Wireless CAPWAP Control Traffic

[Craddockc]

Hello,

I was wondering what the best practices were for handling the control traffic of the AP's and controller on the switched network. Is it best to set up a separate VLAN altogether for this traffic? I have a 5508 controller so the management interface is the AP Manager interface. Should I create a separate VLAN for this interface on my network, segmenting this traffic off? Currently it is riding on the management vlan. Thanks.

Chris.

[kcnajaf]

Hi Carddockc,

Ideally it is better to have a seperate AP Manager interface for the communication between AP and WLC rather than using managment interface for the same.

A controller may have one or more AP-manager interfaces, which are used for all Layer 3 communications between the controller and lightweight access points after the access points have joined the controller. The AP-manager IP address is used as the tunnel source for CAPWAP packets from the controller to the access point and as the destination for CAPWAP packets from the access point to the controller.

Also please be aware that if the access points are on a different subnetwork than the one used on the management interface, your network infrastructure must provide multicast routing between the management interface subnet, and the AP subnetwork.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Najaf

Please rate when applicable or helpful !!!

[George Stefanick]

I would tend to disagree. 5508 an wism2 no longer build ap mangers by default. You are fine riding both, especially if you are lag.

But you can break out a ap manger.

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[kcnajaf]

Hi George,

Sorry my mistake. I didnt realise Chris was refering specific to WLC 5508 here 😞

Regards

Najaf

[George Stefanick]

No worries .. There are still use cases where one might break out ap managers still .. But if you use lag it's a mute point .. Just my 2 cents

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[Craddockc]

George, Najaf,

So would it be a good idea to place the management interface in its own vlan then? It currently resides in the management vlan. Thanks.

Chris.

[George Stefanick · Accepted solution]

Yea just use a management vlan ..

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