SAPs and CAPs using same SSID

[Dean Romanelli]

Hi All,

I have a location with a WLC and 5 CAP's using a certain SSID.  I have 2 SAPs I want to roll out to expand coverage. Can I use the same SSID for SAPs and CAPs on the same subnet?

Thanks.

[Leo Laohoo]

The autonomous APs can't be converted to controller-based AP?

[Dean Romanelli]

Hi All,

Thank you for your answers.

So it is a bit of a weird setup, otherwise yes, I would certainly convert them.  There is currently a Ruckus WLC and Ruckus AP's set up in a unified fashion, spread across 7 sites. However, there is only funding at this time to replace the head office units, and they can only afford the AP's due to the sheer amount we need to order; No budget for a Cisco WLC that can support a wifi environment that size.

So the eventual idea is to convert to SAP at all 7 sites, but since I can't fund that conversion at the other 6 sites yet, my only option is to keep the Ruckus WLC at the head office to power the Ruckus CAP's at the remote offices, and roll out Cisco SAP's at the head office to replace the existing Ruckus CAP's as "phase 1" of the conversion.

So ideally, to avoid changing all the stations wifi connections, I was hoping to use the same SSID/PSK/ENCR and vlan/subnet on the SAP as the Ruckus units used.

[Dean Romanelli]

Let me ask you this: Does a WLC itself broadcast SSID's in addition to the CAP units? Or is the broadcast only done via the Controller-based Access Points?

Thanks.

[y.graziano · Accepted solution]

hi Dean, 

i think i didn't get your last question.

Does a WLC itself broadcast SSID's in addition to the CAP units?

Cisco WLC itself has no RF module, you use the controller to push configuration when lightweight APs connected it. so the broadcast is done at the AP level.

you can definitely use SAPs with the same details configured already on the Ruckus APs, at the end the client need to see the same SSID and the same encryption to be able to connect the the network without interaction from the end user.

what type of SAPs do you have and how many ?

[Dean Romanelli]

Ok, cool. That is what I thought.  So if I remove the Ruckus AP's but not the Controller, it shouldn't matter if I use the same SSID on the SAP's because the SAP's wouldn't know anything about the Ruckus Controller's wifi SSID's since the Ruckus AP's would be taken down.

They are Cisco 1702's.

[y.graziano]

Hi, 

you need to take some topics into your consideration if you want to do this, for ex mobility and roaming will be the first thing to be effected from this kind of setup. Autonomous AP and WLC based APs don't share the same RF domain and parameters, so RRM won't work perfectly if there is a RF cell overlap between those 2 types of APs.

long story short avoid it if you can, and convert the SAP to CAP and make them join the controller.