Cisco Wireless Virtual controller _ initial Config

[ITexpert]

Hello Guys,

I just got the ova file for Virtual wireless  controller and some LW Access Points . This is for my testing purposes.

I have a question, according to Cisco WLC should be trunked with switch. So i am going to trunk this Virtual WLC, I am going to run this in a EsXi or Vmware workstation.

Please instruct me how to use this virtual Wireless Controller ?

Which Lightweight APs should be the cheapest solution for testing  ?

Please Advice.

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi @ITexpert

 From the wlc side it is pretty straightforward. On the CONTROLLE tab, change LAG mode to enable and it is done. ESXi side is more challenging.

 Cheap is a relative concept. Take a look on the link below. Depending on the WLC version, you have supported and not supported APs. You can find a second hand on the internet.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html#pgfId-147162

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[ITexpert]

Hello Flavio,

I still dont understand why i need to enable LAG on controller side, I just want to use management port on controller which is on the same network which is used by my Vmware esxi or vmware workstation.  

As physical WLC management port is directly trunk into switch, SO how to achieve same thing in Virtual WLC as Virtual VLC running in Hardware that is connected with Access port of switch.

Please advice ?

Thanks,

Lovejit

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi, 

 I understood that you wanted to know how to enable trunk on the WLC. But, if you are using only one interface, it is not necessary to have a trunk.

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[ITexpert]

Hello Flavio,

Initially I have to Use only one Interface but I have to test 802.1X dynamic vlan assignment by NPS server using one SSID. I believe that to achieve this, I have to create all the vlan interfaces on WLC.

Do you think its possible without trunking, Because eventually WLC  have to tagg frames so that Guest vlan users dont access other traffic.

Thanks

[patoberli]

The interfaces are only needed if the AP runs in local mode, not needed in Flexconnect, if I'm not completely wrong.
So in Flexconnect the NPS will send the VLAN attribute to the AP where the user is attached to and the AP will tag that user/client packets with the right VLAN.
If you use local mode APs (does that even work with vWLC?), then you need to have for every VLAN you are going to use a virtual interface on the vWLC.

[Flavio Miranda]

Just keep in mind one thing. If you have more then on vlan on the wlan, change it to LAG. 

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[Ric Beeching · Accepted solution]

@patoberli - You can have APs in FlexConnect with central auth which then use VLANs etc so pretty much same thing really.

The only difference we're talking about is whether to tag the management VLAN or not. If you tag it on the WLC side, you can then tell the ESXi to just use an "all" (0-4095) network interface whereas if you don't tag it then the interface has to be set to whatever your management VLAN is.

You do not need LAG for vWLC at any point as far as I'm aware..

Ric