Cisco Mobility Express and WDS

[Thibault LACROIX]

Hi there,

I want to have a confirmation, can both Cisco Mobility Express and WDS work on a same network ?

It's written in 1852 documentation

• The access point does not support Wireless Domain Services (WDS) and cannot communicate with WDS devices. However, the controller provides functionality equivalent to WDS when the access point joins it.

My first reflexion was to give no try at all, in order not to mess with current WDS installed, but as I see CME AP can't communicate with WDS, mabye..?

Thank you

Thib

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Hi,

1800 series AP cant communicate with WDS devices.

Better to configure ME AP as Master controller and join rest AP to it. It will be the same as WDS!!

Regards

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[Thibault LACROIX]

Hi Sandeep,

Yes I totally agree with you, the fact is I can't destroy my current WDS, so the question was about the availability to have current APs connected to WDS, and add 3 1852's dealing with their own Wireless domain. All APs being on the same network (so able to see/ping/etc each other)

Physically speaking, they won't be on the same building, people will loose wifi if they change building

Secund option would be of course to remove WDS and use CME only, connecting all current APs to CME, but i'll need to wait for holidays for this one

[Sandeep Choudhary · Accepted solution]

Yes, you can run both solution parallely.

After you holidays: I will recommend to Cisco ME as your main solution because its easy to manage and configure. But make sure that Cisco ME supported your old (WDS) APs.

Check Table 1:

The following Cisco Aironet Series APs are supported in the Cisco Mobility Express network:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/mob_exp/83/user_guide/b_ME_User_Guide_83/about_mob_exp.html

Regards

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[Thibault LACROIX]

Thank you very much Sandeep, that helps a lot.

Thibault

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Glad to help.  Thank you for rating!

[Thibault LACROIX]

Hi Sandeep,

I forgot to ask, i've read somewhere it's not recommended to have Mobility Express and WLC seeing each other, any recommendations about this one ?

Thank you!

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Do you have a seperate WLC ?

If yes then join all old and new ME APs to it. 

if not then dont worry...

Cisco ME master AP will work as a Controller to handle self and rest of the APs.

Regards

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[Thibault LACROIX]

My current WLC has a software version 8.0.121.0 that does not support 1850 series AP (reading Cisco docs).

For now, I can't upgrade it, and have to answer a need to install 1852 APs, but i'm kinda afraid to install another Controller when there's already one