Catalyst Center Network Settings and Profiles

[zogcloki]

We have some concerns about the Hierarchy in combination with the Global or Site Local Network Settings and Network Profiles in Catalyst Center. We have a few sites with different AP-Groups (AirOS WLC) configured on APs within the same floor. Our plans are to migrate to new C9800 and implement Catalyst Center with the new WLCs. The way I understand it you are only able to configure one Wireless Network Profile per Area/Building/Floor. If i assume that I need two different Wireless Network Profiles for the same floor, I have to merge them together, right? Or is there any other way?

The same issue we have with the Servers and Device Credentials in the Network Settings. For example, we have some Access Switches, WLCs and Distribution Switches on the same floor in our building. We try to have different RADIUS shared secrets and device credentials at least for every device type. If we have three different device types on the same floor I would need three different device credentials assigned to this floor in Catalyst Center. The Same with the RADIUS Server and shared secret. Does that work in any way?

I don't know if it is just a problem from my poiont of view or do you guys have the same challanges? How do you guys deal with these "problems"?

[Torbjørn]

Hi @zogcloki,

You are correct in that a single area can only have a single network-profile assigned per device type. A solution could be to split the floor into two areas and assigning a different network profile to each, but this could be quite cumbersome to maintain network profiles for if you have many locations with unique configurations.  What is it that you are looking to achieve? EDIT: See the answer from @Preston Chilcote below, it should cover most usecases.

For device credentials you can set them _per device_ in your inventory if you wish to maintain different credentials within the same area. To achieve different radius shared secrets you will have to configure radius in templates that you can apply per tag/device role instead of setting it through the "network settings" portion of the design module. In the situations I have been in where this has been a subject we have opted to use significantly more complex credentials/secrets as an alternative to maintaining different ones per device.

[Preston Chilcote]

Perhaps the AP Zone feature can help you keep a single network profile per floor?