right. So the best answer for you to provide to your customer is to not run a parallel network. Figure out a migration plan and them disable the Aerohive and bring up the Cisco. You ask us what is the benefit of having 2.4ghz and 5ghz, it's because of devices that support one or the other and the known fact that 2.4ghz is more utilized than 5ghz.  Putting one SSID on one and another on the other is not how you design wireless.  Just remember, once you bring this environment up and you run into issues, Cisco and Aerohive would not support it and the only fix would be to keep one up.

Working as a consultant for many years, I would never design something like that at all.  If a customer was to tell me that they wanted it, I would list the risks and have them sign off on that.  There are some things that one can get away with, but a mix environment is one of the rules that shouldn't be broken.

-Scott 

*** Please rate helpful posts *** 

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Leo/Scott,

Pls find my response inline with your solution..

your view point no 1 :"So when the Cisco APs go on-line, they'll detect a strong radio and co-channel interference and the APs will POWER DOWN their Tx power.  That's how I see it."

How it will   work here.. as both AP will work on different channel.. i.e. one AP in 2.4 Ghz and another on 5 Ghz.

your view point no: 2

This is one way of RUINING a wireless network.  For Cisco, CleanAir is going to nuts.  2.4 Ghz might just operate at the lowest power if the Aerohive network is operating at full power

My answer: Clean air only identify non 802.11 network devices like microwave , blue tooth devices etc.. so how it will impact here.

your view point no: 3:

 You will not have roaming support between the two and both systems will be adjusting channel and power which will make the environment unstable.

My answer: Roaming is only required within 2.4 and 5 ghz.. not in between Cisco and Aerohive..

So I think this would also not create any problem..

Kindly advise.

[Scott Fella · Accepted solution]

So as long as the other band is disable and SSID's are different, then go for it.  It's a temporary solutions as you mentioned.  

-Scott 

*** Please rate helpful posts *** 

[Leo Laohoo]

I have a scenario, where we have to run both Cisco and Aerohive AP Parallelly on the same premises..

This is one way of RUINING a wireless network.  For Cisco, CleanAir is going to nuts.  2.4 Ghz might just operate at the lowest power if the Aerohive network is operating at full power. 

what other parameter I need to consider it..

Start with telling us the (in)sanity of the logic behind this decision.  Is it due to funding?  Is it due to inability to get off the Aerohive network?  Is it due to lack of testing?

[anilkumar.cisco]

Actually the customer is replacing Aerohive with Cisco.. but on Aerohive WIFI due to some technical issue.. they cannot decommission as of now.. because they have access to some file server etc.. via that network.. so we are thought to introduce Cisco on 2.4 Ghz and slowly slowly once issue at their backbone get resolve then will fully migrate to Cisco 2.5 and 5 Ghz..

So , need your expert advise here..

The customer has huge pressure from management to introduce Cisco ASAP.. because it was the initial plan.. but due to this technical glitch at their backbone network they are unable to remove Aerohive as of now.

FYI.. Physically both Cisco and Aerohive network are different.

[Leo Laohoo]

When you say the Aerohive and Cisco were deployed "in parallel", how was the Cisco APs introduced?  Were Aerohive APs removed and replaced with Cisco APs or were Cisco APs installed alongside or next-to the Aerohive APs? 

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Leo,

Thanks for your quick reply.

This implementation is under discussion only.. the customer want to understand the challenge before deployment.

we have plan to deploy adjacent to Aerohive AP only.

also will be doing parallel cabling for it.

Thus would like to set correct expectation in term of prons and cons of this deployment before giving go ahead to the customer.

[Leo Laohoo]

we have plan to deploy adjacent to Aerohive AP only.

So when the Cisco APs go on-line, they'll detect a strong radio and co-channel interference and the APs will POWER DOWN their Tx power.  That's how I see it.   

This implementation is under discussion only.

This is table-top discussion only?  Why not get wireless experts in-country instead?  Why not get Cisco AM/SE involved?

What country is the APs going to be deployed in?

[anilkumar.cisco]

this is going to deploy in India..

We are the solution partners..

Sure will try to involve Aerohive & Cisco expert.. but as per my experience this discussion forum have more skill set people then actually for looking somewhere..

Any other suggestion and idea pls.

[Leo Laohoo]

this is going to deploy in India..

We are the solution partners..

Mate, 

Talk to Cisco.  Their wireless TAC Engineers are based out of India.  Cisco can send senior wireless engineers over to the site and "hold your hand".  

This forum is not the right place to "shop for answers".