Wireless Controller and AP config

[eherlex]

Hi.

I'm new to the this type of work and i need help.
I have to configure a Cisco 5508 WLC and a Cisco ap air-lap1142n e k9 access point, and i can't find any usable information about how to do it.

I have difficulties to understand how to connect the wlc and the ap, how to config the ap properly. And a reassuring would be nice about the proper wiring of the config. (WLC service port to my pc, console cable (with usb adapter) to my pc, AP to power injector, power injector to a TP-Link switch, switch to wlc gigabit port1)

Thank you for any help you can give. 

[Mark Elsen]

 - Basically the ap only needs to find the controller, usually done with using DHCP option 43 on the dhcp server, controller-based AP's get all their configuration information from the controller afterwards. More fundamentally , you are using very old equipment, both controller and ap. There may be compatibility and code difficulties , concerning expired certificates on the AP. Before doing all the work, consider using a modern controller + ap.

 M.

[eherlex]

It is a University task, so i can't change my equipment, and i dont have access to newer ones but it is worked before, so it should work now i guess. Thank you for your help by the way, i will try it.

[Scott Fella]

There are so many documents, blogs and videos on the basics. Just review a few of them to get a better understanding, you will have to do that in order to understand how this works and functions.

https://www.networkstraining.com/cisco-wireless-lan-controller-configuration/ <>

[Rich R]

Add further to @Mark Elsen's comments - because you're using such very old hardware you're almost guaranteed to run into problems with expired certificates so you'll need to read https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless-mobility-documents/lightweight-ap-fail-to-create-capwap-lwapp-connection-due-to/ta-p/3155111 and the field notice it refers to.  You'll need to make sure you're running a version of code with the workaround/fix and configure the workaround.  If the MICs have already expired you'll have to disable NTP and set date to before the cert expiry dates to get it working before you can even configure the workaround.  You should highlight to your employer that this hardware is end of life and may be subject to multiple security vulnerabilties (in other words it is a security risk to the organisation and users) but hackers will love you for making their life easy to steal user data 🙂

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/obsolete/wireless/cisco-aironet-1140-series.html

End-of-Support Date: 2018-09-30

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/5500-series-wireless-controllers/eos-eol-notice-c51-740221.html

End of Vulnerability/Security Support HW: The last date that Cisco Engineering may release a planned maintenance release or scheduled software remedy for a security vulnerability issue. July 31, 2021

[eherlex]

Thanks for your comment. It's a university task, i don't have a choice of equipment, i need to work with what i've got, so the hackers will be the sys admin's concern. This exact ap and wlc worked together before. They reset them and gave them to me. So if the clocks are after the end of support date, the wlc and the ap just refuse to work? Neither of them are connected to the internet.

[Rich R]

So if the clocks are after the end of support date, the wlc and the ap just refuse to work? NO (not with these anyway)!

End of support means no updated software, documentation, bug fixes, security fixes and no support for modern WiFi standards.

So if the clocks are after the certificate expiry dates the wlc and the ap just refuse to work - unless you implement the workarounds for that which is a combination of software update, config and changing the date/time - all done in the right order.  Certain combinations of hardware and software will only continue to work by keeping the clock at a pre-cert expiry date because the fix didn't apply to them because they were already out of software maintenance support at the time of the fix.