WiFi design best practices

[aaron-saz]

Was wondering if someone could give a second set of eyes on some WiFi Design.

I’m at a location with multiple different switch stacks, each stack has a L3 IP scheme for ethernet, and a separate L3 IP Scheme for WiFi.  I wasn’t around during initial install and not really sure why it was done that way, but to me it just seems a bit messy.  I’m assuming this was all done as the company expanded with some lack of looking towards the future, and I’d like to clean it up. 

• The WLC controllers management interfaces are on Default Vlan1.  I’d like to get them off and on the assigned Control and management Vlan like the other network gear. 
• Each AP ( Config’d as DHCP Clients ) is connected to a stack, and the switchport is configured as an access port with the associated WiFi Vlan for that switch stack.  They AP's are the only devices on that subnet along with interfaces on the WLC’s

Please see attached scaled down example diagram.

Thanx

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

 Just saying what I have.

L3 only in Core switch. Access Switches only with L2 only. 

On the stacks, one vlan for voice, one vlan for data and one vlan for management. 

AP connected to the data vlan. As I use local mode so Client´s DHCP is provided through capwap tunnel coming from Data Center.

IP helper address on the Core´s interface Vlan pointing to my IPAM.

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

[Rasika Nayanajith]

Few points to clarify

1. Is it trunk link or L3 routed link between core & switch stack ?

2. APs are in Local mode or FlexConnect mode ?

Rasika

[aaron-saz]

1. Trunks between WLC and Core - Lag config'd
2. No FlexConnect

Thank you

[Rasika Nayanajith · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the clarification.

Unless you have very large number of APs, I will put APs also on vlan 11 (same as WLC & SW management vlan) .That would be the simplest solution.

Your wireless users will map to subnet/vlan on your core switches depend on how you configure an SSID and what interface is mapped to that. Since you use Local mode AP, your wireless user vlan is not required at those access switches. AP will tunnel all traffic using CAPWAP back to WLC

HTH

Rasika

*** Pls rate all useful responses ***

[aaron-saz]

Is there a reason you're going with the control and Management vlan and not plug into a port on the stack configured as an access port and use DHCP?

[Rasika Nayanajith]

if you have AP & WLC on same vlan, then AP will find WLC using subnet broadcast (any other wlc discovery methods like DHCP option 43, DNS methods required)

if control & mgt vlan not extended to Access switches, then it is ok to hava AP managment vlan on your access switches. Since vlan is span across both access switches, it is not required to have unique ap management vlan in each stack. You can have one vlan across both switch stacks.

HTH

Rasika

*** Pls rate all useful responses ***

[aaron-saz]

Thats one of the things that has me confused...  Right now the DHCP Server ( core switch ) doesn't have the option 43 in the pool and we don't have a ( that I know of ) a DNS Server here...   The AP's do have the "High Availability" tab configured though with the IP of the appropriate WLC..  Could that be how they're working now?   

[Rasika Nayanajith]

Yes, if AP configured with High Availability info, then AP will use that. If you plug a brandnew AP on to same vlan, it may not find your WLC IP address unless you configure DHCP option 43 , DNS resolving WLC mgt IP address.

HTH

Rasika

[aaron-saz]

thanx