Legacy Open Mesh: Using the OM5P

Topic

Using the OM5P.

Environment

  • Legacy Open Mesh

Description

The OM5P was released July 17, 2014 and is the first of Open-Mesh's 5 GHz band products. It's also the first to ship with 5xx firmware. Learn more in Legacy Open Mesh: Access Point Firmware 5XX. The OM5P is a 5 GHz band-only product.

Best uses:

  1. Add the OM5P to an existing OM2P-series network to offload 5 GHz-capable devices to a higher band with less interference. Perfect for adding 5 GHz coverage to high-traffic areas such as cafes, lobbies, conference rooms, etc.
  2. Create a new, 5 GHz-only network when you don't need to worry about supporting legacy 2.4 GHz devices.

Limitations:

  1. No mesh with OM2P-series. Because the OM5P operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band, it will not mesh with OM2P-series access points, as they operate exclusively on the 2.4 GHz band. OM2Ps and OM5Ps can be on the same network in CloudTrax to share settings and allow seamless roaming; however, you are essentially creating two mesh networks when using the different products side-by-side, so you need to ensure you have sufficient gateways and repeaters on both bands.
  2. No 2.4 GHz device support. Because the OM5P operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band, it will not connect to 2.4 GHz devices. If you need to support 2.4 GHz-only devices, we suggest mixing OM5Ps with OM2P-series devices.
  3. Not compatible with OM1P or MR500 networks. The OM5P requires 5xx firmware; however, the last supported firmware version for OM1P and MR500 is 481.
  4. Not compatible with CoovaChilli. The OM5P requires 5xx firmware; however, CoovaChilli is not currently supported by firmware 5xx.

Install process: creating a new OM5P-only network

Creating a new OM5P network is identical to creating an OM2P network. Simply log in to CloudTrax.com, create a new network and add the OM5P access point MAC addresses. You'll notice that you are redirected to the new CloudTrax dashboard, but otherwise the process is identical.

Install process: adding the OM5P to an OM2P-series network

The OM5P uses newer firmware than OM2P-series devices, so any network where an OM5P is added must be upgraded to the latest firmware. You cannot mix major firmware versions (i.e. 4xx and 5xx) on a single network.

Your existing OM2P series network will automatically upgrade to 5xx firmware when you add the first OM5P. Upon upgrade, all devices (OM2P series and OM5P) will have the same feature set. To upgrade, ensure:

  1. You have no OM1P or MR500 devices.
  2. You are not using CoovaChilli.
  3. All access points are online.
  4. You have not checked "Disable Automatic Upgrades" in the advanced tab.

Once upgraded, you will notice you are redirected to the new CloudTrax dashboard.

Note: once your network is upgraded to 5xx, you will not be able to downgrade over-the-air.