Mobility Express - speeds versus controller / catalyst setups

[gp1200x]

We have some wireless controllers (2504s, 35xx) but never used them yet and have been using Mobility Express at our large remote sites. Since it has mGb, the 3802s connect at 5Gb on our 3850s. We basically setup ME using trunks on our access points to allow local lan connections authenticated via a radius server with laptop certs and also have ssids for open internet using third parts devices like GIS Internet services. This all works fine and we only have about half a dozen sites switches over so far....about 100 WAPs total. 

So when I see statements about the 3850...saying up to 40Gb of wireless, I am assuming they are referring to the wireless controller limitations since I don't see how that would have any effect on my ME. 

So what are the limitations of ME....if I have 32 access points connected to 3850 stacks on mGb (5Gb speed connections) are the total speed limitations limited to the just the local access point to switch speeds?  In other words once the radius authenticates a user on the ME controller, is there any speed limitations to the users and access points based on the ME controller?

I like the ME since it is easy to setup and I am not passing data all the way across the network to a centralized single controller but if there is a better practical / faster solution please let me know. 

[patoberli · Accepted solution]

Not really no. In a ME setup, the AP runs in the Flexconnect mode, meaning all client traffic is locally sourced and not routed through the Master, unlike a WLC scenario with Local mode APs.

ME is fine, it only has some limitations in regards of maximum APs and simultaneous clients and special features.

[gp1200x]

Thanks...I was hoping it worked that way so I will stay with ME for another year or two since we really have no complaints with speed or connections issues at our sites!  We did not like the fact that ME did not support a LAG but once the mGb connections were brought up to 5Gb that was no longer an issue for us.

[patoberli]

Thanks for marking it as solution. I'm curious, please check your switch ports, do you have a single port exceeding 1 Gbps? I've never seen a user actually reaching more.

[gp1200x]

??  What do you mean?   Do I have 1 Gb switch ports exceeding the 1Gb physical limit or do I have devices that are reaching the 1Gb limit,,,,,,or 10Gb limit on a 10Gb interface?

All of our PCs are usually attached to 1Gb ports but some will be attached to mGb as time goes on. Our laptops and PCs can push the 1Gb to the limit during large file transfers and images and I can see it max out on both the switch and laptop so it is limiting our transfers to a small extent some of the time. On the 10Gb interfaces we have servers and NAS devices with etherchannels. These push well above the Gb speeds but most stay under 6Gb - 8 Gb mainly because of the older hardware and card interface hardware I suspect. I am telling our server admins to only order 40Gb interfaces from now on since I suspect that our newer Flex and Vms will easily attempt to push way past the 10Gb speeds during backups and large file transfers.

Note - If QOS is on a 1Gb port with a laptop, it will hamper the speed somewhat and you will never come close to the 1Gb speed. On our 10Gb interfaces to servers and NAS I ususally turn off QOS since it greatly impacts 10Gb ports on the older 3750E/G/X models.

[patoberli]

Sorry, I meant on a port an AP is connected to with mGb. Just asking because I have never seen an 2800 series reach more than ~800 Mbps in one direction on a switch. I just wonder if you actually have an AP reaching > 1 Gbps on its mGb LAN port.

[gp1200x]

Unfortunately I haven't looked at the switch stats on a WAP interface to see the max throughput. Even though the 3802s all connect at 5Gb, I don't know what their real max throughput speed would be unless I have a bunch of users with high end laptops trying to download at once and that would be a rarity. Plus most laptops are older models - not the latest so their wireless speeds are greatly hindered by their older chipsets.
I will attempt to see what it is when I get the right conditions.

[patoberli]

That would be nice!

The consensus here in the forum is that 1 Gbps is more than enough for the AC Wave2 APs and no mGb switches are needed, at all.