Cisco AP Autonomous and Lightweight

[tanner.zaitt]

Hello, can any one explain me about these two types access points?

How they work and how they connect to Cisco switches?
And when and how we choose what is the best for us?

For example  with one Cisco AP  connected to my switch, can I broadcast different vlan networks in wireless ?

And how we configure the switch port to AP?
And how is work the schema ?

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

 Autonomous AP, now called Mobility Express, is used when you don't have a WLC(Wireless Lan Controller).

 The used to run IOS just like any Cisco device. They were configured independently. Mobility Express is a bit different but not that much. A good example of Autonomous AP is the one you use at home.

Lightweight AP are a special type of AP that needs a WLC to work. They have a limited firmware on it and gets the configuration from the WLC.

"How they work and how they connect to Cisco switches?"

 Nothing unusual. They can work as access or trunk, depending on the objective.

"And when and how we choose what is the best for us?"

It is not a matter of best by the proper choice. If you don't have a WLC you don't have to have a Lithweight AP, will be useless.

"For example  with one Cisco AP  connected to my switch, can I broadcast different vlan networks in wireless ?"

Sure you can. 

"And how we configure the switch port to AP?"

Most of time as access. If you have more then one SSID then you need trunk. 

Lightweight AP can be in local mode or flexconnect. In local mode you don't need trunk but as flexconnect you do when you have different WLAN to VLAN mapping. But, this can be a bit complicate if you are new on the area.

And how is work the schema ?

Cisco have one big advantage among any vendor. There are plenty of material on the internet. I suggest you to go for it.

 If you can get the CCNA material, that's could give you a very good basic knowledge.

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[tanner.zaitt]

How can I identify what type Ap is connected to my port in switch? For example I have seen AP with WLC connected to my port and port configuration is trunk mode + trunk native vlan, the native vlan is the VLAN for management. Autonomous AP I have seen only trunk mode or access. Can I say in two situation trunk allowed vlan? And why with WLC AP we need from native management vlan to untagging?

[Flavio Miranda]

Autonomous AP with more than one SSID need to have more than one vlan and then need to be in trunk mode with switch.

 Native vlan is required for AP management as this traffic is not tagged by AP.

The same applies to Lightweight AP if in flexconnect mode.

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[tanner.zaitt]

Thank you but clear trunk I have seen, if I configure trunk allowed vlan 10,20,30 + native vlan 40. That's mean 40 will be untagged and it will be for management of API, 10,20 and 30 they will are in the air with three different SSIDs, one for 10,one for 20 and one for 30 am I right?

For Autonomous AP why we don't use native vlan or I think wrong about it? I am complicated when I have to take decision to optimize trunk traffic in layer two of the network. Sometimes there are not descriptions of ports,  cdp is disabled. And I should to start investigation, I enable cdp, after, 30 seconds I see the neighbor and bam it's a AP but in trunk mode is a port, and I start to think which vlans are used in side of AP, I use show mac address table interface of port where the AP is connected and voala I see Mac addresses and VLAN Id's which are using at the moment but I never can be sure they are all Id's that all clients with their vlan Id's are connected. I need this information to optimize the trunk with trunk allowed vlan in port to Ap and in Port of switch before the switch connected to Ap, two switches before AP also communicate with trunk and in first witch I want to say trunk allowed vlan for only these vlans which are using in second switch and in AP. Can you tell me about WLC, where are they and how they communicate through a network with AP type lightweight? And example of what WLC control? I heard about it if one AP lost WLC it's start to search WLC and restarting search and restarting cycle? 

[Flavio Miranda]

Thats a lot of question.

"That's mean 40 will be untagged and it will be for management of API, 10,20 and 30 they will are in the air with three different SSIDs, one for 10,one for 20 and one for 30 am I right?".

That's correct.

Can you tell me about WLC, where are they and how they communicate through a network with AP type lightweight? 

WLC is similar to a switch. They manage AP using a special kind of protocol called capwap. Capwap is similar to a VPN and allows the wlc control the AP remotely.

I heard about it if one AP lost WLC it's start to search WLC and restarting search and restarting cycle? 

Yes thats correct. AP has an algorithm that allows it search for wlc when it loses communication.

We-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[tanner.zaitt]

But did you define in AP native vlan 40?

How can I check how native vlan is work  in Packet Tracer?

Between switches?

[Flavio Miranda]

Autonomous AP follows the same process as switches cause the run IOS. Lightweight AP you can use the WLC to setup vlan as Native.

 You can use the Simulation mode and send a frame from one device to another. Then, all the steps taken by each device encapsulating and decapsulating the frame.

 For native vlan you must not see the switch adding a tag on the native vlan.

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[tanner.zaitt]

Thank you for the information.