How to connect and configure WLC 2500

[Tazio4436]

llo everybody,

Please see file attached

I am trying to setup a wifi network but I have been struggling to get it working.

I am not sure how to interconnect the hardware so I made a drawing to illustrate what I have and what I want to do.

I have a Meraki which is connected to the ISP and then one port from the Meraki goes to the L3 SW. I have 2 Vlan on that L3 SW.

Vlan 10 is Data that is for wired access and Vlan 16 is Wireless .I have 2 subnets and 2 DHCP pool on the L3 SW and it has been tested and it is working fine.

The L3 SW is NOT PoE so I have to add a L2 PoE Sw so that the AP can connect to that directly.

I have a WLC 2500.

I am not sure where do I connect the WLC 2500. Should I connect it to the L3 SW or should I connect it to the L2 SW.

Fig 1 show when the WLC is connected to L3 SW. If this is correct then what are the links that should be trunk and which one access.

Fig 2 show when the WLC is connected to L2 PoE SW. If this is correct then what are the links that should be trunk and which one access.

I am making so many trials that only one time I was able to access the WLC through Web but it was not broadcasting the SSID so I did more changes here and there and now I cannot even connect to WLC through web.

Help from any one will be much appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance

Tazio

[Sandeep Choudhary · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Your layout is correct.

First you need to cofnigure the initial config on WLC and then connect to L3 switch witrh a trunk port.

here is the guide:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/2500-series-wireless-controllers/113034-2500-deploy-guide-00.html

Regards

Dont forget to arte helpful posts

[omz]

Hi 

I guess its Meraki MX yes? What model? Is it the only Meraki device?

Why not have MX do the L3 routing? You can create your vlans on the MX. 

Connect WLC directly to the MX.

Connect poe switch to the MX and have AP connected to the poe switch. 

[Sandeep Choudhary · Accepted solution]

Make sure:

1. To create dynamic interface corerctly on WLC and then assign to respective WLANs.

2. AP must be joined to WLC

3. AP connected port must be an acces sports and WLC connected port must be trunk port on swicth side.

Regards

Dont forget to arte helpful posts

[Tazio4436]

I would like to thank everyone for the help you provided and special thank to  Sandeep Choudhary for his personal touch and expertise in helping me out.

Regards

Tazio

[omz · Accepted solution]

Hi 

Good to see people acknowledging the help :)

IF Meraki device is the MX (firewall). 

I would like to add that if you are using the MX as a firewall and want to make use of its features, set client tracking to IP instead of MAC because you have an L3 switch downstream. 

https://documentation.meraki.com/MX/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Client_Tracking_Options

ps - 

I believe a better design would be to have the vlans on the MX instead of the L3 switch.