FlexConnect Local Switched Deployment

[fdharmawan]

Hi Guys,

Currently I am assessing a wireless network for a branch office. The office is new and will use L3 connectivity for traffic towards HO. During the assessment, I found that FlexConnect might be the solution for branch office wireless connectivity.

On the FlexConnect, I found that the AP setting is different compared to the local mode that I currently use. Also, if I want to deploy a locally switched network, the setting will impact the whole SSID, not only a few APs. My concern is that, the SSIDs broadcasted on the HO and BO will be the same. If I setup the locally switched FlexConnect for the SSID, is there any side effect for the APs that is on local mode?

Thank you.

[Mark Elsen]

            - There isn't , 

 M.

[Rasika Nayanajith]

" If I setup the locally switched FlexConnect for the SSID, is there any side effect for the APs that is on local mode?"
If you enable "FlexConnect Local Switch" on the SSID, that will only take effect on FlexConnect mode APs. No impact to the "Local" mode APs deployed in HQ

HTH
Rasika
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[Flavio Miranda · Accepted solution]

Hi @fdharmawan 

 What dictades the place where the traffic will be handed off is the SSID and not only the AP.  If you have an AP configured in Flexconnect mode but propagating a SSID (WLAN)  configured in Local Mode, the traffic will be sent back to WLC anyway.

 In order to the traffic be placed locally in the BO, you need the AP in flexconnect mode and the WLAN in flexconnect. As you mentioned, you want the same SSID to be propagated in both places, you can create two WLAN profile. One WLAN profile using Local mode and another WLAN profile using Flexconnect. Both with the same SSID.

The WLAN profile with Flexconnect you will propagate on the APs in BO and the WLAN profile with Local Mode you will propagate in the HO.

On the AP in flexconnect mode, on the Flexconnect Tab, you can Map the WLAN to VLAN in order to hand the traffic off on the BO local network.

Considering AirOS WLC, as you did not mention the WLC mode.

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

You should really have that branch's APs in a different AP group and have one WLAN which is centrally switched and another WLAN (with  a second instance of that SSID) which is locally switched.  The first AP group will have the centrally switched WLAN while the 2nd AP group (for the flexconnect APs at the new branch) will have the locally switched WLAN.  That way there is no confusion - each operates independently of the other.