Cisco 2106 Can't see APs

[joshuanevala]

Thank you in advance for any help.

I was handed a Cisco 2106 WLC and 6 AIR-LAP1131AG-A-K9 acess points a few days ago and was told to get it working. My problem is i have never worked with cisco products, so i have been stumbling setting this up. Here is what I did get working

Web interface into the 2106 WLC
I flashed the 2106 from version 4.x to 7.0.116.0
I get green connected lights on numbers where AP are plugged in

I configured the ap-manager area to settings of
Port Number=6
Vlan Identifier=0
IP Address=10.0.0.254
Netmask=255.255.248.0
Gateway=10.0.0.1
Primary DHCP Server=10.0.0.18

I configured the managment area to settings of
Vlan Identifier=0
IP Address=10.0.0.253 (i can ping this)
Netmask=255.255.248.0
Gateway=10.0.0.1
Port Number=1
Primary DHCP Server=10.0.0.18

I also setup a DHCP Scope thinking this was the problem
IP start/end 192.168.95.100 to 192.168.95.200
Network=192.168.95.0
Netmask=255.255.255.0

I have logged into the console port on  AP and typed sho ver it lists C1130-rcvk9w8-m 12.3(11) Jx1             LWAPP 3.0.51.0

I am having a very hard time learning CLi commands so i don't know how to see if the AP even tries to talk to the WLC.

Thanks again for any help

[George Stefanick]

If I understand you right, your APs are connecting to the controller? Normally, folks dont directly connect aps right into the WLC. Have you added a swicth inbetween them? Also what IP address is the APs getting? If you put the APs on the same subnet as the management address of the WLC they will broadcast to find the WLC.

[simonwynn]

The APs need an IP address in the same subnet at the ap-manager interface. This can come from an external DHCP server, but you must specify that then you set up the WLC - alternativey try setting a static Ip on the AP using rhe command line. Google "LWAPP Factory reset" and you will find many examples on how to set this address.

Simon

[joshuanevala]

Thanks for the advice  i manually set IPs for each AP and that worked perfectly.

[jlixfeld]

I'm running into this issue as well, but I have every intention of using the onboard WLC ports with the APs directly connected.  Are you suggesting that the onboard ports don't work that way and one *must* use an external switch and connect the APs there?

[simonwynn]

Nope, the on-board ports work just fine for APs. The APs just need IP addresses, either static, or from DHCP. Typically you specify the DHCP server during setup of the WLC, and the then WLC proxies the DHCP to the APs plugged in to the ports.

Rremeber the WLC only has 100Mb ports, so if you use 11n APs you will limit their speed because of the line speed limitation. If you run the APs into a gigabit switch you can run them in H-REAP/local switching mode and switch the traffic at gigabit speeds, but have the CAPWAP only go to the WLC.

Simon

[jlixfeld]

Hmm, odd.  I have a DHCP scope set up for my ap-manager interface, but can only find an option to assign one port to the ap-manager interface.

For my particular application, ap-manager needs to be separate from the management interface and also separate from the outside interface that guest users will access.  I have a feeling that it has something to do with this combination of interfaces that is causing me grief.  Perhaps the expectation is that manager and ap-manager will fall under the same subnet which is why I'm having difficulties?

[George Stefanick]

Simon,

Great response +5