Setting up VLAN's for wireless AP's with two SSID's

[avail]

I am trying to setup a RV180 and 3 wireless access points. I want the AP's to have 2 ssids that are isolated from each other. IE guest network and main network. I have setup VLAN's and my AP's support 802.1q and have ssid's with matching VID's. I was able to get this to work basically, but things seem to have gotten confusing when I plug the AP's into a POE switch instead of directly into the rv180. At this point I'm not sure exactly waht to ask. Maybe start by providing basic info on how I'm supposed to do this. I was under the impression that since both devices support 802.1q I could configure the VLANs on the router, and tell the AP's to apply a VID to the SSID and thing would work. This isn't the case unfortunately. Any help would be appreciated.

[Tom Watts · Accepted solution]

Hi Aaron, it depends what this switch is. If it is an unmanage switch, it cannot process vlan tags therefore the switch will only be a member of the native vlan that is connects to from the router.

If it is a manage switch you will need to configure it the same as the router, a native vlan untag, additional vlan tag for the port connecting to the AP and to the router.

-Tom
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[avail]

It is a managed switch. I have changed the settings on it. How will it work when work stations are connected to the switch? Do I apply the default VID to the ports that have workstations attached? In some of my reading it mader it sound that untagged frames(ones coming directly from a workstation) will have a tag applied to them when passing through the switch.

[Tom Watts · Accepted solution]

Hi Aaron, if you connect a computer to a switch port you making it the untagged member of the desired vlan. The uplink between the router and switch take care of traffic passing.

So for example-

Ap 1 = vlan 1 and 2

Ap 2 = Vlan 3 and 4

Ap 3 = Vlan 5-6

Guest comptuer = vlan 7

Router trunk is vlan 1u, 2-7t (with intervlan routing enable/disable as desired)

Switch trunk is the same 1u, 2-7t

Ap 1 trunk is 1u2t

Ap 2 trunk is 3u, 4t

Ap 3 trunk is 5u 6t

Guest computer is access 7u

-Tom
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[avail]

Thank you for your help. Just out of curiosity, if I needed to deploy a new switch later on, do I need to use a smart switch or if every client connecting to the new switch can be on the same vlan, can I use a dumb switch? This is more for my general knowledge than current practical use.

[Tom Watts]

Hi Aaron, you may use an unmanaged switch in some circumstances.

Let's say you need 8 extra ports for vlan 7 (from my example above). You can configure a port on the manage switch as 7 untagged and assuming everything else is set up okay anything connecting to the unmanage switch will be a member of vlan 7 along with their restrictions.

An unmanaged switch will not work in the circumstance if you need 2 vlans through it. The unmanage switch will only function on the native vlan (untagged member) of the port it connects to.

-Tom
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