Datto Access Point radio settings
Topic
This article describes the Radio settings page in Datto Network Manager for Datto Access Points.
Environment
- Datto Access Points
- Datto Network Manager
Description
All Datto Access Points share the radio settings in a network. Radio settings control available frequency bands, what channel the access point uses, and other global configurations.
Navigation
In the Navigation menu, click Access Points, then select Radio from the expanded options.
Figure 1: The Navigation menu
Configuration
The settings and options in the Radio page apply to all access points in a network. You can configure the following:
Country
Select the appropriate country from the drop-down list.
Figure 2: Country
Transmit power
The transmit power setting lets you configure the frequency bands used by all access points in your network. The default selection is Use country setting, which limits the maximum transmission power to the network's country as per its regulations. Use the drop-down to select a power in milliwatts (mW), which then broadcasts its maximum relative received signal strength (RSSI), or signal strength in decibels (dB). Consider reducing power in dense indoor networks with other high power devices.
Figure 3: Transmit power
Channels
Datto Networking offers two options for channel setting configuration: Auto and Manual.
When you select Auto, Datto Networking configures channel settings daily for your network. This configuration takes mesh repeaters, nearby access points, and sources of interference into consideration. You can also manually set the Max channel width for each radio when using Auto; you cannot set the channel itself.
Channel settings update only during the network's maintenance window to avoid potential service disruptions. To force an update, click the Run optimization now button.
Figure 4: The Channels interface on the Auto setting
When selecting Manual, you set channels and maximum channel widths for all access points in a network. We recommend not setting broad channel widths for environments with excessive interference.
Figure 5: The Channels interface on the Manual setting
A + icon next to a channel indicates that it is a 40MHz wide channel instead of the standard 20MHz wide WiFi Channel. So Channel 1+ is going to cover all of the channel space for both channels 1 and 6. This will get you faster speeds but if you are in a dense WiFi environment (like an apartment building) you will run into more interference and cause more interference for your neighbors. Because of these factors, we recommend you use wide channels on more isolated networks.
Because the 5GHz band is less congested, all channels are wide and will be designated with a +.
Minimum Data Rates
Setting Minimum Data Rates can improve both roaming and overall WiFi network performance. This improvement involves disabling legacy client rates, which reduces overhead. For more information, read the Client Device Roaming article.
Figure 6: Minimum Data Rates
Internet Check
When you enable Internet check, the access points' SSIDs will broadcast only when there is an active internet connection. When you disable Internet check, they will continue broadcasting even when there is no internet connection. This feature lets local resources, such as printers and shared drives, continue to function.
The Internet Check option is only functional on devices running firmware version 6xx and below. It has no effect on devices running version 7xx and newer.
Figure 7: Internet check
