Wireless Bridge (WGB Universal) and AP Management IP address

[vladyslaw]

Hello Community,

I'm trying to configure Cisco AIR-SAP3502I in WGB Universal mode.
I have successfully made this work for none-Cisco Wireless network area...

So my laptop is currently receiving the proper IP address from the main none-Cisco AP (Router w/ DHCP on it), but how can I configure this bridge (Cisco 3502 AP) to be accessible by some IP address in the same network for management purpose?

Here is a scheme:

           (Laptop)   ----  LAN ---- (Cisco-air-sap3502) -- < Wifi/2.4GHz >-- (none-Cisco-AP/Router)

host:172.17.17.11                     mgmt: 172.17.17.aaa                                    gw: 172.17.17.1

And some configs form aironet device:

Current configuration : 2626 bytes
!
version 15.3
no service pad
service timestamps debug datetime msec localtime
service timestamps log datetime localtime
no service password-encryption
service sequence-numbers
no service dhcp
!
hostname ap-bridge
!
!
no aaa new-model
no ip source-route
no ip cef
no ip domain lookup
ip domain name sky.local
!
dot11 syslog
!
dot11 ssid Wifi-SSID
authentication open
authentication key-management wpa version 2
guest-mode
wpa-psk ascii 7 ********

!
dot11 arp-cache
!
!

bridge irb
!
!
interface Dot11Radio0
no ip address
!
encryption mode ciphers aes-ccm
!
ssid Wifi-SSID
!
antenna gain 0
station-role workgroup-bridge universal <laptop mac address>
bridge-group 1
bridge-group 1 spanning-disabled
!

interface GigabitEthernet0
no ip address
duplex auto
speed auto
bridge-group 1
bridge-group 1 spanning-disabled
!
interface BVI1
no ip address
ipv6 address autoconfig
!
ip default-gateway 172.17.17.1
ip forward-protocol nd
ip http server
ip http authentication local
no ip http secure-server

bridge 1 protocol ieee
bridge 1 route ip
bridge 1 aging-time 120
!

[Scott Fella]

The Cisco AP as a WGB is not supported on non-Cisco AP's.  Now ifyou got this to work in the past, it might of been a hit or miss depending on the AP equipment used.  I have only gotten this to work on a Cisco AP to be honest.

The WGB associates to an AP on the network. An AP in WGB mode can associate only to an Aironet AP or bridge (in AP mode). The AP to which a WGB associates can treat the WGB as an infrastructure device or as a simple client device. By default, APs and bridges treat WGBs as client devices. For increased reliability, you can configure APs and bridges to treat WGBs, not as client devices, but as infrastructure devices, like APs or bridges. When these devices treat a WGB as an infrastructure device, the AP reliably delivers multicast packets, which include Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets, to the WGB. In order to configure APs and bridges to treat WGBs as infrastructure devices, perform one of these two options on your root AP:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/aironet-1200-series/68472-configure-wgb-00.html#anc4

-Scott

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[vladyslaw]

Thank you for your comment, Scott.

The quoted configuration is my current working scheme, the only way I can manage Cisco bridge is via Console Cable... That's the issue...

I've figured this is like a workaround for Cisco and none-Cisco devices coexistence in the Network... This is called "Universal WGB Mode", and it allows only one device (i.e. MAC address) to be associated via this AP/Bridge pair:

• Cisco IOS Configuration Guide

To allow the workgroup bridge to successfully associate and communicate with a non-Cisco access point, you can use the universal optional argument. A restriction of this mode is that only one wired client is supported.

I'm trying to find another "workaround" how to reach and manage this Cisco WGB device in such a circumstance. And moreover I'd like to utilize second radio there as Root AP mode.

[Scott Fella]

Yeah... That's been an issue in the past also. I'll dig around to see if I find anything. 

-Scott 

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[vladyslaw]

At last, here it is:

 http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/3200/software/wireless/3200WirelessConfigGuide/RolesAssociations.html

Universal Workgroup Bridge Considerations

...

• We recommend that a static IP address is configured on the BVI so the wireless device can be managed through the Ethernet interface connected through the Mobile IP tunnel.

This works for me, indeed.