connecting people…wirelessly
White Paper:
Wireless Spanning Tree
Introduction
Compex Systems Pte Ltd is a market-driven
leader in the networking and wireless connectivity
industry. Compex designs, develops, and
manufacturers integrative end-user and
enterprise level products to fulfill Broadband,
Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and IRDA solution
needs. Compex seeks to address and fulfill
market demands with relevant and innovative
solutions. Further information on Compex
products can be found at www.compex.com.sg.
One of the proprietary technologies in Compex
wireless products is Compex Wireless Pseudo
VLAN. Compex wireless pseudo VLAN protects
data privacy and security of all wireless users in
the network by isolating each user into their own
VLANs or grouping them into different VLAN
groups, furthermore, Compex wireless pseudo
VLANs allows users to associate with tagged
VLANs in the wired network by specifying tag
numbers on the packets from different users.
Please refer to Compex white paper Wireless
Pseudo VLAN for further information.
This paper introduces the Spanning Tree
Feature in Compex wireless Access Points (AP).
The paper further explores the following two
topics that are based on the Spanning Tree
algorithm.
• Wireless Pseudo VLAN across WDS Links
• Wireless Mesh Networks
In the wireless network connected using Wireless
Distribution Systems (WDS), Compex Access
Points delivers the enterprise level of user
isolation and protection with Compex wireless
Pseudo VLAN across WDS links. Furthermore,
Compex Access Points can be used to
implement simple wireless mesh networks:
Single-Radio Wireless Mesh Networks and
Double-Radio Wireless Networks.
White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree
Rev: 1, Mar 30, 2004
Introduction to Spanning Tree
Spanning Tree Protocol is a link management
protocol that provides path redundancy while
preventing undesirable loops in the network. For
an Ethernet network to function properly, only
one active path can exist between two stations.
Multiple active paths between stations cause
loops in the network. If a loop exists in the
network topology, duplication of messages will
occur and this may confuses the forwarding
algorithm and allows duplicate packets to be
forwarded.
For instance, if broadcast packets are introduced
into such network, broadcast storm may suffice
the network and greatly reduces network
performance, the left diagram in Figure 1. To
provide path redundancy, Spanning Tree
Protocol defines a tree that spans all switches in
an extended network.
Spanning Tree Protocol forces certain redundant
data paths into a standby (blocked) state, the
right diagram in Figure 1., if one network
segment in the Spanning Tree Protocol becomes
unreachable, or if Spanning Tree Protocol costs
change, the spanning tree algorithm reconfigures
the spanning tree topology and reestablishes the
link by activating the standby path, hence,
providing a fail-safe connectivity.
In a wireless network using Compex APs with
Spanning Tree Protocol enabled, the APs will first
decide the root AP depending on parameters like
the Spanning Tree priority value and MAC
address of the AP.
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Wireless Spanning Tree
Upon determination of root AP, the path costs or
distances from each other APs to the root AP will
be calculated based on the link quality. In
general, a better quality link provides a higher
data throughput and Spanning Tree Protocol
assigns a smaller path cost to it. The costs from
each non-root AP to the root AP are calculated.
Then the paths with smallest costs will be used
and any extra redundant paths will be forced into
a blocked or standby state.
Only when there is a change in the network
connections, the STP algorithm will recalculate
the path costs and reactivate the standby paths if
necessary.
In this manner, Spanning Tree Protocol always
ensures the network auto-reconfigures itself
when any node failure occurs and always the
network performance is optimized.
Pseudo VLAN across WDS Link
Compex Wireless Pseudo VLAN is a Compex
exclusive feature that protects data privacy
among different wireless users. Wireless users
are separated into individuals (per node mode) or
groups (per group mode) so that they can have
peace of mind that their confidential data on their
White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree
Rev: 1, Mar 30, 2004
connecting people…wirelessly
White Paper:
mobile devices is safe from any intruders when
they are using wireless connectivity. However
before implementing STP, wireless Pseudo
VLAN (per node mode) is only limited to the local
AP's wireless domain - any wireless clients
associated with the same AP will not be able to
communicate with each other. But when WDS is
used to connect multiple APs to expand the
wireless coverage, the pseudo VLAN (per node)
feature is violated in the scenario illustrated by
the diagram on the left of Figure 2. Wireless
clients (Users 2 and 3) associated to the same
AP (AP5) will be isolated from each other.
However, two wireless clients (Users 1 and 2)
that are associated to different APs (AP3 and
AP5) in the WDS zone, they will be able to
communicate with each other.
This means confidential information of User 2
and 3 are at risk if User 1 happens to be a hacker
or someone who is just curious to find out more
information.
With STP implemented on Compex APs, this
violation is fixed and Pseudo VLAN (per node)
strictly confines all wireless users connected to
the APs in the WDS zone in his own separate
domain. The users will not be able to
communicate with each other even though they
are connected to different APs.
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Wireless Spanning Tree
Wireless Mesh Networks
Mesh topology distinguishes from other
topologies by offering multiple redundant
communications paths throughout the network
and the network is capable of self auto-
configuration and auto-reconfiguration when
there is changes to the network connections. This
feature can be achieved by implementing
Spanning Tree Protocol in Compex wireless
equipments.
Mesh topology is very helpful for wireless
network design and applications simply because
the performance and reliability of a wireless
network is more easily affected by factors like
weather conditions and RF interferences. A
wireless mesh network offers the following key
advantages:
Redundancy and reliability—If one link fails for
any reason (e.g. the introduction of strong RF
interference, device or power failure at certain
location), the network automatically forwards the
packets through alternate paths.
White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree
Rev: 1, Mar 30, 2004
connecting people…wirelessly
White Paper:
Expandability—Administrators can fix the
problem of a weak signal or dead zone by
moving a wireless node or dropping another node
into place. Networks can be deliberately over-
designed for reliability by adding extra nodes;
mesh networks can expand to relatively large
scale networks.
Ease of planning—In a mesh network, users
can extend the reach, add redundancy, and
improve the general reliability of the network
simply by adding more nodes. A wireless mesh
network requires less elaborate planning and site
mapping. Nodes can be up and running as soon
as the devices are installed and configured
properly.
Optimized Network performance—Through
careful network planning, wireless mesh network
structure can significantly improve network
performance by providing multiple backhauls to
wired network and effectively reducing wireless
hops.
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Wireless Spanning Tree
By using Spanning Tree algorithm, Compex
Access Points can be used to design the
following wireless networks:
• Single-radio wireless mess networks
• Double-radio wireless mess networks
Single-Radio Wireless Mesh Network
A sample single-radio wireless mesh network is
shown in Figure 3. Each AP is interconnected
with its adjacent APs in a mesh manner. By
enabling STP feature, the wireless network self-
configures and only the best quality links are
activated so that the network delivers the best
throughput performance.
In a single-radio wireless mesh network like
Figure 3, each AP in the mesh network supports
both the local wireless clients and forwards traffic
wirelessly to the root AP through other APs in the
mesh network. The
same radio is used for both wireless access and
wireless backhaul traffic. Each AP uses an
omnidirectional antenna to allow it to
communicate with any of its neighbor APs and
each packet is wirelessly transmitted on the
same channel throughout the mesh network and
ultimately to the root AP that is connected to the
wired network. The main capacity of the channel
will be used to forward traffic from other nodes.
White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree
Rev: 1, Mar 30, 2004
connecting people…wirelessly
White Paper:
To do a capacity performance analysis for a
wireless mesh network scenario like the one
Figure 3 is very difficult and requires complicated
analysis. To simplify the analysis, we will take a
look at the simplest chain configuration of APs
(Figure 4). It is found that the capacity analysis is
somewhere between 1/N of the channel capacity
and (1/2)N of the channel capacity where N is the
number of wireless hops in the longest path
between a client and the wired infrastructure. For
a 54Mbps wireless network using 802.11a or
802.11g, typical channel capacity or useful data
throughput will be slightly more than 20Mbps.
A capacity diagram of the APs is drawn in Figure
5 using these equations. 1/N of the channel
capacity is an optimistic estimation. Let’s assume
the client access load is evenly distributed across
the APs. If each AP accepts a load of 4Mbps of
traffic from its clients, then AP5 will have to
forward 4Mbps of traffic from AP 1, 2, 3 and 4,
and has exactly 4Mbps of capacity left for its local
clients. However for this to work, it requires
perfect contention, interference an d collision
management. The APs would have to coordinate
their transmissions with each other and perfectly
control the transmissions of all their respective
clients.
In real-life scenario, the APs in a network are
rarely found to have a linear pattern. A more
likely wireless mesh network scenario will be like
the one shown in Figure 5.
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White Paper:
Wireless Spanning Tree
Double-Radio Wireless Mesh Network

One of the direct and effective way of improving

the performance of wireless mesh networks is to
separate the clientaccess traffic and backhaul
traffic. This can be implemented using double-
radio wireless equipments that can operate two
radios in different frequencies. In this case, one
of the radio is used to handle client-access traffic,
normally using 802.11g/b technology, while the
other radio is used to forward the backhaul traffic,
usually using 802.11a technology.
A simple illustration of chain configuration using
double-radio mesh network is drawn in Figure 6.

In this case, most of the APs are not just

connected to thetwo adjacent APs. Each of them
will be able to hear more of their neighboring APs
and wireless clients. E.g. AP4 is able to
communicate with AP 2, 3, 5 and 6; this means
when AP4 is transmitting, 4 other APs have to
listen and stop transmitting. The increase in
contention and interference reduces the capacity
available for client access further beyond what
we have discussed in the linear scenario. Double-radio wireless mesh systems provide a
significant improvement over single-radio
The capacity for a single-radio mesh wireless wireless mesh systems (Figure 7). However, the
network is limited by both wireless client access wireless backhaul becomes the bottleneck of
and backhaul traffic. Optimizing the forwarding mesh network, because it is facing the same
protocol for transmission coordination will not be forwarding problem that a single-radio wireless
able to solve the problem, because the average mesh network encounters.
capacity of each AP will still be limited by the
optimal value of 1/N. As the number of hops N Double-radio wireless network is suitable for
increases and the cluster of APs gets small to medium mesh network systems for
complicated, the access capacity for each AP broadband provisioning, file sharing and
drops rapidly. downloading. It can be implemented by
Single-radio mesh network is suitable for small- organizations with multiple offices located in
scale wireless implementations with emphasis on different city locations and Wireless Internet
basic connectivity. It is suitable for basic Internet Service Providers (WISPs) with multiple
sharing, or implementing sensor networks or coverage areas.
meter reading networks where the data rate is
considerably low.

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White Paper:
Wireless Spanning Tree

Optimized Network Performance

One of the major implementation problems that a
single-radio or double-radio wireless mesh system
faces in the previous diagrams is related to the root
AP, e.g. Figure 8. When there is only one root AP
in the wireless mesh network, the bottleneck lies at
the root access point AP1 because wireless traffic
of all access points will have to go through AP1
before they can reach the big pipe of the wired
network.

This also imposes another serious potential

problem that, when the root access point AP1 stops
functioning, the entire wireless network is
disconnected from the wired network, resulting that
all wireless users will not be able to access the
network resources from local servers and Internet.

Compex Spanning Tree tackles both the

performance problem and the single-point-failure
problem mentioned above by offering solutions with
multiple root access points, as illustrated in Figure
9. Now the wireless connections are configured the
same as in Figure 8, but AP3 is connected to the
wired network. Through proper configuration of the
network devices, the wireless mesh network can be
resolved into multiple wireless sub-trees or WDS
systems as shown in Figure 9: AP1, AP2 and AP4
forms one tree, while AP3 and AP5 forms another
tree. Compared with that in Figure 8, multiple root
access points offers the following advantages:

White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree

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White Paper:
Wireless Spanning Tree
• Significant performance gain — By providing
multiple roots and reducing wireless hops of
satellite APs to the wired backhaul, the
wireless throughput of system can be
improved.

• Fail-over wireless connectivity — When one of

the root or satellite APs fails, wireless
connectivity of other APs are not affected and
the devices will be able to auto-configured for
connectivity.

To configure the wireless mesh network properly,

the following setups are recommended:

• If the switch is STP enabled, the STP priority of

the switch should be set to the smallest values
so that the switch becomes the root of the
system.
• If the switch is not STP enabled, one of the root
APs should be configured with the smallest
STP value so that the root AP becomes the
root of the system.
• Besides setting up the root APs, careful design
of WDS connections is required so that loads
from different satellite APs are distributed to
different root APs for optimized network
performance.

White Paper: Compex Wireless Spanning Tree

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