H-REAP with 1142N - use standalone or LWAPP models

[richdepas]

Have a remote site with multiple 1142N standalone APs. Have to replace some old AP's and would like to standardize on the 1142N. Plan on using the 4400 WPS to control them with H-REAP rather than having them hang out there alone, but want the backup in case they lose connection to the corporate office. Wondering if I am better off purchasing the LWAPP models or continue with the stand alone?

[Leo Laohoo]

Wondering if I am better off purchasing the LWAPP models or continue with the stand alone?

Doesn't make any difference whatsoever.  The prices for LWAP or autonomous are the same plus you can convert from one to the other easily by using your thumb!

[Nicolas Darchis]

The price of the WLC is the difference.

However, I think you missed the fact that HREAP APs stay up when the WLC is down and can locally switch traffic like IOS APs do. So your HREAP APs can very well be enhanced standalone APs (with central configuration system + WLC unique features like band select etc ...)

Regards,

Nicolas

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[richdepas]

Nicolas - that is exactly my point...I want to leverage HREAP so the APs will be in stand alone mode if the WAN connection is lost to corporate. What I cant see in the documentation is if the stand alone models are required to do this or if the LWAPPs have some mechanism to work in a stand alone mode when the connection to the WLC is lost. Sounds like the stand alone models are the way to go. Not really andy price difference and they for sure will work in stand alone mode when connection to the WLC is lost.

[Nicolas Darchis]

Hi Richard,

I think you missed a point actually ... HREAP is a mode you can put the LWAPP/CAPWAP aps in. In that mode, they are configured and managed by the controller but can act like IOS APs (when controller is down or all the time).

So LWAPP ap configured in hreap mode are the way to go. They behave like IOS APs (can survive when WLC is down) but they also enjoy of features when WLC is up that IOS APs don't have and their configuration is centralized.

So if you have the ability, just go lwapp.

I hope it clarifies

Nicolas

[richdepas]

Thank you for the clarification. You confirmed my thought about the LWAPP acting as a stand alone when not connected to the WLC. I did not realize there were added benefits to them over the stand alone models though. I assumed the stand alone would carry all features and have the ability to act like a LWAPP when controlled by a WLC.

We currently have (3) 1142N APs at that site and will be adding (3) more. Do you see any issue with and mixed architecture if we place three 1142N LWAPPs in there now and control them all with the WLC in HREAP mode?

Also - know I saw the 1142N supports HREAP, but having trouble confirming that. Can you confirm?

[Nicolas Darchis]

I confirm yes.

The IOS APs cannot join a controller or anything like that.

LWAPP APs are basically still running IOS behind but have the added intelligence to talk to controllers and cannot be directly configured, you configure them through the WLC which is the perfect way to have everythign synchronized. Moreover, WLC brings added features (centralized roaming, authetnication with external user databases is easier since WLC is single point of contact, ...).

Mixed architecture is not a heresy if you take the following drawbacks in consideration :

-No roaming handovers between IOS APs (which send a broadcast IAPP announcement for roaming) and LWAPP APs (who use the WLC to know which client roams from where to where).

-The automatic Radio Management algortihm on WLC that controls channels and power for optimal configuration cannot take into account the IOS APs as it doesnt' control them.

So, for a migration plan, having both side by side can be ok. But in the long term, I see no reason on earth to want to keep IOS APs if you have a WLC and lwapp aps there.

Nicolas

[richdepas]

Seriously?? An IOs stand alone AP cannot be controlled by a WLC? I understood that it could be controlled or work on its own.

Will the 1142N LWAPP support HREAP?

[Nicolas Darchis]

I confirm 100% that lwapp 1140 does support hreap mode and I confirm 100% that an IOS AP cannot be controller by a WLC.

The "control" is really from a configuration perspective. It would not be very consistant to allow local modifications on an AP but also central from the controller. this is why LWAPP aps cannot be configured separately but have to be configured through the WLC. However HREAP lwapp APs can continue operations when WLC is down (but not get a new config when WLC is down for example).

I hope this clarifies the original mystery :-P

[richdepas]

Thank you - it really does help. Of course, it looks like I will have three 1142N IOS APs at that site that will not be able to be connected to the WLC and be operating as standalone. Not really what my long term goal was. I was thinking they could be convereted to act as a LAP when put into a 'controller' mode. That is the way Motorola APs (certain models) work and the environment that I came from.

Thanks again.

[Nicolas Darchis · Accepted solution]

Wait, they can be CONVERTED to work with the controller. You just "upgrade" the IOS to an lwapp image and boom it joins a controller. But what I said is that you can have the IOS AP as it is, work with a controller. You need to make it lwapp first, which is just a different IOS image running on it. (if you check in the cisco.com download section, you will see "IOS software" and "IOS to lwapp ugprade image").

So answer your question to leolahoo, you just upgrade the IOS to the "ios to lwapp ugprade image".

command is "archive download-sw /f /o tftp://" just like when you put a new IOS on it.

Nicolas

[richdepas]

Nicolas - Thank you again. This is exactly what I was looking for. Now I feel great about this project. I can change the image on the existing 1142N's and add in the new units and have them all controlled by the WLC.

[Nicolas Darchis]

It can be hard to explain something you're familiar with to someone who's not familiar because you tend to make assumptions. Security people do that to me when I ask about firewalls :-)

I'm glad we clarified everything

[richdepas]

leolaohoo - Nicolas confirmed the stand alone models cannot be used like LAP models. You say they can be converted with a thumb... Do you know some trick? I would like to get in on that one because I have three stand alone 1142N APs that I would like to operate in LAP mode.

[Nicolas Darchis]

And it can work the opposite way as well by the way. Once the AP is lwapp, you could put again an IOS image on it and it becomes standalone again.