Effect of enabling Flexconnect local switching

[spfister336]

If I enable the Flexconnect Local Switching option on a particular WLAN, will that effect the APs in Local mode that are using the WLAN, or does it not take effect until the mode is changed? In order words, can I use the same SSID with both Local mode and Flexconnect mode APs? I'm talking about lightweight Cisco APs connected to a WLC (5520)

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi @spfister336 

 AP in local mode is not able to drop the traffic on the local network. They will send all traffic to the WLC, which means, there will be not flexconnect.

 In order to have flexconnect, you need the SSID and the AP to be in flexconnect. As soon as you change the AP to flexconnect, the Flexconnect  tab will show up and then you can map WLAN to VLAN and drop the traffic for flexconnect locally.

 However, AP in flexconnect is able to handle SSIDs in local mode as long as the SSID is configured as local mode.

 Focusing on your questions now:

"If I enable the Flexconnect Local Switching option on a particular WLAN, will that effect the APs in Local mode that are using the WLAN, "

 The AP in local mode can propagate an SSID that is in flexconnect but the traffic will be sent to the WLC anyway, which means, there will be no flexconnect.

"or does it not take effect until the mode is changed?"

 The SSID and the AP need to be changed. If you change only one side, there will be no effect.

"In order words, can I use the same SSID with both Local mode and Flexconnect mode APs? I'm talking about lightweight Cisco APs connected to a WLC (5520)

No, you can not. What you can do is create 2 wlan profile with the same SSID name and put one as flexconnect and the other as local mode.

 

[Flavio Miranda]

"If I enable the Flexconnect Local Switching option on a particular WLAN, will that effect the APs in Local mode that are using the WLAN, "

 The AP in local mode can propagate an SSID that is in flexconnect but the traffic will be sent to the WLC anyway, which means, there will be no flexconnect.

"or does it not take effect until the mode is changed?"

 The SSID and the AP need to be changed. If you change only one side, there will be no effect.

"In order words, can I use the same SSID with both Local mode and Flexconnect mode APs? I'm talking about lightweight Cisco APs connected to a WLC (5520)

No, you can not. What you can do is create 2 wlan profile with the same SSID name and put one as flexconnect and the other as local mode.

[spfister336]

If I have 2 profiles with the same SSID, with one as flexconnect and the other as local, they would need to have 2 different PSKs. Our laptops are hardcoded with only one PSK, so this would not work for us. I'm just trying to figure out how to do this without a huge mess. Let me try and step through this...

BEFORE: [Current configuration]

WLC: SSID with no flexconnect local switching
site A: APs in local mode
site B: APs in local mode

STEP 1: [Enable Flexconnect local switching on WLC]

WLC: SSID with Flexconnect local switching enabled
Site A: APs in local mode
Site B: APs in local mode

STEP 2: [Set Site A APs to Flexconnect]

WLC: SSID with Flextconnect local switching on
Site A: APs in Flexconnect mode
Site B: APs in Local mode

STEP 3: [Set Site B APs to Flexconnect]

WLC: SSID with Flextconnect local switching on
Site A: APs in Flexconnect mode
Site B: APs in Flexconnect mode

Question... after Step 1 or 2 above, will all APs be functional, or not?

[Flavio Miranda]

Yes, it will. As long as the AP belongs to an AP group and the SSID is added to that AP group the AP will propagate the SSID.

If the AP is in local mode, traffic comes to WLC. If the AP is in flexconnect mode and you have VLAN to WLAN mapped, traffic stay locally.

[Rich R]

This looks like a duplicate of your other question which I already answered on that thread:
https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/need-help-on-transitioning-legacy-cisco-lightweight-aps-to/m-p/4906390/highlight/true#M259716