Smart Antenna Test Highlighted

Dear All today we are going to learn Smart Antenna Test

About Smart antenna

A smart antenna is an array of low-gain antennas that have the same polarization. These antennas are arranged and activated in a certain order.

Based on the wave interference theory, they provide radiation patterns with high directivity and form the beams in expected directions. A smart antenna has multiple directional radiation patterns and one omnidirectional radiation pattern on the horizontal plane.

A smart antenna receives signals from transmitters in the omnidirectional pattern. The smart antenna algorithm can determine the location of a transmitter based on the received signals and control the CPU to send control signals to the transmitter in a directional radiation pattern with the direction of the maximum radiation.

Advantages of smart antennas:

Large coverage area: Smart antennas concentrate energy more effectively and have high gains, and therefore provide wider coverage. A smart omnidirectional antenna's coverage scope is equivalent to a directional antenna's coverage scope.

High anti-interference capability: A smart antenna directs signals to a certain direction to form directional beams. The main lobe points to the usable signals' direction of arrival, and side lobes and nulling beams point to the interference signals' direction of arrival.

Low pollution to the environment: A smart antenna provides satisfied power for STAs using low transmit power. This reduces the electromagnetic wave pollution to the environment

Test Topology

 Above diagram shows the networking for the AP smart antenna test.

AP smart antenna test: Set up two environments. The AP in one environment does not support smart antennas and the AP in the other environment supports smart antennas. Use the same terminal to test the signal strength at the same distance from the two APs.

As shown in the figure, two STAs are placed 10 meters away from the AP and 15 meters away from the AP. Use the CloudCampus software to check the signal strength of the two Aps.

Device List

• Install the CloudCampus app on the UE to test the signal strength.

• AP1 and AP2 are deployed in high height mode.

•  AP1 and AP2 are deployed on the horizontal line to ensure the accuracy of the comparison test.

• If there are no two switches in the test, one switch can be used. However, the switch must be correctly configured to ensure that AP1 goes online on AC1 and AP2 goes online on AC2.

Connect AP1 to Switch1, configure AP1 and AC1 work in Layer 2 network

Configure Switch1

[Switch1]vlan 100

[Switch1]interface MultiGE 0/0/1

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/1]port link-type trunk

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/1]description link to AP

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/1]port trunk pvid vlan 100

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/1]port trunk allow-pass vlan 100

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/1]quit

[Switch1]interface MultiGE 0/0/2

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/2]description link to AC

[Switch1-MultiGE 0/0/2]port link-type trunk

[Switch1-MultiGE0/0/2]port trunk allow-pass vlan 100

Configure AC1

1. Configure interface and VLAN, AP1 obtain the IP address from the AC1,

and AC1 is in the same VLAN with AP1

[AC1]vlan 100

[AC1]dhcp enable

[AC1]interface vlanif 100

[AC1-Vlanif100]description for AP

[AC1-Vlanif100]ip address 192.168.100.1 24

[AC1-Vlanif100]dhcp select interface

[AC1-Vlanif100]quit

[AC1-]interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1

[AC1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]port link-type trunk

[AC1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]description link to L2 Switch

[AC1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]port trunk allow-pass vlan 100

[AC1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]quit

2. Configure basic WLAN parameter

[AC1]capwap source interface vlanif 100

[AC1]wlan

[AC1-wlan-view]regulatory-domain-profile name default

[AC1-wlan-view-regulatory-domain-prof-default]country-code CN

[AC1-wlan-view]ap auth-mode no-auth

Check AP’s state after a while

Connect AP2 to Switch2, configure AP2 and AC2 work in Layer 2 network

Configure Switch2

[Switch2]vlan 200

[Switch2]interface MultiGE 0/0/1

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/1]port link-type trunk

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/1]description link to AP

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/1]port trunk pvid vlan 200

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/1]port trunk allow-pass vlan 200

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/1]quit

[Switch2]interface MultiGE 0/0/2

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/2]description link to AC

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/2]port link-type trunk

[Switch2-MultiGE0/0/2]port trunk allow-pass vlan 200

Configure AC2

1. Configure interface and VLAN, AP2 obtain the IP address from the AC2,

and AC2 is in the same VLAN with AP2

[AC2]vlan 200

[AC2]dhcp enable

[AC2]interface vlanif 200

[AC2-Vlanif100]description for AP

[AC2-Vlanif100]ip address 192.168.200.1 24

[AC2-Vlanif100]dhcp select interface

[AC2-Vlanif100]quit

[AC2-]interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1

[AC2-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]port link-type trunk

[AC2-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]description link to L2 Switch

[AC2-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]port trunk allow-pass vlan 200

[AC2-GigabitEthernet0/0/1]quit

2. Configure basic WLAN parameter

[AC2]capwap source interface vlanif 200

[AC2]wlan

[AC2-wlan-view]regulatory-domain-profile name default

[AC2-wlan-view-regulatory-domain-prof-default]country-code CN

[AC2-wlan-view]ap auth-mode no-auth

Check AP’s state after a while

AP1 Wireless Service Configuration

Configure AC1 correctly, AP1 deliver three SSID: ”SSID-Temp1”

Configure AC1

1.      Configure interface and VLAN, STA obtain the IP address from AC1

[AC1]vlan 101

[AC1]dhcp enable

[AC1]interface vlanif 101

[AC1-Vlanif101]description for-sta

[AC1-Vlanif101]ip address 192.168.101.1 24

[AC1-Vlanif101]dhcp select interface

[AC1-Vlanif101]quit

2. Configure WLAN service parameters

# Creating Domain Management Templates, Configure AC country code

[AC1]wlan

[AC1-wlan-view]regulatory-domain-profile name domain

[AC1-wlan-regulatory-domain-prof-domain] country-code CN

[AC1-wlan-regulatory-domain-prof-domain]quit

[AC1-wlan-view] ap-group name default

[AC1-wlan-ap-group-ap-group1] regulatory-domain-profile domain

Warning: Modifying the country code will clear channel, power-level and antenna

gain configurations of the radio and reset the AP.

Continue?[Y/N]:y

[AC1-wlan-ap-group-ap-group1] quit

# Create a security template, Configure Security strategy

[AC1-wlan-view] security-profile name wlan-security

[AC1-wlan-sec-prof-wlan-security] security open

[AC1-wlan-sec-prof-wlan-security] quit

# Create a SSID template named "wlan-ssid1"

[AC1-wlan-view] ssid-profile name wlan-ssid1

[AC1-wlan-ssid-prof-wlan-ssid1] ssid AirEngine8760-X1-PRO

Warning: This action may cause service interruption. Continue?[Y/N]y

[AC1-wlan-ssid-prof-wlan-ssid1] quit

# Create a VAP template named "wlan-vap1", Configure service data

forwarding mode and service VLAN, and refers to the security template and SSID

template

[AC1-wlan-view] vap-profile name wlan-vap1

[AC1-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] forward-mode tunnel

[AC1-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] service-vlan vlan-id 101

[AC1-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] security-profile wlan-security

[AC1-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] ssid-profile wlan-ssid1

[AC1-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] quit

# Configure the AP group to refer to the VAP template, the AP RF 1 use VAP

template "wlan-vap1" configuration

[AC1-wlan-view] ap-group name default

[AC1-wlan-ap-group-default] vap-profile wlan-vap1 wlan 1 radio 1

[AC1-wlan-ap-group-default] quit

AP2 Wireless Service Configuration

Configure AC2 correctly, AP2 deliver three SSID: ”SSID-Temp2”

Configure AC2

Configure interface and VLAN, STA obtain the IP address from AC2

[AC2]vlan 201

[AC2]dhcp enable

[AC2]interface vlanif 201

[AC2-Vlanif201]description for-sta

[AC2-Vlanif201]ip address 192.168.201.1 24

[AC2-Vlanif201]dhcp select interface

[AC2-Vlanif201]quit

2. Configure WLAN service parameters

# Creating Domain Management Templates, Configure AC country code

[AC2]wlan

[AC2-wlan-view]regulatory-domain-profile name domain

[AC2-wlan-regulatory-domain-prof-domain] country-code CN

[AC2-wlan-regulatory-domain-prof-domain]quit

[AC2-wlan-view] ap-group name default

[AC2-wlan-ap-group-ap-group1] regulatory-domain-profile domain

Warning: Modifying the country code will clear channel, power-level and antenna

gain configurations of the radio and reset the AP.

Continue?[Y/N]:y

[AC2-wlan-ap-group-ap-group1] quit

# Create a security template, Configure Security strategy

[AC2-wlan-view] security-profile name wlan-security

[AC2-wlan-sec-prof-wlan-security] security open

[AC2-wlan-sec-prof-wlan-security] quit

# Create a SSID template named "wlan-ssid2"

[AC2-wlan-view] ssid-profile name wlan-ssid2

[AC2-wlan-ssid-prof-wlan-ssid1] ssid HUAWEI-AP7060DN

Warning: This action may cause service interruption. Continue?[Y/N]y

[AC2-wlan-ssid-prof-wlan-ssid1] quit

# Create a VAP template named "wlan-vap2", Configure service data

forwarding mode and service VLAN, and refers to the security template and SSID

template

[AC2-wlan-view] vap-profile name wlan-vap2

[AC2-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] forward-mode tunnel

[AC2-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] service-vlan vlan-id 201

[AC2-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] security-profile wlan-security

[AC2-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] ssid-profile wlan-ssid2

[AC2-wlan-vap-prof-wlan-vap1] quit

# Configure the AP group to refer to the VAP template, the RF 1 use VAP template

"wlan-vap2" configuration

[AC2-wlan-view] ap-group name default

[AC2-wlan-ap-group-default] vap-profile wlan-vap2 wlan 1 radio 1

[AC2-wlan-ap-group- default] quit

Coverage Performance

Configure the AC based on the preceding configurations correctly, AP1 deliver SSID: ” AirEngine8760-X1-PRO”, AP2 deliver SSID: ”HUAWEI-AP7060DN

Set STA far from AP to 5m,10m,15m,20m,…..., Record the strength of the two wireless signals.

The STA is 10 meters away from the AP. The signal strength of the AirEngine 8760-X1-PRO is 48 dBm and that of AP7060DN is 51dBm

The STA is 15 meters away from the AP. The signal strength of AirEngine 8760-X1-PRO is 51 dBm and that of AP7060DN is 54dBm

In conclusion, the signal coverage of APs with smart antennas is significantly improved, and the signal strength of APs without smart antennas is significantly better than that of APs without smart antennas at the same distance

Hopefully this will help to test smart Antenna

Regards,

Kashi Ali