Introduction
Overview
The Leaf Plus is an IEEE 802.11be (WiFi 7) 5 GHz / 6 GHz dual-radio Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) for Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) deployments. A WISP provides Internet access to homes and small business offices over wireless links, without requiring wired connections.
In a Point-to-Multipoint (PTMP) deployment, multiple Leaf Plus devices can connect to a single Root Plus or Root. Each Leaf Plus provides network connectivity for a home or small business office, where a router or gateway can be connected.
At the time of writing, you can only pair Leaf Plus with Root Plus or Root.The following figure shows the Leaf Plus’s application in a typical WISP deployment. The Root (Plus) provides wireless Internet access to multiple Leaf Plus devices installed at locations such as homes or small business offices.
• At remote site 1, the Leaf Plus is connected to a router / gateway, which provides Internet access for home devices such as printers, and IP cameras.
• At remote site 2, the Leaf Plus is connected to a router / gateway, which provides Internet access for WiFi clients, such as smartphones and laptops.
• At remote site 3, the Leaf Plus is connected to a router / gateway, which provides Internet access for office devices such as desktop computers and IP phones.
Leaf Plus Application in a WISP Deployment
Leaf Plus Product Feature
The following table shows the feature of the Leaf Plus model. You can find the feature introductions in the later sections.
Features | Leaf plus |
|---|---|
Supported WiFi Standards | IEEE 802.11a IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11n IEEE 802.11ac IEEE 802.11ax IEEE 802.11be |
Supported Frequency Bands | 5 GHz 6 GHz |
Supported Channel Width | 5G: 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 / 240 MHz 6G: 80 / 160 / 320 MHz |
Available Security Modes | None / Enhanced-open / WEP / WPA2-MIX-Personal / WPA3-Personal |
Number of WiFi Radios | 2 |
BandFlex (5 GHz / 6 GHz) | No |
Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | Yes |
Wireless Bridge | Yes |
Supported PoE Standards | IEEE 802.3af IEEE 802.3at |
External Antennas | Yes |
Internal Antennas | No |
Antenna Switch | No |
Smart Antenna | No |
Console Port | No |
Reset button | Yes |
LED Locator | Yes |
LED Suppression | Yes |
NCC Discovery | Yes |
AFC Report | Yes |
ACS Report | Yes |
Override Altitude | Yes |
Ethernet Forwarding Mode | Yes |
PTMP Bandwidth Control | Yes |
Wireless Remote Capture | Yes |
Email Daily Report | Yes |
SNMP | Yes |
Grounding | No |
Power Jack | PoE |
Maximum Number of Log Messages | 512 event logs |
Latest Firmware Version Supported | 7.40 |
Dual-Radio
The Leaf Plus is equipped with two WiFi radios. The Leaf Plus uses the WiFi radios to transmit WiFi signals. This means you can configure different WiFi networks on the 5G/6G bands to operate simultaneously.
Due to each country’s regulations on frequency band usage, the available radio bands (5 GHz and 6 GHz) may differ by countries or markets the Leaf Plus products are sold to.A different channel should be configured for each WLAN interface to reduce the effects of radio interference.Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
An AP can support multiple frequency bands (5 GHz and 6 GHz), but a WiFi client can only connect to the AP using one of these frequency bands. The other frequency band is unused. The client's data transmission speed depends on the frequency band they are connected to.
WiFi 7 MLO allows a WiFi client to connect to the AP using multiple frequency bands simultaneously. This increases speed and improves reliability of the WiFi connection. MLO makes WiFi 7 ideal for streaming 4K/8K videos, using augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) applications and playing online games.
To use MLO, both the AP and the WiFi client have to support MLO.
Preamble Puncturing
In WiFi 6 and earlier, any interference would cause the entire WiFi channel to become unavailable. In the figure below, if part of the WiFi channel (B) experiences interference, the rest of the WiFi channel (C) becomes unavailable.
Without Preamble Puncturing
WiFi 7 preamble puncturing allows you to block the specific portion of the channel that is experiencing interference while continuing to use the rest of the WiFi channel. In the figure below, if part of the WiFi channel (B) experiences interference, the rest of the WiFi channel (C) is still available.
Preamble Puncturing Example
Leaf Plus Management Mode
The Leaf Plus can be managed in one of the following methods: remote management through Nebula Control Center (NCC) or troubleshooting through the local GUI. It is recommended to use NCC to manage the Leaf Plus for complete configuration and monitoring. The local GUI is intended for troubleshooting purpose only.
NCC
This is the primary means by which you manage the Leaf Plus in cloud managed mode (NCC). With NCC, you can remotely manage and monitor the Leaf Plus through a cloud-based network management system. See the NCC User’s Guide for more information.
Local GUI
If your Leaf Plus is managed by NCC, use this only for troubleshooting if you cannot connect to the Internet. See Accessing the Local GUI for more information about the local GUI.
The following table shows the default IP addresses and purposes for different management modes.
Management Mode | Default IP Address | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Nebula Control Center | Dynamic You can find the IP address in NCC at Site-wide > Devices > Access points > LAN IP. | For full configuration and monitoring |
Local GUI in Full Settings Mode | Dynamic or Static (192.168.1.2) | For troubleshooting only |
Local GUI in Installer Mode | Dynamic or Static (192.168.1.2) | For quick wireless bridge connection check during installation |
Once you register your Leaf Plus with NCC, the local GUI login password will change to an NCC assigned password. To view or change the NCC assigned password, log in to NCC and go to Site-wide > Configure > Site settings > Local credentials.Site-wide > Configure > Site settings > Local credentials
Good Habits for Managing the Leaf Plus
Do the following things regularly to make the Leaf Plus more secure and to manage it more effectively.
• Change the password often. Use a password that is not easy to guess and that consists of different types of characters, such as numbers and letters.
• Write down the password and put it in a safe place.
• Back up the configuration (and make sure you know how to restore it). Restoring an earlier working configuration may be useful if the Leaf Plus becomes unstable or even crashes. If you forget your password, you will have to reset the Leaf Plus to its factory default settings. If you backed up an earlier configuration file, you will not have to totally re-configure the Leaf Plus; you can simply restore your last configuration.
• Inspect the signal path periodically. Trees, vegetation, or newly constructed structures can gradually block the line of sight between the Leaf Plus and Root (Plus), reducing wireless link performance.