Switch Port - Access Point

[kri.chi.85]

Dear Tech Gurus,

    AP was configured with 4 differnet Vlans. Then what should be the swich port (Access Mode or Trunk Mode) on the switch.

[Leo Laohoo]

Trunk

[kri.chi.85]

Thank you Leolaohoo,

  I am adding a image to this message. Please go through the image and say wheteher the switchport should be Access port or Trunk port.

[Leo Laohoo]

AP was configured with 4 differnet Vlans.

Your image does not give me alot of information but your opening thread does.  If you don't configure your switch port to be a Dot1Q trunk, how do you expect 4 different VLANs to go through?

Besides, I have 12 autonomous APs and >1300 controller-based AP.

[kri.chi.85]

Please give me a clarity, how the communication will take place after the AP joined to the controller. (Whether every packet reached controller to reach internet)

[Latchum Naidu]

Hi Krishna,

As leo said the port to which you are going to connect your AP must be trunk port as it to be able to traverse multiple vlans.

coming to your question "how the communication will take place after the AP joined to the controller. (Whether every packet reached controller to reach internet)"

When the packet try to reach destination (internet example) from enduser it will go to your AP and then go to your core switch or default gateway and from there go to destination. But the packet never go to controller anyway.

Controller is to manage your multiple access points and monitoring the status of both hardware and software configurations is necessary to ensure a properly operating network.

Say for example you have 20 AP's in your network and you want change your ssid or some configuration then you no need to go to each and ever AP to do the stuff you can simple control and manage all AP's from the controller.

Hope the above clear and understand to you.

Please rate the helpfull posts.
Regards,
Naidu.

[Leo Laohoo]

Ok, now I have another look with your diagram and it doesn't match with your opening thread.

If you are dealing with autonomous IOS, then the switch port connected to the WAP has to be a dot1Q trunk.  IF it's controller based, then the ports connected to the WAP is an access port.  The ports connected to the WLC has to be dot1q trunk.

[kri.chi.85]

Dear Tech Team,

According to switching, if a port needs to transfer packets related to multiple VLans then it should be Trunk port.

What about this, is this not applicable in wireless.

[Leo Laohoo]

Ok.  You are getting me confused.

1.  AUTONOMOUS AP with multiple VLAN - Switch port needs to be trunk

2.  CONTROLLER-based with multiple VLAN - Switch port needs to be an access port with the AP sitting on it's own VLAN

3.  WLC - Switch port needs to be configured as a Trunk

[kri.chi.85]

OK. Please dont get confused.

Its very stright question:

Case 1: I Understood and agree with this.

If an AP is in Autonomous Mode with multiple VLans - Switch pport should be Trunk (Because multiple Vlan traffic is carried between the AP and switch)

Case 2: Not Understand

If an AP is in LWAP mode (Controller based) with multiple VLans - Why the switch port should be Access Port? why not Trunk?

[Leo Laohoo]

If an AP is in LWAP mode (Controller based) with multiple VLans - Why the switch port should be Access Port? why not Trunk?

Because in LWAP/CAPWAP, the WAP isn't a "WAP".  The WAP is the WLC, hence the controller ports are configured as Trunk.  In the eyes of the WLC, the WAP is just an over-sized antenna and pushes data via the CAPWAP tunnel.

[kri.chi.85]

Thanks Leolaohoo,

Can you say me, Will an AP tag the VLAN identifier to the frame when it is sending the frame to the switch.

[kri.chi.85]

Thanks Leolaohoo,

Can you say me, Will an AP tag the VLAN identifier to the frame when it is sending the frame to the switch.

[glen.grant]

  On a lightweight ap it creates a encrypted tunnel back to the controller across a single vlan .  The vlans are not created at the ap but at the controller so there is no need to trunk the ap and in fact the ap will not work if you attempt to trunk it .  The lightweight ap knows ssids and thats it passes that info back to the controller where the ssids are associated with a particular vlan .  All of this happens across a the tunnel between the WLC and the lighweight AP.  Nothing is tagged  vlan wise at the AP .