WLC2106 + LAP1131AG configuration help request

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Greetings Everyone.

One of my customers asked me to configure a WLC 2106 and 2 LAP 1131AG (lightweight) for corporate/guest Wifi.

Basicly they want to implement a good wifi connection for internal use and a guest one with different QoS. The two lans

should both have dhcp but they must bet kept segregated so that none from the Guest wifi can access corporate resources.

Since i've never configured a WLC from scrath i lightly supposed it would be quite straigh forward as routers and switches from Cisco.

Unfortunately i was totally wrong.

I've downloaded the "Cisco Wireless LAN ControllerConfiguration Guide" (Soft.Release 6.0 June 2009) and after i red it i made up this workflow

for the configurations:

1) Configure Controller: (via serial)

     -     Set Management Interface parameters (IP- SM - Def GW - Dhcp server IP)

     -     Set Ap-Manager Interface  parameters

     -     Virtual Interface parameters

     -     Set Admin Credentials

     -     Dhcp Configuration (internal and/or external)

2) Ap registration on the controller

     -     Configure vlan with dhcp request redirection to the dhcp server

3) Configure Wlan following customer's requests.

     -     Configure Wlan Auth for Corporate/Guest Wifi

     -     Configure QoS for both Wlans

Unfortunately i'm experiencing issue while trying joining the AP to the WLC.

It appers that the IT guy of my customer tried to configure one of the Ap.

In that Ap's flash i find files referring to a "mesh" configuration like:

mesh_cfg.txt - mesh_port_cfg.txt

which are not present on the other Ap.

I've tried to register both the Ap using:

1) Internal DHCP

2) External DHCP (microsoft W2k8 R2) 

3) External DHCP (non cisco router)

But as a matter of fact they got the ip from dhcp but they don't show up in the WLC GUI.

So, resuming my issues sounds like:

1) Can't make Ap join the WLC

2) There are configuratin file on one Ap that i can't clear

3) DHCP configuration is probably wrong.

Since i'm quite lost, i'm ready to learn from anyone who could spare some time helping me out.

Thank you in advance!

Regards

Alessio

P.S.

Ap version is the following:

Cisco IOS Software, C1130 Software (C1130-K9W8-M), Version 12.4(21a)JHB1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Copyright (c) 1986-2010 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Wed 11-Aug-10 15:39 by prod_rel_team

ROM: Bootstrap program is C1130 boot loader

BOOTLDR: C1130 Boot Loader (C1130-BOOT-M) Version 12.3(8)JEA, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)

[Stephen Rodriguez]

how are you informing the AP of the WLC management iP address deco option 43 or DNS?

As for the mesh config files they shouldn't be a worry. Once the ap joins the WLC it will correct itself.

Steve

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Hello Stephen and thank you for your reply.

1) I've tried to inform the AP of the WLC ip address via internal DHCP and using a W2k8 R2 machine with Dns and Dhcp (but no option 43) in both cases no results.

2) Ok, i'll stop worrying about the mesh files!

Thanks!

[Scott Fella]

You can always reset the ap.  Power down the ap and then hold the mode button and power the ap back on.  Hold it for 10-15 seconds and then let go of the mode button.  Console into the ap also so you can see what the log shows.

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Hello Scott and thank you for your reply.

I'll reset the "used" Ap and see what happens, i'll keep you posted about.

Thanks!

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Good Day Everyone.

After a long fight, the insights of Stephen and Scott  and:

https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-13960  and

https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2003153

I finally managed to wipe the old configuration and to configure a LAP 1131 attached to one of the POE of the controller.

After having configured a Wlan and having set the correct DHCP redirection i'm able to connect and get an ip! (WHOA!)

I've had to set a manual ip address on the AP (let's call AP1 from now on) and to manually point it to the controller.

I was thinking about using this configuration at the customer's site getting ips from the internal DHCP and thus letting employees using the internal resources of the company.

With the same idea, i started to configure the second AP (AP2 from now on).

So i set up a dynamic interface, always on physical port 1 of the controller, gave it an ip address on another class.

Got into the antenna via console and set an ip accordingly.
I expected the controller and the antenna to communicate immediately as the AP1 did before BUT:

LWAPP_CLIENT_ERROR_DEBUG: spamHandleJoinTimer: Did not recieve the Join response

LWAPP_CLIENT_ERROR_DEBUG: No more AP manager IP addresses remain.

%SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested by LWAPP CLIENT. Reload Reason: DID NOT GET JOIN RESPONSE.

%LWAPP-5-CHANGED: LWAPP changed state to DOWNXmodem file system is available.

And keep reloading itself on, and on, and guess? Yes, on.

I'm sure i took a wrong step somewhere, could someone be so kind to enlighten me about it?

Thanks in advance!

Alessio

[Scott Fella]

The easiest way is to place the ap in the same subnet as the management & ap manager interface.  Once the ap joins, then you can move that ap to a different subnet if you wish.  This is how I pretty much stage all my installs.

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Scott,

I've tried the solution you provided me, but unfortunately with no results.

I've set the AP2 in the same subnet of the management, ap-management and AP1 (192.168.10.x/24)

AP2 joins the controller and broadcast SSID and IP correctly thanks to the fixed ip i assign it.

But when i change the AP2 ip and controller ip from console and set it in another class (10.0.0.x/24) it suddenly

stop showing up in the controller GUI and "get lost" probably due to the fact that is not in the ap-manager subnet anymore.

How do you move AP in different subnets having them mantaining a relationship with the controller?

Thanks!

Alessio

[Stephen Rodriguez]

you should only have to change the IP of the AP, not the controller IP.  So let the AP join the WLC in the 192.168.10 subnet, then go into the GUI and change the IP address for it there.

THen move it to the correct port on the switch.  It should join once it boots up.

Steve

[alessio.marcheggiani]

Stephen,

The APs are directly connected to the controller.

When i change the IP from the GUI the AP simply disappear and start sending request to the AP-manager interface which is on another subnet. Any hints?

OT: i ran in another problem today, i put both the APs on the same subnet using the POE ports of the Controller. They barely turn on, but the Radio Interfaces of both AP remain disabled. If this is the normal behaviour i wonder what's the use of POE ports on the Controller...

Thanks!

Alessio

[Stephen Rodriguez]

ahh, ok.  So if the AP is directly connected to the WLC, you need to have the AP in the same subnet as the ap-manger interface.

While you can put the AP directly into the ports on the back of the WLC, it's not a good idea. If you have ports on the LAN you coudl connect them to, then they can be on any subnet.  Take a look at the doc below.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-11760

Steve

[Scott Fella]

If the ap is connected to the 2106, you need to have the ap in the same subnet as the management interface. The WLC is not a switch.  Like Steve mentioned, you shouldn't really connect the AP to the WLC.