is it possible to pre-register LWAP in Controller?

[Aldo.zavala@gmail.com]

Hi all, I know there is a well known process for controller discovery in the LWAP's.
My current method of choice is option 43.

Translating "CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER"...domain server (1.1.1.1)
*Mar  1 01:21:09.408: %CAPWAP-5-DHCP_OPTION_43: Controller address 192.168.9.1 obtained through DHCP (9.9.9.9)
*Jan 17 07:42:43.000: %CAPWAP-5-DTLSREQSEND: DTLS connection request sent peer_ip: 192.168.9.1 peer_port: 5246
*Jan 17 07:42:43.245: %CAPWAP-5-DTLSREQSUCC: DTLS connection created sucessfully peer_ip: 192.168.9.1 peer_port: 5246
*Jan 17 07:42:43.245: %CAPWAP-5-SENDJOIN: sending Join Request to 192.168.9.1
*Jan 17 07:42:43.978: %CAPWAP-5-JOINEDCONTROLLER: AP has joined controller C3850
*Jan 17 07:42:44.082: %CAPWAP-6-DATA_DTLS_START: Starting Data DTLS handshake. Wireless client traffic will be blocked until DTLS tunnel is established.
*Jan 17 07:42:44.154: Registering HW DTLS
DTLS keys are plumbed successfully. 
*Jan 17 07:42:44.167: %CAPWAP-6-DATA_DTLS_ESTABLISHED: Data DTLS tunnel established.

However I noticed that each reboot the AP goes to the entire process trying each method of discovery until it gets to option 43.  Is there a way to create a registration on the controller so next time the AP boots gets directly registered in the controller?

Note: I have an old Catalyst 3850, I know Converged Access 1.0 is dead but for now is all I have in my small lab.

Thanks!

[patoberli]

Not that I know of no. It's mainly to create a list of alternative WLC, in case the primary (last attached/configured) fails. 

[Leo Laohoo]

Yes, there is.  The AP can be hard-coded to be directed to the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary controller.  

Option 43 is just the best method of sending a large amount of APs to FIND a WLC without have to touch any one of them.  Once the AP joins the controller, configure the Primary, Secondary and/or Tertiary controller.  The next time the AP boots up, it will know exactly which controller to go to.

[patoberli]

But would that skip the DNS and DHCP discovery completely? I currently don't anymore have a test environment to check this. 

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

---

@patoberli wrote:

But would that skip the DNS and DHCP discovery completely?

---

No, it will ignore DNS and DHCP Option 43 completely, HOWEVER, if the AP cannot contact the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary controller, it will go back to the WLC discovery process.  Once the AP have exhausted the WLC discovery process, the AP will reboot and the process starts all over again.

[Arshad Safrulla · Accepted solution]

There are limitations with the AP's registered to Converged Access. For converged access Cisco recommends that both AP and the WLC are in the same broadcast domain. If I am correct option 43 is irrelevant in ME,EWC and converged access as the design dictates that both AP manager interface and AP management subnet has to be same.

Converged Access Deployment Guide - Converged Access: Enabling Wireless [Cisco IOS XE 16] - Cisco

[Aldo.zavala@gmail.com]

will find it out how to hard code it
Thanks!!!