Summit WM User Guide, Software Version 5.3 21
Figure 3: Traffic Flow diagram
Each wireless device sends IP packets in the 802.11 standard to the Wireless AP. The Wireless AP uses a
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) based tunnelling protocol to encapsulate the packets and forward them
to the Summit WM Controller. The Summit WM Controller decapsulates the packets and routes these to
destinations on the network.
The Summit WM Controller functions like a standard router, except that it is configured to route only
network traffic associated with wireless connected users. The Summit WM Controller can also be
configured to simply forward traffic to a default or static route if dynamic routing is not preferred.
Network security
The Controller, Access Points, and WM software system provides features and functionality to control
network access. These are based on standard wireless network security practices.
Current wireless network security methods provide protection. These methods include:
z Shared Key authentication that relies on Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys
z Open System that relies on Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs)
Packet transmission
Control and Routing
z WM authenticates
wireless user
z WM forwards IP packet to
wired network
Tunnelling
z AP sends data traffic to
WM through UDP tunnel
called CTP
z WM controls Altitude AP
through CTP tunnel
z Using WASSP tunnels,
WM allows wireless
clients to roam to
Altitude APs on different
WMs
802.11 packet transmission
802.11 beacon and probe,
wireless device associates
with an Altitude AP by its
SSID
Wireless Devices
Router
Summit WM
Controller
RADIUS
Authentication
Server
External CP
Server
External Web
Authentication
Server
Wireless
APs
DHCP
Server
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