Understanding Wireless Mac Address

[rparrat666]

Hi,

I would like to know te range of mac address used for only Cisco Wireless, and I would appreciate to know how the ap and the controler assign the virtual mac address they use and how to get them from the WLC gui.

WLC - 4400

AP - Air1131

Thanks

[Scott Fella]

To be honest, I don't know where you would even find that info or if even Cisco will disclose that... you can always look it up, now is this complete... don't know and it includes everything:

http://www.miniwebtool.com/mac-address-lookup/?s=cisco

.... the radio mac address is based off the base radio mac and the wlan id i believe.

Thanks,

Scott

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[eoinwhite1]

Is it possible to pull a complete list of virtual MAC addresses per SSID per AP from PI?

[George Stefanick · Accepted solution]

You may find this handy ..

http://www.my80211.com/home/tag/cisco-virtual-mac-address

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[Ravi Singh]

As you add SSIDs (Service Set Identification(s)) to an access point each BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) receives a virtual mac address. This allows for wireless network segmentation as well as for wireless clients to communicate via LAYER 2 with each access point BSSID.

A Cisco access point takes the base radio mac address and then virtualizes the mac address as additional SSIDs are added. What is interesting is how the virtual MAC addresses are selected. Pay very close attention to the 2.4GHz and 5 GHz radios and BSSIDs.

BASE RADIO MAC ADDRESS

You can find the base radio mac address under WIRELESS->Select Access Point

Virtualized BSSID(s)

I configured a controller with 16 SSIDs. Each SSID named as 01,02,03,04,05,06, 07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15 and 16. I then enabled both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios. Cisco WLC access points have a limit of 16 SSIDs on each radio.

I then fired up AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer Pro to conduct a capture.

Note: The access point base radio mac address ends in A9:10.

2.4 GHz – Notice the first SSID ‘01’ is assigned the BASE RADIO MAC ADDRESS A9:10. The second SSID is appended with a .11 and so on.

5GHz – Notice the sixteenth SSID ‘16’ is assigned the BASE RADIO MAC ADDRESS A9:10. The fifteenth SSID is appended with a .11 and so on.

NOTE: The VIRTUAL MAC ADDRESSES get reused by the access point on both the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz radios.

Virtualized BSSID Assignment

Keep in mind, the assignment or order in which the virtual mac addresses are assigned in the above example has nothing to do with the WLAN IDs that are configured in the WLC. Rather, the virtual mac addresses are assigned in order by how the SSID is assigned to the access point.

[Gibson Castelino]

That was very informative Ravi. I have one question. The virtual MAC addresses will clash - will that not create any problem?

[Scott Fella]

It will never clash. You are only allowed to have 16 SSID’s on a given AP. The radio mac is always different.  Look at the link George has in his blog which is in the thread.