Best way to disable Radio's for new AP's

[Bob Bagheri]

I have a customer migrating to a controller based CUWN and want to bring their new AP's online before the actual cutover.  The customer has requested to bring the AP's online with the radio's disabled.  I know I could create a template in WCS and push it to the AP's, however, they don't want the AP's radio's online even for a few minutes (hospital).

Has anyone else experienced the same request that might have a creative approach?

Thanks in advance,

Bob

[Stephen Rodriguez]

Bob,

   When you configure the WLC, there is an option to enable the 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks, when you hit this point, tell it No.  This will keep all the radios off, allowing you to configure the WLC with ease.  THen all you need to do is enable the networks when it's time to go live.

HTH,

Steve

[Bob Bagheri]

Thanks Steve.  Unfortunately there is a prodution guest network already in place along with the old wireless network (Autonomous/WLSE).  They just don't want the new AP's to be participating yet until they can be fully configured by the controllers.  And they are worried that even if the new AP's come online for a brief perios, they might cause interference issues (extra careful hospital enviornment).

Re,
Bob.

[Stephen Rodriguez · Accepted solution]

Understandable. With the guest already being on the WLC this makes it a touch more difficult.

A couple of options then

1.) configure the WLAN's and leave them all disabled then join the new AP. 

this would allow the new AP to broadcast the guest but nothing else

2.) Create a new AP group that has no WLAN linked to it.  All new AP get put in this group until cutover

3.) Disable the radio when the AP joins the WLC.

4.) If you can, since you're live on the guest, move the guest to WLAN 17, and use WCS to push a template to all existing AP into a group that has this WLAN in it.  Then create all the new WLAN above 17. 

   The 'default' AP group only populates WLANs 1-16, so anything created higher needs to be put in a AP Group to be used.  So what you get is all the exisint WLAN in a new group,  and when the new AP join, they hit the default group, which has no WLANs in it.  When cutover happens, use WCS to put the new AP in the correct group that has the WLAN you want them to offer.

4 is a bit convoluted but can help later as well, for new AP since they won't be able to broadcast anything until you configure the group they should be in.

HTH,

Steve

[Bob Bagheri]

Thanks Steve.  I think I will take your suggestion to make things easier.

Re,
Bob

[Kayle Miller · Accepted solution]

Bob,

     Steve's suggestion is exactly what I did at a hospital a few months back; as long as you keep the networks in a disabled state then the Access Point radios won't come up. Although if you have already configured the controller and it's up and running then goto Wireless> 802.11b/g/n> Network  --> there will be a check box that says Disable network; then goto Wireless> 802.11a/n> Network --> there will be a check box that says Disable network.

you can also do this from the cli using

config 802.11b disable network

config 802.11a disable network

and inverserly to re-enable them

config 802.11b enable network

config 802.11a enable network

Hope this helps and please support the rating systems.

[Bob Bagheri]

Thank you Kayle.  I am going to follow you/ Steve's advice to make life easier.

Re<
Bob