Adding new SSIDs to 5508 WLC

[Andrew White]

Hello,

We are joining with a new company and they want to utilise our Cisco APs.  They are putting their own switches and routers to their WAN in our rack.  Their switches will trunk (LAG ports) to our  Nexus core switches where our 2 x 5508s connect to (active/standby).  Half of the ports on the active 5508 go to one Nexus and the other half to the other Nexus, both Nexus connect via a VPC.

I need to create 4 SSIDs for them and 2 use the same VLAN, but the goal is to create these on the 5508s and use their radius/DHCP servers back in their organisation, sound possible?

1.) I think I will have to use an existing  AP group, but I assume it will be a case of creating the SSIDs with agreed VLAN IDs and add these VLANs to the trunk ports leading from the WLC to the Nexus and then from the Nexus to their switches?

2.) I will have to create the SVIs for these VLANs on the Nexus's?

3.) In these SVIs I can add the DHCP relay servers from their network?

4.) All our APs are set to FLEX mode, will this cause an issue as their WiFi users will need to  be on their network and not ours.

Thanks

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

     It is possible. I think you should set up the other´s Company SSIDs as Local more. This way, theirs traffic will be send to the WLC and will be easier to send it back to them via Nexus. For DHCP you can use SVI on Nexus and use helper-address pointing to their DHCP server. Their RADIUS server need to be added to your WLC and properly selected to their SSID. 

 When their clients associate to your AP, the DHCP request will be forwarded by the WLC to the Nexus and than to their network. The same for Radius request.

 After fully associated and authenticated, client traffic will be send back to the WLC and, based on the gateway of the WLC dynamic interface, traffic will be send back to their network.

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[Andrew White]

I've only ever used Flex mode, so can I keep our SSIDs in Flex mode and put theirs in Local mode?

Why use Local mode as I've never used this mode?

Is the setup similar?

Thanks

[Rich R]

> Why use Local mode as I've never used this mode?
I suspect Flavio meant centrally switched, which can still be done while the APs are in Flex mode.
But in fact you could also do it as flex local switching.
I have a similar setup done with flex and local switching, pure layer 2 with a vlan handoff to the other switch so you need not worry about DHCP, let them handle it all. For radius authentication you'll need connectivity from WLC to their radius server to authenticate the client but they handle everything after that.