Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3: Americas Headquarters

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.
3
First Published: 2016-07-29
Last Modified: 2016-10-27
Americas Headquarters
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2016
Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
Preface
Preface liii
Audience liii
Conventions liii
Related Documentation liv
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request liv
PART I
CHAPTER 1
Overview 1
Cisco Wireless Solution Overview 3

Introduction 3
Cisco Wireless Controllers 4
Client Location 4
Cisco WLC Platforms 4
Cisco Wireless Solution WLANs 5
CHAPTER 2
Initial Setup 7
Cisco WLAN Express for Cisco Wireless Controllers 7
Overview of Cisco WLAN Express 7
Restrictions on Cisco WLAN Express 10
Setting up Cisco Wireless Controller using Cisco WLAN Express (Wired Method) 10
RF Profile Configurations 12
Setting up Cisco Wireless Controller using Cisco WLAN Express (Wireless Method) 12
Default Configurations 12
Configuring the Controller Using the Configuration Wizard 14
Configuring the Controller (GUI) 14
Configuring the ControllerUsing the CLI Configuration Wizard 24
Using the AutoInstall Feature for Controllers Without a Configuration 27
Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

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Information About the AutoInstall Feature 27

Restrictions on AutoInstall 27
Obtaining an IP Address Through DHCP and Downloading a Configuration File
from a TFTP Server 28
Selecting a Configuration File 29
Example: AutoInstall Operation 30
Managing the Controller System Date and Time 30
Information About Controller System Date and Time 30
Restrictions on Configuring the Cisco WLC Date and Time 31
Configuring the Date and Time (GUI) 31
Configuring the Date and Time (CLI) 32
Management of Cisco WLC 35
PART II
CHAPTER 3
Administration of Cisco WLC 37

HTTP/HTTPS, SSH/Telnet to Cisco WLC 37
Using the Controller GUI 37
Guidelines and Limitations 37
Logging On to the GUI 38
Logging out of the GUI 38
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes 38
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes (GUI) 39
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes (CLI) 39
Using the Controller CLI 40
Logging on to the Controller CLI 41
Using a Local Serial Connection 41
Using a Remote Ethernet Connection 42
Logging Out of the CLI 43
Navigating the CLI 43
Telnet and Secure Shell Sessions 44
Information About Telnet and SSH 44
Restrictions for Telnet and SSH 44
Configuring Telnet and SSH Sessions (GUI) 44
Configuring Telnet and SSH Sessions (CLI) 45

iv
Contents
Configuring Telnet Privileges for Selected Management Users (GUI) 47

Configuring Telnet Privileges for Selected Management Users (CLI) 47
Management over Wireless 48
Information About Management over Wireless 48
Enabling Management over Wireless (GUI) 48
Enabling Management over Wireless (CLI) 48
Management by Dynamic Interface 49
Information About Using Dynamic Interfaces for Management 49
Configuring Management using Dynamic Interfaces (CLI) 49
CHAPTER 4
Managing Licenses 51
Installing and Configuring Licenses 51
Information About Installing and Configuring Licenses 51
Restrictions for Using Licenses 52
Obtaining an Upgrade or Capacity Adder License 52
Information About Obtaining an Upgrade or Capacity Adder License 52
Obtaining and Registering a PAK Certificate 53
Installing a License 54
Installing a License (GUI) 54
Installing a License (CLI) 55
Viewing Licenses 55
Viewing Licenses (GUI) 55
Viewing Licenses (CLI) 56
Configuring the Maximum Number of Access Points Supported 59
Configuring Maximum Number of Access Points to be Supported (GUI) 59
Configuring Maximum Number of Access Points to be Supported (CLI) 59
Troubleshooting Licensing Issues 59
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License 60
Information About Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License 60
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License (GUI) 60
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License (CLI) 61
Configuring Right to Use Licensing 62
Information About Right to Use Licensing 62
Configuring Right to Use Licensing (GUI) 63
Configuring Right to Use Licensing (CLI) 63

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Rehosting Licenses 64
Information About Rehosting Licenses 64
Rehosting a License 65
Rehosting a License (GUI) 65
Rehosting a License (CLI) 66
Transferring Licenses to a Replacement Controller after an RMA 67
Information About Transferring Licenses to a Replacement Controller after an
RMA 67
Transferring a License to a Replacement Controller after an RMA 68
Cisco Smart Software Licensing 68
Information About Smart Licensing 68
Restrictions for Using Cisco Smart Software Licensing 69
Configuring Cisco Smart Software Licensing (GUI) 69
Configuring the Cisco Smart Software Licensing on WLC (CLI) 70
Call-Home 71
Information About Call-Home 71
Configuring Call-Home (GUI) 71
Configuring Call-Home Parameters (CLI) 72
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on WLCs and APs 73
Information About Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access
Points 73
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access Points (GUI) 74
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access Points (CLI) 74
CHAPTER 5
Managing Software 75
Upgrading the Controller Software 75
Restrictions for Upgrading Controller Software 75
Upgrading Controller Software (GUI) 78
Upgrading Controller Software (CLI) 80
Predownloading an Image to an Access Point 82
Access Point Predownload Process 83
Restrictions for Predownloading an Image to an Access Point 84
Predownloading an Image to Access PointsGlobal Configuration (GUI) 85
Predownloading an Image to Access Points (CLI) 87

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CHAPTER 6
Managing Configuration 91
Resetting the Cisco WLC to Default Settings 91
Information About Resetting the Controller to Default Settings 91
Resetting the Controller to Default Settings (GUI) 92
Resetting the Controller to Default Settings (CLI) 92
Saving Configurations 92
Editing Configuration Files 93
Clearing the Controller Configuration 94
Erasing the Controller Configuration 94
Resetting the Controller 94
Transferring Files to and from a Controller 95
Backing Up and Restoring Cisco WLC Configuration 95
Uploading Configuration Files 96
Uploading the Configuration Files (GUI) 96
Uploading the Configuration Files (CLI) 96
Downloading Configuration Files 97
Downloading the Configuration Files (GUI) 98
Downloading the Configuration Files (CLI) 98
Downloading a Login Banner File 100
Downloading a Login Banner File (GUI) 101
Downloading a Login Banner File (CLI) 101
Clearing the Login Banner (GUI) 102
Uploading PACs 103
Uploading PACs (GUI) 103
Uploading PACs (CLI) 104
CHAPTER 7
Network Time Protocol Setup 105

Information About Configuring Authentication for the Controller and NTP/SNTP Server 105
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (GUI) 105
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (CLI) 106
Configuring an NTP/SNTP Server to Obtain the Date and Time 106
CHAPTER 8
High Availability 107

Information About High Availability 107

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Restrictions on High Availability 111

Configuring High Availability (GUI) 115
Configuring High Availability (CLI) 116
Monitoring High Availability Standby WLC 118
CHAPTER 9
Managing Certificates 121

Loading an Externally Generated SSL Certificate 121
Information About Externally Generated SSL Certificates 121
Loading an SSL Certificate (GUI) 122
Loading an SSL Certificate (CLI) 123
Downloading Device Certificates 124
Downloading Device Certificates (GUI) 124
Downloading Device Certificates (CLI) 125
Uploading Device Certificates 126
Uploading Device Certificates (GUI) 126
Uploading Device Certificates (CLI) 127
Downloading CA Certificates 128
Download CA Certificates (GUI) 128
Downloading CA Certificates (CLI) 129
Uploading CA Certificates 130
Uploading CA Certificates (GUI) 130
Uploading CA Certificates (CLI) 131
Generating a Certificate Signing Request 131
Downloading Third-Party Certificate (GUI) 133
Downloading Third-Party Certificate (CLI) 134
CHAPTER 10
AAA Administration 135

Setting up RADIUS 135
Information About RADIUS 135
Restrictions on Configuring RADIUS 136
Configuring RADIUS on the ACS 137
Configuring RADIUS (GUI) 138
Configuring RADIUS (CLI) 143
RADIUS Authentication Attributes Sent by the Controller 148
Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Airespace) 150

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RADIUS Accounting Attributes 158

Setting up TACACS+ 160
Information About TACACS+ 160
TACACS+ VSA 162
Configuring TACACS+ on the ACS 163
Configuring TACACS+ (GUI) 165
Configuring TACACS+ (CLI) 167
Viewing the TACACS+ Administration Server Logs 169
CHAPTER 11
Managing Users 171

Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords 171
Information About Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords 171
Configuring Usernames and Passwords (GUI) 171
Configuring Usernames and Passwords (CLI) 172
Restoring Passwords 172
Configuring Guest User Accounts 173
Information About Creating Guest Accounts 173
Restrictions on Managing User Accounts 173
Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account 173
Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account (GUI) 173
Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account (CLI) 174
Creating Guest User Accounts as a Lobby Ambassador (GUI) 174
Viewing Guest User Accounts 175
Viewing the Guest Accounts (GUI) 175
Viewing the Guest Accounts (CLI) 175
Password Policies 176
Information About Password Policies 176
Configuring Password Policies (GUI) 176
Configuring Password Policies (CLI) 176
CHAPTER 12
Ports and Interfaces 179

Ports 179
Information About Ports 179
Information About Distribution System Ports 180
Restrictions for Configuring Distribution System Ports 180

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Contents
Information About Service Port 181

Configuring Ports (GUI) 182
Link Aggregation 183
Information About Link Aggregation 183
Restrictions for Link Aggregation 183
Configuring Link Aggregation (GUI) 185
Configuring Link Aggregation (CLI) 186
Configuring Link Aggregation for Cisco 1850 Series APs (CLI) 186
Verifying Link Aggregation Settings (CLI) 187
Configuring Neighbor Devices to Support Link Aggregation 187
Choosing Between Link Aggregation and Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces 187
Interfaces 188
Information About Interfaces 188
Restrictions for Configuring Interfaces 189
Information About Dynamic AP Management 189
Information About WLANs 190
Management Interface 191
Information About the Management Interface 191
Configuring the Management Interface (GUI) 193
Configuring the Management Interface (CLI) 194
Virtual Interface 196
Information About the Virtual Interface 196
Configuring Virtual Interfaces (GUI) 197
Configuring Virtual Interfaces (CLI) 197
Service-Port Interfaces 198
Information About Service-Port Interfaces 198
Restrictions for Configuring Service-Port Interfaces 198
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv4 (GUI) 198
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv4 (CLI) 199
Configuring Service-Port Interface Using IPv6 (GUI) 199
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv6 (CLI) 200
Dynamic Interfaces 201
Information About Dynamic Interface 201
Prerequisites for Configuring Dynamic Interfaces 201
Restrictions for Configuring Dynamic Interfaces 202

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Configuring Dynamic Interfaces (GUI) 202

Configuring Dynamic Interfaces (CLI) 203
AP-Manager Interface 205
Information About AP-Manager Interface 205
Restrictions for Configuring AP Manager Interface 205
Configuring the AP-Manager Interface (GUI) 206
Configuring the AP Manager Interface (CLI) 207
Configuration Example: Configuring AP-Manager on a Cisco 5500 Series
Controller 207
Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces 209
Information About Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces 209
Restrictions on Configuring Multiple AP Manager Interfaces 209
Creating Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces (GUI) 210
Creating Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces (CLI) 210
Interface Groups 211
Information About Interface Groups 211
Restrictions on Configuring Interface Groups 211
Creating Interface Groups (GUI) 212
Creating Interface Groups (CLI) 212
Adding Interfaces to Interface Groups (GUI) 212
Adding Interfaces to Interface Groups (CLI) 213
Viewing VLANs in Interface Groups (CLI) 213
Adding an Interface Group to a WLAN (GUI) 213
Adding an Interface Group to a WLAN (CLI) 213
Cisco Discovery Protocol 213
Information About Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 213
Restrictions for Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 214
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 215
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (GUI) 215
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CLI) 216
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information 217
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (GUI) 217
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (CLI) 219
Getting CDP Debug Information 220

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CHAPTER 13
IPv6 221
Prerequisites for Configuring IPv6 Mobility 221
Restrictions for Configuring IPv6 Mobility 221
Information About IPv6 Mobility 222
Configuring IPv6 Globally 223
Configuring IPv6 Globally (GUI) 223
Configuring IPv6 Globally (CLI) 223
Configuring RA Guard for IPv6 Clients 223
Information About RA Guard 223
Configuring RA Guard (GUI) 224
Configuring RA Guard (CLI) 224
Configuring RA Throttling for IPv6 Clients 224
Information about RA Throttling 224
Configuring RA Throttling (GUI) 224
Configuring the RA Throttle Policy (CLI) 225
CHAPTER 14
Access Control Lists 227

Information About Access Control Lists 227
Restrictions on Access Control Lists 228
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (GUI) 229
Configuring Access Control Lists 229
Applying an Access Control List to an Interface 231
Applying an Access Control List to the Controller CPU 231
Applying an Access Control List to a WLAN 232
Applying a Preauthentication Access Control List to a WLAN 232
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (CLI) 233
Configuring Access Control Lists 233
Applying Access Control Lists 233
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists 234
Information About Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists 234
Restrictions for Layer 2 Access Control Lists 235
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists (CLI) 236
Mapping of Layer 2 ACLs with WLANs (CLI) 236

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Mapping of Layer 2 ACLs with Locally Switched WLANs Using FlexConnect Access
Points (CLI) 236
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists (GUI) 237
Applying a Layer2 Access Control List to a WLAN (GUI) 238
Applying a Layer2 Access Control List to an AP on a WLAN (GUI) 238
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists 239
Information About DNS-based Access Control Lists 239
Restrictions on DNS-based Access Control Lists 239
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists (CLI) 239
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists (GUI) 241
Configuring URL Filtering 241
Information About URL Filtering 241
Restrictions for URL Filtering 242
Configuring URL Filtering (GUI) 243
Configuring Access Control Lists (GUI) 243
Configuring an URL ACL List (GUI) 243
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List Globally (GUI) 244
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List to an Interface (GUI) 244
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List for a WLAN (GUI) 245
Mapping the policy to a WLAN (GUI) 245
To delete a Policy-Mapping in a WLAN (GUI) 245
Mapping the policy to an AP Group (GUI) 246
Configuring URL Filtering (CLI) 246
Configuring URL Filtering (CLI) 246
Configuring Access Control List Rules (CLI) 247
Applying Local Policy (CLI) 247
Viewing URL Filtering (CLI) 247
Troubleshooting URL Filtering (CLI) 248
CHAPTER 15
Multicast/Broadcast Setup 249

Configuring Multicast Mode 249
Information About Multicast/Broadcast Mode 249
Restrictions on Configuring Multicast Mode 251
Enabling Multicast Mode (GUI) 253
Enabling Multicast Mode (CLI) 254

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Viewing Multicast Groups (GUI) 255

Viewing Multicast Groups (CLI) 255
Viewing an Access Points Multicast Client Table (CLI) 256
Mediastream 256
Information about VideoStream 256
Prerequisites for VideoStream 257
Restrictions for Configuring VideoStream 257
Configuring VideoStream (GUI) 257
Configuring VideoStream (CLI) 260
Viewing and Debugging Media Streams 262
Configuring Multicast Domain Name System 262
Information About Multicast Domain Name System 262
Restrictions for Configuring Multicast DNS 264
Configuring Multicast DNS (GUI) 265
Configuring Multicast DNS (CLI) 266
Information about Bonjour gateway based on access policy 269
Restrictions to the Bonjour gateway based on access policy 270
Creating Bonjour Access Policy through Prime Infrastructure 271
Configuring mDNS Service Groups (GUI) 271
Configuring mDNS Service Groups (CLI) 272
CHAPTER 16
Cisco WLC Security 273

FIPS, CC, and UCAPL 273
Information About FIPS 273
FIPS Self-Tests 274
Information About CC 274
Information About UCAPL 275
Configuring FIPS (CLI) 275
Configuring CC (CLI) 275
Configuring UCAPL (CLI) 276
Cisco TrustSec 276
SXP 276
Information About SXP 276
Restrictions for SXP 277
Configuring SXPv2 on Wireless Controller (GUI) 278

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Creating a New SXP Connection (GUI) 279

Configuring SXPv2 on Wireless Controller (CLI) 279
PART III
CHAPTER 17
Mobility Groups 281
Overview 283
Information About Mobility 283
CHAPTER 18
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility 289

Information About Auto-Anchor Mobility 289
Restrictions on Auto-Anchor Mobility 290
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility (GUI) 291
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility (CLI) 291
Guest Anchor Priority 293
Configuring Guest Anchor Priority (GUI) 295
Configuring Guest Anchor Priority (CLI) 295
CHAPTER 19
Mobility Groups 297

Information About Mobility 297
Information About Mobility Groups 301
Messaging Among Mobility Groups 304
Using Mobility Groups with NAT Devices 305
Rogue Detection Behavior in Mobility Groups 305
Prerequisites for Configuring Mobility Groups 306
Configuring Mobility Groups (GUI) 308
Configuring Mobility Groups (CLI) 309
CHAPTER 20
Configuring New Mobility 311

Information About New Mobility 311
Restrictions for New Mobility 311
Configuring New Mobility (GUI) 312
Configuring New Mobility (CLI) 313
CHAPTER 21
Monitoring and Validating Mobility 315

Running Mobility Ping Tests 315

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Information About Mobility Ping Tests 315

Running Mobility Ping Tests (CLI) 316
Information About WLAN Mobility Security Values 316
Wireless 319
PART IV
CHAPTER 22
Country Codes 321

Information About Configuring Country Codes 321
Restrictions on Configuring Country Codes 322
Configuring Country Codes (GUI) 322
Configuring Country Codes (CLI) 323
CHAPTER 23
Radio Bands 325

Modulations and Data Rates 325
802.11 Bands 325
Information About Configuring 802.11 Bands 325
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (GUI) 325
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (CLI) 327
802.11n Parameters 329
Information About Configuring the 802.11n Parameters 329
Configuring the 802.11n Parameters (GUI) 329
Configuring the 802.11n Parameters (CLI) 330
802.11ac 332
Information About Configuring the 802.11ac Parameters 332
Restrictions for 802.11ac Support 334
Configuring the 802.11ac High-Throughput Parameters (GUI) 335
Configuring MU-MIMO (GUI) 335
Configuring the 802.11ac High-Throughput Parameters (CLI) 335
Configuring MU-MIMO (CLI) 335
CHAPTER 24
Radio Resource Management 337

Radio Resource Management 337
Information About Radio Resource Management 337
Radio Resource Monitoring 338

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Contents
Benefits of RRM 338

Information About Configuring RRM 338
Restrictions for Configuring RRM 339
Configuring RRM (CLI) 339
Viewing RRM Settings (CLI) 343
Debug RRM Issues (CLI) 344
RF Groups 344
Information About RF Groups 344
RF Group Leader 345
RF Group Name 346
Controllers and APs in RF Groups 346
Configuring RF Groups 347
Configuring an RF Group Name (GUI) 347
Configuring an RF Group Name (CLI) 347
Configuring the RF Group Mode (GUI) 348
Configuring the RF Group Mode (CLI) 349
Viewing the RF Group Status 349
Viewing the RF Group Status (GUI) 349
Viewing the RF Group Status (CLI) 350
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups 350
Information About Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups 350
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups 351
Enabling Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups (GUI) 351
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups (CLI) 351
Off-Channel Scanning and Neighbor Discovery 352
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer 352
Information About Off-Channel Scanning Defer 352
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for WLANs 353
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (GUI) 353
Configuring Off Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (CLI) 353
Configuring Dynamic Channel Assignment (GUI) 353
Configuring RRM Profile Thresholds, Monitoring Channels, and Monitor Intervals
(GUI) 356
Configuring RRM Neighbor Discovery Packets 358
Information About RRM NDP and RF Grouping 358

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Contents
Configuring RRM NDP (CLI) 358

Channels 358
Dynamic Channel Assignment 358
Overriding RRM 360
Information About Overriding RRM 360
Prerequisites for Overriding RRM 361
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings to Access Point
Radios 361
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings (GUI) 361
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings (CLI) 362
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment Globally for a Cisco Wireless
LAN Controller 365
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment (GUI) 365
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment (CLI) 365
802.11h Parameters 366
Information About Configuring 802.11h Parameters 366
Configuring the 802.11h Parameters (GUI) 366
Configuring the 802.11h Parameters (CLI) 367
Transmit Power 367
Transmit Power Control 367
Overriding the TPC Algorithm with Minimum and Maximum Transmit Power
Settings 368
Configuring Transmit Power Control (GUI) 368
Coverage Hole Detection and Correction 370
Configuring Coverage Hole Detection (GUI) 370
RF Profiles 371
Prerequisites for Configuring RF Profiles 371
Restrictions for Configuring RF Profiles 371
Information About RF Profiles 372
Configuring an RF Profile (GUI) 375
Configuring an RF Profile (CLI) 376
Applying an RF Profile to AP Groups (GUI) 378
Applying RF Profiles to AP Groups (CLI) 379
CHAPTER 25
Wireless Quality of Service 381

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CleanAir 381
Information About CleanAir 381
Role of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller in a Cisco CleanAir System 382
Interference Types that Cisco CleanAir Can Detect 382
Persistent Devices 383
Persistent Devices Detection 383
Persistent Devices Propagation 383
Detecting Interferers by an Access Point 384
Prerequisites for CleanAir 384
Restrictions for CleanAir 385
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Controller 385
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (GUI) 385
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (CLI) 387
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point 391
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point (GUI) 391
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point (CLI) 392
Monitoring Interference Devices 393
Prerequisites for Monitoring the Interference Devices 393
Monitoring the Interference Device (GUI) 393
Monitoring the Interference Device (CLI) 394
Detecting Interferers by an Access Point 395
Detecting Interferers by Device Type 395
Detecting Persistent Sources of Interference 395
Monitoring Persistent Devices (GUI) 395
Monitoring Persistent Devices (CLI) 396
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands 396
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands (GUI) 396
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands (CLI) 397
Viewing a Summary of the Air Quality 397
Viewing Air Quality for all Access Points on a Radio Band 397
Viewing Air Quality for an Access Point on a Radio Band 397
Monitoring the Worst Air Quality of Radio Bands (GUI) 397
Monitoring the Worst Air Quality of Radio Bands (CLI) 398
Viewing a Summary of the Air Quality (CLI) 398
Viewing the Worst Air Quality Information for all Access Points on a Radio Band (CLI) 398

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Viewing the Air Quality for an Access Point on a Radio Band (CLI) 398
Viewing the Air Quality for an Access Point by Device Type (CLI) 398
Detecting Persistent Sources of Interference (CLI) 399
Media and EDCA 399
Aggressive Load Balancing 399
Information About Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing 399
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (GUI) 400
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (CLI) 401
Media Session and Snooping 401
Information About Media Session Snooping and Reporting 401
Restrictions for Media Session Snooping and Reporting 402
Configuring Media Session Snooping (GUI) 402
Configuring Media Session Snooping (CLI) 402
QoS Enhanced BSS 406
Prerequisites for Using QoS Enhanced BSS on Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP
Phones 406
Information About QoS Enhanced BSS 406
Restrictions for QoS Enhanced BSS 407
Configuring QBSS (GUI) 407
Configuring QBSS (CLI) 408
Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 409
Information About Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 409
Restrictions for Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 409
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (GUI) 409
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (CLI) 409
Call Admission Control 410
Configuring Voice and Video Parameters 410
Information About Configuring Voice and Video Parameters 410
Bandwidth-Based CAC 411
Load-Based CAC 411
Expedited Bandwidth Requests 411
U-APSD 412
Traffic Stream Metrics 412
Configuring Voice Parameters 413

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Configuring Voice Parameters (GUI) 413

Configuring Voice Parameters (CLI) 415
Configuring Video Parameters 416
Configuring Video Parameters (GUI) 416
Configuring Video Parameters (CLI) 417
Viewing Voice and Video Settings 418
Viewing Voice and Video Settings (GUI) 418
Viewing Voice and Video Settings (CLI) 418
Configuring SIP-Based CAC 422
Restrictions for SIP-Based CAC 422
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (GUI) 422
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (CLI) 422
Configuring Media Parameters 423
Configuring Media Parameters (GUI) 423
Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers 424
Information About Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call
Numbers 424
Prerequisites for Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers 424
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (GUI) 424
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (CLI) 424
Configuring EDCA Parameters 425
Information About EDCA Parameters 425
Configuring EDCA Parameters (GUI) 425
Configuring EDCA Parameters (CLI) 426
Key Telephone System-based CAC 427
Restrictions for Key Telephone System-Based CAC 427
Information About Key Telephone System-Based CAC 427
Configuring KTS-based CAC (GUI) 428
Configuring KTS-based CAC (CLI) 428
Related Commands 429
Application Visibility and Control 429
Information About Application Visibility and Control 429
Restrictions for Application Visibility and Control 431
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (GUI) 431
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (CLI) 432

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Application Visibility Control for FlexConnect 434

Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (GUI) 435
Configuration Example 435
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (CLI) 437
NetFlow 439
Information About NetFlow 439
Restrictions for Using Netflow 440
Configuring NetFlow (GUI) 441
Configuring NetFlow (CLI) 441
QoS Profiles 442
Information About QoS Profiles 442
Configuring Quality of Service Profiles 443
Configuring QoS Profiles (GUI) 443
Configuring QoS Profiles (CLI) 445
QoS Profile per WLAN 446
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (GUI) 446
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (CLI) 448
CHAPTER 26
Location Services 449

Cisco Hyperlocation 449
Information About Cisco Hyperlocation 449
Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation 450
Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation (GUI) 450
Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation (CLI) 450
RFID Tracking 451
Information About Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points 451
Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points (GUI) 451
Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points (CLI) 452
Probe Request Forwarding 452
Information About Configuring Probe Request Forwarding 452
Configuring Probe Request Forwarding (CLI) 453
CCX Radio Management 453
Information About CCX Radio Management Features 453
Radio Measurement Requests 454

xxii
Contents
Location Calibration 454

Configuring CCX Radio Management 455
Configuring CCX Radio Management (GUI) 455
Configuring CCX Radio Management (CLI) 455
Viewing CCX Radio Management Information (CLI) 456
Debugging CCX Radio Management Issues (CLI) 457
Mobile Concierge 457
Information About Mobile Concierge 457
Configuring Mobile Concierge (802.11u) (GUI) 458
Configuring Mobile Concierge (802.11u) (CLI) 459
Online Sign Up 460
Configuring 802.11u Mobility Services Advertisement Protocol 462
Information About 802.11u MSAP 462
Configuring 802.11u MSAP (GUI) 462
Configuring MSAP (CLI) 462
Configuring 802.11u HotSpot 462
Information About 802.11u HotSpot 462
Configuring 802.11u HotSpot (GUI) 463
Configuring HotSpot 2.0 (CLI) 464
Configuring Access Points for HotSpot2 (GUI) 465
Configuring Access Points for HotSpot2 (CLI) 466
Downloading the Icon File (CLI) 469
Configuring ICONs 470
Downloading an ICON File (GUI) 470
Configuring an ICON (GUI) 471
Configuring OSEN Support 471
Configuring OSEN Details (GUI) 472
Configuring OSU 472
Configuring OSU Details (GUI) 473
Configuring WAN Metrics 474
CMX Cloud Connector 474
Information About CMX Cloud Connector 474
Prerequisites for CMX Cloud Connector 475
Restrictions for CMX Cloud Connector 475
Configuring CMX Cloud Connector (GUI) 475

xxiii
Contents
Configuring CMX Cloud Connector (CLI) 476
CHAPTER 27
Wireless Intrusion Detection System 477

Management Frame Protection 477
Information About Management Frame Protection 477
Restrictions for Management Frame Protection 479
Configuring Management Frame Protection (GUI) 479
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (GUI) 479
Configuring Management Frame Protection (CLI) 480
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (CLI) 480
Debugging Management Frame Protection Issues (CLI) 480
Client Exclusion Policies 481
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (GUI) 481
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (CLI) 481
Rogue Management 483
Rogue Detection 483
Information About Rogue Devices 483
Configuring Rogue Detection (GUI) 488
Configuring Rogue Detection (CLI) 490
Classifying Rogue Devices 493
Information About Classifying Rogue Access Points 493
Restrictions on Classifying Rogue Access Points 496
Configuring Rogue Classification Rules (GUI) 496
Viewing and Classifying Rogue Devices (GUI) 499
Configuring Rogue Classification Rules (CLI) 502
Viewing and Classifying Rogue Devices (CLI) 504
Cisco Intrusion Detection System 507
Information About Cisco Intrusion Detection System 507
Shunned Clients 507
Configuring IDS Sensors (GUI) 507
Viewing Shunned Clients (GUI) 508
Configuring IDS Sensors (CLI) 509
Viewing Shunned Clients (CLI) 510
IDS Signatures 510
Information About IDS Signatures 510

xxiv
Contents
Configuring IDS Signatures (GUI) 512

Uploading or Downloading IDS Signatures 512
Enabling or Disabling IDS Signatures 514
Viewing IDS Signature Events (GUI) 515
Configuring IDS Signatures (CLI) 516
Viewing IDS Signature Events (CLI) 517
SNMP 518
Configuring SNMP (CLI) 518
SNMP Community Strings 520
Changing the SNMP Community String Default Values (GUI) 520
Changing the SNMP Community String Default Values (CLI) 520
Configuring Real Time Statistics (CLI) 521
SNMP Trap Enhancements 522
Configuring SNMP Trap Receiver (GUI) 522
wIPS 523
Information About wIPS 523
Restrictions for wIPS 529
Configuring wIPS on an Access Point (GUI) 530
Configuring wIPS on an Access Point (CLI) 530
Viewing wIPS Information (CLI) 531
Cisco Adaptive wIPS Alarms 531
CHAPTER 28
Advanced Wireless Tuning 533

Band Selection 533
Information About Configuring Band Selection 533
Band Selection Algorithm 533
Restrictions on Band Selection 534
Configuring Band Selection 535
Configuring Band Selection (GUI) 535
Configuring Band Selection (CLI) 535
Short and Long Preambles 537
Information About SpectraLink NetLink Telephones 537
Configuring SpectraLink NetLink Phones 537
Enabling Long Preambles (GUI) 537
Enabling Long Preambles (CLI) 537

xxv
Contents
Configuring Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (CLI) 538

Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx-SOP) 539
Information About Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold 539
Restrictions for Rx SOP 539
Configuring Rx SOP (GUI) 539
Configuring RxSOP (CLI) 540
Access Points 541
PART V
CHAPTER 29
AP Power and LAN Connections 543

Power over Ethernet 543
Information About Configuring Power over Ethernet 543
Configuring Power over Ethernet (GUI) 545
Configuring Power over Ethernet (CLI) 546
Cisco Discovery Protocol 548
Information About Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 548
Restrictions for Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 548
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol 550
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (GUI) 550
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CLI) 551
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information 552
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (GUI) 552
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (CLI) 554
Getting CDP Debug Information 554
Link Aggregation 555
Information About Link Aggregation 555
Restrictions for Link Aggregation 555
Configuring Link Aggregation (GUI) 557
Configuring Link Aggregation (CLI) 557
Configuring Link Aggregation for Cisco 1850 Series APs (CLI) 558
Verifying Link Aggregation Settings (CLI) 559
Configuring Neighbor Devices to Support Link Aggregation 559
Choosing Between Link Aggregation and Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces 559
Cisco Aironet 700 Series Access Points 559
Information About Cisco 700 Series Access Points 559

xxvi
Contents
Configuring Cisco 700 Series Access Points 560

Enabling the LAN Ports (CLI) 560
Enabling 702W LAN Ports 560
CHAPTER 30
AP Connectivity to Cisco WLC 563

CAPWAP 563
Information About Access Point Communication Protocols 563
Restrictions for Access Point Communication Protocols 564
Viewing CAPWAP Maximum Transmission Unit Information 564
Debugging CAPWAP 565
Preferred Mode 565
Information About Prefer Mode 565
Guidelines for Configuring Preferred Mode 565
Configuring CAPWAP Preferred Mode (GUI) 566
Configuring CAPWAP Preferred Mode (CLI) 567
UDP Lite 568
Information About UDP Lite 568
Configuring UDP Lite Globally (GUI) 568
Configuring UDP Lite on AP (GUI) 569
Configuring the UDP Lite (CLI) 569
Data DTLS 570
Configuring Data Encryption 570
Guidelines for Data Encryption 570
Upgrading or Downgrading DTLS Images for Cisco 5508 WLC 571
Guidelines When Upgrading to or from a DTLS Image 571
Configuring Data Encryption (GUI) 572
Configuring Data Encryption (CLI) 572
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points 573
Information About VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points 573
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points (GUI) 573
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points (CLI) 574
Discovering and Joining Cisco WLC 574
Controller Discovery Process 574
Restrictions for Controller Discovery Process 575
Using DHCP Option 43 and DHCP Option 60 575

xxvii
Contents
Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller 577

Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller (GUI) 577
Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller (CLI) 577
Backup Cisco WLCs 577
Information About Configuring Backup Controllers 577
Restrictions for Configuring Backup Controllers 578
Configuring Backup Controllers (GUI) 578
Configuring Backup Controllers (CLI) 579
Failover Priority for APs 582
Information About Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points 582
Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points (GUI) 583
Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points (CLI) 583
Viewing Failover Priority Settings (CLI) 583
AP Retransmission Interval and Retry Count 584
Information About Configuring the AP Retransmission Interval and Retry
Count 584
Restrictions for Access Point Retransmission Interval and Retry Count 584
Configuring the AP Retransmission Interval and Retry Count (GUI) 585
Configuring the Access Point Retransmission Interval and Retry Count (CLI) 585
Authorizing Access Points 586
Authorizing Access Points Using SSCs 586
Authorizing Access Points for Virtual Controllers Using SSC 586
Configuring SSC (GUI) 586
Configuring SSC (CLI) 587
Authorizing Access Points Using MICs 587
Authorizing Access Points Using LSCs 587
Configuring Locally Significant Certificates (GUI) 588
Configuring Locally Significant Certificates (CLI) 589
Authorizing Access Points (GUI) 591
Authorizing Access Points (CLI) 591
AP 802.1X Supplicant 592
Information About Configuring Authentication for Access Points 592
Prerequisites for Configuring Authentication for Access Points 592
Restrictions for Authenticating Access Points 592
Configuring Authentication for Access Points (GUI) 593

xxviii
Contents
Configuring Authentication for Access Points (CLI) 593

Configuring the Switch for Authentication 594
Infrastructure MFP 595
Information About Management Frame Protection 595
Restrictions for Management Frame Protection 596
Configuring Management Frame Protection (GUI) 597
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (GUI) 597
Configuring Management Frame Protection (CLI) 598
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (CLI) 598
Debugging Management Frame Protection Issues (CLI) 598
Troubleshooting the Access Point Join Process 598
Configuring the Syslog Server for Access Points (CLI) 600
Viewing Access Point Join Information 600
Viewing Access Point Join Information (GUI) 601
Viewing Access Point Join Information (CLI) 601
CHAPTER 31
Managing APs 605

Converting Autonomous APs to Lightweight Mode 605
Information About Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode 605
Restrictions for Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode 606
Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode 606
Reverting from Lightweight Mode to Autonomous Mode 607
Reverting to a Previous Release (CLI) 607
Reverting to a Previous Release Using the MODE Button and a TFTP Server 607
Configuring a Static IP Address on a Lightweight Access Point 607
Configuring a Static IP Address (GUI) 608
Configuring a Static IP Address (CLI) 608
Supporting Oversized Access Point Images 610
Recovering the Access PointUsing the TFTP Recovery Procedure 610
Global Credentials for APs 610
Information About Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points 610
Restrictions for Global Credentials for Access Points 611
Configuring Global Credenitals for Access Points 611
Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points (GUI) 611
Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points (CLI) 612

xxix
Contents
Configuring Telnet and SSH for Access Points 613

Configuring Telnet and SSH for APs (GUI) 613
Configuring Telnet and SSH for APs (CLI) 613
Embedded APs 614
Information About Embedded Access Points 614
AP Modules 615
Spectrum Expert 615
Information About Spectrum Expert Connection 615
Configuring Spectrum Expert (GUI) 616
Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module 617
Information About Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module 617
Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module 618
Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module (GUI) 618
Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module (CLI) 618
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Different Scenarios 619
Configuring VLAN Tagging for USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in FlexConnect
Local Switching (GUI) 619
Local Switching (CLI) 619
Group Local Switching (GUI) 620
Group Local Switching (CLI) 620
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Local Mode Central Switching
(GUI) 620
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Local Mode Central Switching
(CLI) 620
LED Settings 621
Information About Configuring LED States for Access Points 621
Configuring the LED State for Access Points in a Network Globally (GUI) 621
Configuring the LED State for Access Point in a Network Globally (CLI) 621
Configuring LED State on a Specific Access Point (GUI) 621
Configuring LED State on a Specific Access Point (CLI) 621
Configuring Flashing LEDs 622
Information About Configuring Flashing LEDs 622

xxx
Contents
Configuring Flashing LEDs (CLI) 622

Configuring LED Flash State on a Specific Access Point (GUI) 623
Access Points with Dual-Band Radios 623
Configuring Access Points with Dual-Band Radios (GUI) 623
Configuring Access Points with Dual-Band Radios (CLI) 623
Link Latency 624
Information About Configuring Link Latency 624
Restrictions for Link Latency 624
Configuring Link Latency (GUI) 625
Configuring Link Latency (CLI) 625
PART VI
CHAPTER 32
Client Network 627
Global Traffic Forwarding Configurations 629

Configuring IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Caching 629
Information About IPv6 Neighbor Discovery 629
Configuring Neighbor Binding (GUI) 629
Configuring Neighbor Binding (CLI) 630
802.3 Bridging 630
Information About Configuring 802.3 Bridging 630
Restrictions on 802.3 Bridging 630
Configuring 802.3 Bridging 631
Configuring 802.3 Bridging (GUI) 631
Configuring 802.3 Bridging (CLI) 631
Enabling 802.3X Flow Control 631
Fast SSID Change 631
Information About Configuring Fast SSID Changing 631
Configuring Fast SSID Changing (GUI) 632
Configuring Fast SSID Changing (CLI) 632
IP-MAC Address Binding 632
Information About Configuring IP-MAC Address Binding 632
Configuring IP-MAC Address Binding (CLI) 633
AP TCP MSS Adjust 633
Information About Configuring the TCP MSS 633
Configuring TCP MSS (GUI) 634

xxxi
Contents
Configuring TCP MSS (CLI) 634
CHAPTER 33
Quality of Service 637

Configuring Quality of Service 637
Information About Quality of Service 637
Configuring Quality of Service Profiles 638
Configuring QoS Profiles (GUI) 638
Configuring QoS Profiles (CLI) 639
QoS Profile per WLAN 641
Information About QoS Profiles 641
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (GUI) 642
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (CLI) 643
Quality of Service Roles 644
Information About Quality of Service Roles 644
Configuring QoS Roles (GUI) 644
Configuring QoS Roles (CLI) 645
Configuring QoS Mapping 646
Information About QoS Map 646
Restrictions in QoS Map 647
Configuring QoS Map (GUI) 647
Configuring QoS Map (CLI) 648
Fastlane QoS 649
Configuring Fastlane QoS (CLI) 649
Enabling Fastlane QoS per WLAN 649
Disabling Fastlane QoS in WLANs 657
Disabling Fastlane QoS Globally 658
Configuring Fastlane QoS (GUI) 659
Disabling Fastlane QoS Globally (GUI) 659
Media and EDCA 659
Aggressive Load Balancing 659
Information About Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing 659
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (GUI) 661
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (CLI) 661
Media Session and Snooping 662
Information About Media Session Snooping and Reporting 662

xxxii
Contents
Restrictions for Media Session Snooping and Reporting 662

Configuring Media Session Snooping (GUI) 663
Configuring Media Session Snooping (CLI) 663
QoS Enhanced BSS 667
Prerequisites for Using QoS Enhanced BSS on Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP
Phones 667
Information About QoS Enhanced BSS 667
Restrictions for QoS Enhanced BSS 668
Configuring QBSS (GUI) 668
Configuring QBSS (CLI) 669
Configuring Voice and Video Parameters 669
Information About Configuring Voice and Video Parameters 669
Bandwidth-Based CAC 670
Load-Based CAC 670
Expedited Bandwidth Requests 670
U-APSD 671
Traffic Stream Metrics 672
Configuring Voice Parameters 673
Configuring Voice Parameters (GUI) 673
Configuring Voice Parameters (CLI) 674
Configuring Video Parameters 675
Configuring Video Parameters (GUI) 675
Configuring Video Parameters (CLI) 676
Viewing Voice and Video Settings 677
Viewing Voice and Video Settings (GUI) 677
Viewing Voice and Video Settings (CLI) 678
Configuring SIP-Based CAC 681
Restrictions for SIP-Based CAC 681
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (GUI) 681
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (CLI) 682
Configuring Media Parameters 682
Configuring Media Parameters (GUI) 682
Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers 683

xxxiii
Contents
Information About Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call

Numbers 683
Prerequisites for Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call
Numbers 683
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (GUI) 683
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (CLI) 684
Configuring EDCA Parameters 684
Information About EDCA Parameters 684
Configuring EDCA Parameters (GUI) 684
Configuring EDCA Parameters (CLI) 685
Key Telephone System-based CAC 686
Restrictions for Key Telephone System-Based CAC 686
Information About Key Telephone System-Based CAC 686
Configuring KTS-based CAC (GUI) 687
Configuring KTS-based CAC (CLI) 687
Related Commands 688
Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 688
Information About Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 688
Restrictions for Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients 689
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (GUI) 689
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (CLI) 689
Application Visibility and Control 690
Information About Application Visibility and Control 690
Restrictions for Application Visibility and Control 691
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (GUI) 692
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (CLI) 693
Configuring NetFlow 694
Information About NetFlow 694
Restrictions for Using Netflow 696
Configuring NetFlow (GUI) 696
Configuring NetFlow (CLI) 697
Application Visibility Control for FlexConnect 697
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (GUI) 699
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (CLI) 701

xxxiv
Contents

Air Time Fairness 703
Information About Cisco Air Time Fairness 703
Configuring Cisco Air Time Fairness (GUI) 706
Configuring Cisco ATF Monitor Mode (GUI) 706
Configuring Cisco ATF Policy (GUI) 706
Configuring Cisco ATF Enforcement SSID (GUI) 707
Monitoring ATF Statistics (GUI) 707
Configuring Cisco Air Tme Fairness (CLI) 707
CHAPTER 34
WLANs 709
Prerequisites for WLANs 709
Restrictions for WLANs 710
Information About WLANs 711
Creating and Removing WLANs (GUI) 711
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (GUI) 712
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (GUI) 713
Creating and Deleting WLANs (CLI) 713
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (CLI) 714
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (CLI) 714
Viewing WLANs (CLI) 715
Searching WLANs (GUI) 715
Assigning WLANs to Interfaces 715
Configuring Network Access Identifier (CLI) 716
CHAPTER 35
Per-WLAN Wireless Settings 717

DTIM Period 717
Information About DTIM Period 717
Configuring the DTIM Period (GUI) 718
Configuring the DTIM Period (CLI) 718
Off-Channel Scanning Deferral 719
Information About Off-Channel Scanning Defer 719
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for WLANs 719
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (GUI) 719
Configuring Off Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (CLI) 720

xxxv
Contents
Configuring Dynamic Channel Assignment (GUI) 720

Configuring Coverage Hole Detection (GUI) 723
Configuring RRM Profile Thresholds, Monitoring Channels, and Monitor Intervals
(GUI) 724
Cisco Client Extensions 726
Prerequisites for Configuring Cisco Client Extensions 726
Information About Cisco Client Extensions 726
Restrictions for Configuring Cisco Client Extensions 726
Configuring CCX Aironet IEs (GUI) 726
Viewing a Clients CCX Version (GUI) 727
Configuring CCX Aironet IEs (CLI) 727
Viewing a Clients CCX Version (CLI) 727
CHAPTER 36
WLAN Interfaces 729

Multicast VLAN 729
Information About Multicast Optimization 729
Configuring a Multicast VLAN (GUI) 730
Configuring a Multicast VLAN (CLI) 730
Passive Clients 730
Information About Passive Clients 730
Restrictions for Passive Clients 731
Configuring Passive Clients (GUI) 731
Enabling the Multicast-Multicast Mode (GUI) 731
Enabling the Global Multicast Mode on Controllers (GUI) 732
Enabling the Passive Client Feature on the Controller (GUI) 732
Configuring Passive Clients (CLI) 732
Dynamic Anchoring for Clients with Static IP Addresses 733
Information About Dynamic Anchoring for Clients with Static IP 733
How Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients Works 734
Restrictions on Dynamic Anchoring for Clients With Static IP Addresses 734
Configuring Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients (GUI) 735
Configuring Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients (CLI) 735
CHAPTER 37
WLAN Timeouts 737

Timeouts 737

xxxvi
Contents
Configuring a Timeout for Disabled Clients 737

Information About Configuring a Timeout for Disabled Clients 737
Configuring Timeout for Disabled Clients (CLI) 737
Configuring Session Timeout 737
Information About Session Timeouts 737
Configuring a Session Timeout (GUI) 738
Configuring a Session Timeout (CLI) 738
Configuring the User Idle Timeout 739
Information About the User Idle Timeout Per WLAN 739
Configuring Per-WLAN User Idle Timeout (CLI) 739
Authentication for Sleeping Clients 739
Information About Authenticating Sleeping Clients 739
Restrictions for Authenticating Sleeping Clients 740
Configuring Authentication for Sleeping Clients (GUI) 741
Configuring Authentication for Sleeping Clients (CLI) 741
CHAPTER 38
WLAN Security 743

Layer 2 Security 743
Prerequisites for Layer 2 Security 743
Authentication 744
Configuring Dynamic 802.1X Keys and Authorization (CLI) 744
RADIUS VSA 745
Information About RADIUS VSA 745
Sample RADIUS AVP List XML File 745
Downloading RADIUS AVP List (GUI) 746
Uploading RADIUS AVP List (GUI) 746
Uploading and Downloading RADIUS AVP List (CLI) 747
RADIUS Realm 747
Information About RADIUS Realm 747
Prerequisites for Configuring RADIUS Realm 748
Restrictions for Configuring RADIUS Realm 748
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (GUI) 749
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (CLI) 749
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server (GUI) 749
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server (CLI) 749

xxxvii
Contents
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (GUI) 750

Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (CLI) 750
Identity Networking 750
Information About Identity Networking 750
RADIUS Attributes Used in Identity Networking 751
AAA Override 754
Information About AAA Override 754
Restrictions for AAA Override 754
Updating the RADIUS Server Dictionary File for Proper QoS Values 755
Configuring AAA Override (GUI) 756
Configuring AAA Override (CLI) 756
Per-WLAN RADIUS Source 756
Prerequisites for Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support 756
Restrictions for Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support 756
Information About Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support 756
Configuring Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (GUI) 757
Configuring Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (CLI) 757
Monitoring the Status of Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (CLI) 758
LDAP 758
Information About LDAP 758
Configuring LDAP (GUI) 759
Configuring LDAP (CLI) 761
Local EAP 763
Information About Local EAP 763
Restrictions on Local EAP 764
Configuring Local EAP (GUI) 764
Configuring Local EAP (CLI) 768
MAC Filtering 773
MAC Filtering of WLANs 773
Information About MAC Filtering of WLANs 773
Restrictions for MAC Filtering 773
Enabling MAC Filtering 773
Local MAC Filters 774
Information About Local MAC Filters 774
Prerequisites for Configuring Local MAC Filters 774

xxxviii
Contents
Configuring Local MAC Filters (CLI) 774

MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X 774
Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X Authentication 774
Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1x Authentication (GUI) 775
Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X Authentication (CLI) 775
Configuring 802.11w 775
Restrictions for 802.11w 775
Information About 802.11w 775
Configuring 802.11w (GUI) 776
Configuring 802.11w (CLI) 777
Fast Secure Roaming 777
802.11r Fast Transition 777
Information About 802.11r Fast Transition 777
Restrictions for 802.11r Fast Transition 780
Configuring 802.11r Fast Transition (GUI) 781
Configuring 802.11r Fast Transition (CLI) 782
Troubleshooting 802.11r BSS Fast Transition 783
Sticky Key Caching 783
Information About Sticky Key Caching 784
Restrictions for Sticky Key Caching 784
Configuring Sticky Key Caching (CLI) 784
Encryption 785
WLAN for Static WEP 785
Information About WLAN for Static WEP 785
WPA1 and WPA2 785
Restrictions for Configuring Static WEP 786
Configuring WPA1+WPA2 (GUI) 787
Configuring WPA1+WPA2 (CLI) 787
CKIP 789
Information About CKIP 789
Configuring CKIP (GUI) 790
Configuring CKIP (CLI) 790
Layer 3 Security 791
Configuring Layer 3 Security Using Web Authentication 791
Prerequisites for Configuring Web Authentication on a WLAN 791

xxxix
Contents
Restrictions for Configuring Web Authentication on a WLAN 791

Information About Web Authentication 792
Configuring Web Authentication 793
Configuring Web Authentication (GUI) 793
Configuring Web Authentication (CLI) 793
Web Authentication Proxy 794
Information About the Web Authentication Proxy 794
Configuring the Web Authentication Proxy (GUI) 795
Configuring the Web Authentication Proxy (CLI) 795
Captive Portal Bypass 796
Information About Captive Bypassing 796
Configuring Captive Bypassing (CLI) 797
MAC Authentication Fallback to Web Authentication 797
Information About Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web
Authentication 797
Configuring a Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web Authentication
(GUI) 797
Configuring a Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web Authentication
(CLI) 798
Web Redirect with 8021.X Authentication 798
Information About Web Redirect with 802.1X Authentication 798
Conditional Web Redirect 798
Splash Page Web Redirect 799
Configuring the RADIUS Server (GUI) 800
Configuring Web Redirect 800
Configuring Web Redirect (GUI) 800
Configuring Web Redirect (CLI) 801
Disabling Accounting Servers per WLAN (GUI) 801
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection per WLAN 802
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection on a WLAN (GUI) 802
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection on a WLAN (CLI) 802
Central Web Authentication 803
NAC Out-of-Band Integration 803
Information About NAC Out-of-Band Integration 803
Prerequisites for NAC Out Of Band 804

xl
Contents
Restrictions for NAC Out of Band 805

Configuring NAC Out-of-Band Integration (GUI) 805
Configuring NAC Out-of-Band Integration (CLI) 806
RADIUS NAC 807
Information About RADIUS NAC Support 807
Device Registration 808
Central Web Authentication 808
Local Web Authentication 808
Guidelines and Restrictions on RADIUS NAC Support 809
Configuring RADIUS NAC Support (GUI) 810
Configuring RADIUS NAC Support (CLI) 810
Enabling RADIUS NAC on a WPA/WPA2-PSK WLAN 810
Information About Enabling RADIUS NAC on a WPA and WPA2-PSK WLAN 810
Enabling RADIUS NAC on WPA/WPA2-PSK WLAN (GUI) 811
Local Network Users 812
Information About Local Network Users on Controller 812
Configuring Local Network Users for the Controller (GUI) 813
Configuring Local Network Users for the Controller (CLI) 814
Client Exclusion Policies 815
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (GUI) 815
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (CLI) 815
Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy 816
Information About the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy 816
Restrictions for the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy 817
Configuring the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (GUI) 817
Configuring the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (CLI) 817
Monitoring and Troubleshooting the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (CLI) 818
Peer-to-Peer Blocking 818
Information About Peer-to-Peer Blocking 818
Restrictions for Peer-to-Peer Blocking 818
Configuring Peer-to-Peer Blocking (GUI) 819
Configuring Peer-to-Peer Blocking (CLI) 819
Local Policies 820
Information About Local Policies 820
Restrictions for Local Policy Classification 821

xli
Contents
Configuring Local Policies (GUI) 822

Configuring Local Policies (CLI) 823
Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List 825
Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List (GUI) 825
Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List (CLI) 825
Updating Device Profile List 826
Updating Device Profile List (GUI) 826
Updating Device Profile List (CLI) 826
Wired Guest Access 827
Information About Wired Guest Access 827
Prerequisites for Configuring Wired Guest Access 827
Restrictions for Configuring Wired Guest Access 827
Configuring Wired Guest Access (GUI) 828
Configuring Wired Guest Access (CLI) 830
Supporting IPv6 Client Guest Access 832
CHAPTER 39
Client Roaming 833

Assisted Roaming 833
Restrictions for Assisted Roaming 833
Information About Assisted Roaming 833
Configuring Assisted Roaming (CLI) 834
802.11v 836
Information About 802.11v 836
Prerequisites for Configuring 802.11v 837
Restrictions for Configuring 802.11v 837
Configuring 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings (CLI) 837
Monitoring 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings (CLI) 837
Configuration Examples for 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings 838
Enabling 802.11v BSS Transition Management 838
802.11 Bands 839
Information About Configuring 802.11 Bands 839
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (GUI) 839
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (CLI) 841
Band Selection 843
Information About Configuring Band Selection 843

xlii
Contents
Band Selection Algorithm 843

Restrictions on Band Selection 844
Configuring Band Selection 844
Configuring Band Selection (GUI) 844
Configuring Band Selection (CLI) 845
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold 846
Information About Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold 846
Restrictions for Rx SOP 847
Configuring Rx SOP (GUI) 847
Configuring RxSOP (CLI) 847
Optimized Roaming 848
Information About Optimized Roaming 848
Restrictions for Optimized Roaming 848
Configuring Optimized Roaming (GUI) 849
Configuring Optimized Roaming (CLI) 849
CHAPTER 40
DHCP 851
DHCP Proxy 851
Information About Configuring DHCP Proxy 851
Restrictions on Using DHCP Proxy 851
Configuring DHCP Proxy (GUI) 852
Configuring DHCP Proxy (GUI) 852
Configuring DHCP Proxy (CLI) 852
Configuring DHCP Proxy (CLI) 853
Configuring a DHCP Timeout (GUI) 853
Configuring a DHCP Timeout (CLI) 853
DHCP Link Select and VPN Select 854
Prerequisites for Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select 854
Information About Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select 854
DHCP Link Select 854
DHCP VPN Select 855
Mobility Considerations 855
Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select (CLI) 855
Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select (GUI) 856
DHCP Option 82 857

xliii
Contents
Information About DHCP Option 82 857

Restrictions on DHCP Option 82 858
Configuring DHCP Option 82 (GUI) 858
Configuring DHCP Option 82 (CLI) 858
Configuring DHCP Option 82 Insertion in Bridge Mode (CLI) 859
Internal DHCP Server 860
Information About Internal DHCP Server 860
Restrictions on Configuring Internal DHCP Server 860
Configuring DHCP Scopes (GUI) 860
Configuring DHCP Scopes (CLI) 861
DHCP for WLANs 862
Information About the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol 862
Internal DHCP Servers 863
External DHCP Servers 863
DHCP Assignments 863
Restrictions for Configuring DHCP for WLANs 864
Configuring DHCP (GUI) 864
Configuring DHCP (CLI) 865
Debugging DHCP (CLI) 866
DHCP Client Handling 866
CHAPTER 41
Client Data Tunneling 869

Ethernet over GRE Tunnels 869
Information About Ethernet over GRE Tunnels 869
Restrictions on EoGRE Tunneling 872
Configuring EoGRE on Cisco WLC (GUI) 874
Configuring EoGRE on WLC (CLI) 875
Configuring EoGRE for FlexConnect APs (GUI) 876
Configuring EoGRE for FlexConnect APs (CLI) 877
Proxy Mobile IPv6 877
Information About Proxy Mobile IPv6 877
Restrictions on Proxy Mobile IPv6 880
Configuring Proxy Mobile IPv6 (GUI) 880
Configuring Proxy Mobile IPv6 (CLI) 882

xliv
Contents
CHAPTER 42
Configuring AP Groups 885

Prerequisites for Configuring AP Groups 885
AP Groups Supported on Controller Platforms 885
Restrictions for Configuring Access Point Groups 886
Information About Access Point Groups 886
Configuring Access Point Groups 887
Creating Access Point Groups (GUI) 887
Creating Access Point Groups (CLI) 889
Viewing Access Point Groups (CLI) 890
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging 891
Information About 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging 891
Restrictions for 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging 891
Configuring 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging (GUI) 892
Configuring 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging (CLI) 892
CHAPTER 43
Workgroup Bridges 895

Cisco WGBs 895
Information About Cisco Workgroup Bridges 895
Workgroup Bridge (WGB) Downstream Broadcast On Multiple VLANs 897
Restrictions for Cisco Workgroup Bridges 899
WGB Configuration Example 900
Viewing the Status of Workgroup Bridges (GUI) 901
Viewing the Status of Workgroup Bridges (CLI) 901
Debugging WGB Issues (CLI) 901
Third-Party WGBs and Client VMs 902
Information About Non-Cisco Workgroup Bridges 902
Restrictions for Non-Cisco Workgroup Bridges 903
PART VII
FlexConnect 905
CHAPTER 44
FlexConnect 907
Information About FlexConnect 907
FlexConnect Authentication Process 909
Restrictions on FlexConnect 912

xlv
Contents
Configuring FlexConnect 914

Configuring the Switch at a Remote Site 914
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect 915
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect for a Centrally Switched WLAN Used
for Guest Access 916
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (GUI) 916
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (CLI) 918
Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect 920
Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect (GUI) 920
Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect (CLI) 922
Configuring an Access Point for Local Authentication on a WLAN (GUI) 924
Configuring an Access Point for Local Authentication on a WLAN (CLI) 925
Connecting Client Devices to WLANs 925
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback 926
Information About FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback 926
Restrictions for FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback 926
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback (GUI) 926
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback (CLI) 927
VideoStream for FlexConnect 927
Information About VideoStream for FlexConnect 927
Configuring VideoStream for FlexConnect (GUI) 928
Configuring VideoStream for FlexConnect (CLI) 929
Viewing and Debugging Media Streams 930
FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode 930
Information about FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode 930
Configuring FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode (GUI) 932
Configuring FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode (CLI) 932
CHAPTER 45
FlexConnect Groups 933

Information About FlexConnect Groups 933
FlexConnect Groups and Backup RADIUS Servers 934
FlexConnect Groups and CCKM 934
FlexConnect Groups and Opportunistic Key Caching 935
FlexConnect Groups and Local Authentication 935
FlexConnect Groups and VLAN Support 936

xlvi
Contents
Default FlexGroup 937

Configuring FlexConnect Groups 939
Configuring FlexConnect Groups (GUI) 939
Configuring FlexConnect Groups (CLI) 942
Moving APs from a Default FlexConnect Group to Another FlexConnect Group (GUI) 944
Viewing APs in a Default FlexGroup (GUI) 944
Viewing Default FlexGroup Details (CLI) 944
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups 947
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (GUI) 947
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (CLI) 947
Viewing VLAN-ACL Mappings (CLI) 948
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mappings on FlexConnect Groups 948
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (GUI) 948
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (CLI) 949
CHAPTER 46
FlexConnect Security 951

FlexConnect ACLs 951
Information About Access Control Lists 951
Restrictions for FlexConnect ACLs 951
Configuring FlexConnect ACLs (GUI) 953
Configuring FlexConnect ACLs (CLI) 954
Viewing and Debugging FlexConnect ACLs (CLI) 955
AAA Overrides for FlexConnect 956
Information About Authentication, Authorization, Accounting Overrides 956
Restrictions for AAA Overrides for FlexConnect 957
Configuring AAA Overrides for FlexConnect on an Access Point (GUI) 958
Configuring VLAN Overrides for FlexConnect on an Access Point (CLI) 959
CHAPTER 47
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points 961

Information About OfficeExtend Access Points 961
OEAP 600 Series Access Points 962
OEAP in Local Mode 962
Supported WLAN Settings for 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point 963
WLAN Security Settings for the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point 963
Authentication Settings 967

xlvii
Contents
Supported User Count on 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point 968

Remote LAN Settings 968
Channel Management and Settings 969
Firewall Settings 970
Additional Caveats 971
Implementing Security 971
Licensing for an OfficeExtend Access Point 972
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points 972
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points (GUI) 972
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points (CLI) 974
Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN 976
Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN (GUI) 976
Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN (CLI) 977
Configuring OEAP ACLs 977
Configuring OEAP ACLs (GUI) 977
Configuring OEAP ACLs (CLI) 979
Configuring a Personal SSID on an OfficeExtend Access Point Other than 600 Series
OEAP 980
Viewing OfficeExtend Access Point Statistics 980
Viewing Voice Metrics on OfficeExtend Access Points 981
Running Network Diagnostics 982
Information About Running Network Diagnostics 982
Running Network Diagnostics (GUI) 982
Running Network Diagnostics on the Controller 982
Running Network Diagnostics (CLI) 982
CHAPTER 48
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades for FlexConnect APs 983

Information About FlexConnect AP Upgrades 983
Restrictions for FlexConnect AP Upgrades for FlexConnect Access Points 983
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (GUI) 984
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (CLI) 985
PART VIII
CHAPTER 49
Monitoring the Network 987
Monitoring Cisco WLC 989

xlviii
Contents
Viewing System Resources 989

Information About Viewing System Resources 989
Viewing System Resources (GUI) 990
Viewing System Resources (CLI) 990
CHAPTER 50
Configuring System and Message Logging 991

Configuring System and Message Logging 991
Information About System and Message Logging 991
Configuring System and Message Logging (GUI) 992
Viewing Message Logs (GUI) 994
Configuring System and Message Logging (CLI) 994
Viewing System and Message Logs (CLI) 998
Viewing Access Point Event Logs 998
Information About Access Point Event Logs 998
Viewing Access Point Event Logs (CLI) 998
Using the Debug Facility 999
Information About Using the Debug Facility 999
Configuring the Debug Facility (CLI) 1000
PART IX
CHAPTER 51
Troubleshooting 1005
Debugging on Cisco Wireless Controllers 1007

Troubleshooting AAA RADIUS Interactions for WLAN Authentication 1007
Understanding Debug Client on Wireless Controllers 1014
Using the CLI to Troubleshoot Problems 1014
CHAPTER 52
Cisco WLC Unresponsiveness 1017

Uploading Logs and Crash Files 1017
Prerequisites to Upload Logs and Crash Files 1017
Uploading Logs and Crash Files (GUI) 1017
Uploading Logs and Crash Files (CLI) 1018
Uploading Core Dumps from the Controller 1019
Information About Uploading Core Dumps from the Controller 1019
Configuring the Controller to Automatically Upload Core Dumps to an FTP Server
(GUI) 1020

xlix
Contents
Configuring the Controller to Automatically Upload Core Dumps to an FTP Server

(CLI) 1020
Uploading Core Dumps from Controller to a Server (CLI) 1021
Uploading Packet Capture Files 1022
Information About Uploading Packet Capture Files 1022
Restrictions for Uploading Packet Capture Files 1023
Uploading Packet Capture Files (GUI) 1024
Uploading Packet Capture Files (CLI) 1024
Monitoring Memory Leaks 1025
Monitoring Memory Leaks (CLI) 1025
Troubleshooting Memory Leaks 1026
Troubleshooting Memory Leaks 1026
CHAPTER 53
Debugging on Cisco Access Points 1029

Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH 1029
Information About Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH 1030
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH (GUI) 1030
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH (CLI) 1031
Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service 1031
Information About Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service 1031
Debugging Access Point Monitor Service Issues (CLI) 1032
Sending Debug Commands to Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode 1032
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Crash Information to the Controller 1032
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Radio Core Dumps to the
Controller 1032
Retrieving Radio Core Dumps (CLI) 1033
Uploading Radio Core Dumps (GUI) 1033
Uploading Radio Core Dumps (CLI) 1034
Uploading Memory Core Dumps from Converted Access Points 1034
Uploading Access Point Core Dumps (GUI) 1035
Uploading Access Point Core Dumps (CLI) 1035
Viewing the AP Crash Log Information 1035
Viewing the AP Crash Log information (GUI) 1036
Viewing the AP Crash Log information (CLI) 1036
Displaying MAC Addresses for Converted Access Points 1036

l
Contents
Disabling the Reset Button on Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode 1036
Viewing Access Point Event Logs 1037
Information About Access Point Event Logs 1037
Viewing Access Point Event Logs (CLI) 1037
FlexConnect 1038
Troubleshooting Clients on FlexConnect Access Points 1038
Troubleshooting OfficeExtend Access Points 1039
Information About Troubleshooting OfficeExtend Access Points 1039
Interpreting OfficeExtend LEDs 1039
Positioning OfficeExtend Access Points for Optimal RF Coverage 1039
Troubleshooting Common Problems 1039
Performing a Link Test 1041
Information About Performing a Link Test 1041
Performing a Link Test (GUI) 1042
Performing a Link Test (CLI) 1042
CHAPTER 54
Packet Capture 1045

Using the Debug Facility 1045
Information About Using the Debug Facility 1045
Configuring the Debug Facility (CLI) 1046
Configuring Wireless Sniffing 1050
Information About Wireless Sniffing 1050
Prerequisites for Wireless Sniffing 1050
Restrictions for Wireless Sniffing 1050
Configuring Sniffing on an Access Point (GUI) 1051
Configuring Sniffing on an Access Point (CLI) 1051

li
Contents

lii
Preface
This preface describes the audience, organization, and conventions of this document. It also provides
information on how to obtain other documentation. This chapter includes the following sections:
Audience, page liii
Conventions, page liii
Related Documentation, page liv
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request, page liv
Audience
This publication is for experienced network administrators who configure and maintain Cisco wireless
controllers and Cisco lightweight access points.
Conventions
This document uses the following conventions:
Table 1: Conventions
Convention
Indication
bold font
Commands and keywords and user-entered text appear in bold font.
italic font
Document titles, new or emphasized terms, and arguments for which you supply
values are in italic font.
[]
Elements in square brackets are optional.
{x | y | z }
Required alternative keywords are grouped in braces and separated by vertical

bars.
[x|y|z]
Optional alternative keywords are grouped in brackets and separated by vertical

bars.

liii
Preface
Related Documentation
Convention
Indication
string
A nonquoted set of characters. Do not use quotation marks around the string.
Otherwise, the string will include the quotation marks.
courier
Note
Tip
Caution
font
Terminal sessions and information the system displays appear in courier font.
<>
Nonprinting characters such as passwords are in angle brackets.
[]
Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets.
!, #
An exclamation point (!) or a pound sign (#) at the beginning of a line of code
indicates a comment line.
Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to material not covered in the
manual.
Means the following information will help you solve a problem.
Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might perform an action that could result in equipment
damage or loss of data.
For information about Cisco Wireless Controller software, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/wireless-lan-controller-software/tsd-products-support-series-home.html
For other information about Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/8500-series-wireless-controllers/tsd-products-support-series-home.html
Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Deployment Guide
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

For information on obtaining documentation, using the Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST), submitting a service
request, and gathering additional information, see What's New in Cisco Product Documentation.
To receive new and revised Cisco technical content directly to your desktop, you can subscribe to the What's
New in Cisco Product Documentation RSS feed. RSS feeds are a free service.

liv
PART
Overview
Cisco Wireless Solution Overview, page 3
Initial Setup, page 7
CHAPTER
Cisco Wireless Solution Overview

Introduction, page 3
Cisco Wireless Controllers, page 4
Cisco Wireless Solution WLANs, page 5
Introduction
Cisco Wireless is designed to provide 802.11 wireless networking solutions for enterprises and service
providers. Cisco Wireless simplifies deploying and managing large-scale wireless LANs and enables a unique
best-in-class security infrastructure. The operating system manages all data client, communications, and system
administration functions, performs radio resource management (RRM) functions, manages system-wide
mobility policies using the operating system security solution, and coordinates all security functions using
the operating system security framework.
Cisco Wireless solution consists of Cisco wireless controllers (Cisco WLCs) and their associated lightweight
access points controlled by the operating system, all concurrently managed by any or all of the operating
system user interfaces:
An HTTP and/or HTTPS full-featured Web User Interface hosted by Cisco WLCs can be used to
configure and monitor individual Cisco WLCs.
A full-featured command-line interface (CLI) can be used to configure and monitor individual Cisco
Cisco WLCs.
The Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which you use to configure and monitor one or more Cisco WLCs and
associated access points. The Prime Infrastructure has tools to facilitate large-system monitoring and
control. For more information about Cisco Prime Infrastructure, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/cloud-systems-management/prime-infrastructure/tsd-products-support-series-home.html.
An industry-standard SNMP V1, V2c, and V3 interface can be used with any SNMP-compliant third-party
network management system.
The Cisco Wireless solution supports client data services, client monitoring and control, and all rogue access
point detection, monitoring, and containment functions. It uses lightweight access points, Cisco WLCs, and
the optional Cisco Prime Infrastructure to provide wireless services to enterprises and service providers.

3
Cisco Wireless Controllers
For detailed information about Cisco Wireless solution, see the Enterprise Mobility Design Guide at http://
www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-1/Enterprise-Mobility-8-1-Design-Guide/Enterprise_
Mobility_8-1_Deployment_Guide.html.
Cisco Wireless Controllers

When you are adding lightweight access points to a multiple-Cisco WLC deployment network, it is convenient
to have all lightweight access points associate with one master Cisco WLC on the same subnet. That way, the
you do not have to log into multiple Cisco WLCs to find out which controller newly-added lightweight access
points associated with.
One Cisco WLC in each subnet can be assigned as the master Cisco WLC while adding lightweight access
points. As long as a master Cisco WLC is active on the same subnet, all new access points without a primary,
secondary, and tertiary controller assigned automatically attempt to associate with the master Cisco WLC.
You can monitor the master Cisco WLC using the Cisco Prime Infrastructure Web User Interface and watch
as access points associate with the master Cisco WLC. You can then verify the access point configuration
and assign a primary, secondary, and tertiary Cisco WLC to the access point, and reboot the access point so
it reassociates with its primary, secondary, or tertiary Cisco WLC.
Note
Lightweight access points without a primary, secondary, and tertiary Cisco WLC assigned always search
for a master Cisco WLC first upon reboot. After adding lightweight access points through the master Cisco
WLC, you should assign primary, secondary, and tertiary Cisco WLCs to each access point. We recommend
that you disable the master setting on all Cisco WLCs after initial configuration.
Client Location
When you use Cisco Prime Infrastructure in your Cisco wireless LAN solution, controllers periodically
determine the client, rogue access point, rogue access point client, radio frequency ID (RFID) tag location
and store the locations in the Cisco Prime Infrastructure database.
Cisco WLC Platforms

Cisco WLCs are enterprise-class high-performance wireless switching platforms that support 802.11a/n/ac
and 802.11b/g/n protocols. They operate under control of the operating system, which includes the radio
resource management (RRM), creating a Cisco Wireless solution that can automatically adjust to real-time
changes in the 802.11 RF environment. Cisco WLCs are built around high-performance network and security
hardware, resulting in highly reliable 802.11 enterprise networks with unparalleled security.
The following Cisco WLCs are supported:
Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller
Cisco Flex 7510 Wireless Controller

4
Cisco Wireless Solution WLANs

Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller
Catalyst Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2)

The Cisco Wireless solution can control up to 512 WLANs for lightweight access points. Each WLAN has a
separate WLAN ID (1 through 512), a separate profile name, and a WLAN SSID and can be assigned with
unique security policies. The lightweight access points broadcast all active Cisco Wireless solution WLAN
SSIDs and enforce the policies defined for each WLAN.
Note
We recommend that you assign one set of VLANs for WLANs and a different set of VLANs for
management interfaces to ensure that controllers operate with optimum performance and ease of
management.
If management over wireless is enabled across the Cisco Wireless solution, you can manage the system across
the enabled WLAN using CLI and Telnet, HTTP/HTTPS, and SNMP.

5

6
CHAPTER
Initial Setup
Cisco WLAN Express for Cisco Wireless Controllers, page 7
Configuring the Controller Using the Configuration Wizard, page 14
Using the AutoInstall Feature for Controllers Without a Configuration, page 27
Managing the Controller System Date and Time, page 30
Cisco WLAN Express for Cisco Wireless Controllers

Overview of Cisco WLAN Express
Cisco WLAN Express is a simplified, out-of-the-box installation and configuration interface for Cisco Wireless
Controllers. This section provides instructions to set up a Cisco WLC to operate in a small, medium, or large
network wireless environment, where access points can join and together as a simple solution provide various
services such as corporate employee or guest wireless access on the network.
There are two methods:
Wired method
Wireless method
With this, there are three ways to set up Cisco WLC:
Cisco WLAN Express
Traditional command line interface (CLI) via serial console
Updated method using network connection directly to the WLC GUI setup wizard
Note
Cisco WLAN Express can be used only for the first time in out-of-the-box installations or when WLC
configuration is reset to factory defaults.

7
Feature History
Release 7.6.120.0This feature was introduced and supported only on Cisco 2500 Series Wireless
Controller. It includes an easy-to-use GUI Configuration Wizard, an intuitive monitoring dashboard and
several Cisco Wireless LAN best practices enabled by default.
Release 8.0.110.0The following enhancements were made:
Connect to any portYou can connect a client device to any port on the Cisco 2500 Series WLC
and access the GUI configuration wizard to run Cisco WLAN Express. Previously, you were
required to connect the client device to only port 2.
Wireless Support to run Cisco WLAN ExpressYou can connect an AP to any of the ports on
the Cisco 2500 Series WLC, associate a client device with the AP, and run Cisco WLAN Express.
When the AP is associated with the Cisco 2500 Series WLC, only 802.11b and 802.11g radios are
enabled; the 802.11a radio is disabled. The AP broadcasts an SSID named CiscoAirProvision,
which is of WPA2-PSK type with the key being password. After a client device associates with
this SSID, the client device automatically gets an IP address in the 192.168.x.x range. On the web
browser of the client device, go to http://192.168.1.1 to open the GUI configuration wizard.
This feature is supported only on the following web browsers:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and later versions
Mozilla Firefox 32 and later versions
Note
This feature is not supported on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet
computers.
Release 8.1The following enhancements are made:

Added support for the Cisco WLAN Express using the wired method to Cisco 5500, Flex 7500,
8500 Series Wireless Controllers and Virtual Controller.
Introduced the Main Dashboard view and compliance assessment and best practices. For more
details, see the Cisco WLC Online Help.
Configuration Checklist
The following checklist is for your reference to make the installation process easy. Ensure that you have these
requirements ready before you proceed:
1 Network switch requirements:
1 WLC switch port number assigned
2 WLC assigned switch port
3 Is the switch port configured as trunk or access?
4 Is there a management VLAN? If yes, Management VLAN ID
5 Is there a guest VLAN? If yes, Guest VLAN ID

8
2 WLC Settings:
1 New admin account name
2 Admin account password
3 System name for the WLC
4 Current time zone
5 Is there an NTP server available? If yes, NTP server IP address
6 WLC Management Interface:
1 IP address
2 Subnet Mask
3 Default gateway
7 Management VLAN ID
3 Corporate wireless network
4 Corporate wireless name/SSID
5 Is a RADIUS server required?
6 Security authentication option to select:
1 WPA/WPA2 Personal
2 Corporate passphrase (PSK)
3 WPA/WPA2 (Enterprise)
4 RADIUS server IP address and shared secret
7 Is a DHCP server known? If yes, DHCP server IP address
8 Guest Wireless Network - optional
1 Guest wireless name/SSID
2 Is a password required for guest?
3 Guest passphrase (PSK)
4 Guest VLAN ID
5 Guest networking
1 IP address
2 Subnet Mask
3 Default gateway
9 Advanced optionConfigure RF Parameters for Client Density as Low, Medium, or High.

9
Preparing for Setup Using Cisco WLAN Express

Do not auto-configure the WLC or use the wizard for configuration.
Do not use console interface; the only connection to the WLC should be client connected to service port.
Configure DHCP or assign static IP 192.168.1.X to laptop interface connected to service port.
For more information about Cisco WLAN Express, see the WLAN Express Setup and Best Practices
Deployment Guide.
Restrictions on Cisco WLAN Express

As of Release 8.1, the Cisco WLAN Express using the wireless method is supported only on Cisco 2500
Series WLC.
If you use the CLI configuration wizard or AutoInstall, Cisco WLAN Express is bypassed and associated
features are enabled.
If you upgrade to Release 7.6.120.0 or a later release and do not perform a new configuration of the
controller using the GUI Configuration Wizard, Cisco WLAN Express is not enabled. You must use the
GUI Configuration Wizard to enable the Cisco WLAN Express features.
After you upgrade to Release 7.6.120.0 or a later release, you can clear the controller configuration and
use the GUI Configuration Wizard to enable Cisco WLAN Express features.
If you downgrade from Release 7.6.120.0 or a later release to an older release, Cisco WLAN Express
features are disabled. However, the configurations generated through Cisco WLAN Express are not
removed.
Setting up Cisco Wireless Controller using Cisco WLAN Express (Wired Method)
Step 1
Connect a laptop's wired Ethernet port directly to the Service port of the WLC. The port LEDs blink to indicate that both
the machines are properly connected.
Note
It may take several minutes for the WLC to fully power on to make the GUI available to the PC. Do not
auto-configure the WLC.
The LEDs on the front panel provide the system status:
If the LED is off, it means that the WLC is not ready.
If the LED is solid green, it means that the WLC is ready.
Step 2
Step 3
Configure DHCP option on the laptop that you have connected to the Service port. This assigns an IP address to the
laptop from the WLC Service port 192.168.1.X, or you can assign a static IP address 192.168.1.X to the laptop to access
the WLC GUI; both options are supported.
Open any one of the following supported web browsers and type http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar.
Mozilla Firefox version 32 or later (Windows, MAC)

10
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 10 or later (Windows)

Google Chrome version 38.x or later (Windows, MAC)
Apple Safari version 7 or later (MAC)
Note
Step 4
Step 5
This feature is not supported on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
Create an administrator account by providing the name and password. Click Start to continue.
In the Set Up Your Controller dialog box, enter the following details:
1 System Name for the WLC
2 Current time zone
3 NTP Server (optional)
4 Management IP Address
5 Subnet Mask
6 Default Gateway
7 Management VLAN IDIf left unchanged or set to 0, the network switch port must be configured with a native
VLAN 'X0'
The setup attempts to import the clock information (date and time) from the computer via JavaScript. We
recommend that you confirm this before continuing. Access points rely on correct clock settings to be able to
join the WLC.
In the Create Your Wireless Networks dialog box, in the Employee Network area, use the checklist to enter the
following data:
a) Network name/SSID
b) Security
c) Pass Phrase, if Security is set to WPA/WPA2 Personal
d) DHCP Server IP AddressIf left empty, the DHCP processing is bridged to the management interface
Note
Step 6
Step 7
(Optional) In the Create Your Wireless Networks dialog box, in the Guest Network area, use the checklist to enter
the following data:
a) Network name/SSID
b) Security
c) VLAN IP Address, VLAN Subnet Mask, VLAN Default Gateway, VLAN ID
d) DHCP Server IP AddressIf left empty, the DHCP processing is bridged to the management interface
Step 8
In the Advanced Setting dialog box, in the RF Parameter Optimization area, do the following:
a) Select the client density as Low, Typical, or High.
b) Configure the RF parameters for RF Traffic Type, such as Data and Voice.
c) Change the Service port IP address and subnet mask, if necessary.
Step 9
Step 10
Click Next.
Review your settings and then click Apply to confirm.
The WLC reboots automatically. You will be prompted that the WLC is fully configured and will be restarted. Sometimes,
you might not be prompted with this message. In this scenario, do the following:
a) Disconnect the laptop from the WLC service port and connect it to the Switch port.

11
b) Connect the WLC port 1 to the switch configured trunk port.

c) Connect access points to the switch if not already connected.
d) Wait until the access points join the WLC.
RF Profile Configurations
Step 1
After a successful login as an administrator, choose Wireless > RF Profiles to verify whether the Cisco WLAN Express
features are enabled by checking that the predefined RF profiles are created on this page.
You can define AP Groups and apply appropriate profile to a set of APs.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Network Profile, verify the client density and traffic type details.
Note
We recommend that you use RF and Network profiles configuration even if Cisco WLAN Express was not
used initially or if the WLC was upgraded from a release that is earlier than Release 8.1.
Setting up Cisco Wireless Controller using Cisco WLAN Express (Wireless Method)
This wireless method applies only to Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Plug in a Cisco AP to any one of the ports of Cisco 2500 Series WLC. If you do not have a separate power supply for
the AP, you can use Port 3 or Port 4, which supports PoE.
After the AP boots up, the AP associates with the WLC and downloads the WLC software.
The AP starts provisioning a WPA2-PSK SSID "CiscoAirProvision" with the key "password."
Associate a client device to the "CiscoAirProvision" SSID.
The client device is assigned an IP address in the 192.168.x.x range.
On the web browser of the client device, go to http://192.168.1.1 to open the GUI configuration wizard.
Step 5
Default Configurations
When you configure your Cisco Wireless Controller, the following parameters are enabled or disabled. These
settings are different from the default settings obtained when you configure the controller using the CLI
wizard.
Parameters in New Interface
Value
Aironet IE
Disabled
DHCP Address Assignment (Guest SSID)
Enabled
Client Band Select
Enabled

12
Parameters in New Interface
Value
Local HTTP and DHCP Profiling
Enabled
Guest ACL
Applied.
Guest ACL denies traffic to the management
subnet.
Note
CleanAir
Enabled
EDRRM
Enabled
EDRRM Sensitivity Threshold
Low sensitivity for 2.4 GHz.

Medium sensitivity for 5 GHz.
Channel Bonding (5 GHz)
Enabled
DCA Channel Width
40 MHz
mDNS Global Snooping
Enabled
Default mDNS profile
Two new services added:

Better printer support
HTTP
AVC (only AV)
Enabled only with following prerequisites:

Bootloader version1.0.18
Or
Field Upgradable Software version1.8.0.0
and above
Note
Management
If you upgrade the bootloader after you have

setup the Cisco 2500 Series Controller using
the GUI Wizard, you have to manually
enable AVC on the previously created
WLAN.
Via Wireless ClientsEnabled

HTTP/HTTPS AccessEnabled
WebAuth Secure WebEnabled
Virtual IP Address
192.0.2.1
Multicast Address
Not configured
Mobility Domain Name
Name of employee SSID
RF Group Name
Default

13
Configuring the Controller Using the Configuration Wizard

The configuration wizard enables you to configure basic settings on the controller. You can run the wizard
after you receive the controller from the factory or after the controller has been reset to factory defaults. The
configuration wizard is available in both GUI and CLI formats.
Configuring the Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Connect your PC to the service port and configure it to use the same subnet as the controller.
Note
In case of Cisco 2504 WLC, connect your PC to the port 2 on the controller and configure to use the same
subnet.
Browse to http://192.168.1.1. The configuration wizard appears.
Note
You can use both HTTP and HTTPS when using the service port interface. HTTPS is enabled by default and
HTTP can also be enabled. The default IP address to connect to the service port interface is 192.168.1.1.
Note
For the initial GUI Configuration Wizard only, you cannot access the Cisco WLC using IPv6 address.
Figure 1: Configuration Wizard System Information Page
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
In the System Name box, enter the name that you want to assign to this Cisco WLC. You can enter up to 31 ASCII
characters.
In the User Name box, enter the administrative username to be assigned to this Cisco WLC. You can enter up to 24
ASCII characters. The default username is admin.
In the Password and Confirm Password boxes, enter the administrative password to be assigned to this Cisco WLC.
You can enter up to 24 ASCII characters. The default password is admin.

14
Starting in release 7.0.116.0, the following password policy has been implemented:
The password must contain characters from at least three of the following classes:
Lowercase letters
Uppercase letters
Digits
Special characters
No character in the password must be repeated more than three times consecutively.
The new password must not be the same as the associated username and not be the username reversed.
The password must not be cisco, ocsic, or any variant obtained by changing the capitalization of letters of the word
Cisco. In addition, you cannot substitute 1, I, or ! for i, 0 for o, or $ for s.
Step 6
Click Next. The SNMP Summary page is displayed.

Figure 2: Configuration WizardSNMP Summary Page
Step 7
If you want to enable Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) v1 mode for this Cisco WLC, choose Enable
from the SNMP v1 Mode drop-down list. Otherwise, leave this parameter set to Disable.
Note
SNMP manages nodes (servers, workstations, routers, switches, and so on) on an IP network. Currently, there
are three versions of SNMP: SNMPv1, SNMPv2c, and SNMPv3.

15
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
If you want to enable SNMPv2c mode for this Cisco WLC, leave this parameter set to Enable. Otherwise, choose Disable
from the SNVP v2c Mode drop-down list.
If you want to enable SNMPv3 mode for this Cisco WLC, leave this parameter set to Enable. Otherwise, choose Disable
from the SNVP v3 Mode drop-down list.
Click Next.
When the following message appears, click OK:
Default values are present for v1/v2c community strings.
Please make sure to create new v1/v2c community strings once the system comes up.
Please make sure to create new v3 users once the system comes up.
The Service Interface Configuration page is displayed.

Figure 3: Configuration Wizard-Service Interface Configuration Page
Step 12
Step 13
If you want the Cisco WLCs service-port interface to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server, check the DHCP
Protocol Enabled check box. If you do not want to use the service port or if you want to assign a static IP address to
the service port, leave the check box unchecked.
Note
The service-port interface controls communications through the service port. Its IP address must be on a different
subnet from the management interface. This configuration enables you to manage the controller directly or
through a dedicated management network to ensure service access during network downtime.
Perform one of the following:
If you enabled DHCP, clear out any entries in the IP Address and Netmask text boxes, leaving them blank.
If you disabled DHCP, enter the static IP address and netmask for the service port in the IP Address and Netmask
text boxes.
Step 14
Click Next.

16
The LAG Configuration page is displayed.

Figure 4: Configuration WizardLAG Configuration Page
Step 15
Step 16
To enable link aggregation (LAG), choose Enabled from the Link Aggregation (LAG) Mode drop-down list. To disable
LAG, leave this text box set to Disabled.
Click Next.
The Management Interface Configuration page is displayed.
Note
The management interface is the default interface for in-band management of the controller and connectivity
to enterprise services such as AAA servers.

17
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
Step 21
Step 22
Step 23
Step 24
Step 25
Step 26
Step 27
In the VLAN Identifier box, enter the VLAN identifier of the management interface (either a valid VLAN identifier or
0 for an untagged VLAN). The VLAN identifier should be set to match the switch interface configuration.
In the IP Address box, enter the IP address of the management interface.
In the Netmask box, enter the IP address of the management interface netmask.
In the Gateway box, enter the IP address of the default gateway.
In the Port Number box, enter the number of the port assigned to the management interface. Each interface is mapped
to at least one primary port.
In the Backup Port box, enter the number of the backup port assigned to the management interface. If the primary port
for the management interface fails, the interface automatically moves to the backup port.
In the Primary DHCP Server box, enter the IP address of the default DHCP server that will supply IP addresses to
clients, the controllers management interface, and optionally, the service port interface.
In the Secondary DHCP Server box, enter the IP address of an optional secondary DHCP server that will supply IP
addresses to clients, the controllers management interface, and optionally, the service port interface.
Click Next. The AP-Manager Interface Configuration page is displayed.
Note
This screen does not appear for Cisco 5508 WLCs because you are not required to configure an AP-manager
interface. The management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default.
In the IP Address box, enter the IP address of the AP-manager interface.
Click Next. The Miscellaneous Configuration page is displayed.
Figure 5: Configuration WizardMiscellaneous Configuration Page
Step 28
In the RF Mobility Domain Name box, enter the name of the mobility group/RF group to which you want the controller
to belong.
Note
Although the name that you enter here is assigned to both the mobility group and the RF group, these groups
are not identical. Both groups define clusters of controllers, but they have different purposes. All of the controllers
in an RF group are usually also in the same mobility group and vice versa. However, a mobility group facilitates
scalable, system-wide mobility and controller redundancy while an RF group facilitates scalable, system-wide
dynamic RF management.

18
Step 29
Step 30
Step 31
The Configured Country Code(s) box shows the code for the country in which the controller will be used. If you want
to change the country of operation, check the check box for the desired country.
Note
You can choose more than one country code if you want to manage access points in multiple countries from a
single controller. After the configuration wizard runs, you must assign each access point joined to the controller
to a specific country.
Click Next.
Warning! To maintain regulatory compliance functionality, the country code
setting may only be modified by a network administrator or qualified IT professional.
Ensure that proper country codes are selected before proceeding.?
The Virtual Interface Configuration page is displayed.

Figure 6: Configuration Wizard Virtual Interface Configuration Page
Step 32
Step 33
In the IP Address box, enter the IP address of the Cisco WLCs virtual interface. You should enter a fictitious, unassigned
IP address.
Note
The virtual interface is used to support mobility management, DHCP relay, and embedded Layer 3 security
such as guest web authentication and VPN termination. All controllers within a mobility group must be configured
with the same virtual interface IP address.
In the DNS Host Name box, enter the name of the Domain Name System (DNS) gateway used to verify the source of
certificates when Layer 3 web authorization is enabled.
Note
To ensure connectivity and web authentication, the DNS server should always point to the virtual interface. If
a DNS hostname is configured for the virtual interface, then the same DNS hostname must be configured on
the DNS servers used by the client.

19
Step 34
Click Next. The WLAN Configuration page is displayed.

Figure 7: Configuration Wizard WLAN Configuration Page
Step 35
Step 36
Step 37
Step 38
In the Profile Name box, enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters for the profile name to be assigned to this WLAN.
In the WLAN SSID box, enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters for the network name, or service set identifier (SSID).
The SSID enables basic functionality of the Cisco WLC and allows access points that have joined the controller to enable
their radios.
Click Next.
Default Security applied to WLAN is: [WPA2(AES)][Auth(802.1x)]. You can change
this after the wizard is complete and the system is rebooted.?

20
The RADIUS Server Configuration page is displayed.

Figure 8: Configuration Wizard-RADIUS Server Configuration Page
Step 39
Step 40
In the Server IP Address box, enter the IP address of the RADIUS server.
From the Shared Secret Format drop-down list, choose ASCII or Hex to specify the format of the shared secret.
Note
Due to security reasons, the RADIUS shared secret key reverts to ASCII mode even if you have selected HEX
as the shared secret format from the Shared Secret Format drop-down list.

21
Step 41
Step 42
Step 43
Step 44
In the Shared Secret and Confirm Shared Secret boxes, enter the secret key used by the RADIUS server.
In the Port Number box, enter the communication port of the RADIUS server. The default value is 1812.
To enable the RADIUS server, choose Enabled from the Server Status drop-down list. To disable the RADIUS server,
leave this box set to Disabled.
Click Apply. The 802.11 Configuration page is displayed.
Figure 9: Configuration Wizard802.11 Configuration Page
Step 45
To enable the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g lightweight access point networks, leave the 802.11a Network Status,
802.11b Network Status, and 802.11g Network Status check boxes checked. To disable support for any of these
networks, uncheck the check boxes.
Step 46
To enable the controllers radio resource management (RRM) auto-RF feature, leave the Auto RF check box selected.
To disable support for the auto-RF feature, uncheck this check box.
Note
The auto-RF feature enables the controller to automatically form an RF group with other controllers. The group
dynamically elects a leader to optimize RRM parameter settings, such as channel and transmit power assignment,
for the group.

22
Step 47
Click Next. The Set Time page is displayed.

Figure 10: Configuration Wizard Set Time Screen
Step 48
Step 49
To manually configure the system time on your controller, enter the current date in Month/DD/YYYY format and the
current time in HH:MM:SS format.
To manually set the time zone so that Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not set automatically, enter the local hour difference
from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the Delta Hours box and the local minute difference from GMT in the Delta
Mins box.
Note
When manually setting the time zone, enter the time difference of the local current time zone with respect to
GMT (+/). For example, Pacific time in the United States is 8 hours behind GMT. Therefore, it is entered as
8.

23
Step 50
Click Next. The Configuration Wizard Completed page is displayed.

Figure 11: Configuration WizardConfiguration Wizard Completed Page
Step 51
Step 52
Click Save and Reboot to save your configuration and reboot the Cisco WLC.
Configuration will be saved and the controller will be
rebooted. Click ok to confirm.?
The Cisco WLC saves your configuration, reboots, and prompts you to log on.
Configuring the ControllerUsing the CLI Configuration Wizard

Before You Begin
The available options appear in brackets after each configuration parameter. The default value appears
in all uppercase letters.
If you enter an incorrect response, the controller provides you with an appropriate error message, such
as Invalid Response, and returns you to the wizard prompt.
Press the hyphen key if you ever need to return to the previous command line.
Step 1
When prompted to terminate the AutoInstall process, enter yes. If you do not enter yes, the AutoInstall process begins
after 30 seconds.

24
The AutoInstall feature downloads a configuration file from a TFTP server and then loads the configuration
onto the controller automatically.
Enter the system name, which is the name that you want to assign to the controller. You can enter up to 31 ASCII
characters.
Enter the administrative username and password to be assigned to this controller. You can enter up to 24 ASCII characters
for each.
Starting in release 7.0.116.0, the following password policy has been implemented:
Note
Step 2
Step 3
The password must contain characters from at least three of the following classes:
Lowercase letters
Uppercase letters
Digits
Special characters
No character in the password must be repeated more than three times consecutively.
The new password must not be the same as the associated username and not be the username reversed.
The password must not be cisco, ocsic, or any variant obtained by changing the capitalization of letters of the word
Cisco. In addition, you cannot substitute 1, I, or ! for i, 0 for o, or $ for s.
Step 4
If you want the controllers service-port interface to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server, enter DHCP. If you do
not want to use the service port or if you want to assign a static IP address to the service port, enter none.
Note
The service-port interface controls communications through the service port. Its IP address must be on a different
subnet from the management interface. This configuration enables you to manage the controller directly or
through a dedicated management network to ensure service access during network downtime.
Step 5
If you entered none in Step 4, enter the IP address and netmask for the service-port interface on the next two lines.
Enable or disable link aggregation (LAG) by choosing yes or NO.
Enter the IP address of the management interface.
Note
to enterprise services such as AAA servers.
Enter the IP address of the management interface netmask.
Enter the IP address of the default router.
Enter the VLAN identifier of the management interface (either a valid VLAN identifier or 0 for an untagged VLAN).
The VLAN identifier should be set to match the switch interface configuration.
Enter the IP address of the default DHCP server that will supply IP addresses to clients, the management interface of
the controller, and optionally, the service port interface. Enter the IP address of the AP-manager interface.
Note
This prompt does not appear for Cisco 5500 Series Controllers because you are not required to configure an
AP-manager interface. The management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Enter the IP address of the controllers virtual interface. You should enter a fictitious unassigned IP address.
Note
The virtual interface is used to support mobility management, DHCP relay, and embedded Layer 3 security
such as guest web authentication and VPN termination. All controllers within a mobility group must be configured
with the same virtual interface IP address.
If desired, enter the name of the mobility group/RF group to which you want the controller to belong.

25
Although the name that you enter here is assigned to both the mobility group and the RF group, these groups
are not identical. Both groups define clusters of controllers, but they have different purposes. All of the controllers
in an RF group are usually also in the same mobility group and vice versa. However, a mobility group facilitates
scalable, system-wide mobility and controller redundancy while an RF group facilitates scalable, system-wide
dynamic RF management.
Enter the network name or service set identifier (SSID). The SSID enables basic functionality of the controller and allows
access points that have joined the controller to enable their radios.
Enter YES to allow clients to assign their own IP address or no to require clients to request an IP address from a DHCP
server.
To configure a RADIUS server now, enter YES and then enter the IP address, communication port, and secret key of
the RADIUS server. Otherwise, enter no. If you enter no, the following message appears: Warning! The default WLAN
security policy requires a RADIUS server. Please see the documentation for more details.
Enter the code for the country in which the controller will be used.
Note
Enter help to view the list of available country
codes.
Note
You can enter more than one country code if you want to manage access points in multiple countries from a
single controller. To do so, separate the country codes with a comma (for example, US,CA,MX). After the
configuration wizard runs, you need to assign each access point joined to the controller to a specific country.
Enable or disable the 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g lightweight access point networks by entering YES or no.
Note
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
Enable or disable the controllers radio resource management (RRM) auto-RF feature by entering YES or no.
Note
The auto-RF feature enables the controller to automatically form an RF group with other controllers. The group
dynamically elects a leader to optimize RRM parameter settings, such as channel and transmit power assignment,
for the group.
If you want the controller to receive its time setting from an external Network Time Protocol (NTP) server when it powers
up, enter YES to configure an NTP server. Otherwise, enter no.
Note
The controller network module installed in a Cisco Integrated Services Router does not have a battery and cannot
save a time setting. Therefore, it must receive a time setting from an external NTP server when it powers up.
Step 21
If you entered no in Step 20 and want to manually configure the system time on your controller now, enter YES. If you
do not want to configure the system time now, enter no.
Step 22
If you entered YES in Step 21, enter the current date in the MM/DD/YY format and the current time in the HH:MM:SS
format.
After you have completed step 22, the wizard prompts you to configure IPv6 parameters. Enter yes to proceed.
Step 23
Enter the service port interface IPv6 address configuration. You can enter either static or SLAAC.
If you entered, SLAAC, then IPv6 address is autoconfigured.
If you entered, static, you need to enter the IPv6 address and its prefix length of the service interface.
Step 24
Step 25
Step 26
Enter the IPv6 address of the management interface.

Enter the IPv6 address prefix length of the management interface.
Enter the gateway IPv6 address of the management interface .
Once the management interface configuration is complete, the wizard prompts to configure IPv6 parameters for RADIUS
server. Enter yes.
Step 27
Step 28
Step 29
Enter the IPv6 address of the RADIUS server.

Enter the communication port number of the RADIUS server. The default value is 1812.
Enter the secret key for IPv6 address of the RADIUS server.

26
Using the AutoInstall Feature for Controllers Without a Configuration
Once the RADIUS server configuration is complete, the wizard prompts to configure IPv6 NTP server. Enter yes.
Step 30
Step 31
Enter the IPv6 address of the NTP server.

When prompted to verify that the configuration is correct, enter yes or NO.
The Cisco WLC saves your configuration when you enter yes, reboots, and prompts you to log on.

This section describes how to use the AutoInstall feature for controllers without a configuration.
Information About the AutoInstall Feature

When you boot up a controller that does not have a configuration, the AutoInstall feature can download a
configuration file from a TFTP server and then load the configuration onto the controller automatically.
If you create a configuration file on a controller that is already on the network (or through a Prime Infrastructure
filter), place that configuration file on a TFTP server, and configure a DHCP server so that a new controller
can get an IP address and TFTP server information, the AutoInstall feature can obtain the configuration file
for the new controller automatically.
When the controller boots, the AutoInstall process starts. The controller does not take any action until
AutoInstall is notified that the configuration wizard has started. If the wizard has not started, the controller
has a valid configuration.
If AutoInstall is notified that the configuration wizard has started (which means that the controller does not
have a configuration), AutoInstall waits for an additional 30 seconds. This time period gives you an opportunity
to respond to the first prompt from the configuration wizard:
Would you like to terminate autoinstall? [yes]:
When the 30-second abort timeout expires, AutoInstall starts the DHCP client. You can abort the AutoInstall
task even after this 30-second timeout if you enter Yes at the prompt. However, AutoInstall cannot be aborted
if the TFTP task has locked the flash and is in the process of downloading and installing a valid configuration
file.
Note
The AutoInstall process and manual configuration using both the GUI and CLI of Cisco WLC can occur
in parallel. As part of the AutoInstall cleanup process, the service port IP address is set to 192.168.1.1 and
the service port protocol configuration is modified. Because the AutoInstall process takes precedence over
the manual configuration, whatever manual configuration is performed is overwritten by the AutoInstall
process.
Restrictions on AutoInstall
In Cisco 5508 WLCs, the following interfaces are used:
eth0Service port (untagged)
dtl0Gigabit port 1 through the NPU (untagged)

27
AutoInstall is not supported on Cisco 2504 WLC.
Obtaining an IP Address Through DHCP and Downloading a Configuration File from a TFTP Server
AutoInstall attempts to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server until the DHCP process is successful or
until you abort the AutoInstall process. The first interface to successfully obtain an IP address from the DHCP
server registers with the AutoInstall task. The registration of this interface causes AutoInstall to begin the
process of obtaining TFTP server information and downloading the configuration file.
Following the acquisition of the DHCP IP address for an interface, AutoInstall begins a short sequence of
events to determine the host name of the controller and the IP address of the TFTP server. Each phase of this
sequence gives preference to explicitly configured information over default or implied information and to
explicit host names over explicit IP addresses.
The process is as follows:
If at least one Domain Name System (DNS) server IP address is learned through DHCP, AutoInstall
creates a /etc/resolv.conf file. This file includes the domain name and the list of DNS servers that have
been received. The Domain Name Server option provides the list of DNS servers, and the Domain Name
option provides the domain name.
If the domain servers are not on the same subnet as the controller, static route entries are installed for
each domain server. These static routes point to the gateway that is learned through the DHCP Router
option.
The host name of the controller is determined in this order by one of the following:
If the DHCP Host Name option was received, this information (truncated at the first period [.]) is
used as the host name for the controller.
A reverse DNS lookup is performed on the controller IP address. If DNS returns a hostname, this
name (truncated at the first period [.]) is used as the hostname for the controller.
The IP address of the TFTP server is determined in this order by one of the following:
If AutoInstall received the DHCP TFTP Server Name option, AutoInstall performs a DNS lookup
on this server name. If the DNS lookup is successful, the returned IP address is used as the IP
address of the TFTP server.
If the DHCP Server Host Name (sname) text box is valid, AutoInstall performs a DNS lookup on
this name. If the DNS lookup is successful, the IP address that is returned is used as the IP address
of the TFTP server.
If AutoInstall received the DHCP TFTP Server Address option, this address is used as the IP
address of the TFTP server.
AutoInstall performs a DNS lookup on the default TFTP server name (cisco-wlc-tftp). If the DNS
lookup is successful, the IP address that is received is used as the IP address of the TFTP server.
If the DHCP server IP address (siaddr) text box is nonzero, this address is used as the IP address
of the TFTP server.
The limited broadcast address (255.255.255.255) is used as the IP address of the TFTP server.

28
If the TFTP server is not on the same subnet as the controller, a static route (/32) is installed for the IP
address of the TFTP server. This static route points to the gateway that is learned through the DHCP
Router option.
Selecting a Configuration File

After the hostname and TFTP server have been determined, AutoInstall attempts to download a configuration
file. AutoInstall performs three full download iterations on each interface that obtains a DHCP IP address. If
the interface cannot download a configuration file successfully after three attempts, the interface does not
attempt further.
The first configuration file that is downloaded and installed successfully triggers a reboot of the controller.
After the reboot, the controller runs the newly downloaded configuration.
AutoInstall searches for configuration files in the order in which the names are listed:
The filename that is provided by the DHCP Boot File Name option
The filename that is provided by the DHCP File text box
host name-confg
host name.cfg
base MAC address-confg (for example, 0011.2233.4455-confg)
serial number-confg
ciscowlc-confg
ciscowlc.cfg
AutoInstall runs through this list until it finds a configuration file. It stops running if it does not find a
configuration file after it cycles through this list three times on each registered interface.
Note
The downloaded configuration file can be a complete configuration, or it can be a minimal configuration
that provides enough information for the controller to be managed by the Cisco Prime Infrastructure. Full
configuration can then be deployed directly from the Prime Infrastructure.
Note
AutoInstall does not expect the switch connected to the controller to be configured for either channels.
AutoInstall works with a service port in LAG configuration.
Note
Cisco Prime Infrastructure provides AutoInstall capabilities for controllers. A Cisco Prime Infrastructure
administrator can create a filter that includes the host name, the MAC address, or the serial number of the
controller and associate a group of templates (a configuration group) to this filter rule. The Prime
Infrastructure pushes the initial configuration to the controller when the controller boots up initially. After
the controller is discovered, the Prime Infrastructure pushes the templates that are defined in the
configuration group. For more information about the AutoInstall feature and Cisco Prime Infrastructure,
see the Cisco Prime Infrastructure documentation.

29
Managing the Controller System Date and Time
Example: AutoInstall Operation

The following is an example of an AutoInstall process from start to finish:
Welcome to the Cisco Wizard Configuration Tool
Use the '-' character to backup
Would you like to terminate autoinstall? [yes]:
AUTO-INSTALL: starting now...
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP TFTP Filename ==> 'abcd-confg'
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP TFTP Server IP ==> 1.100.108.2
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP siaddr ==> 1.100.108.2
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP Domain Server[0] ==> 1.100.108.2
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP Domain Name ==> 'engtest.com'
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP yiaddr ==> 172.19.29.253
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP Netmask ==> 255.255.255.0
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' - setting DHCP Gateway ==> 172.19.29.1
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'service-port' registered
AUTO-INSTALL: interation 1 -- interface 'service-port'
AUTO-INSTALL: DNS reverse lookup 172.19.29.253 ===> 'wlc-1'
AUTO-INSTALL: hostname 'wlc-1'
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP server 1.100.108.2 (from DHCP Option 150)
AUTO-INSTALL: attempting download of 'abcd-confg'
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'TFTP Config transfer starting.' (2)
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP file ==> 'bootfile1'
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP TFTP Filename ==> 'bootfile2-confg'
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP siaddr ==> 1.100.108.2
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP Domain Server[0] ==> 1.100.108.2
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP Domain Name ==> 'engtest.com'
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP yiaddr ==> 1.100.108.238
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP Netmask ==> 255.255.254.0
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' - setting DHCP Gateway ==> 1.100.108.1
AUTO-INSTALL: interface 'management' registered
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'Config file transfer failed - Error from server: File not
found' (3)
AUTO-INSTALL: attempting download of 'wlc-1-confg'
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'TFTP Config transfer starting.' (2)
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'TFTP receive complete... updating configuration.' (2)
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'TFTP receive complete... storing in flash.' (2)
AUTO-INSTALL: TFTP status - 'System being reset.' (2)
Resetting system

This section describes how to manage the date and time of a controller system.
Information About Controller System Date and Time

You can configure the controller system date and time at the time of configuring the controller using the
configuration wizard. If you did not configure the system date and time through the configuration wizard or
if you want to change your configuration, you can follow the instructions in this section to configure the
controller to obtain the date and time from a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server or to configure the date
and time manually. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is used as the standard for setting the time zone on the
controller.
You can also configure an authentication mechanism between various NTP servers.

30
Restrictions on Configuring the Cisco WLC Date and Time

If you are configuring wIPS, you must set the controller time zone to UTC.
Cisco Aironet lightweight access points might not connect to the controller if the date and time are not
set properly. Set the current date and time on the controller before allowing the access points to connect
to it.
You can configure an authentication channel between the controller and the NTP server.
Configuring the Date and Time (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Commands > Set Time to open the Set Time page.
Figure 12: Set Time Page
The current date and time appear at the top of the page.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
In the Timezone area, choose your local time zone from the Location drop-down list.
Note
When you choose a time zone that uses Daylight Saving Time (DST), the controller automatically sets its system
clock to reflect the time change when DST occurs. In the United States, DST starts on the second Sunday in
March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Note
You cannot set the time zone delta on the controller GUI. However, if you do so on the Cisco WLC CLI, the
change is reflected in the Delta Hours and Mins boxes on the Cisco WLC GUI.
Click Set Timezone to apply your changes.
In the Date area, choose the current local month and day from the Month and Day drop-down lists, and enter the year
in the Year box.
In the Time area, choose the current local hour from the Hour drop-down list, and enter the minutes and seconds in the
Minutes and Seconds boxes.

31
If you change the time zone location after setting the date and time, the values in the Time area are updated to
reflect the time in the new time zone location. For example, if the controller is currently configured for noon
Eastern time and you change the time zone to Pacific time, the time automatically changes to 9:00 a.m.
Click Set Date and Time to apply your changes.
Click Save Configuration.
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Configuring the Date and Time (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the current local date and time in GMT on the controller by entering this command:
config time manual mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss
When setting the time, the current local time is entered in terms of GMT and as a value between 00:00 and
24:00. For example, if it is 8:00 a.m. Pacific time in the United States, you would enter 16:00 because the Pacific
time zone is 8 hours behind GMT.
Perform one of the following to set the time zone for the controller:
Note
Step 2
Set the time zone location in order to have Daylight Saving Time (DST) set automatically when it occurs by entering
this command:
config time timezone location location_index
where location_index is a number representing one of the following time zone locations:
1 (GMT-12:00) International Date Line West
2 (GMT-11:00) Samoa
3 (GMT-10:00) Hawaii
4 (GMT-9:00) Alaska
5 (GMT-8:00) Pacific Time (US and Canada)
6 (GMT-7:00) Mountain Time (US and Canada)
7 (GMT-6:00) Central Time (US and Canada)
8 (GMT-5:00) Eastern Time (US and Canada)
9 (GMT-4:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
10 (GMT-3:00) Buenos Aires (Argentina)
11 (GMT-2:00) Mid-Atlantic
12 (GMT-1:00) Azores
13 (GMT) London, Lisbon, Dublin, Edinburgh (default value)
14 (GMT +1:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Vienna
15 (GMT +2:00) Jerusalem
16 (GMT +3:00) Baghdad

32
17 (GMT +4:00) Muscat, Abu Dhabi

18 (GMT +4:30) Kabul
19 (GMT +5:00) Karachi, Islamabad, Tashkent
20 (GMT +5:30) Colombo, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
21 (GMT +5:45) Katmandu
22 (GMT +6:00) Almaty, Novosibirsk
23 (GMT +6:30) Rangoon
24 (GMT +7:00) Saigon, Hanoi, Bangkok, Jakarta
25 (GMT +8:00) Hong Kong, Beijing, Chongqing
26 (GMT +9:00) Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo
27 (GMT +9:30) Darwin
28 (GMT+10:00) Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra
29 (GMT+11:00) Magadan, Solomon Is., New Caledonia
30 (GMT+12:00) Kamchatka, Marshall Is., Fiji
31 (GMT+12:00) Auckland (New Zealand)
Note
If you enter this command, the controller automatically sets its system clock to reflect DST when it occurs.
In the United States, DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Manually set the time zone so that DST is not set automatically by entering this command:
config time timezone delta_hours delta_mins
where delta_hours is the local hour difference from GMT, and delta_mins is the local minute difference from GMT.
When manually setting the time zone, enter the time difference of the local current time zone with respect to GMT
(+/). For example, Pacific time in the United States is 8 hours behind GMT. Therefore, it is entered as 8.
Note
You can manually set the time zone and prevent DST from being set only on the controller
CLI.
Step 3
Save your changes by entering this command:

save config
Step 4
Verify that the controller shows the current local time with respect to the local time zone by entering this command:
show time
Information similar to the following appears:
Time.................................... Thu Apr 7 13:56:37 2011
Timezone delta........................... 0:0
Timezone location....................... (GMT +5:30) Colombo, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata
NTP Servers
NTP Polling Interval.........................
3600

33
Index
------1
Note
NTP Key Index

NTP Server
NTP Msg Auth Status
--------------------------------------------------------------1
209.165.200.225
AUTH SUCCESS
If you configured the time zone location, the Timezone Delta value is set to 0:0. If you manually configured
the time zone using the time zone delta, the Timezone Location is blank.

34
PART
II
Management of Cisco WLC

Administration of Cisco WLC, page 37
Managing Licenses, page 51
Managing Software, page 75
Managing Configuration, page 91
Network Time Protocol Setup, page 105
High Availability, page 107
Managing Certificates, page 121
AAA Administration, page 135
Managing Users, page 171
Ports and Interfaces, page 179
IPv6, page 221
Access Control Lists, page 227
Multicast/Broadcast Setup, page 249
Cisco WLC Security, page 273
CHAPTER
Administration of Cisco WLC

HTTP/HTTPS, SSH/Telnet to Cisco WLC, page 37
HTTP/HTTPS, SSH/Telnet to Cisco WLC

Using the Controller GUI
A browser-based GUI is built into each controller.
It allows up to five users to simultaneously browse into the controller HTTP or HTTPS (HTTP + SSL)
management pages to configure parameters and monitor the operational status for the controller and its
associated access points.
For detailed descriptions of the Controller GUI, see the Online Help. To access the online help, click Help
on the Controller GUI.
Note
We recommend that you enable the HTTPS interface and disable the HTTP interface to ensure more robust
security.
Guidelines and Limitations

Follow these guidelines when using the controller GUI:
The GUI must be used on a PC running Windows 7, Windows XP SP1 (or later releases), or Windows
2000 SP4 (or later releases).
The controller Web UI is compatible with the following web browsers
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and later versions
Mozilla Firefox 32 and later versions
To view the Main Dashboard that is introduced in Release 8.1.102.0, you must enable JavaScript on the
web browser.

37
You can use either the service port interface or the management interface to access the GUI. We
recommend that you use the service-port interface.
You can use both HTTP and HTTPS when using the service port interface. HTTPS is enabled by default
and HTTP can also be enabled. The default IP address to connect to the service port interface is
192.168.1.1.
Click Help at the top of any page in the GUI to display online help. You might need to disable your
browsers pop-up blocker to view the online help.
Logging On to the GUI
Note
Do not configure TACACS authentication when the controller is set to use local authentication.
Step 1
Enter the controller IP address in your browsers address bar. For a secure connection, enter https://ip-address. For a
less secure connection, enter http://ip-address.
Step 2
When prompted, enter a valid username and password, and click OK.
The Summary page is displayed.
Note
The administrative username and password that you created in the configuration wizard are case sensitive. The
default username is admin, and the default password is admin.
Logging out of the GUI
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click Logout in the top right corner of the page.

Click Close to complete the log out process and prevent unauthorized users from accessing the controllercontroller GUI.
When prompted to confirm your decision, click Yes.
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes

This section provides instructions to enable the distribution system port as a web port (using HTTP) or as a
secure web port (using HTTPS). You can protect communication with the GUI by enabling HTTPS. HTTPS
protects HTTP browser sessions by using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. When you enable HTTPS,
the controller generates its own local web administration SSL certificate and automatically applies it to the
GUI. You also have the option of downloading an externally generated certificate.
You can configure web and secure web mode using the controller GUI or CLI.

38
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > HTTP-HTTPS.

The HTTP-HTTPS Configuration page is displayed.
Step 2
To enable web mode, which allows users to access the controller GUI using http://ip-address, choose Enabled from
the HTTP Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled. The default value is Disabled. Web mode is not a secure
connection.
Step 3
To enable secure web mode, which allows users to access the controller GUI using https://ip-address, choose Enabled
from the HTTPS Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled. The default value is Enabled. Secure web mode
is a secure connection.
In the Web Session Timeout text box, enter the amount of time, in minutes, before the web session times out due to
inactivity. You can enter a value between 10 and 160 minutes (inclusive). The default value is 30 minutes.
Click Apply.
If you enabled secure web mode in Step 3, the controller generates a local web administration SSL certificate and
automatically applies it to the GUI. The details of the current certificate appear in the middle of the HTTP-HTTPS
Configuration page.
Note
If desired, you can delete the current certificate by clicking Delete Certificate and have the controller generate
a new certificate by clicking Regenerate Certificate.
Choose Controller > General to open the General page.
Choose one of the following options from the Web Color Theme drop-down list:
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
DefaultConfigures the default web color theme for the controller GUI.
RedConfigures the web color theme as red for the controller GUI.
Step 8
Step 9
Click Apply.
Enabling Web and Secure Web Modes (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable web mode by entering this command:

config network webmode {enable | disable}
This command allows users to access the controller GUI using "http://ip-address." The default value is disabled. Web
mode is not a secure connection.
Step 2
Configure the web color theme for the controller GUI by entering this command:
config network webcolor {default | red}
The default color theme for the controller GUI is enabled. You can change the default color scheme as red using the red
option. If you are changing the color theme from the controller CLI, you need to reload the controller GUI screen to
apply your changes.
Step 3
Enable or disable secure web mode by entering this command:

config network secureweb {enable | disable}

39
This command allows users to access the controller GUI using https://ip-address. The default value is enabled. Secure
web mode is a secure connection.
Step 4
Enable or disable secure web mode with increased security by entering this command:
config network secureweb cipher-option high {enable | disable}
This command allows users to access the controller GUI using https://ip-address but only from browsers that support
128-bit (or larger) ciphers. The default value is disabled.
Step 5
Enable or disable SSLv2 for web administration by entering this command:

config network secureweb cipher-option sslv2 {enable | disable}
If you disable SSLv2, users cannot connect using a browser configured with SSLv2 only. They must use a browser that
is configured to use a more secure protocol such as SSLv3 or later. The default value is disabled.
Step 6
Enable or disable preference for RC4-SHA (Rivest Cipher 4-Secure Hash Algorithm) cipher suites (over CBC cipher
suites) for web authentication and web administration by entering this command:
config network secureweb cipher-option rc4-preference {enable | disable}
Step 7
Verify that the controller has generated a certificate by entering this command:
show certificate summary
Web Administration Certificate................. Locally Generated
Web Authentication Certificate................. Locally Generated
Certificate compatibility mode:................ off
Step 8
(Optional) Generate a new certificate by entering this command:

config certificate generate webadmin
After a few seconds, the controller verifies that the certificate has been generated.
Step 9
Save the SSL certificate, key, and secure web password to nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) so that your changes are retained
across reboots by entering this command:
save config
Step 10
Reboot the controller by entering this command:

reset system
Using the Controller CLI

A Cisco UWN solution command-line interface (CLI) is built into each controller. The CLI enables you to
use a VT-100 terminal emulation program to locally or remotely configure, monitor, and control individual
controllers and its associated lightweight access points. The CLI is a simple text-based, tree-structured interface
that allows up to five users with Telnet-capable terminal emulation programs to access the controller.
Note
See the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Command Reference for information on specific commands.

40
Note
If you want to input any strings from the XML configuration into CLI commands, you must enclose the
strings in quotation marks.
Logging on to the Controller CLI

You can access the controller CLI using one of the following two methods:
A direct serial connection to the controller console port
A remote console session over Ethernet through the preconfigured service port or the distribution system
ports
Before you log on to the CLI, configure your connectivity and environment variables based on the type of
connection you use.
On Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, you can use either the RJ-45 console port or the USB console port. If you
use the USB console port, plug the 5-pin mini Type B connector into the controllers USB console port and
the other end of the cable into the PCs USB Type A port. The first time that you connect a Windows PC to
the USB console port, you are prompted to install the USB console driver. Follow the installation prompts to
install the driver. The USB console driver maps to a COM port on your PC; you then need to map the terminal
emulator application to the COM port.
See the Telnet and Secure Shell Sessions section for information on enabling Telnet sessions.
Using a Local Serial Connection
Before You Begin

You need these items to connect to the serial port:
A PC that is running a VT-100 terminal emulation program (such as HyperTerminal, ProComm, Minicom,
or Tip)
A null-modem serial cable
To log on to the controller CLI through the serial port, follow these steps:
Step 1
Connect one end of a null-modem serial cable to the controllers console port and the other end to your PCs serial port.
Step 2
Start the PCs VT-100 terminal emulation program. Configure the terminal emulation program for these parameters:
9600 baud
8 data bits
1 stop bit
No parity
No hardware flow control
Note
Minimum serial timeout on Controller is 15 seconds instead of 1

minute.

41
The controller serial port is set for a 9600 baud rate and a short timeout. If you would like to change either
of these values, enter config serial baudrate baudrate and config serial timeout timeout to make your
changes. If you enter config serial timeout 0, serial sessions never time out.
Note
Step 3
When prompted, enter a valid username and password to log into the controller. The administrative username and
password that you created in the configuration wizard are case sensitive.
Note
The default username is admin, and the default password is
admin.
The CLI displays the root level system prompt:
#(system prompt)>
Note
The system prompt can be any alphanumeric string up to 31 characters. You can change it by entering the config
prompt command.
Using a Remote Ethernet Connection
Before You Begin

You need these items to connect to a controller remotely:
A PC with access to the controller over the Ethernet network
The IP address of the controller
A VT-100 terminal emulation program or a DOS shell for the Telnet session
Note
Step 1
By default, controllers block Telnet sessions. You must use a local connection to the serial port to enable
Telnet sessions.
Verify that your VT-100 terminal emulation program or DOS shell interface is configured with these parameters:
Ethernet address
Port 23
Step 2
Step 3
Use the controller IP address to Telnet to the CLI.

When prompted, enter a valid username and password to log into the controller. The administrative username and
password that you created in the configuration wizard are case sensitive.
Note
The default username is admin, and the default password is
admin.
The CLI displays the root level system prompt.
Note
The system prompt can be any alphanumeric string up to 31 characters. You can change it by entering the config
prompt command.

42
Logging Out of the CLI

When you finish using the CLI, navigate to the root level and enter logout. The system prompts you to save
any changes you made to the volatile RAM.
Note
The CLI automatically logs you out without saving any changes after 5 minutes of inactivity. You can set
the automatic logout from 0 (never log out) to 160 minutes using the config serial timeout command.
Navigating the CLI

The CLI is organized into five levels:
Root Level
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
When you log into the CLI, you are at the root level. From the root level, you can enter any full command
without first navigating to the correct command level.
The following table lists commands you use to navigate the CLI and to perform common tasks.
Table 2: Commands for CLI Navigation and Common Tasks
Command
Action
help
At the root level, view system wide navigation

commands
View commands available at the current level
command ?
View parameters for a specific command
exit
Move down one level
Ctrl-Z
Return from any level to the root level
save config
At the root level, save configuration changes from

active working RAM to nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM)
so they are retained after reboot
reset system
At the root level, reset the controller without logging

out

43
Telnet and Secure Shell Sessions

Information About Telnet and SSH
Telnet is a network protocol used to provide access to the controllers CLI. Secure Shell (SSH) is a more
secure version of Telnet that uses data encryption and a secure channel for data transfer. You can use the
controller GUI or CLI to configure Telnet and SSH sessions.
Restrictions for Telnet and SSH

Only the FIPS approved algorithm aes128-cbc is supported when using SSH to control WLANs.
The controller does not support raw Telnet mode.
Configuring Telnet and SSH Sessions (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > Telnet-SSH to open the Telnet-SSH Configuration page.

Figure 13: Telnet-SSH Configuration Page

44
Step 2
Step 7
In the Telnet Login Timeout text box, enter the number of minutes that a Telnet session is allowed to remain inactive
before being terminated. The valid range is 0 to 160 minutes (inclusive), and the default value is 5 minutes. A value of
0 indicates no timeout.
From the Maximum Number of Sessions drop-down list, choose the number of simultaneous Telnet or SSH sessions
allowed. The valid range is 0 to 5 sessions (inclusive), and the default value is 5 sessions. A value of zero indicates that
Telnet/SSH sessions are disallowed.
To forcefully close current login sessions, choose Management > User Sessions > close from the CLI session drop-down
list.
From the Allow New Telnet Sessions drop-down list, choose Yes or No to allow or disallow new Telnet sessions on
the controller. The default value is No.
From the \ drop-down list, choose Yes or No to allow or disallow new SSH sessions on the controller. The default value
is Yes.
Click Apply.
Step 8
Step 9
To see a summary of the Telnet configuration settings, choose Management > Summary. The Summary page appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Figure 14: Summary Page
This page shows whether additional Telnet and SSH sessions are permitted.
Note
If you are unable to create a new telnet session, close the existing sessions by following the
steps:
Configuring Telnet and SSH Sessions (CLI)
Step 1
Allow or disallow new Telnet sessions on the controller by entering this command:
config network telnet {enable | disable}

45
The default value is disabled.

Step 2
Allow or disallow new SSH sessions on the controller by entering this command:
config network ssh {enable | disable}
The default value is enabled.
Use the config network ssh cipher-option high {enable | disable} command to enable sha2 which is supported
in WLC.
Configure SSH access host-key by entering these commands:
Note
Step 3
Generate or regenerate SSH host key by entering this command:

config network ssh host-key generate
This command generates a 1024-bit key.
Use device certificate private key as SSH host key by entering this command:
config network ssh host-key use-device-certificate-key
This command generates a 2048-bit key.
Step 4
Specify the number of minutes that a Telnet session is allowed to remain inactive before being terminated by entering
this command:
config sessions timeout timeout
where timeout is a value between 0 and 160 minutes (inclusive). The default value is 5 minutes. A value of 0 indicates
no timeout.
Step 5
Specify the number of simultaneous Telnet or SSH sessions allowed by entering this command:
config sessions maxsessions session_num
where session_num is a value between 0 and 5 (inclusive). The default value is 5 sessions. A value of zero indicates that
Telnet/SSH sessions are disallowed.
Step 6

save config
Step 7
See the Telnet and SSH configuration settings by entering this command:
show network summary
RF-Network Name............................. TestNetwork1
Web Mode.................................... Enable
Secure Web Mode............................. Enable
Secure Web Mode Cipher-Option High.......... Disable
Secure Web Mode Cipher-Option SSLv2......... Disable
Secure Shell (ssh).......................... Enable
Telnet................................... Disable
...
Step 8
See the Telnet session configuration settings by entering this command:

show sessions

46

CLI Login Timeout (minutes)............ 5
Maximum Number of CLI Sessions....... 5
Step 9
See all active Telnet sessions by entering this command:

show login-session
ID
User Name
Connection From
Idle Time
Session Time
-- --------------- --------------- ------------ -----------00
admin
EIA-232
00:00:00
00:19:04
Step 10
You can clear Telnet or SSH sessions by entering this command:

clear session session-id
The session-id for the clearing the session should be taken from the show login-session command.
Step 11
You can close all the Telnet or SSH sessions by entering this command:
config loginsession close {session-id | all}
The session-id can be taken from the show login-session command.
Configuring Telnet Privileges for Selected Management Users (GUI)

Using the controller, you can configure Telnet privileges to selected management users. To do this, you must
have enabled Telnet privileges at the global level. By default, all management users have Telnet privileges
enabled.
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
SSH sessions are not affected by this feature.
Choose Management > Local Management Users.

On the Local Management Users page, select or unselect the Telnet Capable check box for a management user.
Click Apply.
Configuring Telnet Privileges for Selected Management Users (CLI)

Configure Telnet privileges for a selected management user by entering this command:
config mgmtuser telnet user-name {enable | disable}

47
Management over Wireless

Information About Management over Wireless
The management over wireless feature allows you to monitor and configure local controllers using a wireless
client. This feature is supported for all management tasks except uploads to and downloads from (transfers
to and from) the controller.
Restrictions on Management over Wireless
Management over Wireless can be disabled only if clients are on central switching.
Enabling Management over Wireless (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Management > Mgmt Via Wireless to open the Management Via Wireless page.
Select the Enable Controller Management to be accessible from Wireless Clients check box to enable management
over wireless for the WLAN or unselect it to disable this feature. The default value is unselected.
Click Apply to commit your changes.
Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Enabling Management over Wireless (CLI)
Step 1
Verify whether the management over wireless interface is enabled or disabled by entering this command:
If disabled: Enable management over wireless by entering this command:config network mgmt-via-wireless
enable
Otherwise, use a wireless client to associate with an access point connected to the controller that you want to
manage.
Step 2
Log into the CLI to verify that you can manage the WLAN using a wireless client by entering this command:
telnet controller-ip-address command

48
Management by Dynamic Interface

Information About Using Dynamic Interfaces for Management
You can access the controller with one of its dynamic interface IP addresses. Both the wired and wireless
clients can access the dynamic interface of the controller using the CLI and GUI. To access the GUI of the
controller enter the dynamic interface IP address of the controller in the address field of either Internet Explorer
or Mozilla Firefox browser. For wired clients, you must enable management of dynamic interface and must
ensure that the wired client is in the VLAN that is mapped to the dynamic interface.
A device, when the management using dynamic interfaces is disabled, can open an SSH connection, if the
protocol is enabled. However, you are not prompted to log on. Additionally, the management address remains
accessible from a dynamic interface VLAN, unless a CPU ACL is in place. When management using dynamic
interface is enabled along with CPU ACL, the CPU ACL has more priority.
The following are some examples of management access and management access using dynamic interfaces,
here the management VLAN IP address of the Cisco WLC is 209.165. 201.1 and dynamic VLAN IP address
of the Cisco WLC is 209.165. 202.129:
Source wired client from Cisco WLC's dynamic interface VLAN accesses the management interface
VLAN and tries for management access.
Source wired client from Cisco WLC's management interface VLAN accesses the dynamic interface
VLAN and tries for management access.
Source wired client from Cisco WLC's dynamic interface VLAN accesses the dynamic interface VLAN
tries and tries for management access.
Source wired client from Layer 3 VLAN interface accesses the dynamic interface or the management
interface and tries for management access.
Here, management is not the management interface but the configuration access. If the Cisco WLC configuration
is accessed from any other IP address on the Cisco WLC other than the management IP, it is management
using dynamic interface.
Configuring Management using Dynamic Interfaces (CLI)

Enable or disable management using dynamic interfaces by entering this command:
config network mgmt-via-dynamic-interface {enable | disable}

49

50
CHAPTER
Managing Licenses
Installing and Configuring Licenses, page 51
Rehosting Licenses, page 64
Cisco Smart Software Licensing, page 68
Call-Home, page 71
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on WLCs and APs, page 73
Installing and Configuring Licenses

Information About Installing and Configuring Licenses
You can order Cisco 5500 Series Controllers with support for 12, 25, 50, 100, 250 or 500 access points as the
controllers base capacity. You can add additional access point capacity through capacity adder licenses
available at 25, 50, 100 and 250 access point capacities. You can add the capacity adder licenses to any base
license in any combination to arrive at the maximum capacity of 500 access points. The base and adder licenses
are supported through both rehosting and RMAs.
The base license supports the standard base software set, and the premium software set is included as part of
the base feature set, which includes this functionality:
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) data encryption for added security across remote WAN and
LAN links.
The availability of data DTLS is as follows:
Cisco 5500 Series ControllerThe Cisco 5500 Series Controller is available with two licensing
options: One with data DTLS capabilities and another image without data DTLS.
2500, WiSM2These platforms by default do not contain DTLS. To turn on data DTLS, you must
install a license. These platforms will have a single image with data DTLS turned off. To use data
DTLS, you must have a license.
Cisco Flex 7500 and Cisco 8500 Series ControllersThe DTLS license is in-built. You are not
required to install DTLS license separately.

51
Support for OfficeExtend access points, which are used for secure mobile teleworking.
All features included in a Wireless LAN Controller WPLUS license are now included in the base license.
There are no changes to Cisco Prime Infrastructure BASE and PLUS licensing. These WPlus license features
are included in the base license:
OfficeExtend AP
Enterprise Mesh
CAPWAP Data Encryption
For information about upgrade and capacity adder licenses, see the product data sheet of your controller model.
Restrictions for Using Licenses

The following are the restrictions you must keep in mind when using licenses for the controllers:
The licensing change can affect features on your wireless LAN when you upgrade or downgrade software
releases, so you should be aware of these guidelines:
If you have a WPlus license and you upgrade from 6.0.x.x to 7.x.x.x, your license file contains
both Basic and WPlus license features. There is no disruption in feature availability and operation.
If you have a WPlus license and you downgrade from 7.x.x.x to 6.0.196.0 or 6.0.188.0 or 6.0.182.0,
your license file contains only base license, and you will lose all WPlus features.
If you have a base license and you downgrade from 6.0.196.0 to 6.0.188.0 or 6.0.182.0, when you
downgrade, you lose all WPlus features.
In the controller software 7.0.116.0 and later releases, the AP association trap is ciscoLwappApAssociated.
In prior releases, the trap was bsnAPAssociated.
The ap-count licenses and their corresponding image-based licenses are installed together. The controller
keeps track of the licensed access point count and does not allow more than the number of access points
to associate to it.
The Cisco 5500 Series Controller is shipped with both permanent and evaluation base and base-ap-count
licenses. If desired, you can activate the evaluation licenses, which are designed for temporary use and
set to expire after 60 days.
No licensing steps are required after you receive your Cisco 5500 Series Controller because the licenses
you ordered are installed at the factory. In addition, licenses and product authorization keys (PAKs) are
preregistered to serial numbers. However, as your wireless network evolves, you might want to add
support for additional access points or upgrade from the standard software set to the base software set.
To do so, you must obtain and install an upgrade license.
Obtaining an Upgrade or Capacity Adder License

This section describes how to get an upgrade or capacity adder license.
Information About Obtaining an Upgrade or Capacity Adder License

A certificate with a product authorization key (PAK) is required before you can obtain an upgrade license.

52
You can use the capacity adder licenses to increase the number of access points supported by the controller
up to a maximum of 500 access points. The capacity adder licenses are available in access point capacities of
10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 access points. You can add these licenses to any of the base capacity licenses of 12,
25, 50, 100 and 250 access points.
For example, if your controller was initially ordered with support for 100 access points (base license
AIR-CT5508-100-K9), you could increase the capacity to 500 access points by purchasing a 250 access point,
100 access point, and a 50 access point additive capacity license (LIC-CT5508-250A, LIC-CT5508-100A,
and LIC-CT5508-50A).
You can find more information on ordering capacity adder licenses at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/5500-series-wireless-controllers/datasheet-listing.html
Note
If you skip any tiers when upgrading (for example, if you do not install the -25U and -50U licenses along
with the -100U), the license registration for the upgraded capacity fails.
For a single controller, you can order different upgrade licenses in one transaction (for example, -25U, -50U,
-100U, and -250U), for which you receive one PAK with one license. Then you have only one license (instead
of four) to install on your controller.
If you have multiple controllers and want to upgrade all of them, you can order multiple quantities of each
upgrade license in one transaction (for example, you can order 10 each of the -25U, -50U, -100U, and -250
upgrade licenses), for which you receive one PAK with one license. You can continue to register the PAK
for multiple controllers until it is exhausted.
For more information about the base license SKUs and capacity adder licenses, see the respective controllers
data sheet.
Obtaining and Registering a PAK Certificate
Step 1
Order the PAK certificate for an upgrade license through your Cisco channel partner or your Cisco sales representative,
or order it online at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/go/ordering
Step 2
If you are ordering online, begin by choosing the primary upgrade SKU L-LIC-CT5508-UPG or LIC CT5508-UPG.
Then, choose any number of the following options to upgrade one or more controllers under one PAK. After you receive
the certificate, use one of the following methods to register the PAK:
Licensing portalThis alternative method enables you to manually obtain and install licenses on your controller.
If you want to use the licensing portal to register the PAK, follow the instructions in Step 3.
Step 3
Use the licensing portal to register the PAK as follows:

a) Go to http://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/Licensing/PrivateRegistrationServlet
b) On the main Product License Registration page, enter the PAK mailed with the certificate in the Product Authorization
Key (PAK) text box and click Submit.
c) On the Validate Features page, enter the number of licenses that you want to register in the Qty text box and click
Update.
d) To determine the controllers product ID and serial number, choose Controller > Inventory on the controller GUI
or enter the show license udi command on the controller CLI.

53
Information similar to the following appears on the controller CLI:

Device#
------*0
PID
SN
------------------- --------------AIR-CT5508-K9
CW1308L030
UDI
----------------------AIR-CT5508-K9:FCW1308L030
e) On the Designate Licensee page, enter the product ID and serial number of the controller on which you plan to install
the license, read and accept the conditions of the end-user license agreement (EULA), complete the rest of the text
boxes on this page, and click Submit.
f) On the Finish and Submit page, verify that all information is correct and click Submit.
g) When a message appears indicating that the registration is complete, click Download License. The license is e-mailed
within 1 hour to the address that you specified.
h) When the e-mail arrives, follow the instructions provided.
i) Copy the license file to your TFTP server.
Installing a License
Installing a License (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > Software Activation > Commands to open the License Commands page.
Step 2
From the Action drop-down list, choose Install License. The Install License from a File section appears.
Step 3
Step 4
In the File Name to Install text box, enter the path to the license (*.lic) on the TFTP server.
Click Install License. A message appears to show whether the license was installed successfully. If the installation fails,
the message provides the reason for the failure, such as the license is an existing license, the path was not found, the
license does not belong to this device, you do not have correct permissions for the license, and so on.
If the end-user license agreement (EULA) acceptance dialog box appears, read the agreement and click Accept to accept
the terms of the agreement.
Note
Typically, you are prompted to accept the EULA for evaluation, extension, and rehost licenses. The EULA is
also required for permanent licenses, but it is accepted during license generation.
Save a backup copy of all installed licenses as follows:
a) From the Action drop-down list, choose Save License.
b) In the File Name to Save text box, enter the path on the TFTP server where you want the licenses to be saved.
Note
You cannot save evaluation
licenses.
c) Click Save Licenses.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Reboot the controller.

Note
We recommend that you reset the system to ensure that the newly installed license file is saved in the
WLC.

54
Installing a License (CLI)
Step 1
Install a license on the controller by entering this command:

license install url
where url is tftp://server_ip/path/filename.
To remove a license from the controller, enter the license clear license_name command. For example, you
might want to delete an expired evaluation license or any unused license. You cannot delete unexpired evaluation
licenses, the permanent base image license, or licenses that are in use by the controller.
If you are prompted to accept the end-user license agreement (EULA), read and accept the terms of the agreement.
Note
Typically, you are prompted to accept the EULA for evaluation, extension, and rehost licenses. The EULA is
also required for permanent licenses, but it is accepted during license generation.
Add comments to a license or delete comments from a license by entering this command:
license comment {add | delete} license_name comment_string
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Save a backup copy of all installed licenses by entering this command:

license save url
Step 5

reset system.
Note
We recommend that you reset the system to ensure that the newly installed license file is saved in the
WLC.
Viewing Licenses
Viewing Licenses (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Management > Software Activation > Licenses to open the Licenses page.
This page lists all of the licenses installed on the controller. For each license, it shows the license type, expiration, count
(the maximum number of access points allowed for this license), priority (low, medium, or high), and status (in use, not
in use, inactive, or EULA not accepted).
Note
Controller platforms do not support the status of grace period or extension as a license type. The license
status will always show evaluation even if a grace period or an extension evaluation license is installed.
Note
If you ever want to remove a license from the controller, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for
the license and click Remove. For example, you might want to delete an expired evaluation license or any
unused license. You cannot delete unexpired evaluation licenses, the permanent base image license, or licenses
that are in use by the controller.
Click the link for the desired license to view more details for a particular license. The License Detail page appears.
This page shows the following additional information for the license:

55
The license type (permanent, evaluation, or extension)

The license version
The status of the license (in use, not in use, inactive, or EULA not accepted)
The length of time before the license expires
Note
Permanent licenses never

expire.
Whether the license is a built-in license

The maximum number of access points allowed for this license
The number of access points currently using this license
Step 3
Step 4
If you want to enter a comment for this license, type it in the Comment text box and click Apply.
Viewing Licenses (CLI)

Before You Begin
See the license level, license type, and number of access points licensed on the controller by entering
this command:
show sysinfo
This example shows a sample output of the command run on Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller using
Release 8.3:
Manufacturer's Name..............................
Product Name.....................................
Product Version..................................
RTOS Version.....................................
Bootloader Version...............................
Emergency Image Version..........................
Cisco Systems Inc.

Cisco Controller
8.3.100.0
8.3.100.0
8.0.110.0
8.0.110.0
OUI File Last Update Time........................ Sun Sep 07 10:44:07 IST 2014
Build Type....................................... DATA + WPS
System Name......................................
System Location..................................
System Contact...................................
System ObjectID..................................
Redundancy Mode..................................
IP Address.......................................
IPv6 Address.....................................
System Up Time...................................
TestSpartan8500Dev1
1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1.1615
Disabled
8.1.4.2
::
0 days 17 hrs 20 mins 58 secs
--More-- or (q)uit
System Timezone Location.........................
System Stats Realtime Interval................... 5
System Stats Normal Interval..................... 180
Configured Country............................... Multiple Countries : IN,US
Operating Environment............................ Commercial (10 to 35 C)

56
Internal Temp Alarm Limits....................... 10 to 38 C

Internal Temperature............................. +21 C
Fan Status....................................... OK
RAID Volume Status
Drive 0.......................................... Good
Drive 1.......................................... Good
State of 802.11b Network.........................
State of 802.11a Network.........................
Number of WLANs..................................
Number of Active Clients.........................
Enabled
Enabled
7
1
OUI Classification Failure Count................. 0

Burned-in MAC Address............................ F4:CF:E2:0A:27:00
Power Supply 1................................... Present, OK
--More-- or (q)uit
Power Supply 2...................................
Maximum number of APs supported..................
System Nas-Id....................................
WLC MIC Certificate Types........................
Licensing Type...................................
Note
Present, OK
6000
SHA1/SHA2
RTU
The Operating Environment and Internal Temp Alarm Limits data are not displayed for
Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers.
See a brief summary of all active licenses installed on the controller by entering this command:
show license summary
Index 1 Feature: wplus
Period left: 0 minute 0 second
Index 2 Feature: wplus-ap-count
Period left: 0 minute 0 second
Index3
Feature: base
Period left: Life time
License Type: Permanent
License State: Active, In Use
License Count: Non-Counted
License Priority: Medium
Index 4 Feature: base-ap-count
Period left: 6 weeks, 4 days
License Type: Evaluation
License Count: 250/250/0
License Priority: High
See all of the licenses installed on the controller by entering this command:
show license all
License Store: Primary License Storage
StoreIndex: 1 Feature: base
Version: 1.0
License State: Active, Not in Use
StoreIndex:
Feature: base-ap-count
Version: 1.0

57

Evaluation total period: 8 weeks 4 days
Evaluation period left: 8 weeks 3 days
License Priority: High
See the details for a particular license by entering this command:

show license detail license_name
Index:
1
Version: 1.0
License State: Active, Not in Use
Store Index: 0
Store Name: Primary License Storage
Index:
2
Version: 1.0
License State: Inactive
License Priority: Low
Store Index: 3
Store Name: Evaluation License Storage
See all expiring, evaluation, permanent, or in-use licenses by entering this command:
show license {expiring | evaluation | permanent | in-use}
Information similar to the following appears for the show license in-use command:
StoreIndex: 2
License
License
License
License
StoreIndex: 3
License
License
License
Note
Version: 1.0
Type: Permanent
State: Active, In Use
Count: 12/12/0
Priority: Medium
Feature: base Version: 1.0
Type: Permanent
State: Active, In Use
Count: Non-Counted License Priority: Medium
Controller platforms do not support the status of grace period or extension as a license
type. The license status will always show evaluation even if a grace period or an
extension evaluation license is installed.
See the maximum number of access points allowed for this license on the controller, the number of
access points currently joined to the controller, and the number of access points that can still join the
controller by entering this command:
show license capacity
Licensed Feature
---------------AP Count
Max Count
--------250

58
Current Count
------------4
Remaining Count
--------------246
See statistics for all licenses on the controller by entering this command:
show license statistics
See a summary of license-enabled features by entering this command:
show license feature
Configuring the Maximum Number of Access Points Supported

Configuring Maximum Number of Access Points to be Supported (GUI)
You can configure the maximum number APs that can be supported on a controller. The controller limits the
number of APs that are supported based on the licensing information and the controller model. The maximum
number of APs supported that is specified in the licensing information overrides the number that you configure
if the configured value is greater than the licensed value. By default, this feature is disabled. You must reboot
the controller if you change the configuration.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Controller > General.

Enter a value in the Maximum Allowed APs text box.
Click Apply.
Configuring Maximum Number of Access Points to be Supported (CLI)

Configure the maximum number of access points to be supported on a controller by entering this
command:
config ap max-count count
See the maximum number of access points that are supported on the controller by entering this command:
show ap max-count summary
Troubleshooting Licensing Issues

Configure debugging of licensing core events and core errors by entering this command:
debug license core {all | errors | events} {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of licensing errors by entering this command:
debug license errors {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of licensing events by entering this command:
debug license events {enable | disable}

59
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License

Information About Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License
If you are considering upgrading to a license with a higher access point count, you can try an evaluation license
before upgrading to a permanent version of the license. For example, if you are using a permanent license
with a 50-access-point count and want to try an evaluation license with a 100-access-point count, you can try
out the evaluation license for 60 days.
AP-count evaluation licenses are set to low priority by default so that the controller uses the ap-count permanent
license. If you want to try an evaluation license with an increased access point count, you must change its
priority to high. If you no longer want to have this higher capacity, you can lower the priority of the ap-count
evaluation license, which forces the controller to use the permanent license.
Note
To prevent disruptions in operation, the controller does not switch licenses when an evaluation license
expires. You must reboot the controller in order to return to a permanent license. Following a reboot, the
controller defaults to the same feature set level as the expired evaluation license. If no permanent license
at the same feature set level is installed, the controller uses a permanent license at another level or an
unexpired evaluation license.
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License (GUI)
Step 1
The Status column shows which licenses are currently in use, and the Priority column shows the current priority of each
license.
Step 2
Activate an ap-count evaluation license as follows:

a) Click the link for the ap-count evaluation license that you want to activate. The License Detail page appears.
b) Choose High from the Priority drop-down list and click Set Priority.
Note
You can set the priority only for ap-count evaluation licenses. AP-count permanent licenses always have a
medium priority, which cannot be configured.
c) Click OK when prompted to confirm your decision about changing the priority of the license.
d) When the EULA appears, read the terms of the agreement and then click Accept.
e) When prompted to reboot the controller, click OK.
f) Reboot the controller in order for the priority change to take effect.
g) Click Licenses to open the Licenses page and verify that the ap-count evaluation license now has a high priority and
is in use. You can use the evaluation license until it expires.
Step 3
If you decide to stop using the ap-count evaluation license and want to revert to using an ap-count permanent license,
follow these steps:
a) On the Licenses page, click the link for the ap-count evaluation license that is in use.
b) Choose Low from the Priority drop-down list and click Set Priority.
Note
c) Click OK when prompted to confirm your decision about changing the priority of the license.

60
d)
e)
f)
g)
When the EULA appears, read the terms of the agreement and then click Accept.
When prompted to reboot the controller, click OK.
Reboot the controller in order for the priority change to take effect.
Click Licenses to open the Licenses page and verify that the ap-count evaluation license now has a low priority and
is not in use. Instead, the ap-count permanent license should be in use.
Activating an AP-Count Evaluation License (CLI)
Step 1
See the current status of all the licenses on your controller by entering this command:
show license all
License Store: Primary License Storage
StoreIndex: 0 Feature: base-ap-count
Version: 1.0
Version: 1.0
Version: 1.0
StoreIndex: 3 Feature: base-ap-count
Version: 1.0
The License State text box shows the licenses that are in use, and the License Priority text box shows the current priority
of each license.
In the 7.2.110.0 release, the command output displays the full in-use count for active base-ap-count license even
though there are no APs connected.
Activate an ap-count evaluation license as follows:
a) Raise the priority of the base-ap-count evaluation license by entering this command:
license modify priority license_name high
Note
Step 2

61
b) Reboot the controller in order for the priority change to take effect by entering this command:
reset system
Note
c) Verify that the ap-count evaluation license now has a high priority and is in use by entering this command:
show license all
You can use the evaluation license until it expires.
Step 3
If you decide to stop using the ap-count evaluation license and want to revert to using an ap-count permanent license,
follow these steps:
a) Lower the priority of the ap-count evaluation license by entering this command:
license modify priority license_name low
b) Reboot the controller in order for the priority change to take effect by entering this command:
reset system
c) Verify that the ap-count evaluation license now has a low priority and is not in use by entering this command:
show license all
Instead, the ap-count permanent license should be in use.
Configuring Right to Use Licensing

Information About Right to Use Licensing
Right to Use (RTU) licensing is a model in which licenses are not tied to a unique device identifier (UDI),
product ID, or serial number. Use RTU licensing to enable a desired AP license count on the controller after
you accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). This allows you to add AP counts on a controller
interacting with external tools.
RTU licensing is supported only on the following Cisco Wireless Controller platforms:
In the RTU licensing model, the following types of licenses are available:
Permanent or base licensesThese licenses are programmed into the controller hardware at the time of
manufacturing. These licenses are base count licenses that cannot be deleted or transferred.
Adder licensesThese licenses are wireless access point count licenses that you can activate by accepting
the RTU EULA. The EULA states that you are obliged to purchase the specified access point count

62
licenses at the time of activation. You must activate these licenses for the purchased access points count
and accept the EULA.
You can remove an adder license from one controller and transfer the license to another controller in
the same product family. For example, an adder license such as LIC-CT7500-100A can be transferred
(partially or fully) from one Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controller to another Cisco Flex 7500 Series
Controller.
Note
Licenses embedded in the controller at the time of shipment is not transferrable.
Evaluation licensesThese licenses are demo or trial mode licenses that are valid for 90 days. Fifteen
days prior to the expiry of the 90-day period, you are notified about the requirement to buy the permanent
license. These evaluation licenses are installed with the license image. You can activate the evaluation
licenses anytime with a command. A EULA is prompted after you run the activation command on the
controller CLI. The EULA states that you are obligated to pay for the specified license count within 90
days of usage. The countdown starts after you accept the EULA.
Whenever you add or delete an access point adder license on the controller, you are prompted with an RTU
EULA. You can either accept or decline the RTU EULA for each add or delete operation.
For high-availability (HA) controllers when you enable HA, the controllers synchronize with the enabled
license count of the primary controller and support high availability for up to the license count enabled on the
primary controller.
You can view the RTU licenses through the controller GUI or CLI. You can also view these licenses across
multiple wireless controllers through Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
With Release 8.1, the license management for Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller is changed from license-file
based management to Right-to-Use-based management. The previous licenses are still valid, and when you
upgrade to Release 8.1 from an earlier release, you are required to only accept an end-user license agreement
again to the quantity installed before.
Configuring Right to Use Licensing (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the Adder License area, choose to add or delete the number of APs that an AP license can support, enter a value, and
click Set Count.
Configuring Right to Use Licensing (CLI)

Add or delete the number of APs that an AP license can support by entering this command:
license {add | delete} ap-count count
Add or delete a license for a feature by entering this command:
license {add | delete} feature license_name

63
Rehosting Licenses
Activate or deactivate an evaluation AP count license by entering this command:

license {activate | deactivate} ap-count eval
Note
When you activate the license, you are prompted to accept or reject the End User License
Agreement (EULA) for the given license. If you activate a license that supports fewer
number of APs than the current number of APs connected to the controller, the activation
command fails.
Activate or deactivate a feature license by entering this command:

license {activate | deactivate} feature license_name
See the licensing information by entering this command:
show license all
Note
After you add or delete the license, WLC must use the save config command to save the license.
Rehosting Licenses
This section describes how to rehost licenses.
Information About Rehosting Licenses

Revoking a license from one controller and installing it on another is called rehosting. You might want to
rehost a license in order to change the purpose of a controller. For example, if you want to move your
OfficeExtend or indoor mesh access points to a different controller, you could transfer the adder license from
one controller to another controller of the same model (intramodel transfer). This can be done in the case of
RMA or a network rearchitecture that requires you to transfer licenses from one appliance to another. It is not
possible to rehost base licenses in normal scenarios of network rearchitecture. The only exception where the
transfer of base licenses is allowed is for RMA when you get a replacement hardware when your existing
appliance has a failure.
Evaluation licenses cannot be rehosted.
In order to rehost a license, you must generate credential information from the controller and use it to obtain
a permission ticket to revoke the license from the Cisco licensing site. Next, you must obtain a rehost ticket
and use it to obtain a license installation file for the controller on which you want to install the license.
Note
A revoked license cannot be reinstalled on the same controller.

64
Rehosting Licenses
Note
Starting in the release 7.3, the Right-to-Use licensing is supported on the Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers,
thereby the rehosting behavior changes on these controllers. If you require to rehost licenses, you need to
plan rehosting the installed adder licenses prior to an upgrade.
Rehosting a License
Rehosting a License (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Management > Software Activation > Commands to open the License Commands page.
From the Action drop-down list, choose Rehost. The Revoke a License from the Device and Generate Rehost Ticket
area appears.
In the File Name to Save Credentials text box, enter the path on the TFTP server where you want the device credentials
to be saved and click Save Credentials.
To obtain a permission ticket to revoke the license, follow these steps:
a) Click Cisco Licensing (https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/Licensing/PrivateRegistrationServlet).
b) On the Product License Registration page, click Look Up a License under Manage Licenses.
c) Enter the product ID and serial number for your controller.
Note
To find the controllers product ID and serial number, choose Controller > Inventory on the controller
GUI.
d) Open the device credential information file that you saved in Step 3 and copy and paste the contents of the file into
the Device Credentials text box.
e) Enter the security code in the blank box and click Continue.
f) Choose the licenses that you want to revoke from this controller and click Start License Transfer.
g) On the Rehost Quantities page, enter the number of licenses that you want to revoke in the To Rehost text box and
click Continue.
h) On the Designate Licensee page, enter the product ID and serial number of the controller for which you plan to revoke
the license, read and accept the conditions of the End User License Agreement (EULA), complete the rest of the text
boxes on this page, and click Continue.
i) On the Review and Submit page, verify that all information is correct and click Submit.
j) When a message appears indicating that the registration is complete, click Download Permission Ticket. The rehost
permission ticket is e-mailed within 1 hour to the address that you specified.
k) After the e-mail arrives, copy the rehost permission ticket to your TFTP server.
Use the rehost permission ticket to revoke the license from this controller and generate a rehost ticket as follows:
a) In the Enter Saved Permission Ticket File Name text box, enter the TFTP path and filename (*.lic) for the rehost
permission ticket that you generated in Step 4.
b) In the Rehost Ticket File Name text box, enter the TFTP path and filename (*.lic) for the ticket that will be used to
rehost this license on another controller.
c) Click Generate Rehost Ticket.

65
Rehosting Licenses
d) When the End User License Agreement (EULA) acceptance dialog box appears, read the agreement and click Accept
to accept the terms of the agreement.
Step 6
Use the rehost ticket generated in Step 5 to obtain a license installation file, which can then be installed on another
controller as follows:
a) Click Cisco Licensing.
b) On the Product License Registration page, click Upload Rehost Ticket under Manage Licenses.
c) On the Upload Ticket page, enter the rehost ticket that you generated in Step 5 in the Enter Rehost Ticket text box
and click Continue.
d) On the Validate Features page, verify that the license information for your controller is correct, enter the rehost
quantity, and click Continue.
e) On the Designate Licensee page, enter the product ID and serial number of the controller on which you plan to use
the license, read and accept the conditions of the End User License Agreement (EULA), complete the rest of the text
f) On the Review and Submit page, verify that all information is correct and click Submit.
g) When a message appears indicating that the registration is complete, click Download License. The rehost license
key is e-mailed within 1 hour to the address that you specified.
h) After the e-mail arrives, copy the rehost license key to your TFTP server.
i) Follow the instructions in the Installing a License section to install this on another controller.
Step 7
After revoking the license on original controller, correspondent evaluation licence appear with High pritority. Lower the
priority of the evaluation license so that the parmanent license is in "In Use" status.
Rehosting a License (CLI)
Step 1
Save device credential information to a file by entering this command:

license save credential url
Step 2
Obtain a permission ticket to revoke the license as follows:

a) Go to https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/Licensing/PrivateRegistrationServlet. The Product License Registration page
appears.
b) Under Manage Licenses, click Look Up a License.
c) Enter the product ID and serial number for your controller.
Note
To find the controllers product ID and serial number, enter the show license udi command on the controller
CLI.
d) Open the device credential information file that you saved in Step 1 and copy and paste the contents of the file into
the Device Credentials text box.
e) Enter the security code in the blank box and click Continue.
f) Choose the licenses that you want to revoke from this controller and click Start License Transfer.
g) On the Rehost Quantities page, enter the number of licenses that you want to revoke in the To Rehost text box and
click Continue.

66
Rehosting Licenses
h) On the Designate Licensee page, enter the product ID and serial number of the controller for which you plan to revoke
the license, read and accept the conditions of the End-User License Agreement (EULA), complete the rest of the text
i) On the Review and Submit page, verify that all information is correct and click Submit.
j) When a message appears indicating that the registration is complete, click Download Permission Ticket. The rehost
permission ticket is e-mailed within 1 hour to the address that you specified.
k) After the e-mail arrives, copy the rehost permission ticket to your TFTP server.
Step 3
Use the rehost permission ticket to revoke the license from this controller and generate a rehost ticket as follows:
a) Revoke the license from the controller by entering this command:
license revoke permission_ticket_url
where permission_ticket_url is tftp://server_ip/path/filename.
b) Generate the rehost ticket by entering this command:
license revoke rehost rehost_ticket_url
where rehost_ticket_url is tftp://server_ip/path/filename.
c) If prompted, read and accept the terms of the End-User License Agreement (EULA).
Step 4
Use the rehost ticket generated in Step 3 to obtain a license installation file, which can then be installed on another
controller as follows:
a) Go to https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/Licensing/PrivateRegistrationServlet.
b) On the Product License Registration page, click Upload Rehost Ticket under Manage Licenses.
c) On the Upload Ticket page, enter the rehost ticket that you generated in Step 3 in the Enter Rehost Ticket text box
and click Continue.
d) On the Validate Features page, verify that the license information for your controller is correct, enter the rehost
quantity, and click Continue.
e) On the Designate Licensee page, enter the product ID and serial number of the controller on which you plan to use
the license, read and accept the conditions of the End-User License Agreement (EULA), complete the rest of the text
f) On the Review and Submit page, verify that all information is correct and click Submit.
g) When a message appears indicating that the registration is complete, click Download License. The rehost license
key is e-mailed within 1 hour to the address that you specified.
h) After the e-mail arrives, copy the rehost license key to your TFTP server.
i) Follow the instructions in the Installing a License (GUI), on page 54 section to install this license on another
controller.
Step 5
After revoking the license on original controller, correspondent evaluation licence appear with High pritority. Lower the
priority of the evaluation license so that the parmanent license is in "In Use" status.
Transferring Licenses to a Replacement Controller after an RMA

Information About Transferring Licenses to a Replacement Controller after an RMA
If you return a Cisco 5500 Series Controller to Cisco as part of the Return Material Authorization (RMA)
process, you must transfer that controllers licenses within 60 days to a replacement controller that you receive
from Cisco.

67
Cisco Smart Software Licensing
Replacement controllers come preinstalled with the following licenses: permanent base and evaluation base,
base-ap-count. No other permanent licenses are installed. The SKU for replacement controllers is
AIR-CT5508-CA-K9.
Because licenses are registered to the serial number of a controller, you can use the licensing portal on
Cisco.com to request that the license from your returned controller be revoked and authorized for use on the
replacement controller. After your request is approved, you can install the old license on the replacement
controller. Any additional ap-count licenses if installed in the returned controller has to be rehosted on the
replacement controller. Before you begin, you need the product ID and serial number of both the returned
controller and the replacement controller. This information is included in your purchase records.
Note
The evaluation licenses on the replacement controller are designed for temporary use and expire after 60
days. To prevent disruptions in operation, the controller does not switch licenses when an evaluation
license expires. You must reboot the controller in order to return to a permanent license. If the evaluation
licenses expire before you transfer the permanent licenses from your defective controller to your replacement
controller, the replacement controller remains up and running using the permanent base license, but access
points are no longer able to join the controller.
Transferring a License to a Replacement Controller after an RMA
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Browse to https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Quickstart.
Log on to the site.
In the Manage tab, click Devices.
Choose Actions > Rehost/Transfer.
Follow the on-screen instructions to generate the license file.
The license is provided online or in an e-mail.
Step 6
Step 7
Copy the license file to the TFTP server.

Install the license by choosing Management > Software Activation > Commands > Action > Install License.

Information About Smart Licensing
Cisco started the initiative of simplifying customer license management by building a Cisco Smart Software
Manager portal. It helps the customers understand what licenses they have purchased and what licenses they
are using. Various other Cisco products are already Smart Enabled and with the introduction of this release,
Smart Licensing will now be available on the following platforms:
Cisco 5520 WLC (AIR-CT5520-K9)
Cisco 8540 WLC (AIR-CT8540-K9)

68
Cisco vWLC (L-AIR-CTVM-5-K9)

You need to register for your own Smart Account, which is a one time activity. Using the Smart Account you
can activate, monitor usage and track the purchased licenses. To know more about creating the Cisco Smart
Account see Smart Account Quick Reference Guide.
Note
For information about migrating from RTU Licensing mechanism to Smart Licensing mechanism, consult
Cisco Technical Assistance Center.
Restrictions for Using Cisco Smart Software Licensing

Token-id generated for Cisco 5520 or 8450 WLC cannot be used with Cisco vWLC.
Call-Home supports only HTTP and HTTPS mode of communication.
Call-Home does not support email mode of communication.
After the switch over to Smart Licensing mechanism some of the parameter reports, for example: runtime
statistics will not be cumulative reports.
You can create up to two profiles, allowing you to separately configure Smart Licensing messages and
Call-Home events.
There might be a difference in the time stamps when the WLC is in a different time zone, as the WLC
is set to local time zone time, whereas the Smart License server is set to UTC time.
In a Smart License active HA pair, when the primary WLC stops functioning, and the standby WLC
takes over as the new primary, and initiates a reboot. After reboot, the device losses its registration
information. This can be resolved by manually registering the device with the Cisco Smart License
Manager or rebooting and re-pairing the primary and stand-by devices.
On a Smart License active HA pair, any attempt to de-register before the switch over to active secondary
from active primary is complete, and the renew message is sent, the de-registration process may fail.
In a Smart License active HA pair, the stand-by device displays evaluation authorization state, this
parameter gets updated to display the correct values after the switch over is complete and the WLC is
the active controller.
To free the license on the server in a situation, where the license mechanism is changed to Right To Use
(RTU) from Smart Licensing, it is mandatary to manually de-register the device.
Configuring Cisco Smart Software Licensing (GUI)
Step 1
To activate Smart Licensing mechanism, follow the steps:

a) Choose Management > Software Activation > License Type to open the Smart-License page.
b) From the Licensing Type drop-down list, choose Smart-Licensing option.
c) Enter the DNS Server IP address in the DNS Server IP address field.
d) Click Apply

69
e) Reboot the controller.

Step 2
To register a device, follow the steps:

a) Choose Management > Smart-license > Device registration to open the device registration page.
b) From the Action drop-down list choose Registration to register a new device.
c) Enter the device Token-id in the Smart License registration in the field field.
d) Click Apply
Step 3
To de-register a device, follow the steps:

a) Choose Management > Smart-license > Device registration to open the device registration page.
b) From the Action drop-down list choose De-registration to remove a registered device.
c) Click Apply
Step 4
To view the current Smart Licensing parameters, follow the steps:

a) Choose Management > Smart-license > Status to open the Status page.
b) To view the Smart-Licensing Parameters , choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
Status
Summary
all
Udi
Usage
Tech-suport
Configuring the Cisco Smart Software Licensing on WLC (CLI)
Step 1
Enable Cisco Smart Software Licensing by entering the following command:

config licensing {rtu | smart-license} dns-server ip-address
Note
Device reboot is required to activate the chosen license mechanism.
Step 2
To register or deregister a device and to retain the state of device registration after device reboots enter the following
command:
license smart {register | deregister} idtoken
Step 3
View the license status by entering the following command:

show license {status | summary | udi | all}
Step 4
Clear the Cisco Smart Software Licensing statistics by entering the following command:
clear stats smart-lic

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Call-Home
Call-Home
Information About Call-Home
You can create reporting profiles of your choice for the Smart Licensing messages and Call-Home events.
Call-Home reports Smart Licensing messages based on the active profile. At any time only one profile can
be active. The messages use XML format, hence, ensure XML message format is chosen for all profiles created
Configuring Call-Home (GUI)
Step 1
To enable or disable the Call-Home reporting function, follow the steps:

a) Choose Management > Smart-License > Call-home > configuration to open the Call-Home > Configuration
page.
b) From the Events drop-down list choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
Enabledenables Call-Home reporting
Disableddisables Call-Home reporting
c) Click Apply
Step 2
To set the Data privacy level, follow the steps:

a) From the Reporting Data-privacy-level drop-down list choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
normalscrubs normal level commands
highscrubs all normal level commands, IP domain name and IP address commands
b) Click Apply
Step 3
Step 4
Enter the hostname in the Reporting Hostname text box.

To configure the http-proxy settings, following the steps:
a) In the HTTP-proxy field, enter the IP-Address and port number
b) Click Apply
Step 5
To enable or disable the TAC Profile Status, follow the steps:

a) From the TAC Profile Status drop-down list, choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
Enabledenables the TAC profile
Disableddisables the TAC profile
b) Click Apply
Step 6
Step 7
Enter the email address in the Contact person's email address text box.
To create a new profile, follow the steps:
a) Enter the name for the new profile in the Name text box.
b) From the Status drop-down list choose from the following options in the drop-down list:

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Call-Home
Enabledactivates the profile

Disableddeactivates the profile
c) From the Module drop-down list, choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
sm-license-datasmart license data
allcombines smart license and call-home data
call-home-datacall-home data
d) From the Reporting Format drop-down list, choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
short-textdata reporting in short-text format
long-textdata reporting in long-text format
xmlcall-data reporting in xml format
Note
The messages use XML format, hence, ensure XML message format is chosen for all profiles created.
e) The current default is xml format.

f) Enter the url in the url text box.
g) Click Add
Step 8
To update an existing profile, follow the steps:

a) Place the mouse cursor over the blue down arrow icon in front of the Profile to edit.
b) Choose update from the drop-down list which appears.
c) Update the fields as required from the options available:
Status
Module
Url
d) Click Apply
Step 9
To delete a profile, follow the steps:

a) Place the mouse cursor over the blue down arrow icon in front of the Profile to edit.
b) Choose delete from the drop-down list which appears.
Configuring Call-Home Parameters (CLI)

Configure Call-Home parameters by entering the following commands:
Step 1
Enable or disable Call-Home reporting by entering the following command:

config call-home events {enable | disable}

72
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on WLCs and APs
The default value is enable.

Step 2
Create a new profile or update an existing profile by entering the following command:
config call-home profile {create | update} profile-name {sm-license-data | all | call-home-data} XML url
Currently, only XML format is supported. Hence, when call-home-data profile option is selected, choose XML
format from the drop-down menu.
Delete an existing profile by entering the following command:
config call-home profile delete profile-name
Note
Step 3
Step 4
Configure the proxy settings by adding the IP address and port number by entering the following command:
config call-home http-proxy ipaddr ip-address port port
Step 5
Reset the proxy settings by entering the following command:

config call-home http-proxy ipaddr 0.0.0.0
Step 6
Enable user data privacy by entering the following command:

config call-home reporting data-privacy-level {normal | high} hostname host-name
Step 7
Enable or disable the user profile by entering the following command:

config call-home profile status {enable | disable}
Step 8
Configure the contact email address by entering the following command:

config call-home contact-email-addr e-mail address
Step 9
Enable or disable the status of the TAC profile by entering the following command:
config call-home tac-profile status {enable | disable}
Step 10
View the Call-Home settings by entering the following command:

config call-home summary

Information About Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access Points
The Unique Device Identifier (UDI) standard uniquely identifies products across all Cisco hardware product
families, enabling customers to identify and track Cisco products throughout their business and network
operations and to automate their asset management systems. The standard is consistent across all electronic,
physical, and standard business communications. The UDI consists of five data elements:
The orderable product identifier (PID)
The version of the product identifier (VID)
The serial number (SN)
The entity name
The product description
The UDI is burned into the EEPROM of controllers and lightweight access points at the factory. It can be
retrieved through either the GUI or the CLI.

73
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Inventory to open the Inventory page.

This page shows the five data elements of the controller UDI.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
Step 3
Step 4
Click the name of the desired access point.

Choose the Inventory tab to open the All APs > Details for (Inventory) page.
This page shows the inventory information for the access point.
Retrieving the Unique Device Identifier on Controllers and Access Points (CLI)
Use these commands to retrieve the UDI on controllers and access points using the controller CLI:
show inventoryShows the UDI string of the controller. Information similar to the following appears:
...
...
NAME: "Chassis"
, DESCR: "Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controller"
PID: AIR-CT5508-K9, VID: V01, SN: XXXXXXXXXXX
show inventory ap ap_idShows the UDI string of the access point specified.

74
CHAPTER
Managing Software
Upgrading the Controller Software, page 75
Upgrading the Controller Software

When you upgrade the controller software, the software on the access points associated with the controller is
also automatically upgraded. When an access point is loading software, each of its LEDs blinks in succession.
Up to 10 access points can be concurrently upgraded from the controller.
Caution
Do not power down the controller or any access point during this process; otherwise, you might corrupt
the software image. Upgrading a controller with a large number of access points can take as long as 30
minutes, depending on the size of your network. However, with the increased number of concurrent access
point upgrades supported in the controller software release, the upgrade time should be significantly
reduced. The access points must remain powered, and the controller must not be reset during this time.
Restrictions for Upgrading Controller Software

If you require a downgrade from one release to another, you might lose the configuration from your
current release. The workaround is to reload the previous controller configuration files saved on the
backup server or to reconfigure the controller.
It is not possible to directly upgrade to this release from a release that is older than 6.0.182.0.
You can upgrade or downgrade the controller software only between certain releases. In some instances,
you must first install an intermediate release prior to upgrading to the latest software release.
When you upgrade the controller to an intermediate software release, you must wait until all of the access
points that are associated with the controller are upgraded to the intermediate release before you install
the latest controller software. In large networks, it can take some time to download the software on each
access point.
When you upgrade to the latest software release, the software on the access points associated with the
controller is also automatically upgraded. When an access point is loading software, each of its LEDs
blinks in succession.

75
We recommend that you access the Cisco WLC GUI using Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 or a later
version, or Mozilla Firefox 32 or a later version.
Cisco controllers support standard SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) files. MIBs can be
downloaded from the Software Center on Cisco.com.
The controller software is factory installed on your controller and automatically downloaded to the
access points after a release upgrade and whenever an access point joins a controller. We recommend
that you install the latest software version available for maximum operational benefit.
We recommend that you install Wireless LAN Controller Field Upgrade Software for Release 1.7.0.0-FUS,
which is a special AES package that contains several system-related component upgrades. These include
the bootloader, field recovery image, and FPGA/MCU firmware. Installing the FUS image requires
special attention because it installs some critical firmware. The FUS image is independent of the runtime
image. For more information, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/release/notes/fus_rn_1_7_0_0.html.
Ensure that you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the software upgrade. Follow these guidelines
when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
Ensure that your TFTP server supports files that are larger than the size of the controller software
release. Some TFTP servers that support files of this size are tftpd32 and the TFTP server within
the Cisco Prime Infrastructure. If you attempt to download the controller software and your TFTP
server does not support files of this size, the following error message appears: TFTP failure while
storing in flash.
If you are upgrading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be
on the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable
When you plug a controller into an AC power source, the bootup script and power-on self-test run to
initialize the system. During this time, you can press Esc to display the bootloader Boot Options Menu.
The menu options for the 5500 and Flex 7500 series controllers are different than for other controller
platforms.
Bootloader menu for 5500 Series Controllers:
Boot Options
Please choose an option from below:
1. Run primary image
2. Run backup image
3. Change active boot image
4. Clear Configuration
5. Format FLASH Drive
6. Manually update images
Please enter your choice:
Bootloader menu for other controller platforms:

Boot Options
Please choose an option from below:
1. Run primary image
2. Run backup image
3. Manually update images
4. Change active boot image
5. Clear Configuration
Please enter your choice:
Enter 1 to run the current software, enter 2 to run the previous software, enter 4 (on a 5500 series
controller), or enter 5 (on another controller platform) to run the current software and set the controller
configuration to factory defaults. Do not choose the other options unless directed to do so.

76
Note
See the Installation Guide or the Quick Start Guide for your controller for more details
on running the bootup script and power-on self-test.
Control which address(es) are sent in CAPWAP discovery responses when NAT is enabled on the
Management Interface using the following command:
config network ap-discovery nat-ip-only {enable | disable}
where
enableEnables use of NAT IP only in Discovery response. This is the default. Use this command
if all APs are outside of the NAT gateway.
disableEnables use of both NAT IP and non-NAT IP in discovery response. Use this command
if APs are on the inside and outside of the NAT gateway; for example, Local Mode and OfficeExtend
APs on the same controller.
Note
To avoid stranding APs, you must disable AP link-latency (if enabled) before you use
the disable option for the config network ap-discovery nat-ip-only command. To
disable AP link-latency, use the config ap link-latency disable all command.
You can configure 802.1p tagging by using the config qos dot1p-tag {bronze | silver | gold | platinum}
tag. For the 7.2.103.0 and later releases, if you tag 802.1p packets, the tagging has impact only on wired
packets. Wireless packets are impacted only by the maximum priority level set for QoS.
You can reduce the network downtime using the following options:
You can predownload the AP image.
For FlexConnect access points, use the FlexConnect Efficient AP upgrade feature to reduce traffic
between the controller and the AP (main site and the branch).
Do not power down the controller or any access point during the upgrade process; otherwise, you might
corrupt the software image. Upgrading a controller with a large number of access points can take as long
as 30 minutes, depending on the size of your network. However, with the increased number of concurrent
access point upgrades supported, the upgrade time should be significantly reduced. The access points
must remain powered, and the controller must not be reset during this time.
If you want to downgrade to a previous release, do either of the following:
Delete all WLANs that are mapped to interface groups and create new ones.
Ensure that all WLANs are mapped to interfaces rather than interface groups.
After you perform these functions on the controller, you must reboot the controller for the changes to
take effect:
Enable or disable link aggregation (LAG)
Enable a feature that is dependent on certificates (such as HTTPS and web authentication)
Add new or modify existing SNMP v3 users

77
Modify an existing SNMP v3 engine ID

Add a new license or modify an existing license
Increase the priority for a license
The controller bootloader stores a copy of the active primary image and the backup image. If the primary
image becomes corrupted, you can use the bootloader to boot with the backup image.
With the backup image stored before rebooting, be sure to choose Option 2: Run Backup Image from
the boot menu to boot from the backup image. Then, upgrade with a known working image and reboot
the controller.
The recovery image provides a backup image that can be used if an access point power-cycles during
an image upgrade. The best way to avoid the need for access point recovery is to prevent an access point
from power-cycling during a system upgrade. If a power-cycle occurs during an upgrade to an oversized
access point image, you can recover the access point using the TFTP recovery procedure.
To recover the access point using the TFTP recovery procedure, follow these steps:
1 Download the required recovery image from Cisco.com (c1100-rcvk9w8-mx, c1200-rcvk9w8-mx,
or c1310-rcvk9w8-mx) and install it in the root directory of your TFTP server.
2 Connect the TFTP server to the same subnet as the target access point and power-cycle the access
point. The access point boots from the TFTP image and then joins the controller to download the
oversized access point image and complete the upgrade procedure.
3 After the access point has been recovered, you can remove the TFTP server.
You can upgrade to a new release of the controller software or downgrade to an older release even if
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is enabled.
If you upgrade from a release that is prior to Release 7.5 directly to Release 7.6.X or a later release, the
predownload process on Cisco AP2600 and AP3600 fails. After the Cisco WLC is upgraded to Release
7.6.X or a later release, the new image is loaded on Cisco AP2600 and AP3600. After the upgrade to a
Release 7.6.X image, the predownload functionality works as expected. The predownload failure is only
a one-time failure.
Upgrading Controller Software (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Upload your controller configuration files to a server to back them up.

Note
We highly recommend that you back up your configuration files of the controller prior to upgrading the controller
software. Otherwise, you must manually reconfigure the controller.
Get the controller software image by following these steps:
a) Browse to http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.
b) Choose Wireless > Wireless LAN Controller.
The following options are available: Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules, Mobility Express, and
Standalone Controllers.
c) Depending on your controller platform, click one of the above options.
d) Click the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.

78
e) Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release
to download:
Early Deployment (ED)These software releases provide new features, new hardware platform support, and bug
fixes.
Maintenance Deployment (MD)These software releases provide bug fixes and ongoing software maintenance.
Deferred (DF)These software releases have been deferred. We recommend that you migrate to an upgraded release.
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Choose a software release number.

Click the filename (filename.aes).
Click Download.
Read Ciscos End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.
Save the file to your hard drive.
Repeat steps a through k to download the remaining file.
Copy the controller software image (filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Note
In Release 8.3, for Cisco 2504 WLC, 5508 WLC, and WiSM2, the Cisco WLC software image is split into two
images: Base Install Image and Supplementary AP Bundle Image. Therefore, to upgrade to Release 8.3, you
must repeat Step 2 through Step 14 to complete the installation of both Base Install Image and Supplementary
AP Bundle Image.
Download the Supplementary AP Bundle Image only if you are using any of these APs: AP801, AP802, Cisco
Aironet 1550 Series AP (with 64-MB memory), Cisco Aironet 1550 Series AP (with 128-MB memory), and/or
Cisco Aironet 1570 Series APs.
(Optional) Disable the 802.11 networks.
Note
For busy networks, controllers on high utilization, or small controller platforms, we recommend that you disable
the 802.11 networks as a precautionary measure.
Disable any WLANs on the controller.
Choose Commands > Download File to open the Download File to Controller page.
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Code.
From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose from the following options:
TFTP
FTP
SFTP (available in 7.4 and later releases)
HTTP (available in 8.1 and later releases)
Step 9
In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the server.

If you are using a TFTP server, the default values of 10 retries and 6 seconds for the Maximum Retries and Timeout
text boxes should work correctly without any adjustment. However, you can change these values.
Step 10
If you are using a TFTP server, the default values of 10 retries for the Maximum Retries text field, and 6 seconds for the
Timeout text field should work correctly without any adjustment. However, you can change these values if desired. To
do so, enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Maximum

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Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
Step 21
Step 22
Retries text box and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the
Timeout text box.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the software.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the controller software file (filename.aes).
If you are using an FTP server, follow these steps:
a) In the Server Login Username text box, enter the username to log into the FTP server.
b) In the Server Login Password text box, enter the password to log into the FTP server.
c) In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number on the FTP server through which the download occurs.
The default value is 21.
Click Download to download the software to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.
Note
images: Base Install Image and Supplementary AP Bundle Image. Therefore, to upgrade to Release 8.3.100.0,
you must repeat Step 2 through Step 14 to complete the installation of both Base Install Image and Supplementary
AP Bundle Image.
After the download is complete, click Reboot.
If prompted to save your changes, click Save and Reboot.
Click OK to confirm.
After the controller reboots, repeat step 6 to step 17 to install the remaining file.
Reenable the WLANs.
For Cisco WiSM2, reenable the controller port channel on the Catalyst switch.
If you have disabled the 802.11 networks in Step 4, reenable them.
To verify the controller software version, choose Monitor on the controller GUI and see Software Version in the
Controller Summary area.
Upgrading Controller Software (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Note
We highly recommend that you back up your controller's configuration files prior to upgrading the controller
Get the controller software image by following these steps:
a) Browse to http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.
b) Choose Wireless > Wireless LAN Controller.
The following options are available: Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules, Mobility Express, and
Standalone Controllers.
c) Depending on your controller platform, click one of the above options.
d) Click the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.

80
e) Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release
to download:
fixes.
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Step 3
Step 4

Click Download.
Copy the controller software image (filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Note
images: Base Install Image and Supplementary AP Bundle Image. Therefore, to upgrade to Release 8.3, you
must repeat Step 2 through Step 10 to complete the installation of both Base Install Image and Supplementary
AP Bundle Image.
Note
the 802.11 networks as a precautionary measure.
Step 5
Disable any WLANs on the controller (using the config wlan disable wlan_id command).
Step 6
Step 7
Log onto the controller CLI.

Enter the ping server-ip-address command to verify that the controller can contact the TFTP or FTP server.
Step 8
View current download settings by entering the transfer download start command. Answer n to the prompt to view the
current download settings.
Change the download settings, if necessary by entering these commands:
Step 9
transfer download mode {tftp | ftp | sftp}

transfer download datatype code
transfer download serverip server-ip-address
transfer download filename filename
transfer download path server-path-to-file
Note
Pathnames on a TFTP or FTP server are relative to the servers default or root directory. For example, in
the case of the Solaris TFTP server, the path is /.
If you are using a TFTP server, also enter these commands:
transfer download tftpMaxRetries retries
transfer download tftpPktTimeout timeout

81
Note
The default values of 10 retries and a 6-second timeout should work correctly without any adjustment.
However, you can change these values. To do so, enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP
server attempts to download the software for the retries parameter and the amount of time (in seconds)
that the TFTP server attempts to download the software for the timeout parameter.
If you are using an FTP server, also enter these commands:

transfer download username username
transfer download password password
transfer download port port
Note
The default value for the port parameter is
21.
Step 10
Step 11
View the current updated settings by entering the transfer download start command. Answer y to the prompt to confirm
the current download settings and start the software download.
Save the code update to nonvolatile NVRAM and reboot the controller by entering this command:
reset system
The controller completes the bootup process.
Step 12
Step 13
After the controller reboots, repeat Steps 6 through 11 to install the remaining file.
Reenable the WLANs by entering this command:
config wlan enable wlan_id
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
For Cisco WiSMs, re-enable the controller port channel on the Catalyst switch.
If you have disabled the 802.11 networks in Step 4, renable them.
To verify the controller software that is installed, enter the show sysinfo command and see Product Version.
Step 17
To verify the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software file that is installed on the controller, enter the
show sysinfo command on the controller CLI and see Recovery Image Version or Emergency Image Version.
Note
If a Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software ER.aes file is not installed, Recovery Image
Version or Emergency Image Version show 'N/A.'
Predownloading an Image to an Access Point

To minimize network outages, you can download an upgrade image to the access point from the Cisco WLC
without resetting the access point or losing network connectivity. Previously, you would download an upgrade
image to the controller and reset it, which causes the access point to go into discovery mode. After the access
point discovers the Cisco WLC with the new image, the access point downloads the new image, resets, goes
into discovery mode, and rejoins the Cisco WLC.
You can now download the upgrade image to the Cisco WLC and then download the image to the access
point while the network is still operational. You can also schedule a reboot of the Cisco WLC and access
points, either after a specified amount of time or at a specific date and time. When both devices are up, the
access point discovers and rejoins the Cisco WLC.
Concurrent Cisco WLC to AP Image Upgrade
This table lists the Cisco WLCs and their maximum concurrent AP image download support.

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Cisco WLC
Maximum Number of Concurrent AP Image Download

Supported
Cisco 2504 WLC
75
Cisco 5508 WLC
500
Cisco 5520 WLC
1000
Cisco Flex 7510 WLC
1000
Cisco 8510 WLC
1000
Cisco 8540 WLC
1000
Cisco WiSM2
500
Cisco vWLC
1000
Flash Memory Requirements on Access Points

This table lists the Cisco AP models and the minimum amount of free flash memory required for the
predownload process to work:
Note
Cisco AP
Minimum Free Flash Memory Required
3502(I/E)
14 MB
2602(I/E)
14 MB
1602(I/E)
12 MB
1262
14 MB
1142
12 MB
The required flash memory can vary based on the radio type and the number of antennas used.
This predownload feature is not supported on 1242 and 1131 Cisco AP models.
Cisco AP1142 has 32 MB of total flash memory and can support the predownload feature.
Access Point Predownload Process

The access point predownload feature works as follows:
The controller image is downloaded.

83
The primary image becomes the backup image of the controller and the downloaded image becomes
the new primary image. Change the current boot image as the backup image by using the config
boot backup command to ensure that if a system failure occurs, the controller boots with the last
working image of the controller.
To switch over to the new downloaded image, start predownload of the upgraded image using the
config ap image predownload primary all command.
The upgrade image is downloaded as the backup image on the access points. You can verify this
by using the show ap image all command.
Change the boot image to primary image manually using the config boot primary command and
reboot the controller for the upgrade image to be activated.
or
You issue a scheduled reboot with the swap keyword. The swap keyword has the following
importance: The swapping occurs to the primary and backup images on the access point and the
currently active image on controller with the backup image.
When the controller reboots, the access points are disassociated and eventually come up with an
upgraded image. Once the controller responds to the discovery request sent by an access point with
its discovery response packet, the access point sends a join request.
The actual upgrade of the images occur. The following sequence of actions occur:
During boot time, the access point sends a join request.
The controller responds with the join response with the image version that the controller is running.
The access point compares its running image with the running image on the controller. If the
versions match, the access point joins the controller.
If the versions do not match, the access point compares the version of the backup image and if
they match, the access point swaps the primary and backup images and reloads and subsequently
joins the controller.
If the primary image of the access point is the same as the controller image, the access point reloads
and joins the controller.
If none of the above conditions are true, the access point sends an image data request to the
controller, downloads the latest image, reloads, and joins the controller.
Restrictions for Predownloading an Image to an Access Point

The maximum number of concurrent predownloads is limited to half the number of concurrent normal
image downloads. This limitation allows new access points to join the controller during image
downloading.
If you reach the predownload limit, then the access points that cannot get an image sleep for a time
between 180 to 600 seconds and then reattempt the predownload.
Before you predownload, you should change the active controller boot image to the backup image to
ensure that if the controller reboots for some reason, it comes back up with the earlier running image,
not the partially downloaded upgrade image.
This predownload feature is not supported on 1242 and 1131 Cisco AP models.

84
When the system time is changed by using the config time command, the time set for a scheduled reset
is not valid and the scheduled system reset is canceled. You are given an option either to cancel the
scheduled reset before configuring the time or retain the scheduled reset and not configure the time.
All the primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers should run the same images as the primary and
backup images. That is, the primary image of all three controllers should be X and the secondary image
of all three controllers should be Y or the feature is not effective.
At the time of the reset, if any AP is downloading the controller image, the scheduled reset is canceled.
The following message appears with the reason why the scheduled reset was canceled:
%OSAPI-3-RESETSYSTEM_FAILED: osapi_task.c:4458 System will not reset as software is
being upgraded.
Predownloading a 7.2 or later version of image on a Cisco Aironet 1240 access point is not supported
when upgrading from a previous controller release. If predownloading is attempted to the Cisco Aironet
1240 access point, the AP gets disconnected.
There are two images for the1550 Mesh AP - 1550 with 64 MB memory and 1550 with 128 MB memory.
During the controller upgrade to 7.6 and higher versions, the AP images are downloaded and there are
two reboots.
a one-time failure.
Predownloading an Image to Access PointsGlobal Configuration (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2

Note
We highly recommend that you back up your controller's configuration files prior to upgrading the controller
Follow these steps to obtain the controller software:
a) Browse to the Cisco Software Center: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html
b) Choose Wireless from the center selection window.
c) Click Wireless LAN Controllers.
The following options are available: Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules and Standalone Controllers.
d) Depending on your controller platform, click one of the above options.
e) Click the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.
f) Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release
to download:
fixes.
g) Choose a software release number.
h) Click the filename (filename.aes).

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i)
j)
k)
l)
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click Download.
Copy the controller software file (filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
(Optional) Disable the controller 802.11X networks.
Note
the 802.11X networks as a precautionary measure.
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Code.
TFTP
FTP
Step 8

If you are using a TFTP server, the default values of 10 retries and 6 seconds for the Maximum Retries and Timeout text
boxes should work correctly without any adjustment. However, you can change these values.
Step 9
Enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Maximum Retries
text box and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Timeout
text box.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the software.
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the controller software file (filename.aes).
Step 13
Click Download to download the software to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.
Step 14
To configure the predownloading of access point images globally, choose Wireless > Access Points > Global
Configuration to open the Global Configuration page.
In the AP Image Pre-download section, perform one of the following:
Step 15
To instruct all the access points to predownload a primary image from the controller, click Download Primary
under the AP Image Pre-download.
To instruct all the access points to swap their primary and backup images, click Interchange Image.
To download an image from the controller and store it as a backup image, click Download Backup.
To abort the predownload operation, click Abort Predownload.
Step 16
Step 17
Click OK.
Click Apply.

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Predownloading an Image to Access Points (CLI)

Using the CLI, you can predownload an image to a specific access point or to all access points.
Step 1
Follow these steps to obtain the controller software:

a) Browse to the Cisco Software Center: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html
b) Select Wireless from the center selection window.
c) Click Wireless LAN Controllers.
The following options are available: Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules and Standalone Controllers.
d) Depending on your controller platform, click one of the above options.
e) Click the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.
f) Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release
to download:
fixes.
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click Download.
Repeat steps a through n to download the remaining file.
Copy the controller software file (filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Note
the 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n networks as a precautionary measure.
For Cisco WiSM2, shut down the controller port channel on the Catalyst switch to allow the controller to reboot before
the access points start downloading the software.
Step 5
Disable any WLANs on the controller using the config wlan disable wlan_id command.
Step 6
Specify access points that will receive the predownload image.

Use one of these commands to specify access points for predownload:
Specify access points for predownload by entering this command:
config ap image predownload {primary | backup} {ap_name | all}
The primary image is the new image; the backup image is the existing image. Access points always boot with the
primary image.
Swap an access points primary and backup images by entering this command:
config ap image swap {ap_name | all}

87
Display detailed information on access points specified for predownload by entering this command:
show ap image {all | ap-name}
The output lists access points that are specified for predownloading and provides for each access point, primary and
secondary image versions, the version of the predownload image, the predownload retry time (if necessary), and the
number of predownload attempts. The output also includes the predownload status for each device. The status of the
access points is as follows:
NoneThe access point is not scheduled for predownload.
PredownloadingThe access point is predownloading the image.
Not supportedThe access point (1120, 1230, and 1310) does not support predownloading.
InitiatedThe access point is waiting to get the predownload image because the concurrent download limit has
been reached.
FailedThe access point has failed 64 predownload attempts.
CompleteThe access point has completed predownloading.
Step 7
Set a reboot time for the controller and the access points.
Use one of these commands to schedule a reboot of the controller and access points:
Specify the amount of time delay before the devices reboot by entering this command:
reset system in HH:MM:SS image {swap | no-swap} reset-aps [save-config]
Note
The swap operand in the reset command will result in the swapping of the primary and backup images
on both the controller and the access point.
The controller sends a reset message to all joined access points, and then the controller resets.
Specify a date and time for the devices to reboot by entering this command:
reset system at YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS image {swap | no-swap} reset-aps [save-config]
The controller sends a reset message to all joined access points, and then the controller resets.
Note
The swap operand in the reset command will result in the swapping of the primary and backup images
on both the controller and the access point.
Set up an SNMP trap message that announces the upcoming reset by entering this command:
reset system notify-time minutes
The controller sends the announcement trap the configured number of minutes before the reset.
Cancel the scheduled reboot by entering this command:
reset system cancel
Note
If you configure reset times and then use the config time command to change the system time on the
controller, the controller notifies you that any scheduled reset times will be canceled and must be
reconfigured after you set the system time.
Use the show reset command to display scheduled resets.

88

System reset is scheduled for Apr 08 01:01:01 2010.
Current local time and date is Apr 07 02:57:44 2010.
A trap will be generated 10 minutes before each scheduled system reset.
Use 'reset system cancel' to cancel the reset.
Configuration will be saved before the system reset.

89

90
CHAPTER
Managing Configuration
Resetting the Cisco WLC to Default Settings, page 91
Saving Configurations, page 92
Editing Configuration Files, page 93
Clearing the Controller Configuration, page 94
Erasing the Controller Configuration, page 94
Resetting the Controller, page 94
Transferring Files to and from a Controller, page 95
Resetting the Cisco WLC to Default Settings

Information About Resetting the Controller to Default Settings
You can return the controller to its original configuration by resetting the controller to factory-default settings.

91
Saving Configurations
Resetting the Controller to Default Settings (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Start your Internet browser.

Enter the controller IP address in the browser address line and press Enter. An Enter Network Password dialog box
appears.
Step 3
Enter your username in the User Name text box. The default username is admin.
Step 4
Enter the wireless device password in the Password text box and press Enter. The default password is admin.
Step 5
Choose Commands > Reset to Factory Default.
Step 6
Click Reset.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
When prompted, confirm the reset.

Reboot the controller without saving the configuration.
Use the configuration wizard to enter configuration settings. See the Configuring the ControllerUsing the CLI
Configuration Wizard section for more information.
Resetting the Controller to Default Settings (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the reset system command. At the prompt that asks whether you need to save changes to the configuration, enter
N. The unit reboots.
Step 2
When you are prompted for a username, enter the recover-config command to restore the factory-default configuration.
The controller reboots and displays this message:
Welcome to the Cisco WLAN Solution Wizard Configuration Tool
Step 3
Use the configuration wizard to enter configuration settings. See the Configuring the ControllerUsing the CLI
Configuration Wizard section for more information.
Saving Configurations
Controllers contain two kinds of memory: volatile RAM and NVRAM. At any time, you can save the
configuration changes from active volatile RAM to nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) using one of these commands:
save configSaves the configuration from volatile RAM to NVRAM without resetting the controller.
reset systemPrompts you to confirm that you want to save configuration changes before the controller
reboots.
logoutPrompts you to confirm that you want to save configuration changes before you log out.

92
Editing Configuration Files
Editing Configuration Files

When you save the controllers configuration, the controller stores it in XML format in flash memory. Controller
software release 5.2 or later releases enable you to easily read and modify the configuration file by converting
it to CLI format. When you upload the configuration file to a TFTP/FTP/SFTP server, the controller initiates
the conversion from XML to CLI. You can then read or edit the configuration file in a CLI format on the
server. When you are finished, you download the file back to the controller, where it is reconverted to an
XML format and saved.
Step 1
Upload the configuration file to a TFTP/FTP/SFTP server by performing one of the following:
Upload the file using the controller GUI.
Upload the file using the controller CLI.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Read or edit the configuration file on the server. You can modify or delete existing CLI commands and add new CLI
commands to the file.
Note
To edit the configuration file, you can use either Notepad or WordPad on Windows or the VI editor on
Linux.
Save your changes to the configuration file on the server.
Download the configuration file to the controller by performing one of the following:
Download the file using the controller GUI.
Download the file using the controller CLI.
The controller converts the configuration file to an XML format, saves it to flash memory, and then reboots using the
new configuration. CLI commands with known keywords and proper syntax are converted to XML while improper CLI
commands are ignored and saved to flash memory. Any CLI commands that have invalid values are replaced with default
values. To see any ignored commands or invalid configuration values, enter this command:
show invalid-config
Note
Step 5
You cannot execute this command after the clear config or save config command.
If the downloaded configuration contains a large number of invalid CLI commands, you might want to upload the invalid
configuration to the TFTP or FTP server for analysis. To do so, perform one of the following:
Upload the invalid configuration using the controller GUI. Follow the instructions in the Uploading Configuration
Files (GUI) section but choose Invalid Config from the File Type drop-down list in Step 2 and skip Step 3.
Upload the invalid configuration using the controller CLI. Follow the instructions in the Uploading Configuration
Files (CLI) section but enter the transfer upload datatype invalid-config command in Step 2 and skip Step 3.
Step 6
The controller does not support the uploading and downloading of port configuration CLI commands. If you want to
configure the controller ports, enter these commands:
config port linktrap {port | all} {enable | disable}Enables or disables the up and down link traps for a specific
controller port or for all ports.
config port adminmode {port | all} {enable | disable}Enables or disables the administrative mode for a specific
controller port or for all ports.

93
Clearing the Controller Configuration
Step 7

save config
Clearing the Controller Configuration

Step 1
Clear the configuration by entering this command:

clear config
Enter y at the confirmation prompt to confirm the action.
Step 2
Reboot the system by entering this command:

reset system
Enter n to reboot without saving configuration changes. When the controller reboots, the configuration wizard starts
automatically.
Step 3
Follow the instructions in the Configuring the Controller-Using the Configuration Wizard section to complete the initial
configuration.
Erasing the Controller Configuration

Step 1
Reset the configuration by entering this command:

reset system
At the confirmation prompt, enter y to save configuration changes to NVRAM. The controller reboots.
Step 2
When you are prompted for a username, restore the factory-default settings by entering this command:
recover-config
The controller reboots and the configuration wizard starts automatically.
Step 3
Follow the instructions in the Configuring the Controller-Using the Configuration Wizard section to complete the initial
configuration.
Resetting the Controller

You can reset the controller and view the reboot process on the CLI console using one of the following two
methods:
Turn the controller off and then turn it back on.

94
Transferring Files to and from a Controller
On the CLI, enter reset system. At the confirmation prompt, enter y to save configuration changes to
NVRAM. The controller reboots.
When the controller reboots, the CLI console displays the following reboot information:
Initializing the system.
Verifying the hardware configuration.
Loading microcode into memory.
Verifying the operating system software load.
Initializing with its stored configurations.
Displaying the login prompt.

Controllers have built-in utilities for uploading and downloading various files. Follow the instructions in these
sections to import files using either the controller GUI or CLI:
Backing Up and Restoring Cisco WLC Configuration

We recommend that you upload your controllers configuration file to a server to back it up. If you lose your
configuration, you can then download the saved configuration to the controller.
Note
Do not download a configuration file to your controller that was uploaded from a different controller
platform. For example, a Cisco 5500 Series Controller does not support the configuration file from a Cisco
2500 Series Controller.
Note
While Cisco WLC configuration backup is in progress, we recommend you do not initiate any new
configuration or modify any existing configuration settings. This is to avoid corrupting the configuration
file.
Follow these guidelines when working with configuration files:
Any CLI with an invalid value is filtered out and set to default by the XML validation engine. Validation
occurs during bootup. A configuration may be rejected if the validation fails. A configuration may fail
if you have an invalid CLI. For example, if you have a CLI where you try to configure a WLAN without
adding appropriate commands to add the WLAN.
A configuration may be rejected if the dependencies are not addressed. For example, if you try to
configure dependent parameters without using the add command. The XML validation may succeed but
the configuration download infrastructure will immediately reject the configuration with no validation
errors.
An invalid configuration can be verified by using the show invalid-config command. The show
invalid-config command reports the configuration that is rejected by the controller either as part of
download process or by XML validation infrastructure.

95
Note
You can also read and modify the configuration file.
The FTP or the TFTP servers for transfer of configuration, image, and so on, must be reachable over a
wired connection. The transfer cannot be performed over one of the wireless clients of the Cisco WLC.
If you try to use a wireless client of the Cisco WLC, you are prompted with a system message saying
that the server is not reachable. However, if you use a wireless client that is associated with another
Cisco WLC, the FTP or the TFTP servers are reachable.
Uploading Configuration Files

You can upload configuration files using either the GUI or the CLI.
Uploading the Configuration Files (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Commands > Upload File to open the Upload File from Controller page.
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Configuration.
Step 3
Encrypt the configuration file by selecting the Configuration File Encryption check box and entering the encryption
key in the Encryption Key text box.
Step 4
TFTP
FTP
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8

In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the configuration file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the configuration file.
c) In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number on the FTP server through which the upload occurs. The
default value is 21.
Step 9
Click Upload to upload the configuration file to the server. A message appears indicating the status of the upload. If the
upload fails, repeat this procedure and try again.
Uploading the Configuration Files (CLI)
Step 1
Specify the transfer mode used to upload the configuration file by entering this command:
transfer upload mode {tftp | ftp | sftp}
Step 2
Specify the type of file to be uploaded by entering this command:

96
transfer upload datatype config

Step 3
Encrypt the configuration file by entering these commands:

transfer encrypt enable
transfer encrypt set-key key, where key is the encryption key used to encrypt the file.
Step 4
Specify the IP address of the server by entering this command:

transfer upload serverip server-ip-address
Step 5
Specify the directory path of the configuration file by entering this command:
transfer upload path server-path-to-file
Step 6
Specify the name of the configuration file to be uploaded by entering this command:
transfer upload filename filename
Step 7
If you are using an FTP server, enter these commands to specify the username and password used to log into the FTP
server and the port number through which the upload occurs:
transfer upload username username
transfer upload password password
transfer upload port port
Note

21.
Step 8
Initiate the upload process by entering this command:

transfer upload start
Step 9
When prompted to confirm the current settings, answer y.

Mode.............................................
TFTP Server IP...................................
TFTP Path........................................
TFTP Filename....................................
Data Type........................................
Encryption.......................................
TFTP
10.10.10.4
Config/
AS_4402_4_2_55_8_Config.xml
Config File
Disabled
**************************************************
*** WARNING: Config File Encryption Disabled ***
**************************************************
Are you sure you want to start? (y/N) Y
File transfer operation completed successfully.
If the upload fails, repeat this procedure and try again.
Downloading Configuration Files

You can download configuration files using either the GUI or the CLI.

97
Downloading the Configuration Files (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Configuration.
Step 3
If the configuration file is encrypted, select the Configuration File Encryption check box and enter the encryption key
used to decrypt the file in the Encryption Key text box.
Note
The key that you enter here should match the one entered during the upload process.
Step 4
TFTP
FTP
Step 5

Step 6
Enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the configuration file in the Maximum
Retries text box and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the configuration file
in the Timeout text box.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the configuration file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the configuration file.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Click Download to download the file to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download, and
the controller reboots automatically. If the download fails, repeat this procedure and try again.
Downloading the Configuration Files (CLI)
Note
Step 1
The controller does not support incremental configuration downloads. The configuration file contains all
mandatory commands (all interface address commands, mgmtuser with read-write permission commands,
and interface port or LAG enable or disable commands) required to successfully complete the download.
For example, if you download only the config time ntp server index server_address command as part of
the configuration file, the download fails. Only the commands present in the configuration file are applied
to the controller, and any configuration in the controller prior to the download is removed.
Specify the transfer mode used to download the configuration file by entering this command:

98

Step 2
Specify the type of file to be downloaded by entering this command:

transfer download datatype config
Step 3
If the configuration file is encrypted, enter these commands:

transfer encrypt enable
transfer encrypt set-key key, where key is the encryption key used to decrypt the file.
Note
The key that you enter here should match the one entered during the upload process.
Step 4
Specify the IP address of the TFTP or FTP server by entering this command:
Step 5
Specify the directory path of the configuration file by entering this command:
Step 6
Specify the name of the configuration file to be downloaded by entering this command:
Step 7
If you are using a TFTP server, enter these commands:

Note
Step 8
If you are using an FTP server, enter these commands to specify the username and password used to log into the FTP
server and the port number through which the download occurs:
Note

21.
Step 9
View the updated settings by entering this command:

transfer download start
Step 10
When prompted to confirm the current settings and start the download process, answer y.
Mode.............................................
TFTP Server IP...................................
TFTP Path........................................
TFTP Filename....................................
Data Type........................................
Encryption.......................................
TFTP
10.10.10.4
Config/
AS_4402_4_2_55_8_Config.xml
Config File
Disabled

99
**************************************************
*** WARNING: Config File Encryption Disabled ***
**************************************************
Are you sure you want to start? (y/N)
File transfer operation completed successfully.
If the download fails, repeat this procedure and try again.
Downloading a Login Banner File

You can download a login banner file using either the GUI or the CLI. The login banner is the text that appears
on the page before user authentication when you access the controller GUI or CLI using Telnet, SSH, or a
console port connection.
You save the login banner information as a text (*.txt) file. The text file cannot be larger than 1296 characters
and cannot have more than 16 lines of text.
Note
The ASCII character set consists of printable and nonprintable characters. The login banner supports only
printable characters.
Here is an example of a login banner:
Welcome to the Cisco Wireless Controller!
Unauthorized access prohibited.
Contact [email protected] for access.
Follow the instructions in this section to download a login banner to the controller through the GUI or CLI.
However, before you begin, make sure that you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the file download.
Follow these guidelines when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
If you are downloading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same subnet
as the service port because the service port is not routable, or you must create static routes on the
controller.
If you are downloading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be
on the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.
A third-party TFTP or FTP server cannot run on the same computer as Cisco Prime Infrastructure because
the Prime Infrastructure built-in TFTP or FTP server and the third-party TFTP or FTP server require
the same communication port.
Note
Clearing the controller configuration does not remove the login banner. See the Clearing
the Login Banner (GUI) section for information about clearing the login banner using
the controller GUI or CLI.

100
Note
The controller can have only one login banner file. If you download another login banner
file to the controller, the first login banner file is overwritten.
Downloading a Login Banner File (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the login banner file to the default directory on your server.
Step 3
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Login Banner.
Step 4
TFTP
FTP
Step 5
In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the server type you chose in Step 4.
Step 6
Enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the certificate in the Maximum Retries
text box and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the certificate in the Timeout
text box.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the login banner file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the login banner text (*.txt) file.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Click Download to download the login banner file to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the
download.
Downloading a Login Banner File (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Log into the controller CLI.

Specify the transfer mode used to download the config file by entering this command:

101
Step 3
Download the controller login banner by entering this command:

transfer download datatype login-banner
Step 4
Step 5
Specify the name of the config file to be downloaded by entering this command:
Step 6
Specify the directory path of the config file by entering this command:
transfer download filenamefilename.txt
Step 7

Note
Step 8
If you are using an FTP server, enter these commands:

Note
Step 9

21.
View the download settings by entering the transfer download start command. Enter y when prompted to confirm the
current settings and start the download process.
Clearing the Login Banner (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Commands > Login Banner to open the Login Banner page.
Step 2
Step 3
Click Clear.
When prompted, click OK to clear the banner.
To clear the login banner from the controller using the controller CLI, enter the clear login-banner command.

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Uploading PACs
Protected access credentials (PACs) are credentials that are either automatically or manually provisioned and
used to perform mutual authentication with a local EAP authentication server during EAP-FAST authentication.
When manual PAC provisioning is enabled, the PAC file is manually generated on the controller.
Follow the instructions in this section to generate and load PACs from the controller through the GUI or CLI.
However, before you begin, make sure you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the PAC upload. Follow
these guidelines when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
If you are uploading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same subnet as
the service port because the service port is not routable, or you must create static routes on the controller.
If you are uploading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be on
the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.
Uploading PACs (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
From the File Type drop-down list, choose PAC (Protected Access Credential).
In the User text box, enter the name of the user who will use the PAC.
In the Validity text box, enter the number of days for the PAC to remain valid. The default setting is zero (0).
In the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, enter a password to protect the PAC.
TFTP
FTP
Step 7
In the IP Address (IPv4/IPv6) text box, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the server.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the PAC.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the PAC file. PAC files have a .pac extension.
Step 11
Step 12
Click Upload to upload the PAC from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
Follow the instructions for your wireless client to load the PAC on your client devices. Make sure to use the password
that you entered above.

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Uploading PACs (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Log on to the controller CLI.

Specify the transfer mode used to upload the config file by entering this command:
Step 3
Upload a Protected Access Credential (PAC) by entering this command:

transfer upload datatype pac
Step 4
Specify the identification of the user by entering this command:

transfer upload pac username validity password
Step 5
The server supports both, IPv4 and
IPv6.
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Specify the name of the config file to be uploaded by entering this command:
transfer upload filename manual.pac.
Step 8

Note
Step 9
Step 10

21.
View the updated settings by entering the transfer upload start command. Answer y when prompted to confirm the
current settings and start the upload process.
Follow the instructions for your wireless client to load the PAC on your client devices. Make sure to use the password
that you entered above.

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CHAPTER
Network Time Protocol Setup

Information About Configuring Authentication for the Controller and NTP/SNTP Server, page 105
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (GUI), page 105
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (CLI), page 106
Configuring an NTP/SNTP Server to Obtain the Date and Time, page 106
Information About Configuring Authentication for the Controller and NTP/SNTP

Server
Cisco WLCs must synchronize time with an NTP/SNTP server by authentication. By default, an MD5 checksum
is used.
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (GUI)

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Controller > NTP > Server to open the NTP Severs page.
Click New to add a new NTP/SNTP Server.
In the Server Index (Priority) text box, enter the NTP/SNTP server index.
The controller tries Index 1 first, then Index 2 through 3, in a descending order. Set this to 1 if your network is using
only one NTP/SNTP server.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Enter the server IP address.

Enable or disable the NTP/SNTP Authentication.
If you enable the NTP/SNTP Authentication, enter the Key Index.
Click Apply.

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Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (CLI)
Configuring the NTP/SNTP Server for Authentication (CLI)

config time ntp auth enable server-index key-indexEnables NTP/SNTP authentication on a given
NTP/SNTP server.
config time ntp key-auth add key-index md5 key-format keyAdds an authentication key. By default
MD5 is used. The key format can be "ascii" or "hex".
config time ntp key-auth delete key-indexDeletes authentication keys.
config time ntp auth disable server-indexDisables NTP/SNTP authentication.
show ntp-keysDisplays the NTP/SNTP authentication related parameter.
Configuring an NTP/SNTP Server to Obtain the Date and Time

Each NTP/SNTP server IP address is added to the controller database. Each controller searches for an
NTP/SNTP server and obtains the current time upon reboot and at each user-defined polling interval (daily
to weekly).
Use these commands to configure an NTP/SNTP server to obtain the date and time:
To specify the NTP/SNTP server for the controller, enter this command:
config time ntp server index ip_address
To specify the polling interval (in seconds), enter this command:
config time ntp interval

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CHAPTER
High Availability
Information About High Availability, page 107
Restrictions on High Availability, page 111
Configuring High Availability (GUI), page 115
Configuring High Availability (CLI), page 116
Monitoring High Availability Standby WLC, page 118
Information About High Availability

High availability (HA) in controllers allows you to reduce the downtime of the wireless networks that occurs
due to the failover of controllers.
A 1:1 (Active:Standby-Hot) stateful switchover of access points (AP SSO) is supported. In an HA architecture,
one controller is configured as the primary controller and another controller as the secondary controller.
After you enable HA, the primary and secondary controllers are rebooted. During the boot process, the role
of the primary controller is negotiated as active and the role of the secondary controller as standby-hot. After
a switchover, the secondary controller becomes the active controller and the primary controller becomes the
standby-hot controller. After subsequent switchovers, the roles are interchanged between the primary and the
secondary controllers. The reason for switchovers are either because of manual trigger, or a controller, or
network failure.
During an AP SSO, all the AP sessions statefully switch over and all the clients are deauthenticated and
reassociated with the new active controller except for the locally switched clients in the FlexConnect mode.
The standby-hot controller continuously monitors the health of the active controller through a direct wired
connection over a dedicated redundancy port. Both the controllers share the same configurations, including
the IP address of the management interface.
Before you enable HA, ensure that both the controllers are physically connected through the redundant port
using an Ethernet cable. Also, ensure that the uplink is connected to an infrastructure switch and that the
gateway is reachable from both the controllers.
In HA architecture, the redundancy port and redundant management interfaces have been introduced.
A seamless transition of clients from the active controller to the standby controller is also supported. Clients
that are not in the Run state are removed after the switchover. During the stateful switchover of a client (Client
SSO), the information of the client is synchronized with the standby controller when the client is associated

107
with the controller, or is configured. Clients that are fully authenticated, that is, clients that are in the Run
state, are synchronized with the peer controller. The data structures of clients are synchronized based on the
client state. Clients that are in the transient state are dissociated after a switchover.
In the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Release 8.0 and later, the output of the show ap join stats summary
command displays the status of the access points based on whether the access point joined the controller or
it was synchronized from Active controller. One of the following statuses is displayed:
SynchedThe access point joined the controller before the SSO.
ConnectedThe access point joined the controller after the SSO.
JoinedThe access point rejoined the controller, or a new AP has joined the controller after the SSO.
In Release 8.0 and later, the output of the show redundancy summary command displays the bulk
synchronization status of access points and clients after the pair-up of active and standby controllers occurs.
The values are:
Pending Indicates that synchronization of access points and the corresponding clients details from the
active to standby controller is yet to begin.
In-progress Indicates that synchronization of access points and the corresponding clients details from
the active to standby controller has begun and synchronization is in progress.
CompleteIndicates that synchronization is complete and the standby controller is ready for a switchover
to resume the services of the active controller.
From release 8.0 and later, in a High Availability scenario, the sleeping timer is synchronized between active
and standby.
ACL and NAT IP configurations are synchronized to the HA standby controller when these parameters are
configured before HA pair-up. If the NAT IP is set on the management interface, the access point sets the AP
manager IP address as the NAT IP address. This issue is seen only when the NAT IP address and ACL are
set on the management interface before you enable high availability.
The following are some guidelines for high availability:
We recommend that you do not pair two controllers of different hardware models. If they are paired,
the higher controller model becomes the active controller and the other controller goes into maintenance
mode.
We recommend that you do not pair two controllers on different controller software releases. If they are
paired, the controller with the lower redundancy management address becomes the active controller and
the other controller goes into maintenance mode.
All download file types, such as image, configuration, web-authentication bundle, and signature files
are downloaded on the active controller first and then pushed to the standby-hot controller.
Certificates should be downloaded separately on each controller before they are paired.
You can upload file types such as configuration files, event logs, crash files, and so on, from the
standby-hot controller using the GUI or CLI of the active controller. You can also specify a suffix to
the filename to identify the uploaded file.
To perform a peer upload, use the service port. In a management network, you can also use the redundancy
management interface (RMI) that is mapped to the redundancy port or RMI VLAN, or both, where the
RMI is the same as the management VLAN. Note that the RMI and the redundancy port should be in
two separate Layer2 VLANs, which is a mandatory configuration.

108
If the controllers cannot reach each other through the redundant port and the RMI, the primary controller
becomes active and the standby-hot controller goes into the maintenance mode.
Note
To achieve HA between two Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2) platforms,

the controllers should be deployed on a single chassis, or on multiple chassis using a
virtual switching system (VSS) and extending a redundancy VLAN between the multiple
chassis.
Note
A redundancy VLAN should be a nonroutable VLAN in which a Layer 3 interface

should not be created for the VLAN, and the interface should be allowed on the trunk
port to extend an HA setup between multiple chassis. Redundancy VLAN should be
created like any other data VLAN on Cisco IOS-based switching software. A redundancy
VLAN is connected to the redundant port on Cisco WiSM2 through the backplane. It
is not necessary to configure the IP address for the redundancy VLAN because the IP
address is automatically generated. Also, ensure that the redundancy VLAN is not the
same as the management VLAN.
Note
When the RMIs for two controllers that are a pair, and that are mapped to same VLAN
and connected to same Layer3 switch stop working, the standby controller is restarted.
Note
The " mobilityHaMac is out of range" xml message is seen during the active/standby
second switch over in HA setup. This occurs if mobility HA mac field is more than 128.
When HA is enabled, the standby controller always uses the Remote Method Invocation (RMI), and all
the other interfaces, dynamic and management, are invalid.
Note
The RMI is meant to be used only for active and standby communications and not for
any other purpose.
You must ensure that the maximum transmission unit (MTU) on RMI port is 1500 bytes or higher before
you enable high availability.
When HA is enabled, ensure that you do not use the backed-up image. If this image is used, the HA
feature might not work as expected:
The service port and route information that is configured is lost after you enable SSO. You must
configure the service port and route information again after you enable SSO. You can configure
the service port and route information for the standby-hot controller using the peer-service-port
and peer-route commands.
For Cisco WiSM2, service port reconfigurations are required after you enable redundancy.
Otherwise, Cisco WiSM2 might not be able to communicate with the supervisor. We recommend
that you enable DHCP on the service port before you enable redundancy.

109
We recommend that you do not use the reset command on the standby-hot controller directly. If
you use this, unsaved configurations will be lost.
We recommend that you enable link aggregation configuration on the controllers before you enable the
port channel in the infrastructure switches.
All the configurations that require reboot of the active controller results in the reboot of the standby-hot
controller.
The Ignore AP list is not synchronized from the active controller to the standby-hot controller. The list
is relearned through SNMP messages from Cisco Prime Infrastructure after the standby-hot controller
becomes active.
Client SSO related guidelines:
The standby controller maintains two client lists: one is a list of clients in the Run state and the
other is a list of transient clients in all the other states.
Only the clients that are in the Run state are maintained during failover. Clients that are in transition,
such as roaming, 802.1X key regeneration, web authentication logout, and so on, are dissociated.
As with AP SSO, Client SSO is supported only on WLANs. The controllers must be in the same
subnet. Layer3 connection is not supported.
In Release 7.3.x, AP SSO is supported, but client SSO is not supported, which means that after an HA
setup that uses Release 7.3.x encounters a switchover, all the clients associated with the controller are
deauthenticated and forced to reassociate.
You must manually configure the mobility MAC address on the then active controller post switchover,
when a peer controller has a controller software release that is prior to Release 7.2.
To enable an access point to maintain controlled quality of service (QoS) for voice and video parameters,
all the bandwidth-based or static call admission control (CAC) parameters are synchronized from active
to standby when a switchover occurs.
From 8.0 release and later, the standby controller does not reboot; instead enters the maintenance mode
when unable to connect to the default gateway using the redundant port. Once the controller reconnects
to the default gateway, the standby controller reboots and the HA pair with the active controller is
initiated. However, the active controller still reboots before entering the maintenance mode.
The following are supported from Release 8.0:
Static CAC synchronizationTo maintain controlled Quality-of-Service (QoS) for voice and video
parameters, all the bandwidth-based or static CAC parameters services are readily available for
clients when a switchover occurs.
Internal DHCP serverTo serve wireless clients of the controller, the internal DHCP server data
is synchronized from the active controller to the standby controller. All the assigned IP addresses
remain valid, and IP address assignation continues when the role changes from active to standby
occurs.
Enhanced debugging and serviceabilityAll the debugging and serviceability services are enhanced
for users.
The physical connectivity or topology of the access points on the switch are not synchronized from the
active to the standby controller. The standby controller learns the details only when the synchronization

110
Restrictions on High Availability
is complete. Hence, you must execute the show ap cdp neighbors all command only after synchronization
is complete, and only when the standby becomes the then active controller.
To enable access points to join the HA-SKU secondary controller that has been reset to factory defaults,
you must:
Configure the HA SKU controller as secondary controller. To do this, you must execute the config
redundancy unit secondary command on the HA SKU controller.
Reboot the HA SKU controller after you successfully execute the config redundancy unit
secondary command.
Redundancy Management Interface

The active and standby-hot controllers use the RMI to check the health of the peer controller and the default
gateway of the management interface through network infrastructure.
The RMI is also used to send notifications from the active controller to the standby-hot controller if a failure
or manual reset occurs. The standby-hot controller uses the RMI to communicate to the syslog, NTP/SNTP
server, FTP, and TFTP server.
It is mandatory to configure the IP addresses of the Redundancy Management Interface and the Management
Interface in the same subnet on both the primary and secondary controllers.
Redundancy Port
The redundancy port is used for configuration, operational data synchronization, and role negotiation between
the primary and secondary controllers.
The redundancy port checks for peer reachability by sending UDP keepalive messages every 100 milliseconds
(default frequency) from the standby-hot controller to the active controller. If a failure of the active controller
occurs, the redundancy port is used to notify the standby-hot controller.
If an NTP/SNTP server is not configured, the redundancy port performs a time synchronization from the
active controller to the standby-hot controller.
In Cisco WiSM2, the redundancy VLAN must be configured on the Cisco Catalyst 6000 Supervisor Engine
because there is no physical redundancy port available on Cisco WiSM2.
The redundancy port and the redundancy VLAN in Cisco WiSM2 are assigned an automatically generated
IP address in which the last two octets are obtained from the last two octets of the RMI. The first two octets
are always 169.254. For example, if the IP address of the RMI is 209.165.200.225, the IP address of the
redundancy port is 169.254.200.225.
The redundancy ports can connect over an L2 switch. Ensure that the redundancy port round-trip time is less
than 80 milliseconds if the keepalive timer is set to default, that is, 100 milliseconds, or 80 percent of the
keepalive timer if you have configured the keepalive timer in the range of 100 milliseconds to 400 milliseconds.
The failure detection time is calculated, for example, if the keepalive timer is set to 100 milliseconds, as
follows: 3 * 100 = 300 + 60 = 360 + jitter (12 milliseconds) = ~400 milliseconds. Also, ensure that the
bandwidth between redundancy ports is 60 Mbps or higher. Ensure that the maximum transmission unit (MTU)
is 1500 bytes or higher.

We recommend that you do not disable LAG physical ports when HA SSO is enabled.

111
You should apply an access list for SSH to the redundancy interface on upper switch, if Cisco WLC is
configured for HA SSO and redundancy management is configured over a dynamic interface. Failure
to do so enables the SSH client to connect through the redundancy management interface regardless of
the CPU ACL.
In an HA environment using FlexConnect locally switched clients, the client information might not show
the username. To get details about the client, you must use the MAC address of the client. This restriction
does not apply to FlexConnect centrally switched clients or central (local) mode clients.
It is not possible to access the Cisco WiSM2 GUI through the service interface when you have enabled
HA. The workaround is to create a service port interface again after HA is established.
In an HA environment, an upgrade from an LDPE image to a non-LDPE image is not supported.
It is not possible to pair two primary controllers or two secondary controllers.
Standby controllers are unavailable on the APs connected switch port
An HA-SKU controller with an evaluation license cannot become a standby controller. However, an
HA-SKU controller with zero license can become a standby controller.
Service VLAN configuration is lost when moving from HA mode to non-HA mode and vice versa. You
should configure the service IP address manually again.
The following scenario is not supported: The primary controller has the management address and the
redundancy management address in the same VLAN, and the secondary controller has the management
address in the same VLAN as the primary one, and the redundancy management address in a different
VLAN.
The following is a list of some software upgrade scenarios:
A software upgrade on the active controller ensures the upgrade of the standby-hot controller.
An in-service upgrade is not supported. Therefore, you should plan your network downtime before
you upgrade the controllers in an HA environment.
Rebooting the active controller after a software upgrade also reboots the standby-hot controller.
If both active and standby-hot controllers have different software releases in the backup, and if
you enter the config boot backup command in the active controller, both the controllers reboot
with their respective backup images breaking the HA pair due to a software mismatch.
A schedule reset applies to both the controllers in an HA environment. The peer controller reboots
a minute before the scheduled time expires on the active controller.
You can reboot the standby-hot controller from the active controller by entering the reset
peer-system command if the scheduled reset is not planned. If you reset only the standby-hot
controller with this command, any unsaved configurations on the standby-hot controller is lost.
Therefore, ensure that you save the configurations on the active controller before you reset the
standby-hot controller.
A preimage download is reinitiated if an SSO is triggered at the time of the image transfer.
Only debug and show commands are allowed on the standby-hot controller.
After a switchover, if a peer controller has a controller software release that is prior to Release 7.5,
all the mobility clients are deauthenticated.

112
It is not possible to access the standby-hot controller through the controller GUI, Cisco Prime
Infrastructure, or Telnet. You can access the standby-hot controller only on its console.
When a failover occurs, the standby controller must be in a standby-hot state and the redundant port in
a terminal state in SSO for successful switchover to occur.
To enable or disable LAG, you must disable HA.
Note
If LAG is disabled and both primary and backup ports are connected to the management
interface and if the primary port becomes nonoperational, a switchover might occur
because the default gateway is not reachable and backup port failover might exceed 12
seconds.
When a failover occurs and the standby controller becomes the new active controller, it takes
approximately 15 to 20 minutes to synchronize the database (AP, client, and multicast) between the two
controllers. If another failover occurs during this time, the HA structures would not yet be synchronized.
Therefore, the APs and clients would have to get reassociated and reauthenticated respectively.
Pairwise Master Key (PMK) cache synchronization is not supported on FlexConnect local-authenticated
clients.
Client SSO restrictions:
New mobility is not supported.
Posture and network admission control out-of-band are not supported because the client is not in
the Run state.
The following are not synchronized between the active and standby controller:
Cisco Compatible Extension-based applications
Client statistics
Proxy Mobile IPv6, Application Visibility and Control, session initiation protocol (SIP), and
static call admission control (CAC) tree
Workgroup bridges and the clients associated with them
Passive clients
Encryption is supported
Encryption is supported only if the active and standby controllers communicate through the Redundancy
Management Interface on the management ports. Encryption is not supported if the redundancy port is
used for communication between the active and standby controllers.
You cannot change the NAT address configuration of the management interface when the controllers
are in redundancy mode. To enable NAT address configuration on the management interface, you must
remove the redundancy configuration first, make the required changes on the primary controller, and
then reenable the redundancy configuration on the same controller.
On Cisco WiSM2 and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 2T, if HA is enabled, post switchover,
the APs might disconnect and reassociate with the WiSM2 controller. To prevent this from occurring,
before you configure HA, we recommend that you verify, in the port channel, the details of both the
active and standby Cisco WiSM2 controllers that the ports are balanced in the same order and the port

113
channel hash distribution uses fixed algorithm. If they are not in order, you must change the port channel
distribution to be fixed and reset Cisco WiSM2 from the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine
2T.
After you enable SSO, you must access both the standby and active controller using:
The console connection
SSH facility on the service port
SSH facility on the redundant management interface
Note
While SSO is enabled, you can not access both the standby and active controller either
using the web UI/the telnet facility or using Cisco Prime Infrastructure/Prime NCS on
the service port.
After the switch over of controller, clients along with children mesh access points (MAPs) are
disconnected and are rejoined with the new active controller. The entire mesh tree is rebuilt. The clients
of root access points (RAPs) are also disconnected but the RAPs are intact with the controller.
Synchronization of bulk configurations is supported only for the configurations that are stored in XMLs.
Scheduled reboot is a configuration that is not stored in XMLs or Flash. Therefore, the scheduled reboot
configuration is not included in the synchronization of bulk configurations.
When a switchover occurs, the controller does not synchronize the information on DHCP dirty bit from
the active to standby controller even when DHCP dirty bit is set on the active controller. After a
switchover, the controller populates the DHCP dirty bit based on the client DHCP retries.
If you are using Cisco WiSM2, we recommend that you use the following release versions of Cisco IOS
on Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 2T:
15.1(02)SY
15.1(01)ICB40.1
15.1(01)ICB29.36
15.1(01)ICB29.1
15.1(01)IC66.25
15.1(01)IB273.72

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Configuring High Availability (GUI)
Configuring High Availability (GUI)

Before You Begin
Ensure that the management interfaces of both controllers are in the same subnet. You can verify this on the
GUI of both the controllers by choosing Controllers > Interfaces and viewing the IP addresses of the
management interface.
Step 1
On the GUI of both the controllers, choose Controller > Redundancy > Global Configuration.
The Global Configuration page is displayed.
Step 2
Enter the addresses of the controllers in the Redundant Management IP and the Peer Redundant Management IP
text boxes.
Note
Ensure that the Redundant Management Interface IP address of one controller is the same as the Redundant
Management Interface IP address of the peer controller.
From the Redundant Unit drop-down list, choose one of the controllers as primary and the other as secondary.
On the GUI of both the controllers, set the SSO to Enabled state.
Note
After you enable an SSO, the service port peer IP address and the service port netmask appear on the configuration
page. Note that the service port peer IP address and the netmask can be pushed to the peer only if the HA peer
is available and operational. When you enable high availability, you do not have to configure the service port
peer IP address and the service port netmask parameters. You must configure the parameters only when the HA
peer is available and operational. After you enable SSO, both the controllers are rebooted. During the reboot
process, the controllers negotiate the redundancy role through the redundant port based on the configuration.
The primary controller becomes the active controller and the secondary controller becomes the standby controller.
(Optional) When the HA pair becomes available and operational, you can configure the peer service port IP address and
the netmask when the service port is configured as static. If you enable DHCP on the service port, you do not have to
configure these parameters on the Global Configuration page:
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Service Port Peer IPIP address of the service port of the peer controller.
Service Port Peer NetmaskNetmask of the service port of the peer controller.
Mobility MAC AddressA common MAC address for the active and standby controllers that is used in the
mobility protocol. If an HA pair has to be added as a mobility member for a mobility group, the mobility MAC
address (instead of the system MAC address of the active or standby controller) should be used. Normally, the
mobility MAC address is chosen as the MAC address of the active controller and you do not have to manually
configure this.
Keep Alive TimerThe timer that controls how often the standby controller sends keepalive messages to the
active controller. The valid range is between 100 to 1000 milliseconds.
Peer Search TimerThe timer that controls how often the active controller sends peer search messages to the
standby controller. The valid range is between 60 to 300 seconds.
After you enable the high availability and pair the controllers, there is only one unified GUI to manage the HA pair
through the management port. GUI access through the service port is not feasible for both the active and standby
controllers. The standby controller can be managed only through the console or the service port.
Only Telnet and SSH sessions are allowed through the service port of the active and standby controllers.

115
Configuring High Availability (CLI)
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
View the redundancy status of the HA pair by choosing Monitor > Redundancy > Summary.
The Redundancy Summary page is displayed.
Step 9
View the redundancy status of the HA pair by choosing Monitor > Redundancy > Detail.
The Redundancy Detail page is displayed.
Step 10
View the redundancy statistics information of the HA pair by choosing Monitor > Redundancy > Statistics.
The Redundancy Statistics page is displayed.
Step 11
Follow these steps to configure the peer network route:

a) Choose Controller > Redundancy > Peer Network Route.
The Network Routes Peer page is displayed.
This page provides a summary of the existing service port network routes of the peer controller to network or element
management systems on a different subnet. You can view the IP address, IP netmask, and gateway IP address.
b) To create a new peer network route, click New.
c) Enter the IP address, IP netmask, and the Gateway IP address of the route.
d) Click Apply.

Before You Begin
Ensure that the management interfaces of both controllers are in the same subnet.
To configure high availability in controllers, you must:
Configure a local-redundancy IP address and a peer-redundancy management IP address by entering
this command:
config interface address redundancy-management ip-addr1 peer-redundancy-management ip-addr2
Configure the role of a controller by entering this command:
config redundancy unit {primary | secondary}
Configure the redundancy mode by entering this command:
config redundancy mode {sso | none}
Note
Both controllers reboot and then negotiate the roles of active and standby-hot controllers.
Configure redundancy by entering this command:
config redundancy mode {sso {ap | client} | disable}
Note
You can choose between an AP SSO and a client SSO.

116
Configure the route configurations of the standby controller by entering this command:
config redundancy peer-route {add network-ip-addr ip-mask | delete network-ip-addr}
Note
This command can be run only if the HA peer controller is available and operational.
Configure a mobility MAC address by entering this command:
config redundancy mobilitymac mac-addr
Note
This command can be run only when SSO is disabled.

If you upgrade from Release 8.0.110.0 to a later release, this command's setting is removed. You
must manually reconfigure the mobility MAC address after the upgrade.
Configure the IP address and netmask of the peer service port of the standby controller by entering this
command:
config redundancy interface address peer-service-port ip-address netmask
This command can be run only if the HA peer controller is available and operational.
Initiate a manual switchover by entering this command:
redundancy force-switchover
Note
Execute this command only when you require a manual switchover.

Configure a redundancy timer by entering this command:
config redundancy timer {keep-alive-timer time-in-milliseconds | peer-search-timer time-in-seconds}
Configure encryption of communication between controllers by entering this command:
config redundancy link-encryption {enable | disable}
Configure the hash distribution as fixed by entering this command:
config port-channel hash-distribution fixed
Verify a port channel member order and load value by entering this command:
show etherchannel port-channel
View the status of redundancy by entering this command:
show redundancy summary
View information about the Redundancy Management Interface by entering this command:
show interface detailed redundancy-management
View information about the redundancy port by entering this command:
show interface detailed redundancy-port
Reboot a peer controller by entering this command:
reset peer-system
Start the upload of file types, such as configuration, event logs, crash files, and so on from the standby-hot
controller by entering this command on the active controller:

117
Monitoring High Availability Standby WLC
transfer upload peer-start

View information about sleeping clients after a switchover, by entering this command on the then active
controller :
show custom-web sleep-client summary
Debug the redundancy modules by entering these commands:
Note
Ensure that SSO is enabled to use these debug commands. Enter config redundancy mode SSO command
to enable SSO.
debug redundancy {infra | facilitator | transport | keepalive | gw-reachability | config-sync | ap-sync
| client-sync | mobility}
infraConfigures debug of Redundancy Infra Module
facilitatorConfigures debug of Redundancy Facilitator Module
transportConfigures debug of Redundancy Transport Module
keepaliveConfigures debug of Redundancy Keepalive Module
gw-reachabilityConfigures debug of Redundancy Gw-reachability Module
config-syncConfigures debug of Redundancy Config-Sync Module
ap-syncConfigures debug of Redundancy AP-Sync Module
client-syncConfigures debug of Redundancy Client-Sync Module
mobilityConfigures debug of Redundancy Mobility Module

You can view the status and health information of active and standby WLC separately. This section describes
the details of getting health information and traps from the standby WLC.
This feature is supported on all WLC models supporting HA SSO feature:
Cisco 8500 Series WLCs
Cisco Flex 7500 Series WLCs
Cisco 5500 Series WLCs
Cisco WiSM2
Events and Notifications
Trap when WLC becomes Hot StandbyA trap is reported with time stamp when HA peer becomes
Hot Standby and the trap shown below is reported
"RF notification EventType:37 Reason :HA peer is Hot-Standby...At:..."
A new trap type is added in CISCO-RF-SUPPLEMENTAL-MIB.my

118
Trap when Bulk Sync CompleteAfter the HA pairing is done and Bulk sync is complete, the following
trap is reported:
"RF notification EventType:36 Reason :Bulk Sync Completed...At:.."
A new trap type is added in CISCO-RF-SUPPLEMENTAL-MIB.my
Trap when Standby WLC goes downWhen the standby peer goes down due to manual reset, crash,
memory leak/hang, or moving to maintenance mode, the following trap is reported:
"RF failure notification ErrorType: 34 Reason :Lost Peer, Moving to Active-No-Peer State!"
On the CLI, you can view the trap by entering the show traplog command.
Syslog notification when Admin login on Standby
1 Admin login to Standby via SSH generates an event in msglog/syslog. The following is a sample
system message:
*emWeb: Mar 06 20:34:42.675: #CLI-3-LOGIN_STANDBY: [SS] cli_lvl7.c:4520 [USER@9
name="admin" from="SSH"] user login success on standby controller.
You can view this message on the standby WLC by entering the show msglog command.
2 Admin login to Standby via console generates an event in msglog/syslog. The following is a sample
system message:
*emWeb: Mar 06 20:34:42.675: #CLI-3-LOGIN_STANDBY: [SS] cli_lvl7.c:4520 [USER@9
name="admin" from="console"] user login success on standby controller.
You can view this message on the standby WLC by entering the show msglog command.
Peer Process StatisticsThe CPU and Memory statistics of all the threads of the standby WLC are
synchronized with the active WLC every 10 seconds. This information is displayed when you query for
the Peer statistics on the active WLC.
Enter these commands on the active WLC to view the peer process system, CPU, and memory statistics:
show redundancy peer-system statistics
show redundancy peer-process cpu
show redundancy peer-process memory
On the GUI, choose Monitor > Redundancy > Peer Statistics to view the peer process system, CPU,
and memory statistics:

119

120
CHAPTER
Managing Certificates
Loading an Externally Generated SSL Certificate, page 121
Downloading Device Certificates, page 124
Uploading Device Certificates, page 126
Downloading CA Certificates, page 128
Uploading CA Certificates, page 130
Generating a Certificate Signing Request, page 131
Loading an Externally Generated SSL Certificate

This section describes how to load an externally generated SSL certificate.
Information About Externally Generated SSL Certificates

You can use a TFTP server to download an externally generated SSL certificate to the controller. Follow these
guidelines for using TFTP:
If you load the certificate through the service port, the TFTP server must be on the same subnet as the
controller because the service port is not routable, or you must create static routes on the controller.
Also, if you load the certificate through the distribution system network port, the TFTP server can be
on any subnet.
A third-party TFTP server cannot run on the same PC as the Cisco Prime Infrastructure because the
Prime Infrastructure built-in TFTP server and the third-party TFTP server require the same communication
port.
Note
Chained certificates are supported for web authentication only and not for the
management certificate.

121
Note
Every HTTPS certificate contains an embedded RSA key. The length of the key can
vary from 512 bits, which is relatively insecure, to thousands of bits, which is very
secure. When you obtain a new certificate from a Certificate Authority, make sure that
the RSA key embedded in the certificate is at least 768 bits long.
Loading an SSL Certificate (GUI)
Step 1
On the HTTP Configuration page, select the Download SSL Certificate check box.
Figure 15: HTTP Configuration Page
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
In the Server IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.
In the Maximum Retries text box, enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the
certificate.
In the Timeout text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the certificate.
In the Certificate File Path text box, enter the directory path of the certificate.
In the Certificate File Name text box, enter the name of the certificate (webadmincert_name.pem).
(Optional) In the Certificate Password text box, enter a password to encrypt the certificate.
Click Apply.
Choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot > Save and Reboot to reboot the controller for your changes to take effect,

122
Loading an SSL Certificate (CLI)
Step 1
Use a password to encrypt the HTTPS certificate in a .PEM-encoded file. The PEM-encoded file is called a web
administration certificate file (webadmincert_name.pem).
Step 2
Move the webadmincert_name.pem file to the default directory on your TFTP server.
Step 3
To view the current download settings, enter this command and answer n to the prompt:
Mode...........................................
Data Type......................................
TFTP Server IP.................................
TFTP Path......................................
TFTP Filename..................................
Are you sure you want to start? (y/n) n
Transfer Canceled
Step 4
TFTP
Admin Cert
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
<directory path>
Use these commands to change the download settings:

transfer download mode tftp
transfer download datatype webauthcert
transfer download serverip TFTP_server IP_address
transfer download path absolute_TFTP_server_path_to_the_update_file
transfer download filename webadmincert_name.pem
Step 5
To set the password for the .PEM file so that the operating system can decrypt the web administration SSL key and
certificate, enter this command:
transfer download certpassword private_key_password
Step 6
To confirm the current download settings and start the certificate and key download, enter this command and answer y
to the prompt:
Mode...........................................
Data Type......................................
TFTP Server IP.................................
TFTP Path......................................
TFTP Filename..................................
Are you sure you want to start? (y/n) y
TFTP Webadmin cert transfer starting.
Certificate installed.
Please restart the switch (reset system) to use
Step 7
TFTP
Site Cert
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
directory path
webadmincert_name
the new certificate.
To save the SSL certificate, key, and secure web password to NVRAM so that your changes are retained across reboots,
enter this command:

123
Downloading Device Certificates
save config
Step 8
To reboot the controller, enter this command:

reset system

Each wireless device (controller, access point, and client) has its own device certificate. For example, the
controller is shipped with a Cisco-installed device certificate. This certificate is used by EAP-FAST (when
not using PACs), EAP-TLS, PEAP-GTC, and PEAP-MSCHAPv2 to authenticate wireless clients during local
EAP authentication. However, if you want to use your own vendor-specific device certificate, it must be
downloaded to the controller.
Note
For more information about configuring local EAP, see the Configuring Local EAP section.
Follow the instructions in this section to download a vendor-specific device certificate to the controller through
the GUI or CLI. However, before you begin, make sure you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the
certificate download. Follow these guidelines when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
controller.
Note
All certificates downloaded to the controller must be in PEM format.
Downloading Device Certificates (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the device certificate to the default directory on your server.

Step 3
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Vendor Device Certificate.
Step 4
Step 5
In the Certificate Password text box, enter the password that was used to protect the certificate.
TFTP

124
FTP
Step 6

Step 7
text box.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the certificate.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the certificate.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Click Download to download the device certificate to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the
download.
After the download is complete, choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot.
Step 14
Click OK to confirm your decision to reboot the controller.
Downloading Device Certificates (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Log onto the controller CLI.

Step 3
Specify the type of the file to be downloaded by entering this command:

transfer download datatype eapdevcert
Step 4
Specify the certificates private key by entering this command:

transfer download certpassword password
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
transfer download filename filename.pem

125
Uploading Device Certificates
Step 8

Note
Step 9

Note
Step 10
Step 11

21.
View the updated settings by entering the transfer download start command. Answer y when prompted to confirm the
reset system

Uploading Device Certificates (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
From the File Type drop-down list, choose IPSec Device Certificate.
TFTP
FTP
SFTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

a) In the Server Login Username text box, enter the username to log on to the FTP server.

126
b) In the Server Login Password text box, enter the password to log on to the FTP server.
The default value is 21. For SFTP, the default value is 22.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Upload to upload the CA certificate from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
After the upload is complete, choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot.
Uploading Device Certificates (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Specify the type of the file to be uploaded by entering this command:
transfer upload datatype ipsecdevcert
Step 3
Specify the transfer mode used to upload the file by entering this command:
Step 4
Step 5
Specify the directory path of the file by entering this command:

Step 6
Specify the name of the file to be uploaded by entering this command:

Step 7

Note
Step 8
Step 9
The default value for the port parameter for is 21. For SFTP, the default value is
22.
Reboot the controller by entering the reset system command.

127
Downloading CA Certificates
Controllers and access points have a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate that is used to sign and validate
device certificates. The controller is shipped with a Cisco-installed CA certificate. This certificate may be
used by EAP-FAST (when not using PACs), EAP-TLS, PEAP-GTC, and PEAP-MSCHAPv2 to authenticate
wireless clients during local EAP authentication. However, if you want to use your own vendor-specific CA
certificate, it must be downloaded to the controller.
Note
For more information about configuring local EAP, see the Configuring Local EAP section.
Follow the instructions in this section to download CA certificates to the controller through the GUI or CLI.
However, before you begin, make sure that you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the certificate
download. Follow these guidelines when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
controller.
Note
All certificates downloaded to the controller must be in PEM format.
Download CA Certificates (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Copy the CA certificate to the default directory on your server.

From the File Type drop-down list, choose Vendor CA Certificate.
TFTP
FTP
Step 5


128
Step 6
text box.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Click Download to download the CA certificate to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.
After the download is complete, choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot.
Downloading CA Certificates (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Step 3
Specify the type of the file to be downloaded by entering this command:

transfer download datatype eapdevcert
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Note
Step 8

129
Uploading CA Certificates

Note
Step 9
Step 10

21.
View the updated settings by entering the transfer download start command. Answer y when prompted to confirm the
Uploading CA Certificates
Uploading CA Certificates (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
From the File Type drop-down list, choose IPSec CA Certificate.
TFTP
FTP
SFTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Upload to upload the CA certificate from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
After the upload is complete, choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot.

130
Generating a Certificate Signing Request
Uploading CA Certificates (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Specify the type of the file to be uploaded by entering this command:
transfer upload datatype ipseccacert
Step 3
Specify the transfer mode used to upload the file by entering this command:
Step 4
Step 5
Specify the directory path of the file by entering this command:

Step 6
Specify the name of the file to be uploaded by entering this command:

Step 7

Note
Step 8
Step 9
The default value for the port parameter is 21. For SFTP, the default value is
22.

Step 1
Step 2
Install and open the OpenSSL application.

Enter the command:
OpenSSL> req -new -newkey rsa:1024 -nodes -keyout mykey.pem -out myreq.pem
Controllers support a maximum key size of 2048 bits.

You must provide the correct Common Name. Ensure that the host name that is used to create the certificate
(Common Name) matches the Domain Name System (DNS) host name entry for the virtual interface IP on the
controller. This name should exist in the DNS as well. Also, after you make the change to the VIP interface,
you must reboot the system in order for this change to take effect.
After you issue the command, you are prompted to enter information such as country name, state, city, and so on.
Note

131

OpenSSL> req -new -newkey rsa:1024 -nodes -keyout mykey.pem -out myreq.pem
Loading 'screen' into random state - done
Generating a 1024 bit RSA private key
................................................................++++++
...................................................++++++
writing new private key to 'mykey.pem'
----You are about to be asked to enter information that will be incorporated
into your certificate request.
What you are about to enter is what is called a Distinguished Name or a DN.
There are quite a few fields but you can leave some blank
For some fields there will be a default value,
If you enter '.', the field will be left blank.
----Country Name (2 letter code) [AU]:US
State or Province Name (full name) [Some-State]:CA
Locality Name (eg, city) []:San Jose
Organization Name (eg, company) [Internet Widgits Pty Ltd]:ABC
Organizational Unit Name (eg, section) []:CDE
Common Name (eg, YOUR name) []:XYZ.ABC
Email Address []:[email protected]
Please enter the following 'extra' attributes
to be sent with your certificate request
A challenge password []:Test123
An optional company name []:
OpenSSL>
After you provide all the required details two files are generated:
A new private key that includes the name mykey.pem
A CSR that includes the name myreq.pem
Step 3
Copy and paste the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) information into any CA enrollment tool. After you submit the
CSR to a third party CA, the third party CA digitally signs the certificate and sends back the signed certificate chain
through e-mail. In case of chained certificates, you receive the entire chain of certificates from the CA. If you only have
one intermediate certificate similar to the example above, you will receive the following three certificates from the CA:
Root certificate.pem
Intermediate certificate.pem
Device certificate.pem
Note
Step 4
Ensure that the certificate is Apache-compatible with SHA1 encryption.
Once you have all the three certificates, copy and paste into another file the contents of each .pem file in this order:
------BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----*Device cert*
------END CERTIFICATE-----------BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----*Intermediate CA cert *
------END CERTIFICATE-------------BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----*Root CA cert *

132
------END CERTIFICATE------
Step 5
Save the file as All-certs.pem.

Combine the All-certs.pem certificate with the private key that you generated along with the CSR (the private key of the
device certificate, which is mykey.pem in this example), and save the file as final.pem.
Create the All-certs.pem and final.pem files by entering these commands:
Step 6
Step 7
openssl> pkcs12 -export -in All-certs.pem -inkey mykey.pem

-out All-certs.p12 -clcerts -passin pass:check123
-passout pass:check123
openssl> pkcs12 -in All-certs.p12 -out final.pem
-passin pass:check123 -passout pass:check123
final.pem is the file that we need to download to the controller.

Note
You must enter a password for the parameters -passin and -passout. The password that is configured for the
-passout parameter must match the certpassword parameter that is configured on the controller. In the above
example, the password that is configured for both the -passin and -passout parameters is check123.
What to Do Next
Download the final.pem file to the controller either using CLI or GUI.
Downloading Third-Party Certificate (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Copy the device certificate final.pem to the default directory on your TFTP server.
Choose Security > Web Auth > Certificate to open the Web Authentication Certificate page.
Check the Download SSL Certificate check box to view the Download SSL Certificate From Server parameters.
Step 4
In the Server IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
In the Certificate Password text box, enter the password to protect the certificate.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Click Apply.
After the download is complete, choose Commands > Reboot and click Save and Reboot.
Click OK in order to confirm your decision to reboot the controller.

133
Downloading Third-Party Certificate (CLI)
Step 1
Move the final.pem file to the default directory on your TFTP server. Change the download settings by entering the
following commands:
(Cisco
(Cisco
(Cisco
(Cisco
(Cisco
Step 2
Controller)
Controller)
Controller)
Controller)
Controller)
>
>
>
>
>
transfer
transfer
transfer
transfer
transfer
download
download
download
download
download
mode tftp
datatype webauthcert
serverip <TFTP server IP address>
path <absolute TFTP server path to the update file>
filename final.pem
Enter the password for the .pem file so that the operating system can decrypt the SSL key and certificate.
(Cisco Controller) > transfer download certpassword password
Ensure that the value for certpassword is the same as the -passout parameter when you generate a
CSR.
Start the certificate and key download by entering the this command:
Note
Step 3
Example:
(Cisco Controller) > transfer download start
Mode............................................. TFTP
Data Type........................................ Site Cert
TFTP Server IP................................... 10.77.244.196
TFTP Packet Timeout.............................. 6
TFTP Max Retries................................. 10
TFTP Path........................................./
TFTP Filename.................................... final.pem
This may take some time.
Are you sure you want to start? (y/N) y
TFTP EAP Dev cert transfer starting.
Certificate installed.
Reboot the switch to use new certificate.
Step 4
Reboot the controller.

134
CHAPTER
10
AAA Administration
Setting up RADIUS, page 135
Setting up TACACS+, page 160
Setting up RADIUS
Information About RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is a client/server protocol that provides centralized
security for users attempting to gain management access to a network. It serves as a backend database similar
to local and TACACS+ and provides authentication and accounting services:
AuthenticationThe process of verifying users when they attempt to log into the controller.
Users must enter a valid username and password in order for the controller to authenticate users to the
RADIUS server. If multiple databases are configured, you can specify the sequence in which the backend
database must be tired.
AccountingThe process of recording user actions and changes.
Whenever a user successfully executes an action, the RADIUS accounting server logs the changed
attributes, the user ID of the person who made the change, the remote host where the user is logged in,
the date and time when the command was executed, the authorization level of the user, and a description
of the action performed and the values provided. If the RADIUS accounting server becomes unreachable,
users are able to continue their sessions uninterrupted.
RADIUS uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for its transport. It maintains a database and listens on UDP
port 1812 for incoming authentication requests and UDP port 1813 for incoming accounting requests. The
controller, which requires access control, acts as the client and requests AAA services from the server. The
traffic between the controller and the server is encrypted by an algorithm defined in the protocol and a shared
secret key configured on both devices.
You can configure multiple RADIUS accounting and authentication servers. For example, you may want to
have one central RADIUS authentication server but several RADIUS accounting servers in different regions.
If you configure multiple servers of the same type and the first one fails or becomes unreachable, the controller
automatically tries the second one, then the third one if necessary, and so on.

135
Setting up RADIUS
When a management user is authenticated using a RADIUS server, only the PAP protocol is used. For web
authentication users, PAP, MSCHAPv2 and MD5 security mechanisms are supported.
RADIUS Server Support
You can configure up to 17 RADIUS authentication and accounting servers each.
If multiple RADIUS servers are configured for redundancy, the user database must be identical in all
the servers for the backup to work properly.
One Time Passwords (OTPs) are supported on the controller using RADIUS. In this configuration, the
controller acts as a transparent passthrough device. The controller forwards all client requests to the
RADIUS server without inspecting the client behavior. When using OTP, the client must establish a
single connection to the controller to function properly. The controller currently does not have any
intelligence or checks to correct a client that is trying to establish multiple connections.
To create a read-only controller user on the RADIUS sever, you must set the service type to NAS prompt
instead of Callback NAS prompt. If you set the service type to Callback NAS Prompt, the user
authentication fails while setting it to NAS prompt gives the user read-only access to the controller.
Also, the Callback Administrative service type gives the user the lobby ambassador privileges to the
controller.
If RADIUS servers are mapped per WLAN, then controller do not use RADIUS server from the global
list on that WLAN.
To configure the RADIUS server:
Using Access Control Server (ACS)See the latest Cisco Secure Access Control System guide
at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/secure-access-control-system/
products-user-guide-list.html.
Using Identity Services Engine (ISE)See the Configuring External RADIUS Servers section in
the Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/
security/identity-services-engine/products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.
Primary and Fallback RADIUS Servers

The primary RADIUS server (the server with the lowest server index) is assumed to be the most preferable
server for the controller. If the primary server becomes unresponsive, the controller switches to the next active
backup server (the server with the next lowest server index). The controller continues to use this backup server,
unless you configure the controller to fall back to the primary RADIUS server when it recovers and becomes
responsive or to a more preferable server from the available backup servers.
RADIUS DNS
You can use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that enables you to change the IP address when needed,
for example, for load balancing updates. A submenu, DNS, is added to the Security > AAA > RADIUS menu,
which you can use to get RADIUS IP information from a DNS. The DNS query is disabled by default.
Restrictions on Configuring RADIUS

You can configure the session timeout value for RADIUS server up to 65535 seconds. The controller
does not support configuring session timeout value for RADIUS server higher than 65535 seconds.

136
Setting up RADIUS
The session timeout value configured on RADIUS server if set beyond 24 days, then the RADIUS
session timeout value does not override the session timeout value configured locally over a WLAN.
Configuring RADIUS on the ACS
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Network Configuration on the ACS main page.

Choose Add Entry under AAA Clients to add your controller to the server. The Add AAA Client page appears.
Figure 16: Add AAA Client Page on CiscoSecure ACS
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
In the AAA Client Hostname text box, enter the name of your controller.
In the AAA Client IP Address text box, enter the IP address of your controller.
In the Shared Secret text box, enter the shared secret key to be used for authentication between the server and the
controller.
Note
The shared secret key must be the same on both the server and the
controller.

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Setting up RADIUS
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
From the Authenticate Using drop-down list, choose RADIUS (Cisco Airespace).
Click Submit + Apply to save your changes.
Choose Interface Configuration on the ACS main page.
Choose RADIUS (Cisco Aironet). The RADIUS (Cisco Aironet) page appears.
Under User Group, select the Cisco-Aironet-Session-Timeout check box.
Click Submit to save your changes.
On the ACS main page, from the left navigation pane, choose System Configuration.
Choose Logging.
When the Logging Configuration page appears, enable all of the events that you want to be logged and save your changes.
On the ACS main page, from the left navigation pane, choose Group Setup.
Choose a previously created group from the Group drop-down list.
Note
This step assumes that you have already assigned users to groups on the ACS according to the roles to which
they will be assigned.
Click Edit Settings. The Group Setup page appears.
Under Cisco Aironet Attributes, select the Cisco-Aironet-Session-Timeout check box and enter a session timeout
value in the edit box.
Specify read-only or read-write access to controllers through RADIUS authentication, by setting the Service-Type
attribute (006) to Callback NAS Prompt for read-only access or to Administrative for read-write privileges. If you do
not set this attribute, the authentication process completes successfully (without an authorization error on the controller),
but you might be prompted to authenticate again.
Note
If you set the Service-Type attribute on the ACS, make sure to select the Management check box on the RADIUS
Authentication Servers page of the controller GUI.
Configuring RADIUS (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS.

If you want to configure a RADIUS server for authentication, choose Authentication.
If you want to configure a RADIUS server for accounting, choose Accounting.
The pages used to configure authentication and accounting contain mostly the same text boxes. Therefore, these
instructions walk through the configuration only once, using the Authentication pages as examples. You would
follow the same steps to configure multiple services and/or multiple servers.
The RADIUS Authentication (or Accounting) Servers page appears.
This page lists any RADIUS servers that have already been configured.
Note
If you want to delete an existing server, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that server and choose
Remove.

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Setting up RADIUS
If you want to make sure that the controller can reach a particular server, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down
arrow for that server and choose Ping.
Step 3
From the Acct Call Station ID Type drop-down list, choose the option that is sent to the RADIUS server in the
Access-Request message. The following options are available:
IP Address
System MAC Address
AP MAC Address
AP MAC Address:SSID
AP Name:SSID
AP Name
AP Group
Flex Group
AP Location
VLAN ID
AP Ethernet MAC Address
AP Ethernet MAC Address:SSID
Note
Step 4
The AP Name:SSID, AP Name, AP Group, Flex Group, AP Location, and VLAN ID options are added in the
7.4 release.
The AP Ethernet MAC Address and AP Ethernet MAC Address:SSID are added in the 7.6 release.
From the Auth Call Station ID Type drop-down list, choose the option that is sent to the RADIUS server in the
Access-Request message. The following options are available:
IP Address
System MAC Address
AP MAC Address
AP MAC Address:SSID
AP Name:SSID
AP Name
AP Group
Flex Group
AP Location
VLAN ID
AP Ethernet MAC Address

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Setting up RADIUS
AP Ethernet MAC Address:SSID

Step 5
Step 6
Enable RADIUS-to-controller key transport using AES key wrap protection by checking the Use AES Key Wrap check
box. The default value is unchecked. This feature is required for FIPS customers.
From the MAC Delimiter drop-down list, choose the option that is sent to the RADIUS server in the Access-Request
message. The following options are available:
Colon
Hyphen
Single-hyphen
None
Step 7
Click Apply. Perform one of the following:

To edit an existing RADIUS server, click the server index number for that server. The RADIUS Authentication
(or Accounting) Servers > Edit page appears.
To add a RADIUS server, click New. The RADIUS Authentication (or Accounting) Servers > New page appears.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
If you are adding a new server, choose a number from the Server Index (Priority) drop-down list to specify the priority
order of this server in relation to any other configured RADIUS servers providing the same service.
If you are adding a new server, enter the IP address of the RADIUS server in the Server IP Address text box.
Note
Auto IPv6 is not supported on RADIUS server. The RADIUS server must not be configured with Auto IPv6
address. Use fixed IPv6 address instead.
From the Shared Secret Format drop-down list, choose ASCII or Hex to specify the format of the shared secret key
to be used between the controller and the RADIUS server. The default value is ASCII.
In the Shared Secret and Confirm Shared Secret text boxes, enter the shared secret key to be used for authentication
between the controller and the server.
Note
The shared secret key must be the same on both the server and the controller.
If you are configuring a new RADIUS authentication server and want to enable AES key wrap, which makes the shared
secret between the controller and the RADIUS server more secure, follow these steps:
Note
AES key wrap is designed for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) customers and requires a
key-wrap compliant RADIUS authentication server.
a) Check the Key Wrap check box.
b) From the Key Wrap Format drop-down list, choose ASCII or HEX to specify the format of the AES key wrap
keys: Key Encryption Key (KEK) and Message Authentication Code Key (MACK).
c) In the Key Encryption Key (KEK) text box, enter the 16-byte KEK.
d) In the Message Authentication Code Key (MACK) text box, enter the 20-byte KEK.
Step 13
If you are adding a new server, enter the RADIUS servers UDP port number for the interface protocols in the Port
Number text box. The valid range is 1 to 65535, and the default value is 1812 for authentication and 1813 for accounting.
Step 14
From the Server Status text box, choose Enabled to enable this RADIUS server or choose Disabled to disable it. The
default value is enabled.
If you are configuring a new RADIUS authentication server, from the Support for CoA drop-down list, choose Enabled
to enable change of authorization, which is an extension to the RADIUS protocol that allows dynamic changes to a user
session, or choose Disabled to disable this feature. By default, this is set to Disabled state. Support for CoA includes
Step 15

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Setting up RADIUS
Step 16
support for disconnecting users and changing authorizations applicable to a user session and supports disconnect and
change of authorization (CoA) messages. Disconnect messages cause a user session to be terminated immediately where
CoA messages modify session authorization attributes such as data filters.
In the Server Timeout text box, enter the number of seconds between retransmissions. The valid range is 2 to 30 seconds,
and the default value is 2 seconds.
Check the Key Wrap check box.
We recommend that you increase the timeout value if you experience repeated reauthentication attempts or the
controller falls back to the backup server when the primary server is active and reachable.
Check the Network User check box to enable network user authentication (or accounting), or uncheck it to disable this
feature. The default value is unchecked. If you enable this feature, this entry is considered the RADIUS authentication
(or accounting) server for network users. If you did not configure a RADIUS server entry on the WLAN, you must enable
this option for network users.
If you are configuring a RADIUS authentication server, check the Management check box to enable management
authentication, or uncheck the check box to disable this feature. The default value is checked. If you enable this feature,
this entry is considered the RADIUS authentication server for management users, and authentication requests go to the
RADIUS server.
Enter the Management Retransmit Timeout value, which denotes the network login retransmission timeout for the
server.
If you want to use a tunnel gateway as AAA proxy, check the Tunnel Proxy check box. The gateway can function as a
proxy RADIUS server as well as a tunnel gateway.
Check the IPSec check box to enable the IP security mechanism, or uncheck the check box to disable this feature. The
default value is unchecked.
Note
From Release 8.3 onwards, IPSec is supported over IPv6 interfaces as
well.
If you enabled IPsec in Step 17, follow these steps to configure additional IPsec parameters:
a) From the IPSec drop-down list, choose one of the following options as the authentication protocol to be used for IP
security: HMAC MD5 or HMAC SHA1. The default value is HMAC SHA1.
A message authentication code (MAC) is used between two parties that share a secret key to validate information
transmitted between them. HMAC (Hash MAC) is based on cryptographic hash functions. It can be used in combination
with any iterated cryptographic hash function. HMAC MD5 and HMAC SHA1 are two constructs of the HMAC
using the MD5 hash function and the SHA1 hash function. HMAC also uses a secret key for calculation and verification
of the message authentication values.
Note
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
Step 21
Step 22
b) From the IPSec Encryption drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the IP security encryption
mechanism:
DESData Encryption Standard that is a method of data encryption using a private (secret) key. DES applies
a 56-bit key to each 64-bit block of data.
3DESData Encryption Standard that applies three keys in succession. This is the default value.
AES CBCAdvanced Encryption Standard that uses keys with a length of 128, 192, or 256 bits to encrypt
data blocks with a length of 128, 192, or 256 bits. AES 128 CBC uses a 128-bit data path in Cipher Block
Chaining (CBC) mode.
256-AESAdvanced Encryption Standard that uses keys with a length of 256 bits.
c) From the IKE Phase 1 drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the Internet Key Exchange
(IKE) protocol: Aggressive or Main. The default value is Aggressive.

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Setting up RADIUS
IKE Phase 1 is used to negotiate how IKE should be protected. Aggressive mode passes more information in fewer
packets with the benefit of slightly faster connection establishment at the cost of transmitting the identities of the
security gateways in the clear.
d) In the Lifetime text box, enter a value (in seconds) to specify the timeout interval for the session. The valid range is
1800 to 57600 seconds, and the default value is 1800 seconds.
e) From the IKE Diffie Hellman Group drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the IKE Diffie
Hellman group: Group 1 (768 bits), Group 2 (1024 bits), or Group 5 (1536 bits). The default value is Group 1
(768 bits).
Diffie-Hellman techniques are used by two devices to generate a symmetric key through which they can publicly
exchange values and generate the same symmetric key. Although all three groups provide security from conventional
attacks, Group 5 is considered more secure because of its larger key size. However, computations involving Group
1 and Group 2 based keys might occur slightly faster because of their smaller prime number size.
If the shared secret for IPSec is not configured, the default radius shared secret is used. If the authentication
method is PSK, WLANCC should be enabled to use the IPSec shared secret, default value is used otherwise.
You can view the status for the WLANCC and UCAPL prerequisite modes in Controller > Inventory.
Click Apply.
Repeat the previous steps if you want to configure any additional services on the same server or any additional RADIUS
servers.
Specify the RADIUS server fallback behavior, as follows:
a) Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS > Fallback to open the RADIUS > Fallback Parameters to open the fallback
parameters page.
b) From the Fallback Mode drop-down list, choose one of the following options:
Note
Step 23
Step 24
Step 25
Step 26
OffDisables RADIUS server fallback. This is the default value.

PassiveCauses the controller to revert to a server with a lower priority from the available backup servers
without using extraneous probe messages. The controller ignores all inactive servers for a time period and retries
later when a RADIUS message needs to be sent.
ActiveCauses the controller to revert to a server with a lower priority from the available backup servers by
using RADIUS probe messages to proactively determine whether a server that has been marked inactive is back
online. The controller ignores all inactive servers for all active RADIUS requests. Once the primary server
receives a response from the recovered ACS server, the active fallback RADIUS server no longer sends probe
messages to the server requesting the active probe authentication.
c) If you enabled Active fallback mode in Step b, enter the name to be sent in the inactive server probes in the Username
text box. You can enter up to 16 alphanumeric characters. The default value is cisco-probe.
d) If you enabled Active fallback mode in Step b, enter the probe interval value (in seconds) in the Interval in Sec text
box. The interval serves as inactive time in passive mode and probe interval in active mode. The valid range is 180
to 3600 seconds, and the default value is 300 seconds.
Step 27
Specify the RADIUS DNS parameters as follows:

Note
IPv6 is not supported for RADIUS
DNS.
a) Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS > DNS. The RADIUS DNS Parameters page appears.
b) Check or uncheck the DNS Query check box.
c) In the Port Number text box, enter the authentication port number. The valid range is 1 to 65535.

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Setting up RADIUS
The accounting port number is an increment of 1 of the authentication port number. For example, if you define the
authentication port number as 1812, the accounting port number is 1813. The accounting port number is always
derived from the authentication port number.
d) From the Secret Format drop-down list, choose the format in which you want to configure the secret. Valid options
are ASCII and Hex.
e) Depending on the format selected, enter and confirm the secret.
Note
All servers are expected to use the same authentication port and the same secret.
f) In the DNS Timeout text box, enter the number of days after which the DNS query is refreshed to get the latest
update from the DNS server.
g) In the URL text box, enter the fully qualified domain name or the absolute domain name of the RADIUS server.
h) In the Server IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the DNS server.
i) Click Apply.
Step 28
Step 29
Step 30
Step 31
Specify the order of authentication when multiple databases are configured by choosing Security > Priority Order >
Management User. The Priority Order > Management User page appears.
In the Order Used for Authentication text box, specify which servers have priority when the controller attempts to
authenticate management users. Use the > and < buttons to move servers between the Not Used and Order Used for
Authentication text boxes. After the desired servers appear in the Order Used for Authentication text box, use the Up
and Down buttons to move the priority server to the top of the list.
By default, the local database is always queried first. If the username is not found, the controller switches to the RADIUS
server if configured for RADIUS or to the TACACS+ server if configured for TACACS+. The default setting is local
and then RADIUS.
Click Apply.
Configuring RADIUS (CLI)

Specify whether the IP address, system MAC address, AP MAC address, AP Ethernet MAC address of
the originator will be sent to the RADIUS server in the Access-Request message by entering this
command:
config radius callStationIdType {ipaddr | macaddr | ap-macaddr-only | ap-macaddr-ssid |
ap-ethmac-only | ap-ethmac-ssid | ap-group-name | ap-label-address | ap-label-address-ssid |
ap-location | ap-mac-ssid-ap-group | ap-name | ap-name-ssid | flex-group-name | vlan-id}
This command supports both IPv4 and IPv6 address formats.
Note
Caution
The default is System MAC Address.
Do not use Call Station ID Type for IPv6-only clients.

Specify the delimiter to be used in the MAC addresses that are sent to the RADIUS authentication or
accounting server in Access-Request messages by entering this command:

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Setting up RADIUS
config radius {auth | acct} mac-delimiter {colon | hyphen | single-hyphen | none}

where
colon sets the delimiter to a colon (the format is xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx).
hyphen sets the delimiter to a hyphen (the format is xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx). This is the default value.
single-hyphen sets the delimiter to a single hyphen (the format is xxxxxx-xxxxxx).
none disables delimiters (the format is xxxxxxxxxxxx).
Configure a RADIUS authentication server by entering these commands:
config radius auth add index server_ip_address port_number {ascii | hex} shared_secretAdds
a RADIUS authentication server.
config radius auth keywrap {enable | disable}Enables AES key wrap, which makes the shared
secret between the controller and the RADIUS server more secure. AES key wrap is designed for
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) customers and requires a key-wrap compliant
RADIUS authentication server.
config radius auth keywrap add {ascii | hex} kek mack indexConfigures the AES key wrap
attributes
where
kek specifies the 16-byte Key Encryption Key (KEK).
mack specifies the 20-byte Message Authentication Code Key (MACK).
index specifies the index of the RADIUS authentication server on which to configure the
AES key wrap.
config radius auth rfc3576 {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables RFC 3576, which is
an extension to the RADIUS protocol that allows dynamic changes to a user session. RFC 3576
includes support for disconnecting users and changing authorizations applicable to a user session
and supports disconnect and change-of-authorization (CoA) messages. Disconnect messages cause
a user session to be terminated immediately where CoA messages modify session authorization
attributes such as data filters.
config radius auth retransmit-timeout index timeoutConfigures the retransmission timeout
value for a RADIUS authentication server.
config radius auth mgmt-retransmit-timeout index timeoutConfigures the default management
login retransmission timeout for a RADIUS authentication server.
config radius auth network index {enable | disable}Enables or disables network user
authentication. If you enable this feature, this entry is considered the RADIUS authentication server
for network users. If you did not configure a RADIUS server entry on the WLAN, you must enable
this option for network users.
config radius auth management index {enable | disable}Enables or disables management
authentication. If you enable this feature, this entry is considered the RADIUS authentication server
for management users, and authentication requests go to the RADIUS server.
config radius auth ipsec {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables the IP security mechanism.

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Setting up RADIUS
config radius auth ipsec authentication {hmac-md5 | hmac-sha1} indexConfigures the

authentication protocol to be used for IP security.
config radius auth ipsec encryption {256-aes | 3des | aes | des | none} indexConfigures the
IP security encryption mechanism.
config radius auth ipsec ike dh-group {group-1 | group-2 | group-5| 2048bit-group-14}
indexConfigures the IKE Diffie-Hellman group.
config radius auth ipsec ike lifetime interval indexConfigures the timeout interval for the
session.
config radius auth ipsec ike phase1{aggressive | main} indexConfigures the Internet Key
Exchange (IKE) protocol.
config radius auth ipsec ike auth-method {PSK | certificate} indexConfigures the IKE
authentication methods. By default PSK is be used for IPSEC sessions.
config radius auth ipsec ike auth-mode pre-shared-key index hex/asciisecretConfigures the
IPSEC pre-shared key.
config radius auth ipsec ike auth-mode {pre-shared-key index hex-ascii-index shared-secret |
certificate index} Configures the IKE authentication method. By default, preshared key is used
for IPSEC sessions.
config radius auth {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables a RADIUS authentication server.
config radius auth delete indexDeletes a previously added RADIUS authentication server.
Configure a RADIUS accounting server by entering these commands:
config radius acct add index server_ip_address port# {ascii | hex} shared_secretAdds a
RADIUS accounting server.
config radius acct server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the retransmission timeout value
for a RADIUS accounting server.
config radius acct network index {enable | disable}Enables or disables network user accounting.
If you enable this feature, this entry is considered the RADIUS accounting server for network
users. If you did not configure a RADIUS server entry on the WLAN, you must enable this option
for network users.
config radius acct ipsec {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables the IP security mechanism.
config radius acct ipsec authentication {hmac-md5 | hmac-sha1} indexConfigures the
authentication protocol to be used for IP security.
config radius acct ipsec encryption {256-aes | 3des | aes | des | none} indexConfigures the
IP security encryption mechanism.
config radius acct ipsec ike dh-group {2048bit-group-14 | group-1 | group-2 | group-5}
indexConfigures the IKE Diffie Hellman group.
config radius acct ipsec ike lifetime interval indexConfigures the timeout interval for the
session.

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Setting up RADIUS
config radius acct ipsec ike auth-mode {pre-shared-key index hex-ascii-index shared-secret |
certificate index} Configures the IKE authentication method. By default, preshared key is used
for IPSEC sessions.
config radius acct ipsec ike phase1{aggressive | main} indexConfigures the Internet Key
Exchange (IKE) protocol.
config radius acct {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables a RADIUS accounting server.
config radius acct delete indexDeletes a previously added RADIUS accounting server.
config radius acct region {group | none | provincial}Configures the RADIUS region.
config radius acct realm {add | delete } radius-index realm-stringConfigures the realm of the
RADIUS accounting server.
config radius auth callStationIdType {ap-ethmac-only | ap-ethmac-ssid}Sets the Called
Station ID type to be APs radio MAC address or APs radio MAC address with SSID.
config radius auth callStationIdType ap-label-addressSets the Called Station ID Type to the
AP MAC address that is printed on the AP label, for the authentication messages.
config radius auth callStationIdType ap-label-address-ssidSets the Call Station ID Type to
the <AP label MAC address>:<SSID> format, for the authentication messages.
config radius auth callStationIdType ap-group-name Sets the Called Station ID type to use
the AP group name. If the AP is not part of any AP group, default-group is taken as the AP group
name.
config radius auth callStationIdType ap-locationSets the Called Station ID to the AP Location.
config radius auth callStationIdType ap-mac-ssid-ap-groupSets Called Station ID type to
the format <AP MAC address>:<SSID>:<AP Group>.
config radius auth callStationIdType {ap-macaddr-only | ap-macaddr-ssid}Sets the Called
Station ID type to be APs radio MAC address or APs radio MAC address with SSID in the <AP
radio MAC address>:<SSID> format.
config radius auth callStationIdType {ap-name | ap-name-ssid}Sets the Called Station ID
type to be AP name or AP name with SSID in the <AP name>:<SSID> format.
Note
When the Called Station ID type is set to AP name, the conversion of uppercase letters
to lowercase letters for the AP name is not considered. For example, while creating an
AP, if the AP name is provided with uppercase letters, then the AP name for the call
station ID type gets displayed with upper case letters only.
config radius auth callStationIdType flex-group-nameSets the Called Station ID type to the
FlexConnect group name.
config radius auth callStationIdType {ipaddr | macaddr}Sets the Called Station ID type to
use the IP address (only Layer 3) or system's MAC address.
config radius auth callStationIdType vlan-idSets the Called Station ID type to the system's
VLAN ID.
Configure the RADIUS server fallback behavior by entering this command:

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Setting up RADIUS
config radius fallback-test mode {off | passive | active}

where
off disables RADIUS server fallback.
passive causes the controller to revert to a server with a lower priority from the available backup
servers without using extraneous probe messages. The controller simply ignores all inactive servers
for a time period and retries later when a RADIUS message needs to be sent.
active causes the controller to revert to a server with a lower priority from the available backup
servers by using RADIUS probe messages to proactively determine whether a server that has been
marked inactive is back online. The controller simply ignores all inactive servers for all active
RADIUS requests. Once the primary server receives a response from the recovered ACS server,
the active fallback RADIUS server no longer sends probe messages to the server requesting the
active probe authentication.
If you enabled Active mode in Step 5, enter these commands to configure additional fallback parameters:
config radius fallback-test username usernameSpecifies the name to be sent in the inactive
server probes. You can enter up to 16 alphanumeric characters for the username parameter.
config radius fallback-test interval intervalSpecifies the probe interval value (in seconds).
Configure RADIUS DNS parameters by entering these commands:
config radius dns global port-num {ascii | hex} secretAdds global port number and secret
information for the RADIUS DNS.
config radius dns query url timeout-in-daysConfigures the FQDN of the RADIUS server and
timeout after which a refresh is performed to get the latest update from the DNS server.
config radius dns serverip ip-addrConfigures the IP address of the DNS server.
config radius dns {enable | disable}Enables or disables the DNS query.
Configure RADIUS extended source ports support by entering this command:
config radius ext-source-ports {enable | disable}
Enabling multiple source ports allows the number of outstanding RADIUS requests to be increased.
With single source port, the number of outstanding requests was limited to 255 for each authentication
and accounting request.
The number of RADIUS queues supported on various WLC platforms:
5508 and WiSM2 support 8 RADIUS queues
5520, Flex 7500 Series, and 8500 Series support 16 RADIUS queues
save config
Configure the order of authentication when multiple databases are configured by entering this command:
config aaa auth mgmt AAA_server_type AAA_server_type
where AAA_server_type is local, radius, or tacacs.
To see the current management authentication server order, enter the show aaa auth command.
See RADIUS statistics by entering these commands:

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Setting up RADIUS
show radius summaryShows a summary of RADIUS servers and statistics with AP Ethernet
MAC configurations.
show radius auth statisticsShows the RADIUS authentication server statistics.
show radius acct statisticsShows the RADIUS accounting server statistics.
show radius rfc3576 statisticsShows a summary of the RADIUS RFC-3576 server.
See active security associations by entering these commands:
show ike {brief | detailed} ip_or_mac_addrShows a brief or detailed summary of active IKE
security associations.
show ipsec {brief | detailed} ip_or_mac_addrShows a brief or detailed summary of active
IPSec security associations.
Clear the statistics for one or more RADIUS servers by entering this command:
clear stats radius {auth | acct} {index | all}
Make sure that the controller can reach the RADIUS server by entering this command:
ping server_ip_address
RADIUS Authentication Attributes Sent by the Controller

The following tables identify the RADIUS authentication attributes sent between the controller and the
RADIUS server in access-request and access-accept packets.
Table 3: Authentication Attributes Sent in Access-Request Packets
Attribute ID
Description
User-Name
Password
CHAP-Password
NAS-IP-Address
NAS-Port
Service-Type1
12
Framed-MTU
30
Called-Station-ID (MAC address)
31
Calling-Station-ID (MAC address)
32
NAS-Identifier
33
Proxy-State
60
CHAP-Challenge
61
NAS-Port-Type

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Setting up RADIUS
Attribute ID
Description
79
EAP-Message
1 To specify read-only or read-write access to controllers through RADIUS authentication, you must set the Service-Type attribute (6) on the RADIUS server
to Callback NAS Prompt for read-only access or to Administrative for read-write privileges.
Table 4: Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Cisco)
Note
Attribute ID
Description
Cisco-LEAP-Session-Key
Cisco-Keywrap-Msg-Auth-Code
Cisco-Keywrap-NonCE
Cisco-Keywrap-Key
Cisco-URL-Redirect
Cisco-URL-Redirect-ACL
These Cisco-specific attributes are not supported: Auth-Algo-Type and SSID.
Table 5: Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Standard)
Attribute ID
Description
Service-Type. To specify read-only or read-write access to controllers

through RADIUS authentication, you must set the Service-Type attribute
(6) on the RADIUS server to Callback NAS Prompt for read-only access
or to Administrative for read-write privileges.
Framed-IP-Address
25
Class
26
Vendor-Specific
27
Timeout
29
Termination-Action
40
Acct-Status-Type
64
Tunnel-Type
79
EAP-Message
81
Tunnel-Group-ID

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Setting up RADIUS
Note
Message authentication is not supported.
Table 6: Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Microsoft)
Attribute ID
Description
11
MS-CHAP-Challenge
16
MS-MPPE-Send-Key
17
MS-MPPE-Receive-Key
25
MS-MSCHAP2-Response
26
MS-MSCHAP2-Success
Table 7: Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Airespace)
Attribute ID
Description
VAP-ID
DSCP
8021P-Type
VLAN-Interface-Name
ACL-Name
Data-Bandwidth-Average-Contract
Real-Time-Bandwidth-Average-Contract
Data-Bandwidth-Burst-Contract
10
Real-Time-Bandwidth-Burst-Contract
11
Guest-Role-Name
13
Data-Bandwidth-Average-Contract-US
14
Real-Time-Bandwidth-Average-Contract-US
15
Data-Bandwidth-Burst-Contract-US
16
Real-Time-Bandwidth-Burst-Contract-US
Authentication Attributes Honored in Access-Accept Packets (Airespace)

This section lists the RADIUS authentication Airespace attributes currently supported on the Cisco WLC.

150
Setting up RADIUS
VAP ID
This attribute indicates the WLAN ID of the WLAN to which the client should belong. When the WLAN-ID
attribute is present in the RADIUS Access Accept, the system applies the WLAN-ID (SSID) to the client
station after it authenticates. The WLAN ID is sent by the Cisco WLC in all instances of authentication except
IPsec. In case of web authentication, if the Cisco WLC receives a WLAN-ID attribute in the authentication
response from the AAA server, and it does not match the ID of the WLAN, authentication is rejected. The
802.1X/MAC filtering is also rejected. The rejection, based on the response from the AAA server, is because
of the SSID Cisco AVPair support. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
WLAN ID (VALUE)
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Type 26 for Vendor-Specific

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 1
Vendor length 4
Value ID of the WLAN to which the client should belong.
QoS-Level
This attribute indicates the QoS level to be applied to the mobile client's traffic within the switching fabric,
as well as over the air. This example shows a summary of the QoS-Level Attribute format. The fields are
transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
QoS Level
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 2
Vendor length 4
Value Three octets:
3 Bronze (Background)
0 Silver (Best Effort)

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Setting up RADIUS
1 Gold (Video)
2 Platinum (Voice)
Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)

DSCP is a packet header code that can be used to provide differentiated services based on the QoS levels.
This attribute defines the DSCP value to be applied to a client. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept,
the DSCP value overrides the DSCP value specified in the WLAN profile. The fields are transmitted from
left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type | Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
DSCP (VALUE)
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 3
Vendor length 4
Value DSCP value to be applied for the client.
802.1p Tag Type
802.1p VLAN tag received from the client, defining the access priority. This tag maps to the QoS Level for
client-to-network packets. This attribute defines the 802.1p priority to be applied to the client. When present
in a RADIUS Access Accept, the 802.1p value overrides the default specified in the WLAN profile. The fields
are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
802.1p (VALUE)
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 4

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Setting up RADIUS
Vendor length 3
Value 802.1p priority to be applied to a client.
VLAN Interface Name
This attribute indicates the VLAN interface a client is to be associated to. A summary of the Interface-Name
Attribute format is shown below. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Interface Name...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length >7
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 5
Vendor length >0
Value A string that includes the name of the interface the client is to be assigned to.
Note
This attribute only works when MAC filtering is enabled or if 802.1X or WPA is used
as the security policy.
ACL-Name
This attribute indicates the ACL name to be applied to the client. A summary of the ACL-Name Attribute
format is shown below. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
ACL Name...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length >7
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 6
Vendor length >0

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Setting up RADIUS
Value A string that includes the name of the ACL to use for the client
Data Bandwidth Average Contract
This attribute is a rate limiting value. It indicates the Data Bandwidth Average Contract that will be applied
for a client for non-realtime traffic such as TCP. This value is specific for downstream direction from wired
to wireless. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Data Bandwidth Average Contract value overrides
the Average Data Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to
right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Data Bandwidth Average Contract...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 7
Vendor length 4
Value A value in kbps
Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract
to a client for realtime traffic such as UDP. This value is specific for downstream direction from wired to
wireless. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract value
overrides the Average Real-Time Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted
from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 8
Vendor length 4

154
Setting up RADIUS
Data Bandwidth Burst Contract

This attribute is a rate limiting value. It indicates the Data Bandwidth Burst Contract that will be applied to
a client for non-realtime traffic such as TCP. This value is specific to downstream direction from wired to
wireless. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Data Bandwidth Burst Contract value overrides the
Burst Data Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Data Bandwidth Burst Contract...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 9
Vendor length 4
Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract
a client for realtime traffic such as UDP. This value is specific to downstream direction from wired to wireless.
When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract value overrides the
Burst Real-Time Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
Note
If you try to implement Average Data Rate and Burst Data Rate as AAA override parameters to be pushed
from a AAA server, both Average Data Rate and Burst Data Rate have to be sent from ISE.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 10
Vendor length 4

155
Setting up RADIUS
Guest Role Name

This attribute provides the bandwidth contract values to be applied for an authenticating user. When present
in a RADIUS Access Accept, the bandwidth contract values defined for the Guest Role overrides the bandwidth
contract values (based on QOS value) specified for the WLAN. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
GuestRoleName ...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 11
Vendor length Variable based on the Guest Role Name length
Value A string of alphanumeric characters
Data Bandwidth Average Contract Upstream
to a client for non-realtime traffic such as TCP. This value is specific to upstream direction from wireless to
wired. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Data Bandwidth Average Contract value overrides the
Average Data Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Data Bandwidth Average Contract Upstream...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 13
Vendor length 4
Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract Upstream
to a client for realtime traffic such as UDP. This value is specific to upstream direction from wireless to wired.
When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract value overrides the

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Setting up RADIUS
Average Real-Time Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to
right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Real Time Bandwidth Average Contract Upstream...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 14
Vendor length 4
Data Bandwidth Burst Contract Upstream
a client for non-realtime traffic such as TCP. This value is specific to upstream direction from wireless to
wired. When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Data Bandwidth Burst Contract value overrides the
Burst Data Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Data Bandwidth Burst Contract Upstream...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 15
Vendor length 4
Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract Upstream
a client for realtime traffic such as UDP. This value is specific to upstream direction from wireless to wired.

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Setting up RADIUS
When present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract value overrides the
Burst Real-Time Rate value present in the WLAN or QoS Profile. The fields are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Real Time Bandwidth Burst Contract Upstream...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 16
Vendor length 4
RADIUS Accounting Attributes

This table identifies the RADIUS accounting attributes for accounting requests sent from a controller to the
RADIUS server.
Table 8: Accounting Attributes for Accounting Requests
Attribute ID
Description
User-Name
NAS-IP-Address
NAS-Port
Framed-IP-Address
25
Class
30
Called-Station-ID (MAC address)
31
Calling-Station-ID (MAC address)
32
NAS-Identifier
40
Accounting-Status-Type
41
Accounting-Delay-Time (Stop and interim messages only)
42
Accounting-Input-Octets (Stop and interim messages only)
43
Accounting-Output-Octets (Stop and interim messages only)
44
Accounting-Session-ID
45
Accounting-Authentic

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Setting up RADIUS
Attribute ID
Description
46
Accounting-Session-Time (Stop and interim messages only)
47
Accounting-Input-Packets (Stop and interim messages only)
48
Accounting-Output-Packets (Stop and interim messages only)
49
Accounting-Terminate-Cause (Stop messages only)
52
Accounting-Input-Gigawords
53
Accounting-Output-Gigawords
55
Event-Timestamp
64
Tunnel-Type
65
Tunnel-Medium-Type
81
Tunnel-Group-ID
IPv6-Framed-Prefix
190
IPv6-Framed-Address
This table lists the different values for the Accounting-Status-Type attribute (40).
Table 9: Accounting-Status-Type Attribute Values
Attribute ID
Description
Start
Stop
Interim-Update
Note
RADIUS Accounting Interim updates are sent upon each client
authentication, even if the RADIUS Server Accounting - Interim
Update feature is not enabled on the client's WLAN.
Accounting-On
Accounting-Off
9-14
Reserved for Tunneling Accounting
15
Reserved for Failed

159
Setting up TACACS+
Setting up TACACS+
Information About TACACS+
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+) is a client/server protocol that provides
centralized security for users attempting to gain management access to a controller. It serves as a backend
database similar to local and RADIUS. However, local and RADIUS provide only authentication support and
limited authorization support while TACACS+ provides three services:
AuthenticationThe process of verifying users when they attempt to log into the controller.
Users must enter a valid username and password in order for the controller to authenticate users to the
TACACS+ server. The authentication and authorization services are tied to one another. For example,
if authentication is performed using the local or RADIUS database, then authorization would use the
permissions associated with the user in the local or RADIUS database (which are read-only, read-write,
and lobby-admin) and not use TACACS+. Similarly, when authentication is performed using TACACS+,
authorization is tied to TACACS+.
Note
When multiple databases are configured, you can use the controller GUI or CLI to
specify the sequence in which the backend databases should be tried.
AuthorizationThe process of determining the actions that users are allowed to take on the controller
based on their level of access.
For TACACS+, authorization is based on privilege (or role) rather than specific actions. The available
roles correspond to the seven menu options on the controller GUI: MONITOR, WLAN, CONTROLLER,
WIRELESS, SECURITY, MANAGEMENT, and COMMANDS. An additional role, LOBBY, is available
for users who require only lobby ambassador privileges. The roles to which users are assigned are
configured on the TACACS+ server. Users can be authorized for one or more roles. The minimum
authorization is MONITOR only, and the maximum is ALL, which authorizes the user to execute the
functionality associated with all seven menu options. For example, a user who is assigned the role of
SECURITY can make changes to any items appearing on the Security menu (or designated as security
commands in the case of the CLI). If users are not authorized for a particular role (such as WLAN), they
can still access that menu option in read-only mode (or the associated CLI show commands). If the
TACACS+ authorization server becomes unreachable or unable to authorize, users are unable to log
into the controller.
Note
If users attempt to make changes on a controller GUI page that are not permitted for
their assigned role, a message appears indicating that they do not have sufficient privilege.
If users enter a controller CLI command that is not permitted for their assigned role, a
message may appear indicating that the command was successfully executed although
it was not. In this case, the following additional message appears to inform users that
they lack sufficient privileges to successfully execute the command: Insufficient
Privilege! Cannot execute command!
AccountingThe process of recording user actions and changes.

160
Setting up TACACS+
Whenever a user successfully executes an action, the TACACS+ accounting server logs the changed
attributes, the user ID of the person who made the change, the remote host where the user is logged in,
the date and time when the command was executed, the authorization level of the user, and a description
of the action performed and the values provided. If the TACACS+ accounting server becomes unreachable,
users are able to continue their sessions uninterrupted.
TACACS+ uses Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for its transport, unlike RADIUS which uses User
Datagram Protocol (UDP). It maintains a database and listens on TCP port 49 for incoming requests. The
controller, which requires access control, acts as the client and requests AAA services from the server. The
traffic between the controller and the server is encrypted by an algorithm defined in the protocol and a shared
secret key configured on both devices.
You can configure up to three TACACS+ authentication, authorization, and accounting servers each. For
example, you may want to have one central TACACS+ authentication server but several TACACS+
authorization servers in different regions. If you configure multiple servers of the same type and the first one
fails or becomes unreachable, the controller automatically tries the second one and then the third one if
necessary.
Note
If multiple TACACS+ servers are configured for redundancy, the user database must be identical in all
the servers for the backup to work properly.
The following are some guidelines about TACACS+:
You must configure TACACS+ on both your CiscoSecure Access Control Server (ACS) and your
controller. You can configure the controller through either the GUI or the CLI.
TACACS+ is supported on CiscoSecure ACS version 3.2 and later releases. See the CiscoSecure ACS
documentation for the version that you are running.
One Time Passwords (OTPs) are supported on the controller using TACACS. In this configuration, the
controller acts as a transparent passthrough device. The controller forwards all client requests to the
TACACS server without inspecting the client behavior. When using OTP, the client must establish a
single connection to the controller to function properly. The controller currently does not have any
intelligence or checks to correct a client that is trying to establish multiple connections.
We recommend that you increase the retransmit timeout value for TACACS+ authentication, authorization,
and accounting servers if you experience repeated reauthentication attempts or the controller falls back
to the backup server when the primary server is active and reachable. The default retransmit timeout
value is 2 seconds and you can increase the retransmit timeout value to a maximum of 30 seconds.
To configure the TACACS+ server:
Using Access Control Server (ACS)See the latest Cisco Secure Access Control System guide
at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/secure-access-control-system/
products-user-guide-list.html.
Using Identity Services Engine (ISE)See the ISE TACACS+ Configuration Guide for Wireless
LAN Controllers at http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/how_to/
HowTo-TACACS_for_WLC.pdf.

161
Setting up TACACS+
TACACS+ DNS
You can use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that enables you to change the IP address when needed,
for example, for load balancing updates. A submenu, DNS, is added to the Security > AAA > TACACS+
menu, which you can use to get TACACS+ IP information from a DNS. The DNS query is disabled by default.
Note
IPv6 is not supported for TACAS+ DNS.

It is not possible to use both the static list and the DNS list at the same time. The addresses returned by the
DNS override the static entries.
DNS AAA is valid for FlexConnect AP clients that use central authentication.
DNS AAA is not supported to define a RADIUS for FlexConnect AP groups. For FlexConnect clients with
local switching, you have to manually define AAA.
Rogue, 802.1X, web authentication, MAC filtering, mesh, and other features that use the global list also use
the DNS-defined servers.
Dynamic Management User Login via AAA Server
The management users, who logged in using local credentials when external AAA servers were not available,
are notified to re-authenticate within the set time frame when external TACACS+ servers are available. Failing
to authenticate will terminate the user session. TACACS+ uses the TACACS+ fallback-test configuration and
the re-authentication configuration is common to RADIUS and TACACS+. This enhancement was introduced
in 8.2 release.
TACACS+ VSA
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft standard specifies a method for communicating
vendor-specific attributes (VSAs) between the network access server and the TACACS+ server. The IETF
uses attribute 26. VSAs allow vendors to support their own extended attributes that are not suitable for general
use.
The Cisco TACACS+ implementation supports one vendor-specific option using the format recommended
in the IETF specification. The Cisco vendor ID is 9, and the supported option is vendor type 1, which is named
cisco-av-pair. The value is a string with the following format:
protocol : attribute separator value *
The protocol is a Cisco attribute for a particular type of authorization, the separator is = (equal sign) for
mandatory attributes, and * (asterisk) indicates optional attributes.

162
Setting up TACACS+
Configuring TACACS+ on the ACS
Step 1
Choose Network Configuration on the ACS main page.
Step 2
Choose Add Entry under AAA Clients to add your controller to the server. The Add AAA Client page appears.
Figure 17: Add AAA Client Page on CiscoSecure ACS
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
In the AAA Client Hostname text box, enter the name of your controller.
In the AAA Client IP Address text box, enter the IP address of your controller.
In the Shared Secret text box, enter the shared secret key to be used for authentication between the server and the
controller.
Note

163
Setting up TACACS+
Step 6
From the Authenticate Using drop-down list, choose TACACS+ (Cisco IOS).
Step 7
Click Submit + Apply to save your changes.
Step 8
On the ACS main page, in the left navigation pane, choose Interface Configuration.
Step 9
Choose TACACS+ (Cisco IOS). The TACACS+ (Cisco) page appears.
Step 10
Under TACACS+ Services, select the Shell (exec) check box.
Step 11
Step 12
Under New Services, select the first check box and enter ciscowlc in the Service text box and common in the Protocol
text box.
Under Advanced Configuration Options, select the Advanced TACACS+ Features check box.
Step 13
Step 14
On the ACS main page, in the left navigation pane, choose System Configuration.
Step 15
Choose Logging.
Step 16
Step 17
When the Logging Configuration page appears, enable all of the events that you want to be logged and save your changes.
Step 18
From the Group drop-down list, choose a previously created group.

Note
This step assumes that you have already assigned users to groups on the ACS according to the roles to which
they will be assigned.
Step 19
Click Edit Settings. The Group Setup page appears.
Step 20
Under TACACS+ Settings, select the ciscowlc common check box.
Step 21
Select the Custom Attributes check box.
Step 22
In the text box below Custom Attributes, specify the roles that you want to assign to this group. The available roles are
MONITOR, WLAN, CONTROLLER, WIRELESS, SECURITY, MANAGEMENT, COMMANDS, ALL, and LOBBY.
The first seven correspond to the menu options on the controller GUI and allow access to those particular controller
features. If a user is not entitled for a particular task, the user is still allowed to access that task in read-only mode. You
can enter one or multiple roles, depending on the group's needs. Use ALL to specify all seven roles or LOBBY to specify
the lobby ambassador role. Enter the roles using this format:
rolex=ROLE
On the ACS main page, in the left navigation pane, choose Group Setup.
For example, to specify the WLAN, CONTROLLER, and SECURITY roles for a particular user group, you would enter
the following text:
role1=WLAN
role2=CONTROLLER
role3=SECURITY?
To give a user group access to all seven roles, you would enter the following text:
role1=ALL?
Step 23
Note
Make sure to enter the roles using the format shown above. The roles must be in all uppercase letters, and there
can be no spaces within the text.
Note
You should not combine the MONITOR role or the LOBBY role with any other roles. If you specify one of
these two roles in the Custom Attributes text box, users will have MONITOR or LOBBY privileges only, even
if additional roles are specified.

164
Setting up TACACS+
Configuring TACACS+ (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Security > AAA > TACACS+.

If you want to configure a TACACS+ server for authentication, choose Authentication.
If you want to configure a TACACS+ server for authorization, choose Authorization.
If you want to configure a TACACS+ server for accounting, choose Accounting.
Note
The pages used to configure authentication, authorization, and accounting all contain the same text boxes.
Therefore, these instructions walk through the configuration only once, using the Authentication pages as
examples. You would follow the same steps to configure multiple services and/or multiple servers.
Note
For basic management authentication via TACACS+ to succeed, it is required to configure authentication and
authorization servers on the WLC. Accounting configuration is optional.
The TACACS+ (Authentication, Authorization, or Accounting) Servers page appears. This page lists any TACACS+
servers that have already been configured.
If you want to delete an existing server, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that server and choose
Remove.
Step 3

To edit an existing TACACS+ server, click the server index number for that server. The TACACS+ (Authentication,
Authorization, or Accounting) Servers > Edit page appears.
To add a TACACS+ server, click New. The TACACS+ (Authentication, Authorization, or Accounting) Servers
> New page appears.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
If you are adding a new server, choose a number from the Server Index (Priority) drop-down list to specify the priority
order of this server in relation to any other configured TACACS+ servers providing the same service. You can configure
up to three servers. If the controller cannot reach the first server, it tries the second one in the list and then the third if
necessary.
If you are adding a new server, enter the IP address of the TACACS+ server in the Server IP Address text box.
From the Shared Secret Format drop-down list, choose ASCII or Hex to specify the format of the shared secret key
to be used between the controller and the TACACS+ server. The default value is ASCII.
In the Shared Secret and Confirm Shared Secret text boxes, enter the shared secret key to be used for authentication
between the controller and the server.
Note

165
Setting up TACACS+
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
If you are adding a new server, enter the TACACS+ servers TCP port number for the interface protocols in the Port
Number text box. The valid range is 1 to 65535, and the default value is 49.
In the Server Status text box, choose Enabled to enable this TACACS+ server or choose Disabled to disable it. The
default value is Enabled.
Note
We recommend that you increase the timeout value if you experience repeated reauthentication attempts or the
controller falls back to the backup server when the primary server is active and reachable.
Click Apply.
Specify the TACACS+ DNS parameters as follows:
a) Choose Security > AAA > TACACS+ > DNS. The TACACS DNS Parameters page appears.
b) Select or unselect the DNS Query check box.
c) In the Interval in sec text box, enter the authentication port number. The valid range is 1 to 65535.
The accounting port number is an increment of 1 of the authentication port number. For example, if you define the
authentication port number as 1812, the accounting port number is 1813. The accounting port number is always
derived from the authentication port number.
d) From the Secret Format drop-down list, choose the format in which you want to configure the secret. Valid options
are ASCII and Hex.
e) Depending on the format selected, enter and confirm the secret.
Note
All servers are expected to use the same authentication port and the same secret.
f) In the DNS Timeout text box, enter the number of days after which the DNS query is refreshed to get the latest
update from the DNS server.
g) In the URL text box, enter the fully qualified domain name or the absolute domain name of the TACACS+ server.
h) In the Server IP Address text box, enter the IPv4 address of the DNS server.
Note
IPv6 is not supported for TACACS+
DNS.
i) Click Apply.
Step 13
Configure the TACACS+ probe duration mode as follows:

a) Choose Security > AAA > TACACS+ > Fallback. The TACACS+ Fallback Parameters page appears.
b) From the Fallback Mode drop-down list, select Enable.
c) In the Interval in sec text box, enter the time in seconds. The valid range is between 180 and 3600 seconds.
d) Click Apply.
Step 14
Configure the re-authentication terminal interval for a user before being logged out as follows:
a) Choose Security > AAA > General. The AAA General page appears.
b) In the Mgmt User Re-auth Interval text box, enter the time in seconds. The valid range is between 0 and 300.
c) Click Apply.
Step 15
Step 16

Repeat the previous steps if you want to configure any additional services on the same server or any additional TACACS+
servers.
Specify the order of authentication when multiple databases are configured by choosing Security > Priority Order >
Management User. The Priority Order > Management User page appears.
In the Order Used for Authentication text box, specify which servers have priority when the controller attempts to
authenticate management users.
Step 17
Step 18

166
Setting up TACACS+
Use the > and < buttons to move servers between the Not Used and Order Used for Authentication text boxes. After
the desired servers appear in the Order Used for Authentication text box, use the Up and Down buttons to move the
priority server to the top of the list. By default, the local database is always queried first. If the username is not found,
the controller switches to the RADIUS server if configured for RADIUS or to the TACACS+ server if configured for
TACACS+. The default setting is local and then RADIUS.
Step 19
Step 20
Click Apply.
Configuring TACACS+ (CLI)

Configure a TACACS+ authentication server by entering these commands:
config tacacs auth add index server_ip_address port# {ascii | hex} shared_secretAdds a
TACACS+ authentication server.
config tacacs auth delete indexDeletes a previously added TACACS+ authentication server.
config tacacs auth (enable | disable} indexEnables or disables a TACACS+ authentication
server.
config tacacs auth server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the retransmission timeout value
for a TACACS+ authentication server.
Configure a TACACS+ authorization server by entering these commands:
config tacacs athr add index server_ip_address port# {ascii | hex} shared_secretAdds a
TACACS+ authorization server.
config tacacs athr delete indexDeletes a previously added TACACS+ authorization server.
config tacacs athr (enable | disable} indexEnables or disables a TACACS+ authorization
server.
config tacacs athr server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the retransmission timeout value
for a TACACS+ authorization server.
config tacacs athr mgmt-server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the default management
login server timeout for a TACACS+ authorization server.
Configure a TACACS+ accounting server by entering these commands:
config tacacs acct add index server_ip_address port# {ascii | hex} shared_secretAdds a
TACACS+ accounting server.
config tacacs acct delete indexDeletes a previously added TACACS+ accounting server.
config tacacs acct (enable | disable} indexEnables or disables a TACACS+ accounting server.

167
Setting up TACACS+
config tacacs acct server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the retransmission timeout value
for a TACACS+ accounting server.
config tacacs acct mgmt-server-timeout index timeoutConfigures the default management
login server timeout for a TACACS+ accounting server.
See TACACS+ statistics by entering these commands:
show tacacs summaryShows a summary of TACACS+ servers and statistics.
show tacacs auth statsShows the TACACS+ authentication server statistics.
show tacacs athr statsShows the TACACS+ authorization server statistics.
show tacacs acct statsShows the TACACS+ accounting server statistics.
Clear the statistics for one or more TACACS+ servers by entering this command:
clear stats tacacs [auth | athr | acct] {index | all}
Configure the order of authentication when multiple databases are configured by entering this command.
The default setting is local and then radius.
config aaa auth mgmt [radius | tacacs]
See the current management authentication server order by entering the show aaa auth command.
Make sure the controller can reach the TACACS+ server by entering this command:
Configure TACACS+ DNS parameters by entering these commands:
config tacacs dns global port-num {ascii | hex} secretAdds global port number and secret
information for the TACACS+ DNS.
config tacacs dns query url timeout-in-daysConfigures the FQDN of the TACACS+ server and
timeout after which a refresh is performed to get the latest update from the DNS server.
config tacacs dns serverip ip-addrConfigures the IP address of the DNS server.
config tacacs dns {enable | disable}Enables or disables the DNS query.
Configure TACACS+ probe and re-authentication interval by entering these commands:
config tacacs fallback-test interval secondsEnables and sets the probe interval for TACACS+
server. The valid range is 0 to disable and between 180 and 3600 seconds when enabled.
config mgmtuser termination-interval secondsSets the interval of re-authentication window
for the user before being logged out of the system. The valid range is between 0 and 300. Default
value is 0.
View the user authentication server configuration by entering the following commands:
show aaa auth Displays AAA related information for authentication servers.
show tacacs summary Displays TACACS+ summary
Enable or disable TACACS+ debugging by entering this command:
debug aaa tacacs {enable | disable}

168
Setting up TACACS+

save config
Viewing the TACACS+ Administration Server Logs
Step 1
Step 2
On the ACS main page, in the left navigation pane, choose Reports and Activity.
Under Reports, choose TACACS+ Administration.
Click the .csv file corresponding to the date of the logs you want to view. The TACACS+ Administration .csv page
appears.
Figure 18: TACACS+ Administration .csv Page on CiscoSecure ACS
This page displays the following information:

Date and time the action was taken
Name and assigned role of the user who took the action
Group to which the user belongs
Specific action that the user took
Privilege level of the user who executed the action
IP address of the controller
IP address of the laptop or workstation from which the action was executed

169
Setting up TACACS+
Sometimes a single action (or command) is logged multiple times, once for each parameter in the command. For example,
if you enter the snmp community ipaddr ip_address subnet_mask community_name command, the IP address may be
logged on one line while the subnet mask and community name are logged as E. On another line, the subnet mask
maybe logged while the IP address and community name are logged as E. See the first and third lines in the example
in this figure.
Figure 19: TACACS+ Administration .csv Page on CiscoSecure ACS

170
CHAPTER
11
Managing Users
Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords, page 171
Configuring Guest User Accounts, page 173
Password Policies, page 176
Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords

Information About Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords
You can configure administrator usernames and passwords to prevent unauthorized users from reconfiguring
the controller and viewing configuration information. This section provides instructions for initial configuration
and for password recovery.
Configuring Usernames and Passwords (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Management > Local Management Users.

Click New.
Enter the username and password, and confirm the password.
Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive and can contain up to 24 ASCII characters. Usernames and passwords
cannot contain spaces.
Step 4
Choose the User Access Mode as one of the following:

ReadOnly
ReadWrite
LobbyAdmin
Step 5
Click Apply.

171
Configuring Administrator Usernames and Passwords
Configuring Usernames and Passwords (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a username and password by entering one of these commands:

config mgmtuser add username password read-writeCreates a username-password pair with read-write
privileges.
config mgmtuser add username password read-onlyCreates a username-password pair with read-only privileges.
Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive and can contain up to 24 ASCII characters. Usernames and passwords
cannot contain spaces.
Note
Step 2
If you ever need to change the password for an existing username, enter the config mgmtuser password
username new_password command.
List the configured users by entering this command:

show mgmtuser
Restoring Passwords
Before You Begin
Ensure that you are accessing the controller CLI through the console port.
Step 1
After the controller boots up, enter Restore-Password at the User prompt.
Note
For security reasons, the text that you enter does not appear on the controller console.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
At the Enter User Name prompt, enter a new username.

At the Enter Password prompt, enter a new password.
At the Re-enter Password prompt, reenter the new password. The controller validates and stores your entries in the
database.
When the User prompt reappears, enter your new username.
When the Password prompt appears, enter your new password. The controller logs you in with your new username and
password.
Step 5
Step 6

172
Configuring Guest User Accounts

Information About Creating Guest Accounts
The controller can provide guest user access on WLANs. The first step in creating guest user accounts is to
create a lobby administrator user, also known as a lobby ambassador account. Once this account has been
created, a lobby ambassador can create and manage guest user accounts on the controller. The lobby ambassador
has limited configuration privileges and access only to the web pages used to manage the guest accounts.
The lobby ambassador can specify the amount of time that the guest user accounts remain active. After the
specified time elapses, the guest user accounts expire automatically.
Restrictions on Managing User Accounts

The local user database is limited to a maximum of 2048 entries, which is also the default value. This
database is shared by local management users (including lobby ambassadors), local network users
(including guest users), MAC filter entries, exclusion list entries, and access point authorization list
entries. Together they cannot exceed the configured maximum value.
For net user accounts or guest user accounts, the following special characters are allowed along with
alphanumeric characters: ~, @, #, $, %, ^, &, (, ), !, _, -, `, ., [, ], =, +, *, :, ;, {, }, ,, /, and \.
Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account

Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > Local Management Users to open the Local Management Users page.
This page lists the names and access privileges of the local management users.
If you want to delete any of the user accounts from the controller, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down
arrow and choose Remove. However, deleting the default administrative user prohibits both GUI and CLI access
to the controller. Therefore, you must create a user with administrative privileges (ReadWrite) before you remove
the default user.
Click New to create a lobby ambassador account. The Local Management Users > New page appears.
In the User Name text box, enter a username for the lobby ambassador account.
Note
Management usernames must be unique because they are stored in a single database.
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
In the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, enter a password for the lobby ambassador account.

173
Passwords are case sensitive. The settings for the management User Details parameters depends on the settings
that you make in the Password Policy page. The following requirements are enforced on the password
Note
The password should contain characters from at least three of the following classes: lowercase letters,
uppercase letters, digits, and special characters.
No character in the password can be repeated more than three times consecutively.
The password should not contain a management username or the reverse letters of a username.
The password should not contain words like Cisco, oscic, admin, nimda, or any variant obtained by changing
the capitalization of letters by substituting 1, |, or ! or substituting 0 for o or substituting $ for s.
Step 5
Choose LobbyAdmin from the User Access Mode drop-down list. This option enables the lobby ambassador to create
guest user accounts.
Note
The ReadOnly option creates an account with read-only privileges, and the ReadWrite option creates an
administrative account with both read and write privileges.
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply to commit your changes. The new lobby ambassador account appears in the list of local management users.
Creating a Lobby Ambassador Account (CLI)

To create a lobby ambassador account use the following command:
config mgmtuser add lobbyadmin_username lobbyadmin_pwd lobby-admin
Note
Replacing lobby-admin with read-only creates an account with read-only privileges. Replacing
lobby-admin with read-write creates an administrative account with both read and write privileges.
Creating Guest User Accounts as a Lobby Ambassador (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Log into the controller as the lobby ambassador, using the username and password. The Lobby Ambassador Guest
Management > Guest Users List page appears.
Click New to create a guest user account. The Lobby Ambassador Guest Management > Guest Users List > New page
appears.
In the User Name text box, enter a name for the guest user. You can enter up to 24 characters.
If you want to generate an automatic password for this guest user, select the Generate Password check box. The
generated password is entered automatically in the Password and Confirm Password text boxes.
If you want to create a password for this guest user, leave the Generate Password check box unselected and enter
a password in both the Password and Confirm Password text boxes.
Note
Passwords can contain up to 24 characters and are case

sensitive.

174
Step 5
From the Lifetime drop-down lists, choose the amount of time (in days, hours, minutes, and seconds) that this guest user
account is to remain active. A value of zero (0) for all four text boxes creates a permanent account.
Default: 1 day
Range: 5 minutes to 30 days
The smaller of this value or the session timeout for the guest WLAN, which is the WLAN on which the guest
account is created, takes precedence. For example, if a WLAN session timeout is due to expire in 30 minutes
but the guest account lifetime has 10 minutes remaining, the account is deleted in 10 minutes upon guest account
expiry. Similarly, if the WLAN session timeout expires before the guest account lifetime, the client experiences
a recurring session timeout that requires reauthentication.
Note
You can change a guest user account with a nonzero lifetime to another lifetime value at any time while the
account is active. However, to make a guest user account permanent using the controller GUI, you must delete
the account and create it again. If desired, you can use the config netuser lifetime user_name 0 command to
make a guest user account permanent without deleting and recreating it.
From the WLAN SSID drop-down list, choose the SSID that will be used by the guest user. The only WLANs that are
listed are those WLANs for which Layer 3 web authentication has been configured.
Note
We recommend that you create a specific guest WLAN to prevent any potential conflicts. If a guest account
expires and it has a name conflict with an account on the RADIUS server and both are on the same WLAN, the
users associated with both accounts are disassociated before the guest account is deleted.
In the Description text box, enter a description of the guest user account. You can enter up to 32 characters.
Click Apply to commit your changes. The new guest user account appears in the list of guest users on the Guest Users
List page.
From this page, you can see all of the guest user accounts, their WLAN SSID, and their lifetime. You can also edit or
remove a guest user account. When you remove a guest user account, all of the clients that are using the guest WLAN
and are logged in using that accounts username are deleted.
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Repeat this procedure to create any additional guest user accounts.
Viewing Guest User Accounts

Viewing the Guest Accounts (GUI)
To view guest user accounts using the controller GUI, choose Security > AAA > Local Net Users. The Local
Net Users page appears.
From this page, you can see all of the local net user accounts (including guest user accounts) and can edit or
remove them as desired. When you remove a guest user account, all of the clients that are using the guest
WLAN and are logged in using that accounts username are deleted.
Viewing the Guest Accounts (CLI)

To see all of the local net user accounts (including guest user accounts) using the controller CLI, enter this
command:
show netuser summary

175
Password Policies
Password Policies
Information About Password Policies
The password policies allows you to enforce strong password checks on newly created passwords for additional
management users of controller and access point. The following are the requirements enforced on the new
password:
When the controller is upgraded from old version, all the old passwords are maintained as it is, even
though the passwords are weak. After the system upgrade, if strong password checks are enabled, the
same is enforced from that time and the strength of previously added passwords will not be checked or
altered.
Depending on the settings done in the Password Policy page, the local management and access point
user configuration is affected.
Configuring Password Policies (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > AAA > Password Policies to open the Password Policies page.
Step 2
Step 6
Select the Password must contain characters from at least 3 different classes check box if you want your password
to contain characters from at least three of the following classes: lower case letters, upper case letters, digits, and special
characters.
Select the No character can be repeated more than 3 times consecutively check box if you do not want character in
the new password to repeat more than three times consecutively.
Select the Password cannot be the default words like cisco, admin check box if you do not want the password to
contain words such as Cisco, ocsic, admin, nimda, or any variant obtained by changing the capitalization of letters or by
substituting 1, |, or! or substituting 0 for o or substituting $ for s.
Select the Password cannot contain username or reverse of username check box if you do not want the password to
contain a username or the reverse letters of a username.
Step 7
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Configuring Password Policies (CLI)

Enable or disable strong password check for AP and WLC by entering this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd {case-check | consecutive-check | default-check | username-check
| all-checks| position-check | case-digit-check} {enable | disable}
where
case-checkChecks the occurrence of same character thrice consecutively
consecutive-checkChecks the default values or its variants are being used.

176
Password Policies
default-checkChecks either username or its reverse is being used.

all-checksEnables/disables all the strong password checks.
position-checkChecks four-character range from old password.
case-digit-checkChecks all four combinations to be present: lower, upper, digits, and special
characters.
Configure minimum number of upper, lower, digit, and special characters in a password by entering this
command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd minimum {upper-case | lower-case | digits | special-chars}
num-of-chars
Configure minimum length for a password by entering this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd min-length pwd-length
Configure lockout for management or SNMPv3 users by entering this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd lockout {mgmtuser | snmpv3user} {enable | disable}
Configure lockout time for management or SNMPv3 users by entering this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd lockout time {mgmtuser | snmpv3user} timeout-in-mins
Configure the number of consecutive failure attempts for management or SNMPv3 users by entering
this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd lockout attempts {mgmtuser | snmpv3user} num-of-failure-attempts
Configure lifetime for management or SNMPv3 users by entering this command:
config switchconfig strong-pwd lifetime {mgmtuser | snmpv3user} lifetime-in-days
See the configured options for strong password check by entering this command:
show switchconfig
802.3x Flow Control Mode......................... Disabled
FIPS prerequisite features....................... Disabled
secret obfuscation............................... Enabled
Strong Password Check Features:
case-check ...........Enabled
consecutive-check ....Enabled
default-check .......Enabled
username-check ......Enabled

177
Password Policies

178
CHAPTER
12
Ports and Interfaces

Ports, page 179
Link Aggregation, page 183
Interfaces, page 188
Cisco Discovery Protocol, page 213
Ports
Information About Ports
A port is a physical entity that is used for connections on the controller platform. Controllers have two types
of ports: distribution system ports and a service port.
Figure 20: Ports on the Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
Redundant port (RJ-45)
SFP distribution system ports 18
Service port (RJ-45)
Management port LEDs
Console port (RJ-45)
SFP distribution port Link and Activity LEDs
USB ports 0 and 1 (Type A)
Power supply (PS1 and PS2), System (SYS), and

Alarm (ALM) LEDs

179
Ports
Console port (Mini USB Type B)

Note
10 Expansion module slot
You can use only one console port

(either RJ-45 or mini USB). When
you connect to one console port, the
other is disabled.
Information About Distribution System Ports

A distribution system port connects the controller to a neighbor switch and serves as the data path between
these two devices.
Restrictions for Configuring Distribution System Ports

Cisco 5508 Controllers have eight Gigabit Ethernet distribution system ports, through which the Controller
can manage multiple access points. The 5508-12, 5508-25, 5508-50, 5508-100, and 5508-250 models
allow a total of 12, 25, 50, 100, or 250 access points to join the controller. Cisco 5508 controllers have
no restrictions on the number of access points per port. However, we recommend using link aggregation
(LAG) or configuring dynamic AP-manager interfaces on each Gigabit Ethernet port to automatically
balance the load. If more than 100 access points are connected to the Cisco 5500 Series Controller, make
sure that more than one Gigabit Ethernet interface is connected to the upstream switch.
Note
The Gigabit Ethernet ports on the Cisco 5508 Controllers accept these SX/LC/T small
form-factor plug-in (SFP) modules: 1000BASE-SX SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a
network through an 850nM (SX) fiber-optic link using an LC physical connector
1000BASE-LX SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a
network through a 1300nM (LX/LH) fiber-optic link using an LC physical
connector
1000BASE-T SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a
network through a copper link using an RJ-45 physical connector
GLC-SX-MM, a 1000BASE-SX connector should be in auto-negotiation mode to function as desired

because all SFP modules using LC physical connecters must ideally be in auto-negotiation mode on
Cisco 5508 Series Controllers to function properly. However, when Cisco ASR is connected using the
fiber port, GLC-SX-MM does not come up between Cisco ASR and Cisco 5508 as Cisco ASR requires
the connector to be in fixed mode to function properly.
Each distribution system port is, by default, an 802.1Q VLAN trunk port. The VLAN trunking
characteristics of the port are not configurable.

180
Ports
Note
Some controllers support link aggregation (LAG), which bundles all of the controllers
distribution system ports into a single 802.3ad port channel. Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
support LAG, and LAG is enabled automatically on the controllers within the Cisco
WiSM2.
Cisco WLC configuration in access mode is not supported. We recommend that you configure Cisco
WLC in trunk mode when you configure Cisco WLC ports on a switch.
In Cisco Flex 7500 and 8500 Series Controllers:
If a port is unresponsive after a soaking period of 5 seconds, all the interfaces for which the port
is the primary and the active port, fail over to the backup port, if a backup is configured and is
operational. Similarly, if the unresponsive port is the backup port, then all the interfaces fail over
to the primary port if it is operational.
After the unresponsive port is restored, there is a soaking period of 60 seconds after which if the
port is still operational, then all the interfaces fall back to this port, which was the primary port. If
the port was the backup port, then no change is done.
You must ensure that you configure the port before you connect a switch or distribution system in
the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller 2500 series.
If an IPv6 packet is destined to controller management IPv6 address and the client VLAN is different
from the controller management VLAN, then the IPv6 packet is switched out of the WLC box. If the
same IPv6 packet comes as a network packet to the WLC, management access is not denied.
Information About Service Port

Cisco 5500 Series Controllers also have a 10/100/1000 copper Ethernet service port. The service port is
controlled by the service-port interface and is reserved for out-of-band management of the controller and
system recovery and maintenance in the event of a network failure. It is also the only port that is active when
the controller is in boot mode. The service port is not capable of carrying 802.1Q tags, so it must be connected
to an access port on the neighbor switch. Use of the service port is optional.
The service port of the Cisco Wireless Controller 7510 and 8510 models is a one Gigabit Ethernet port. To
verify the speed of service port, you must connect the service port to a Gigabit Ethernet port on the switch.
Note
The service port is not auto-sensing. You must use the correct straight-through or crossover Ethernet cable
to communicate with the service port.
Caution
Do not configure wired clients in the same VLAN or subnet of the service port of the controller on the
network. If you configure wired clients on the same subnet or VLAN as the service port, it is not possible
to access the management interface of the controller.

181
Ports
Configuring Ports (GUI)

The controllers ports are configured with factory-default settings designed to make the controllers ports
operational without additional configuration. However, you can view the status of the controllers ports and
edit their configuration parameters at any time.
Step 1
Choose Controller > Ports to open the Ports page.

This page shows the current configuration for each of the controllers ports.
If you want to change the settings of any port, click the number for that specific port. The Port > Configure page appears.
Note
If the management and AP-manager interfaces are mapped to the same port and are members of the same VLAN,
you must disable the WLAN before making a port-mapping change to either interface. If the management and
AP-manager interfaces are assigned to different VLANs, you do not need to disable the WLAN.
Note
The number of parameters available on the Port > Configure page depends on your controller
type.
The following show the current status of the port:

Port NumberNumber of the current port.
Admin StatusCurrent state of the port. Values: Enable or Disable
Physical ModeConfiguration of the port physical interface. The mode varies by the controller type.
Physical StatusThe data rate being used by the port. The available data rates vary based on controller type.
2500 series - 1 Gbps full duplex
WiSM2 - 10 Gbps full duplex
7500 series - 10 Gbps full duplex
Link StatusLink status of the port. Values: Link Up or Link Down
Link TrapWhether the port is set to send a trap when the link status changes. Values: Enable or Disable
Power over Ethernet (PoE)If the connecting device is equipped to receive power through the Ethernet cable and
if so, provides 48 VDC. Values: Enable or Disable
Note
Some older Cisco access points do not draw PoE even if it is enabled on the controller port. In such cases,
contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
The following is a list of the ports configurable parameters.

1 Admin StatusEnables or disables the flow of traffic through the port. Options: Enable or Disable, with default
option of Enable.
Note
When a primary port link goes down, messages may get logged internally only and not be posted to a syslog
server. It may take up to 40 seconds to restore logging to the syslog server.
2 Physical ModeDetermines whether the ports data rate is set automatically or specified by the user. The supported
data rates vary based on the controller type. Default: Auto.
3 Link TrapCauses the port to send a trap when the ports link status changes. Options: Enable or Disable, with
default option of Enable.

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Step 2
Click Apply.
Step 3
Step 4
Click Back to return to the Ports page and review your changes.
Step 5
Repeat this procedure for each additional port that you want to configure.
Link Aggregation
Information About Link Aggregation
Link aggregation (LAG) is a partial implementation of the 802.3ad port aggregation standard. It bundles all
of the controllers distribution system ports into a single 802.3ad port channel, thereby reducing the number
of IP addresses needed to configure the ports on your controller. When LAG is enabled, the system dynamically
manages port redundancy and load balances access points transparently to the user.
LAG simplifies controller configuration because you no longer need to configure primary and secondary ports
for each interface. If any of the controller ports fail, traffic is automatically migrated to one of the other ports.
As long as at least one controller port is functioning, the system continues to operate, access points remain
connected to the network, and wireless clients continue to send and receive data.
Cisco WLC does not send CDP advertisements on a LAG interface.
Note
LAG is supported across switches.
Link Aggregation for Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Points

Cisco Aironet 1850 Series 802.11ac Wave 2 Access Points have two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, the PoE port
and the AUX port, which, by using Link Aggregation, can together accommodate the greater than 1 Gbps of
throughput expected with Wave 2.
Note
Only Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is supported; Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is not
supported.
LAG is supported on Cisco Aironet 1850 Series APs with the following switches:
Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switchesall models (non-CA mode)
Cisco Catalyst 4500E Supervisor Engine 8-E
Restrictions for Link Aggregation

You can bundle all eight ports on a Cisco 5508 Controller into a single link.

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Terminating on two different modules within a single Catalyst 6500 series switch provides redundancy
and ensures that connectivity between the switch and the controller is maintained when one module
fails. The controllers port 1 is connected to Gigabit interface 3/1, and the controllers port 2 is connected
to Gigabit interface 2/1 on the Catalyst 6500 series switch. Both switch ports are assigned to the same
channel group.
LAG requires the EtherChannel to be configured for 'mode on' on both the controller and the Catalyst
switch.
Once the EtherChannel is configured as on at both ends of the link, the Catalyst switch should not be
configured for either Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) or Cisco proprietary Port Aggregation
Protocol (PAgP) but be set unconditionally to LAG. Because no channel negotiation is done between
the controller and the switch, the controller does not answer to negotiation frames and the LAG is not
formed if a dynamic form of LAG is set on the switch. Additionally, LACP and PAgP are not supported
on the controller.
If the recommended load-balancing method cannot be configured on the Catalyst switch, then configure
the LAG connection as a single member link or disable LAG on the controller.
Figure 21: Link Aggregation with the Catalyst 6500 Series Neighbor Switch
You cannot configure the controllers ports into separate LAG groups. Only one LAG group is supported
per controller. Therefore, you can connect a controller in LAG mode to only one neighbor device.
When you enable LAG or make any changes to the LAG configuration, you must immediately reboot
the controller.
When you enable LAG, you can configure only one AP-manager interface because only one logical port
is needed. LAG removes the requirement for supporting multiple AP-manager interfaces.
When you enable LAG, all dynamic AP-manager interfaces and untagged interfaces are deleted, and all
WLANs are disabled and mapped to the management interface. Also, the management, static AP-manager,
and VLAN-tagged dynamic interfaces are moved to the LAG port.
Multiple untagged interfaces to the same port are not allowed.
When you enable LAG, you cannot create interfaces with a primary port other than 29.

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When you enable LAG, all ports participate in LAG by default. You must configure LAG for all of the
connected ports in the neighbor switch.
When you enable LAG, if any single link goes down, traffic migrates to the other links.
When you enable LAG, only one functional physical port is needed for the controller to pass client
traffic.
When you enable LAG, access points remain connected to the controller until you reboot the controller,
which is needed to activate the LAG mode change, and data service for users continues uninterrupted.
When you enable LAG, you eliminate the need to configure primary and secondary ports for each
interface.
When you enable LAG, the controller sends packets out on the same port on which it received them. If
a CAPWAP packet from an access point enters the controller on physical port 1, the controller removes
the CAPWAP wrapper, processes the packet, and forwards it to the network on physical port 1. This
may not be the case if you disable LAG.
When you disable LAG, the management, static AP-manager, and dynamic interfaces are moved to port
1.
When you disable LAG, you must configure primary and secondary ports for all interfaces.
When you disable LAG, you must assign an AP-manager interface to each port on the controller.
Otherwise, access points are unable to join.
Cisco 5500 Series Controllers support a single static link aggregation bundle.
LAG is typically configured using the Startup Wizard, but you can enable or disable it at any time through
either the GUI or CLI.
When you enable LAG on Cisco 2500 Series Controller to which the direct-connect access point is
associated, the direct connect access point is disconnected since LAG enabling is still in the transition
state. You must reboot the controller immediately after enabling LAG.
In 8500 when more than 1000 APs joining WLC flapping occurs, to avoid this do not add more than
1000 Aps on a single catalyst switch for Capwap IPv6.
Configuring Link Aggregation (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Set the LAG Mode on Next Reboot parameter to Enabled.
Save the configuration.
Reboot Cisco WLC.
Assign the WLAN to the appropriate VLAN.

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Configuring Link Aggregation (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Enter the config lag enable command to enable LAG.

Note
Enter the config lag disable command if you want to disable
LAG.
Enter the save config command to save your settings.
Step 3
Reboot Cisco WLC.
Configuring Link Aggregation for Cisco 1850 Series APs (CLI)

Configure the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series AP link aggregation by entering this global configuration
command:
config ap lag-mode support {enable | disable}
Disabling global link aggregation for the APs will result in a reboot of all the lag enabled APs.
Configure link aggregation for a specific Cisco AP by entering this command:
config ap lag-mode support {enable | disable} ap-name
Enabling or disabling link aggregation for the Cisco AP resets and reboots the specified Cisco AP.
Enable and configure Port Channel mode on switches connected to the Cisco AP. For optimal traffic
load balancing on the LAG ports to the Cisco AP, ensure that the switch supports balancing based purely
on the L4 source and destination ports.
Configuration Example:
interface Port-channel20
description 1852I lag
switchport access vlan 1107
switchport mode access
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
channel-group 20 mode active
For more information about this step, see the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Point Deployment Guide
at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/8-1/1850_DG/b_Cisco_Aironet_
Series_1850_Access_Point_Deployment_Guide.html.
After link aggregation is enabled on the Cisco AP, the Cisco WLC and the Cisco AP use multiple
CAPWAP data tunnels to send and receive wireless client traffic.
View the link aggregation status by entering these commands:
a) View the status of link aggregation on the Cisco AP by entering this command on the AP console:

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show configuration
b) View the status of link aggregation on Cisco WLC by entering these commands on the Cisco WLC
CLI:
show ap lag-mode
show ap config general ap-name
Verifying Link Aggregation Settings (CLI)

To verify your LAG settings, enter this command:
show lag summary
LAG Enabled
Configuring Neighbor Devices to Support Link Aggregation

The controllers neighbor devices must also be properly configured to support LAG.
Each neighbor port to which the controller is connected should be configured as follows:
interface GigabitEthernet <interface id>
switchport
channel-group <id> mode on
no shutdown
The port channel on the neighbor switch should be configured as follows:

interface port-channel <id>
switchport
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk native vlan <native vlan id>
switchport trunk allowed vlan <allowed vlans>
switchport mode trunk
no shutdown
Choosing Between Link Aggregation and Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces

Cisco 5500 Series Controllers have no restrictions on the number of access points per port, but we recommend
using LAG or multiple AP-manager interfaces on each Gigabit Ethernet port to automatically balance the
load.
The following factors should help you decide which method to use if your controller is set for Layer 3 operation:
With LAG, all of the controller ports need to connect to the same neighbor switch. If the neighbor switch
goes down, the controller loses connectivity.
With multiple AP-manager interfaces, you can connect your ports to different neighbor devices. If one
of the neighbor switches goes down, the controller still has connectivity. However, using multiple
AP-manager interfaces presents certain challenges when port redundancy is a concern.

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Interfaces
Information About Interfaces
An interface is a logical entity on the controller. An interface has multiple parameters associated with it,
including an IP address, default gateway (for the IP subnet), primary physical port, secondary physical port,
VLAN identifier, and DHCP server.
These five types of interfaces are available on the controller. Four of these are static and are configured at
setup time:
Management interface (static and configured at setup time; mandatory)
AP-manager interface (static and configured at setup time; mandatory)
Note
You are not required to configure an AP-manager interface on Cisco 5500 Series
Controllers.
Virtual interface (static and configured at setup time; mandatory)

Service-port interface (static and configured at setup time; optional)
Dynamic interface (user-defined)
Note
Typically, you define the management, AP-manager, virtual, and service-port interface parameters using
the Startup Wizard. However, you can display and configure interface parameters through either the GUI
or CLI after the controller is running.
When LAG is disabled, each interface is mapped to at least one primary port, and some interfaces (management
and dynamic) can be mapped to an optional secondary (or backup) port. If the primary port for an interface
fails, the interface automatically moves to the backup port. In addition, multiple interfaces can be mapped to
a single controller port.
In Cisco Wireless LAN Controller 5508 Series, the controller marks packets greater than 1500 bytes as long.
However, the packets are not dropped. The workaround to this is to configure the MTU on a switch to less
than 1500 bytes.
Note
Interfaces that are quarantined are not displayed on the Controller > Interfaces page. For example, if there
are 6 interfaces and one of them is quarantined, the quarantined interface is not displayed and the details
of the other 5 interfaces are displayed on the GUI. You can get the total number of interfaces that is
inclusive of quarantined interfaces through the count displayed on the top-right corner of the GUI.

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Restrictions for Configuring Interfaces

Each physical port on the wireless controller can have only one AP-manager configured with it. For the
Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, the management interface with AP-management enabled cannot fail over
to the backup port, which is primary for the AP-manager on the management or dynamic VLAN interface.
Cisco 5500 Series Controllers do not support fragmented pings on any interface.
When the port comes up in VMware ESXi with configuration for NIC teaming, the vWLC may lose
connectivity. However, the virtual wireless LAN controller (vWLC) resumes connectivity after a while.
Information About Dynamic AP Management

A dynamic interface is created as a WLAN interface by default. However, any dynamic interface can be
configured as an AP-manager interface, with one AP-manager interface allowed per physical port. A dynamic
interface with the Dynamic AP Management option enabled is used as the tunnel source for packets from the
controller to the access point and as the destination for CAPWAP packets from the access point to the controller.
The dynamic interfaces for AP management must have a unique IP address and are usually configured on the
same subnet as the management interface.
Note
If link aggregation (LAG) is enabled, there can be only one AP-manager interface.
We recommend having a separate dynamic AP-manager interface per controller port.

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Information About WLANs

A WLAN associates a service set identifier (SSID) to an interface or an interface group. It is configured with
security, quality of service (QoS), radio policies, and other wireless network parameters. Up to 512 WLANs
can be configured per controller.
Figure 22: Relationship between Ports, Interfaces, and WLANs
Each controller port connection is an 802.1Q trunk and should be configured as such on the neighbor switch.
On Cisco switches, the native VLAN of an 802.1Q trunk is an untagged VLAN. If you configure an interface
to use the native VLAN on a neighboring Cisco switch, make sure you configure the interface on the controller
to be untagged.
Note
A zero value for the VLAN identifier (on the Controller > Interfaces page) means that the interface is
untagged.

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The default (untagged) native VLAN on Cisco switches is VLAN 1. When controller interfaces are configured
as tagged (meaning that the VLAN identifier is set to a nonzero value), the VLAN must be allowed on the
802.1Q trunk configuration on the neighbor switch and not be the native untagged VLAN.
We recommend that tagged VLANs be used on the controller. You should also allow only relevant VLANs
on the neighbor switchs 802.1Q trunk connections to controller ports. All other VLANs should be disallowed
or pruned in the switch port trunk configuration. This practice is extremely important for optimal performance
of the controller.
Note
management interfaces to ensure that controllers properly route VLAN traffic.
Management Interface
Information About the Management Interface
to enterprise services such as AAA servers. It is also used for communications between the controller and
access points. The management interface has the only consistently pingable in-band interface IP address on
the controller. You can access the GUI of the controller by entering the management interface IP address of
the controller in the address field of your browser.
For CAPWAP, the controller requires one management interface to control all inter-controller communications
and one AP-manager interface to control all controller-to-access point communications, regardless of the
number of ports.
If the service port is in use, the management interface must be on a different supernet from the service-port
interface.
Note
To prevent or block a wired or wireless client from accessing the management network on a controller
(from the wireless client dynamic interface or VLAN), the network administrator must ensure that only
authorized clients gain access to the management network through proper CPU ACLs, or use a firewall
between the client dynamic interface and the management network.
Caution
Do not map a guest WLAN to the management interface. If the EoIP tunnel breaks, the client could obtain
an IP and be placed on the management subnet.
Caution
Do not configure wired clients in the same VLAN or subnet of the service port of the controller on the
network. If you configure wired clients on the same subnet or VLAN as the service port, it is not possible
to access the management interface of the controller.

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Authentication Type for Management Interfaces

For any type of management access to the controller, bet it SSH, Telnet, or HTTP, we recommend that you
use any one authentication type, which can be TACACS+, RADIUS, or Local, and not a mix of these
authentication types. Ensure that you take care of the following:
Authentication type (TACACS+, RADIUS, or Local), must be the same for all management access and
for all AAA authentication and authorization parameters.
The method list must be explicitly specified in the HTTP authentication.
Example
Follow these steps to configure Telnet:
1 Configure TACACS+ server by entering these commands:
a tacacs server server-name
b address ipv4 ip-address
c key key-name
2 Configure the server group name by entering these commands:
a aaa group server tacacs+ group-name
b server name name
3 Configure authentication and authorization by entering these commands:
a aaa authentication login method-list group server-group
b aaa authorization exec method-list group server-group
Note
These and all the other authentication and authorization parameters must be using the same database, be
it RADIUS, TACACS+, or Local. For example, if command authorization has to be enabled, it also needs
to be pointing to the same database.
4 Configure HTTP to use the above method lists:
1 ip http authentication aaa login-auth method-list
You must explicitly specify the method list, even if the method list is "default".
2 ip http authentication aaa exec-auth method-list
Note
Do not configure any method-lists on the "line vty" configuration parameters. If the above steps and
the line vty have different configurations, then line vty configurations take precedence.
The database should be the same across all management configuration types such as SSH/Telnet
and webui.
You must explicitly define the method list for HTTP authentication.
Workaround
As a workaround, enter the following commands:

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1 aaa authentication login default group server-group local

2 aaa authorization exec default group server-group local
Configuring the Management Interface (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Controller > Interfaces to open the Interfaces page.

Click the management link.
The Interfaces > Edit page appears.
Step 3
Set the management interface parameters:

Note
The management interface uses the controllers factory-set distribution system MAC address.
Quarantine and quarantine VLAN ID, if applicable
Select the Quarantine check box if you want to configure this VLAN as unhealthy or you want to configure
network access control (NAC) out-of-band integration. Doing so causes the data traffic of any client that
is assigned to this VLAN to pass through the controller.
NAT address (only Cisco 2500 Series Controllers and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers are configured for dynamic
AP management.)
Note
Select the Enable NAT Address check box and enter the external NAT IP address if you want to be able
to deploy your Cisco 2500 Series Controllers or Cisco 5500 Series Controller behind a router or other
gateway device that is using one-to-one mapping network address translation (NAT). NAT allows a device,
such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public) and a local network (private). In this case,
it maps the controllers intranet IP addresses to a corresponding external address. The controllers dynamic
AP-manager interface must be configured with the external NAT IP address so that the controller can send
the correct IP address in the Discovery Response.
Note
If a Cisco 2500 Series Controllers or Cisco 5500 Series Controller is configured with an external NAT IP
address under the management interface, the APs in local mode cannot associate with the controller. The
workaround is to either ensure that the management interface has a globally valid IP address or ensure
that external NAT IP address is valid internally for the local APs.
Note
The NAT parameters are supported for use only with one-to-one-mapping NAT, where each private client
has a direct and fixed mapping to a global address. The NAT parameters do not support one-to-many NAT,
which uses source port mapping to enable a group of clients to be represented by a single IP address.
VLAN identifier
Note
Enter 0 for an untagged VLAN or a nonzero value for a tagged VLAN. We recommend using tagged
VLANs for the management interface.
Configuring Management Interface using IPv4 Fixed IP address, IP netmask, and default gateway.
Note
Configuring Management Interface using IPv6 Fixed IPv6 address, prefix-length (interface subnet mask
for IPv6) and the link local address of the IPv6 gateway router.

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Note
In a setup where IPv6 is used, we recommend the APs to be at least one hop away from the Cisco
WLC. As the IPv6 packets are always sent to the Gateway, if the AP and WLC are in the same subnet,
it increases the packet hops and impacts the performance.
Once the Primary IPv6 Address, Prefix Length, and Primary IPv6 Gateway are configured on the
management interface, they cannot be changed back to default values (:: /128).
A configuration backup must be carried out before configuring IPv6 in case the user wants to revert
back to IPv4 only management interface.
When more than 1300 IPv6 APs are in use, on a single Catalyst 6000 Switch, then assign APs on
multiple VLANs.
In 8500 controller running a ha-pair,IPv6 primary gateway(link local) configured though 3600 AP
joined with the IPv6 address tears down the capwap. Using the command test capwap though the
AP joined with ipv6 address, it is seen that when the Link local address is not reachable capwap
should not be formed.
If APs are joined on V6 tunnel and if IPv6 gateway is misconfigured then v6 tunnel will not be teared
down. The APs will still be on v6 tunnel and will not fall back to v4 tunnel.
Dynamic AP management (for Cisco 2500 Series Controllers or Cisco 5500 Series Controller only)
For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, the management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default.
If desired, you can disable the management interface as an AP-manager interface and create another
dynamic interface as an AP manager.
Physical port assignment (for all controllers except the Cisco 2500 Series Controllers or Cisco 5500 Series Controller)
Note
Primary and secondary DHCP servers

Access control list (ACL) setting, if required
Step 4
Step 5

If you made any changes to the management or virtual interface, reboot the controller so that your changes take effect.
Configuring the Management Interface (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the show interface detailed management command to view the current management interface settings.
Note
The management interface uses the controllers factory-set distribution system MAC address.
Step 2
Enter the config wlan disable wlan-number command to disable each WLAN that uses the management interface for
distribution system communication.
Enter these commands to define the management interface:
a) Using IPv4 Address
Step 3
config interface address management ip-addr ip-netmask gateway

config interface quarantine vlan management vlan_id

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Note
Use the config interface quarantine vlan management vlan_id command to configure a quarantine
VLAN on the management interface.
config interface vlan management {vlan-id | 0}

Note
config interface ap-manager management {enable | disable} (for Cisco 5500 Series Controllers only)
Note
Use the config interface ap-manager management {enable | disable} command to enable or disable
dynamic AP management for the management interface. For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, the
management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default. If desired, you can disable the
management interface as an AP-manager interface and create another dynamic interface as an AP
manager.
config interface port management physical-ds-port-number (for all controllers except the 5500 series)
config interface dhcp management ip-address-of-primary-dhcp-server [ip-address-of-secondary-dhcp-server]
config interface acl management access-control-list-name
b) Using IPv6 Address
Note
we recommend the APs to be at least one hop away from the Cisco WLC. As the IPv6 packets are always
sent to the Gateway, if the AP and WLC are in same subnet, it increases the packet hops and impacts the
performance.
config ipv6 interface address management primary ip-address prefix-length IPv6_Gateway_Address
Once the Primary IPv6 Address, Prefix Length, and Primary IPv6 Gateway are configured on the
management interface, they cannot be changed back to default values (:: /128). A configuration backup
must be carried out before configuring IPv6 in case the user wants to revert back to IPv4 only
management interface.
config interface quarantine vlan management vlan_id
Note
Note
Use the config interface quarantine vlan management vlan_id command to configure a quarantine
VLAN on the management interface.
config interface vlan management {vlan-id | 0}

Note
config interface ap-manager management {enable | disable} (for Cisco 5500 Series Controllers only)
Note
Use the config interface ap-manager management {enable | disable} command to enable or disable
dynamic AP management for the management interface. For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, the
management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default. If desired, you can disable the
management interface as an AP-manager interface and create another dynamic interface as an AP
manager.
config interface port management physical-ds-port-number (for all controllers except the 5500 series)
config interface dhcp management ip-address-of-primary-dhcp-server [ip-address-of-secondary-dhcp-server]
config ipv6 interface acl management access-control-list-name

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Step 4
Enter these commands if you want to be able to deploy your Cisco 5500 Series Controller behind a router or other gateway
device that is using one-to-one mapping network address translation (NAT):
config interface nat-address management {enable | disable}
config interface nat-address management set public_IP_address
NAT allows a device, such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public) and a local network (private). In
this case, it maps the controllers intranet IP addresses to a corresponding external address. The controllers dynamic
AP-manager interface must be configured with the external NAT IP address so that the controller can send the correct
IP address in the Discovery Response.
Step 5
These commands are supported for use only with one-to-one-mapping NAT, where each private client has a
direct and fixed mapping to a global address. These commands do not support one-to-many NAT, which uses
source port mapping to enable a group of clients to be represented by a single IP address.
Enter the save config command.
Step 6
Enter the show interface detailed management command to verify that your changes have been saved.
Step 7
If you made any changes to the management interface, enter the reset system command to reboot the controller in order
for the changes to take effect.
Note
Virtual Interface
Information About the Virtual Interface
The virtual interface is used to support mobility management, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
relay, and embedded Layer 3 security such as guest web authentication and VPN termination. It also maintains
the DNS gateway host name used by Layer 3 security and mobility managers to verify the source of certificates
when Layer 3 web authorization is enabled.
Specifically, the virtual interface plays these two primary roles:
Acts as the DHCP server placeholder for wireless clients that obtain their IP address from a DHCP
server.
Serves as the redirect address for the web authentication login page.
The virtual interface IP address is used only in communications between the controller and wireless clients.
It never appears as the source or destination address of a packet that goes out a distribution system port and
onto the switched network. For the system to operate correctly, the virtual interface IP address must be set (it
cannot be 0.0.0.0), and no other device on the network can have the same address as the virtual interface.
Therefore, the virtual interface must be configured with an unassigned and unused gateway IP address. The
virtual interface IP address is not pingable and should not exist in any routing table in your network. In addition,
the virtual interface cannot be mapped to a physical port.
Note
All controllers within a mobility group must be configured with the same virtual interface IP address.
Otherwise, inter-controller roaming may appear to work, but the handoff does not complete, and the client
loses connectivity for a period of time.

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Configuring Virtual Interfaces (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2

Click Virtual.
The Interfaces > Edit page appears.
Step 3
Enter the following parameters:

Any valid unassigned, and unused gateway IP address
DNS gateway hostname
Note
Step 4
Step 5
To ensure connectivity and web authentication, the DNS server should always point to the virtual interface.
If a DNS hostname is configured for the virtual interface, then the same DNS host name must be configured
on the DNS server(s) used by the client.

Configuring Virtual Interfaces (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the show interface detailed virtual command to view the current virtual interface settings.
Step 2
Enter the config wlan disable wlan-number command to disable each WLAN that uses the virtual interface for distribution
system communication.
Enter these commands to define the virtual interface:
Step 3
config interface address virtual ip-address

Note
For ip-address, enter a valid, unassigned, and unused gateway IP address.
config interface hostname virtual dns-host-name

Step 4
Step 5
Enter the reset system command. At the confirmation prompt, enter Y to save your configuration changes to NVRAM.
The controller reboots.
Enter the show interface detailed virtual command to verify that your changes have been saved.

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Service-Port Interfaces
Information About Service-Port Interfaces
The service-port interface controls communications through and is statically mapped by the system to the
service port.
The service port can obtain an IPv4 address using DHCP, or it can be assigned a static IPv4 address, but a
default gateway cannot be assigned to the service-port interface. Static IPv4 routes can be defined through
the controller for remote network access to the service port.
If the service port is in use, the management interface must be on a different supernet from the service-port
interface.
Similarly, the service port can be statically assigned an IPv6 address or select an IPv6 address using Stateless
Address Auto-Configuration (SLAAC). The default gateway cannot be assigned to the service-port interface.
Static IPv6 routes can be defined through the controller for remote network access to the service port.
Note
While IPv6 addressing is used along with stateless address auto-configuration, the controller does not
perform the subnet verification; however, you must not connect the service-port in the same subnet as the
other interfaces in the controller.
Note
This is the only SLAAC interface on the controller, all other interfaces must be statically assigned (just
like for IPv4).
Note
User does not require IPv6 static routes to reach service port from the same network, but IPv6 routes
requires to access service port from different network. The IPv6 static routes should be as same as IPv4.
Restrictions for Configuring Service-Port Interfaces

Only Cisco 7500 Series Controllers and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers have a physical service-port
interface that is reachable from the external network.
You must not use the service-port for continuous SNMP polling and management functions except when
the management interface of the controller is unreachable.
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv4 (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the service-port link to open the Interfaces > Edit page.
Enter the Service-Port Interface parameters:
Note
The service-port interface uses the controllers factory-set service-port MAC address.

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DHCP protocol (enabled)

DHCP protocol (disabled) and IP address and IP netmask
Step 4
Step 5
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv4 (CLI)
Step 1
To view the current service-port interface settings, enter this command:

show interface detailed service-port
Note
Step 2
Enter these commands to define the service-port interface:

To configure the DHCP server, enter this command:
config interface dhcp service-port enable
To disable the DHCP server, enter this command:
config interface dhcp service-port disable
To configure the IPv4 address, enter this command:
config interface address service-port ip-addr ip-netmask
Step 3
The service port is used for out-of-band management of the controller. If the management workstation is in a remote
subnet, you may need to add a IPv4 route on the controller in order to manage the controller from that remote workstation.
To do so, enter this command:
config route add network-ip-addr ip-netmask gateway
Step 4
To remove the IPv4 route on the controller, enter this command:

config route delete ip_address
Step 5
Enter the save config command to save your changes.
Step 6
Enter the show interface detailed service-port command to verify that your changes have been saved.
Configuring Service-Port Interface Using IPv6 (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the service-port link to open the Interfaces > Edit page.
Enter the Service-Port Interface parameters:

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The service-port interface uses the controllers factory-set service-port MAC address. Service Port can be
statically assigned an address or select an address using SLAAC.
SLACC(enabled)
Note
SLACC (disabled) and Primary Address and Prefix Length

Step 4
Step 5
Configuring Service-Port Interfaces Using IPv6 (CLI)
Step 1
To view the current service-port interface settings, enter this command:

show interface detailed service-port
Note
Step 2
Enter these commands to define the service-port interface:

To configure the service port using SLACC , enter this command:
config ipv6 interface slacc service-port enable
To disable the service port from using SLACC, enter this command:
config ipv6 interface slacc service-port disable
To configure the IPv6 address, enter this command:
config ipv6 interface address service-port iipv6_address prefix-length
Step 3
The service port is used for out-of-band management of the controller. If the management workstation is in a remote
subnet, you may need to add a route on the controller in order to manage the controller from that remote workstation.
To do so, enter this command:
config ipv6 route add network_ipv6_addr prefix-len ipv6_gw_addr
Step 4
To remove the IPv6 route on the controller, enter this command:

config ipv6 route delete network _ipv6 addr
Step 5
Step 6
Enter the show interface detailed service-port command to verify that your changes have been saved.

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Interfaces
Dynamic Interfaces
Information About Dynamic Interface
Dynamic interfaces, also known as VLAN interfaces, are created by users and designed to be analogous to
VLANs for wireless LAN clients. A controller can support up to 512 dynamic interfaces (VLANs). Each
dynamic interface is individually configured and allows separate communication streams to exist on any or
all of a controllers distribution system ports. Each dynamic interface controls VLANs and other communications
between controllers and all other network devices, and each acts as a DHCP relay for wireless clients associated
to WLANs mapped to the interface. You can assign dynamic interfaces to distribution system ports, WLANs,
the Layer 2 management interface, and the Layer 3 AP-manager interface, and you can map the dynamic
interface to a backup port.
You can configure zero, one, or multiple dynamic interfaces on a distribution system port. However, all
dynamic interfaces must be on a different VLAN or IP subnet from all other interfaces configured on the port.
If the port is untagged, all dynamic interfaces must be on a different IP subnet from any other interface
configured on the port.
This table lists the maximum number of VLANs supported on the various controller platforms.
Table 10: Maximum number of VLANs supported on Cisco Wireless Controllers
Note
Wireless Controllers
Maximum VLANs
512
Cisco Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2
16
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers
16
Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller
512
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Wireless Services

Module2 (WiSM2)
512
Cisco Flex 7500 Series Cloud Controller
4,096
Cisco 8500 Series Controller
4,096
You must not configure a dynamic interface in the same network as that of Local Mobility Anchor (LMA).
If you do so, the GRE tunnel between the controller and LMA does not come up.
Prerequisites for Configuring Dynamic Interfaces

While configuring on the dynamic interface of the controller, you must ensure the following:

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Interfaces
You must use tagged VLANs for dynamic interfaces.
Restrictions for Configuring Dynamic Interfaces

The following restrictions apply for configuring the dynamic interfaces on the controller:
Wired clients cannot access management interface of the Cisco WLC 2500 series using the IP address
of the AP Manager interface .
For SNMP requests that come from a subnet that is configured as a dynamic interface, the controller
responds but the response does not reach the device that initiated the conversation.
If you are using DHCP proxy and/or a RADIUS source interface, ensure that the dynamic interface has
a valid routable address. Duplicate or overlapping addresses across controller interfaces are not supported.
You must not use ap-manager as the interface name while configuring dynamic interfaces as ap-manager
is a reserved name.
Configuring Dynamic Interfaces (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2

To create a new dynamic interface, click New. The Interfaces > New page appears. Go to Step 3.
To modify the settings of an existing dynamic interface, click the name of the interface. The Interfaces > Edit
page for that interface appears. Go to Step 5.
To delete an existing dynamic interface, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired interface
and choose Remove.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Enter an interface name and a VLAN identifier, as shown in the figure above.
Note
You cannot enter ap-manager as the interface name while configuring a dynamic interface as ap-manager is a
reserved name.
Click Apply to commit your changes. The Interfaces > Edit page appears.
Configure the following parameters:
Guest LAN, if applicable
Quarantine and quarantine VLAN ID, if applicable
Note
Select the Quarantine check box if you want to configure this VLAN as unhealthy or you want to configure
network access control (NAC) out-of-band integration. Doing so causes the data traffic of any client that
is assigned to this VLAN to pass through the controller.
Physical port assignment (for all controllers except the 5500 series)
NAT address (only for Cisco 5500 Series Controllers configured for dynamic AP management)

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Interfaces
Note
Note
Select the Enable NAT Address check box and enter the external NAT IP address if you want to be able
to deploy your Cisco 5500 Series Controller behind a router or other gateway device that is using one-to-one
mapping network address translation (NAT). NAT allows a device, such as a router, to act as an agent
between the Internet (public) and a local network (private). In this case, it maps the controllers intranet
IP addresses to a corresponding external address. The controllers dynamic AP-manager interface must
be configured with the external NAT IP address so that the controller can send the correct IP address in
the Discovery Response.
The NAT parameters are supported for use only with one-to-one-mapping NAT, where each private client
has a direct and fixed mapping to a global address. The NAT parameters do not support one-to-many NAT,
which uses source port mapping to enable a group of clients to be represented by a single IP address.
Dynamic AP management
Note
Note
When you enable this feature, this dynamic interface is configured as an AP-manager interface (only one
AP-manager interface is allowed per physical port). A dynamic interface that is marked as an AP-manager
interface cannot be used as a WLAN interface.
Set the APs in a VLAN that is different than the dynamic interface configured on the controller. If the APs
are in the same VLAN as the dynamic interface, the APs are not registered on the controller and the
LWAPP discovery rejected and Layer 3 discovery request not received on management VLAN errors
are logged on the controller.
VLAN identifier
Fixed IP address, IP netmask, and default gateway
Note
Enter valid IP addresses in these
fields.
Access control list (ACL) name, if required
Note
Step 6
Step 7
To ensure proper operation, you must set the Port Number and Primary DHCP Server parameters.

Repeat this procedure for each dynamic interface that you want to create or edit.
Configuring Dynamic Interfaces (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the show interface summary command to view the current dynamic interfaces.
Step 2
View the details of a specific dynamic interface by entering this command:

show interface detailed operator_defined_interface_name.
Note
Interface names that contain spaces must be enclosed in double quotes. For example: config interface create
"vlan 25"
Step 3
Enter the config wlan disable wlan_id command to disable each WLAN that uses the dynamic interface for distribution
Enter these commands to configure dynamic interfaces:
Step 4

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Interfaces
config interface create operator_defined_interface_name {vlan_id | x}

config interface address interface ip_addr ip_netmask [gateway]
config interface vlan operator_defined_interface_name {vlan_id | o}
config interface port operator_defined_interface_name physical_ds_port_number
config interface ap-manager operator_defined_interface_name {enable | disable}
Note
Use the config interface ap-manager operator_defined_interface_name {enable | disable} command

to enable or disable dynamic AP management. When you enable this feature, this dynamic interface is
configured as an AP-manager interface (only one AP-manager interface is allowed per physical port). A
dynamic interface that is marked as an AP-manager interface cannot be used as a WLAN interface. You
cannot use ap-manager as the operator_defined_interface_name while configuring a dynamic interface
as ap-manager is a reserved name.
config interface dhcp operator_defined_interface_name ip_address_of_primary_dhcp_server

[ip_address_of_secondary_dhcp_server]
config interface quarantine vlan interface_name vlan_id
Note
Use the config interface quarantine vlan interface_name vlan_id command to configure a quarantine
VLAN on any interface.
config interface acl operator_defined_interface_name access_control_list_name

Step 5
Enter these commands if you want to be able to deploy your Cisco 5500 Series Controller behind a router or other gateway
device that is using one-to-one mapping network address translation (NAT):
config interface nat-address dynamic-interface operator_defined_interface_name {enable | disable}
config interface nat-address dynamic-interface operator_defined_interface_name set public_IP_address
NAT allows a device, such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public) and a local network (private). In
this case, it maps the controllers intranet IP addresses to a corresponding external address. The controllers dynamic
AP-manager interface must be configured with the external NAT IP address so that the controller can send the correct
IP address in the Discovery Response.
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
These commands are supported for use only with one-to-one-mapping NAT, whereby each private client has a
direct and fixed mapping to a global address. These commands do not support one-to-many NAT, which uses
source port mapping to enable a group of clients to be represented by a single IP address.
Enter the config wlan enable wlan_id command to reenable each WLAN that uses the dynamic interface for distribution
Enter the show interface detailed operator_defined_interface_name command and show interface summary command
to verify that your changes have been saved.
Note
If desired, you can enter the config interface delete operator_defined_interface_name command to delete a
dynamic interface.

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Interfaces
AP-Manager Interface
Information About AP-Manager Interface
A controller configured with IPv4 has 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.
Note
Release 8.2 does not support multiple non-AP Manager dynamic interfaces, untagged management
interfaces, management interfaces mapped to physical ports, and non-LAG scenarios.
Note
A controller configured with IPv6 has only one AP-manager and is applicable on management interface.
You cannot remove the AP-manager configured on management interface.
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.
Note
The controller does not support transmitting the jumbo frames. To avoid having the controller transmit
CAPWAP packets to the AP that will necessitate fragmentation and reassembly, reduce MTU/MSS on
the client side.
The AP-manager interface communicates through any distribution system port by listening across the Layer
3 network for access point CAPWAP or LWAPP join messages to associate and communicate with as many
lightweight access points as possible.
A controller configured with IPv6 does not support Dynamic AP-Manager. By default, the management
interface acts like an AP-manager interface. Link Aggregation (LAG) is used for IPv6 AP load balancing.
Restrictions for Configuring AP Manager Interface

For IPv4The MAC address of the management interface and the AP-manager interface is the same
as the base LAG MAC address.
If only one distribution system port can be used, you should use distribution system port 1.
An AP-manager interface is not required to be configured. The management interface acts like an
AP-manager interface by default, and the access points can join on this interface.
If link aggregation (LAG) is enabled, there can be only one AP-manager interface. But when LAG is
disabled, one or more AP-manager interfaces can be created, generally one per physical port.
When LAG is enabledSupports only one AP Manager, which can either be on the management
or dynamic interface with AP management.
When LAG is disabledSupports one AP Manager per port. The Dynamic Interface tied to a
VLAN can act as an AP Manager (when enabled).

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Interfaces
Note
When you enable LAG, all the ports would lose their AP Manager status and the AP
management reverts back onto the Management interface.
Port redundancy for the AP-manager interface is not supported. You cannot map the AP-manager
interface to a backup port.
Configuring the AP-Manager Interface (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click AP-Manager Interface.

The Interface > Edit page appears.
For IPv6 onlyA controller configured with IPv6 address does not support Dynamic AP-Manager. By default,
the management interface acts like an AP-manager interface.
Set the AP-Manager Interface parameters:
Note
For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, you are not required to configure an AP-manager interface. The management
interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default.
Physical port assignment
Note
Step 3
VLAN identifier
Note
VLANs for the AP-manager interface.
Note
The gig/wired subinterface is numbered with VLAN number and dot11 subinterface is numbered with the
WLAN ID. The first configured WLAN becomes dot11 0.1 & dot11 1.1 and second WLAN ID subinterface
becomes dot11 0.2 & dot11 1.2 onwards. This dot11 sub interface number cannot be mapped with a VLAN
ID because multiple WLAN can be assigned with a same VLAN number. We cannot have duplicate
subinterface created in the system. The native subinterface configuration in wired interface is the AP native
VLAN configuration, if VLAN support is enabled in FlexConnect mode or else the native interface is
always gig prime interface in AP(Local / Flex with no VLAN support).
Fixed IP address, IP netmask, and default gateway

Access control list (ACL) name, if required
Step 4
Step 5

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Interfaces
Configuring the AP Manager Interface (CLI)

Before You Begin
For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, you are not required to configure an AP-manager interface. The management
Note
A controller configured with IPv6 address does not support Dynamic AP-Manager. The management
Step 1
Enter the show interface summary command to view the current interfaces.
Note
If the system is operating in Layer 2 mode, the AP-manager interface is not
listed.
Step 2
Enter the show interface detailed ap-manager command to view the current AP-manager interface settings.
Step 3
Enter the config wlan disable wlan-number command to disable each WLAN that uses the AP-manager interface for
distribution system communication.
Enter these commands to define the AP-manager interface:
Step 4
config interface address ap-manager ip-addr ip-netmask gateway

config interface vlan ap-manager {vlan-id | 0}
Note
VLANs for the AP-manager interface.
config interface port ap-manager physical-ds-port-number

config interface dhcp ap-manager ip-address-of-primary-dhcp-server [ip-address-of-secondary-dhcp-server]
config interface acl ap-manager access-control-list-name
Step 5
Step 6
Enter the show interface detailed ap-manager command to verify that your changes have been saved.
Configuration Example: Configuring AP-Manager on a Cisco 5500 Series Controller

For a Cisco 5500 Series Controller, we recommend that you have eight dynamic AP-manager interfaces and
associate them to the eight Gigabit ports of the controller when LAG is not used. If you are using the
management interface, which acts like an AP-manager interface by default, you must create only seven more
dynamic AP-manager interfaces and associate them to the remaining seven Gigabit ports.
Note
For IPv6 onlyA controller configured with IPv6 address does not support Dynamic AP-Manager. By
default, the management interface acts like an AP-manager interface. Use LAG for IPv6 AP load balancing.

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Interfaces
This figure shows a dynamic interface that is enabled as a dynamic AP-manager interface and associated to
port number 2.
Figure 23: Dynamic Interface Example with Dynamic AP Management

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Interfaces
This figure shows a Cisco 5500 Series Controller with LAG disabled, the management interface used as one
dynamic AP-manager interface, and seven additional dynamic AP-manager interfaces, each mapped to a
different Gigabit port.
Figure 24: Cisco 5500 Series Controller Interface Configuration Example
Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces

Information About Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces
When you create two or more AP-manager interfaces, each one is mapped to a different port. The ports should
be configured in sequential order so that AP-manager interface 2 is on port 2, AP-manager interface 3 is on
port 3, and AP-manager interface 4 is on port 4.
Before an access point joins a controller, it sends out a discovery request. From the discovery response that
it receives, the access point can tell the number of AP-manager interfaces on the controller and the number
of access points on each AP-manager interface. The access point generally joins the AP-manager with the
least number of access points. In this way, the access point load is dynamically distributed across the multiple
AP-manager interfaces.
Note
Access points may not be distributed completely evenly across all of the AP-manager interfaces, but a
certain level of load balancing occurs.
Restrictions on Configuring Multiple AP Manager Interfaces

The following restrictions apply while configuring the multiple AP manager interfaces in the controller:
You must assign an AP-manager interface to each port on the controller.
Before implementing multiple AP-manager interfaces, you should consider how they would impact your
controllers port redundancy.
AP-manager interfaces do not need to be on the same VLAN or IP subnet, and they may or may not be
on the same VLAN or IP subnet as the management interface. However, we recommend that you configure
all AP-manager interfaces on the same VLAN or IP subnet.
If the port of one of the AP-manager interfaces fails, the controller clears the state of the access points,
and the access points must reboot to reestablish communication with the controller using the normal
controller join process. The controller no longer includes the failed AP-manager interface in the CAPWAP
or LWAPP discovery responses. The access points then rejoin the controller and are load balanced among
the available AP-manager interfaces.

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In the case of management interface, because there is support for backup port, APs already connected
to management interface continue to be in connected state (falling to backup port) rather than dropping
off. However, AP-Mgr will get disabled any new APs will associate with the current AP-Mgr.
Creating Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click New.
The Interfaces > New page appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Enter an AP-manager interface name and a VLAN identifier.

Click Apply to commit your changes. The Interfaces > Edit page appears.
Step 5
Enter the appropriate interface parameters.

Note
Every interface supports primary and backup port with the following exceptions
Dynamic interface is converted to AP manager which does not support backup of port configuration.
If AP manager is enabled on management interface and when management interface moves to backup port
because of primary port failure, the AP manager will be disabled.
Step 6
Step 7
To make this interface an AP-manager interface, select the Enable Dynamic AP Management check box.
Note
Only one AP-manager interface is allowed per physical port. A dynamic interface that is marked as an AP-manager
Click Save Configuration to save your settings.
Step 8
Repeat this procedure for each additional AP-manager interface that you want to create.
Creating Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces (CLI)
Step 1
Enter these commands to create a new interface:

config interface create operator_defined_interface_name {vlan_id | x}
config interface address operator_defined_interface_name ip_addr ip_netmask [gateway]
config interface vlan operator_defined_interface_name {vlan_id | o}
config interface port operator_defined_interface_name physical_ds_port_number
config interface dhcp operator_defined_interface_name ip_address_of_primary_dhcp_server
[ip_address_of_secondary_dhcp_server]
Note
Use this command to configure a quarantine VLAN on any

interface.
config interface acl operator_defined_interface_name access_control_list_name

Step 2
To make this interface an AP-manager interface, enter this command:

{config interface ap-manager operator_defined_interface_name enable | disable}

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Interfaces
Step 3
Only one AP-manager interface is allowed per physical port. A dynamic interface that is marked as an AP-manager
Enter save config command to save your changes.
Step 4
Repeat this procedure for each additional AP-manager interface that you want to create.
Note
Interface Groups
Information About Interface Groups
Interface groups are logical groups of interfaces. Interface groups facilitate user configuration where the same
interface group can be configured on multiple WLANs or while overriding a WLAN interface per AP group.
An interface group can exclusively contain either quarantine or nonquarantine interfaces. An interface can be
part of multiple interface groups.
A WLAN can be associated with an interface or interface group. The interface group name and the interface
name cannot be the same.
This feature also enables you to associate a client to specific subnets based on the foreign controller that they
are connected to. The anchor controller WLAN can be configured to maintain a mapping between foreign
controller MAC and a specific interface or interface group (Foreign maps) as needed. If this mapping is not
configured, clients on that foreign controller gets VLANs associated in a round robin fashion from interface
group configured on WLAN.
You can also configure AAA override for interface groups. This feature extends the current access point group
and AAA override architecture where access point groups and AAA override can be configured to override
the interface group WLAN that the interface is mapped to. This is done with multiple interfaces using interface
groups.
This feature enables network administrators to configure guest anchor restrictions where a wireless guest user
at a foreign location can obtain an IP address from multiple subnets on the foreign location and controllers
from within the same anchor controller.
Controller marks VLAN as dirty when the clients are unable to receive IP address using DHCP. The VLAN
interface is marked as dirty based on two methods:
Aggressive MethodWhen only one failure is counted per association per client and controller marks VLAN
as dirty interface when a failure occurs three times for a client or for three different clients.
Non-Aggressive MethodWhen only one failure is counted per association per client and controller marks
VLAN as a dirty interface only when three or more clients fail.
Restrictions on Configuring Interface Groups

The priority order for configuring VLAN interface select for WLAN is:
AAA override
AP group
DHCP server override
Interface group

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Interfaces
While you configure VLAN-ACL mapping using the native VLAN identifier as part of Flex group
configuration, the ACL mapping does not take place. However, if you use the same VLAN to configure
ACL mapping at the access point level, the configuration is allowed.
Creating Interface Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Interface Groups.

The Interface Groups page appears with the list of interface groups already created.
Note
To remove an interface group, hover your mouse pointer over the blue drop-down icon and choose Remove.
Step 2
Click Add Group.

The Add New Interface Group page appears.
Step 3
Enter the details of the interface group:

Interface Group NameSpecify the name of the interface group.
DescriptionAdd a brief description of the interface group.
Step 4
Click Add.
Creating Interface Groups (CLI)

config interface group {create | delete} interface_group_nameCreates or deletes an interface group
config interface group description interface_group_name descriptionAdds a description to the
interface group
Adding Interfaces to Interface Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Interface Groups.

The Interface Groups page appears with a list of all interface groups.
Step 2
Click the name of the interface group to which you want to add interfaces.
The Interface Groups > Edit page appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Choose the interface name that you want to add to this interface group from the Interface Name drop-down list.
Click Add Interface to add the interface to the Interface group.
Step 5
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 if you want to add multiple interfaces to this interface group.
Note
To remove an interface from the interface group, hover your mouse pointer over the blue drop-down arrow and
choose Remove.

212
Cisco Discovery Protocol
Adding Interfaces to Interface Groups (CLI)

To add interfaces to interface groups, use the config interface group interface add interface_group
interface_name command.
Viewing VLANs in Interface Groups (CLI)

To view a list of VLANs in the interface groups, use the show interface group detailed interface-group-name
command.
Adding an Interface Group to a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Choose the WLAN tab.

The WLANs page appears listing the available WLANs.
Step 2
Step 3
Click the WLAN ID of the WLAN to which you want to add the interface group.
In the General tab, choose the interface group from the Interface/Interface Group (G) drop-down list.
Step 4
Click Apply.
Note
Suppose that the interface group that you add to a WLAN has RADIUS Server Overwrite interface enabled. In
this case, when a client requests for authentication, the controller selects the first IP address from the interface
group as the RADIUS server.
Adding an Interface Group to a WLAN (CLI)

To add an interface group to a WLAN, enter the config wlan interface wlan_id interface_group_name
command.

Information About Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol
The Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) is a device discovery protocol that runs on all Cisco-manufactured
equipment. A device enabled with CDP sends out periodic interface updates to a multicast address in order
to make itself known to neighboring devices.
The default value for the frequency of periodic transmissions is 60 seconds, and the default advertised
time-to-live value is 180 seconds. The second and latest version of the protocol, CDPv2, introduces new
time-length-values (TLVs) and provides a reporting mechanism that allows for more rapid error tracking,
which reduces downtime.
Note
Cisco recommends that you disable Cisco Discovery Protocol on the controller and access point when
connected to non-Cisco switches as CDP is unsupported on non-Cisco switches and network elements.

213
Restrictions for Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol

CDPv1 and CDPv2 are supported on the following devices:
CAPWAP-enabled access points
An access point connected directly to a Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller
Note
To use the Intelligent Power Management feature, ensure that CDPv2 is enabled on the
Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller. CDP v2 is enabled by default.
The Cisco 600 Series OEAP access points do not support CDP.
The support of CDPv1 and CDPv2 enables network management applications to discover Cisco devices.
The following TLVs are supported by both the controller and the access point:
Device-ID TLV: 0x0001The hostname of the controller, the access point, or the CDP neighbor.
Address TLV: 0x0002The IP address of the controller, the access point, or the CDP neighbor.
Port-ID TLV: 0x0003The name of the interface on which CDP packets are sent out.
Capabilities TLV: 0x0004The capabilities of the device. The controller sends out this TLV with
a value of Host: 0x10, and the access point sends out this TLV with a value of Transparent Bridge:
0x02.
Version TLV: 0x0005The software version of the controller, the access point, or the CDP
neighbor.
Platform TLV: 0x0006The hardware platform of the controller, the access point, or the CDP
neighbor.
Power Available TLV: 0x001a The amount of power available to be transmitted by power
sourcing equipment to permit a device to negotiate and select an appropriate power setting.
Full/Half Duplex TLV: 0x000bThe full- or half-duplex mode of the Ethernet link on which CDP
packets are sent out.
These TLVs are supported only by the access point:
Power Consumption TLV: 0x0010The maximum amount of power consumed by the access
point.
Power Request TLV:0x0019The amount of power to be transmitted by a powerable device in
order to negotiate a suitable power level with the supplier of the network power.

214
Changing the CDP configuration on the controller does not change the CDP configuration on the access
points that are connected to the controller. You must enable and disable CDP separately for each access
point.
You can enable or disable the CDP state on all or specific interfaces and radios. This configuration can
be applied to all access points or a specific access point.
The following is the behavior assumed for various interfaces and access points:
CDP is disabled on radio interfaces on indoor (nonindoor mesh) access points.
Nonmesh access points have CDPs disabled on radio interfaces when they join the controller. The
persistent CDP configuration is used for the APs that had CDP support in its previous image.
CDP is enabled on radio interfaces on indoor-mesh and mesh access points.
Mesh access points will have CDP enabled on their radio interfaces when they join the controller.
The persistent CDP configuration is used for the access points that had CDP support in a previous
image. The CDP configuration for radio interfaces is applicable only for mesh APs.
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol

Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > CDP > Global Configuration to open the CDP > Global Configuration page.
Step 2
Step 6
Select the CDP Protocol Status check box to enable CDP on the controller or unselect it to disable this feature. The
default value is selected.
Note
Enabling or disabling this feature is applicable to all controller
ports.
From the CDP Advertisement Version drop-down list, choose v1 or v2 to specify the highest CDP version supported on
the controller. The default value is v1.
In the Refresh-time Interval text box, enter the interval at which CDP messages are to be generated. The range is 5 to
254 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds.
In the Holdtime text box, enter the amount of time to be advertised as the time-to-live value in generated CDP packets.
The range is 10 to 255 seconds, and the default value is 180 seconds.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
To enable or disable CDP on a specific access point, follow these steps:

Click the link for the desired access point.
Choose the Advanced tab to open the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page.
Select the Cisco Discovery Protocol check box to enable CDP on this access point or unselect it to disable this
feature. The default value is enabled.

215
Note
If CDP is disabled in Step 2, a message indicating that the Controller CDP is disabled appears.
Enable CDP for a specific Ethernet interface, radio, or slot as follows:

Choose the Interfaces tab and select the corresponding check boxes for the radios or slots from the CDP
Configuration section.
Note
Configuration for radios is only applicable for mesh access

points.
To enable or disable CDP on all access points currently associated to the controller, follow these steps:
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Global Configuration to open the Global Configuration page.
Select the CDP State check box to enable CDP on all access points associated to the controller or unselect it to
disable CDP on all access points. The default value is selected. You can enable CDP on a specific Ethernet interface,
radio, or slot by selecting the corresponding check box. This configuration will be applied to all access points
associated with the controller.
Step 9
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable CDP on the controller by entering this command:

config cdp {enable | disable}
CDP is enabled by default.
Step 2
Specify the interval at which CDP messages are to be generated by entering this command:
config cdp timer seconds
Step 3
Specify the amount of time to be advertised as the time-to-live value in generated CDP packets by entering this command:
config cdp holdtime seconds
Step 4
Specify the highest CDP version supported on the controller by entering this command:
config cdp advertise {v1 | v2}
The default value is v1.
Step 5
Enable or disable CDP on all access points that are joined to the controller by entering the config ap cdp {enable |
disable} all command.

216
The config ap cdp disable all command disables CDP on all access points that are joined to the controller and all access
points that join in the future. CDP remains disabled on both current and future access points even after the controller or
access point reboots. To enable CDP, enter the config ap cdp enable all command.
After you enable CDP on all access points joined to the controller, you may disable and then reenable CDP on
individual access points using the command in Step 6. After you disable CDP on all access points joined to the
controller, you may not enable and then disable CDP on individual access points.
Enable or disable CDP on a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap cdp {enable | disable} Cisco_AP
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Configure CDP on a specific or all access points for a specific interface by entering this command:
config ap cdp {ethernet | radio} interface_number slot_id {enable | disable} {all | Cisco_AP}
When you use the config ap cdp command to configure CDP on radio interfaces, a warning message appears
indicating that the configuration is applicable only for mesh access points.
save config
Note
Step 8
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information

Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > CDP > Interface Neighbors to open the CDP > Interface Neighbors page appears.
This page shows the following information:
The controller port on which the CDP packets were received
The name of each CDP neighbor
The IP address of each CDP neighbor
The port used by each CDP neighbor for transmitting CDP packets
The time left (in seconds) before each CDP neighbor entry expires
The functional capability of each CDP neighbor, defined as follows: R - Router, T - Trans Bridge, B - Source Route
Bridge, S - Switch, H - Host, I - IGMP, r - Repeater, or M - Remotely Managed Device
The hardware platform of each CDP neighbor device
Step 2
Click the name of the desired interface neighbor to see more detailed information about each interfaces CDP neighbor.
The CDP > Interface Neighbors > Detail page appears.
The name of the CDP neighbor
The IP address of the CDP neighbor

217
The port used by the CDP neighbor for transmitting CDP packets
The CDP version being advertised (v1 or v2)
The time left (in seconds) before the CDP neighbor entry expires
The functional capability of the CDP neighbor, defined as follows: Router, Trans Bridge,?Source Route Bridge,
Switch, Host, IGMP, Repeater, or Remotely Managed Device
The hardware platform of the CDP neighbor device
The software running on the CDP neighbor
Step 3
Step 4
Note
If your Cisco Aironet 1830 Series or Cisco Aironet 1850 Series AP does not receive an IP address through
DHCP, the AP is assigned a default IP address from the 6.x.x.x range. Executing the show cdp neighbor command
on a connected switch displays this IP address in the APs CDP neighbor table.
After DHCP issues, if any, are resolved, the AP is reassigned an IP address from the DHCP pool.
Choose AP Neighbors to see a list of CDP neighbors for all access points connected to the controller. The CDP AP
Neighbors page appears.
Click the CDP Neighbors link for the desired access point to see a list of CDP neighbors for a specific access point.
The CDP > AP Neighbors page appears.
The name of each access point
The IP address of each access point
The port used by each CDP neighbor
Step 5
Click the name of the desired access point to see detailed information about an access points CDP neighbors. The CDP
> AP Neighbors > Detail page appears.
The name of the access point
The MAC address of the access points radio
The IP address of the access point
The interface on which the CDP packets were received
The port used by the CDP neighbor

218
The functional capability of the CDP neighbor, defined as follows: R - Router, T - Trans Bridge,?B - Source Route
Step 6
Choose Traffic Metrics to see CDP traffic information. The CDP > Traffic Metrics page appears.
The number of CDP packets received by the controller
The number of CDP packets sent from the controller
The number of packets that experienced a checksum error
The number of packets dropped due to insufficient memory
The number of invalid packets
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (CLI)
Step 1
See the status of CDP and to view CDP protocol information by entering this command:
show cdp
Step 2
See a list of all CDP neighbors on all interfaces by entering this command:
show cdp neighbors [detail]
The optional detail command provides detailed information for the controllers CDP neighbors.
This command shows only the CDP neighbors of the controller. It does not show the CDP neighbors of the
controllers associated access points. Additional commands are provided below to show the list of CDP neighbors
per access point.
See all CDP entries in the database by entering this command:
show cdp entry all
Note
Step 3
Step 4
See CDP traffic information on a given port (for example, packets sent and received, CRC errors, and so on) by entering
this command:
show cdp traffic
Step 5
See the CDP status for a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap cdp ap-name Cisco_AP
Step 6
See the CDP status for all access points that are connected to the controller by entering this command:
show ap cdp all
Step 7
See a list of all CDP neighbors for a specific access point by entering these commands:
show ap cdp neighbors ap-name Cisco_AP
show ap cdp neighbors detail Cisco_AP

219
Note
Step 8
The access point sends CDP neighbor information to the controller only when the information changes.
See a list of all CDP neighbors for all access points connected to the controller by entering these commands:
show ap cdp neighbors all
show ap cdp neighbors detail all
Note
Getting CDP Debug Information

Get debug information related to CDP packets by entering by entering this command:
debug cdp packets
Get debug information related to CDP events by entering this command:
debug cdp events

220
CHAPTER
13
IPv6
Prerequisites for Configuring IPv6 Mobility, page 221
Restrictions for Configuring IPv6 Mobility, page 221
Information About IPv6 Mobility, page 222
Configuring IPv6 Globally, page 223
Configuring RA Guard for IPv6 Clients, page 223
Configuring RA Throttling for IPv6 Clients, page 224
Prerequisites for Configuring IPv6 Mobility

Up to eight client addresses can be tracked per client.
To allow stateful DHCPv6 IP addressing to operate properly, you must have a switch or router that
supports the DHCP for IPv6 feature that is configured to act like a DHCPv6 server, or you need a
dedicated server such as a Windows 2008 server with a built-in DHCPv6 server.
To support the seamless IPv6 Mobility, you might need to configure the following:
Configuring RA Guard for IPv6 Clients
Configuring RA Throttling for IPv6 Clients
Configuring IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Caching
Restrictions for Configuring IPv6 Mobility

Clients must support IPv6 with either static stateless auto configuration (such as Windows XP clients)
or stateful DHCPv6 IP addressing (such as Windows Vista clients).

221
Information About IPv6 Mobility
Note
Currently, Windows Vista does not provide static stateless auto configuration
functionality. Therefore, DHCPv6 is required for seamless roaming. Otherwise, these
clients must manually renew their address after each change of VLANs.
Note
The Dynamic VLAN function for IPv6 is not supported.
Roaming of IPv6 clients that are associated with a WLAN that is mapped to an untagged interface to
another WLAN that is mapped to a tagged interface is not supported.
On the 7.4 release, the WLCs that have the same mobility group, same VLAN ID, and different IPv4
and IPv6 subnets, generate different IPv6 router advertisements. WLAN on these WLCs is assigned to
the same dynamic interface with the same VLAN ID on all the controllers. The client receives correct
IPv4 address; however it receives a router advertisement from the different subnets that reach the other
WLCs. There could be issue of no traffic from the client, because the first given IPv6 address to the
client does not match to the subnet for the IPv4 address. To resolve this, you can configure the WLCs
in different mobility group.
Note
While adding or deleting IPv6 mobility peer, the SSH rules for bypassing traffic are
applicable for the 16666 port and for the pairs of IPs of the mobility peers.
When AAA override is enabled on WLAN with flex local switching, the client must receive the IPv6
address from the VLAN returned by the AAA server. This implies that if a WLAN with both local
switching and AAA override enabled is mapped to VLAN X and the AAA server returns a VLAN Y;
then, the client must receive an address from VLAN Y. However, this is not supported in this controller
release.
Note
IPv6 ping from Cisco WLC to a client is not supported if the client is in the management
subnet.
Information About IPv6 Mobility

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the next-generation network layer Internet protocol intended to replace
version 4 (IPv4) in the TCP/IP suite of protocols. This new version increases the Internet global address space
to accommodate users and applications that require unique global IP addresses. IPv6 incorporates 128-bit
source and destination addresses, which provide significantly more addresses than the 32-bit IPv4 addresses.
To support IPv6 clients across controllers, ICMPv6 messages must be dealt with specially to ensure the IPv6
client remains on the same Layer 3 network. The controllers keep track of IPv6 clients by intercepting the
ICMPv6 messages to provide seamless mobility and protect the network from network attacks. The ICMPv6
packets are converted from multicast to unicast and delivered individually per client. This process allows
more control. Specific clients can receive specific Neighbor Discovery and Router Advertisement packets,
which ensures correct IPv6 addressing and avoids unnecessary multicast traffic.

222
Configuring IPv6 Globally
The configuration for IPv6 mobility is the same as IPv4 mobility and requires no separate software on the
client side to achieve seamless roaming. The controllers must be part of the same mobility group. Both IPv4
and IPv6 client mobility are enabled by default.
Configuring IPv6 Globally

Configuring IPv6 Globally (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Controller > General.

From the Global IPv6 Config drop-down list, choose Enabled or Disabled.
Click Apply.
Configuring IPv6 Globally (CLI)

Enable or disable IPv6 globally by entering this command:
config ipv6 {enable | disable}
Configuring RA Guard for IPv6 Clients

Information About RA Guard
IPv6 clients configure IPv6 addresses and populate their router tables based on IPv6 Router Advertisement
(RA) packets. The RA Guard feature is similar to the RA guard feature of wired networks. RA Guard increases
the security of the IPv6 network by dropping the unwanted or rogue RA packets that come from wireless
clients. If this feature is not configured, malicious IPv6 clients could announce themselves as the router for
the network, which would take higher precedence over legitimate IPv6 routers.
RA Guard occurs at the controller. You can configure the controller to drop RA messages at the access point
or at the controller. By default, RA Guard is configured at the access point and also enabled in the controller.
All IPv6 RA messages are dropped, which protects other wireless clients and upstream wired network from
malicious IPv6 clients.
Note
IPv6 RA guard feature works on wireless clients only. This feature does not work on wired guest
access (GA).
RA guard is also supported in FlexConnect local switching mode.

223
Configuring RA Guard (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Controller > IPv6 > RA Guard to open the IPv6 RA Guard page. By default the IPv6 RA Guard on AP is
enabled.
From the drop-down list, choose Disable to disable RA Guard. The controller also displays the clients that have been
identified as sending RA packets.
Step 3
Step 4
Configuring RA Guard (CLI)

Use this command to configure RA Guard:
config ipv6 ra-guard ap {enable | disable}

Information about RA Throttling
RA throttling allows the controller to enforce limits to RA packets headed toward the wireless network. By
enabling RA throttling, routers that send many RA packets can be trimmed to a minimum frequency that will
still maintain an IPv6 client connectivity. If a client sends an RS packet, then an RA is sent back to the client.
This is allowed through the controller and unicasted to the client. This process ensures that the new clients or
roaming clients are not affected by the RA throttling.
Configuring RA Throttling (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Controller > IPv6 > RA Throttle Policy page. By default the IPv6 RA Throttle Policy is disabled. Unselect
the check box to disable RA throttle policy.
Configure the following parameters:
Throttle periodThe period of time for throttling. RA throttling takes place only after the Max Through limit is
reached for the VLAN or the Allow At-Most value is reached for a particular router. The range is from 10 seconds
to 86400 seconds. The default is 600 seconds.
Max ThroughThe maximum number of RA packets on a VLAN that can be sent before throttling takes place.
The No Limit option allows an unlimited number of RA packets through with no throttling. The range is from 0
to 256 RA packets. The default is 10 RA packets.
Interval OptionThis option allows the controller to act differently based on the RFC 3775 value set in IPv6 RA
packets.

224
Passthrough Allows any RA messages with the RFC 3775 interval option to go through without throttling.
IgnoreCauses the RA throttle to treat packets with the interval option as a regular RA and subject to
throttling if in effect.
ThrottleCauses the RA packets with the interval option to always be subject to rate limiting.
Allow At-leastThe minimum number of RA packets per router that can be sent as multicast before throttling
takes place. The range is from 0 to 32 RA packets.
Allow At-mostThe maximum number of RA packets per router that can be sent as multicast before throttling
takes place. The No Limit option allows an unlimited number of RA packets through the router. The range is from
0 to 256 RA packets.
Note
Step 3
Step 4
When RA throttling occurs, only the first IPv6 capable router is allowed through. For networks that have
multiple IPv6 prefixes being served by different routers, you should disable RA throttling.

Configuring the RA Throttle Policy (CLI)

Use this command to configure the RA throttle policy:
config ipv6 neigbhor-binding ra-throttle {allow at-least at-least-value | enable | disable | interval-option
{ ignore | passthrough | throttle} | max-through {max-through-value | no-limit}}

225

226
CHAPTER
14
Access Control Lists

Information About Access Control Lists, page 227
Restrictions on Access Control Lists, page 228
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (GUI), page 229
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (CLI), page 233
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists, page 234
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists, page 239
Configuring URL Filtering, page 241
Information About Access Control Lists

An Access Control List (ACL) is a set of rules used to limit access to a particular interface (for example, if
you want to restrict a wireless client from pinging the management interface of the controller). After ACLs
are configured on the controller, they can be applied to the management interface, the AP-manager interface,
any of the dynamic interfaces, or a WLAN to control data traffic to and from wireless clients or to the controller
central processing unit (CPU) to control all traffic destined for the CPU.
You may also want to create a preauthentication ACL for web authentication. Such an ACL could be used to
allow certain types of traffic before authentication is complete.
Both IPv4 and IPv6 ACL are supported. IPv6 ACLs support the same options as IPv4 ACLs including source,
destination, source and destination ports.
Note
You can enable only IPv4 traffic in your network by blocking IPv6 traffic. That is, you can configure an
IPv6 ACL to deny all IPv6 traffic and apply it on specific or all WLANs.

227
Restrictions on Access Control Lists
Restrictions on Access Control Lists

You can define up to 64 ACLs, each with up to 64 rules (or filters) for both IPv4 and IPv6. Each rule
has parameters that affect its action. When a packet matches all of the parameters for a rule, the action
set for that rule is applied to the packet.
When you apply CPU ACLs on a Cisco 5508 WLC or a Cisco WiSM2, you must permit traffic towards
the virtual interface IP address for web authentication.
All ACLs have an implicit deny all rule as the last rule. If a packet does not match any of the rules, it
is dropped by the controller.
If you are using an external web server with a Cisco 5508 WLC or a WLC network module, you must
configure a preauthentication ACL on the WLAN for the external web server.
If you apply an ACL to an interface or a WLAN, wireless throughput is degraded when downloading
from a 1-Gbps file server. To improve throughput, remove the ACL from the interface or WLAN, move
the ACL to a neighboring wired device with a policy rate-limiting restriction, or connect the file server
using 100 Mbps rather than 1 Gbps.
Multicast traffic received from wired networks that is destined to wireless clients is not processed by
WLC ACLs. Multicast traffic initiated from wireless clients, destined to wired networks or other wireless
clients on the same controller, is processed by WLC ACLs.
ACLs are configured on the controller directly or configured through Cisco Prime Infrastructure templates.
The ACL name must be unique.
You can configure ACL per client (AAA overridden ACL) or on either an interface or a WLAN. The
AAA overridden ACL has the highest priority. However, each interface, WLAN, or per client ACL
configuration that you apply can override one another.
If peer-to-peer blocking is enabled, traffic is blocked between peers even if the ACL allows traffic
between them.
Authentication traffic has to go through the Cisco WLC for this feature to be supported, even if DNS-based
ACL is local to the AP.
When you create an ACL, it is recommended to perform the two actions (create an ACL or ACL rule
and apply the ACL or ACL rule) continuously either from CLI or GUI.
In Cisco Wireless Releases prior to 8.0.100.0, the behavior of the Redirect-URL-ACL (as returned via
RADIUS attributes) may have been incorrect. The ACL was applied in only the Ingress direction (traffic
destined for the LAN or distribution system) of the radio interface. These ACLs should also be applied
in the Egress direction (traffic destined for the wireless client). Therefore, after upgrading to a Cisco
Wireless Release 8.0 or a later release, you may need to adjust the ACL to accommodate the correction
of this behavior.
Note
ACL ID 0 is not supported in Cisco WLC. Foreign WLC does not send url-redirect-acl to anchor WLC
if the received ACL attribute from RADIUS/ISE is mapped to ACL ID 0. It causes web redirect failure
on wireless client later.

228
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (GUI)

Configuring Access Control Lists
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > Access Control Lists to open the Access Control Lists page.
If you want to see if packets are hitting any of the ACLs configured on your controller, select the Enable Counters
check box and click Apply. Otherwise, leave the check box unselected, which is the default value. This feature is useful
when troubleshooting your system.
Note
If you want to clear the counters for an ACL, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that ACL
and choose Clear Counters.
Add a new ACL by clicking New. The Access Control Lists > New page appears.
In the Access Control List Name text box, enter a name for the new ACL. You can enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters.
Choose the ACL type. There are two types of ACL supported, IPv4 and IPv6.
Click Apply. When the Access Control Lists page reappears, click the name of the new ACL.
When the Access Control Lists > Edit page appears, click Add New Rule. The Access Control Lists > Rules > New
page appears.
Configure a rule for this ACL as follows:
a) The controller supports up to 64 rules for each ACL. These rules are listed in order from 1 to 64. In the Sequence
text box, enter a value (between 1 and 64) to determine the order of this rule in relation to any other rules defined for
this ACL.
Note
If rules 1 through 4 are already defined and you add rule 29, it is added as rule 5. If you add or change a
sequence number for a rule, the sequence numbers for other rules adjust to maintain a continuous sequence.
For instance, if you change a rules sequence number from 7 to 5, the rules with sequence numbers 5 and 6
are automatically reassigned as 6 and 7, respectively.
b) From the Source drop-down list, choose one of these options to specify the source of the packets to which this ACL
applies:
AnyAny source (this is the default value).
IP AddressA specific source. If you choose this option, enter the IP address and netmask of the source in
the text boxes. If you are configuring IPv6 ACL, enter the IPv6 address and prefix length of the destination in
the text boxes.
c) From the Destination drop-down list, choose one of these options to specify the destination of the packets to which
this ACL applies:
AnyAny destination (this is the default value).
IP AddressA specific destination. If you choose this option, enter the IP address and netmask of the destination
in the text boxes. If you are configuring IPv6 ACL, enter the IPv6 address and prefix length of the destination
in the text boxes.
d) From the Protocol drop-down list, choose the protocol ID of the IP packets to be used for this ACL. These are the
protocol options:
AnyAny protocol (this is the default value)

229
TCPTransmission Control Protocol

UDPUser Datagram Protocol
ICMP/ICMPv6Internet Control Message Protocol
ICMPv6 is only available for IPv6
ACL.
ESPIP Encapsulating Security Payload
Note
AHAuthentication Header
GREGeneric Routing Encapsulation
IP in IPInternet Protocol (IP) in IP (permits or denies IP-in-IP packets)
Eth Over IPEthernet-over-Internet Protocol
OSPFOpen Shortest Path First
OtherAny other Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) protocol
Note
If you choose Other, enter the number of the desired protocol in the Protocol text box. You can find
the list of available protocols in the INAI website.
The controller can permit or deny only IP packets in an ACL. Other types of packets (such as ARP packets) cannot
be specified.
e) If you chose TCP or UDP in the previous step, two additional parameters appear: Source Port and Destination Port.
These parameters enable you to choose a specific source port and destination port or port ranges. The port options
are used by applications that send and receive data to and from the networking stack. Some ports are designated for
certain applications such as Telnet, SSH, HTTP, and so on.
Note
Source and Destination ports based on the ACL
type.
f) From the DSCP drop-down list, choose one of these options to specify the differentiated services code point (DSCP)
value of this ACL. DSCP is an IP header text box that can be used to define the quality of service across the Internet.
AnyAny DSCP (this is the default value)
SpecificA specific DSCP from 0 to 63, which you enter in the DSCP edit box
g) From the Direction drop-down list, choose one of these options to specify the direction of the traffic to which this
ACL applies:
AnyAny direction (this is the default value)
InboundFrom the client
OutboundTo the client
Note
If you are planning to apply this ACL to the controller CPU, the packet direction does not have any
significance, it is always Any.
h) From the Action drop-down list, choose Deny to cause this ACL to block packets or Permit to cause this ACL to
allow packets. The default value is Deny.
i) Click Apply to commit your changes. The Access Control Lists > Edit page reappears, showing the rules for this
ACL.

230
The Deny Counters fields shows the number of times that packets have matched the explicit deny ACL rule. The
Number of Hits field shows the number of times that packets have matched an ACL rule. You must enable ACL
counters on the Access Control Lists page to enable these fields.
Note
If you want to edit a rule, click the sequence number of the desired rule to open the Access Control Lists
> Rules > Edit page. If you want to delete a rule, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the
desired rule and choose Remove.
j) Repeat this procedure to add any additional rules for this ACL.
Step 9
Step 10

Repeat this procedure to add any additional ACLs.
Applying an Access Control List to an Interface
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Controller > Interfaces.

Click the name of the desired interface. The Interfaces > Edit page for that interface appears.
Choose the desired ACL from the ACL Name drop-down list and click Apply. The default is None.
Note
Only IPv4 ACL are supported as interface
ACL.
Applying an Access Control List to the Controller CPU
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > CPU Access Control Lists to open the CPU Access Control Lists page.
Select the Enable CPU ACL check box to enable a designated ACL to control the IPv4 traffic to the controller CPU or
unselect the check box to disable the CPU ACL feature and remove any ACL that had been applied to the CPU. The
default value is unselected.
From the ACL Name drop-down list, choose the ACL that will control the IPv4 traffic to the controller CPU. None is
the default value when the CPU ACL feature is disabled. If you choose None while the Enable CPU ACL check box is
selected, an error message appears indicating that you must choose an ACL.
Note
This parameter is available only if you have selected the CPU ACL Enable check
box.
Note
When CPU ACL is enabled, it is applicable to both wireless and wired traffic.
Select the Enable CPU IPv6 ACL check box to enable a designated ACL to control the IPv6 traffic to the controller
CPU or unselect the check box to disable the CPU ACL feature and remove any ACL that had been applied to the CPU.
The default value is unselected.
Note
For CPU IPv6 ACL, along with permit rules for HTTP/Telnet, you must add a rule to allow ICMPv6 (NA/ND
uses ICMPv6) for the CPU IPv6 ACLs to work.

231
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
From the IPv6 ACL Name drop-down list, choose the ACL that will control the IPv6 traffic to the controller CPU. None
is the default value when the CPU ACL feature is disabled. If you choose None while the Enable CPU IPv6 ACL check
box is selected, an error message appears indicating that you must choose an ACL.
Applying an Access Control List to a WLAN
Step 1
Choose WLANs to open the WLANs page.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click the ID number of the desired WLAN to open the WLANs > Edit page.
Choose the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page.
From the Override Interface ACL drop-down list, choose the IPv4 or IPv6 ACL that you want to apply to this WLAN.
The ACL that you choose overrides any ACL that is configured for the interface. None is the default value.
Note
To support centralized access control through AAA server such as ISE or ACS, IPv6 ACL must be configured
on the controller and the WLAN must be configured with AAA override enabled feature.
Click Apply.
Step 6
Applying a Preauthentication Access Control List to a WLAN
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Choose the Security and Layer 3 tabs to open the WLANs > Edit (Security > Layer 3) page.
Select the Web Policy check box.
From the Preauthentication ACL drop-down list, choose the desired ACL and click Apply. None is the default value.

232
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (CLI)
Configuring and Applying Access Control Lists (CLI)

Configuring Access Control Lists
Step 1
See all of the ACLs that are configured on the controller by entering this command:
show [ipv6] acl summary
Step 2
See detailed information for a particular ACL by entering this command:

show [ipv6] acl detailed acl_name
The Counter text box increments each time a packet matches an ACL rule, and the DenyCounter text box increments
each time a packet does not match any of the rules.
Note
Step 3
If a traffic/request is allowed from the controller by a permit rule, then the response to the traffic/request in the
opposite direction also is allowed and cannot be blocked by a deny rule in the ACL.
Enable or disable ACL counters for your controller by entering this command:
config acl counter {start | stop}
Note
Step 4
If you want to clear the current counters for an ACL, enter the clear acl counters acl_name command.
Add a new ACL by entering this command:

config [ipv6] acl create acl_name.
You can enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters for the acl_name parameter.
When you try to create an interface name with space, the controller CLI does not create an interface. For example,
if you want to create an interface name int 3, the CLI will not create this since there is a space between int and
3. If you want to use int 3 as the interface name, you need to enclose within single quotes like int 3.
Add a rule for an ACL by entering this command:
config [ipv6] acl rule add acl_name rule_index
Note
Step 5
Step 6
Configure an ACL rule by entering config [ipv6] acl rule command:
Step 7
Save your settings by entering this command:

save config
Note
To delete an ACL, enter the config [ipv6] acl delete acl_name command. To delete an ACL rule, enter the
config [ipv6] acl rule delete acl_name rule_index command.
Applying Access Control Lists
Step 1
Perform the following to apply an IPv4 ACL:

To apply an ACL to the IPv4 data path, enter this command:
config acl apply acl_name

233
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists
To apply an ACL to the controller CPU to restrict the IPv4 type of traffic (wired, wireless, or both) reaching the
CPU, enter this command:
config acl cpu acl_name {wired | wireless | both}
Note
Note
Step 2
To see the ACL that is applied to the controller CPU, enter the show acl cpu command. To remove the
ACL that is applied to the controller CPU, enter the config acl cpu none command.
For 2504 and 4400 series WLC, the CPU ACL cannot be used to control the CAPWAP traffic. Use the
access-list on the network to control CAPWAP traffic.
Perform the following to apply an IPv6 ACL:

To apply an ACL to an IPv6 data path, enter this command:
config ipv6 acl apply name
To apply an ACL to the controller CPU to restrict the IPv6 type of traffic (wired, wireless, or both) reaching the
CPU, enter this command:
config ipv6 acl cpu {name|none}
Step 3
To apply an ACL to a WLAN, enter this command:

config wlan acl wlan_id acl_name
Note
Step 4
To see the ACL that is applied to a WLAN, enter the show wlan wlan_id command. To remove the ACL
that is applied to a WLAN, enter the config wlan acl wlan_id none command.
To apply a pre-authentication ACL to a WLAN, enter this command:

config wlan security web-auth acl wlan_id acl_name
Step 5

save config

Information About Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists
You can configure rules for Layer 2 access control lists (ACLs) based on the Ethertype associated with the
packets. Using this feature, if a WLAN with central switching is required to support only PPPoE clients, you
can apply Layer 2 ACL rules on the WLAN to allow only PPPoE packets after the client is authenticated and
the rest of the packets are dropped. Similarly, if the WLAN is required to support only IPv4 clients or only
IPv6 clients, you can apply Layer 2 ACL rules on the WLAN to allow only IPv4 or IPv6 packets after the
client is authenticated and the rest of the packets are dropped. For a locally-switched WLAN, you can apply
the same Layer 2 ACL either for the WLAN or a FlexConnect AP. AP-specific Layer 2 ACLs can be configured
only on FlexConnect APs. This is applicable only for locally-switched WLANs. The Layer 2 ACL that is
applied to the FlexConnect AP takes precedence over the Layer 2 ACL that is applied to the WLAN.
In a mobility scenario, the mobility anchor configuration is applicable.
The following traffic is not blocked:

234
Wireless traffic for wireless clients:

802.1X
Inter-Access Point Protocol
802.11
Traffic from a distributed system:
Broadcast
Multicast
IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP)
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and Gratuitous ARP Protection (GARP)
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Domain Name System (DNS)
Layer 2 ACL Mapping to WLAN

If you map a Layer 2 ACL to a WLAN, the Layer 2 ACL rules that you configure apply to all the clients that
are associated with that WLAN.
When you map a Layer 2 ACL to a centrally switched WLAN, the rule to pass traffic based on the Ethertype
is determined by Fast-Path for every client that is associated with the WLAN. Fast-Path looks into the Ethernet
headers associated with the packets and forwards the packets whose Ethertype matches with the one that is
configured for the ACL.
When you map a Layer 2 ACL to a locally switched WLAN, the rule to pass traffic based on the Ethertype
is determined by the forwarding plane of the AP for every client that is associated with the WLAN. The AP
forwarding plane looks into the Ethernet headers associated with the packets and forwards or denies the packets
based on the action whose Ethertype matches with the one that is configured for the ACL.
Note
WLC devices configured to preform Central Switching and Centralized Authentication displays the name
of the Layer-2 ACL being applied to roaming users incorrectly. The situation occurs when an authorized
device preforms a Layer-3 roam from the anchor controller to a foreign controller. After roaming, if an
administrator issues the show acl layer2 summary command on the CLI of the foreign controller the
incorrect information is displayed. It is expected that the ACL applied by the anchor will follow the
authenticated client as it roams from controller to controller.
Restrictions for Layer 2 Access Control Lists

You can create a maximum of 16 rules for a Layer 2 ACL.
AP-specific Layer 2 ACLs can be configured only on FlexConnect APs. This is applicable only for
locally-switched WLANs.
You can create a maximum of 64 Layer2 ACLs on a controller.

235
A maximum of 16 Layer 2 ACLs are supported per AP because an AP supports a maximum of 16

WLANs.
Ensure that the Layer 2 ACL names do not conflict with the FlexConnect ACL names because an AP
does not support the same Layer 2 and Layer3 ACL names.
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists (CLI)

config acl layer2 {create | delete} acl-nameCreates or deletes a Layer 2 ACL.
config acl layer2 apply acl-nameApplies a Layer 2 ACL to a data path.
config acl layer2 rule {add | delete} acl-rule-name indexCreates or deletes a Layer 2 ACL rule.
config acl layer2 rule change index acl-rule-name old-index new-indexChanges the index of a Layer
2 ACL rule.
config acl layer2 rule action acl-rule-name index {permit | deny}Configures an action for a rule.
config acl layer2 rule etherType name index ether-type-number-in-hex
ether-type-mask-in-hexConfigures the destination IP address and netmask for a rule.
config acl layer2 rule swap index acl-rule-name index-1 index-2Swaps the index values of two rules.
config acl counter {start | stop}Starts or stops the ACL counter. This command is applicable for all
types of ACLs. In an HA environment, the counters are not synchronized between the active and standby
controllers.
show acl layer2 summaryShows a summary of the Layer 2 ACL profiles.
show acl layer2 detailed acl-nameShows a detailed description of the Layer 2 ACL profile specified.
show client detail client-mac-addrShows the Layer 2 ACL rule that is applied to the client.
Mapping of Layer 2 ACLs with WLANs (CLI)

This is applicable to centrally switched WLANs and locally switched WLANs without FlexConnect access
points.
config wlan layer2 acl wlan-id acl-nameMaps a Layer 2 ACL to a centrally switched WLAN.
config wlan layer2 acl wlan-id noneClears the Layer 2 ACLs mapped to a WLAN.
show wlan wlan-idShows the status of a Layer 2 ACL that is mapped to a WLAN.
Mapping of Layer 2 ACLs with Locally Switched WLANs Using FlexConnect Access Points (CLI)
This is applicable to locally switched WLANs that have FlexConnect access points.
config ap flexconnect wlan l2acl add wlan-id ap-name acl-nameMaps a Layer 2 ACL to a locally
switched WLAN.
config ap flexconnect wlan l2acl delete wlan-id ap-nameDeletes the mapping.
show ap config general ap-nameShows the details of the mapping.

236
Configuring Layer 2 Access Control Lists (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > Layer2 ACLs to open the Layer2 Access Control Lists page.
Add a new ACL by clicking New. The Layer2 Access Control Lists > New page appears.
Click Apply. When the Layer2 Access Control Lists page reappears, click the name of the new ACL.
When the Layer2 Access Control Lists > Edit page appears, click Add New Rule. The Layer2 Access Control Lists >
Rules > New page appears.
this ACL.
Note
sequence number for a rule, the sequence numbers for other rules adjust to maintain a continuous sequence.
For instance, if you change a rules sequence number from 7 to 5, the rules with sequence numbers 5 and 6
are automatically reassigned as 6 and 7, respectively.
b) From the Ether Type drop-down list, choose any option from the following Ether type:
AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol
VLAN-tagged Frame & Short Path Bridging
IPX (0x8137)
IPX (0x8138)
QNS Qnet
Internet Protocol Version 6
Ethernet Flow Control
Slow Protocol
CobraNet
MPLS Unicast
MPLS Multicast
PPPoE Discovery Stage
PPPoE Session Stage
Jumbo Frames
HomePlug 1.0 MME
EAP over LAN
PROFINET over Protocol
HyperSCSI
ATA over Ethernet

237
EtherCAT Protocol
You can select any predefined Ether Types from the Ether Type drop-down list or enter your own Ether type
value using the custom option from the Ether Type drop-down list.
c) From the Action drop-down list, choose Deny to cause this ACL to block packets or Permit to cause this ACL to
d) Click Apply to commit your changes. The Layer2 Access Control Lists > Edit page reappears, showing the rules for
this ACL.
e) Repeat this procedure to add any additional rules for this ACL.
Note
Step 7
Step 8

Repeat this procedure to add any additional ACLs.
Applying a Layer2 Access Control List to a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

From the Layer2 ACL drop-down list, choose the ACL you have created.
Click Apply.
Step 6
Applying a Layer2 Access Control List to an AP on a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click the name of the desired access point to open the All APs > Details page.
On the All APs > Details page, click the FlexConnect tab.
From the PreAuthentication Access Control Lists area, click the Layer2 ACLs link to open the ACL Mappings page.
From the Layer2 ACL drop-down list in the WLAN ACL Mapping area, choose the ACL you have created and click
Add.
Click Apply.

238
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists

Information About DNS-based Access Control Lists
The DNS-based ACLs are used for client devices such as Apple and Android devices. When using these
devices, you can set pre-authentication ACLs on the Cisco WLC to determine where devices have the right
to go.
To enable DNS-based ACLs on the Cisco WLC, you need to configure the allowed URLs for the ACLs. The
URLs need to be pre-configured on the ACL.
With DNS-based ACLs, the client when in registration phase is allowed to connect to the configured URLs.
The Cisco WLC is configured with the ACL name and that is returned by the AAA server for pre-authentication
ACL to be applied. If the ACL name is returned by the AAA server, then the ACL is applied to the client for
web-redirection.
At the client authentication phase, the ISE server returns the pre-authentication ACL (url-redirect-acl). The
DNS snooping is performed on the AP for each client until the registration is complete and the client is in
SUPPLICANT PROVISIONING state. When the ACL configured with the URLs is received on the Cisco
WLC, the CAPWAP payload is sent to the AP enabling DNS snooping on the client and the URLs to be
snooped.
With URL snooping in place, the AP learns the IP address of the resolved domain name in the DNS response.
If the domain name matches the configured URL, then the DNS response is parsed for the IP address, and the
IP address is sent to the Cisco WLC as a CAPWAP payload. The Cisco WLC adds the IP address to the
allowed list of IP addresses and thus the client can access the URLs configured.
In Release 8.0, support was added for DNS-based ACL with local web authentication.
Restrictions on DNS-based Access Control Lists

Maximum of 10 URLs can be allowed for an access control list.
On the Cisco WLC, 20 IP addresses are allowed for one client.
Local authentication is not supported for FlexConnect APs.
DNS-based ACLs are not supported on FlexConnect APs with Local Switching.
DNS-based ACLs are not supported on Cisco 1130 and 1240 series access points.
Authentication traffic has to go through the Cisco WLC for this feature to be supported, even if DNS-based
ACL is local to the AP.
If a client is anchored, be it auto-anchor or after roaming, DNS-based ACLs do not work.
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists (CLI)
Step 1
Specifies to create ACL. You can enter an IPv4 ACL name up to 32 alphanumeric characters.
config acl create name

239
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> config acl create android
Step 2
Specifies to add a new URL domain for the access control list. URL domain name should be given in a valid format, for
example, Cisco.com, bbc.in, or play.google.com. The hostname comparison is a sub string matched (wildcard based).
You must use the ACL name that you have created already.
config acl url-domain add domain-name acl-name
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> config acl url-domain add cisco.com android
(Cisco Controller) >> config acl url-domain add play.google.com android
Step 3
Specifies to delete an existing URL domain for the access control list.
config acl url-domain delete domain-name acl-name
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> config acl url-domain delete cisco.com android
Step 4
Specifies to apply the ACL.

config acl apply acl-name
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> config acl apply android
Step 5
Displays DNS-based ACL information by entering this command:

show acl summary
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> show acl summary
ACL Counter Status
Disabled
---------------------------------------IPv4 ACL Name
Applied
-------------------------------- ------android
No
StoreACL
Yes
---------------------------------------IPv6 ACL Name
Applied
-------------------------------- -------
Step 6
Displays detailed DNS-based ACL information by entering this command:

show acl detailed acl-name
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> show acl detailed android
o rules are configured for this ACL.
DenyCounter : 0
URLs configured in this ACL
--------------------------*.play.google.com
*.store.google.com
Step 7
Displays the IP addresses per client learned through DNS snooping (DNS-based ACL) by entering this command:
show client detail mac-address

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Configuring URL Filtering
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> show client detail mac-address
Step 8
Enables debugging of information related to DNS-based ACL.

debug aaa events enable
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >> debug aaa events enable
Configuring DNS-based Access Control Lists (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > Access Control Lists to open the Access Control Lists page.
If you want to see if packets are hitting any of the ACLs configured on your controller, select the Enable Counters
check box and click Apply. Otherwise, leave the check box unselected, which is the default value. This feature is useful
when troubleshooting your system.
Note
If you want to clear the counters for an ACL, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that ACL
and choose Clear Counters.
Add a new ACL by clicking New. The Access Control Lists > New page appears.
Select the ACL type as IPv4.
Click Apply.
When the Access Control Lists page reappears, click the name of the new ACL. The ACLs have no IP rules. Hover
your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow, choose Add-Remove URL from the drop-down list to open the URL List
page.
To add a new URL domain for an ACL, enter the new URL domain for the access control list in the URL String Name
text box. The URL domain name should be given in a valid format, for example, Cisco.com, bbc.in, or play.google.com.
To delete an URL domain, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow under the URL Name you want to delete,
and select Delete.
Step 8
Step 9

Information About URL Filtering
URL filtering feature allows you to control access to internet websites. It does so by permitting or denying
access to specific websites based on information contained in a URL access control list (ACL). The URL
filtering then restricts access based on the ACL list.

241
Using location based filtering, APs are grouped under various AP groups and WLAN profiles separate trusted
and non-trusted clients within the same SSID. This forces re-authentication and new VLAN when a trusted
client moves to a non-trusted AP or vice-versa.
The Wireless Controller (WLC) supports up to 64 ACLs. These ACLs are configured to either permit or deny
requests, and can be associated with different interfaces (ex: WLAN, LAN), thus increasing effective filtering.
Policies can be implemented locally on a WLAN or an AP group that is different from the applied global
policy.
The policy priority order is:
1 Policy
2 Interface
3 WLAN
Note
Default settings is to deny requests where the request URL does not match the applied ACL.
The number of rules (URLs) supported in each ACL varies for different WLCs:
Cisco 5508 WLC, WiSM2 support 64 rules in one ACL.
Cisco 5520, 8510, 8540 WLCs support 100 rules in one ACL.
Restrictions for URL Filtering

Not supported on Cisco 2504 WLCs, vWLC, and Mobility Express.
This feature is supported only on WLAN Central Switching and not Local switching.
Not supported in Flex mode with local switching.
Currently not supported
Wildcard URLs (ex: www.uresour*loc.com).
Sub-URL (ex: www.uresour*loc.com/support).
Sub-Domain (ex: reach.url.com or sub1.url.com)
URL name is limited to 32 characters in length.
No AVC Profile for the matched URLs. ACL Actions support for the Matched URLs.
White list and Black list can be created using the "*" implicit rule in the ACL to permit or deny requests
respectively.
Only HTTP URLs are supported.
Radius server returning URL filtering ACL name is not supported.
ACL may fail to filter in the following situations:
URL is across fragmented packets.
IP packets are fragmented.

242
Direct IP address or proxy setup used instead of URL.
Configuring URL Filtering (GUI)

Configuring Access Control Lists (GUI)
To create or delete access control lists in an WLAN.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > URL ACLs to open the URL Access Control Lists page.
Select the Enable URL Acl check box to enable the URL ACL feature.
Add a new ACL by clicking New. The URL Access Control Lists > New page appears.
In the URL ACL Name text box, enter a name for the new ACL. You can enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters.
Click Apply.
Step 4
Repeat this procedure to add any additional URL ACLs.

To delete any URL ACL, in the URL Access Control Lists page, hover the mouse cursor over the blue drop-down
arrow for that ACL and choose Remove.
Note
If you want to clear the counters for an ACL, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that
ACL and choose Clear Counters.
Configuring an URL ACL List (GUI)

Configuring rules in an URL ACL List.
DETAILED STEPS
Command or Action
Step 1
Choose Security > Access Control Lists >

URL ACLs to open the URL Access Control
Lists page
Step 2
Choose the URL ACL.
Step 3
Choose Add New Rule.
Step 4
Configure a rule for this ACL from the

drop-down menu.
Purpose
URL Access Control Lists > Editpage appears.
Rule Indexrange between 1 and 100.

URLenter the URL address.
Actionselect Permit or Deny.
Step 5
Click Apply.
Repeat this procedure to add any additional rules.

243
Command or Action
Purpose
Note
To have seamless access to websites which use different

port number instead of default port 80, you will need to
create a rule which includes the port number in
URL-name:Port format. Example: Enter the URL as
website.com:8080 and apply permit action.
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List Globally (GUI)

Applying the URL ACL to the entire network.
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Security > Local Policies to open the local policy page.
Choose the desired policy.
Policy > Editpage appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Enter the Match Role String in the text box.

Select the URL ACL from the URL ACL drop-down list.
Click Apply.
Note
The Match Role String name should match the role name in Cisco AV
pair.
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List to an Interface (GUI)

Applying the URL ACL to an interface in the network.
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Controller > Interfaces to open the interface page.

Choose the desired interface.
The interface page for the selected interface appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Select the URL ACL from the URL ACL drop-down list.
Click Apply.

244
Applying a URL Filtering Access Control List for a WLAN (GUI)

Applying the URL ACL to a WLAN in the network.
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs to open the WLAN page.

Click the ID number of the desired WLAN.
The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose the Advanced tab.

From the URL ACL drop-down list, choose the ACL that you want to apply to this WLAN.
Click Apply.
Mapping the policy to a WLAN (GUI)

Mapping the policy to a WLAN in the network.
Step 1
Step 2

Step 3
Choose the Policy-Mapping tab.

1 Enter the Priority Index value.
2 Choose the local policy from the Local Policy drop-down list.
3 Click Add.
Step 4
Click Apply.
To delete a Policy-Mapping in a WLAN (GUI)

This procedure helps delete the policy-mapping in a WLAN.
Step 1
Step 2

Step 3
Step 4
Hover the mouse cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that local policy
Choose Remove
The confirmation box appears.

245
Step 5
Step 6
Click OK.
Click Apply.
Mapping the policy to an AP Group (GUI)

Mapping the policy to an AP Group in the network.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Choose Advanced > AP Groups.
Choose the AP Group.
The AP Groups > Edit page appears.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose the WLANs tab.

Hover the mouse cursor over the blue drop-down arrow of the required WLAN, select Policy-Mapping.
In the AP Group > Policy > Mappings page.
1 Enter the Priority Index value.
2 Choose the local policy from the Local Policy drop-down list.
3 Click Add.
Step 7
Click Apply.
The WLAN and AP Group are Local Role based policies.
Configuring URL Filtering (CLI)

Configuring URL Filtering (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the URL based Filtering feature by entering this command:

config acl url-acl {enabled | disable}
Step 2
Create or delete a URL ACL by entering this command:

config acl url-acl{ create | delete} id-token
Step 3
Apply the URL ACL to the data path by entering this command:
config acl url-acl applyacl-name
Step 4
Configure an acl to an interface by entering this command:

config interface url-acl interface-name acl-name
Step 5
Configure an acl to a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan url-acl wlan-id acl-name

246
Configuring Access Control List Rules (CLI)
Step 1
Create or delete a ACL by entering this command:

config acl url-acl rule{ add | delete} acl-name index
Step 2
Configure the URL address in a valid format (example: www.cisco.com) by entering this command:
config acl url-acl rule urlacl-name index url-name
Step 3
Configure the action of the rule by entering this command:

config acl url-acl rule action acl-name index{ permit | deny}
Note
To have seamless access to websites which use different port number instead of default port 80, you will need
to create a rule which includes the port number in URL-name:Port format. Example: enter the URL as
website.com:8080 and apply permit action.
Applying Local Policy (CLI)
Step 1
Create or delete a local profiling policy by entering this command:

config policy policy-name{create | delete}
Step 2
Configure a match type to a policy by entering this command:

config policy policy-name match role {role-name| none}
Step 3
Configure an action to a policy by entering this command:

config policy policy-name action url-acl {enable | disable} acl-name
Step 4
Activate a local policy to a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan policy add priority-index policy-name wlan-id
Step 5
Add or delete a local policy in an AP group in a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan apgroup policy {add | delete} priority-index policy-name ap-group-name wlan-id
Viewing URL Filtering (CLI)

View ACL summary by entering this command:
show acl url-acl summary
View detailed URL ACL profile information by entering this command:
show acl url-acl detailed acl-name
View the details of a policy by entering this command:
show policy {summary|policy-name}
View client details by MAC address by entering this command:
show client detail mac-address

247
View the WLAN configuration details by entering this command:

show wlan wlan-id
View the interface details by entering this command:
show interface detailed interface-name
Clear the counters by entering this command:
clear url-acl-counters
Troubleshooting URL Filtering (CLI)

You can troubleshoot the URL Filtering feature by entering these commands:
debug fastpath dump urlacldb aclid ruleindex dataplane
debug fastpath dump stats dataplane
The dataplane options available are 0, 1, All.
debug fastpath dump scbdb

248
CHAPTER
15
Multicast/Broadcast Setup
Configuring Multicast Mode, page 249
Mediastream, page 256
Configuring Multicast Domain Name System, page 262
Configuring Multicast Mode

Information About Multicast/Broadcast Mode
If your network supports packet multicasting, you can configure the multicast method that the controller uses.
The controller performs multicasting in two modes:
Unicast modeIn this mode, the controller unicasts every multicast packet to every access point associated
to the controller. This mode is inefficient but might be required on networks that do not support
multicasting.
Multicast modeIn this mode, the controller sends multicast packets to a CAPWAP multicast group.
This method reduces overhead on the controller processor and shifts the work of packet replication to
your network, which is much more efficient than the unicast method.
When you enable multicast mode and the controller receives a multicast packet from the wired LAN, the
controller encapsulates the packet using CAPWAP and forwards the packet to the CAPWAP multicast group
address. The controller always uses the management interface for sending multicast packets. Access points
in the multicast group receive the packet and forward it to all the BSSIDs mapped to the interface on which
clients receive multicast traffic. From the access point perspective, the multicast appears to be a broadcast to
all SSIDs.
Note
Until Release 7.5, the port number used for CAPWAP multicast was 12224. From Release 7.6 onwards,
the port number used for CAPWAP is changed to 5247.
The controller supports Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) v1 snooping for IPv6 multicast. This feature
keeps track of and delivers IPv6 multicast flows to the clients that request them. To support IPv6 multicast,
you must enable Global Multicast Mode.

249
Note
When you disable the Global Multicast Mode, the controller still forwards the IPv6 ICMP multicast
messages, such as router announcements and DHCPv6 solicits, as these are required for IPv6 to work. As
a result, enabling the Global Multicast Mode on the controller does not impact the ICMPv6 and the
DHCPv6 messages. These messages will always be forwarded irrespective of whether or not the Global
Multicast Mode is enabled.
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping is available to better direct multicast packets. When
this feature is enabled, the controller gathers IGMP reports from the clients, processes them, creates unique
multicast group IDs (MGIDs) from the IGMP reports after selecting the Layer 3 multicast address and the
VLAN number, and sends the IGMP reports to the infrastructure switch. The controller sends these reports
with the source address as the interface address on which it received the reports from the clients. The controller
then updates the access point MGID table on the access point with the client MAC address. When the controller
receives multicast traffic for a particular multicast group, it forwards it to all the access points, but only those
access points that have active clients listening or subscribed to that multicast group send multicast traffic on
that particular WLAN. IP packets are forwarded with an MGID that is unique for an ingress VLAN and the
destination multicast group. Layer 2 multicast packets are forwarded with an MGID that is unique for the
ingress interface.
When IGMP snooping is disabled, the following is true:
The controller always uses Layer 2 MGID when it sends multicast data to the access point. Every interface
created is assigned one Layer 2 MGID. For example, the management interface has an MGID of 0, and
the first dynamic interface created is assigned an MGID of 8, which increments as each dynamic interface
is created.
The IGMP packets from clients are forwarded to the router. As a result, the router IGMP table is updated
with the IP address of the clients as the last reporter.
When IGMP snooping is enabled, the following is true:
The controller always uses Layer 3 MGID for all Layer 3 multicast traffic sent to the access point. For
all Layer 2 multicast traffic, it continues to use Layer 2 MGID.
IGMP report packets from wireless clients are consumed or absorbed by the controller, which generates
a query for the clients. After the router sends the IGMP query, the controller sends the IGMP reports
with its interface IP address as the listener IP address for the multicast group. As a result, the router
IGMP table is updated with the controller IP address as the multicast listener.
When the client that is listening to the multicast groups roams from one controller to another, the first
controller transmits all the multicast group information for the listening client to the second controller.
As a result, the second controller can immediately create the multicast group information for the client.
The second controller sends the IGMP reports to the network for all multicast groups to which the client
was listening. This process aids in the seamless transfer of multicast data to the client.
If the listening client roams to a controller in a different subnet, the multicast packets are tunneled to
the anchor controller of the client to avoid the reverse path filtering (RPF) check. The anchor then
forwards the multicast packets to the infrastructure switch.
Note
The MGIDs are controller specific. The same multicast group packets coming from the
same VLAN in two different controllers may be mapped to two different MGIDs.

250
Note
If Layer 2 multicast is enabled, a single MGID is assigned to all the multicast addresses
coming from an interface.
Note
The number of multicast addresses supported per VLAN for a Cisco WLC is 100.
Restrictions on Configuring Multicast Mode

The Cisco Unified Wireless Network solution uses some IP address ranges for specific purposes, and
you should keep these ranges in mind when configuring a multicast group:
224.0.0.0 through 224.0.0.255Reserved link local addresses
224.0.1.0 through 238.255.255.255Globally scoped addresses
239.0.0.0 through 239.255.x.y /16Limited scope addresses
When you enable multicast mode on the controller, you also must configure a CAPWAP multicast group
address. Access points subscribe to the CAPWAP multicast group using IGMP.
Cisco 1100, 1130, 1200, 1230, and 1240 access points use IGMP versions 1, 2, and 3.
Access points in monitor mode, sniffer mode, or rogue detector mode do not join the CAPWAP multicast
group address.
The CAPWAP multicast group configured on the controllers should be different for different controllers.
Lightweight Access Points transmit multicast packets at the highest configured mandatory data rate.
Because multicast frames are not retransmitted at the MAC layer, clients at the edge of the cell might
fail to receive them successfully. If reliable reception is a goal, multicast frames should be transmitted
at a low data rate. If support for high data rate multicast frames is required, it might be useful to shrink
the cell size and disable all lower data rates.
Depending on your requirements, you can take the following actions:
If you need to transmit multicast data with the greatest reliability and if there is no need for great
multicast bandwidth, then configure a single basic rate, that is low enough to reach the edges of
the wireless cells.
If you need to transmit multicast data at a certain data rate in order to achieve a certain throughput,
you can configure that rate as the highest basic rate. You can also set a lower basic rate for coverage
of nonmulticast clients.
Multicast mode does not operate across intersubnet mobility events such as guest tunneling. It does,
however, operate with interface overrides using RADIUS (but only when IGMP snooping is enabled)
and with site-specific VLANs (access point group VLANs).
For LWAPP, the controller drops multicast packets sent to UDP control port 12223. For CAPWAP, the
controller drops multicast packets sent to UDP control and data ports 5246 and 5247, respectively.
Therefore, you may want to consider not using these port numbers with the multicast applications on
your network.

251
We recommend that any multicast applications on your network not use the multicast address configured
as the CAPWAP multicast group address on the controller.
For multicast to work on Cisco 2500 Series WLC, you have to configure the multicast IP address.
Multicast mode is not supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Series WLCs.
IGMP and MLD snooping is not supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Series WLCs.
For Cisco 8500 Series WLCs:
You must enable multicast-unicast if IPv6 support is required on FlexConnect APs with central
switching clients.
You can change from multicast mode to multicast-unicast mode only if global multicast is disabled,
which means IGMP or MLD snooping is not supported.
FlexConnect APs do not associate with a multicast-mulitcast group.
IGMP or MLD snooping is not supported on FlexConnect APs. IGMP and MLD snooping is
allowed only for local mode APs in multicast-multicast mode.
Because VideoStream requires IGMP or MLD snooping, the VideoStream feature works only on
local mode APs if multicast-multicast mode and snooping are enabled.
In a multicast group, when multicast audio is initiated, the recipients do not hear the first two seconds
of the multicast audio. As a workaround, we recommend that you set the Cisco APs to FlexConnect +
Local Switching mode for small-scale deployments.
To reduce join latency, we recommend disabling IPv6 on the Cisco WLC.
FlexConnect APs do not join the multicast group when the Multicast mode is Multicast-Multicast and
CAPWAP has IPv4 and IPv6. For Cisco 5508 and 8510 WLCs, you can disable the Multicast-Multicast
mode and enable the Multicast-Unicast mode. For Cisco Flex 7510 WLC, there is no Multicast-Multicast
configuration. For FlexConnect APs in Multicast-Multicast mode joined with central switching clients,
there is reduction of 0-13 percent in data throughput.
We recommend that you do not use Broadcast-Unicast or Multicast-Unicast mode on Cisco WLC setup
where there are more than 50 APs connected together.
If a Cisco WLC setup has more than 50 APs, the CAPWAP control messages between Cisco WLC and
AP may be delayed due to duplication of each Multicast or Broadcast traffic to each of the APs. The
delay in the CAPWAP control messages causes client association or 802.1X authentication to be delayed
for 1 to 3 seconds. As a result of this, the client receives repeated authentication prompts or failure
messages.
While using Local and FlexConnect AP mode the Cisco WLC platform's multicast support differs for
different platforms.
The parameters that affect Multicast forwarding are:
Cisco WLC platform.
Global AP multicast mode configuration at Cisco WLC.
Mode of the APLocal, FlexConnect central switching.
For Local switching, it does not send/receive the packet to/from Cisco WLC, so it does not matter
which Multicast mode is configured on the Cisco WLC.

252
Note
FlexConnect mode AP cannot join Multicast group address configured at Cisco WLC.
Therefore, the FlexConnect mode AP cannot receive Multicast packets that are sent by
Cisco WLC (Multicast packets sent by FlexConnect central switching is received by
local mode APs). If Multicast needs to be forwarded for FlexConnect central switching,
you must configure AP mode as Multicast to Unicast. This configuration is global
because it is applicable to local mode AP.
Effective with Release 8.2.100.0, it is not possible to download some of the older configurations from
the Cisco WLC because of the Multicast and IP address validations introduced in this release. The
platform support for global multicast and multicast mode are listed in the following table.
Table 11: Platform Support for Global Multicast and Multicast Mode
Platform
Global Multicast
Multicast Mode
Support
Cisco 5520, 8510, and

8540 WLCs
Enabled
Unicast
No
Enabled
Multicast
Yes
Disabled
Unicast
Yes
Disabled
Multicast
No
Cisco Flex 7510 WLC
Multicast is not supported
Cisco 5508 WLC
Enabled
Unicast
Yes
Enabled
Multicast
Yes
Disabled
Unicast
Yes
Disabled
Multicast
No
Cisco 2504 WLC
Only multicast mode is supported
Cisco vWLC
Multicast is not supported
Enabling Multicast Mode (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Multicast to open the Multicast page.
Step 2
Select the Enable Global Multicast Mode check box to configure sending multicast packets. The default value is
disabled.

253
FlexConnect supports unicast mode

only.
If you want to enable IGMP snooping, select the Enable IGMP Snooping check box. If you want to disable IGMP
snooping, leave the check box unselected. The default value is disabled.
To set the IGMP timeout, enter a value between 30 and 7200 seconds in the IGMP Timeout text box. The controller
sends three queries in one timeout value at an interval of timeout/ 3 to see if any clients exist for a particular multicast
group. If the controller does not receive a response through an IGMP report from the client, the controller times out the
client entry from the MGID table. When no clients are left for a particular multicast group, the controller waits for the
IGMP timeout value to expire and then deletes the MGID entry from the controller. The controller always generates a
general IGMP query (that is, to destination address 224.0.0.1) and sends it on all WLANs with an MGID value of 1.
Enter the IGMP Query Interval (seconds).
Select the Enable MLD Snooping check box to support IPv6 forwarding decisions.
Note
To enable MLD Snooping, you must enable Global Multicast Mode of the controller.
Note
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
In the MLD Timeout text box, enter a value between 30 and 7200 seconds to set the MLD timeout.
Enter the MLD Query Interval (seconds). The valid range is between 15 and 2400 seconds.
Click Apply.
Step 10
Enabling Multicast Mode (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable multicasting on the controller by entering this command:

config network multicast global {enable | disable}
The config network broadcast {enable | disable} command allows you to enable or disable broadcasting
without enabling or disabling multicasting as well. This command uses the multicast mode currently on the
controller to operate.
Perform either of the following:
a) Configure the controller to use the unicast method to send multicast packets by entering this command:
config network multicast mode unicast
Note
Step 2
b) Configure the controller to use the multicast method to send multicast packets to a CAPWAP multicast group by
entering this command:
config network multicast mode multicast multicast_group_ip_address
Step 3
Enable or disable IGMP snooping by entering this command:

config network multicast igmp snooping {enable | disable}
Step 4
Set the IGMP timeout value by entering this command:

config network multicast igmp timeout timeout

254
You can enter a timeout value between 30 and 7200 seconds. The controller sends three queries in one timeout value at
an interval of timeout/3 to see if any clients exist for a particular multicast group. If the controller does not receive a
response through an IGMP report from the client, the controller times out the client entry from the MGID table. When
no clients are left for a particular multicast group, the controller waits for the IGMP timeout value to expire and then
deletes the MGID entry from the controller. The controller always generates a general IGMP query (that is, to destination
address 224.0.0.1) and sends it on all WLANs with an MGID value of 1.
Step 5
Enable or disable Layer 2 Multicast by entering this command:

config network multicast l2mcast {enable {all | interface-name} | disable}
Step 6
Enable or disable MLD snooping by entering this command:

config network multicast mld snooping {enable | disable}
Note
Step 7
To enable MLD snooping, you must enable global multicast mode of the controller.
Set the MLD timeout value by entering this command:

config network multicast mld timeout timeout
Enter the MLD Query Interval (seconds). The valid range is between 15 and 2400 seconds.
Step 8

save config
Viewing Multicast Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > Multicast. The Multicast Groups page appears.

This page shows all the multicast groups and their corresponding MGIDs.
Step 2
Click the link for a specific MGID (such as MGID 550) to see a list of all the clients joined to the multicast group in that
particular MGID.
Viewing Multicast Groups (CLI)

Before You Begin
See all the multicast groups and their corresponding MGIDs by entering this command:
show network multicast mgid summary
Layer2 MGID Mapping:
------------------InterfaceName
-------------------------------management
test
vlanId
-----0
0
MGID
---0
9

255
Mediastream
wired
20
Layer3 MGID Mapping:

------------------Number of Layer3 MGIDs........................... 1
Group address
--------------239.255.255.250
Vlan
---0
MGID
---550
See all the clients joined to the multicast group in a specific MGID by entering this command:
show network multicast mgid detail mgid_value
where the mgid_value parameter is a number between 550 and 4095.
Mgid........................................ 550
Multicast Group Address..................... 239.255.255.250
Vlan........................................ 0
Rx Packet Count............................. 807399588
No of clients............................... 1
Client List.................................
Client MAC
Expire Time (mm:ss)
00:13:02:23:82:ad
0:20
Viewing an Access Points Multicast Client Table (CLI)

To help troubleshoot roaming events, you can view an access points multicast client table from the controller
by performing a remote debug of the access point.
Step 1
Initiate a remote debug of the access point by entering this command:

debug ap enable Cisco_AP
Step 2
See all of the MGIDs on the access point and the number of clients per WLAN by entering this command:
debug ap command show capwap mcast mgid all Cisco_AP
Step 3
See all of the clients per MGID on the access point and the number of clients per WLAN by entering this command:
debug ap command show capwap mcast mgid id mgid_value Cisco_AP
Mediastream
Information about VideoStream
The IEEE 802.11 wireless multicast delivery mechanism does not provide a reliable way to acknowledge lost
or corrupted packets. As a result, if any multicast packet is lost in the air, it is not sent again which may cause
an IP multicast stream unviewable.

256
Mediastream
The VideoStream feature makes the IP multicast stream delivery reliable over the air, by converting the
multicast frame to a unicast frame over the air. Each VideoStream client acknowledges receiving a video IP
multicast stream.
Prerequisites for VideoStream

Make sure that the multicast feature is enabled. We recommend configuring IP multicast on the controller
with multicast-multicast mode.
Check for the IP address on the client machine. The machine should have an IP address from the respective
VLAN.
Verify that the access points have joined the controllers.
Make sure that the clients are able to associate to the configured WLAN at 802.11n speed.
Restrictions for Configuring VideoStream

VideoStream is supported in the 7.0.98.0 and later controller software releases.
The Cisco OEAP-600 does not support VideoStream. All other access points support VideoStream.
Configuring VideoStream (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the multicast feature by following these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > MediaStream > General.
b) Select or unselect the Multicast Direct feature check box. The default value is disabled.
Note
Enabling the multicast direct feature does not automatically reset the existing client state. The wireless clients
must rejoin the multicast stream after enabling the multicast direct feature on the controller.
c) In the Session Message Config area, select Session announcement State check box to enable the session
announcement mechanism. If the session announcement state is enabled, clients are informed each time a controller
is not able to serve the multicast direct data to the client.
d) In the Session announcement URL text box, enter the URL where the client can find more information when an
error occurs during the multicast media stream transmission.
e) In the Session announcement e-mail text box, enter the e-mail address of the person who can be contacted.
f) In the Session announcement Phone text box, enter the phone number of the person who can be contacted.
g) In the Session announcement Note text box, enter a reason as to why a particular client cannot be served with a
multicast media.
h) Click Apply.
Step 2
Add a media stream by following these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Media Stream > Streams to open the Media Stream page.
b) Click Add New to configure a new media stream. The Media Stream > New page appears.
Note
The Stream Name, Multicast Destination Start IP Address (IPv4 or IPv6), and Multicast Destination End IP
Address (IPv4 or IPv6) text boxes are mandatory. You must enter information in these text boxes.
c) In the Stream Name text box, enter the media stream name. The stream name can be up to 64 characters.
d) In the Multicast Destination Start IP Address (IPv4 or IPv6) text box, enter the start (IPv4 or IPv6) address of
the multicast media stream.

257
Mediastream
e) In the Multicast Destination End IP Address (IPv4 or IPv6) text box, enter the end (IPv4 or IPv6) address of the
multicast media stream.
Note
Ensure that the Multicast Destination Start and End IP addresses are of the same type, that is both addresses
should be of either IPv4 or IPv6 type.
f) In the Maximum Expected Bandwidth text box, enter the maximum expected bandwidth that you want to assign
to the media stream. The values can range between 1 to 35000 kbps.
Note
We recommend that you use a template to add a media stream to the controller.
g) From the Select from Predefined Templates drop-down list under Resource Reservation Control (RRC) Parameters,
choose one of the following options to specify the details about the resource reservation control:
Very Coarse (below 300 kbps)
Coarse (below 500 kbps)
Ordinary (below 750 kbps)
Low (below 1 Mbps)
Medium (below 3 Mbps)
High (below 5 Mbps)
Note
When you select a predefined template from the drop-down list, the following text boxes under the
Resource Reservation Control (RRC) Parameters list their default values that are assigned with the
template.
Average Packet Size (100-1500 bytes)Specifies the average packet size. The value can be in the range of 100
to 1500 bytes. The default value is 1200.
RRC Periodic updateEnables the RRC (Resource Reservation Control Check) Periodic update. By default,
this option is enabled. RRC periodically updates the admission decision on the admitted stream according to
the correct channel load. As a result, it may deny certain low priority admitted stream requests.
RRC Priority (1-8)Specifies the priority bit set in the media stream. The priority can be any number between
1 and 8. The larger the value means the higher the priority is. For example, a priority of 1 is the lowest value
and a value of 8 is the highest value. The default priority is 4. The low priority stream may be denied in the
RRC periodic update.
Traffic Profile ViolationSpecifies the action to perform in case of a violation after a re-RRC. Choose an
action from the drop-down list. The possible values are as follows:
DropSpecifies that a stream is dropped on periodic revaluation.
FallbackSpecifies that a stream is demoted to Best Effort class on periodic reevaluation.
The default value is drop.
h) Click Apply.
Step 3
Enable the media stream for multicast-direct by following these steps:

a) Choose WLANs > WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
b) Click the QoS tab and select Gold (Video) from the Quality of Service (QoS) drop-down list.
c) Click Apply.
Step 4
Set the EDCA parameters to voice and video optimized (optional) by following these steps:
a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > EDCA Parameters.

258
Mediastream
b) From the EDCA Profile drop-down list, choose the Voice and Video Optimized option.
c) Click Apply.
Step 5
Enable the admission control on a band for video (optional) by following these steps:
Note
Keep the voice bandwidth allocation to a minimum for better performance.
a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media to open the 802.11a/n (5 GHZ) or 802.11b/g/n > Media
page.
b) Click the Video tab.
c) Select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable bandwidth-based CAC for this radio band. The default
value is disabled.
d) Click Apply.
Step 6
Configure the video bandwidth by following these steps:

Note
The template bandwidth that is configured for a media stream should be more than the bandwidth for the source
media stream.
Note
The voice configuration is optional. Keep the voice bandwidth allocation to a minimum for better performance.
a) Disable all WMM WLANs.
b) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media to open the 802.11a/n/ac (5 GHZ) or 802.11b/g/n > Media
page.
c) Click the Video tab.
d) Select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable the video CAC for this radio band. The default value is
disabled.
e) In the Max RF Bandwidth field, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for video
applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new requests on
this radio band.
f) The range is 5 to 85%.
g) The default value is 9%.
h) Click Apply.
i) Reenable all WMM WLANs and click Apply.
Step 7
Configure the media bandwidth by following these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media to open the 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media > Parameters
page.
b) Click the Media tab to open the Media page.
c) Select the Unicast Video Redirect check box to enable Unicast Video Redirect. The default value is disabled.
d) In the Maximum Media Bandwidth (0-85%) text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth to be
allocated for media applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches a specified value, the access point rejects
new calls on this radio band.
e) The default value is 85%; valid values are from 0% to 85%.
f) In the Client Minimum Phy Rate text box, enter the minimum transmission data rate to the client. If the transmission
data rate is below the phy rate, either the video will not start or the client may be classified as a bad client. The bad
client video can be demoted for better effort QoS or subject to denial.
g) In the Maximum Retry Percent (0-100%) text box, enter the percentage of maximum retries that are allowed. The
default value is 80. If it exceeds 80, either the video will not start or the client might be classified as a bad client. The
bad client video can be demoted for better effort QoS or subject to denial.
h) Select the Multicast Direct Enable check box to enable the Multicast Direct Enable field. The default value is
enabled.

259
Mediastream
i) From the Max Streams per Radio drop-down list, choose the maximum number of streams allowed per radio from
the range 0 to 20. The default value is set to No-limit. If you choose No-limit, there is no limit set for the number of
client subscriptions.
j) From the Max Streams per Client drop-down list, choose the maximum number of streams allowed per client from
the range 0 to 20. The default value is set to No-limit. If you choose No-limit, there is no limit set for the number of
client subscriptions.
k) Select the Best Effort QoS Admission check box to enable best-effort QoS admission.
l) Click Apply.
Step 8
Enable a WLAN by following these steps:

a) Choose WLANS > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
b) Select the Status check box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 9
Enable the 802.11 a/n/ac or 802.11 b/g/n network by following these steps:
a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network.
b) Select the 802.11a or 802.11b/g Network Status check box to enable the network status.
c) Click Apply.
Step 10
Verify that the clients are associated with the multicast groups and group IDs by following these steps:
a) Choose Monitor > Clients. The Clients page appears.
b) Check if the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network clients have the associated access points.
c) Choose Monitor > Multicast. The Multicast Groups page appears.
d) Select the MGID check box for the VideoStream to the clients.
e) Click MGID. The Multicast Group Detail page appears. Check the Multicast Status details.
Configuring VideoStream (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the multicast-direct feature on WLANs media stream by entering this command:
config wlan media-stream multicast-direct {wlan_id | all} {enable | disable}
Step 2
Enable or disable the multicast feature by entering this command:

config media-stream multicast-direct {enable | disable}
Step 3
Configure various message configuration parameters by entering this command:

config media-stream message {state [enable | disable] | url url | email email | phone phone _number | note note}
Step 4

save config
Step 5
Configure various global media-stream configurations by entering this command:

config media-stream add multicast-direct stream-name media_stream_name start_IP end_IP [template {very-coarse
| coarse | ordinary | low-resolution | med-resolution | high-resolution} | detail {Max_bandwidth bandwidth | packet
size packet_size | Re-evaluation re-evaluation {periodic | initial}} video video priority {drop | fallback}

260
Mediastream
The Resource Reservation Control (RRC) parameters are assigned with the predefined values based on the values
assigned to the template.
The following templates are used to assign RRC parameters to the media stream:
Very Coarse (below 3000 kbps)
Coarse (below 500 kbps)
Ordinary (below 750 kbps)
Low Resolution (below 1 mbps)
Medium Resolution (below 3 mbps)
High Resolution (below 5 mbps)
Step 6
Delete a media stream by entering this command:

config media-stream delete media_stream_name
Step 7
Enable a specific enhanced distributed channel access (EDC) profile by entering this command:
config advanced{ 801.11a | 802.11b} edca-parameters optimized-video-voice
Step 8
Enable the admission control on the desired bandwidth by entering the following commands:
Enable bandwidth-based voice CAC for 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice acm enable
Set the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for voice applications on the 802.11a or 802.11b/g
network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice max-bandwidth bandwidth
Configure the percentage of the maximum allocated bandwidth reserved for roaming voice clients on the 802.11a
or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice roam-bandwidth bandwidth
Note
Step 9
For TSpec and SIP based CAC for video calls, only Static method is supported.
Set the maximum number of streams per radio and/or per client by entering these commands:
Set the maximum limit to the number multicast streams per radio by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} media-stream multicast-direct radio-maximum [value | no-limit]
Set the maximum number of multicast streams per client by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} media-stream multicast-direct client-maximum [value | no-limit]
Step 10

save config

261
Configuring Multicast Domain Name System
Viewing and Debugging Media Streams

See the configured media streams by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
See the details of the media stream name by entering this command:
show 802.11{a | b | h} media-stream media-stream_name
See the clients for a media stream by entering this command:
show 802.11a media-stream client media-stream-name
See a summary of the media stream and client information by entering this command:
show media-stream group summary
See details about a particular media stream group by entering this command:
show media-stream group detail media_stream_name
See details of the 802.11a or 802.11b media resource reservation configuration by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} media-stream rrc
Enable debugging of the media stream history by entering this command:
debug media-stream history {enable | disable}

Information About Multicast Domain Name System
Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) service discovery provides a way to announce and discover the
services on the local network. The mDNS service discovery enables wireless clients to access Apple services
such as Apple Printer and Apple TV advertised in a different Layer 3 network. mDNS performs DNS queries
over IP multicast. mDNS supports zero-configuration IP networking. As a standard, mDNS uses multicast IP
address 224.0.0.251 as the destination address and 5353 as the UDP destination port.
Location Specific Services
The processing of mDNS service advertisements and mDNS query packets support Location-Specific Services
(LSS). All the valid mDNS service advertisements that are received by the controller are tagged with the MAC
address of the AP that is associated with the service advertisement from the service provider while inserting
the new entry into the service provider database. The response formulation to the client query filters the
wireless entries in the SP-DB using the MAC address of the AP associated with the querying client. The
wireless service provider database entries are filtered based on the AP-NEIGHBOR-LIST if LSS is enabled
for the service. If LSS is disabled for any service, the wireless service provider database entries are not filtered
when they respond to any query from a wireless client for the service.
LSS applies only to wireless service provider database entries. There is no location awareness for wired service
provider devices.
The status of LSS cannot be enabled for services with ORIGIN set to wired and vice-versa.

262
mDNS AP
The mDNS AP feature allows the controller to have visibility of wired service providers that are on VLANs
that are not visible to the controller. You can configure any AP as an mDNS AP and enable the AP to forward
mDNS packets to the controller. VLAN visibility on the controller is achieved by APs that forward the mDNS
advertisements to the controller. The mDNS packets between the AP and the controller are forwarded in
Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) data tunnel that is similar to the mDNS
packets from a wireless client. Only CAPWAP v4 tunnels are supported. APs can be in either the access port
or the trunk port to learn the mDNS packets from the wired side and forward them to the controller.
You can use the configurable knob that is provided on the controller to start or stop mDNS packet forwarding
from a specific AP. You can also use this configuration to specify the VLANs from which the AP should
snoop the mDNS advertisements from the wired side. The maximum number of VLANs that an AP can snoop
is 10.
If the AP is in the access port, you should not configure any VLANs on the AP to snoop. The AP sends
untagged packets when a query is to be sent. When an mDNS advertisement is received by the mDNS AP,
the VLAN information is not passed on to the controller. The service provider's VLAN that is learned through
the mDNS AP's access VLAN is maintained as 0 in the controller.
By default, the mDNS AP snoops in native VLAN. When an mDNS AP is enabled, native VLAN snooping
is enabled by default and the VLAN information is passed as 0 for advertisements received on the native
VLAN.
The mDNS AP feature is supported only on local mode and monitor mode APs.
The mDNS AP configuration is retained on those mDNS APs even if global mDNs snooping is disabled.
Note
There is no check to ensure that no two mDNS APs are duplicating the same traffic for the same service.
But, for the same VLAN, there is such a check.
If an mDNS AP is reset or associated with the same controller or another controller, one of the following
occurs:
If the global snooping is disabled on the controller, a payload is sent to the AP to disable mDNS snooping.
If the global snooping is enabled on the controller, the configuration of the AP before the reset or the
association procedure is retained.
The process flow for the mDNS AP feature is as follows:
Uplink (Wired infrastructure to AP to Controller):
1 Receives the 802.3 mDNS packet on configured VLANs.
2 Forwards the received mDNS packet over CAPWAP.
3 Populates multicast group ID (MGID) based on the received VLAN.
Downlink (Controller to AP to Wired Infrastructure):
1 Receives an mDNS query over CAPWAP from the controller.
2 Forwards the query as 802.3 packet to wired infrastructure.
3 The VLAN is identified from dedicated MGIDs.

263
Per-Service SP Count Limit

The following list shows the global service provider limit per controller model:
Cisco 8500 Series Wireless LAN Controller16000
Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless LAN Controller16000
If the total number of service providers for all services is within the specified limit, any service is free to learn
or discover as many other services. There is no per service reservation or restriction, which allows flexibility
to accommodate more service providers for any service with respect to other services.
Priority MAC Support
You can configure up to 50 MAC addresses per service; these MAC addresses are the service provider MAC
addresses that require priority. This guarantees that any service advertisements originating from these MAC
addresses for the configured services are learned even if the service provider database is full by deleting the
last nonpriority service provider from the service that has the highest number of service providers. When you
configure the priority MAC address for a service, there is an optional parameter called ap-group, which is
applicable only to wired service providers to associate a sense of location to the wired service provider devices.
When a client mDNS query originates from this ap-group, the wired entries with priority MAC and ap-group
are looked up and the wired entries are listed first in the aggregated response.
Origin-Based Service Discovery
You can configure a service to filter inbound traffic that is based on its origin, that is either wired or wireless.
All the services that are learned from an mDNS AP are treated as wired. When the learn origin is wired, the
LSS cannot be enabled for the service because LSS applies only to wireless services.
A service that has its origin set to wireless cannot be changed to wired if the LSS status is enabled for the
service because LSS is applicable only to wireless service provider database. If you change the origin between
wired and wireless, the service provider database entries with the prior origin type is cleared.
Restrictions for Configuring Multicast DNS

mDNS over IPv6 is not supported.
mDNS is not supported on access points in FlexConnect mode in a locally switched WLAN and mesh
access points.
mDNS is not supported on remote LANs.
mDNS is not supported on Cisco AP1240 and Cisco AP1130.
Third-party mDNS servers or applications are not supported on the Cisco WLC using the mDNS feature.
Devices that are advertised by the third-party servers or applications are not populated on the mDNS
service or device table correctly on the Cisco WLC.
In a Layer2 network, if Apple servers and clients are in the same subnet, mDNS snooping is not required
on the Cisco WLC. However, this relies on the switching network to work. If you use switches that do
not work as expected with mDNS snooping, you must enable mDNS on the Cisco WLC.
Video is not supported on Apple iOS 6 with WMM in enabled state.

264
mDNS APs cannot duplicate the same traffic for the same service or VLAN.
LSS filtering is restricted to only wireless services.
The LSS, mDNS AP, Priority MAC address, and origin-based discovery features cannot be configured
using the controller GUI.
mDNS-AP feature is not supported in CAPWAP V6.
ISE dynamic mDNS policy mobility is not supported.
mDNS user profile mobility is not supported in guest anchors.
Mobility: ISE dynamic mDNS policy creation in foreign controllers is inconsistent.
Apple devices such as iPads and iPhones can discover Apple TV through Bluetooth. This might result
in Apple TVs being visible to end users. Because Apple TVs are not supported on mDNS access policy,
we recommend that you disable Bluetooth on Apple TVs.
Configuring Multicast DNS (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the global mDNS parameters and the Master Services Database by following these steps:
a) Choose Controller > mDNS > General.
b) Select or unselect the mDNS Global Snooping check box to enable or disable snooping of mDNS packets, respectively.
c) Enter the mDNS query interval in minutes. The query interval is the frequency at which the controller queries for a
service.
d) Choose a service from the Select Service drop-down list.
Note
To add a new mDNS-supported service to the list, choose Other. Specify the service name and the service
string. The controller snoops and learns about the mDNS service advertisements only if the service is available
in the Master Services Database. The controller can snoop and learn a maximum of 64 services.
e) Select or unselect the Query Status check box to enable or disable an mDNS query for a service, respectively.
f) Click Add.
g) Click Apply.
h) To view the details of an mDNS service, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow of a service, and choose
Details.
Step 2
Configure an mDNS profile by following these steps:

a) Choose Controller > mDNS > Profiles.
The controller has a default mDNS profile, which is default-mdns-profile. It is not possible to delete the default
profile.
b) To create a new profile, click New, enter a profile name, and click Apply.
c) To edit a profile, click a profile name on the mDNS Profiles page; from the Service Name drop-down list, choose
a service to be associated with the profile, and click Apply.
You can add multiple services to a profile.
Step 3

265
What to Do Next
After creating a new profile, you must map the profile to an interface group, an interface, or a WLAN. Clients
receive service advertisements only for the services associated with the profile. The highest priority is given
to the profiles associated with interface groups, followed by the interface profiles, and then the WLAN profiles.
Each client is mapped to a profile based on the order of priority.
Map an mDNS profile to an interface group by following these steps:
1 Choose Controller > Interface Groups.
2 Click the corresponding interface group name.
The Interface Groups > Edit page is displayed.
3 From the mDNS Profile drop-down list, choose a profile.
Map an mDNS profile to an interface by following these steps:
1 Choose Controller > Interfaces.
2 Click the corresponding interface name.
The Interfaces > Edit page is displayed.
Map an mDNS profile to a WLAN by following these steps:
1 Choose WLANs. click the WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
2 Click the corresponding WLAN ID.
The WLANs > Edit page is displayed.
3 Click the Advanced tab.
4 Select the mDNS Snooping check box.
Note
The wireless controller advertises the services from the wired devices (such as Apple TVs) learnt over
VLANs, when:
mDNS snooping is enabled in the WLAN Advanced options.
mDNS profile is enabled either at interface group (if available), interface, or WLAN.
Configuring Multicast DNS (CLI)

Configure mDNS snooping by entering this command:
config mdns snooping {enable | disable}
Configure mDNS services by entering this command:

266
config mdns service {{create service-name service-string origin {wireless | wired | all} lss {enable |
disable} [query] [enable | disable]} | delete service-name}
Configure a query for an mDNS service by entering this command:
config mdns service query {enable | disable} service-name
Configure a query interval for mDNS services by entering this command:
config mdns query interval value-in-minutes
Configure an mDNS profile by entering this command:
config mdns profile {create | delete} profile-name
Note
If you try to delete an mDNS profile that is already associated with an interface group,
an interface, or a WLAN, an error message is displayed.
Configure mDNS services to a profile by entering this command:

config mdns profile service {add | delete} profile-name service-name
Map an mDNS profile to an interface group by entering this command:
config interface group mdns-profile {interface-group-name | all} {mdns-profile-name | none}
Note
If the mDNS profile name is none, no profiles are attached to the interface group. Any
existing profile that is attached is removed.
View information about an mDNS profile that is associated with an interface group by entering this
command:
show interface group detailed interface-group-name
Map an mDNS profile to an interface by entering this command:
config interface mdns-profile {management | {interface-name | all}} {mdns-profile-name | none}
View information about the mDNS profile that is associated with an interface by entering this command:
show interface detailed interface-name
Configure mDNS for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan mdns {enable | disable} {wlan-id | all}
Map an mDNS profile to a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan mdns profile {wlan-id | all} {mdns-profile-name | none}
View information about an mDNS profile that is associated with a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id
View information about all mDNS profiles or a particular mDNS profile by entering this command:
show mdns profile {summary | detailed mdns-profile-name}
View information about all mDNS services or a particular mDNS service by entering this command:
show mdns service {summary | detailed mdns-service-name}

267
View information about the mDNS domain names that are learned by entering this command:
show mdns domain-name-ip summary
View the mDNS profile for a client by entering this command:
show client detail client-mac-address
View the mDNS details for a network by entering this command:
Clear the mDNS service database by entering this command:
clear mdns service-database {all | service-name}
View events related to mDNS by entering this command:
debug mdns message {enable | disable}
View mDNS details of the events by entering this command:
debug mdns detail {enable | disable}
View errors related to mDNS processing by entering this command:
debug mdns error {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of all mDNS details by entering this command:
debug mdns all {enable | disable}
Location Specific Service-related commands:
Enable or disable location specific service on a specific mDNS service or all mDNS services by
config mdns service lss {enable | disable} {service-name | all}
Note
By default, LSS is in disabled state.

Impact on High Availability: Requires to be synchronized with the standby controller.
View the status of LSS by entering these commands:
Summaryshow mdns service summary
Detailedshow mdns service detailed service-name
Configure troubleshooting HA-related mDNS by entering this command:
debug mdns ha {enable | disable}
Origin-based service discovery-related commands:
Configure learning of services from wired, wireless, or both by entering this command:
config mdns service origin {Wireless | Wired | All} {service-name | all}
It is not possible to configure wired services if LSS is enabled and vice versa. It is not possible to
enable LSS for wired-only service learn origin.
Impact on High Availability: Requires to be synchronized with the standby controller.
View the status of origin-based service discovery by entering this command:

268
Summaryshow mdns service summary

View all the service advertisements that are present in the controller, but not discovered because
of restrictions on learning those services, by entering this command:
show mdns service not-learnt
Service advertisements across all VLANs and origin types that are not learned are displayed.
Priority MAC address-related commands:
Configure per-service MAC addresses of service-providing devices to ensure that they are snooped
and discovered even if the service provider database is full, by entering this command:
config mdns service priority-mac {add | delete} priority-mac-addr service-name ap-group
ap-group-name
The optional AP group is applicable only to wired service provider devices to give them a sense
of location; these service providers are placed higher in the order than the other wired devices.
View the status of Priority MAC address by entering this command:
mDNS AP-related commands:
Enable or disable mDNS forwarding on an AP that is associated with the controller by entering
this command:
config mdns ap {enable | disable} {ap-name | all} vlan vlan-id
There is no default mDNS AP. VLAN ID is an optional node.
Impact on High Availability: The static configuration is synchronized to the standby controller.
Configure the VLAN on which the AP should snoop, and forward the mDNS packets by entering
this command:
config mdns ap vlan {add | delete} vlan-id ap-name
View all the APs for which mDNS forwarding is enabled by entering this command:
show mdns ap summary
Information about Bonjour gateway based on access policy

From 7.4 release WLC supports Bonjour gateway functionality on WLC itself for which you need not even
enable multicast on the controller. The WLC explores all Bonjour discovery packets and does not forward
them on AIR or Infra network.
Bonjour is Apple's version of Zeroconf - it is Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) with DNS-SD (Domain
Name System-Service Discovery). Apple devices will advertise their services via IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously
(IPv6 link local and Globally Unique). To address this issue Cisco WLC acts as a Bonjour Gateway. The
WLC listens for Bonjour services and by caching those Bonjour advertisements (AirPlay, AirPrint etc) from
the source/host e.g. AppleTV and responds to Bonjour clients when they ask/request for a service.
Bonjour gateway has inadequate capabilities to filter cached wired or wireless service instances based on the
credentials of the querying client and its location.
Currently the limitations are:

269
Location-Specific Services (LSS) filters the wireless service instances only while responding to a query
from wireless clients. The filtering is based on the radio neighborhood of the querying client.
LSS cannot filter wired service instance because of no sense of location.
LSS filtering is per service type and not per client. It means that all clients receive the location based
filtered response if LSS is enabled for the service type and clients cannot override the behavior.
There is no other filtering mechanism based on client role or user-id.
The requirement is to have configuration per service instance.
Following are the three criteria of the service instance sharing:
User-id
Client-role
Client location
The configuration can be applied to wired and wireless service instances. The response to any query is on the
policy configured for each service instance. The response enables the selective sharing of service instances
based on the location, user-id or role.
As the most service publishing devices are wired, the configuration allows filtering of wired services at par
with the wireless service instances.
There are two levels of filtering client queries:
1 At the service type level by using the mDNS profile
2 At the service instance level using the access policy associated with the service.
Restrictions to the Bonjour gateway based on access policy

The total number of policies that can be created is same as the number of service instances that are
supported on the platform. Hundred policies can be supported; 99 policies and one default policy.
The number of rules per policy is limited to one.
Policy and rules can be created irrespective of the service instances. The policy is applied only when it
is complete and discovers the target service instances.
A service instance can be associated with a maximum of five policies.
Five service groups can be assigned for a MAC address.

270
Creating Bonjour Access Policy through Prime Infrastructure

The admin user can create the Bonjour access policy using the GUI of the Prime Infrastructure (PI).
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Log in to the Cisco Prime Infrastructure using the Admin credentials.

Choose Administration > AAA > Users > Add User.
Choose mDNS Policy Admin.
Add or remove the devices in the mDNS Device Filter. Click Save.
Add the users for a device in the Users list dialog box. Click Save.
Note
See Cisco Prime Infrastructure Administrator Guide for the release 2.2 for more details.
Configuring mDNS Service Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Controller > mDNS > mDNS Policies.

Select service group from the list of Group Names.
Under Service Instance List perform the following steps:
a) Enter the service provider MAC address in MAC address.
b) Enter the name of service provider in Name. Click Add.
c) From the Location Type drop-down list, choose the type of location.
Note
If the location is selected as 'Any', the policy checks on the location attribute are not performed.
The list of current service instances associated with the service group is shown in a
table.
Under Policy / Rule enter the role names and the user names as the criteria of enforcing the policy.
Note
Step 4

271
Configuring mDNS Service Groups (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Enable or disable the mDNS policy by entering this command: config mdns policy enable | disable
Create or delete a mDNS policy service group by entering this command: config mdns policy service-group create |
delete <service-group-name>
Configure the parameters of a service group by entering this command: config mdns policy service-group device-mac
add <service-group-name> <mac-addr> <device name> location-type [<AP_LOCATION | AP_NAME | AP_GROUP>]
device-location [<location string | any | same>]
Configure the user role for a service-group by entering this command: config mdns policy service-group user-role add
| delete <service-group-name> <user-role-name>
Configure the user name for a service-group by entering this command: config mdns policy service-group user-name
add | delete <service-group-name> <user-name>

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CHAPTER
16
Cisco WLC Security

FIPS, CC, and UCAPL, page 273
Cisco TrustSec, page 276
FIPS, CC, and UCAPL

Information About FIPS
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 is a security standard used to validate cryptographic
modules. The cryptographic modules are produced by the private sector for use by the U.S. government and
other regulated industries (such as financial and healthcare institutions) that collect, store, transfer, share and
disseminate sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information.
FIPS 140-2 specifies that a cryptographic module should be a set of hardware, software, firmware, or some
combination that implements cryptographic functions or processes, including cryptographic algorithms and,
optionally, key generation, and is contained within a defined cryptographic boundary. FIPS specifies certain
crypto algorithms as secure, and it also identifies which algorithm should be used if a cryptographic module
is to be called FIPS compliant. For more information on FIPS, see http://csrc.nist.gov/.
About Roles and Services
AP RoleRole of an access point associated with the controller (MFP, 802.11i, iGTK).
Client RoleRole of a wireless client associated with the controller.
User RoleA management user with read only privileges.
Crypto Officer (CO) RoleA management user with read and write privileges, who can perform the
cryptographic initialization and management operations.
Note
There are four levels of increased security defined in FIPS 140-2.

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FIPS, CC, and UCAPL
FIPS Self-Tests
A cryptographic module must perform power-up self-tests and conditional self-tests to ensure that it is
functional.
Power-up self-tests run automatically after the device powers up. A device goes into FIPS mode only after
all self-tests are successfully completed. If any self-test fails, the device logs a system message and moves
into an error state.
Using a known-answer test (KAT), a cryptographic algorithm is run on data for which the correct output is
already known, and then the calculated output is compared to the previously generated output. If the calculated
output does not equal the known answer, the known-answer test fails.
Power-up self-tests include the following:
Software integrity
Algorithm tests
Conditional self-tests must be run when an applicable security function or operation is invoked. Unlike the
power-up self-tests, conditional self-tests are executed each time their associated function is accessed.
The device uses a cryptographic algorithm known-answer test (KAT) to test FIPS mode for each FIPS
140-2-approved cryptographic function (encryption, decryption, authentication, and random number generation)
implemented on the device. The device applies the algorithm to data for which the correct output is already
known. It then compares the calculated output to the previously generated output. If the calculated output
does not equal the known answer, the KAT fails.
Conditional self-tests run automatically when an applicable security function or operation is invoked. Unlike
the power-up self-tests, conditional self-tests are executed each time their associated function is accessed.
Conditional self-tests include the following:
Pair-wise consistency testThis test is run when a public or private key-pair is generated.
Continuous random number generator testThis test is run when a random number is generated.
Bypass
Software load
Information About CC
The Common Criteria (CC) is a testing standard to verify that a product provides security functions that is
claimed by its developer. CC evaluation is against a created protection profile (PP) or security target (ST).
The four security levels in FIPS 140-2 do not map directly to specific CC EALs or CC functional requirements.
For more information on CC, see Common Criterial Portal and CC evaluation and validation scheme.
To configure the controller into CC mode of operation, refer the Admin Guidance Document published under
the Certified Product page of the Common Criterial Portal website .
After providing CC for the controller, the controller series name is listed in the Common Criterial Portal.
Click the Security Documents tab to view the list of documented available for the controller.

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FIPS, CC, and UCAPL
Information About UCAPL

The US Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (APL) certification process
is the responsibility of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Unified Capabilities Certification
Office (UCCO). Certifications are performed by approved distributed testing centers including the Joint
Interoperability Test Command (JITC).
DoD customers can only purchase unified capabilities related equipment, both hardware and software, that
has been certified. Certified equipment is listed on the DoD UC APL. UC APL certifications verify the system
complies with and is configured consistent with the DISA Field Security Office (FSO) Security Technical
Implementation Guides (STIG).
For more information about the UC APL process, see Defense Information System Agency.
Configuring FIPS (CLI)
Step 1
Configure FIPS on the controller by entering this command:

config switchconfig fips-prerequisite {enable | disable }
Step 2
View the FIPS configuration by entering this command:

show switchconfig
802.3x Flow Control Mode.........................
FIPS prerequisite features.......................
WLANCC prerequisite features.....................
UCAPL prerequisite features......................
secret obfuscation...............................
Disable
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Configuring CC (CLI)
Before You Begin
FIPS must be enabled on the controller.
Step 1
Configure FIPS on the controller by entering this command:

config switchconfig wlancc {enable | disable }
Step 2

show switchconfig
802.3x Flow Control Mode......................... Disable
FIPS prerequisite features....................... Enabled
WLANCC prerequisite features..................... Enabled

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Cisco TrustSec
UCAPL prerequisite features...................... Disabled

secret obfuscation............................... Enabled
Configuring UCAPL (CLI)

Before You Begin
FIPS and WLAN CC must be enabled on the controller.
Step 1
Configure UCAPL on the controller by entering this command:

config switchconfig ucapl {enable | disable }
Step 2

show switchconfig
802.3x Flow Control Mode.........................
FIPS prerequisite features.......................
WLANCC prerequisite features.....................
UCAPL prerequisite features......................
secret obfuscation...............................
Disable
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Cisco TrustSec
SXP
Information About SXP
Cisco TrustSec enables organizations to secure their networks and services through identity-based access
control to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The solution also offers data integrity and confidentiality services,
policy-based governance, and centralized monitoring, troubleshooting, and reporting services. TrustSec can
be combined with personalized, professional service offerings to simplify solution deployment and management,
and is a foundational security component to Cisco Borderless Networks.
The Cisco TrustSec security architecture builds secure networks by establishing domains of trusted network
devices. Each device in the domain is authenticated by its peers. Communication on the links between devices
in the domain is secured with a combination of encryption, message integrity check, and data-path replay
protection mechanisms. Cisco TrustSec uses the device and user credentials acquired during authentication
for classifying the packets by security groups (SGs) as they enter the network. This packet classification is
maintained by tagging packets on ingress to the Cisco TrustSec network so that they can be correctly identified
to apply security and other policy criteria along the data path. The tag, called the security group tag (SGT),

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Cisco TrustSec
allows the network to enforce the access control policy by enabling the endpoint device to act upon the SGT
to filter traffic. Cisco TrustSec security group tag is applied only when you enable AAA override on a WLAN.
One of the components of Cisco TrustSec architecture is the security group-based access control. In the security
group-based access control component, access policies in the Cisco TrustSec domain are topology-independent,
based on the roles (as indicated by security group number) of source and destination devices rather than on
network addresses. Individual packets are tagged with the security group number of the source.
Cisco devices use the SGT Exchange Protocol (SXP) to propagate SGTs across network devices that do not
have hardware support for Cisco TrustSec. SXP is the software solution to avoid CTS hardware upgrade on
all switches. WLC will be supporting SXP as part of TrustSec Architecture. The SXP sends SGT information
to the CTS-enabled switches so that appropriate role-based access control lists (RBACLs) can be activated
depending on the role information represented by the SGT. By default, the controller always works in the
Speaker mode. To implement the SXP on a network, only the egress distribution switch needs to be
CTS-enabled, and all the other switches can be non-CTS-capable switches.
The SXP runs between any access layer and distribution switch or between two distribution switches. The
SXP uses TCP as the transport layer. CTS authentication is performed for any host (client) joining the network
on the access layer switch similar to an access switch with CTS-enabled hardware. The access layer switch
is not CTS hardware enabled. Therefore, data traffic is not encrypted or cryptographically authenticated when
it passes through the access layer switch. The SXP is used to pass the IP address of the authenticated device,
that is a wireless client, and the corresponding SGT up to the distribution switch. If the distribution switch is
CTS hardware enabled, the switch inserts the SGT into the packet on behalf of the access layer switch. If the
distribution switch is not CTS hardware enabled, the SXP on the distribution switch passes the IP-SGT mapping
to all the distribution switches that have CTS hardware. On the egress side, the enforcement of the RBACL
occurs at the egress L3 interface on the distribution switch.
The following are some guidelines for Cisco TrustSec SXP:
SXP is supported on the following security policies only:
WPA2-dot1x
WPA-dot1x
MAC Filtering using RADIUS servers
Web authentication using RADIUS servers for user authentication
SXP is supported for both IPv4 and IPv6 clients.
Controller always operates in the Speaker mode.
For more information about Cisco TrustSec, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/enterprise-networks/trustsec/index.html.
Restrictions for SXP

SXP is not supported on FlexConnect access points.
SXP is supported only in centrally switched networks that have central authentication.
By default, SXP is supported for APs that work in local mode only.
The configuration of the default password should be consistent for both controller and the switch.
Fault tolerance is not supported because fault tolerance requires local switching on APs.

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Cisco TrustSec
Static IP-SGT mapping for local authentication of users is not supported.

IP-SGT mapping requires authentication with external ACS servers.
In auto-anchor/guest-anchor mobility the SGT information passed by the RADIUS server to foreign
WLC can be communicated to the anchor WLC through the EoIP/CAPWAP mobility tunnel. The anchor
WLC can then build the SGT-IP mapping and communicate it to another peer via SXP.
Configuring SXPv2 on Wireless Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > TrustSec SXP to open the SXP Configuration page. This page lists the following SXP configuration
details:
Total SXP ConnectionsNumber of SXP connections that are configured.
SXP StateStatus of SXP connections as either disabled or enabled.
SXP ModeSXP mode of the controller. The controller is always set to Speaker mode for SXP connections.
Default PasswordPassword for MD5 authentication of SXP messages. We recommend that the password contain
a minimum of 6 characters.
Default Source IPIP address of the management interface. SXP uses the default source IP address for all new
TCP connections.
Retry PeriodSXP retry timer. The default value is 120 seconds (2 minutes). The valid range is 0 to 64000
seconds. The SXP retry period determines how often the controller retries for an SXP connection. When an SXP
connection is not successfully set up, the controller makes a new attempt to set up the connection after the SXP
retry period timer expires. Setting the SXP retry period to 0 seconds disables the timer and retries are not attempted.
This page also displays the following information about SXP connections:
Peer IP AddressThe IP address of the peer, that is the IP address of the next hop switch to which the controller
is connected. There is no effect on the existing TCP connections when you configure a new peer connection.
Source IP AddressThe IP address of the source, that is the management IP address of the controller.
Connection StatusStatus of the SXP connection.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
From the SXP State drop-down list, choose Enabled to enable Cisco TrustSec SXP.
Enter the default password that should be used to make an SXP connection. We recommend that the password contain
a minimum of 6 characters.
In the Retry Period box, enter the time in seconds that determines how often the Cisco TrustSec software retries for an
SXP connection.
Click Refresh Env Data to refresh the environment data.

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Cisco TrustSec
Creating a New SXP Connection (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose SECURITY > TrustSec SXP and click New to open the SXP Connection > New page.
In the Peer IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the next hop switch to which the controller is connected.
Click Apply.
Configuring SXPv2 on Wireless Controller (CLI)

Enable or disable the SXP on the controller by entering this command:
config cts sxp {enable | disable}
Configure the default password for MD5 Authentication of SXP messages by entering this command:
config cts sxp default password password
Configure the IP address of the next hop switch with which the controller is connected by entering this
command:
config cts sxp connection peer ip-address
Configure the interval between connection attempts by entering this command:
config cts sxp retry period time-in-seconds
Remove an SXP connection by entering this command:
config cts sxp connection delete ip-address
See a summary of SXP configuration by entering this command:
show cts sxp summary
SXP State........................................
SXP Mode.........................................
Default Password.................................
Default Source IP................................
Connection retry open period ....................
Enable
Speaker
****
209.165.200.224
120
See the list of SXP connections that are configured by entering this command:
show cts sxp connections
Total num of SXP Connections..................... 1
SXP State........................................ Enable
Peer IP
Source IP
Connection Status
--------------------------------------------209.165.200.229
209.165.200.224
On
Establish connection between the controller and a Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch by following either
of these steps:

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Cisco TrustSec
Enter the following commands:

1 config cts sxp version sxp version 1 or 2 1
2 config cts sxp disable
3 config cts sxp enable
If SXP version 2 is used on the controller and version 1 is used on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series
switch, an amount of retry period is required to establish the connection. We recommend that you
initially have less interval between connection attempts. The default is 120 seconds.

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PART
III
Mobility Groups
Overview, page 283
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility, page 289
Mobility Groups, page 297
Configuring New Mobility, page 311
Monitoring and Validating Mobility, page 315
CHAPTER
17
Overview
Information About Mobility, page 283
Information About Mobility

Mobility, or roaming, is a wireless LAN clients ability to maintain its association seamlessly from one access
point to another securely and with as little latency as possible. This section explains how mobility works when
controllers are included in a wireless network.
When a wireless client associates and authenticates to an access point, the access points controller places an
entry for that client in its client database. This entry includes the clients MAC and IP addresses, security
context and associations, quality of service (QoS) contexts, the WLAN, and the associated access point. The
controller uses this information to forward frames and manage traffic to and from the wireless client.

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This figure shows a wireless client that roams from one access point to another when both access points are
joined to the same controller.
Figure 25: Intracontroller Roaming
When the wireless client moves its association from one access point to another, the controller simply updates
the client database with the newly associated access point. If necessary, new security context and associations
are established as well.
The process becomes more complicated, however, when a client roams from an access point joined to one
controller to an access point joined to a different controller. It also varies based on whether the controllers are
operating on the same subnet.

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This figure shows intercontroller roaming, which occurs when the wireless LAN interfaces of the controllers
are on the same IP subnet.
Figure 26: Intercontroller Roaming
When the client associates to an access point joined to a new controller, the new controller exchanges mobility
messages with the original controller, and the client database entry is moved to the new controller. New
security context and associations are established if necessary, and the client database entry is updated for the
new access point. This process remains transparent to the user.
Note
All clients configured with 802.1X/Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security complete a full authentication
in order to comply with the IEEE standard.

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This figure shows intersubnet roaming, which occurs when the wireless LAN interfaces of the controllers are
on different IP subnets.
Figure 27: Intersubnet Roaming
Inter-subnet roaming is similar to inter-controller roaming in that the controllers exchange mobility messages
on the client roam. However, instead of moving the client database entry to the new controller, the original
controller marks the client with an Anchor entry in its own client database. The database entry is copied to
the new controller client database and marked with a Foreign entry in the new controller. The roam remains
transparent to the wireless client, and the client maintains its original IP address.
In inter-subnet roaming, WLANs on both anchor and foreign controllers need to have the same network access
privileges and no source-based routing or source-based firewalls in place. Otherwise, the clients may have
network connectivity issues after the handoff.
In a static anchor setup using controllers and ACS, if AAA override is enabled to dynamically assign VLAN
and QoS, the foreign controller updates the anchor controller with the right VLAN after a Layer 2 authentication
(802.1x). For Layer 3 RADIUS authentication, the RADIUS requests for authentication are sent by the anchor
controller.
Mobility is not supported for SSIDs with security type configured for Webauth on MAC filter failure.
If the management VLAN of one Cisco WLC is present as a dynamic VLAN on another Cisco WLC, the
mobility feature is not supported.
Note
If a client roams in web authentication state, the client is considered as a new client on another controller
instead of considering it as a mobile client.

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Note
New Mobility with WebAuth and MAC filter is not supported. For a client, if L2 authentication fails and
it falls back to L3 authentication and then tries to roam to a different Cisco WLC, the roaming will fail.
The same behavior is applicable to FlexConnect central switching and local mode as well.
Note
Cisco Wireless Controllers (that are mobility peers) must use the same DHCP server to have an updated
client mobility move count on intra-VLAN.

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CHAPTER
18
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility

Information About Auto-Anchor Mobility, page 289
Guest Anchor Priority, page 293
Information About Auto-Anchor Mobility

You can use auto-anchor mobility (also called guest tunneling) to improve load balancing and security for
roaming clients on your wireless LANs. Under normal roaming conditions, client devices join a wireless LAN
and are anchored to the first controller that they contact. If a client roams to a different subnet, the controller
to which the client roamed sets up a foreign session for the client with the anchor controller. However, when
you use the auto-anchor mobility feature, you can specify a controller or set of controllers as the anchor points
for clients on a wireless LAN.
In auto-anchor mobility mode, a subset of a mobility group is specified as the anchor controllers for a WLAN.
You can use this feature to restrict a WLAN to a single subnet, regardless of a clients entry point into the
network. Clients can then access a guest WLAN throughout an enterprise but still be restricted to a specific
subnet. Auto-anchor mobility can also provide geographic load balancing because the WLANs can represent
a particular section of a building (such as a lobby, a restaurant, and so on), effectively creating a set of home
controllers for a WLAN. Instead of being anchored to the first controller that they happen to contact, mobile
clients can be anchored to controllers that control access points in a particular vicinity.
When a client first associates to a controller of a mobility group that has been preconfigured as a mobility
anchor for a WLAN, the client associates to the controller locally, and a local session is created for the client.
Clients can be anchored only to preconfigured anchor controllers of the WLAN. For a given WLAN, you
should configure the same set of anchor controllers on all controllers in the mobility group.
When a client first associates to a controller of a mobility group that has not been configured as a mobility
anchor for a WLAN, the client associates to the controller locally, a local session is created for the client, and
the client is announced to the other controllers in the mobility list. If the announcement is not answered, the
controller contacts one of the anchor controllers configured for the WLAN and creates a foreign session for
the client on the local switch. Packets from the client are encapsulated through a mobility tunnel using EtherIP
and sent to the anchor controller, where they are decapsulated and delivered to the wired network. Packets to
the client are received by the anchor controller and forwarded to the foreign controller through a mobility
tunnel using EtherIP. The foreign controller decapsulates the packets and forwards them to the client.
If multiple controllers are added as mobility anchors for a particular WLAN on a foreign controller, the foreign
controller internally sorts the controller by their IP address. The controller with the lowest IP address is the

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first anchor. For example, a typical ordered list would be 172.16.7.25, 172.16.7.28, 192.168.5.15. If the first
client associates to the foreign controller's anchored WLAN, the client database entry is sent to the first anchor
controller in the list, the second client is sent to the second controller in the list, and so on, until the end of
the anchor list is reached. The process is repeated starting with the first anchor controller. If any of the anchor
controller is detected to be down, all the clients anchored to the controller are deauthenticated, and the clients
then go through the authentication/anchoring process again in a round-robin manner with the remaining
controller in the anchor list. This functionality is also extended to regular mobility clients through mobility
failover. This feature enables mobility group members to detect failed members and reroute clients.
Restrictions on Auto-Anchor Mobility

Mobility list members can send ping requests to one another to check the data and control paths among
them to find failed members and reroute clients. You can configure the number and interval of ping
requests that are sent to each anchor controller. This functionality provides guest N+1 redundancy for
guest tunneling and mobility failover for regular mobility.
You must add controllers to the mobility group member list before you can designate them as mobility
anchors for a WLAN.
You can configure multiple controllers as mobility anchors for a WLAN.
Auto-anchor mobility supports web authentication but does not support other Layer 3 security types.
You must configure the WLANs on both the foreign controller and the anchor controller with mobility
anchors. On the anchor controller, configure the anchor controller itself as a mobility anchor. On the
foreign controller, configure the anchor as a mobility anchor.
It is not possible for clients, WGB, and wired clients to directly connect to a DMZ guest anchor and
move to a foreign controller.
Auto-anchor mobility is not supported for use with DHCP option 82.
When using the guest N+1 redundancy and mobility failover features with a firewall, make sure that the
following ports are open:
UDP 16666 for tunnel control traffic
IP Protocol 97 for user data traffic
UDP 161 and 162 for SNMP
In case of roaming between anchor controller and foreign mobility, the client addresses learned at the
anchor controller is shown at the foreign controller. You must check the foreign controller to view the
RA throttle statistics.
For Layer 3 RADIUS authentication, the RADIUS requests for authentication are sent by the anchor
controller.
The mobility anchor is not supported on virtual wireless LAN controllers.
In a guest anchor Cisco WLC deployment, ensure that the foreign Cisco WLC does not have a WLAN
mapped to a VLAN that is associated with the guest anchor Cisco WLC.
In Old Mobility, when roaming from foreign to anchor WLC, the other foreign WLCs in the mobility
group do not receive mobile announce messages.

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Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the controller to detect failed anchor controllers within a mobility group as follows:
a) Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Mobility Anchor Config to open the Mobility Anchor Config page.
b) In the Keep Alive Count text box, enter the number of times a ping request is sent to an anchor controller before the
anchor is considered to be unreachable. The valid range is 3 to 20, and the default value is 3.
c) In the Keep Alive Interval text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) between each ping request that is sent to
an anchor controller. The valid range is 1 to 30 seconds, and the default value is 10 seconds.
d) In the DSCP Value text box, enter the DSCP value. The default is 0.
Note
While configuring the Mobility DSCP value, the mobility control socket (i.e control messages exchanged
between mobility peers only and not the data) is also updated. The configured value must reflect in the IPV4
header TOS field. This is a global configuration on the controller that is used to communicate among
configured mobility peers only.
e) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 2
Step 3
Click the blue drop-down arrow for the desired WLAN or wired guest LAN and choose Mobility Anchors. The Mobility
Anchors page appears.
This page lists the controllers that have already been configured as mobility anchors and shows the current state of their
data and control paths. Controllers within a mobility group communicate among themselves over a well-known UDP
port and exchange data traffic through an Ethernet-over-IP (EoIP) tunnel. They send mpings, which test mobility control
packet reachability over the management interface over mobility UDP port 16666 and they send epings, which test the
mobility data traffic over the management interface over EoIP port 97. The Control Path text box shows whether mpings
have passed (up) or failed (down), and the Data Path text box shows whether epings have passed (up) or failed (down).
If the Data or Control Path text box shows down, the mobility anchor cannot be reached and is considered failed.
Step 4
Select the IPv4/IPv6 address of the controller to be designated a mobility anchor in the Switch IP Address (Anchor)
drop-down list.
Click Mobility Anchor Create. The selected controller becomes an anchor for this WLAN or wired guest LAN.
Note
To delete a mobility anchor for a WLAN or wired guest LAN, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow
for the anchor and choose Remove.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Repeat Step 4 and Step 6 to set any other controllers as mobility anchors for this WLAN or wired guest LAN.
Configure the same set of mobility anchors on every controller in the mobility group.
Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility (CLI)

The controller is programmed to always detect failed mobility list members. To change the parameters
for the ping exchange between mobility members, enter these commands:
config mobility group keepalive count countSpecifies the number of times a ping request is
sent to a mobility list member before the member is considered to be unreachable. The valid range
is 3 to 20, and the default value is 3.

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config mobility group keepalive interval secondsSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds)
between each ping request sent to a mobility list member. The valid range is 1 to 30 seconds, and
the default value is 10 seconds.
Disable the WLAN or wired guest LAN for which you are configuring mobility anchors by entering
this command:
config {wlan | guest-lan} disable {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
Create a new mobility anchor for the WLAN or wired guest LAN by entering one of these commands:
config mobility group anchor add {wlan | guest-lan} {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
anchor_controller_ip_address
config {wlan | guest-lan} mobility anchor add {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
Note
The wlan_id or guest_lan_id must exist and be disabled, and the

anchor_controller_ip_address must be a member of the default mobility group.
Note
Auto-anchor mobility is enabled for the WLAN or wired guest LAN when you configure
the first mobility anchor.
Delete a mobility anchor for the WLAN or wired guest LAN by entering one of these commands:
config mobility group anchor delete {wlan | guest-lan} {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
config {wlan | guest-lan} mobility anchor delete {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
Note
The wlan_id or guest_lan_id must exist and be disabled.
Note
Deleting the last anchor disables the auto-anchor mobility feature and resumes normal
mobility for new associations.

save config
See a list and status of controllers configured as mobility anchors for a specific WLAN or wired guest
LAN by entering this command:
show mobility anchor {wlan | guest-lan} {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}

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Guest Anchor Priority
Note
The wlan_id and guest_lan_id parameters are optional and constrain the list to the
anchors in a particular WLAN or guest LAN. To see all of the mobility anchors on your
system, enter the show mobility anchor command.
The Status text box shows one of these values:
UPThe controller is reachable and able to pass data.
CNTRL_PATH_DOWNThe mpings failed. The controller cannot be reached through
the control path and is considered failed.
DATA_PATH_DOWNThe epings failed. The controller cannot be reached and is
considered failed.
CNTRL_DATA_PATH_DOWNBoth the mpings and epings failed. The controller
cannot be reached and is considered failed.
See the status of all mobility group members by entering this command:
show mobility summary
Troubleshoot mobility issues by entering these commands:
debug mobility handoff {enable | disable}Debugs mobility handoff issues.
debug mobility keep-alive {enable | disable} allDumps the keepalive packets for all mobility
anchors.
debug mobility keep-alive {enable | disable} IP_addressDumps the keepalive packets for a
specific mobility anchor.

The guest anchor priority feature provides a mechanism that gives "active/standby" load distribution amongst
the anchor WLCs. This is achieved by assigning a fixed priority to each anchor WLC, by distributing the load
to highest priority WLC and in round-robin fashion if they have the same priority value.
Releases Prior to 8.1
With Release 8.1
All guest clients are load balanced in round robin

fashion amongst anchor WLCs
All guest clients are sent to anchor controller with

highest priority in relation to local internal WLC
If an anchor fails, guest clients will be load balanced If an anchor fails, guest clients will be sent to the next
amongst remaining anchor WLCs
highest priority or round robin if remaining anchors
have same priority value
You can configure a priority to the guest anchor when you configure a WLAN. Priority values range from 1
(high) to 3 (low) or primary, secondary or tertiary and defined priority is displayed with guest anchor. Only
one priority value is allowed per anchor WLC. Selection of guest anchor is round-robin based on a single
priority value. If a guest anchor is down, the fallback would be on guest anchors with equal priority. If all
guest anchors with same priority value are down, the selection would be on a round-robin basis on next highest

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priority and so on. Default priority value is 3. If WLC is upgraded to Release 8.1, it will be marked with
priority 3. Priority configurations are retained across reboots. The priority configuration would be synchronized
on HA pair for seamless switchover. Same set of rules apply in determining the anchor WLC regardless of
IPv4 and/or IPv6 addressing. That is, highest priority value is determinant and not addressing including dual
stack case.
Restrictions
No hard limit on the number of times a priority value is used
Feature applies only to wireless and "old" mobility model
Maximum supported anchor per WLAN is 24 (same as maximum anchor per WLAN in releases prior
to 8.1)
Downgrading from Release 8.1 would void this feature since it is not supported on earlier images
If a guest anchor with higher priority comes up, the existing connections will not shift to the new high
priority anchor and only the new connections will go to it
This feature is applicable when all internal and anchor WLCs are using Release 8.1
There should not be a local address with priority of zero at the Internal/Foreign controller. Priority 0 in
the output indicates a local IP address. For example at the anchor WLC on DMZ with tunnel termination
Deployment Considerations
Priority configuration should only be done on foreign controller WLAN. On the mobility list if you are
seeing value zero and non-zero that means the same controller is acting as Anchor for few WLANs and
foreign controller for few WLAN, if you have WLC in DMZ and there is no APs connected to it, then
we should not see any non-zero priority for any of its WLANs, as this should be the terminating point
for all the clients on the network.
Ideally we should not see priority zero on foreign WLC and non-zero on anchor WLC. example:
10.10.10.10(SF) and 20.20.20.20(NY) should not have any priority with zero and DMZ controller
172.10.10.10(SF) and 172.20.20.20(NY) should not have any priority with non-zero values.
Here priority values zero is not configurable when we select the controller own IP Address as anchor.
It will automatically set the priority zero if controller own IP address is selected as anchor.
Examples
Local anchor WLCs may be grouped together with higher priority value than group of remote anchor
WLCs
Guest client traffic goes to Anchor WLC(s) that is/are local to internal WLC rather than remote one(s)
due to having higher priority value
Guest client traffic will be load balanced in round-robin across local anchor WLCs since local anchors
have same priority value
If all local anchor WLCs fail then traffic will be load balanced in round-robin across remote anchor
WLC with next priority level

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Configuring Guest Anchor Priority (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose WLANs.
Mouse over the blue down arrow and click Mobility Anchors.
On the Mobility Anchors page, select the mobility anchor from the Switch IP Address (Anchor) drop-down list and
assign a priority.
Configuring Guest Anchor Priority (CLI)

To configure Guest Anchor priority:
config wlan mobility anchor add wlan-id ip-addr priority prioirity-number
To validate proper anchor WLC through assigned client address:
show client summary ip
To check whether the expected anchor is getting the request:
debug mobility handoff enable
To check the anchor priority list of a WLAN:
test mobility anchor-prioritylist wlan-id

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CHAPTER
19
Mobility Groups
Information About Mobility, page 297
Information About Mobility Groups, page 301
Prerequisites for Configuring Mobility Groups, page 306
Configuring Mobility Groups (GUI), page 308
Configuring Mobility Groups (CLI), page 309

Mobility, or roaming, is a wireless LAN clients ability to maintain its association seamlessly from one access
point to another securely and with as little latency as possible. This section explains how mobility works when
controllers are included in a wireless network.
When a wireless client associates and authenticates to an access point, the access points controller places an
entry for that client in its client database. This entry includes the clients MAC and IP addresses, security
context and associations, quality of service (QoS) contexts, the WLAN, and the associated access point. The
controller uses this information to forward frames and manage traffic to and from the wireless client.

297
This figure shows a wireless client that roams from one access point to another when both access points are
joined to the same controller.
Figure 28: Intracontroller Roaming
When the wireless client moves its association from one access point to another, the controller simply updates
the client database with the newly associated access point. If necessary, new security context and associations
are established as well.
The process becomes more complicated, however, when a client roams from an access point joined to one
controller to an access point joined to a different controller. It also varies based on whether the controllers are
operating on the same subnet.

298
This figure shows intercontroller roaming, which occurs when the wireless LAN interfaces of the controllers
are on the same IP subnet.
Figure 29: Intercontroller Roaming
When the client associates to an access point joined to a new controller, the new controller exchanges mobility
messages with the original controller, and the client database entry is moved to the new controller. New
security context and associations are established if necessary, and the client database entry is updated for the
new access point. This process remains transparent to the user.
Note
All clients configured with 802.1X/Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security complete a full authentication
in order to comply with the IEEE standard.

299
This figure shows intersubnet roaming, which occurs when the wireless LAN interfaces of the controllers are
on different IP subnets.
Figure 30: Intersubnet Roaming
Inter-subnet roaming is similar to inter-controller roaming in that the controllers exchange mobility messages
on the client roam. However, instead of moving the client database entry to the new controller, the original
controller marks the client with an Anchor entry in its own client database. The database entry is copied to
the new controller client database and marked with a Foreign entry in the new controller. The roam remains
transparent to the wireless client, and the client maintains its original IP address.
In inter-subnet roaming, WLANs on both anchor and foreign controllers need to have the same network access
privileges and no source-based routing or source-based firewalls in place. Otherwise, the clients may have
network connectivity issues after the handoff.
In a static anchor setup using controllers and ACS, if AAA override is enabled to dynamically assign VLAN
and QoS, the foreign controller updates the anchor controller with the right VLAN after a Layer 2 authentication
(802.1x). For Layer 3 RADIUS authentication, the RADIUS requests for authentication are sent by the anchor
controller.
If the management VLAN of one Cisco WLC is present as a dynamic VLAN on another Cisco WLC, the
mobility feature is not supported.
Note
If a client roams in web authentication state, the client is considered as a new client on another controller
instead of considering it as a mobile client.

300
Information About Mobility Groups
Note
New Mobility with WebAuth and MAC filter is not supported. For a client, if L2 authentication fails and
it falls back to L3 authentication and then tries to roam to a different Cisco WLC, the roaming will fail.
The same behavior is applicable to FlexConnect central switching and local mode as well.
Note
Cisco Wireless Controllers (that are mobility peers) must use the same DHCP server to have an updated
client mobility move count on intra-VLAN.

A mobility group is a set of controllers, identified by the same mobility group name, that defines the realm
of seamless roaming for wireless clients. By creating a mobility group, you can enable multiple controllers
in a network to dynamically share information and forward data traffic when inter-controller or inter-subnet
roaming occurs. Controllers in the same mobility group can share the context and state of client devices as
well as their list of access points so that they do not consider each others access points as rogue devices. With
this information, the network can support inter-controller wireless LAN roaming and controller redundancy.
Note
When an AP moves from one WLC to another WLC (when both WLCs are mobility peers), a client
associated to the first WLC before the move may be anchored to it even after the move. To prevent such
a scenario, you should remove the mobility peer configuration of the WLC.

301
Note
Controllers do not have to be of the same model to be a member of a mobility group. Mobility groups can
be comprised of any combination of controller platforms.
Figure 31: Example of a Single Mobility Group
As shown above, each controller is configured with a list of the other members of the mobility group. Whenever
a new client joins a controller, the controller sends out a unicast message (or multicast message if mobility
multicast is configured) to all of the controllers in the mobility group. The controller to which the client was
previously connected passes on the status of the client.
For example, if a controller supports 6000 access points, a mobility group that consists of 24 such controllers
supports up to 144,000 access points (24 * 6000 = 144,000 access points).
Mobility groups enable you to limit roaming between different floors, buildings, or campuses in the same
enterprise by assigning different mobility group names to different controllers within the same wireless
network.
You can configure both IPv4 and IPv6 multicast address for a mobility group. When both the address formats
are configured:
For all IPv4 mobility group members in the mobility group, the IPv4 multicast group is displayed in the
mobility summary information.
For all IPv6 mobility group members in the mobility group, the IPv6 multicast group is displayed in the
mobility summary information.

302
If you have configured IPv4 multicast for a mobility group, the IPv4 multicast address is not displayed
in the mobility summary information if there are no IPv4 mobility group members.
If you have configured IPv6 multicast for a mobility group, the IPv6 multicast address is not displayed
in the mobility summary information if there are no IPv6 mobility group members.
This figure shows the results of creating distinct mobility group names for two groups of controllers.
Figure 32: Two Mobility Groups
The controllers in the ABC mobility group share access point and client information with each other. The
controllers in the ABC mobility group do not share the access point or client information with the XYZ
controllers, which are in a different mobility group. Likewise, the controllers in the XYZ mobility group do
not share access point or client information with the controllers in the ABC mobility group. This feature
ensures mobility group isolation across the network.
Every controller maintains information about its peer controllers in a mobility list. Controllers can communicate
across mobility groups and clients may roam between access points in different mobility groups if the controllers
are included in each others mobility lists. In the following example, controller 1 can communicate with either
controller 2 or 3, but controller 2 and controller 3 can communicate only with controller 1 and not with each
other. Similarly, clients can roam between controller 1 and controller 2 or between controller 1 and controller
3 but not between controller 2 and controller 3.

303
Table 12: Example
Controller 1
Mobility group: A
Controller 2
Mobility group: A
Controller 3
Mobility group: C
Mobility list:
Mobility list:
Mobility list:
Controller 1 (group A)
Controller 3 (group C)
Controller 3 (group C) ?
In a mobility list, the following combinations of mobility groups and members are allowed:
3 mobility groups with 24 members in each group
72 mobility groups with 1 member in each group
The controller supports seamless roaming across multiple mobility groups. During seamless roaming, the
client maintains its IP address across all mobility groups; however, Cisco Centralized Key Management
(CCKM) and proactive key caching (PKC) are supported only for inter-mobility-group roaming. When a
client crosses a mobility group boundary during a roam, the client is fully authenticated, but the IP address is
maintained, and mobility tunneling is initiated for Layer 3 roaming.
Note
When a controller is added to a mobility group, some of the APs (which are running in local mode) do
not get the complete controllers list updated, those APs are connected to controllers that are in the same
mobility group. You can view the controller list in the APs using the command "show capwap client
config" AP-NAME command. For example, if the mobility group is for 19 controllers and then you add
two more controllers to the mobility group, the AP shows 19 controllers instead of 21 in its list. To address
this issue, you can reboot the AP or move it to another controller that is part of the same mobility group
to get the controller list updated. This issue is observed in AP1242 connected to different 5508 controllers
running code 7.6.120.0.
Note
When client moves to a non anchored SSID from an anchored sSSID on foreign, there is a stale entry on
foreign .This happens when multicast mobile announce does not reach from foreign to guest anchor due
to whatsoever reason, due to this the service is not impacted and configuration goes unnoticed but silently
leaks MSCB on GA .There is no debug or error message shown nor does the GA runs a timer per client
to cleanup. A HandoffEnd needs to be sent from foreign to Anchor since there is no timer.
Messaging Among Mobility Groups

The controller provides intersubnet mobility for clients by sending mobility messages to other member
controllers.

304
The controller sends a Mobile Announce message to members in the mobility list each time that a new
client associates to it. The controller sends the message only to those members that are in the same group
as the controller (the local group) and then includes all of the other members while sending retries.
You can configure the controller to use multicast to send the Mobile Announce messages. This behavior
allows the controller to send only one copy of the message to the network, which destines it to the
multicast group that contains all the mobility members. To derive the maximum benefit from multicast
messaging, we recommend that it be enabled on all group members.
Using Mobility Groups with NAT Devices

Mobility message payloads carry IP address information about the source controller. This IP address is validated
with the source IP address of the IP header. This behavior is a problem when a NAT device is introduced in
the network because it changes the source IP address in the IP header. In the guest WLAN feature, any mobility
packet, that is being routed through a NAT device is dropped because of the IP address mismatch.
The mobility group lookup uses the MAC address of the source controller. Because the source IP address is
changed due to the mapping in the NAT device, the mobility group database is searched before a reply is sent
to get the IP address of the requesting controller. This process is done using the MAC address of the requesting
controller.
When configuring the mobility group in a network where NAT is enabled, enter the IP address that is sent to
the controller from the NAT device rather than the controllers management interface IP address. Also, make
sure that the following ports are open on the firewall if you are using a firewall such as PIX:
UDP 16666 for tunnel control traffic
IP protocol 97 for user data traffic
UDP 161 and 162 for SNMP
Note
Client mobility among controllers works only if auto-anchor mobility (also called guest tunneling) or
symmetric mobility tunneling is enabled. Asymmetric tunneling is not supported when mobility controllers
are behind the NAT device. See the Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility and Using Symmetric Mobility
Tunneling sections for details on these mobility options.
Rogue Detection Behavior in Mobility Groups

The Rogue Detection Behavior in Mobility Groups in RRM perspective is:
The AP's recognize another as a valid RF neighbor if the RF domain name is the same.
The AP sends the information to WLC.
The WLC uses the AP's information to establish a connection with other valid WLC's and each WLC
would do a series of checks during this time (for country matches, version, hierarchy, scale limits, and
others) before forming an auto mode RF group(RRM) either as a leader or a member.
All AP's which are not part of this RF group is considered to be a foreign AP (equivalent to a rogue AP).
Rogue found on wire via Rogue Detector AP will be contained using APs that are seeing the Rouge
through wirelessly.

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Prerequisites for Configuring Mobility Groups
The scenario where there are different RF group names if the APs can hear each other is:
RF group names are usually consistent across a single deployment.
APs which have unrecognizable neighbor packets or wrong entries are deemed rogues.
If there are Cisco APs with two different RF groups. They would hear each other but will not populate
the other in the RF neighbor list. (This RF list is sent to WLC for further munching as discussed above)
Usually when two local neighborhoods have widely varying RF characteristics, then the network admin
may adopt two RF group names to separate the two RF neighborhood or they may belong two different
networks.
AP neighborhood determines RF grouping(auto-mode) /Rogue classification and other and not vice-versa.

Before you add controllers to a mobility group, you must verify that the following requirements have been
met for all controllers that are to be included in the group:
IP connectivity must exist between the management interfaces of all controllers.
Note
You can verify IP connectivity by pinging the controllers.
Note
Mobility control packets can use any interface address as the source, based on routing
table. It is recommended that all controllers in the mobility group should have the
management interface in the same subnet. A topology where one controller's management
interface and other controller's dynamic interface are on same subnet not recommended
for seamless mobility.
When controllers in the mobility list use different software versions, Layer 2 or Layer 3 clients have
limited roaming support. Layer 2 or Layer 3 client roaming is supported only between controllers that
use the same version or with controllers that run versions 7.X.X.
Note
If you inadvertently configure a controller with a failover controller that runs a different
software release, the access point might take a long time to join the failover controller
because the access point starts the discovery process in CAPWAP and then changes to
LWAPP discovery.
All controllers must be configured with the same virtual interface IP address.
Note
If necessary, you can change the virtual interface IP address by editing the virtual
interface name on the Controller > Interfaces page.

306
Note
If all the controllers within a mobility group are not using the same virtual interface,
inter-controller roaming may appear to work, but the handoff does not complete, and
the client loses connectivity for a period of time.
You must have gathered the MAC address and IP address of every controller that is to be included in
the mobility group. This information is necessary because you will be configuring all controllers with
the MAC address and IP address of all the other mobility group members.
Note
You can find the MAC and IP addresses of the other controllers to be included in the
mobility group on the Controller > Mobility Groups page of each controllers GUI.
When you configure mobility groups using a third-party firewall, for example, Cisco PIX, or Cisco ASA,
you must open port 16666, and IP protocol 97.
For intercontroller CAPWAP data and control traffic, you must open the ports 5247 and 5246.
This table lists the protocols and port numbers that must be used for management and operational purposes:
Table 13: Protocol/Service and Port Number
Protocol/Service
Port Number
SSH/Telnet
TCP Port 22 or 29
TFTP
UDP Port 69
NTP/SNTP
UDP Port 123
SNMP
UDP Port 161 for gets and sets and UDP port 162 for traps.
HTTPS/HTTP
TCP port 443 for HTTPS and port 80 for HTTP
Syslog
TCP port 514
Radius Auth/Account
UDP port 1812 and 1813
Note
To view information on mobility support across controllers with different software versions, see the
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html. .
Note
You cannot perform port address translation (PAT) on the firewall. You must configure one-to-one network
address translation (NAT).

307
Configuring Mobility Groups (GUI)
Configuring Mobility Groups (GUI)

Step 1
Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Mobility Groups to open the Static Mobility Group Members page.
This page shows the mobility group name in the Default Mobility Group text box and lists the MAC address and IPv4/IPv6
address of each controller that is currently a member of the mobility group. The first entry is the local controller, which
cannot be deleted.
If you want to delete any of the remote controllers from the mobility group, hover your cursor over the blue
drop-down arrow for the desired controller and choose Remove.
Perform one of the following to add controllers to a mobility group:
Note
Step 2
If you are adding only one controller or want to individually add multiple controllers, click New and go.
OR
If you are adding multiple controllers and want to add them in bulk, click EditAll and go to.
Step 3
The EditAll option enables you to enter the MAC and IPv4/IPv6 addresses of all the current mobility group
members and then copy and paste all the entries from one controller to the other controllers in the mobility
group.
Click New to open the Mobility Group Member > New page.
Step 4
Add a controller to the mobility group as follows:
Note
1 In the Member IP Address text box, enter the management interface IPv4/IPv6 address of the controller to be added.
If you are configuring the mobility group in a network where network address translation (NAT) is enabled,
enter the IPv4/IPv6 address that is sent to the controller from the NAT device rather than the controllers
management interface IPv4/IPv6 address. Otherwise, mobility will fail among controllers in the mobility
group.
2 In the Member MAC Address text box, enter the MAC address of the controller to be added.
Note
3 In the Group Name text box, enter the name of the mobility group.
The mobility group name is case
sensitive.
4 In the Hash text box, enter the hash key of the peer mobility controller, which should be a virtual controller in the
same domain.
Note
You must configure the hash only if the peer mobility controller is a virtual controller in the same domain.
Hash is not supported for IPv6
members.
5 Click Apply to commit your changes. The new controller is added to the list of mobility group members on the Static
Mobility Group Members page.
Note
6 Click Save Configuration to save your changes.

7 Repeat Step a through Step e to add all of the controllers in the mobility group.
8 Repeat this procedure on every controller to be included in the mobility group. All controllers in the mobility group
must be configured with the MAC address and IPv4/IPv6 address of all other mobility group members.
The Mobility Group Members > Edit All page lists the MAC address, IPv4/IPv6 address, and mobility group name
(optional) of all the controllers currently in the mobility group. The controllers are listed one per line with the local
controller at the top of the list.

308
Configuring Mobility Groups (CLI)
If desired, you can edit or delete any of the controllers in the

list.
Add more controllers to the mobility group as follows:
Note
Step 5
1 Click inside the edit box to start a new line.

2 Enter the MAC address, the management interface IPv4/IPv6 address, and the name of the mobility group for the
controller to be added.
Note
You should enter these values on one line and separate each value with one or two spaces.
The mobility group name is case

sensitive.
3 Repeat Step a and Step b for each additional controller that you want to add to the mobility group.
Note
4 Highlight and copy the complete list of entries in the edit box.
5 Click Apply to commit your changes. The new controllers are added to the list of mobility group members on the
Static Mobility Group Members page.
7 Paste the list into the text box on the Mobility Group Members > Edit All page of all the other controllers in the
mobility group and click Apply and Save Configuration.
Step 6
Choose Mobility Management > Multicast Messaging to open the Mobility Multicast Messaging page.
The names of all the currently configured mobility groups appear in the middle of the page.
Step 7
On the Mobility Multicast Messaging page, select the Enable Multicast Messaging check box to enable the controller
to use multicast mode to send Mobile Announce messages to the mobility members. If you leave it unselected, the
controller uses unicast mode to send the Mobile Announce messages. The default value is unselected.
If you enabled multicast messaging in the previous step, enter the multicast group IPv4 address for the local mobility
group in the Local Group Multicast IPv4 Address text box. This address is used for multicast mobility messaging.
Note
In order to use multicast messaging, you must configure the IPv4 address for the local mobility group.
Step 8
In release 8.0, IPv6 is not supported for mobility

multicast.
If desired, you can also configure the multicast group IPv4 address for non-local groups within the mobility list. To do
so, click the name of a non-local mobility group to open the Mobility Multicast Messaging > Edit page, and enter the
multicast group IPv4 address for the non-local mobility group in the Multicast IP Address text box.
Note
If you do not configure the multicast IPv4 address for non-local groups, the controller uses unicast mode to send
mobility messages to those members.
Note
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12

Step 1
Check the current mobility settings by entering this command:

309

Step 2
Create a mobility group by entering this command:

config mobility group domain domain_name
Enter up to 31 case-sensitive ASCII characters for the group name. Spaces are not allowed in mobility group
names.
Add a group member by entering this command:
config mobility group member add mac_address ip_address
Note
Step 3
Note
Note
If you are configuring the mobility group in a network where network address translation (NAT) is enabled,
enter the IP address that is sent to the controller from the NAT device rather than the controllers management
interface IP address. Otherwise, mobility will fail among controllers in the mobility group.
Enter the config mobility group member delete mac_address command if you want to delete a group member.
Step 4
To configure the hash key of a peer mobility controller, which is a virtual controller in the same domain, enter this
command:
config mobility group member hash peer-ip-address key
Step 5
Enable or disable multicast mobility mode by entering this command:

config mobility multicast-mode {enable | disable} local_group_multicast_address
where local_group_multicast_address is the multicast group IPv4 address for the local mobility group. This address is
used for multicast mobility messaging.
Note
In order to use multicast messaging, you must configure the IPv4 address for the local mobility group.
In release 8.0, IPv6 is not supported for mobility

multicast.
If you enable multicast mobility mode, the controller uses multicast mode to send Mobile Announce messages to the
local group. If you disable multicast mobility mode, the controller uses unicast mode to send the Mobile Announce
messages to the local group. The default value is disabled.
Note
Step 6
(Optional) You can also configure the multicast group IPv4 address for non-local groups within the mobility list. To do
so, enter this command:
config mobility group multicast-address group_name IP_address
If you do not configure the multicast IPv4 address for non-local groups, the controller uses unicast mode to send mobility
messages to those members.
Step 7
Verify the mobility configuration by entering this command:

Step 8
To see the hash key of mobility group members in the same domain, enter this command:
show mobility group member hash
Step 9

save config
Step 10
Repeat this procedure on every controller to be included in the mobility group. All controllers in the mobility group must
be configured with the MAC address and IP address of all other mobility group members.
Enable or disable debugging of multicast usage for mobility messages by entering this command:
debug mobility multicast {enable | disable}
Step 11

310
CHAPTER
20
Configuring New Mobility

Information About New Mobility, page 311
Restrictions for New Mobility , page 311
Configuring New Mobility (GUI), page 312
Configuring New Mobility (CLI) , page 313
Information About New Mobility

New Mobility enables Cisco WLCs to be compatible with converged access controllers with Wireless Control
Module (WCM) such as the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches and the Cisco 5760 Series Wireless LAN
Controllers. New Mobility provides the ability to run Mobility Controller (MC) functionality on a Cisco WLC
in the Converged Access mode with a Catalyst 3850 mobility agent (MA)
The Mobility Controller is a part of a hierarchical architecture that consists of a Mobility Agent and Mobility
Oracle.
A group of Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches' Mobility Agents can form a switch peer group. The internal
Mobility Agent of Cisco WLCs form an independent switch peer group. The Mobility Controller, Mobility
Agent, and Mobility Oracle can be in a single Cisco WLC. Each Mobility Controller forms a subdomain that
can have multiple switch peer groups. The Cisco WLCs are Mobility Agents by default. However, Cisco
Catalyst 3850 Series Switch can function both as Mobility Agent and Mobility Controller, or only as a Mobility
Agent.
By default, New Mobility is disabled. When you enable or disable new mobility, you must save the configuration
and reboot the controller.
Note
With Release 8.1 in a New Mobility environment, Cisco WLCs running Cisco Wireless software cannot
function as mobility controllers (MC). However, the Cisco WLCs can function as guest anchors.
Restrictions for New Mobility

The keepalives between Mobility Controller and Mobility Oracle are not DTLS encrypted.

311
Configuring New Mobility (GUI)
For seamless mobility, the controller should either use new mobility or old mobility (flat mobility).
Interoperability between two types of mobility is not supported. When you downgrade the controller
from Release 7.5 to a controller software release that does not support new mobility, such as Releases
7.4.100.0, 7.3.101.0, 7.2, 7.0, or earlier (all releases prior to 7.3.112.0), the controller automatically
transits to flat mobility (old mobility). This is due to the difference in mobility architecture and
noninteroperability between flat mobility (EOIP tunnels) and new mobility(CAPWAP tunnels).
High availability for Mobility Oracle is not supported.
When a client associates for the very first time as local, then in the Cisco WLC, the MA sends a 'handoff
complete' message to the MC to update the client database in the MC. However, the 'handoff complete'
message is sent in a 'DHCP REQD' state because of which the IP address of the client is 0.0.0.0 for the
very first time. This event is triggered by timer expiry.
IPv6 is not supported with new mobility.
Configuring New Mobility (GUI)

Step 1
Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Mobility Configuration to enable and configure new mobility on the
controller.
Note
When you enable or disable new mobility, you must save the configuration and reboot the controller.
Step 2
To configure new mobility, select or unselect the Enable New Mobility (Converged Access) check box.
Note
When you enable new mobility, you must save the configuration and reboot the controller.
Step 3
To configure the controller as Mobility Oracle, select or unselect the Mobility Oracle check box.
Note
Mobility Oracle is optional; it maintains the client database under one complete mobility domain.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
To configure multicast mode in a mobility group, select or unselect the Multicast Mode check box.
In the Multicast IP Address text box, enter the multicast IP address of the switch peer group.
In the Mobility Oracle IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the Mobility Oracle.
You cannot enter a value for this field if you have checked the Mobility Oracle check box.
Step 7
In the Mobility Controller Public IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the controller, if there is no network
address translation (NAT).
Note
If the controller has NAT configured, the public IP address will be the network address translated IP address.
New mobility does not support
IPv6.
In the Mobility Keep Alive Count text box, enter the number of times a ping request is sent to a peer controller before
the peer is considered to be unreachable. The range is from 3 to 20. The default value is 3.
In the Mobility Keep Alive Interval text box, enter the amount of time, in seconds, between each ping request sent to
an peer controller. The range is from 1 to 30 seconds. The default value is 10 seconds.
In the Mobility DSCP text box, enter the DSCP value that you can set for the mobility controller. The range is from 0
to 63. The default value is 0.
Note
While configuring the Mobility DSCP value, the mobility control socket (i.e control messages exchanged
between mobility peers only and not the data) is also updated. The configured value must reflect in the IPV4
header TOS field. This is a global configuration on the controller that is used to communicate among configured
mobility peers only.
Note
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10

312
Configuring New Mobility (CLI)
Step 11
Step 12
Click Apply.
Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Switch Peer Group to add or remove members to and from the switch
peer group.
This page lists all the switch peer groups and their details, such as bridge domain ID, multicast IP address, and status of
the multicast mode. Click the name of the switch peer group to navigate to the Edit page and update the parameters, if
required.
Step 13
Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Mobility Controller to view all the mobility controllers and their details,
such as IP address, MAC address, client count, and link status.
Choose Controller > Mobility Management > Mobility Clients to view all the mobility clients and their parameters.
In the Client MAC Address and Client IP Address text boxes, enter the MAC address and IP address of the mobility
client, respectively.
In the Anchor MC IP Address and Anchor MC Public IP Address text boxes, enter the IP address and public IP
address of the anchor Mobility Controller, respectively.
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
In the Foreign MC IP Address and Foreign MC Public IP Address text boxes, enter the IP address and public IP
address of the foreign MC, respectively.
In the Client Association Time text box, enter the time at which the mobility client should be associated with the Mobility
Controller.
In the Client Entry Update Timestamp text box, enter the timestamp at which the client entry should be updated.

Enable or disable new mobility on the controller by entering this command:
config mobility new-architecture {enable | disable}
Note
When you enable or disable new mobility, you must save the configuration and reboot the controller.
Enable the Mobility Oracle or configure an external Mobility Oracle by entering this command:
config mobility oracle{enable| disable | ip ip_address}
Here, ip_address is the IP address of the Mobility Oracle. The Mobility Oracle maintains the client
database under one complete mobility domain. It consists of a station database, an interface to the
Mobility Controller, and an NTP/SNTP server. There can be only one Mobility Oracle in the entire
mobility domain.
Configure the MAC address of the member switch for compatibility between the flat (old) and new
mobility by entering this command:
config mobility group member add ip_address{[group-name] | mac-address | [public-ip-address]}
where ip_address is the IP address of the member.
group-name is the member switch group name, if it is different from the default group name.
mac-address is the MAC address of the member switch.

313
Note
If the controller has NAT configured, the public IP address will be the network address translated IP
address.
Note
New mobility does not support IPv6.

View the details of the mobility controllers according to the Mobility Oracle by entering this command:
show mobility oracle summary
View the summary and details of the Mobility Oracle client database by entering this command:
show mobility oracle client {summary | detail}
Verify the mobility statistics by entering this command:
show mobility statistics
Verify the mobility configuration by entering this command:
save config
Enable or disable debugging of mobility packets by entering this command:
debug mobility packet {enable | disable}
Enable or disable debugging of the Mobility Oracle events and errors by entering this command:
debug mobility oracle {events | errors} {enable| disable}

314
CHAPTER
21
Monitoring and Validating Mobility

Running Mobility Ping Tests, page 315
Information About WLAN Mobility Security Values, page 316
Running Mobility Ping Tests

Information About Mobility Ping Tests
Controllers in a mobility list communicate with each other by controlling information over a well-known
UDP port and exchanging data traffic through an Ethernet-over-IP (EoIP) tunnel. Because UDP and EoIP are
not reliable transport mechanisms, there is no guarantee that a mobility control packet or data packet will be
delivered to a mobility peer. Mobility packets may be lost in transit due to a firewall filtering the UDP port
or EoIP packets or due to routing issues.

Controller software release 4.0 or later releases enable you to test the mobility communication environment
by performing mobility ping tests. These tests may be used to validate connectivity between members of a
mobility group (including guest controllers). Two ping tests are available:
Mobility ping over UDPThis test runs over mobility UDP port 16666. It tests whether the mobility
control packet can be reached over the management interface.
Mobility ping over EoIPThis test runs over EoIP. It tests the mobility data traffic over the management
interface.
Only one mobility ping test per controller can be run at a given time.
Note
These ping tests are not Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) based. The term ping is used to
indicate an echo request and an echo reply message.

315
Information About WLAN Mobility Security Values
Note
Any ICMP packet greater than 1280 bytes will always be responded with a packet that is truncated to
1280 bytes. For example, a ping with a packet that is greater than 1280 bytes from a host to the management
interface is always responded with a packet that is truncated to 1280 bytes.
Running Mobility Ping Tests (CLI)

To test the mobility UDP control packet communication between two controllers, enter this command:
mping mobility_peer_IP_address
The mobility_peer_IP_address parameter must be the IP address of a controller that belongs to the
mobility list.
To test the mobility EoIP data packet communication between two controllers, enter this command:
eping mobility_peer_IP_address
The mobility_peer_IP_address parameter must be the IP address of a controller that belongs to the
mobility list.
To troubleshoot your controller for mobility ping, enter these commands:
config logging buffered debugging
show logging
To troubleshoot your controller for mobility ping over UDP, enter this command to display the mobility
control packet:
Note
We recommend using an ethereal trace capture when troubleshooting.

For any anchoring or mobility event, the WLAN security policy values on each controller must match. These
values can be validated in the controller debugs. This table lists the WLAN mobility security values and their
corresponding security policy.
Table 14: WLAN Mobility Security Values
Security Hexadecimal Value
Security Policy
0x00000000
Security_None
0x00000001
Security_WEP
0x00000002
Security_802_1X

316
Security Hexadecimal Value
Security Policy
0x00000004
Security_IPSec*
0x00000008
Security_IPSec_Passthrough*
0x00000010
Security_Web
0x00000020
Security_PPTP*
0x00000040
Security_DHCP_Required
0x00000080
Security_WPA_NotUsed
0x00000100
Security_Cranite_Passthrough*
0x00000200
Security_Fortress_Passthrough*
0x00000400
Security_L2TP_IPSec*
0x00000800
Security_802_11i_NotUsed
Note
0x00001000
Controllers running software release 6.0 or later do

not support this security policy.
Security_Web_Passthrough

317

318
PART
IV
Wireless
Country Codes, page 321
Radio Bands, page 325
Radio Resource Management, page 337
Wireless Quality of Service, page 381
Location Services, page 449
Wireless Intrusion Detection System, page 477
Advanced Wireless Tuning, page 533
CHAPTER
22
Country Codes
Information About Configuring Country Codes, page 321
Restrictions on Configuring Country Codes, page 322
Configuring Country Codes (GUI), page 322
Configuring Country Codes (CLI), page 323
Information About Configuring Country Codes

Controllers and access points are designed for use in many countries with varying regulatory requirements.
The radios within the access points are assigned to a specific regulatory domain at the factory (such as -E for
Europe), but the country code enables you to specify a particular country of operation (such as FR for France
or ES for Spain). Configuring a country code ensures that each radios broadcast frequency bands, interfaces,
channels, and transmit power levels are compliant with country-specific regulations.
The following are some guidelines for configuring country codes:
Generally, you configure one country code per controller, the one matching the physical location of the
controller and its access points. However, you can configure more than one country code per Cisco
WLC. Prior to Release 8.2, you could configure up to 20 country codes per Cisco WLC; from Release
8.2 onwards, you can configure up to 110 country codes per Cisco WLC. This multiple-country support
enables you to manage access points in various countries from a single Cisco WLC.
Although the controller supports different access points in different regulatory domains (countries), it
requires all radios in a single access point to be configured for the same regulatory domain. For example,
you should not configure a Cisco 1231 access points 802.11b/g radio for the US (-A) regulatory domain
and its 802.11a radio for the Great Britain (-E) regulatory domain. Otherwise, the controller allows only
one of the access points radios to turn on, depending on which regulatory domain you selected for the
access point on the controller. Therefore, make sure that the same country code is configured for both
of the access points radios.
For a complete list of country codes supported per product, see http://tools.cisco.com/cse/prdapp/jsp/
externalsearch.do?action=externalsearch&page=EXTERNAL_SEARCH
or
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/access-points/product_data_sheet0900aecd80537b6a.html

321
Restrictions on Configuring Country Codes
When the multiple-country feature is being used, all controllers that are going to join the same RF group
must be configured with the same set of countries, configured in the same order.
When multiple countries are configured and the RRM auto-RF feature is enabled, the RRM assigns the
channels that are derived by performing a union of the allowed channels per the AP country code. The
APs are assigned channels by the RRM based on their PID country code. APs are only allowed to use
legal frequencies that match their PID country code. Ensure that your AP's country code is legal in the
country that it is deployed.
The country list configured on the RF group leader determines what channels the members would operate
on. This list is independent of what countries have been configured on the RF group members.
Information About Japanese Country Codes
Country codes define the channels that can be used legally in each country. These country codes are available
for Japan:
JPAllows only -J radios to join the controller
J2Allows only -P radios to join the controller
J3Uses the -U frequencies but allows -U, -P and -Q (other than 1550/1600/2600/3600) radios to join
the WLC
J4Allows 2.4G JPQU and 5G PQU to join the controller.
Note
The 1550, 1600, 2600, and 3600 APs require J4.
See the Channels and Maximum Power Settings for Cisco Aironet Lightweight Access Points document for
the list of channels and power levels supported by access points in the Japanese regulatory domains.
Restrictions on Configuring Country Codes

The access point can only operate on the channels for the countries that they are designed for.
Note
If an access point was already set to a higher legal power level or is configured manually,
the power level is limited only by the particular country to which that access point is
assigned.
Configuring Country Codes (GUI)

Step 1
Disable the 802.11 networks as follows:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > Network.

322
Configuring Country Codes (CLI)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Unselect the 802.11a Network Status check box.

Click Apply.
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > Network.
Unselect the 802.11b/g Network Status check box.
Click Apply.
Choose Wireless > Country to open the Country page.

Select the check box for each country where your access points are installed. If you selected more than one check box,
a message appears indicating that RRM channels and power levels are limited to common channels and power levels.
Click OK to continue or Cancel to cancel the operation.
Click Apply.
If you selected multiple country codes in Step 3, each access point is assigned to a country.
See the default country chosen for each access point and choose a different country if necessary as follows:
Note
If you remove a country code from the configuration, any access points currently assigned to the deleted country
reboot and when they rejoin the controller, they get re-assigned to one of the remaining countries if possible.
a) Perform one of the following:
Leave the 802.11 networks disabled.
Reenable the 802.11 networks and then disable only the access points for which you are configuring a country
code. To disable an access point, choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs, click the link of the desired
access point, choose Disable from the Status drop-down list, and click Apply.
b) Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
c) Click the link for the desired access point.
d) Choose the Advanced tab to open the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page.
The default country for this access point appears in the Country Code drop-down list.
e) If the access point is installed in a country other than the one shown, choose the correct country from the drop-down
list. The box contains only those country codes that are compatible with the regulatory domain of at least one of the
access points radios.
f) Click Apply.
g) Repeat these steps to assign all access points joined to the controller to a specific country.
h) Reenable any access points that you disabled in Step a.
Step 7
Step 8
Reenable the 802.11 networks if you did not enable them in Step 6.

Step 1
See a list of all available country codes by entering this command:

show country supported
Step 2
Disable the 802.11 networks by entering these commands:

config 802.11a disable network

323
config 802.11b disable network

Step 3
Configure the country codes for the countries where your access points are installed by entering this command:
config country code1[,code2,code3,...]
If you are entering more than one country code, separate each by a comma (for example, config country US,CA,MX).
Step 4
Enter Y when prompted to confirm your decision.
Step 5
Verify your country code configuration by entering this command:

show country
Step 6
See the list of available channels for the country codes configured on your controller by entering this command:
show country channels
Step 7

save config
Step 8
See the countries to which your access points have been assigned by entering this command:
To see a summary of specific access point you can specify the access point name. You can also use wildcard searches
when filtering for access points.
show ap summary
Step 9
If you entered multiple country codes in Step 3, follow these steps to assign each access point to a specific country:
a) Perform one of the following:
Leave the 802.11 networks disabled.
Reenable the 802.11 networks and then disable only the access points for which you are configuring a country
code. To Reenable the networks, enter this command:
config 802.11{a | b} enable network
To disable an access point, enter this command:
config ap disable ap_name
b) To assign an access point to a specific country, enter this command:
config ap country code {ap_name | all}
Make sure that the country code you choose is compatible with the regulatory domain of at least one of the access
points radios.
If you enabled the networks and disabled some access points and then run the config ap country code all
command, the specified country code is configured on only the disabled access points. All other access
points are ignored.
c) To reenable any access points that you disabled in Step a, enter this command:
config ap enable ap_name
Note
Step 10
If you did not reenable the 802.11 networks in Step 9, enter these commands to reenable them now:
Step 11

save config

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CHAPTER
23
Radio Bands
Modulations and Data Rates, page 325
Modulations and Data Rates

802.11 Bands
Information About Configuring 802.11 Bands
You can configure the 802.11b/g/n (2.4-GHz) and 802.11a/n/ac (5-GHz) bands for the controller to comply
with the regulatory requirements in your country. By default, both 802.11b/g/n and 802.11a/n/ac are enabled.
When a controller is configured to allow only 802.11g traffic, 802.11b client devices are able to successfully
connect to an access point but cannot pass traffic. When you configure the controller for 802.11g traffic only,
you must mark 11g rates as mandatory.
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.
Step 2
Select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status check box to enable the 802.11a or 802.11b/g band. To disable the
band, unselect the check box. The default value is enabled. You can enable both the 802.11a and 802.11b/g bands.
Step 3
If you enabled the 802.11b/g band in Step 2, select the 802.11g Support check box if you want to enable 802.11g network
support. The default value is enabled. If you disable this feature, the 802.11b band is enabled without 802.11g support.
Specify the period at which the SSID is broadcast by the access point by entering a value between 20 and 1000 milliseconds
(inclusive) in the Beacon Period text box. The default value is 100 milliseconds.
Note
The beacon period in controllers is listed in terms of milliseconds. The beacon period can also be measured in
time units, where one time unit equals 1024 microseconds or 102.4 milliseconds. If a beacon interval is listed
as 100 milliseconds in a controller, it is only a rounded off value for 102.4 milliseconds. Due to hardware
limitation in certain radios, even though the beacon interval is, say 100 time units, it is adjusted to 102 time
units, which roughly equals 104.448 milliseconds. When the beacon period is to be represented in terms of time
units, the value is adjusted to the nearest multiple of 17.
Step 4

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Step 5
Step 6
Specify the size at which packets are fragmented by entering a value between 256 and 2346 bytes (inclusive) in the
Fragmentation Threshold text box. Enter a low number for areas where communication is poor or where there is a great
deal of radio interference.
Make access points advertise their channel and transmit power level in beacons and probe responses for CCX clients.
Select the DTPC Support check box. Otherwise, unselect this check box. The default value is enabled.
Client devices using dynamic transmit power control (DTPC) receive the channel and power level information from the
access points and adjust their settings automatically. For example, a client device used primarily in Japan could rely on
DTPC to adjust its channel and power settings automatically when it travels to Italy and joins a network there.
Note
Note
Step 7
Step 8
On access points that run Cisco IOS software, this feature is called world
mode.
DTPC and 801.11h power constraint cannot be enabled simultaneously.
Specify the maximum allowed clients by entering a value between 1 to 200 in the Maximum Allowed Client text box.
Select or unselect the RSSI Low Check check box to enable or disable the RSSI Low Check feature.
Service providers can use the RSSI Low Check feature to prevent clients from connecting to their Wi-Fi network unless
the client has a viable connection. In many scenarios, even though clients can hear beacons and connect to Wi-Fi, the
signal might not be strong enough to support a stable connection. Use this feature to determine how strong a client must
be heard for it to associate with the Wi-Fi network.
If you enable the RSSI Low Check feature, when a client sends an association request to the AP, the controller gets the
RSSI value from the association message and compares it with the RSSI threshold that is configured. If the RSSI value
from the association message is less than the RSSI threshold value, the controller rejects the association request. Note
that this is only for association frames, and not for other messages.
The default RSSI Low Check value is 80 dBm, which means an association request from a client can be rejected if the
AP hears a client with a signal that is weaker than 80 dBm. If you lower the value to 90 dBm, clients are allowed to
connect at a further distance, but there is also a higher probability of the connection quality being poor. We recommend
that you do not go higher than 80 dBm, for example 70 dBm, because this makes the cell size significantly smaller.
Step 9
Enter the RSSI Threshold value.

The default value is 80 dBm.
Step 10
Use the Data Rates options to specify the rates at which data can be transmitted between the access point and the client.
These data rates are available:
802.11a6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
802.11b/g1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, or 54 Mbps
For each data rate, choose one of these options:
MandatoryClients must support this data rate in order to associate to an access point on the controller.
SupportedAny associated clients that support this data rate may communicate with the access point using that
rate. However, the clients are not required to be able to use this rate in order to associate.
DisabledThe clients specify the data rates used for communication.
Step 11
Click Apply.
Step 12

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Configuring the 802.11 Bands (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a band by entering this command:

Note
Step 2
Disable the 802.11b/g band by entering this command:

Note
Step 3
The 802.11a band must be disabled before you can configure the 802.11a network parameters in this section.
The 802.11b band must be disabled before you can configure the 802.11b network parameters in this section.
Specify the rate at which the SSID is broadcast by the access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} beaconperiod time_unit
where time_unit is the beacon interval in time units (TUs). One TU is 1024 microseconds. You can configure the access
point to send a beacon every 20 to 1000 milliseconds.
Step 4
Specify the size at which packets are fragmented by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} fragmentation threshold
where threshold is a value between 256 and 2346 bytes (inclusive). Specify a low number for areas where communication
is poor or where there is a great deal of radio interference.
Step 5
Make access points advertise their channel and transmit power level in beacons and probe responses by entering this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b } dtpc {enable | disable}
The default value is enabled. Client devices using dynamic transmit power control (DTPC) receive the channel and
power level information from the access points and adjust their settings automatically. For example, a client device used
primarily in Japan could rely on DTPC to adjust its channel and power settings automatically when it travels to Italy and
joins a network there.
mode.
Specify the maximum allowed clients that can be configured by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} max-clients max_allow_clients
Note
Step 6
The valid range is between 1 to 200.

Step 7
Configure the RSSI Low Check feature by entering this command:

config 802.11{a | b} rssi-check {enable | disable}
Step 8
Configure the RSSI Threshold value by entering this command:

config 802.11{a | b} rssi-threshold value-in-dBm
Note
The default value is 80
dBm.
Specify the rates at which data can be transmitted between the controller and the client by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} rate {disabled | mandatory | supported} rate
Step 9
where
disabledClients specify the data rates used for communication.
mandatoryClients support this data rate in order to associate to an access point on the controller.

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supportedAny associated clients that support this data rate may communicate with the access point using that
rateThe rate at which data is transmitted:
6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps (802.11a)
1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, or 54 Mbps (802.11b/g)
Step 10
Enable the 802.11a band by entering this command:

config 802.11a enable network
Step 11
Enable the 802.11b band by entering this command:

config 802.11b enable network
Step 12
Enable or disable 802.11g network support by entering this command:

config 802.11b 11gSupport {enable | disable}
The default value is enabled. You can use this command only if the 802.11b band is enabled. If you disable this feature,
the 802.11b band is enabled without 802.11g support.
Step 13
Step 14
View the configuration settings for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b}
802.11a Network............................... Enabled
11nSupport.................................... Enabled
802.11a Low Band........................... Enabled
802.11a Mid Band........................... Enabled
802.11a High Band.......................... Enabled
802.11a Operational Rates
802.11a 6M Rate.............................. Mandatory
802.11a 9M Rate.............................. Supported
802.11a 12M Rate............................. Mandatory
802.11a 18M Rate............................. Supported
...
Beacon Interval.................................. 100
...
Default Channel............................... 36
Default Tx Power Level........................ 1
DTPC Status................................... Enabled
Fragmentation Threshold....................... 2346
Maximum Number of Clients per AP................. 200

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802.11n Parameters
Information About Configuring the 802.11n Parameters
This section provides instructions for managing 802.11n devices such as the Cisco Aironet 1140 and 3600
Series Access Points on your network. The 802.11n devices support the 2.4- and 5-GHz bands and offer
high-throughput data rates.
The 802.11n high-throughput rates are available on all 802.11n access points for WLANs using WMM with
no Layer 2 encryption or with WPA2/AES encryption enabled.
Starting in release 7.4, the 802.11n-only access points can filter out clients without high-throughput information
element on the association request. The 802.11n-only access points access points reject association requests
from clients without high-throughput information element (11n).
In the 802.11n high-throughput mode, there are no 802.11a/b/g stations using the same channel. The 802.11a/b/g
devices cannot communicate with the 802.11n high-throughput mode access point, where as the 802.11n-only
mode access point uses 802.11a/g rates for beacons or management frames.
Note
Some Cisco 802.11n APs may intermittently emit incorrect beacon frames, which can trigger false wIPS
alarms. We recommend that you ignore these alarms. The issue is observed in the following Cisco 802.11n
APs: 1140, 1250, 2600, 3500, and 3600.
Configuring the 802.11n Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > High Throughput to open the (5 GHz or 2.4 GHz) High Throughput
page.
Select the 11n Mode check box to enable 802.11n support on the network. The default value is enabled.
If you want to disable 802.11n mode when both 802.11n and 802.11ac modes are enabled, you must disable the 802.11ac
mode first.
Select the check boxes of the desired rates to specify the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rates at which data can
be transmitted between the access point and the client. These data rates, which are calculated for a 20-MHz channel
width using a short guard interval, are available:
0 (7 Mbps)
1 (14 Mbps)
2 (21 Mbps)
3 (29 Mbps)
4 (43 Mbps)
5 (58 Mbps)

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6 (65 Mbps)
7 (72 Mbps)
8 (14 Mbps)
9 (29 Mbps)
10 (43 Mbps)
11 (58 Mbps)
12 (87 Mbps)
13 (116 Mbps)
14 (130 Mbps)
15 (144 Mbps)
Any associated clients that support the selected rates may communicate with the access point using those rates.
However, the clients are not required to be able to use this rate in order to associate. The MCS settings determine
the number of spatial streams, the modulation, the coding rate, and the data rate values that are used.
Step 4
Click Apply.
Step 5
Use the 802.11n data rates that you configured by enabling WMM on the WLAN as follows:
a) Choose WLANs to open the WLANs page.
b) Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure WMM mode.
c) When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the QoS tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Qos) page.
d) From the WMM Policy drop-down list, choose Required or Allowed to require or allow client devices to use WMM.
Devices that do not support WMM cannot join the WLAN.
If you choose Allowed, devices that cannot support WMM can join the WLAN but will not benefit from the 802.11n
rates.
e) Click Apply.
Step 6

Note
To determine if an access point supports 802.11n, look at the 11n Supported text box on either the 802.11a/n/ac
(or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page or the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) AP Interfaces > Details page.
Configuring the 802.11n Parameters (CLI)

Enable 802.11n support on the network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} 11nsupport {enable | disable}
Specify the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rates at which data can be transmitted between the
access point and the client by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} 11nsupport mcs tx {0-15} {enable | disable}
Use the 802.11n data rates that you configured by enabling WMM on the WLAN as follows:
config wlan wmm {allow | disable | require} wlan_id
The require parameter requires client devices to use WMM. Devices that do not support WMM cannot
join the WLAN.

330
If set to allow, devices that cannot support WMM can join the WLAN but do not benefit from 802.11n
rates.
Specify the aggregation method used for 802.11n packets as follows:
a) Disable the network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} disable network
b) Specify the aggregation method entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} 11nsupport {a-mpdu | a-msdu} tx priority {0-7 | all} {enable | disable}
Aggregation is the process of grouping packet data frames together rather than transmitting them
separately. Two aggregation methods are available: Aggregated MAC Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU)
and Aggregated MAC Service Data Unit (A-MSDU). A-MSDU is performed in hardware and
therefore is the default method.
Note
For 802.11ac, all packets are A-MPDU. The A-MSDU option does not apply for 802.11ac.
You can specify the aggregation method for various types of traffic from the access point to the
clients. This table defines the priority levels (0-7) assigned per traffic type.
Table 15: Traffic Type Priority Levels
User Priority
Traffic Type
Best effort
Background
Spare
Excellent effort
Controlled load
Video, less than 100-ms latency and jitter
Voice, less than 10-ms latency and jitter
Network control
You can configure each priority level independently, or you can use the all parameter to configure
all of the priority levels at once. When you use the enable command, the traffic associated with that
priority level uses A-MPDU transmission. When you use the disable command, the traffic associated
with that priority level uses A-MSDU transmission. Configure the priority levels to match the
aggregation method used by the clients. By default, A-MPDU is enabled for priority level 0, 4 and
5 and the rest are disabled. By default, A-MSDU is enabled for all priorities except 6 and 7.
c) Reenable the network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} enable network

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Configure the 802.11n-5 GHz A-MPDU transmit aggregation scheduler by entering this command:
config 802.11{a | b} 11nsupport a-mpdu tx scheduler {enable | disable | timeout rt timeout-value}
The timeout value is in milliseconds. The valid range is between 1 millisecond to 1000 milliseconds.
Configure the guard interval for the network by entering this command:
config 802.11{a | b} 11nsupport guard_interval {any | long}
Configure the Reduced Interframe Space (RIFS) for the network by entering this command:
config 802.11{a | b} 11nsupport rifs rx {enable | disable}
save config
View the configuration settings for the 802.11 networks by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b}
802.11ac
Information About Configuring the 802.11ac Parameters
The 802.11ac radio module for the Cisco Aironet 3600 Series access point and Cisco Aironet 3700 Series
access point provides enterprise-class reliability and wired-network-like performance. It supports three spatial
streams and 80 MHz-wide channels for a maximum data rate of 1.3 Gbps. This is three times the maximum
data rate of today's high-end enterprise 802.11n access point.
The 802.11ac radio in slot 2 is a slave radio for which you can configure specific parameters. Because the
802.11ac is a slave radio, it inherits many properties from the main 802.11a/n radio on slot 1. The parameters
that you can configure for the 802.11ac radio are as follows:
Admin statusInterface status of the radio that you can enable or disable. By default, the Admin status
is in an enabled state. If you disable 802.11n, the 802.11ac radio is also disabled.
Channel widthYou can choose the RF channel width as 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz. If you choose
the channel width as 80 MHz, you must enable the 802.11ac mode on the High Throughput page.
Note
Note
The 11ac Supported field is a nonconfigurable parameter that appears for the 802.11ac
slave radio in slot 2.
When the Cisco Aironet 3600 Series access point with 802.11ac radio module is in unsupported mode
such as Monitor and Sniffer, Admin Status and Channel Width will not be configured.
This section provides instructions to manage 802.11ac devices such as the Cisco Aironet 3600 Series Access
Points and Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Access Point on your network.
Note
AP3600 and AP3700 with the 802.11ac module can advertise only the first 8 WLANs on the 5-GHz
radios.

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Changing the 802.11n radio channel also changes the 802.11ac channels.
On the Cisco WLC GUI, the 802.11ac clients that are connected to the 802.11n radio are displayed 802.11an
clients, and the 802.11ac clients that are connected to the 802.11ac radio are displayed as 802.11ac clients.
Ensure that your WLAN has WMM enabled and open or WPA2/AES for 802.11ac to be supported. Otherwise,
the speed of 802.11ac is not available, even on 802.11ac clients.
For more information about the 802.11ac module on the Cisco Aironet 3600 Series access point, see http://
www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/aironet-3600-series/relevant-interfaces-and-modules.html.
802.11ac Wave 2 and MU-MIMO
The 802.11ac Wave 2 introduces additional capabilities beyond what were added with Wave 1. It utilizes
MU-MIMO technology and other advancements to help increase wireless performance for applications such
as HD video streaming. Wave 2 provides better RF efficiency that Wave 1 provides, in addition to a number
of other features that further improve wireless connectivity.
MU-MIMO
MU-MIMO is short for Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output. MU-MIMO is an enhanced form of the
MIMO technology that enables multiple independent radio terminals to access a system.
With 802.11n or 802.11ac Wave 1, an access point can transmit multiple spatial streams at the same time, but
only directed to a single wireless client. This means only a single device gets data at a time. This is referred
to as single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO).
802.11ac Wave 2 allows for MU-MIMO, which enables multiple users to simultaneously receive data from
the AP simultaneously using the same channel. With MU-MIMO a Wave 2 capable access point is able to
use its antenna resources to transmit to multiple clients, all at the same time and over the same channel.
MU-MIMO is used in the downstream direction and requires the wireless clients to also be Wave 2 capable.
More Spatial Streams
802.11ac Wave 2 allows for up to eight spatial streams. However, initial Wave2 implementations will only
increase the number of spatial streams from 3 to 4 as compared to Wave 1 implementations. The support of
an additional spatial stream allows for additional increased performance as compared to 3 SS APs.
References
For more information on these technologies, see the following documents on Cisco.com:
Cisco 802.11ac Wave 2 FAQs at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/enterprise-networks/
802-11ac-solution/q-and-a-c67-734152.html
Fundamentals of 802.11ac Wave 2 post on the Cisco Interaction Network at http://blogs.cisco.com/cin/
fundamentals-of-802-11ac-wave-2
802.11ac: The Fifth Generation of Wi-Fi technical white paper at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/
collateral/wireless/aironet-3600-series/white_paper_c11-713103.html
Explicit Compressed Beamforming Feedback
The AP 1850 supports standards-based Explicit Compressed Beamforming Feedback (ECBF) as defined in
the 802.11ac standards. With ECBF the client provides estimates of the wireless channel conditions to the
access point. As these are based on explicit channel measurements from the client, both the AP and the client
must support it. For 802.11ac, the access points ECBF is typically referred to as Transmit Beamforming or
TxBF for short.
While both TxBF and ClientLink 3.0 improve the performance of wireless client devices, ClientLink3.0
provides an additional advantage over TxBF. ClientLink3.0 technology does not depend on any client-side

333
hardware or software capabilities and operates seamlessly in mixed-mode environments where 802.11ac and
802.11a/n clients coexist on the same access point. In comparison, TxBF requires client-side support to take
advantage of the performance improvements of beamforming and therefore benefits only 802.11ac clients
that support TxBF.
The Cisco 1850 AP supports TxBF but not beamforming to legacy client devices. Therefore, Cisco 1850 AP
does not support ClientLink 3.0.
Note
ClientLink 3.0 is supported on the Cisco Aironet 2700 and 3700 Series 802.11ac APs.
Restrictions for 802.11ac Support

The 802.11ac module is supported only on the Cisco Aironet 3600 Series Access Points.
The 802.11ac module is turned off if the built-in 5-GHz radio is turned off.
You must ensure that the configuration of the channel, power values, and the mode of the 802.11ac
module is the same as those of the built-in 5-GHz radio on the AP. Also, the 802.11ac module serves
only 802.11ac clients.
The 802.11ac module main channel cannot be changed individually.
This 802.11ac support is applicable only to the following controller platforms:
Controllers do not support High availability for 802.11ac modules. The 802.11ac configuration (802.11ac
Data Rates and 802.11ac Global mode) on the controller is not synchronized with the standby controller.
This might result in client throughput fluctuations and reassociations when you explicitly disable those
configurations on the active controller.
In addition, the 802.11ac Global mode configuration controls whether the radio module is enabled. If
802.11ac Global mode is enabled on one controller but not on another, the 802.11ac module might be
disabled if the access point associates with a controller on which 802.11ac Global mode is disabled.
When changing AP from static to auto channel assignment, by default AP moves to best possible
bandwidth supported by the radio and a valid channel. Channel number and width assignment may be
suboptimal until next DCA cycle gets started.
SSIDs with TKIP and SSIDs with TKIP+AES are not enabled on the 802.11ac radios. Therefore, all the
5-GHz clients are expected to associate with the 802.11n radios.

334
Configuring the 802.11ac High-Throughput Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > High Throughput (802.11n/ac).

Select the 11ac mode check box to enable the 802.11ac support on the network.
Note
You can modify the 802.11ac status only if the 802.11n mode is enabled.
Step 3
Step 4
Ensure that all of the 0 to 31 MCS data rate indices are enabled (which is the default setting).
Configuring MU-MIMO (GUI)

This feature is applicable only to Cisco Aironet 1850 Series APs.
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs and click the WLAN ID.

In the Advanced tab, check or uncheck the 11ac MU-MIMO check box.
Configuring the 802.11ac High-Throughput Parameters (CLI)

Enable or disable 802.11ac support by entering this command:
config 802.11a 11acSupport {enable | disable}
Configure MCS transmit rates by entering this command:
config 802.11a 11acSupport mcs tx {rate-8 | rate-9} ss spatial-stream-value {enable | disable}
Note
Ensure that all of the 0 to 31 MCS data rate indices are enabled (which is the default setting). In 8.1 and
later releases, RF profiles should include MCS 0-31 instead of MCS 0-23 in earlier releases.
Configuring MU-MIMO (CLI)

This feature is applicable only to Cisco Aironet 1850 Series APs.
Step 1
Enable or disable MU-MIMO by entering this command:

config wlan mu-mimo {enable | disable} wlan-id
Step 2
See the status of MU-MIMO by entering this command:

show interfaces Dot11Radio Dot11-radio-interface-number mumimo wlan-id

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336
CHAPTER
24
Radio Resource Management

Radio Resource Management, page 337
RF Groups, page 344
Off-Channel Scanning and Neighbor Discovery, page 352
Channels, page 358
Transmit Power, page 367
RF Profiles, page 371

Information About Radio Resource Management
The Radio Resource Management (RRM) software embedded in the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller acts as
a built-in RF engineer to consistently provide real-time RF management of your wireless network. RRM
enables Cisco WLCs to continually monitor their associated lightweight access points for the following
information:
Traffic loadThe total bandwidth used for transmitting and receiving traffic. It enables wireless LAN
managers to track and plan network growth ahead of client demand.
InterferenceThe amount of traffic coming from other 802.11 sources.
NoiseThe amount of non-802.11 traffic that is interfering with the currently assigned channel.
CoverageThe received signal strength (RSSI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for all connected clients.
OtherThe number of nearby access points.
Using this information, RRM can periodically reconfigure the 802.11 RF network for best efficiency. To do
this, RRM performs these functions:
Radio resource monitoring
Transmit power control
Dynamic channel assignment

337
Coverage hole detection and correction
Radio Resource Monitoring

RRM automatically detects and configures new Cisco WLCs and lightweight access points as they are added
to the network. It then automatically adjusts associated and nearby lightweight access points to optimize
coverage and capacity.
Lightweight access points can simultaneously scan all valid 802.11a/b/g channels for the country of operation
as well as for channels available in other locations. The access points go off-channel for a period not greater
than 60 ms to monitor these channels for noise and interference. Packets collected during this time are analyzed
to detect rogue access points, rogue clients, ad-hoc clients, and interfering access points.
In the presence of voice traffic (in the last 100 ms), the access points defer off-channel measurements.
Note
Each access point spends only 0.2 percent of its time off-channel. This activity is distributed across all access
points so that adjacent access points are not scanning at the same time, which could adversely affect wireless
LAN performance.
When there are numerous rogue access points in the network, the chance of detecting rogues on channels
157 or 161 by a FlexConnect or local mode access point is small. In such cases, the monitor mode AP can
be used for rogue detection.
Note
Benefits of RRM
RRM produces a network with optimal capacity, performance, and reliability. It frees you from having to
continually monitor the network for noise and interference problems, which can be transient and difficult to
troubleshoot. RRM ensures that clients enjoy a seamless, trouble-free connection throughout the Cisco unified
wireless network.
RRM uses separate monitoring and control for each deployed network: 802.11a and 802.11b/g. The RRM
algorithms run separately for each radio type (802.11a and 802.11b/g). RRM uses both measurements and
algorithms. RRM measurements can be adjusted using monitor intervals, but they cannot be disabled. RRM
algorithms are enabled automatically but can be disabled by statically configuring channel and power
assignment. The RRM algorithms run at a specified updated interval, which is 600 seconds by default.
Information About Configuring RRM

The controllers preconfigured RRM settings are optimized for most deployments. However, you can modify
the controllers RRM configuration parameters at any time through either the GUI or the CLI.
You can configure these parameters on controllers that are part of an RF group or on controllers that are not
part of an RF group.
The RRM parameters should be set to the same values on every controller in an RF group. The RF group
leader can change as a result of controller reboots or depending on which radios hear each other. If the RRM
parameters are not identical for all RF group members, varying results can occur when the group leader
changes.

338
Using the controller GUI, you can configure the following RRM parameters: RF group mode, transmit power
control, dynamic channel assignment, coverage hole detection, profile thresholds, monitoring channels, and
monitor intervals.
Restrictions for Configuring RRM

The OEAP 600 series access points do not support RRM. The radios for the 600 series OEAP access
points are controlled through the local GUI of the 600 series access points and not through the Cisco
WLC. Attempting to control the spectrum channel or power, or disabling the radios through the Cisco
WLC will fail to have any effect on the 600 series OEAP.
Configuring RRM (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11 network by entering this command:

Step 2
Choose the Transmit Power Control version by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} tpc-version {1 | 2}
where:
TPCv1: Coverage-optimal(Default) Offers strong signal coverage and stability with negligent intercell interferences
and sticky client syndrome.
TPCv2: Interference-optimalFor scenarios where voice calls are extensively used. Tx power is dynamically
adjusted with the goal of minimum interference. It is suitable for dense networks. In this mode, there can be higher
roaming delays and coverage hole incidents.
Step 3
Perform one of the following to configure transmit power control:

Have RRM automatically set the transmit power for all 802.11 radios at periodic intervals by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} txPower global auto
Have RRM automatically reset the transmit power for all 802.11a or 802.11b/g radios one time by entering this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} txPower global once
Configure the transmit power range that overrides the Transmit Power Control algorithm, use this command to
enter the maximum and minimum transmit power used by RRM:
In Cisco WLC software release 7.6 or later releases, disabling the 802.11 network is not required for this
command.
config {802.11a | 802.11b} txPower global {max | min} txpower
Note
where txpower is a value from 10 to 30 dBM. The minimum value cannot be greater than the maximum value;
the maximum value cannot be less than the minimum value.
If you configure a maximum transmit power, RRM does not allow any access point to exceed this transmit power
(whether the maximum is set at RRM startup, or by coverage hole detection). For example, if you configure a
maximum transmit power of 11 dBm, then no access point would transmit above 11 dBm, unless the access point
is configured manually.

339
Manually change the default transmit power setting by entering this command:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} {tpcv1-thresh | tpcv2-thresh} threshold
where threshold is a value from 80 to 50 dBm. Increasing this value causes the access points to operate at higher
transmit power rates. Decreasing the value has the opposite effect.
In applications with a dense population of access points, it may be useful to decrease the threshold to 80 or 75
dBm in order to reduce the number of BSSIDs (access points) and beacons seen by the wireless clients. Some
wireless clients may have difficulty processing a large number of BSSIDs or a high beacon rate and may exhibit
problematic behavior with the default threshold.
Configure the Transmit Power Control Version 2 on a per-channel basis by entering this command:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} tpcv2-per-chan {enable | disable}
Step 4
Perform one of the following to configure dynamic channel assignment (DCA):

Have RRM automatically configure all 802.11 channels based on availability and interference by entering this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel global auto
Have RRM automatically reconfigure all 802.11 channels one time based on availability and interference by entering
this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel global once
Disable RRM and set all channels to their default values by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel global off
Restart aggressive DCA cycle by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel global restart
To specify the channel set used for DCA by entering this command:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel {add | delete} channel_number
You can enter only one channel number per command. This command is helpful when you know that the clients
do not support certain channels because they are legacy devices or they have certain regulatory restrictions.
Step 5
Configure additional DCA parameters by entering these commands:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel dca anchor-time valueSpecifies the time of day when the DCA
algorithm is to start. value is a number between 0 and 23 (inclusive) representing the hour of the day from 12:00
a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel dca interval valueSpecifies how often the DCA algorithm is
allowed to run. value is one of the following: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours or 0, which is the default value of 10
minutes (or 600 seconds).
Note
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the DCA interval
to 6 hours for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of OfficeExtend access points
and local access points, the range of 10 minutes to 24 hours can be used.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel dca sensitivity {low | medium | high}Specifies how sensitive
the DCA algorithm is to environmental changes such as signal, load, noise, and interference when determining
whether to change channel.

340
low means that the DCA algorithm is not particularly sensitive to environmental changes.
medium means that the DCA algorithm is moderately sensitive to environmental changes.
high means that the DCA algorithm is highly sensitive to environmental changes.
The DCA sensitivity thresholds vary by radio band, as noted in following table.
Table 16: DCA Sensitivity Thresholds
Option
2.4-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold 5-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold
High
5 dB
5 dB
Medium
10 dB
15 dB
Low
20 dB
20 dB
config advanced 802.11a channel dca chan-width {20 | 40 | 80}Configures the DCA channel width for all
802.11n radios in the 5-GHz band.
where
20 sets the channel width for 802.11n radios to 20 MHz. This is the default value.
40 sets the channel width for 802.11n radios to 40 MHz.
Note
Note
Note
If you choose 40, be sure to set at least two adjacent channels in the config advanced 802.11a
channel {add | delete} channel_number command in Step 4 (for example, a primary channel of 36
and an extension channel of 40). If you set only one channel, that channel is not used for 40-MHz
channel width.
If you choose 40, you can also configure the primary and extension channels used by individual
access points.
To override the globally configured DCA channel width setting, you can configure an access points
radio mode using the config 802.11a chan_width Cisco_AP {20 | 40 | 80| 160| best} command. If
you change the static configuration to global on the access point radio, the global DCA configuration
overrides the channel width configuration that the access point was previously using. It can take up
to 30 minutes (depending on how often DCA is configured to run) for the change to take effect.
80 sets the channel width for the 802.11ac radios to 80 MHz.

160 sets the channel width for the 802.11ac radio to 160 MHz.
best sets the channel width for the 802.11ac radio to best suitable bandwidth.
Configure slot-specific channel width by entering this command:
config slot slot-id ap-name {20 | 40 | 80}
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel outdoor-ap-dca {enable | disable}Enables or disables to the
Cisco WLC to avoid checks for non-DFS channels.
Note
This parameter is applicable only for deployments having outdoor access points such as 1522 and
1524.

341
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel foreign {enable | disable}Enables or disables foreign access
point interference avoidance in the channel assignment.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel load {enable | disable}Enables or disables load avoidance in
the channel assignment.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel noise {enable | disable}Enables or disables noise avoidance in
the channel assignment.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel updateInitiates an update of the channel selection for every
Cisco access point.
Step 6
Configure coverage hole detection by entering these commands:

Note
You can disable coverage hole detection on a per-WLAN
basis.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage {enable | disable}Enables or disables coverage hole detection.
If you enable coverage hole detection, the Cisco WLC automatically determines, based on data received from the
access points, if any access points have clients that are potentially located in areas with poor coverage. The default
value is enabled.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage {data | voice} rssi-threshold rssiSpecifies the minimum receive
signal strength indication (RSSI) value for packets received by the access point. The value that you enter is used
to identify coverage holes (or areas of poor coverage) within your network. If the access point receives a packet in
the data or voice queue with an RSSI value below the value you enter here, a potential coverage hole has been
detected. The valid range is 90 to 60 dBm, and the default value is 80 dBm for data packets and 75 dBm for
voice packets. The access point takes RSSI measurements every 5 seconds and reports them to the Cisco WLC in
90-second intervals.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage level global clientsSpecifies the minimum number of clients
on an access point with an RSSI value at or below the data or voice RSSI threshold. The valid range is 1 to 75, and
the default value is 3.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage exception global percentSpecifies the percentage of clients on
an access point that are experiencing a low signal level but cannot roam to another access point. The valid range
is 0 to 100%, and the default value is 25%.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage {data | voice} packet-count packetsSpecifies the minimum
failure count threshold for uplink data or voice packets. The valid range is 1 to 255 packets, and the default value
is 10 packets.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} coverage {data | voice} fail-rate percentSpecifies the failure rate threshold
for uplink data or voice packets. The valid range is 1 to 100%, and the default value is 20%.
Note
Step 7
If both the number and percentage of failed packets exceed the values entered in the packet-count and
fail-rate commands for a 5-second period, the client is considered to be in a pre-alarm condition. The
Cisco WLC uses this information to distinguish between real and false coverage holes. False positives are
generally due to the poor roaming logic implemented on most clients. A coverage hole is detected if both
the number and percentage of failed clients meet or exceed the values entered in the coverage level global
and coverage exception global commands over a 90-second period. The Cisco WLC determines if the
coverage hole can be corrected and, if appropriate, mitigates the coverage hole by increasing the transmit
power level for that specific access point.
Configure RRM NDP mode by entering this command:

342
config advanced 802.11{a|b} monitor ndp-mode {protected | transparent}

This command configures NDP mode. By default, the mode is set to transparent. The following options are available:
ProtectedPackets are encrypted.
TransparentPackets are sent as is.
Note
Step 8
See the discovery type by entering the show advanced 802.11{a|b} monitor command.
Configure 802.11a or 802.11b/g network neighbor timeout-factor by entering this command:

config {802.11a | 802.11b} monitor timeout-factor factor-bw-5-to-60-minutes
If you are using Release 8.1 or a later release, we recommend that you set the timeout factor to 60 minutes. If the access
point radio does not receive a neighbor packet from an existing neighbor within 60 minutes, the Cisco WLC deletes the
neighbor from the neighbor list.
Note
The Neighbor Timeout Factor was hardcoded to 60 minutes in Release 7.6, but was changed to 5 minutes in
Release 8.0.100.0.
Step 9
Enable the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:

Note
Step 10
To enable the 802.11g network, enter config 802.11b 11gSupport enable after the config 802.11b enable
network command.

save config
Viewing RRM Settings (CLI)

To see 802.11a and 802.11b/g RRM settings, use these commands:
show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ?
where ? is one of the following:
ccx {global | Cisco_AP}Shows the CCX RRM configuration.
channelShows the channel assignment configuration and statistics.
coverageShows the coverage hole detection configuration and statistics.
loggingShows the RF event and performance logging.
monitorShows the Cisco radio monitoring.
profile {global | Cisco_AP}Shows the access point performance profiles.
receiverShows the 802.11a or 802.11b/g receiver configuration and statistics.
summaryShows the configuration and statistics of the 802.11a or 802.11b/g access points.
txpowerShows the transmit power assignment configuration and statistics.

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Debug RRM Issues (CLI)

Use these commands to troubleshoot and verify RRM behavior:
debug airewave-director ?
allEnables debugging for all RRM logs.
channelEnables debugging for the RRM channel assignment protocol.
detailEnables debugging for RRM detail logs.
errorEnables debugging for RRM error logs.
groupEnables debugging for the RRM grouping protocol.
managerEnables debugging for the RRM manager.
messageEnables debugging for RRM messages.
packetEnables debugging for RRM packets.
powerEnables debugging for the RRM power assignment protocol as well as coverage hole detection.
profileEnables debugging for RRM profile events.
radarEnables debugging for the RRM radar detection/avoidance protocol.
rf-changeEnables debugging for RRM RF changes.
RF Groups
Information About RF Groups
An RF group is a logical collection of Cisco WLCs that coordinate to perform RRM in a globally optimized
manner to perform network calculations on a per-radio basis. An RF group exists for each 802.11 network
type. Clustering Cisco WLCs into a single RF group enable the RRM algorithms to scale beyond the capabilities
of a single Cisco WLC.
RF group is created based on following parameters:
User-configured RF network name.
Neighbor discovery performed at the radio level.
Country list configured on MC.
RF grouping runs between MCs.
Lightweight access points periodically send out neighbor messages over the air. Access points using the the
same RF group name validate messages from each other.
When access points on different Cisco WLCs hear validated neighbor messages at a signal strength of 80
dBm or stronger, the Cisco WLCs dynamically form an RF neighborhood in auto mode. In static mode, the
leader is manually selected and the members are added to the RF Group. To know more about RF Group
modes, RF Group Leader.

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RF Groups
Note
RF groups and mobility groups are similar in that they both define clusters of Cisco WLCs, but they are
different in terms of their use. An RF group facilitates scalable, system-wide dynamic RF management
while a mobility group facilitates scalable, system-wide mobility and Cisco WLC redundancy.
RF Group Leader
Starting in the 7.0.116.0 release, the RF Group Leader can be configured in two ways as follows:
Auto ModeIn this mode, the members of an RF group elect an RF group leader to maintain a master
power and channel scheme for the group. The RF grouping algorithm dynamically chooses the RF group
leader and ensures that an RF group leader is always present. Group leader assignments can and do
change (for instance, if the current RF group leader becomes inoperable or if RF group members
experience major changes).
Static ModeIn this mode, the user selects a Cisco WLC as an RF group leader manually. In this mode,
the leader and the members are manually configured and are therefore fixed. If the members are unable
to join the RF group, the reason is indicated. The leader tries to establish a connection with a member
every 1 minute if the member has not joined in the previous attempt.
The RF group leader analyzes real-time radio data collected by the system, calculates the power and channel
assignments, and sends them to each of the Cisco WLCs in the RF group. The RRM algorithms ensure
system-wide stability and restrain channel and power scheme changes to the appropriate local RF
neighborhoods.
In Cisco WLC software releases prior to 6.0, the dynamic channel assignment (DCA) search algorithm attempts
to find a good channel plan for the radios associated to Cisco WLCs in the RF group, but it does not adopt a
new channel plan unless it is considerably better than the current plan. The channel metric of the worst radio
in both plans determines which plan is adopted. Using the worst-performing radio as the single criterion for
adopting a new channel plan can result in pinning or cascading problems.
Pinning occurs when the algorithm could find a better channel plan for some of the radios in an RF group but
is prevented from pursuing such a channel plan change because the worst radio in the network does not have
any better channel options. The worst radio in the RF group could potentially prevent other radios in the group
from seeking better channel plans. The larger the network, the more likely pinning becomes.
Cascading occurs when one radios channel change results in successive channel changes to optimize the
remaining radios in the RF neighborhood. Optimizing these radios could lead to their neighbors and their
neighbors neighbors having a suboptimal channel plan and triggering their channel optimization. This effect
could propagate across multiple floors or even multiple buildings, if all the access point radios belong to the
same RF group. This change results in considerable client confusion and network instability.
The main cause of both pinning and cascading is the way in which the search for a new channel plan is
performed and that any potential channel plan changes are controlled by the RF circumstances of a single
radio. In Cisco WLC software release 6.0, the DCA algorithm has been redesigned to prevent both pinning
and cascading. The following changes have been implemented:
Multiple local searchesThe DCA search algorithm performs multiple local searches initiated by
different radios within the same DCA run rather than performing a single global search driven by a
single radio. This change addresses both pinning and cascading while maintaining the desired flexibility
and adaptability of DCA and without jeopardizing stability.

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RF Groups
Multiple channel plan change initiators (CPCIs)Previously, the single worst radio was the sole initiator
of a channel plan change. Now each radio within the RF group is evaluated and prioritized as a potential
initiator. Intelligent randomization of the resulting list ensures that every radio is eventually evaluated,
which eliminates the potential for pinning.
Limiting the propagation of channel plan changes (Localization)For each CPCI radio, the DCA
algorithm performs a local search for a better channel plan, but only the CPCI radio itself and its one-hop
neighboring access points are actually allowed to change their current transmit channels. The impact of
an access point triggering a channel plan change is felt only to within two RF hops from that access
point, and the actual channel plan changes are confined to within a one-hop RF neighborhood. Because
this limitation applies across all CPCI radios, cascading cannot occur.
Non-RSSI-based cumulative cost metricA cumulative cost metric measures how well an entire region,
neighborhood, or network performs with respect to a given channel plan. The individual cost metrics of
all access points in that area are considered in order to provide an overall understanding of the channel
plans quality. These metrics ensure that the improvement or deterioration of each single radio is factored
into any channel plan change. The objective is to prevent channel plan changes in which a single radio
improves but at the expense of multiple other radios experiencing a considerable performance decline.
The RRM algorithms run at a specified updated interval, which is 600 seconds by default. Between update
intervals, the RF group leader sends keepalive messages to each of the RF group members and collects real-time
RF data.
Note
Several monitoring intervals are also available. See the Configuring RRM section for details.
RF Group Name
A Cisco WLC is configured with an RF group name, which is sent to all access points joined to the Cisco
WLC and used by the access points as the shared secret for generating the hashed MIC in the neighbor
messages. To create an RF group, you configure all of the Cisco WLCs to be included in the group with the
same RF group name.
If there is any possibility that an access point joined to a Cisco WLC may hear RF transmissions from an
access point on a different Cisco WLC, you should configure the Cisco WLCs with the same RF group name.
If RF transmissions between access points can be heard, then system-wide RRM is recommended to avoid
802.11 interference and contention as much as possible.
Controllers and APs in RF Groups

Controller software supports up to 20 controllers and 6000 access points in an RF group.
The RF group members are added based on the following criteria:
Maximum number of APs Supported: The maximum limit for the number of access points in an
RF group is 6000. The number of access points supported is determined by the number of APs
licensed to operate on the controller.
Twenty controllers: Only 20 controllers (including the leader) can be part of an RF group if the
sum of the access points of all controllers combined is less than or equal to the upper access point
limit.

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RF Groups
Table 17: Controller Model Information
8500
7500
5500
WiSM2
Maximum APs per

RRM Group
6000
6000
1000
2000
Maximum AP
Groups
6000
6000
500
500
Configuring RF Groups
This section describes how to configure RF groups through either the GUI or the CLI.
Note
The RF group name is generally set at deployment time through the Startup Wizard. However, you can
change it as necessary.
Note
When the multiple-country feature is being used, all Cisco WLCs intended to join the same RF group
must be configured with the same set of countries, configured in the same order.
Note
You can also configure RF groups using the Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
Configuring an RF Group Name (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Enter a name for the RF group in the RF-Network Name text box. The name can contain up to 19 ASCII characters.
Step 4
Step 5
Repeat this procedure for each controller that you want to include in the RF group.
Configuring an RF Group Name (CLI)
Step 1
Create an RF group by entering the config network rf-network-name name command:

Note
Enter up to 19 ASCII characters for the group
name.

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RF Groups
Step 2
See the RF group by entering the show network command.
Step 3
Save your settings by entering the save config command.
Step 4
Repeat this procedure for each controller that you want to include in the RF group.
Configuring the RF Group Mode (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > RF Grouping to open the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) RRM >
RF Grouping page.
From the Group Mode drop-down list, select the mode you want to configure for this Cisco WLC.
You can configure RF grouping in the following modes:
autoSets the RF group selection to automatic update mode.
This mode does not support IPv6 based
configuration.
leaderSets the RF group selection to static mode, and sets this Cisco WLC as the group leader.
Note
Leader supports static IPv6

address.
Note
If a RF group member is configured using IPv4 address, then IPv4 address is used to communicate with
the leader. The same is applicable for a RF group member configured using IPv6 too.
offSets the RF group selection off. Every Cisco WLC optimizes its own access point parameters.
Note
Note
A configured static leader cannot become a member of another Cisco WLC until its mode is set to auto.
Note
A Cisco WLC with a lower priority cannot assume the role of a group leader if a Cisco WLC with a higher
priority is available. Here priority is related to the processing power of the Cisco WLC.
We recommend that Cisco WLCs participate in automatic RF grouping. You can override RRM settings
without disabling automatic RF group participation.
Note
Step 3
Click Apply to save the configuration and click Restart to restart RRM RF Grouping algorithm.
Step 4
If you configured RF Grouping mode for this Cisco WLC as a static leader, you can add group members from the RF
Group Members section as follows:
1 In the Cisco WLC Name text box, enter the Cisco WLC that you want to add as a member to this group.
2 In the IP Address (IPv4/IPv6) text box, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the RF Group Member.
3 Click Add Member to add the member to this group.
Note
Step 5
Step 6
If the member has not joined the static leader, the reason of the failure is shown in parentheses.
Click Apply.

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RF Groups
Configuring the RF Group Mode (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the RF Grouping mode by entering this command:

config advanced { 802.11a | 802.11b} group-mode {auto | leader | off | restart}
autoSets the RF group selection to automatic update mode.
leaderSets the RF group selection to static mode, and sets this Cisco WLC as the group leader.
If a group member is configured with IPv4 address, then IPv4 address is used to communicate with a
leader and vice versa with IPv6 also.
offSets the RF group selection off. Every Cisco WLC optimizes its own access point parameters.
Note
restartRestarts the RF group selection.
Step 2
Note
A configured static leader cannot become a member of another Cisco WLC until its mode is set to auto.
Note
A Cisco WLC with a lower priority cannot assume the role of a group leader if a Cisco WLC with higher
priority is available. Here priority is related to the processing power of the Cisco WLC.
Add or remove a Cisco WLC as a static member of the RF group (if the mode is set to leader) by entering the these
commands:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} group-member add controller-name ipv4-or-ipv6-address
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} group-member remove controller-name ipv4-or-ipv6-address
Note
Step 3
You can add RF Group Members using either IPv4 or IPv6 address.
See RF grouping status by entering this command:

show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} group
Viewing the RF Group Status

This section describes how to view the status of the RF group through either the GUI or the CLI.
Note
You can also view the status of RF groups using the Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
Viewing the RF Group Status (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > RF Grouping to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
RRM > RF Grouping page.

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RF Groups
This page shows the details of the RF group, displaying the configurable parameter RF Group mode, the RF Group
role of this Cisco WLC, the Update Interval and the Cisco WLC name and IP address of the Group Leader to this
Cisco WLC.
Note
RF grouping mode can be set using the Group Mode drop-down list.
Tip Once a Cisco WLC has joined as a static member and you want to change the grouping mode, we recommend
that you remove the member from the configured static-leader and also make sure that a member Cisco WLC
has not been configured to be a member on multiple static leaders. This is to avoid repeated join attempts from
one or more RF static leaders.
Step 2
(Optional) Repeat this procedure for the network type that you did not select (802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n).
Viewing the RF Group Status (CLI)
Step 1
See which Cisco WLC is the RF group leader for the 802.11a RF network by entering this command:
show advanced 802.11a group
Radio RF Grouping
802.11a Group Mode.............................
802.11a Group Update Interval..................
802.11a Group Leader...........................
802.11a Group Member.........................
802.11a Last Run...............................
STATIC
600 seconds
test (209.165.200.225)
test (209.165.200.225)
397 seconds ago
This output shows the details of the RF group, specifically the grouping mode for the Cisco WLC, how often the group
information is updated (600 seconds by default), the IP address of the RF group leader, the IP address of this Cisco WLC,
and the last time the group information was updated.
If the IP addresses of the group leader and the group member are identical, this Cisco WLC is currently the
group leader.
Note
A * indicates that the Cisco WLC has not joined as a static
member.
See which Cisco WLC is the RF group leader for the 802.11b/g RF network by entering this command:
show advanced 802.11b group
Note
Step 2
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups

Information About Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups
After you have created an RF group of Cisco WLCs, you need to configure the access points connected to
the Cisco WLCs to detect rogue access points. The access points will then select the beacon/probe-response
frames in neighboring access point messages to see if they contain an authentication information element (IE)
that matches that of the RF group. If the select is successful, the frames are authenticated. Otherwise, the

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RF Groups
authorized access point reports the neighboring access point as a rogue, records its BSSID in a rogue table,
and sends the table to the Cisco WLC.
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups

Enabling Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Make sure that each Cisco WLC in the RF group has been configured with the same RF group name.
Note
The name is used to verify the authentication IE in all beacon frames. If the Cisco WLCs have different names,
false alarms will occur.
Choose Wireless to open the All APs page.
Step 3
Step 4
Click the name of an access point to open the All APs > Details page.
Choose either local or monitor from the AP Mode drop-down list and click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Repeat Step 2 through Step 5 for every access point connected to the Cisco WLC.
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > AP Authentication/MFP to open the AP Authentication Policy
page.
The name of the RF group to which this Cisco WLC belongs appears at the top of the page.
Step 8
Choose AP Authentication from the Protection Type drop-down list to enable rogue access point detection.
Step 9
Step 10
Enter a number in the Alarm Trigger Threshold edit box to specify when a rogue access point alarm is generated. An
alarm occurs when the threshold value (which specifies the number of access point frames with an invalid authentication
IE) is met or exceeded within the detection period.
Note
The valid threshold range is from1 to 255, and the default threshold value is 1. To avoid false alarms, you may
want to set the threshold to a higher value.
Step 11
Step 12
Repeat this procedure on every Cisco WLC in the RF group.

Note
If rogue access point detection is not enabled on every Cisco WLC in the RF group, the access points on the
Cisco WLCs with this feature disabled are reported as rogues.
Configuring Rogue Access Point Detection in RF Groups (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Make sure that each Cisco WLC in the RF group has been configured with the same RF group name.
Note
The name is used to verify the authentication IE in all beacon frames. If the Cisco WLCs have different names,
false alarms will occur.
Configure a particular access point for local (normal) mode or monitor (listen-only) mode by entering this command:
config ap mode local Cisco_AP or config ap mode monitor Cisco_AP
Step 3

save config
Step 4
Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 for every access point connected to the Cisco WLC.
Enable rogue access point detection by entering this command:
Step 5

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Off-Channel Scanning and Neighbor Discovery
config wps ap-authentication

Step 6
Specify when a rogue access point alarm is generated by entering this command. An alarm occurs when the threshold
value (which specifies the number of access point frames with an invalid authentication IE) is met or exceeded within
the detection period.
config wps ap-authentication threshold
The valid threshold range is from 1 to 255, and the default threshold value is 1. To avoid false alarms, you may
want to set the threshold to a higher value.
save config
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Repeat Step 5 through Step 7 on every Cisco WLC in the RF group.

Note
If rogue access point detection is not enabled on every Cisco WLC in the RF group, the access points on the
Cisco WLCs with this feature disabled are reported as rogues.

Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer
Information About Off-Channel Scanning Defer
In deployments with certain power-save clients, you sometimes need to defer the Radio Resource Management's
(RRM) normal off-channel scanning to avoid missing critical information from low-volume clients (for
example, medical devices that use power-save mode and periodically send telemetry information). This feature
improves the way that Quality of Service (QoS) interacts with the RRM scan defer feature.
You can use a client's Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) UP marking to configure the access point to defer off-channel
scanning for a configurable period of time if it receives a packet marked UP.
Off-Channel Scanning Defer is essential to the operation of RRM, which gathers information about alternate
channel choices such as noise and interference. Additionally, Off-Channel Scanning Defer is responsible for
rogue detection. Devices that need to defer Off-Channel Scanning Defer should use the same WLAN as often
as possible. If there are many of these devices (and the possibility exists that Off-Channel Defer scanning
could be completely disabled by the use of this feature), you should implement an alternative to local AP
Off-Channel Scanning Defer, such as monitoring access points, or other access points in the same location
that do not have this WLAN assigned.
You can assign a QoS policy (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum) to a WLAN to affect how packets are marked
on the downlink connection from the access point regardless of how they were received on the uplink from
the client. UP=1,2 is the lowest priority, and UP=0,3 is the next higher priority. The marking results of each
QoS policy are as follows:
Bronze marks all downlink traffic to UP= 1.
Silver marks all downlink traffic to UP= 0.
Gold marks all downlink traffic to UP=4.
Platinum marks all downlink traffic to UP=6.

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Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for WLANs

Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to configure off-channel scanning Defer.
Choose the Advanced tab from the WLANs > Edit page.
Step 4
From the Off Channel Scanning Defer section, set the Scan Defer Priority by clicking on the priority argument.
Step 5
Set the time in milliseconds in the Scan Defer Time text box.
Valid values are 100 through 60000. The default value is 100 milliseconds.
Step 6
Click Apply to save your configuration.
Configuring Off Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (CLI)
Step 1
Assign a defer-priority for the channel scan by entering this command:

config wlan channel-scan defer-priority priority [enable | disable] WLAN-id
The valid range for the priority argument is 0 to 7.
The priority is 0 to 7 (this value should be set to 6 on the client and on the WLAN).
Use this command to configure the amount of time that scanning will be deferred following an UP packet in the queue.
Step 2
Assign the channel scan defer time (in milliseconds) by entering this command:
config wlan channel-scan defer-time msec WLAN-id
The time value is in miliseconds (ms) and the valid range is 100 (default) to 60000 (60 seconds). This setting should
match the requirements of the equipment on your wireless LAN.
You can also configure this feature on the Cisco WLC GUI by selecting WLANs, and either edit an existing WLAN or
create a new one.
Configuring Dynamic Channel Assignment (GUI)

You can specify the channels that the dynamic channel assignment (DCA) algorithm considers when selecting
the channels to be used for RRM scanning by using the Cisco WLC GUI.
Note
Step 1
This functionality is helpful when you know that the clients do not support certain channels because they
are legacy devices or they have certain regulatory restrictions.
Disable the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network as follows:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.

353
b) Unselect the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status check box.

c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > DCA to open the Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA)
page.
Step 3
Choose one of the following options from the Channel Assignment Method drop-down list to specify the Cisco WLCs
DCA mode:
AutomaticCauses the Cisco WLC to periodically evaluate and, if necessary, update the channel assignment for
all joined access points. This is the default value.
FreezeCauses the Cisco WLC to evaluate and update the channel assignment for all joined access points, if
necessary, but only when you click Invoke Channel Update Once.
Note
The Cisco WLC does not evaluate and update the channel assignment immediately after you click Invoke
Channel Update Once. It waits for the next interval to elapse.
OFFTurns off DCA and sets all access point radios to the first channel of the band, which is the default value.
If you choose this option, you must manually assign channels on all radios.
Note
Step 4
Step 5
For optimal performance, we recommend that you use the Automatic setting. See the Disabling Dynamic
Channel and Power Assignment (GUI), on page 365 section for instructions on how to disable the Cisco
WLCs dynamic channel and power settings.
From the Interval drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify how often the DCA algorithm is allowed
to run: 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours. The default value is
10 minutes.
Note
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the DCA interval to
6 hours for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of OfficeExtend access points and local
access points, the range of 10 minutes to 24 hours can be used.
From the AnchorTime drop-down list, choose a number to specify the time of day when the DCA algorithm is to start.
The options are numbers between 0 and 23 (inclusive) representing the hour of the day from 12:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Step 6
Select the Avoid Foreign AP Interference check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider 802.11
traffic from foreign access points (those not included in your wireless network) when assigning channels to lightweight
access points, or unselect it to disable this feature. For example, RRM may adjust the channel assignment to have access
points avoid channels close to foreign access points. The default value is selected.
Step 7
Select the Avoid Cisco AP Load check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider 802.11 traffic from
Cisco lightweight access points in your wireless network when assigning channels, or unselect it to disable this feature.
For example, RRM can assign better reuse patterns to access points that carry a heavier traffic load. The default value
is unselected.
Step 8
Select the Avoid Non-802.11a (802.11b) Noise check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider noise
(non-802.11 traffic) in the channel when assigning channels to lightweight access points, or unselect it to disable this
feature. For example, RRM may have access points avoid channels with significant interference from nonaccess point
sources, such as microwave ovens. The default value is selected.
Select the Avoid Persistent Non-WiFi Interference check box to enable the Cisco WLC to ignore persistent non-WiFi
interference.
From the DCA Channel Sensitivity drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify how sensitive the
DCA algorithm is to environmental changes such as signal, load, noise, and interference when determining whether to
change channels:
Step 9
Step 10
LowThe DCA algorithm is not particularly sensitive to environmental changes.

354
MediumThe DCA algorithm is moderately sensitive to environmental changes.

HighThe DCA algorithm is highly sensitive to environmental changes.
The default value is Medium. The DCA sensitivity thresholds vary by radio band, as noted in the table below.
Step 11
Option
2.4-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold
5-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold
High
5 dB
5 dB
Medium
10 dB
15 dB
Low
20 dB
20 dB
For 802.11a/n/ac networks only, choose one of the following channel width options to specify the channel bandwidth
supported for all 802.11n radios in the 5-GHz band:
20 MHzThe 20-MHz channel bandwidth.
40 MHzThe 40-MHz channel bandwidth
Note
Note
Note
Note
If you choose 40 MHz, be sure to choose at least two adjacent channels from the DCA Channel List
in Step 13 (for example, a primary channel of 36 and an extension channel of 40). If you choose only
one channel, that channel is not used for 40-MHz channel width.
If you choose 40 MHz, you can also configure the primary and extension channels used by individual
access points.
To override the globally configured DCA channel width setting, you can statically configure an
access points radio for 20- or 40-MHz mode on the 802.11a/n Cisco APs > Configure page. if you
then change the static RF channel assignment method to WLC Controlled on the access point radio,
the global DCA configuration overrides the channel width configuration that the access point was
previously using. It can take up to 30 minutes (depending on how often DCA is configured to run)
for the change to take effect.
If you choose 40 MHz on the 802.11a radio, you cannot pair channels 116, 140, and 165 with any
other channels.
80 MHzThe 80-MHz bandwidth for the 802.11ac radios.

160 MHzThe 160-MHz bandwidth for 802.11ac radios.
bestIt selects the best bandwidth suitable. This option is enabled for the 5-GHz radios only.
This page also shows the following nonconfigurable channel parameter settings:
Channel Assignment LeaderThe MAC address of the RF group leader, which is responsible for channel assignment.
Last Auto Channel AssignmentThe last time RRM evaluated the current channel assignments.
Step 12
Select the Avoid check for non-DFS channel to enable the Cisco WLC to avoid checks for non-DFS channels. DCA
configuration requires at least one non-DFS channel in the list. In the EU countries, outdoor deployments do not support

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Step 13
non-DFS channels. Customers based in EU or regions with similar regulations must enable this option or at least have
one non-DFS channel in the DCA list even if the channel is not supported by the APs.
Note
1524.
In the DCA Channel List area, the DCA Channels text box shows the channels that are currently selected. To choose a
channel, select its check box in the Select column. To exclude a channel, unselect its check box.
The ranges are as follows: 802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153,
157, 161, 165, 190, 196 802.11b/g1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
The defaults are as follows: 802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153,
157, 161 802.11b/g1, 6, 11
These extended UNII-2 channels in the 802.11a band do not appear in the channel list: 100, 104, 108, 112, 116,
132, 136, and 140. If you have Cisco Aironet 1520 series mesh access points in the -E regulatory domain, you
must include these channels in the DCA channel list before you start operation. If you are upgrading from a
previous release, verify that these channels are included in the DCA channel list. To include these channels in
the channel list, select the Extended UNII-2 Channels check box.
If you are using Cisco Aironet 1520 series mesh access points in your network, you need to set the 4.9-GHz channels in
the 802.11a band on which they are to operate. The 4.9-GHz band is for public safety client access traffic only. To choose
a 4.9-GHz channel, select its check box in the Select column. To exclude a channel, unselect its check box.
The ranges are as follows: 802.11a1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,
26
Note
Step 14
The defaults are as follows: 802.11a20, 26

Step 15
Step 16
Click Apply.
Reenable the 802.11 networks as follows:
1 Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.
2 Select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status check box.
3 Click Apply.
Step 17

Note
To see why the DCA algorithm changed channels, choose Monitor and then choose View All under Most
Recent Traps. The trap provides the MAC address of the radio that changed channels, the previous channel and
the new channel, the reason why the change occurred, the energy before and after the change, the noise before
and after the change, and the interference before and after the change.
Configuring RRM Profile Thresholds, Monitoring Channels, and Monitor Intervals (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > General to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM
> General page.
Configure profile thresholds used for alarming as follows:
Note
The profile thresholds have no bearing on the functionality of the RRM algorithms. Lightweight access points
send an SNMP trap (or an alert) to the Cisco WLC when the values set for these threshold parameters are
exceeded.

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a) In the Interference text box, enter the percentage of interference (802.11 traffic from sources outside of your wireless
network) on a single access point. The valid range is 0 to 100%, and the default value is 10%.
b) In the Clients text box, enter the number of clients on a single access point. The valid range is 1 to 200, and the
c) In the Noise text box, enter the level of noise (non-802.11 traffic) on a single access point. The valid range is 127
to 0 dBm, and the default value is 70 dBm.
d) In the Utilization text box, enter the percentage of RF bandwidth being used by a single access point. The valid range
Step 3
From the Channel List drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the set of channels that the access
point uses for RRM scanning:
All ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs on all channels supported by the selected radio, which includes
channels not allowed in the country of operation.
Country ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs only on the data channels in the country of operation. This is
the default value.
DCA ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs only on the channel set used by the DCA algorithm, which by
default includes all of the non-overlapping channels allowed in the country of operation. However, you can specify
the channel set to be used by DCA if desired. To do so, follow instructions in the Dynamic Channel Assignment.
Step 4
Configure monitor intervals as follows:

1 In the Channel Scan Interval box, enter (in seconds) the sum of the time between scans for each channel within a
radio band. The entire scanning process takes 50 ms per channel, per radio and runs at the interval configured here.
The time spent listening on each channel is determined by the non-configurable 50-ms scan time and the number of
channels to be scanned. For example, in the U.S. all 11 802.11b/g channels are scanned for 50 ms each within the
default 180-second interval. So every 16 seconds, 50 ms is spent listening on each scanned channel (180/11 = ~16
seconds). The Channel Scan Interval parameter determines the interval at which the scanning occurs.The valid range
is 60 to 3600 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds for 802.11a radios and 180 seconds for the 802.11b/g
radios.
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the channel scan
interval to 1800 seconds for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of OfficeExtend
access points and local access points, the range of 60 to 3600 seconds can be used.
2 In the Neighbor Packet Frequency box, enter (in seconds) how frequently neighbor packets (messages) are sent,
which eventually builds the neighbor list. The valid range is 60 to 3600 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds.
Note
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the neighbor
packet frequency to 600 seconds for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of
OfficeExtend access points and local access points, the range of 60 to 3600 seconds can be used.
3 In the Neighbor Timeout Factor box, enter the NDP timeout factor value in minutes. The valid range is 5 minutes
to 60 minutes with the default value being 5 minutes.
Note
If you are using Release 8.1 or a later release, we recommend that you set the timeout factor to 60 minutes. If the
access point radio does not receive a neighbor packet from an existing neighbor within 60 minutes, the Cisco WLC
deletes the neighbor from the neighbor list.
Note
The Neighbor Timeout Factor was hardcoded to 60 minutes in Release 7.6, but was changed to 5 minutes
in Release 8.0.100.0.
Step 5
Click Apply.
Step 6

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Channels
Note
Click Set to Factory Default if you want to return all of the Cisco WLCs RRM parameters to their factory-default
values.
Configuring RRM Neighbor Discovery Packets

Information About RRM NDP and RF Grouping
The Cisco Neighbor Discovery Packet (NDP) is the fundamental tool for RRM and other wireless applications
that provides information about the neighbor radio information. You can configure the Cisco WLC to encrypt
neighbor discovery packets.
This feature enables you to be compliant with the PCI specifications.
An RF group can only be formed between Cisco WLCs that have the same encryption mechanism. That is,
an access point associated to a Cisco WLC that is encrypted can not be neighbors with an access point associated
to a Cisco WLC that is not encrypted. The two Cisco WLCs and their access points will not recognize each
other as neighbors and cannot form an RF group. It is possible to assign two Cisco WLCs in a static RF group
configuration that has mismatched encryption settings. In this case, the two Cisco WLCs do not function as
a single RF group because the access points belonging to the mismatched Cisco WLCs do not recognize one
another as neighbors in the group.
Configuring RRM NDP (CLI)

To configure RRM NDP using the Cisco WLC CLI, enter this command:
config advanced 802.11{a|b} monitor ndp-mode {protected | transparent}
This command configures NDP mode. By default, the mode is set to transparent. The following options are
available:
ProtectedPackets are encrypted.
TransparentPackets are sent as is.
Use this command to see the discovery type:
show advanced 802.11{a|b} monitor
Channels
Dynamic Channel Assignment
Two adjacent access points on the same channel can cause either signal contention or signal collision. In a
collision, data is not received by the access point. This functionality can become a problem, for example,
when someone reading e-mail in a caf affects the performance of the access point in a neighboring business.
Even though these are completely separate networks, someone sending traffic to the caf on channel 1 can
disrupt communication in an enterprise using the same channel. Controllers can dynamically allocate access
point channel assignments to avoid conflict and to increase capacity and performance. Channels are reused

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Channels
to avoid wasting scarce RF resources. In other words, channel 1 is allocated to a different access point far
from the caf, which is more effective than not using channel 1 altogether.
The controllers Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) capabilities are also useful in minimizing adjacent
channel interference between access points. For example, two overlapping channels in the 802.11b/g band,
such as 1 and 2, cannot both simultaneously use 11/54 Mbps. By effectively reassigning channels, the controller
keeps adjacent channels separated.
Note
We recommend that you use only non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11, and so on).
The controller examines a variety of real-time RF characteristics to efficiently handle channel assignments
as follows:
Access point received energyThe received signal strength measured between each access point and
its nearby neighboring access points. Channels are optimized for the highest network capacity.
NoiseNoise can limit signal quality at the client and access point. An increase in noise reduces the
effective cell size and degrades user experience. By optimizing channels to avoid noise sources, the
controller can optimize coverage while maintaining system capacity. If a channel is unusable due to
excessive noise, that channel can be avoided.
802.11 InterferenceInterference is any 802.11 traffic that is not part of your wireless LAN, including
rogue access points and neighboring wireless networks. Lightweight access points constantly scan all
channels looking for sources of interference. If the amount of 802.11 interference exceeds a predefined
configurable threshold (the default is 10 percent), the access point sends an alert to the controller. Using
the RRM algorithms, the controller may then dynamically rearrange channel assignments to increase
system performance in the presence of the interference. Such an adjustment could result in adjacent
lightweight access points being on the same channel, but this setup is preferable to having the access
points remain on a channel that is unusable due to an interfering foreign access point.
In addition, if other wireless networks are present, the controller shifts the usage of channels to
complement the other networks. For example, if one network is on channel 6, an adjacent wireless LAN
is assigned to channel 1 or 11. This arrangement increases the capacity of the network by limiting the
sharing of frequencies. If a channel has virtually no capacity remaining, the controller may choose to
avoid this channel. In very dense deployments in which all nonoverlapping channels are occupied, the
controller does its best, but you must consider RF density when setting expectations.
Load and utilizationWhen utilization monitoring is enabled, capacity calculations can consider that
some access points are deployed in ways that carry more traffic than other access points (for example,
a lobby versus an engineering area). The controller can then assign channels to improve the access point
with the worst performance reported. The load is taken into account when changing the channel structure
to minimize the impact on clients currently in the wireless LAN. This metric keeps track of every access
points transmitted and received packet counts to determine how busy the access points are. New clients
avoid an overloaded access point and associate to a new access point. This parameter is disabled by
default.
The controller combines this RF characteristic information with RRM algorithms to make system-wide
decisions. Conflicting demands are resolved using soft-decision metrics that guarantee the best choice for
minimizing network interference. The end result is optimal channel configuration in a three-dimensional
space, where access points on the floor above and below play a major factor in an overall wireless LAN
configuration.

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Channels
Note
Radios using 40-MHz channels in the 2.4-GHz band or or 80MHz channels are not supported by DCA.
The RRM startup mode is invoked in the following conditions:
In a single-controller environment, the RRM startup mode is invoked after the controller is upgraded
and rebooted.
In a multiple-controller environment, the RRM startup mode is invoked after an RF Group leader is
elected.
You can trigger RRM startup mode from CLI.
RRM startup mode runs for 100 minutes (10 iterations at 10-minute intervals). The duration of the RRM
startup mode is independent of the DCA interval, sensitivity, and network size. The startup mode consists of
10 DCA runs with high sensitivity (making channel changes easy and sensitive to the environment) to converge
to a steady state channel plan. After the startup mode is finished, DCA continues to run at the specified interval
and sensitivity.
Note
DCA algorithm interval is set to one hour, but DCA algorithm always runs in default interval of 10min,
channel allocation happens for every 10min interval for the first 10 cycles, and channel changes as per
DCA algorithm for every 10min. After that it goes back to the configured time interval. This is common
for both DCA interval and Anchor time since it follows the steady state.
Note
If DCA/TPC is turned off on the RF-group member, and auto is set on RF-group leader, the channel/TX
power on member gets changed as per the algorithm run on the RF-group leader.
Overriding RRM
Information About Overriding RRM
In some deployments, it is desirable to statically assign channel and transmit power settings to the access
points instead of relying on the RRM algorithms provided by Cisco. Typically, this is true in challenging RF
environments and non standard deployments but not the more typical carpeted offices.
Note
If you choose to statically assign channels and power levels to your access points and/or to disable dynamic
channel and power assignment, you should still use automatic RF grouping to avoid spurious rogue device
events.
You can disable dynamic channel and power assignment globally for a Cisco WLC, or you can leave dynamic
channel and power assignment enabled and statically configure specific access point radios with a channel
and power setting. While you can specify a global default transmit power parameter for each network type
that applies to all the access point radios on a Cisco WLC, you must set the channel for each access point
radio when you disable dynamic channel assignment. You may also want to set the transmit power for each
access point instead of leaving the global transmit power in effect.

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Channels
Prerequisites for Overriding RRM

We recommend that you assign different nonoverlapping channels to access points that are within close
proximity to each other. The nonoverlapping channels in the U.S. are 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153,
157, and 161 in an 802.11a network and 1, 6, and 11 in an 802.11b/g network.
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings to Access Point Radios
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
This page shows all the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n access point radios that are joined to the Cisco WLC and their
current settings. The Channel text box shows both the primary and extension channels and uses an asterisk to indicate
if they are globally assigned.
Step 2
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the access point for which you want to modify the radio configuration
and choose Configure. The 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page appears.
Specify the RF Channel Assignment from the following options:
Step 3
GlobalChoose this to specify a global value.

CustomChoose this and then select a value from the adjacent drop-down list to specify a custom value.
Step 4
Configure the antenna parameters for this radio as follows:

1 From the Antenna Type drop-down list, choose Internal or External to specify the type of antennas used with the
access point radio.
2 Select and unselect the check boxes in the Antenna text box to enable and disable the use of specific antennas for
this access point, where A, B, and C are specific antenna ports. The D antenna appears for the Cisco 3600 Series
Access Points. A is the right antenna port, B is the left antenna port, and C is the center antenna port. For example,
to enable transmissions from antenna ports A and B and receptions from antenna port C, you would select the following
check boxes: Tx: A and B and Rx: C. In 3600 APs, the valid combinations are A, A+B, A+B+C or A+B+C+D. When
you select a dual mode antenna, you can only apply single spatial 802.11n stream rates: MCS 0 to 7 data rates. When
you select two dual mode antennae, you can apply only the two spatial 802.11n stream rates: MCS 0 to 15 data rates.
3 In the Antenna Gain text box, enter a number to specify an external antennas ability to direct or focus radio energy
over a region of space. High-gain antennas have a more focused radiation pattern in a specific direction. The antenna
gain is measured in 0.5 dBi units, and the default value is 7 times 0.5 dBi, or 3.5 dBi.
If you have a high-gain antenna, enter a value that is twice the actual dBi value (see Cisco Aironet Antenna Reference
Guide for antenna dBi values). Otherwise, enter 0. For example, if your antenna has a 4.4-dBi gain, multiply the 4.4
dBi by 2 to get 8.8 and then round down to enter only the whole number (8). The Cisco WLC reduces the actual
equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) to make sure that the antenna does not violate your countrys regulations.
4 Choose one of the following options from the Diversity drop-down list:
EnabledEnables the antenna connectors on both sides of the access point. This is the default value.
Side A or RightEnables the antenna connector on the right side of the access point.
Side B or LeftEnables the antenna connector on the left side of the access point.

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Channels
Step 5
In the RF Channel Assignment area, choose Custom for the Assignment Method under RF Channel Assignment and
choose a channel from the drop-down list to assign an RF channel to the access point radio.
In the Tx Power Level Assignment area, choose the Custom assignment method and choose a transmit power level from
the drop-down list to assign a transmit power level to the access point radio.
The transmit power level is assigned an integer value instead of a value in mW or dBm. The integer corresponds to a
power level that varies depending on the regulatory domain in which the access points are deployed. The number of
available power levels varies based on the access point model. However, power level 1 is always the maximum power
level allowed per country code setting, with each successive power level representing 50% of the previous power level.
For example, 1 = maximum power level in a particular regulatory domain, 2 = 50% power, 3 = 25% power, 4 = 12.5%
power, and so on.
Step 6
See the hardware installation guide for your access point for the maximum transmit power levels supported per
regulatory domain. Also, see the data sheet for your access point for the number of power levels supported.
Note
If the access point is not operating at full power, the Due to low PoE, radio is transmitting at degraded power
message appears under the Tx Power Level Assignment section.
Choose Enable from the Admin Status drop-down list to enable this configuration for the access point.
Click Apply.
Have the Cisco WLC send the access point radio admin state immediately to Cisco Prime Infrastructure as follows:
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
1 Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Global Parameters
page.
3 Click Apply.
Step 10
Step 11

Repeat this procedure for each access point radio for which you want to assign a static channel and power level.
Statically Assigning Channel and Transmit Power Settings (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the radio of a particular access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} disable Cisco_AP
Step 2
Configure the channel width for a particular access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} chan_width Cisco_AP {20 | 40 | 80}
where
20 allows the radio to communicate using only 20-MHz channels. Choose this option for legacy 802.11a radios,
20-MHz 802.11n radios, or 40-MHz 802.11n radios that you want to operate using only 20-MHz channels. This
is the default value.
40 allows 40-MHz 802.11n radios to communicate using two adjacent 20-MHz channels bonded together. The
radio uses the primary channel that you choose as well as its extension channel for faster throughput. Each channel
has only one extension channel (36 and 40 are a pair, 44 and 48 are a pair, and so on). For example, if you choose
a primary channel of 44, the Cisco WLC would use channel 48 as the extension channel. If you choose a primary
channel of 48, the Cisco WLC would use channel 44 as the extension channel.

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Channels
Note
This parameter can be configured only if the primary channel is statically assigned.
Note
Statically configuring an access points radio for 20-MHz or 40-MHz or 80-MHz mode overrides the
globally configured DCA channel width setting (configured using the config advanced 802.11a channel
dca chan-width-11n {20 | 40 | 80} command). If you ever change the static configuration back to global
on the access point radio, the global DCA configuration overrides the channel width configuration that
the access point was previously using. It can take up to 30 minutes (depending on how often DCA is
configured to run) for the change to take effect.
80 sets the channel width for the 802.11ac radios to 80 MHz.

Note
Step 3
Channels 116, 120, 124, and 128 are not available in the U.S. and Canada for 40-MHz channel bonding.
Enable or disable the use of specific antennas for a particular access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} 11nsupport antenna {tx | rx} Cisco_AP {A | B | C} {enable | disable}
where A, B, and C are antenna ports. A is the right antenna port, B is the left antenna port, and C is the center antenna
port. For example, to enable transmissions from the antenna in access point AP1s antenna port C on the 802.11a network,
you would enter this command:
config 802.11a 11nsupport antenna tx AP1 C enable
Note
Step 4
You cannot enable or disable individual antennas for 802.11ac because the 802.11ac module antennas are
internal.
Specify the external antenna gain, which is a measure of an external antennas ability to direct or focus radio energy over
a region of space entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} antenna extAntGain antenna_gain Cisco_AP
High-gain antennas have a more focused radiation pattern in a specific direction. The antenna gain is measured in 0.5
dBi units, and the default value is 7 times 0.5 dBi, or 3.5 dBi.
If you have a high-gain antenna, enter a value that is twice the actual dBi value (see Cisco Aironet Antenna Reference
Guide for antenna dBi values). Otherwise, enter 0. For example, if your antenna has a 4.4-dBi gain, multiply the 4.4 dBi
by 2 to get 8.8 and then round down to enter only the whole number (8). The Cisco WLC reduces the actual equivalent
isotropic radiated power (EIRP) to make sure that the antenna does not violate your countrys regulations.
Step 5
Configure beamforming for the 5-GHz radios for all APs or a specific by entering this command:
config 802.11a {global | ap ap-name} {enable | disable}
Step 6
Specify the channel that a particular access point is to use by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel ap Cisco_AP channel
For example, to configure 802.11a channel 36 as the default channel on AP1, enter the config 802.11a channel ap AP1
36 command.
The channel you choose is the primary channel (for example, channel 36), which is used for communication by legacy
802.11a radios and 802.11n 20-MHz radios. 802.11n 40-MHz radios use this channel as the primary channel but also
use an additional bonded extension channel for faster throughput, if you chose 40 for the channel width.
Changing the operating channel causes the access point radio to
reset.
Specify the transmit power level that a particular access point is to use by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} txPower ap Cisco_AP power_level
Note
Step 7
For example, to set the transmit power for 802.11a AP1 to power level 2, enter the config 802.11a txPower ap AP1 2
command.

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Channels
The transmit power level is assigned an integer value instead of a value in mW or dBm. The integer corresponds to a
power level that varies depending on the regulatory domain in which the access points are deployed. The number of
available power levels varies based on the access point model. However, power level 1 is always the maximum power
level allowed per country code setting, with each successive power level representing 50% of the previous power level.
For example, 1 = maximum power level in a particular regulatory domain, 2 = 50% power, 3 = 25% power, 4 = 12.5%
power, and so on.
In certain cases, Cisco access points support only 7 power levels for certain channels, so that the Cisco Wireless Controller
considers the 7th and 8th power levels as the same. If the 8th power level is configured on those channels, the configuration
would fail since the controller considers the 7th power level as the lowest acceptable valid power level. These power
values are derived based on the regulatory compliance limits and minimum hardware limitation which varies across
different Cisco access points. For example, Cisco 3500, 1140, and 1250 series access points allow the configuration of
last power levels because those access points report the "per path power" to the controller, whereas all next generation
acess points such as Cisco 3700, 3600, 2600, and 1600 series access points report "total power value" to the controller,
thereby decreasing the allowed power levels for newer generation products. For example, if the last power level in the
3600E access point has a power value of 4dbm (total power), then it actually means the power value is -2dbm (per path).
See the hardware installation guide for your access point for the maximum transmit power levels supported per
regulatory domain. Also, see data sheet for your access point for the number of power levels supported.
save config
Note
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Repeat Step 2 through Step 7 for each access point radio for which you want to assign a static channel and power level.
Reenable the access point radio by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} enable Cisco_AP
Step 11
Have the Cisco WLC send the access point radio admin state immediately to WCS by entering this command:
Step 12

save config
Step 13
See the configuration of a particular access point by entering this command:

show ap config {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
Cisco AP Identifier..............................
Cisco AP Name....................................
...
Tx Power
Num Of Supported Power Levels ............. 8
Tx Power Level 1 ..........................
Tx Power Level 2 ..........................
Tx Power Level 3 ..........................
Tx Power Level 4 ..........................
Tx Power Level 5 ..........................
Tx Power Level 6 ..........................
Tx Power Level 7 ..........................
Tx Power Level 8 ..........................
Tx Power Configuration ....................
Current Tx Power Level ....................
Phy OFDM parameters

364
7
AP1
20 dBm
17 dBm
14 dBm
11 dBm
8 dBm
5 dBm
2 dBm
-1 dBm
CUSTOMIZED
1
Channels
Configuration .............................
Current Channel ...........................
Extension Channel .........................
Channel Width..............................
Allowed Channel List.......................
.........................................
TI Threshold ..............................
Antenna Type...............................
External Antenna Gain (in .5 dBi units)....
Diversity..................................
CUSTOMIZED
36
40
40 Mhz
36,44,52,60,100,108,116,132,
149,157
-50
EXTERNAL_ANTENNA
7
DIVERSITY_ENABLED
802.11n Antennas
Tx
A....................................... ENABLED
B....................................... ENABLED
Rx
A....................................... DISABLED
B....................................... DISABLED
C.................................... ENABLED
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment Globally for a Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > Auto RF to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Global
Parameters > Auto RF page.
Disable dynamic channel assignment by choosing OFF under RF Channel Assignment.
Step 3
Step 4
Disable dynamic power assignment by choosing Fixed under Tx Power Level Assignment and choosing a default transmit
power level from the drop-down list.
Click Apply.
Step 5
Step 6
If you are overriding the default channel and power settings on a per radio basis, assign static channel and power settings
to each of the access point radios that are joined to the Cisco WLC.
(Optional) Repeat this procedure for the network type that you did not select (802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n).
Step 7
Disabling Dynamic Channel and Power Assignment (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:

Step 2
Disable RRM for all 802.11a or 802.11b/g radios and set all channels to the default value by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} channel global off

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Channels
Step 3
Enable the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:

Note
Step 4
To enable the 802.11g network, enter the config 802.11b 11gSupport enable command after the config 802.11b
enable network command.

save config
802.11h Parameters
Information About Configuring 802.11h Parameters
802.11h informs client devices about channel changes and can limit the transmit power of those client devices.
Configuring the 802.11h Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11 band as follows:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > Network to open the 802.11a Global Parameters page.
b) Unselect the 802.11a Network Status check box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > DFS (802.11h) to open the 802.11h Global Parameters page.
In the Power Constraint area, enter the local power constraint. The valid range is between 0 dBm and 30 dBm.
In the Channel Switch Announcement area, select the Channel Announcement check box if you want the access point
to announce when it is switching to a new channel and the new channel number, or unselect this check box to disable
the channel announcement. The default value is disabled.
If you enabled the channel announcement, the Channel Quiet Mode check box appears. Select this check box if you
want the access point to stop transmitting on the current channel, or unselect this check box to disable quiet mode. The
default value is disabled.
Click Apply.
Reenable the 802.11a band as follows:
a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac > Network to open the 802.11a Global Parameters page.
b) Select the 802.11a Network Status check box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8

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Transmit Power
Configuring the 802.11h Parameters (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a network by entering this command:

Step 2
Enable or disable an access point to announce when it is switching to a new channel, and the new channel number by
config 802.11h channelswitch {enable {loud | quiet} | disable}
Enter either quiet or loud for the enable parameter. When the quiet mode is enabled, all the clients who can enable
802.11h channel switch announcements should stop transmitting packets immediately because the AP detects that the
radar and client devices should also quit transmitting to reduce interference. By default, the Channel Switch feature is
in disabled state.
Step 3
Configure a new channel using the 802.11h channel announcement by entering this command:
config 802.11h setchannel channel channel
Step 4
Configure the 802.11h power constraint value by entering this command:

config 802.11h powerconstraint value
Use increments of 3 dB for the value so that the AP goes down one power level at a time.
Step 5
Reenable the 802.11a network by entering this command:

Step 6
View the status of the 802.11h parameters by entering this command:

show 802.11h
Power Constraint................................. 0
Channel Switch................................... Disabled
Channel Switch Mode.............................. 0
Transmit Power
Transmit Power Control
The Cisco WLC dynamically controls access point transmit power based on real-time wireless LAN conditions.
You can choose between two versions of transmit power control: TPCv1 and TPCv2. With TPCv1, typically,
power can be kept low to gain extra capacity and reduce interference. With TPCv2, transmit power is
dynamically adjusted with the goal of minimum interference. TPCv2 is suitable for dense networks. In this
mode, there could be higher roaming delays and coverage hole incidents.
The Transmit Power Control (TPC) algorithm both increases and decreases an access points power in response
to changes in the RF environment. In most instances, TPC seeks to lower an access point's power to reduce
interference, but in the case of a sudden change in the RF coveragefor example, if an access point fails or

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Transmit Power
becomes disabledTPC can also increase power on surrounding access points. This feature is different from
coverage hole detection, which is primarily concerned with clients. TPC provides enough RF power to achieve
desired coverage levels while avoiding channel interference between access points.
These documents provide more information on Transmit Power Control values for the following access points:
Cisco Aironet 3500 Series http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/aironet-3500-series/
products-installation-guides-list.html
Overriding the TPC Algorithm with Minimum and Maximum Transmit Power Settings
The TPC algorithm balances RF power in many diverse RF environments. However, it is possible that automatic
power control will not be able to resolve some scenarios in which an adequate RF design was not possible to
implement due to architectural restrictions or site restrictionsfor example, when all access points must be
mounted in a central hallway, placing the access points close together, but requiring coverage out to the edge
of the building.
In these scenarios, you can configure maximum and minimum transmit power limits to override TPC
recommendations. The maximum and minimum TPC power settings apply to all access points through RF
profiles in a RF network.
To set the Maximum Power Level Assignment and Minimum Power Level Assignment, enter the maximum
and minimum transmit power used by RRM in the text boxes in the Tx Power Control page. The range for
these parameters is -10 to 30 dBm. The minimum value cannot be greater than the maximum value; the
maximum value cannot be less than the minimum value.
If you configure a maximum transmit power, RRM does not allow any access point attached to the controller
to exceed this transmit power level (whether the power is set by RRM TPC or by coverage hole detection).
For example, if you configure a maximum transmit power of 11 dBm, then no access point would transmit
above 11 dBm, unless the access point is configured manually.
Configuring Transmit Power Control (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > TPC to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM >
Tx Power Control (TPC) page.
Choose the Transmit Power Control version from the following options:
Interference Optimal Mode (TPCv2)For scenarios where voice calls are extensively used. Transmit power is
dynamically adjusted with the goal of minimum interference. It is suitable for dense networks. In this mode, there
could be higher roaming delays and coverage hole incidents.
Note
We recommend that you use TCPv2 only in cases where RF issues cannot be resolved by using TCPv1.
Please evaluate and test the use of TPCv2 with the assistance of Cisco Services.

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Transmit Power
Coverage Optimal Mode (TPCv1)(Default) Offers strong signal coverage and stability. In this mode, power can
be kept low to gain extra capacity and reduce interference.
Step 3
Choose one of the following options from the Power Level Assignment Method drop-down list to specify the Cisco
WLCs dynamic power assignment mode:
AutomaticCauses the Cisco WLC to periodically evaluate and, if necessary, update the transmit power for all
joined access points. This is the default value.
On DemandCauses the Cisco WLC to periodically evaluate the transmit power for all joined access points.
However, the Cisco WLC updates the power, if necessary, only when you click Invoke Power Update Now.
Note
The Cisco WLC does not evaluate and update the transmit power immediately after you click Invoke
Power Update Now. It waits for the next 600-second interval. This value is not configurable.
FixedPrevents the Cisco WLC from evaluating and, if necessary, updating the transmit power for joined access
points. The power level is set to the fixed value chosen from the drop-down list.
Note
Note
Step 4
The transmit power level is assigned an integer value instead of a value in mW or dBm. The integer
corresponds to a power level that varies depending on the regulatory domain, channel, and antennas in
which the access points are deployed.
For optimal performance, we recommend that you use the Automatic
setting.
Enter the maximum and minimum power level assignment values in the Maximum Power Level Assignment and Minimum
Power Level Assignment text boxes.
The range for the Maximum Power Level Assignment is 10 to 30 dBm.
The range for the Minimum Power Level Assignment is 10 to 30 dBm.
Step 5
In the Power Threshold text box, enter the cutoff signal level used by RRM when determining whether to reduce an
access points power. The default value for this parameter is 70 dBm for TPCv1 and 67 dBm for TPCv2, but can be
changed when access points are transmitting at higher (or lower) than desired power levels.
The range for this parameter is 80 to 50 dBm. Increasing this value (between 65 and 50 dBm) causes the access
points to operate at a higher transmit power. Decreasing the value has the opposite effect.
In applications with a dense population of access points, it may be useful to decrease the threshold to 80 or 75 dBm
to reduce the number of BSSIDs (access points) and beacons seen by the wireless clients. Some wireless clients might
have difficulty processing a large number of BSSIDs or a high beacon rate and might exhibit problematic behavior with
the default threshold.
This page also shows the following nonconfigurable transmit power level parameter settings:
Power Neighbor CountThe minimum number of neighbors an access point must have for the transmit power
control algorithm to run.
Power Assignment LeaderThe MAC address of the RF group leader, which is responsible for power level
assignment.
Last Power Level AssignmentThe last time RRM evaluated the current transmit power level assignments.
Step 6
Click Apply.
Step 7

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Transmit Power
Coverage Hole Detection and Correction

The RRM coverage hole detection algorithm can detect areas of radio coverage in a wireless LAN that are
below the level needed for robust radio performance. This feature can alert you to the need for an additional
(or relocated) lightweight access point.
If clients on a lightweight access point are detected at threshold levels (RSSI, failed client count, percentage
of failed packets, and number of failed packets) lower than those specified in the RRM configuration, the
access point sends a coverage hole alert to the controller. The alert indicates the existence of an area where
clients are continually experiencing poor signal coverage, without having a viable access point to which to
roam. The controller discriminates between coverage holes that can and cannot be corrected. For coverage
holes that can be corrected, the controller mitigates the coverage hole by increasing the transmit power level
for that specific access point. The controller does not mitigate coverage holes caused by clients that are unable
to increase their transmit power or are statically set to a power level because increasing their downstream
transmit power might increase interference in the network.
Configuring Coverage Hole Detection (GUI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11 network as follows:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Global Parameters
page.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > Coverage to open the 802.11a/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM
> Coverage page.
Select the Enable Coverage Hole Detection check box to enable coverage hole detection, or unselect it to disable this
feature. If you enable coverage hole detection, the Cisco WLC automatically determines, based on data received from
the access points, if any access points have clients that are potentially located in areas with poor coverage. The default
value is selected.
In the Data RSSI text box, enter the minimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for data packets received
by the access point. The value that you enter is used to identify coverage holes (or areas of poor coverage) within your
network. If the access point receives a packet in the data queue with an RSSI value below the value that you enter here,
a potential coverage hole has been detected. The valid range is 90 to 60 dBm, and the default value is 80 dBm. The
access point takes data RSSI measurements every 5 seconds and reports them to the Cisco WLC in 90-second intervals.
In the Voice RSSI text box, enter the minimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for voice packets received
by the access point. The value that you enter is used to identify coverage holes within your network. If the access point
receives a packet in the voice queue with an RSSI value below the value that you enter here, a potential coverage hole
has been detected. The valid range is 90 to 60 dBm, and the default value is 75 dBm. The access point takes voice
RSSI measurements every 5 seconds and reports them to the Cisco WLC in 90-second intervals.
In the Min Failed Client Count per AP text box, enter the minimum number of clients on an access point with an RSSI
value at or below the data or voice RSSI threshold. The valid range is 1 to 75, and the default value is 3.
In the Coverage Exception Level per AP text box, enter the percentage of clients on an access point that are experiencing
a low signal level but cannot roam to another access point. The valid range is 0 to 100%, and the default value is 25%.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

370
RF Profiles
Note
If both the number and percentage of failed packets exceed the values configured for Failed Packet Count and
Failed Packet Percentage (configurable through the Cisco WLC CLI) for a 5-second period, the client is considered
to be in a pre-alarm condition. The Cisco WLC uses this information to distinguish between real and false
coverage holes. False positives are generally due to the poor roaming logic implemented on most clients. A
coverage hole is detected if both the number and percentage of failed clients meet or exceed the values entered
in the Min Failed Client Count per AP and Coverage Exception Level per AP text boxes over a 90-second
period. The Cisco WLC determines if the coverage hole can be corrected and, if appropriate, mitigates the
coverage hole by increasing the transmit power level for that specific access point.
Step 8
Click Apply.
Step 9
Reenable the 802.11 network as follows:

page.
b) Select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g/n) Network Status check box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 10
RF Profiles
Prerequisites for Configuring RF Profiles
Once you create an AP group and apply RF profiles or modify an existing AP group, the new settings are in
effect and the following rules become effective:
The same RF profile must be applied and present on every controller of the AP group or the action will
fail for that controller.
You can assign the same RF profile to more than one AP group.
Restrictions for Configuring RF Profiles

Once you create an AP group and apply RF profiles or modify an existing AP group, the new settings
are in effect and the following rules become effective:
AP that has a custom power setting applied for AP power is not in global mode configuration, an
RF profile has no effect on this AP. For RF profiling to work, all APs must have their channel and
power managed by RRM.
Within the AP group, changing the assignment of an RF profile on either band causes the AP to
reboot.
Once you assign an RF profile to an AP group, you cannot make changes to that RF profile. You
must change the AP group RF profile settings to none in order to change the RF profile and then
add it back to the AP group. You can also work around this restriction by disabling the network
that will be affected by the changes that you will be making either for 802.11a or 802.11b.
You cannot delete an AP group that has APs assigned to it.

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RF Profiles
You cannot delete an RF profile that is applied to an AP group.

If you enable Out of Box, save the configuration, and then reboot the CIsco WLC, the status of Out of
Box is changed to disabled. This behavior is observed in Cisco WiSM2, Cisco 5500 Series WLC, and
Cisco 2500 Series WLC. The workaround is to enable Out of Box again after you reboot the Cisco WLC.
Information About RF Profiles

RF Profiles allows you to tune groups of APs that share a common coverage zone together and selectively
change how RRM will operates the APs within that coverage zone.
For example, a university might deploy a high density of APs in an area where a high number of users will
congregate or meet. This situation requires that you manipulate both data rates and power to address the cell
density while managing the co-channel interference. In adjacent areas, normal coverage is provided and such
manipulation would result in a loss of coverage.
Using RF profiles and AP groups allows you to optimize the RF settings for AP groups that operate in different
environments or coverage zones. RF profiles are created for the 802.11 radios. RF profiles are applied to all
APs that belong to an AP group, where all APs in that group will have the same profile settings.
The RF profile gives you the control over the data rates and power (TPC) values.
Note
The application of an RF profile does not change the APs status in RRM. It is still in global configuration
mode controlled by RRM.
To address high-density complex RF topologies, the following configurations are available:
High Density ConfigurationsThe following configurations are available to fine tune RF environments
in a dense wireless network:
Client limit per WLAN or radioMaximum number of clients that can communicate with the AP
in a high-density environment.
Client trap thresholdThreshold value of the number of clients that associate with an access point,
after which an SNMP trap is sent to the controller and Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
Stadium Vision ConfigurationsYou can configure the following parameter:
Multicast data ratesConfigurable data rate for multicast traffic based on the RF condition of an
AP.
Out-of-Box AP ConfigurationsTo create an Out-of-Box AP group that consists of newly installed
access points that belong to the default AP group. When you enable this feature:
Newly installed access points (assigned to the 'default-group' AP group by default) are automatically
assigned to the Out-of-Box AP group upon associating with the controller, and their radios are
administratively disabled. This eliminates any RF instability caused by the new access points.
When Out-of-Box is enabled, default-group APs currently associated with the controller remain
in the default group until they reassociate with the controller.

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RF Profiles
All default-group APs that subsequently associate with the controller (existing APs on the same
controller that have dropped and reassociated, or APs from another controller) are placed in the
Out-of-Box AP group.
Note
When removing APs from the Out-of-Box AP group for production use, we recommend
that you assign the APs to a custom AP group to prevent inadvertently having them
revert to the Out-of-Box AP group.
Special RF profiles are created per 802.11 band. These RF profiles have default settings for all the
existing RF parameters and additional new configurations.
Note
When you disable this feature after you enable it, only subscription of new APs to the
Out of Box AP group stops. All APs that are subscribed to the Out of Box AP Group
remain in this AP group. The network administrators can move such APs to the default
group or a custom AP group upon network convergence.
Band Select Configurations Band Select addresses client distribution between the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz
bands by first understanding the client capabilities to verify whether a client can associate on both
2.4-GHz and 5-GHz spectrum. Enabling band select on a WLAN forces the AP to do probe suppression
on the 2.4-GHz band that ultimately moves dual band clients to 5-GHz spectrum. You can configure
the following band select parameters per AP Group:
Probe responseProbe responses to clients that you can enable or disable.
Probe Cycle CountProbe cycle count for the RF profile. The cycle count sets the number of
suppression cycles for a new client.
Cycle ThresholdTime threshold for a new scanning RF Profile band select cycle period. This
setting determines the time threshold during which new probe requests from a client come in a
new scanning cycle.
Suppression ExpireExpiration time for pruning previously known 802.11b/g clients. After this
time elapses, clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
Dual Band ExpireExpiration time for pruning previously known dual-band clients. After this
time elapses, clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
Client RSSIMinimum RSSI for a client to respond to a probe.
Load Balancing ConfigurationsLoad balancing maintains fair distribution of clients across APs. You
can configure the following parameters:
WindowLoad balancing sets client association limits by enforcing a client window size. For
example, if the window size is defined as 3, assuming fair client distribution across the floor area,
then an AP should have no more than 3 clients associated with it than the group average.
DenialThe denial count sets the maximum number of association denials during load balancing.
Coverage Hole Mitigation ConfigurationsYou can configure the following parameters:

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RF Profiles
Data RSSIMinimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for data packets received
by the access point. The value that you enter is used to identify coverage holes (or areas of poor
coverage) within your network.
Voice RSSIMinimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for voice packets received
by the access point.
Coverage ExceptionMinimum number of clients on an access point with an RSSI value at or
below the data or voice RSSI threshold to trigger a coverage hole exception.
Coverage LevelPercentage of clients on an access point that are experiencing a low signal level
but cannot roam to another access point. If an access point has more number of such clients than
the configured coverage level it triggers a coverage hole event.
DCAYou can configure the following DCA parameters:
Avoid foreign AP interferenceDCA algorithm bases its optimization on multiple sets of inputs,
which include detected traffic and interference from foreign 802.11 traffic access points. Each
access point periodically measures interference, noise level, foreign interference, and load and
maintains a list of neighbor APs. Foreign AP interference is that which is received from 802.11
non-neighbors (i.e. 802.11 APs which are not in the same RF domain for instance a foreign
802.11 network). This interference is measured using the same mechanism as the noise level.
Due to being out of the reach of the radio resource management module of the current deployment,
such APs may be disruptive for RRM and hence the user is able to unselect their contribution to
DCA in an RF profile to disable this feature.
Channel widthYou can choose one of the following channel width options to specify the channel
bandwidth supported for all 802.11n and 802.11ac radios in the 5-GHz band:
20 MHzThe 20-MHz channel bandwidth (default)
Note
The maximum bandwidth allowed for the 2.4-GHz band is 20MHz.

DCA channel listYou can choose a channel set used by DCA to assign one of the channels to
an access point radio. The channel set selected for an RF profile must be a subset of the DCA
global channel list. The available channels are preselected based on the globally configured countries.
DCA compares the metrics measured on these channels and selects the most suitable channel. If
the bandwidth is larger than 20 MHz, channel bonding takes place in sequential channels. For
example, if the bandwidth is 40 MHz, the selected pair is 36 MHz and 40 MHz. For a higher
bandwidth such as 80-MHz, the bandwidths selected are 36, 40, 44, and 48 MHz.
Auto switch-over on Radar detectionWith the enhancements made in DFS architecture, radar
trigger on the serving channel AP will move to a new best channel that is conformed by RRM
Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) list. The channel width applied to such AP will also follow
respective DCA channel width settings configured globally or under RF Profiles (if configured).
Trap thresholdsThe profile threshold for the traps can be configured for the specific AP groups
based on the RF profiles.

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RF Profiles
Configuring an RF Profile (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Choose Wireless > RF Profiles to open the RF profiles page.

To configure the out-of-box status for all RF profiles, select or unselect the Enable Out Of Box check box.
Click New.
Enter the RF Profile Name and choose the radio band.
Click Apply to configure the customizations of power and data rate parameters.
In the General tab, enter the description for the RF profile in the Description text box.
In the 802.11 tab, configure the data rates to be applied to the APs of this profile.
In the RRM tab, do the following:
a) In the TPC area, configure the Maximum and Minimum Power Level Assignment, that is the maximum and minimum
power that the APs in this RF profile are allowed to use.
b) In the TPC area, configure a custom TPC power threshold for either Version1 or Version 2 of TPC.
Note
Only one version of TPC can be operable for RRM on a given controller Version 1 and Version 2 are not
interoperable within the same RF profile. If you select a threshold value for TPCv2 and it is not in the chosen
TPC algorithm for the RF profile, this value will be ignored.
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
In the Coverage Hole Detection area, configure the voice and data RSSI.
In the Coverage Exception text box, enter the number for clients.
In the Coverage Level text box, enter the percentage.
In the Profile threshold for Traps area, enter the interference percentage, number of clients, noise level, and utilization
percentage.
In the DCA area, select the Avoid Foreign AP interference Enabled check box to avoid foreign AP interference.
In the High-Speed Roam area, select the HSR mode Enabled check box to optimize high-speed roaming.
In the High-Speed Roam area, enter the neighbor timeout factor.
In the DCA area, choose one of the following channel width options to specify the channel bandwidth supported for
all 802.11n and 802.11 ac radios in the 5-GHz band:
20 MHzThe 20-MHz channel bandwidth (default)
k) In the DCA area, the DCA Channels text box shows the channels that are currently selected. To choose a channel,
select its check box in the Select column. To exclude a channel, unselect its check box. The channel numbers listed
are applicable only for that particular RF profile.
The ranges are as follows:
802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165, 190,
196
802.11b/g1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
The defaults are as follows:
802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161

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802.11b/g1, 6, 11
If you are upgrading from a release earlier than Release 8.0, verify that these channels are included in the
DCA channel list.
In the High Density tab, do the following:
a) In the High Density Parameters area, enter the maximum number of clients to be allowed per AP radio and the client
trap threshold value.
b) In the Multicast Parameters area, choose the data rates from the Multicast Data Rates drop-down list.
Note
Step 9
Step 10
In the Client Distribution tab, do the following:

a) In the Load Balancing area, enter the client window size and the denial count.
The window size becomes part of the algorithm that determines whether an access point is too heavily loaded to
accept more client associations:
load-balancing window + client associations on AP with the lightest load = load-balancing threshold
In the group of access points accessible to a client device, each access point has a different number of client associations.
The access point with the lowest number of clients has the lightest load. The client window size plus the number of
clients on the access point with the lightest load forms the threshold. Access points with more client associations
than this threshold is considered busy, and clients can associate only to access points with client counts lower than
the threshold.
The denial count sets the maximum number of association denials during load balancing.
b) In the Band Select area, select or unselect the Probe Response check box.
Note
The Band Select configurations are available only for the 802.11b/g RF profiles.
c) In the Cycle Count text box, enter a value that sets the number of suppression cycles for a new client. The default
count is 2.
d) In the Cycle Threshold text box, enter a time period in milliseconds that determines the time threshold during which
new probe requests from a client from a new scanning cycle. The default cycle threshold is 200 milliseconds.
e) In the Suppression Expire text box, enter a time period after which the 802.11 b/g clients become new and are subject
to probe response suppression.
f) In the Dual Band Expire text box, enter a time period after which the dual band clients become new and are subject
to probe response suppression.
g) In the Client RSSI text box, enter the minimum RSSI for a client to respond to a probe.
Step 11
Step 12

Configuring an RF Profile (CLI)
Step 1
To configure the out-of-box status for all RF profiles, enter this command:
config rf-profile out-of-box {enable | disable}
Step 2
To create or delete an RF profile, enter this command:

config rf-profile {create {802.11a | 802.11b} | delete} profile-name

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Step 3
To specify a description for the RF profile, enter this command:

config rf-profile description text profile-name
Step 4
To configure the data rates to be applied to the APs of this profile, enter this command:
config rf-profile data-rates {802.11a | 802.11b} {disabled | mandatory | supported} rate profile-name
Step 5
To configure the maximum and minimum power level assignment, that is the maximum and minimum power that the
APs in this RF profile are allowed to use, enter this command:
config rf-profile {tx-power-max | tx-power-min} power-value profile-name
Step 6
To configure a custom TPC power threshold for either Version1 or Version 2 of TPC, enter this command:
config rf-profile {tx-power-control-thresh-v1 | tx-power-control-thresh-v2} power-threshold profile-name
Step 7
To configure the coverage hole detection parameters:

a) To configure the coverage data, enter this command:
config rf-profile coverage data value-in-dBm profile-name
b) To configure the minimum client coverage exception level, enter this command:
config rf-profile coverage exception clients profile-name
c) To configure the coverage exception level percentage, enter this command:
config rf-profile coverage level percentage-value profile-name
d) To configure the coverage of voice, enter this command:
config rf-profile coverage voice value-in-dBm profile-name
Step 8
To configure the maximum number of clients to be allowed per AP radio, enter this command:
config rf-profile max-clients num-of-clients profile-name
Step 9
To configure the client trap threshold value, enter this command:

config rf-profile client-trap-threshold threshold-value profile-name
Step 10
To configure multicast, enter this command:

config rf-profile multicast data-rate rate profile-name
Step 11
To configure load balancing, enter this command:

config rf-profile load-balancing {window num-of-clients | denial value} profile-name
Step 12
To configure band select:

a) To configure the band select cycle count, enter this command:
config rf-profile band-select cycle-count max-num-of-cycles profile-name
b) To configure the cycle threshold, enter this command:
config rf-profile band-select cycle-threshold time-in-milliseconds profile-name
c) To configure the expiry of the band select, enter this command:
config rf-profile band-select expire {dual-band | suppression} time-in-seconds profile-name
d) To configure the probe response, enter this command:
config rf-profile band-select probe-response {enable | disable} profile-name
e) To configure the minimum RSSI for a client to respond to a probe, enter this command:
config rf-profile band-select client-rssi value-in-dBm profile-name
Step 13
Configure the 802.11n only mode for an access point group base by entering this command:

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config rf-profile 11n-client-only {enable | disable} rf-profile-name

In the 802.11n only mode, the access point broadcasts support for 802.11n speeds. Only 802.11n clients are allowed to
associate with the access point
Step 14
To configure the DCA parameters for an RF profile:

To configure foreign AP interference, enter this command:
config rf-profile channel foreign { enable | disable } profile-name
To configure channel width, enter this command:
config rf-profile channel foreign { enable | disable } profile-name
To configure a DCA channel list, enter this command:
config rf-profile channel { add | delete } chan profile_name
To configure trap threshold, enter this command:
config rf-profile trap-threshold { clients | interference | noise | utilization } profile-name
clientsThe number of clients on an access point's radio for the trap is between 1 and 200. The default is
12.
interferenceThe percentage of interference threshold for the trap is from 0 to 100 percent. The default is
10 percent.
noiseThe noise threshold for the trap is from -127 to 0 dBm. The default is -17 dBm.
utilizationThe percentage of bandwidth being used by an access-point threshold for the trap is from 0 to
100 percent. The default is 80 percent.
Applying an RF Profile to AP Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose WLANs > Advanced > AP Groups to open the AP Groups page.
Click the AP Group Name to open the AP Group > Edit page.
Click the RF Profile tab to configure the RF profile details. You can choose an RF profile for each band (802.11a/802.11b)
or you can choose just one or none to apply to this group.
Note
Until you choose the APs and add them to the new group, no configurations are applied. You can save the new
configuration as is, but no profiles are applied. Once you choose the APs to move the AP group, the process of
moving the APs into the new group reboots the APs and the configurations for the RF profiles are applied to
the APs in that AP group.
Click the APs tab and choose the APs to add to the AP group.
Click Add APs to add the selected APs to the AP group. A warning message displays that the AP group will reboot the
APs will rejoin the controller.
Note
APs cannot belong to two AP groups at
once.
Click Apply. The APs are added to the AP Group.

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Applying RF Profiles to AP Groups (CLI)

What to Do Next
Use this command to apply RF profiles to AP groups:
config wlan apgroup profile-mapping {add | delete} ap-group-name rf-profile-name

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CHAPTER
25
Wireless Quality of Service

CleanAir, page 381
Media and EDCA, page 399
Call Admission Control, page 410
Application Visibility and Control, page 429
NetFlow, page 439
QoS Profiles, page 442
CleanAir
Information About CleanAir
Cisco CleanAir is a spectrum intelligence solution designed to proactively manage the challenges of a shared
wireless spectrum. It allows you to see all of the users of the shared spectrum (both native devices and foreign
interferers). It also enables you or your network to act upon this information. For example, you could manually
remove the interfering device, or the system could automatically change the channel away from the interference.
CleanAir provides spectrum management and RF visibility.
A Cisco CleanAir system consists of CleanAir-enabled access points, Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers, and
Cisco Prime Infrastructure. These access points collect information about all devices that operate in the
industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands, identify and evaluate the information as a potential interference
source, and forward it to the Cisco WLC. The Cisco WLC controls the access points, collects spectrum data,
and forwards information to Cisco Prime Infrastructure or a Cisco mobility services engine (MSE) upon
request.
For every device operating in the unlicensed band, Cisco CleanAir tells you what it is, where it is, how it is
impacting your wireless network, and what actions you or your network should take. It simplifies RF so that
you do not have to be an RF expert.
Wireless LAN systems operate in unlicensed 2.4- and 5-GHz ISM bands. Many devices, such as microwave
ovens, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices also operate in these bands and can negatively affect Wi-Fi
operations.
Some of the most advanced WLAN services, such as voice over wireless and IEEE 802.11n radio
communications, could be significantly impaired by the interference caused by other legal users of the ISM

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CleanAir
bands. The integration of Cisco CleanAir functionality into the Cisco Unified Wireless Network addresses
this problem of radio frequency (RF) interference.
CleanAir is supported on mesh AP backhaul at a 5-GHz radio of mesh. You can enable CleanAir on backhaul
radios and can provide report interference details and air quality.
Role of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller in a Cisco CleanAir System

The Cisco WLC performs the following tasks in a Cisco CleanAir system:
Configures Cisco CleanAir capabilities on the access point.
Provides interfaces (GUI, CLI, and SNMP) for configuring Cisco CleanAir features and retrieving data
Displays spectrum data.
Collects and processes air quality reports from the access point and stores them in the air quality database.
The Air Quality Report (AQR) contains information about the total interference from all identified
sources represented by the Air Quality Index (AQI) and summary for the most severe interference
categories. The CleanAir system can also include unclassified interference information under per
interference type reports, which enables you to take action in cases where the interference due to
unclassified interfering devices is more.
Collects and processes interference device reports (IDRs) from the access point and stores them in the
interference device database.
Forwards spectrum data to Prime Infrastructure and the MSE.
Interference Types that Cisco CleanAir Can Detect

Cisco CleanAir can detect interference, report on the location and severity of the interference, and recommend
different mitigation strategies. Two such mitigation strategies are persistent device avoidance and spectrum
event-driven RRM.
Wi-Fi chip-based RF management systems share these characteristics:
Any RF energy that cannot be identified as a Wi-Fi signal is reported as noise.
Noise measurements that are used to assign a channel plan tend to be averaged over a period of time to
avoid instability or rapid changes that can be disruptive to certain client devices.
Averaging measurements reduces the resolution of the measurement. As such, a signal that disrupts
clients might not look like it needs to be mitigated after averaging.
All RF management systems available today are reactive in nature.
Cisco CleanAir is different and can positively identify not only the source of the noise but also its location
and potential impact to a WLAN. Having this information allows you to consider the noise within the context
of the network and make intelligent and, where possible, proactive decisions. For CleanAir, two types of
interference events are common:
Persistent interference
Spontaneous interference
Persistent interference events are created by devices that are stationary in nature and have intermittent but
largely repeatable patterns of interference. For example, consider the case of a microwave oven located in a

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break room. Such a device might be active for only 1 or 2 minutes at a time. When operating, however, it can
be disruptive to the performance of the wireless network and associated clients. Using Cisco CleanAir, you
can positively identify the device as a microwave oven rather than indiscriminate noise. You can also determine
exactly which part of the band is affected by the device, and because you can locate it, you can understand
which access points are most severely affected. You can then use this information to direct RRM in selecting
a channel plan that avoids this source of interference for the access points within its range. Because this
interference is not active for a large portion of the day, existing RF management applications might attempt
to again change the channels of the affected access points. Persistent device avoidance is unique, however,
in that it remains in effect as long as the source of interference is periodically detected to refresh the persistent
status. The Cisco CleanAir system knows that the microwave oven exists and includes it in all future planning.
If you move either the microwave oven or the surrounding access points, the algorithm updates RRM
automatically.
Note
Spectrum event-driven RRM can be triggered only by Cisco CleanAir-enabled access points in local mode.
Spontaneous interference is interference that appears suddenly on a network, perhaps jamming a channel or
a range of channels completely. The Cisco CleanAir spectrum event-driven RRM feature allows you to set a
threshold for air quality (AQ) that, if exceeded, triggers an immediate channel change for the affected access
point. Most RF management systems can avoid interference, but this information takes time to propagate
through the system. Cisco CleanAir relies on AQ measurements to continuously evaluate the spectrum and
can trigger a move within 30 seconds. For example, if an access point detects interference from a video camera,
it can recover by changing channels within 30 seconds of the camera becoming active. Cisco CleanAir also
identifies and locates the source of interference so that more permanent mitigation of the device can be
performed at a later time.
In the case of Bluetooth devices, Cisco CleanAir-enabled access points can detect and report interferences
only if the devices are actively transmitting. Bluetooth devices have extensive power save modes. For example,
interference can be detected when data or voice is being streamed between the connected devices.
Persistent Devices
Some interference devices such as outdoor bridges and Microwave Ovens only transmit when needed. These
devices can cause significant interference to the local WLAN due to short duration and periodic operation
remain largely undetected by normal RF management metrics. With CleanAir the RRM DCA algorithm can
detect, measure, register and remember the impact and adjust the DCA algorithm. This minimizes the use of
channels affected by the persistent devices in the channel plan local to the interference source. Cisco CleanAir
detects and stores the persistent device information in the Cisco WLC and this information is used to mitigate
interfering channels.
Persistent Devices Detection
CleanAir-capable Monitor Mode access point collects information about persistent devices on all configured
channels and stores the information in the Cisco WLC. Local/Bridge mode AP detects interference devices
on the serving channels only.
Persistent Devices Propagation
Persistent device information that is detected by local or monitor mode access points is propagated to the
neighboring access points connected to the same Cisco WLC to provide better chance of handling and avoiding
persistent devices. Persistent device detected by the CleanAir-enabled access point is propagated to neighboring
non-CleanAir access points, thus enhancing channel selection quality.

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CleanAir
Detecting Interferers by an Access Point

When a CleanAir-enabled access point detects interference devices, detections of the same device from multiple
sensors are merged together to create clusters. Each cluster is given a unique ID. Some devices conserve
power by limiting the transmit time until actually needed which results in the spectrum sensor to temporarily
stop detecting the device. This device is then correctly marked as down. A down device is correctly removed
from the spectrum database. In cases when all the interferer detections for a specific devices are reported, the
cluster ID is kept alive for an extended period of time to prevent possible device detection bouncing. If the
same device is detected again, it is merged with the original cluster ID and the device detection history is
preserved.
For example, some bluetooth headsets operate on battery power. These devices employ methods to reduce
power consumption, such as turning off the transmitter when not actually needed. Such devices can appear
to come and go from the classification. To manage these devices, CleanAir keeps the cluster IDs longer and
they are remerged into a single record upon detection. This process smoothens the user records and accurately
represents the device history.
Prerequisites for CleanAir

You can configure Cisco CleanAir only on CleanAir-enabled access points.
Only Cisco CleanAir-enabled access points using the following access point modes can perform Cisco CleanAir
spectrum monitoring:
LocalIn this mode, each Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point radio provides air quality and interference
detection reports for the current operating channel only.
FlexConnectWhen a FlexConnect access point is connected to the controller, its Cisco CleanAir
functionality is identical to local mode.
MonitorWhen Cisco CleanAir is enabled in monitor mode, the access point provides air quality and
interference detection reports for all monitored channels.
The following options are available:
All All channels
DCAChannel selection governed by the DCA list
CountryAll channel legal within a regulatory domain
Note
Suppose you have two APs, one in the FlexConnect mode and the other in the monitor
mode. Also suppose that you have created a profile enabling EAP attack against 802.1x
auth. The Airmagnet (AM) tool, which can generate different types of attacks, fails to
generate any attack even if you have provided valid AP MAC and STA MAC addresses.
But if the AP MAC and STA MAC addresses in the AM tool are swapped, that is, the
AP MAC address is specified in the STA MAC field and the STA MAC address is
specified in the AP MAC field, then the tool is able to generate attacks, which the AP
in the Monitor mode is also able to detect.
Note
The access point does not participate in AQ HeatMap in Prime Infrastructure.

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SE-ConnectThis mode enables a user to connect a Spectrum Expert application running on an external
Microsoft Windows XP or Vista PC to a Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point in order to display and
analyze detailed spectrum data. The Spectrum Expert application connects directly to the access point,
bypassing the controller. An access point in SE-Connect mode does not provide any Wi-Fi, RF, or
spectrum data to the controller. All CleanAir system functionality is suspended while the AP is in this
mode, and no clients are served. This mode is intended for remote troubleshooting only. Up to three
active Spectrum Expert connections are possible.
Restrictions for CleanAir

Access points in monitor mode do not transmit Wi-Fi traffic or 802.11 packets. They are excluded from
radio resource management (RRM) planning and are not included in the neighbor access point list. IDR
clustering depends on the controllers ability to detect neighboring in-network access points. Correlating
interference device detections from multiple access points is limited between monitor-mode access
points.
Spectrum Expert (SE) Connect functionality is supported for local, FlexConnect, bridge, and monitor
modes. The access point provides spectrum information to Spectrum Expert only for the current channel(s).
For local, FlexConnect, and bridge modes, the spectrum data is available for the current active channel(s)
and for the monitor mode, the common monitored channel list is available. The access point continues
to send AQ (Air Quality) and IDR (Interference Device Reports) reports to the controller and perform
normal activities according to the current mode. Sniffer and rogue detections access point modes are
incompatible with all types of CleanAir spectrum monitoring.
Cisco recommends a ratio of 1 monitor mode access point for every 5 local mode access points, this
may also vary based on the network design and expert guidance for best coverage.
Do not connect access points in SE connect mode directly to any physical port on Cisco 2500 Series
Cisco WLCs.
Spectrum Expert (Windows XP laptop client) and AP should be pingable, otherwise; it will not work.
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Controller

Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > CleanAir to open the 802.11a (or 802.11b) > CleanAir page.
Select the CleanAir check box to enable Cisco CleanAir functionality on the 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n network, or
unselect it to prevent the Cisco WLC from detecting spectrum interference. By default, the value is not selected.
Select the Report Interferers check box to enable the Cisco CleanAir system to report any detected sources of interference,
or unselect it to prevent the Cisco WLC from reporting interferers. The default value is selected.
Note
Device Security alarms, Event Driven RRM, and the Persistence Device Avoidance algorithm do not work if
Report Interferers are disabled.
Select the Persistent Device Propagation check box to enable propagation of information about persistent devices that
can be detected by CleanAir. Persistent device propagation enables you to propagate information about persistent devices

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CleanAir
Step 5
to the neighboring access points connected to the same Cisco WLC. Persistent interferers are present at the location and
interfere with the WLAN operations even if they are not detectable at all times.
Ensure that any sources of interference that need to be detected and reported by the Cisco CleanAir system appear in the
Interferences to Detect box and any that do not need to be detected appear in the Interferences to Ignore box. Use the >
and < buttons to move interference sources between these two boxes. By default, all interference sources are detected.
The possible sources of interference that you can choose are as follows:
Bluetooth Paging InquiryA Bluetooth discovery (802.11b/g/n only)
Bluetooth Sco AclA Bluetooth link (802.11b/g/n only)
Generic DECTA digital enhanced cordless communication (DECT)-compatible phone
Generic TDDA time division duplex (TDD) transmitter
Generic WaveformA continuous transmitter
JammerA jamming device
MicrowaveA microwave oven (802.11b/g/n only)
CanopyA canopy bridge device
Spectrum 802.11 FHAn 802.11 frequency-hopping device (802.11b/g/n only)
Spectrum 802.11 invertedA device using spectrally inverted Wi-Fi signals
Spectrum 802.11 non std channelA device using nonstandard Wi-Fi channels
Spectrum 802.11 SuperGAn 802.11 SuperAG device
Spectrum 802.15.4An 802.15.4 device (802.11b/g/n only)
Video CameraAn analog video camera
WiMAX FixedA WiMAX fixed device (802.11a/n/ac only)
WiMAX MobileA WiMAX mobile device (802.11a/n/ac only)
XBoxA Microsoft Xbox (802.11b/g/n only)
Access points that are associated to the Cisco WLC send interference reports only for the interferers that appear
in the Interferences to Detect box. This functionality allows you to filter out interferers that you do not want as
well as any that may be flooding the network and causing performance problems for the Cisco WLC or Prime
Infrastructure. Filtering allows the system to resume normal performance levels.
Configure Cisco CleanAir alarms as follows:
a) Select the Enable AQI (Air Quality Index) Trap check box to enable the triggering of air quality alarms, or unselect
the box to disable this feature. The default value is selected.
b) If you selected the Enable AQI Trap check box in Step a, enter a value between 1 and 100 (inclusive) in the AQI
Alarm Threshold text box to specify the threshold at which you want the air quality alarm to be triggered. When the
air quality falls below the threshold level, the alarm is triggered. A value of 1 represents the worst air quality, and
100 represents the best. The default value is 35.
c) Enter the AQI Alarm Threshold (1 to 100) that you want to set. An alarm is generated when the air quality reaches
a threshold value. The default is 35. Valid range is from 1 and 100.
d) Select the Enable trap for Unclassified Interferences check box to enable the AQI alarm to be generated upon
detection of unclassified interference beyond the severity threshond specified in the AQI Alarm Threshold.
Note
Step 6

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CleanAir
Unclassified interferences are interferences that are detected but do not correspond to any of the identifiable interference
types.
e) Enter the Threshold for Unclassified category trap (1 to 99). Enter a value from 1 and 99. The default is 20. This
is the severity index threshold for an unclassified interference category.
f) Select the Enable Interference Type Trap check box to trigger interferer alarms when the Cisco WLC detects
specified device types, or unselect it to disable this feature. The default value is selected
g) Make sure that any sources of interference that need to trigger interferer alarms appear in the Trap on These Types
box and any that do not need to trigger interferer alarms appear in the Do Not Trap on These Types box. Use the >
and < buttons to move interference sources between these two boxes. By default, all interference sources trigger
interferer alarms.
For example, if you want the Cisco WLC to send an alarm when it detects a jamming device, select the Enable
Interference Type Trap check box and move the jamming device to the Trap on These Types box.
Step 7
Click Apply.
Trigger spectrum event-driven radio resource management (RRM) to run when a Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point
detects a significant level of interference as follows:
a) Look at the EDRRM field to see the current status of spectrum event-driven RRM and, if enabled, the Sensitivity
Threshold field to see the threshold level at which event-driven RRM is invoked.
b) If you want to change the current status of event-driven RRM or the sensitivity level, click Change Settings. The
802.11a (or 802.11b) > RRM > Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) page appears.
c) Select the EDRRM check box to trigger RRM to run when an access point detects a certain level of interference, or
unselect it to disable this feature. The default value is selected.
d) If you selected the EDRRM check box in Step c, choose Low, Medium, High, or Custom from the Sensitivity
Threshold drop-down list to specify the threshold at which you want RRM to be triggered. When the interference
for the access point rises above the threshold level, RRM initiates a local dynamic channel assignment (DCA) run
and changes the channel of the affected access point radio if possible to improve network performance. Low represents
a decreased sensitivity to changes in the environment while High represents an increased sensitivity
If you selected the EDRRM sensitivity threshold as custom, you must set a threshold value in the Custom Sensitivity
Threshold field. The default sensitivity is 35.
Step 8
The EDRRM AQ threshold value for low sensitivity is 35, medium sensitivity is 50, and high sensitivity is 60.
e) To configure rogue duty cycle, select the Rogue Contribution check box and then specify the Rogue Duty-Cycle
in percentage value. The default value of Rogue Duty-Cycle is 80%.
f) Click Apply.
Step 9
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (CLI)
Step 1
Configure Cisco CleanAir functionality on the 802.11 network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair {enable | disable} all
If you disable this feature, the Cisco WLC does not receive any spectrum data. The default value is enable.
Step 2
Enable CleanAir on all associated access points in a network:

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CleanAir
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair enable network

You can enable CleanAir on a 5-GHz radio of mesh access points.
Step 3
Configure interference detection and specify sources of interference that need to be detected by the Cisco CleanAir
system by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair device {enable | disable} type
where you choose the type as one of the following:
802.11-fhAn 802.11 frequency-hopping device (802.11b/g/n only)
802.11-invA device using spectrally inverted Wi-Fi signals
802.11-nonstdA device using nonstandard Wi-Fi channels
802.15.4An 802.15.4 device (802.11b/g/n only)
allAll interference device types (this is the default value)
bt-discoveryA bluetooth discovery (802.11b/g/n only)
bt-linkA bluetooth link (802.11b/g/n only)
canopyA canopy device
cont-txA continuous transmitter
dect-likeA digital enhanced cordless communication (DECT)-compatible phone
jammerA jamming device
mw-ovenA microwave oven (802.11b/g/n only)
superagAn 802.11 SuperAG device
tdd-txA time division duplex (TDD) transmitter
video cameraAn analog video camera
wimax-fixedA WiMAX fixed device
wimax-mobileA WiMAX mobile device
xboxA Microsoft Xbox (802.11b/g/n only)
Access points that are associated to the Cisco WLC send interference reports only for the interference types
specified in this command. This functionality allows you to filter out interferers that may be flooding the network
and causing performance problems for the Cisco WLC or Prime Infrastructure. Filtering allows the system to
resume normal performance levels.
Configure the triggering of air quality alarms by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm air-quality {enable | disable}
Note
Step 4

Step 5
Specify the threshold at which you want the air quality alarm to be triggered by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm air-quality threshold threshold
where threshold is a value between 1 and 100 (inclusive). When the air quality falls below the threshold level, the alarm
is triggered. A value of 1 represents the worst air quality, and 100 represents the best. The default value is 35.

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CleanAir
Step 6
Enable the triggering of interferer alarms by entering this command:

config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm device {enable | disable}
Step 7
Specify sources of interference that trigger alarms by entering this command:

config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm device type {enable | disable} where you choose the type as one of the
following:
bt-discoveryA Bluetooth discovery (802.11b/g/n only)
bt-linkA Bluetooth link (802.11b/g/n only)
canopyA canopy device
Step 8
Configure the triggering of air quality alarms for unclassified devices by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm unclassified {enable | disable}
Step 9
Specify the threshold at which you want the air quality alarm to be triggered for unclassified devices by entering this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair alarm unclassified threshold threshold
where threshold is a value from 1 and 99 (inclusive). When the air quality falls below the threshold level, the alarm is
triggered. A value of 1 represents the worst air quality, and 100 represents the best. The default value is 35.
Step 10
Trigger spectrum event-driven radio resource management (RRM) to run when a Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point
detects a significant level of interference by entering these commands:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event {enable | disable}Enables or disables spectrum
event-driven RRM. The default value is disabled.

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config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event sensitivity {low | medium | high | custom}Specifies
the threshold at which you want RRM to be triggered. When the interference level for the access point rises above the
threshold level, RRM initiates a local dynamic channel assignment (DCA) run and changes the channel of the affected
access point radio if possible to improve network performance. Low represents a decreased sensitivity to changes in the
environment while high represents an increased sensitivity. You can also set the sensitivity to a custom level of your
choice. The default value is medium.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event sensitivity threshold thresholdvalueIf you set the
threshold sensitivity as custom, you must set a custom threshold value. The default is 35.
Step 11
Configure and monitor Interference Awareness by entering the following commands:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event {enable | disable}
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event rogue-contribution {enable | disable}
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel cleanair-event rogue-contribution duty-cycle value
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair config
debug airewave-director profile enable
debug airewave-director channel enable
Step 12
Enable persistent devices propagation by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel pda-prop {enable | disable}
Step 13

save config
Step 14
See the Cisco CleanAir configuration for the 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n network by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair config
(Cisco Controller) >show 802.11a cleanair config
Clean Air Solution............................... Disabled
Air Quality Settings:
Air Quality Reporting........................ Enabled
Air Quality Reporting Period (min)........... 15
Air Quality Alarms........................... Enabled
Air Quality Alarm Threshold................ 35
Unclassified Interference.................. Disabled
Unclassified Severity Threshold............ 20
Interference Device Settings:
Interference Device Reporting................ Enabled
Interference Device Types:
TDD Transmitter.......................... Enabled
Jammer................................... Enabled
Continuous Transmitter................... Enabled
DECT-like Phone.......................... Enabled
Video Camera............................. Enabled
WiFi Inverted............................ Enabled
WiFi Invalid Channel..................... Enabled
SuperAG.................................. Enabled
Canopy................................... Enabled
WiMax Mobile............................. Enabled
WiMax Fixed.............................. Enabled
Interference Device Alarms................... Enabled
Interference Device Types Triggering Alarms:
TDD Transmitter.......................... Disabled
Jammer................................... Enabled

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Continuous Transmitter...................
DECT-like Phone..........................
Video Camera.............................
WiFi Inverted............................
WiFi Invalid Channel.....................
SuperAG..................................
Canopy...................................
WiMax Mobile.............................
WiMax Fixed..............................
Additional Clean Air Settings:
CleanAir ED-RRM State........................
CleanAir ED-RRM Sensitivity..................
CleanAir ED-RRM Custom Threshold.............
CleanAir Persistent Devices state............
CleanAir Persistent Device Propagation.......
Step 15
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Medium
50
Disabled
Enabled
See the spectrum event-driven RRM configuration for the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network by entering this command:
show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} channel
Automatic Channel Assignment
Channel Assignment Mode........................ AUTO
Channel Update Interval........................ 600 seconds [startup]
Anchor time (Hour of the day).................. 0
Channel Update Contribution.................... SNI
CleanAir Event-driven RRM option.............. Enabled
CleanAir Event-driven RRM sensitivity...... Medium
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point

Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and click Configure. The 802.11a/n/ac
(or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page appears.
The CleanAir Capable field shows whether this access point can support CleanAir functionality. If it can, go to the next
step to enable or disable CleanAir for this access point. If the access point cannot support CleanAir functionality, you
cannot enable CleanAir for this access point.
By default, the Cisco CleanAir functionality is enabled on the
radios.
Enable Cisco CleanAir functionality for this access point by choosing Enable from the CleanAir Status drop-down list.
To disable CleanAir functionality for this access point, choose Disable. The default value is Enable. This setting overrides
the global CleanAir configuration for this access point.
The Number of Spectrum Expert Connections text box shows the number of Spectrum Expert applications that are
currently connected to the access point radio. Up to three active connections are possible.
Note
Step 3

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Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply.
Click Back to return to the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Radios page.
View the Cisco CleanAir status for each access point radio by looking at the CleanAir Status text box on the 802.11a/n/ac
(or 802.11b/g/n) Radios page.
The Cisco CleanAir status is one of the following:
UPThe spectrum sensor for the access point radio is currently operational (error code 0).
DOWNThe spectrum sensor for the access point radio is currently not operational because an error has occurred.
The most likely reason for the error is that the access point radio is disabled (error code 8). To correct this error,
enable the radio.
ERRORThe spectrum sensor for the access point radio has crashed (error code 128), making CleanAir monitoring
nonoperational for this radio. If this error occurs, reboot the access point. If the error continues to appear, you might
want to disable Cisco CleanAir functionality on the radio.
N/AThis access point radio is not capable of supporting Cisco CleanAir functionality.
Note
You can create a filter to make the 802.11a/n/ac Radios page or the 802.11b/g/n Radios page show only access
point radios that have a specific Cisco CleanAir status (such as UP, DOWN, ERROR, or N/A). This feature is
especially useful if your list of access point radios spans multiple pages, preventing you from viewing them all
at once. To create a filter, click Change Filter to open the Search AP dialog box, select one or more of the
CleanAir Status check boxes, and click Find. Only the access point radios that match your search criteria appear
on the 802.11a/n/ac Radios page or the 802.11b/g/n Radios page, and the Current Filter parameter at the top of
the page specifies the filter used to generate the list (for example, CleanAir Status: UP).
Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point (CLI)
Step 1
Configure Cisco CleanAir functionality for a specific access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair {enable | disable}Cisco_AP
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the Cisco CleanAir configuration for a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network by entering
this command:
Cisco AP Name....................................
...
Spectrum Management Information
Spectrum Management Capable..............
Spectrum Management Admin State..........
Spectrum Management Operation State......

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CISCO_AP3500
Yes
Enabled
Up
CleanAir
Rapid Update Mode........................ Disabled

Spectrum Expert connection............... Disabled
Spectrum Sensor State................. Configured (Error code = 0)
Note
See step 7 of Configuring Cisco CleanAir on an Access Point (GUI), on page 391 for descriptions of the spectrum
management operation states and the possible error codes for the spectrum sensor state.
Monitoring Interference Devices

Prerequisites for Monitoring the Interference Devices
You can configure Cisco CleanAir only on CleanAir-enabled access points.
Monitoring the Interference Device (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > Cisco CleanAir > 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n > Interference Devices to open the CleanAir >
Interference Devices page.
AP NameThe name of the access point where the interference device is detected.
Radio Slot #Slot where the radio is installed.
Interferer TypeType of the interferer.
Affected ChannelChannel that the device affects.
Detected TimeTime at which the interference was detected.
SeveritySeverity index of the interfering device.
Duty Cycle (%)Proportion of time during which the interfering device was active.
RSSIReceive signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the access point.
DevIDDevice identification number that uniquely identified the interfering device.
ClusterIDCluster identification number that uniquely identifies the type of the devices.
Step 2
Step 3
Click Change Filter to display the information about interference devices based on a particular criteria.
Click Clear Filter to remove the filter and display the entire access point list.
You can create a filter to display the list of interference devices that are based on the following filtering parameters:
Cluster IDTo filter based on the Cluster ID, select the check box and enter the Cluster ID in the text box next
to this field.
AP NameTo filter based on the access point name, select the check box and enter the access point name in the
text box next to this field.

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CleanAir
Interferer TypeTo filter based on the type of the interference device, select the check box and select the interferer
device from the options.
Select one of the interferer devices:
BT Link
MW Oven
802.11 FH
BT Discovery
TDD Transmit
Jammer
Continuous TX
DECT Phone
Video Camera
802.15.4
WiFi Inverted
WiFi Inv. Ch
SuperAG
Canopy
XBox
WiMax Mobile
WiMax Fixed
WiFi ACI
Unclassified
Activity Channels
Severity
Duty Cycle (%)
RSSI
Step 4
Click Find.
The current filter parameters are displayed in the Current Filter field.
Monitoring the Interference Device (CLI)

This section describes the commands that you can use to monitor the interference devices for the 802.11a/n
or 802.11b/g/n radio band.

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Detecting Interferers by an Access Point

See information for all of the interferers detected by a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n
radio band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair device ap Cisco_AP
When a CleanAir-enabled access point detects interference devices, detections of the same device from multiple
sensors are merged together to create clusters. Each cluster is given a unique ID. Some devices conserve
power by limiting the transmit time until actually needed which results in the spectrum sensor to temporarily
stop detecting the device. This device is then correctly marked as down. A down device is correctly removed
from the spectrum database. In cases when all the interferer detections for a specific devices are reported, the
cluster ID is kept alive for an extended period of time to prevent possible device detection bouncing. If the
same device is detected again, it is merged with the original cluster ID and the device detection history is
preserved.
For example, some Bluetooth headsets operate on battery power. These devices employ methods to reduce
power consumption, such as turning off the transmitter when not actually needed. Such devices can appear
to come and go from the classification. To manage these devices, CleanAir keeps the cluster IDs longer and
they are remerged into a single record upon detection. This process smoothens the user records and accurately
represents the device history.
Detecting Interferers by Device Type
See information for all of the interferers of a specific device type on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n radio
band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair device type type
Note
No more than 25 interferers can be detected by a Cisco AP.
Detecting Persistent Sources of Interference

See a list of persistent sources of interference for a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n
show ap auto-rf {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
Monitoring Persistent Devices (GUI)

To monitor persistent devices on a specific access point using the Cisco WLC GUI:
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or
802.11b/g/n) Radios page. Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and
click Detail. The 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) AP Interfaces > Detail page appears.
This page displays the details of the access points along with the list of persistent devices detected by this
access point. Details of the persistent devices is displayed under the Persistent Devices section.
The following information for each persistent device is available:
Class TypeThe class type of the persistent device.
ChannelChannel this device is affecting.
DC(%)Duty cycle (in percentage) of the persistent device.
RSSI(dBm)RSSI indicator of the persistent device.

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Last Seen TimeTimestamp when the device was last active.
Monitoring Persistent Devices (CLI)

To view the list of persistent devices using the CLI, use the following command:
show ap auto-rf {802.11a | 802.11b} ap_name
Number Of Slots..................................
AP Name..........................................
MAC Address......................................
Slot ID........................................
Radio Type.....................................
Sub-band Type..................................
Noise Information
. . ..
. . . .
Power Level.................................. 1
RTS/CTS Threshold............................
Fragmentation Threshold......................
Antenna Pattern..............................
Persistent Interference Devices
Class Type
Channel
------------------------- ------Video Camera
149
2
AP_1142_MAP
c4:7d:4f:3a:35:38
1
RADIO_TYPE_80211a
All
2347
2346
0
DC (%%) RSSI (dBm) Last Update Time

------ ---------- -----------------------100
-34
Tue Nov 8 10:06:25 2011
The following information for each persistent device is available:

Class TypeThe class type of the persistent device.
ChannelChannel this device is affecting.
DC(%)Duty cycle (in percentage) of the persistent device.
RSSI(dBm)RSSI indicator of the persistent device.
Last Seen TimeTimestamp when the device was last active.
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands

This section describes how to monitor the air quality of the 802.11a/n/ac and 802.11b/g/n radio bands using
both the Cisco WLC GUI and CLI.
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands (GUI)
Choose Monitor > Cisco CleanAir > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n >Air Quality Report to open the CleanAir
> Air Quality Report page.
This page shows the air quality of both the 802.11a/n/ac and 802.11b/g/n radio bands. Specifically, it shows
the following information:
AP NameThe name of the access point that reported the worst air quality for the 802.11a/n/ac or
802.11b/g/n radio band.
Radio SlotThe slot number where the radio is installed.
ChannelThe radio channel where the air quality is monitored.
Minimum AQThe minimum air quality for this radio channel.

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Average AQThe average air quality for this radio channel.

InterfererThe number of interferers detected by the radios on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n radio
band.
DFSDynamic Frequency Selection. This indicates if DFS is enabled or not.
Monitoring the Air Quality of Radio Bands (CLI)
This section describes the commands that you can use to monitor the air quality of the 802.11a/n/ac or
802.11b/g/n radio band.
Viewing a Summary of the Air Quality
See a summary of the air quality for the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n radio band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality summary
Viewing Air Quality for all Access Points on a Radio Band
See information for the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n access point with the air quality by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality
Viewing Air Quality for an Access Point on a Radio Band
See air quality information for a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n radio band by entering
this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality Cisco_AP
Monitoring the Worst Air Quality of Radio Bands (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > Cisco CleanAir >Worst Air-Quality to open the CleanAir > Worst Air Quality Report page.
This page shows the air quality of both the 802.11a/n/ac and 802.11b/g/n radio bands. Specifically, it shows the following
information:
AP NameThe name of the access point that reported the worst air quality for the 802.11 radio band.
Channel NumberThe radio channel with the worst reported air quality.
Minimum Air Quality Index(1 to 100)The minimum air quality for this radio channel. An air quality index
(AQI) value of 100 is the best, and 1 is the worst.
Average Air Quality Index(1 to 100)The average air quality for this radio channel. An air quality index (AQI)
value of 100 is the best, and 1 is the worst.
Interference Device CountThe number of interferers detected by the radios on the 802.11 radio band.
Step 2
See a list of persistent sources of interference for a specific access point radio as follows:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
b) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point radio and click CleanAir-RRM. The
802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Access Point Name > Persistent Devices page appears. This page lists
the device types of persistent sources of interference detected by this access point radio. It also shows the channel
on which the interference was detected, the percentage of time that the interferer was active (duty cycle), the received
signal strength (RSSI) of the interferer, and the day and time when the interferer was last detected.

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Monitoring the Worst Air Quality of Radio Bands (CLI)

This section describes the commands that you can use to monitor the air quality of the 802.11 radio band.
Viewing a Summary of the Air Quality (CLI)
See a summary of the air quality for the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n radio band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality summary
Viewing the Worst Air Quality Information for all Access Points on a Radio Band (CLI)
See information for the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n access point with the worst air quality by entering this
command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality worst
Viewing the Air Quality for an Access Point on a Radio Band (CLI)
See the air quality information for a specific access point on the 802.11 radio band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair air-quality Cisco_AP
Viewing the Air Quality for an Access Point by Device Type (CLI)
See information for all of the interferers detected by a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or
802.11b/g/n radio band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair device ap Cisco_AP
See information for all of the interferers of a specific device type on the 802.11a/n or 802.11b/g/n radio
band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} cleanair device type type
where you choose type as one of the following:
bt-discoveryA bluetooth discovery (802.11b/g/n only)
bt-linkA bluetooth link (802.11b/g/n only)
canopyA canopy bridge device

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Detecting Persistent Sources of Interference (CLI)
See a list of persistent sources of interference for a specific access point on the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n
show ap auto-rf {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
Media and EDCA

Aggressive Load Balancing
Information About Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing
Enabling aggressive load balancing on the controller allows lightweight access points to load balance wireless
clients across access points. You can enable aggressive load balancing using the controller.
Note
Clients are load balanced between access points on the same controller. Load balancing does not occur
between access points on different controllers.
When a wireless client attempts to associate to a lightweight access point, association response packets are
sent to the client with an 802.11 response packet including status code 17. The code 17 indicates that the AP
is busy. The AP does not respond with an association response bearing 'success' if the AP threshold is not
met, and with code 17 (AP busy) if the AP utilization threshold is exceeded, and another less busy AP heard
the client request.
For example, if the number of clients on AP1 is more than the number of clients on AP2 plus the load-balancing
window, then AP1 is considered to be busier than AP2. When a client attempts to associate to AP1, it receives
an 802.11 response packet with status code 17, indicating that the access point is busy, and the client attempts
to associate to a different access point.
You can configure the controller to deny client associations up to 10 times (if a client attempted to associate
11 times, it would be allowed to associate on the 11th try). You can also enable or disable load balancing on
a particular WLAN, which is useful if you want to disable load balancing for a select group of clients (such
as time-sensitive voice clients).
Note
Voice Client does not authenticate when delay is configured more than 300 ms. To avoid this configure
a Central-Auth, Local Switching WLAN with CCKM, configure a Pagent Router between AP and WLC
with a delay of 600 ms (300 ms UP and 300 ms DOWN and try associating the voice client

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Passive scanning clients will be able to associate to an AP irrespective of whether load balancing is enabled
or not.
Note
Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points do not support client load balancing.
With the 7.4 release, FlexConnect access points do support client load balancing.
You can configure the controller to analyze the WAN interface utilization of neighboring APs and then load
balance the clients across the lightly loaded APs. You can configure this by defining a load balancing threshold.
By defining the threshold, you can measure the WAN interface utilization percentage. For example, a threshold
value of 50 triggers the load balancing upon detecting utilization of 50% or more on an AP-WAN interface.
Note
For a FlexConnect AP the association is locally handled. The load-balancing decisions are taken at the
Cisco WLC. A FlexConnect AP initially responds to the client before knowing the result of calculations
at the Cisco WLC. Load-balancing doesn't take effect when the FlexConnect AP is in standalone mode.
FlexConnect AP does not send (re)association response with status 17 for Load-Balancing as Local mode
APs do; instead, it first sends (re)association with status 0 (success) and then deauth with reason 5.
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Load Balancing to open the Load Balancing page.
In the Client Window Size text box, enter a value between 1 and 20.
The window size becomes part of the algorithm that determines whether an access point is too heavily loaded to accept
more client associations:
clients on the access point with the lightest load forms the threshold. Access points with more client associations than
this threshold is considered busy, and clients can associate only to access points with client counts lower than the threshold.
Step 3
In the Maximum Denial Count text box, enter a value between 0 and 10.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
To enable or disable aggressive load balancing on specific WLANs, do the following:
a) Choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
b) In the Advanced tab, select or unselect the Client Load Balancing check box.
c) Click Apply.
d) Click Save Configuration.

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Media and EDCA
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (CLI)
Step 1
Set the client window for aggressive load balancing by entering this command:
config load-balancing window client_count
You can enter a value between 0 and 20 for the client_count parameter.
Step 2
Set the denial count for load balancing by entering this command:
config load-balancing denial denial_count
You can enter a value between 1 and 10 for the denial_count parameter.
Step 3

save config
Step 4
Enable or disable aggressive load balancing on specific WLANs by entering this command:
config wlan load-balance allow {enable | disable} wlan_ID
You can enter a value between 1 and 512 for wlan_ID parameter.
Step 5
Verify your settings by entering this command:

show load-balancing
Step 6

save config
Step 7
Configure the load balance mode on a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan load-balance mode {client-count | uplink-usage} wlan-id
This feature requires the AP to upload its uplink usage statistics to the controller periodically. Check these statistics by
show ap stats system cisco-AP
Media Session and Snooping

Information About Media Session Snooping and Reporting
This feature enables access points to detect the establishment, termination, and failure of Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) voice calls and then report them to the controller and Cisco Prime Infrastructure. You can
enable or disable Voice over IP (VoIP) snooping and reporting for each WLAN.
When you enable VoIP Media Session Aware (MSA) snooping, the access point radios that advertise this
WLAN look for SIP voice packets that comply with SIP RFC 3261. They do not look for non-RFC
3261-compliant SIP voice packets or Skinny Call Control Protocol (SCCP) voice packets. Any SIP packets
destined to or originating from port number 5060 (the standard SIP signaling port) are considered for further
inspection. The access points track when Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) and non-WMM clients are establishing
a call, are already on an active call, or are in the process of ending a call. Upstream packet classification for
both client types occurs at the access point. Downstream packet classification occurs at the controller for
WMM clients and at the access point for non-WMM clients. The access points notify the controller and Cisco
Prime Infrastructure of any major call events, such as call establishment, termination, and failure.

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The controller provides detailed information for VoIP MSA calls. For failed calls, the controller generates a
trap log with a timestamp and the reason for failure (in the GUI) and an error code (in the CLI) to aid in
troubleshooting. For successful calls, the controller shows the number and duration of calls for usage tracking
purposes. Cisco Prime Infrastructure displays failed VoIP call information in the Events page.
Restrictions for Media Session Snooping and Reporting

Controller software release 6.0 or later releases support Voice over IP (VoIP) Media Session Aware (MSA)
snooping and reporting.
Configuring Media Session Snooping (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure media session snooping.
On the WLANs > Edit page, click the Advanced tab.
Under Voice, select the Media Session Snooping check box to enable media session snooping or unselect it to disable
this feature. The default value is unselected.
Click Apply.
See the VoIP statistics for your access point radios as follows:
a) Choose Monitor > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
b) Scroll to the right and click the Detail link for the access point for which you want to view VoIP statistics. The Radio
> Statistics page appears.
The VoIP Stats section shows the cumulative number and length of voice calls for this access point radio. Entries
are added automatically when voice calls are successfully placed and deleted when the access point disassociates
from the controller.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Choose Management > SNMP > Trap Logs to see the traps generated for failed calls. The Trap Logs page appears.
For example, log 0 in the figure shows that a call failed. The log provides the date and time of the call, a description of
the failure, and the reason why the failure occurred.
Configuring Media Session Snooping (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable VoIP snooping for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan call-snoop {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the status of media session snooping on a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id

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WLAN Identifier.................................. 1
Profile Name..................................... wpa2-psk
Network Name (SSID).............................. wpa2-psk
Status........................................... Enabled
...
FlexConnect Local Switching........................ Disabled
FlexConnect Learn IP Address....................... Enabled
Infrastructure MFP protection.............. Enabled (Global Infrastructure MFP
Disabled)
Client MFP.................................... Optional
Tkip MIC Countermeasure Hold-down Timer....... 60
Call Snooping.................................. Enabled
Step 4
See the call information for an MSA client when media session snooping is enabled and the call is active by entering
this command:
show call-control client callInfo client_MAC_address
Uplink IP/port......................................
Downlonk IP/port....................................
UP..................................................
Calling Party.......................................
Called Party........................................
Call ID.............................................
Number of calls for given client is.............. 1
Step 5
192.11.1.71 / 23870
192.12.1.47 / 2070
6
sip:1054
sip:1000
58635b00-850161b7-14853-1501a8
See the metrics for successful calls or the traps generated for failed calls by entering this command:
show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP {metrics | traps}
Information similar to the following appears when you enter show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
metrics:
Total Call Duration in Seconds................... 120
Number of Calls.................................. 10
Information similar to the following appears when you enter show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP traps:
Number of traps sent in one min.................. 2
Last SIP error code.............................. 404
Last sent trap timestamp...................... Jun 20 10:05:06
To aid in troubleshooting, the output of this command shows an error code for any failed calls. This table explains the
possible error codes for failed calls.
Table 19: Error Codes for Failed VoIP Calls
Error Code
Integer
Description
unknown
Unknown error.

403
Media and EDCA
Error Code
Integer
Description
400
badRequest
The request could not be understood because of malformed syntax.
401
unauthorized
The request requires user authentication.
402
paymentRequired
Reserved for future use.
403
forbidden
The server understood the request but refuses to fulfill it.
404
notFound
The server has information that the user does not exist at the domain
specified in the Request-URI.
405
methodNotallowed
The method specified in the Request-Line is understood but not

allowed for the address identified by the Request-URI.
406
notAcceptabl
The resource identified by the request is only capable of generating

response entities with content characteristics that are not acceptable
according to the Accept header text box sent in the request.
407
proxyAuthenticationRequired
The client must first authenticate with the proxy.
408
requestTimeout
The server could not produce a response within a suitable amount

of time, if it could not determine the location of the user in time.
409
conflict
The request could not be completed due to a conflict with the

current state of the resource.
410
gone
The requested resource is no longer available at the server, and no

forwarding address is known.
411
lengthRequired
The server is refusing to process a request because the request

entity-body is larger than the server is willing or able to process.
413
requestEntityTooLarge

414
requestURITooLarge
The server is refusing to service the request because the

Request-URI is longer than the server is willing to interpret.
415
unsupportedMediaType
The server is refusing to service the request because the message

body of the request is in a format not supported by the server for
the requested method.
420
badExtension
The server did not understand the protocol extension specified in

a Proxy-Require or Require header text box.
480
temporarilyNotAvailable
The callees end system was contacted successfully, but the callee
is currently unavailable.

404
Media and EDCA
Error Code
Integer
Description
481
callLegDoesNotExist
The UAS received a request that does not match any existing dialog
or transaction.
482
loopDetected
The server has detected a loop.
483
tooManyHops
The server received a request that contains a Max-Forwards header

text box with the value zero.
484
addressIncomplete
The server received a request with a Request-URI that was

incomplete.
485
ambiguous
The Request-URI was ambiguous.
486
busy
is currently not willing or able to take additional calls at this end
system.
500
internalServerError
The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it

from fulfilling the request.
501
notImplemented
The server does not support the functionality required to fulfill the
request.
502
badGateway
The server, while acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid

response from the downstream server it accessed in attempting to
fulfill the request.
503
serviceUnavailable
The server is temporarily unable to process the request because of

a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server.
504
serverTimeout
The server did not receive a timely response from an external server
it accessed in attempting to process the request.
505
versionNotSupported
The server does not support or refuses to support the SIP protocol
version that was used in the request.
600
busyEverywhere
is busy or does not want to take the call at this time.
603
decline
The callees machine was contacted successfully, but the user does
not want to or cannot participate.
604
doesNotExistAnywhere
The server has information that the user indicated in the

Request-URI does not exist anywhere.

405
Media and EDCA
Error Code
Integer
Description
606
notAcceptable
The users agent was contacted successfully, but some aspects of

the session description (such as the requested media, bandwidth,
or addressing style) were not acceptable.
Note
If you experience any problems with media session snooping, enter the debug call-control {all | event} {enable
| disable} command to debug all media session snooping messages or events.
QoS Enhanced BSS

Prerequisites for Using QoS Enhanced BSS on Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP Phones
Follow these guidelines to use Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP Phones with controllers:
Aggressive load balancing must be disabled for each controller. Otherwise, the initial roam attempt by
the phone may fail, causing a disruption in the audio path.
The Dynamic Transmit Power Control (DTPC) information element (IE) must be enabled using the
config 802.11b dtpc enable command. The DTPC IE is a beacon and probe information element that
allows the access point to broadcast information on its transmit power. The 7921 or 7920 phone uses
this information to automatically adjust its transmit power to the same level as the access point to which
it is associated. In this manner, both devices are transmitting at the same level.
Both the 7921 and 7920 phones and the controllers support Cisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM)
fast roaming.
When configuring WEP, there is a difference in nomenclature for the controller and the 7921 or 7920
phone. Configure the controller for 104 bits when using 128-bit WEP for the 7921 or 7920.
For standalone 7921 phones, load-based CAC must be enabled, and the WMM Policy must be set to
Required on the WLAN.
The controller supports traffic classification (TCLAS) coming from 7921 phones using firmware version
1.1.1. This feature ensures proper classification of voice streams to the 7921 phones.
When using a 7921 phone with the 802.11a radio of a 1242 series access point, set the 24-Mbps data
rate to Supported and choose a lower Mandatory data rate (such as 12 Mbps). Otherwise, the phone
might experience poor voice quality.
Information About QoS Enhanced BSS

The QoS Enhanced Basis Service Set (QBSS) information element (IE) enables the access points to
communicate their channel usage to wireless devices. Because access points with high channel usage might
not be able to handle real-time traffic effectively, the 7921 or 7920 phone uses the QBSS value to determine
if they should associate to another access point. You can enable QBSS in these two modes:

406
Media and EDCA
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) mode, which supports devices that meet the 802.11E QBSS standard (such
as Cisco 7921 IP Phones)
7920 support mode, which supports Cisco 7920 IP Phones on your 802.11b/g network
The 7920 support mode has two options:
Support for 7920 phones that require call admission control (CAC) to be configured on and
advertised by the client device (these are typically older 7920 phones)
Support for 7920 phones that require CAC to be configured on and advertised by the access point
(these are typically newer 7920 phones)
When access point-controlled CAC is enabled, the access point sends out a Cisco proprietary CAC
Information Element (IE) and does not send out the standard QBSS IE.
Restrictions for QoS Enhanced BSS

The OEAP 600 Series access points do not support CAC.
QBSS is disabled by default.
7920 phones are non-WMM phones with limited CAC functionality. The phones look at the channel
utilization of the access point to which they are associated and compare that to a threshold that is beaconed
by the access point. If the channel utilization is less than the threshold, the 7920 places a call. In contrast,
7921 phones are full-fledged WMM phones that use traffic specifications (TSPECs) to gain access to
the voice queue before placing a phone call. The 7921 phones work well with load-based CAC, which
uses the percentage of the channel set aside for voice and tries to limit the calls accordingly.
Because 7921 phones support WMM and 7920 phones do not, capacity and voice quality problems can
arise if you do not properly configure both phones when they are used in a mixed environment. To enable
both 7921 and 7920 phones to co-exist on the same network, make sure that load-based CAC and 7920
AP CAC are both enabled on the controller and the WMM Policy is set to Allowed. These settings
become particularly important if you have many more 7920 users than 7921 users.
We recommend that aggressive load balancing always be turned off either through the controller GUI
or CLI in any wireless network that is supporting voice, regardless of vendor. When aggressive load
balancing is turned on, voice clients can hear an audible artifact when roaming, if the handset is refused
at its first reassociation attempt.
Configuring QBSS (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure WMM mode.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the QoS tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Qos) page.
From the WMM Policy drop-down list, choose one of the following options, depending on whether you want to enable
WMM mode for 7921 phones and other devices that meet the WMM standard:
DisabledDisables WMM on the WLAN. This is the default value.
AllowedAllows client devices to use WMM on the WLAN.

407
Media and EDCA
RequiredRequires client devices to use WMM. Devices that do not support WMM cannot join the WLAN.
Step 5
Step 6
Select the 7920 AP CAC check box if you want to enable 7920 support mode for phones that require access
point-controlled CAC. The default value is unselected.
Select the 7920 Client CAC check box if you want to enable 7920 support mode for phones that require client-controlled
CAC. The default value is unselected.
Note
You cannot enable both WMM mode and client-controlled CAC mode on the same WLAN.
Step 7
Step 8

Configuring QBSS (CLI)
Step 1
Determine the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to add QBSS support by entering this command:
show wlan summary
Step 2
Disable the WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan disable wlan_id
Step 3
Configure WMM mode for 7921 phones and other devices that meet the WMM standard by entering this command:
config wlan wmm {disabled | allowed | required} wlan_id
where
disabled disables WMM mode on the WLAN.
allowed allows client devices to use WMM on the WLAN.
required requires client devices to use WMM. Devices that do not support WMM cannot join the WLAN.
Step 4
Enable or disable 7920 support mode for phones that require client-controlled CAC by entering this command:
config wlan 7920-support client-cac-limit {enable | disable} wlan_id
Note
Step 5
Enable or disable 7920 support mode for phones that require access point-controlled CAC by entering this command:
config wlan 7920-support ap-cac-limit {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 6
Reenable the WLAN by entering this command:

Step 7

save config
Step 8
Verify that the WLAN is enabled and the Dot11-Phone Mode (7920) text box is configured for compact mode by entering
this command:
show wlan wlan_id

408
Media and EDCA
Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients

Information About Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients
You can allow voice clients to get anchored on the best suited and nearest available controller, which is useful
when intercontroller roaming occurs. By using this feature, you can avoid the use of tunnels to carry traffic
between the foreign controller and the anchor controller and remove unnecessary traffic from the network.
The ongoing call during roaming is not affected and can continue without any problem. The traffic passes
through proper tunnels that are established between the foreign controller and the anchor controller.
Disassociation occurs only after the call ends, and then the client then gets reassociated to a new controller.
Note
You can reanchor roaming of voice clients for each WLAN.
Restrictions for Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients

The ongoing data session might be affected due to disassociation and then reassociation.
This feature is supported for TSPEC-based calls and non-TSPEC SIP-based calls only when you enable
the admission control.
This feature is not recommended for use on Cisco 792x phones.
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure reanchoring of roaming voice clients.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page.
In the Voice area select the Re-anchor Roamed Clients check box.
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable reanchoring of roaming voice clients for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan roamed-voice-client re-anchor {enable | disable} wlan id

409
Call Admission Control
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the status of reanchoring roaming voice client on a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Network Name (SSID)..............................
Status...........................................
...
Call Snooping....................................
Roamed Call Re-Anchor Policy.....................
Band Select......................................
Load Balancing...................................
Step 4
1
wpa2-psk
wpa2-psk
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled

save config

Configuring Voice and Video Parameters
Information About Configuring Voice and Video Parameters
Three parameters on the controller affect voice and/or video quality:
Call admission control
Expedited bandwidth requests
Unscheduled automatic power save delivery
Each of these parameters is supported in Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) v4 and v5.
Note
Traffic stream metrics (TSM) can be used to monitor and report issues with voice quality.

Call admission control (CAC) enables an access point to maintain controlled quality of service (QoS) when
the wireless LAN is experiencing congestion. The Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) protocol deployed in CCXv3
ensures sufficient QoS as long as the wireless LAN is not congested. However, in order to maintain QoS
under differing network loads, CAC in CCXv4 is required. Two types of CAC are available: bandwidth-based
CAC and load-based CAC.

410
Note
CAC is not supported in Flexconnect local auth, resulting in voice traffic not getting properly tagged.
Bandwidth-Based CAC
Bandwidth-based, or static, CAC enables the client to specify how much bandwidth or shared medium time
is required to accept a new call and in turn enables the access point to determine whether it is capable of
accommodating this particular call. The access point rejects the call if necessary in order to maintain the
maximum allowed number of calls with acceptable quality.
The QoS setting for a WLAN determines the level of bandwidth-based CAC support. To use bandwidth-based
CAC with voice applications, the WLAN must be configured for Platinum QoS. To use bandwidth-based
CAC with video applications, the WLAN must be configured for Gold QoS. Also, make sure that WMM is
enabled for the WLAN. See the Information About Configuring 802.3 Bridging, on page 630 section for QoS
and WMM configuration instructions.
Note
You must enable admission control (ACM) for CCXv4 clients that have WMM enabled. Otherwise,
bandwidth-based CAC does not operate properly.
Load-Based CAC
Load-based CAC incorporates a measurement scheme that takes into account the bandwidth consumed by all
traffic types (including that from clients), co-channel access point loads, and collocated channel interference,
for voice applications. Load-based CAC also covers the additional bandwidth consumption resulting from
PHY and channel impairment.
In load-based CAC, the access point continuously measures and updates the utilization of the RF channel
(that is, the percentage of bandwidth that has been exhausted), channel interference, and the additional calls
that the access point can admit. The access point admits a new call only if the channel has enough unused
bandwidth to support that call. By doing so, load-based CAC prevents oversubscription of the channel and
maintains QoS under all conditions of WLAN loading and interference.
Note
Load-based CAC is supported only on lightweight access points. If you disable load-based CAC, the
access points start using bandwidth-based CAC.
Expedited Bandwidth Requests

The expedited bandwidth request feature enables CCXv5 clients to indicate the urgency of a WMM traffic
specifications (TSPEC) request (for example, an e911 call) to the WLAN. When the controller receives this
request, it attempts to facilitate the urgency of the call in any way possible without potentially altering the
quality of other TSPEC calls that are in progress.
You can apply expedited bandwidth requests to both bandwidth-based and load-based CAC. Expedited
bandwidth requests are disabled by default. When this feature is disabled, the controller ignores all expedited
requests and processes TSPEC requests as normal TSPEC requests.
This table lists examples of TSPEC request handling for normal TSPEC requests and expedited bandwidth
requests.

411
Table 20: TSPEC Request Handling Examples

3
CAC Mode
Reserved
bandwidth
for voice
2
calls
Usage
Normal
TSPEC
Request
TSPEC with Expedited

Bandwidth Request
Bandwidth-based
CAC
75%
(default
setting)
Less than 75%
Admitted
Admitted
Between 75% and 90%

(reserved bandwidth for
voice calls exhausted)
Rejected
Admitted
More than 90%
Rejected
Rejected
Less than 75%
Admitted
Admitted
Between 75% and 85%

Rejected
Admitted
More than 85%
Rejected
Rejected
Load-based CAC
2 For bandwidth-based CAC, the voice call bandwidth usage is per access point and does not take into account co-channel access points. For load-based CAC,
the voice call bandwidth usage is measured for the entire channel.
3 Bandwidth-based CAC (consumed voice and video bandwidth) or load-based CAC (channel utilization [Pb]).
Note
Admission control for TSPEC g711-40ms codec type is supported.
Note
When video ACM is enabled, the controller rejects a video TSPEC if the non-MSDU size in the TSPEC
is greater than 149 or the mean data rate is greater than 1 Kbps.
U-APSD
Unscheduled automatic power save delivery (U-APSD) is a QoS facility defined in IEEE 802.11e that extends
the battery life of mobile clients. In addition to extending battery life, this feature reduces the latency of traffic
flow delivered over the wireless media. Because U-APSD does not require the client to poll each individual
packet buffered at the access point, it allows delivery of multiple downlink packets by sending a single uplink
trigger packet. U-APSD is enabled automatically when WMM is enabled.
Traffic Stream Metrics
In a voice-over-wireless LAN (VoWLAN) deployment, traffic stream metrics (TSM) can be used to monitor
voice-related metrics on the client-access point air interface. It reports both packet latency and packet loss.
You can isolate poor voice quality issues by studying these reports.
The metrics consist of a collection of uplink (client side) and downlink (access point side) statistics between
an access point and a client device that supports CCX v4 or later releases. If the client is not CCX v4 or CCXv5
compliant, only downlink statistics are captured. The client and access point measure these metrics. The access

412
point also collects the measurements every 5 seconds, prepares 90-second reports, and then sends the reports
to the controller. The controller organizes the uplink measurements on a client basis and the downlink
measurements on an access point basis and maintains an hours worth of historical data. To store this data,
the controller requires 32 MB of additional memory for uplink metrics and 4.8 MB for downlink metrics.
TSM can be configured through either the GUI or the CLI on a per radio-band basis (for example, all 802.11a
radios). The controller saves the configuration in flash memory so that it persists across reboots. After an
access point receives the configuration from the controller, it enables TSM on the specified radio band.
Note
Access points support TSM entries in both local and FlexConnect modes.
This table shows the upper limit for TSM entries in different controller series.
Note
TSM Entries
5500
7500
MAX AP TSM entries
100
100
MAX Client TSM entries
250
250
MAX TSM entries
100*250=25000
100*250=25000
Once the upper limit is reached, additional TSM entries cannot be stored and sent to Cisco Prime
Infrastructure. If client TSM entries are full and AP TSM entries are available, then only the AP entries
are stored, and vice versa. This leads to partial output. TSM cleanup occurs every one hour. Entries are
removed only for those APs and clients that are not in the system.
Configuring Voice Parameters

Configuring Voice Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Ensure that the WLAN is configured for WMM and the Platinum QoS level.
Disable all WLANs with WMM enabled and click Apply.
Step 3
Choose Wireless and then Network under 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n, unselect the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network
Status check box, and click Apply to disable the radio network.
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media page appears. The Voice
tab is displayed by default.
Select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable bandwidth-based CAC for this radio band. The default value
is disabled.
Select the Admission Control (ACM) you want to use by choosing from the following choices:
Step 5
Step 6
Load-basedTo enable channel-based CAC. This is the default option.

StaticTo enable radio-based CAC.

413
Step 7
In the Max RF Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for voice
applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new calls on this
radio band.
The range is 5% to 85%. The sum of maximum bandwidth percentage of voice and video should not exceed 85%.
The default is 75%.
Step 8
In the Reserved Roaming Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of maximum allocated bandwidth that is reserved
for roaming voice clients. The controller reserves this bandwidth from the maximum allocated bandwidth for roaming
voice clients.
The range is 0% to 25%.
The default is 6%.
Step 9
To enable expedited bandwidth requests, select the Expedited Bandwidth check box. By default, this text box is disabled.
Step 10
To enable SIP CAC support, select the SIP CAC Support check box. By default, SIP CAC support is disabled.
Step 11
From the SIP Codec drop-down list, choose one of the following options to set the codec name. The default value is
G.711. The options are as follows:
User Defined
G.711
G.729
Step 12
In the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box, enter the bandwidth in kilobits per second.
The possible range is 8 to 64.
The SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is highlighted only when you select the SIP codec as User-Defined. If you
choose the SIP codec as G.711, the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is set to 64. If you choose the SIP codec
as G.729, the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is set to 8.
In the SIP Voice Sample Interval (msecs) text box, enter the value for the sample interval.
In the Maximum Calls text box, enter the maximum number of calls that can be made to this radio. The maximum call
limit includes both direct and roaming-in calls. If the maximum call limit is reached, the new or roaming-in calls result
in failure.
Note
Step 13
Step 14
The default value is 0, which indicates that there is no check for maximum call limit.
Step 19
If SIP CAC is supported and the CAC method is static, the Maximum Possible Voice Calls and Maximum
Possible Roaming Reserved Calls fields appear.
Select the Metrics Collection check box to collect traffic stream metrics. By default, this box is unselected. That is, the
traffic stream metrics is not collected by default.
Click Apply.
Reenable all WMM WLANs and click Apply.
Choose Network under 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n, select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status check box, and
click Apply to reenable the radio network.
Step 20
Repeat this procedure if you want to configure voice parameters for another radio band.
Note
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18

414
Configuring Voice Parameters (CLI)
Before You Begin

Ensure that you have configured SIP-based CAC.
Step 1
See all of the WLANs configured on the controller by entering this command:
show wlan summary
Step 2
Make sure that the WLAN that you are planning to modify is configured for WMM and the QoS level is set to Platinum
by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
Step 3
Disable all WLANs with WMM enabled prior to changing the voice parameters by entering the command:
Step 4
Disable the radio network by entering this command:

Step 5

save config
Step 6
Enable or disable bandwidth-based voice CAC for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice acm {enable | disable}
Step 7
Set the percentage of maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for voice applications on the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network
The bandwidth range is 5 to 85%, and the default value is 75%. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access
point rejects new calls on this network.
Step 8
Set the percentage of maximum allocated bandwidth reserved for roaming voice clients by entering this command:
The bandwidth range is 0 to 25%, and the default value is 6%. The controller reserves this much bandwidth from the
maximum allocated bandwidth for roaming voice clients.
Step 9
Configure the codec name and sample interval as parameters and to calculate the required bandwidth per call by entering
this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice sip codec {g711 | g729} sample-interval number_msecs
Step 10
Configure the bandwidth that is required per call by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice sip bandwidth bandwidth_kbps sample-interval number_msecs
Step 11
Reenable all WLANs with WMM enabled by entering this command:

Step 12
Reenable the radio network by entering this command:

Step 13
View the TSM voice metrics by entering this command:

show [802.11a | 802.11b] cu-metrics AP_Name
The command also displays the channel utilization metrics.

415
Step 14
Configuring Video Parameters

Configuring Video Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Ensure that the WLAN is configured for WMM and the Gold QoS level.
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media page appears.
In the Video tab, select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable video CAC for this radio band. The default
value is disabled.
From the CAC Method drop-down list, choose between Static and Load Based methods.
The static CAC method is based on the radio and the load-based CAC method is based on the channel.
Step 6
Note
Step 7
In the Max RF Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for video
applications on this radio band. When the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new requests on this
radio band.
The range is 5% to 85%. The sum of maximum bandwidth percentage of voice and video should not exceed 85%. The
default is 0%.
Step 8
In the Reserved Roaming Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum RF bandwidth that is reserved for
roaming clients for video.
Configure the SIP CAC Support by selecting or unselecting the SIP CAC Support check box.
SIP CAC is supported only if SIP Snooping is enabled.
Step 9
Note
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
You cannot enable SIP CAC if you have selected the Load Based CAC method.
Click Apply.
Repeat this procedure if you want to configure video parameters for another radio band.

416
Configuring Video Parameters (CLI)
Before You Begin

Step 1
show wlan summary
Step 2
Make sure that the WLAN that you are planning to modify is configured for WMM and the QoS level is set to Gold by
show wlan wlan_id
Step 3
Disable all WLANs with WMM enabled prior to changing the video parameters by entering this command:
Step 4

Step 5

save config
Step 6
Enable or disable video CAC for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video acm {enable | disable}
Step 7
To configure the CAC method as either static or load-based, enter this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video cac-method {static | load-based}
Step 8
Set the percentage of maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for video applications on the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video max-bandwidth bandwidth
The bandwidth range is 5 to 85%, and the default value is 5%. However, the maximum RF bandwidth cannot exceed
85% for voice and video. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new calls on this network.
If this parameter is set to zero (0), the controller assumes that you do not want to do any bandwidth allocation
and, therefore, allows all bandwidth requests.
To configure the percentage of the maximum RF bandwidth that is reserved for roaming clients for video, enter this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video roam-bandwidth bandwidth
Note
Step 9
Step 10
To configure the CAC parameters for SIP-based video calls, enter this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video sip {enable | disable}
Step 11
Process or ignore the TSPEC inactivity timeout received from an access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video tspec-inactivity-timeout {enable | ignore}
Step 12

Step 13

Step 14

417
Viewing Voice and Video Settings

Viewing Voice and Video Settings (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > Clients to open the Clients page.
Step 2
Click the MAC address of the desired client to open the Clients > Detail page.
This page shows the U-APSD status (if enabled) for this client under Quality of Service Properties.
Step 3
Click Back to return to the Clients page.
Step 4
See the TSM statistics for a particular client and the access point to which this client is associated as follows:
a) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired client and choose 802.11aTSM or 802.11b/g TSM.
The Clients > AP page appears.
b) Click the Detail link for the desired access point to open the Clients > AP > Traffic Stream Metrics page.
This page shows the TSM statistics for this client and the access point to which it is associated. The statistics are
shown in 90-second intervals. The timestamp text box shows the specific interval when the statistics were collected.
Step 5
See the TSM statistics for a particular access point and a particular client associated to this access point, as follows:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n. The 802.11a/n/ac Radios or 802.11b/g/n
Radios page appears.
b) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and choose 802.11aTSM or 802.11b/g
TSM. The AP > Clients page appears.
c) Click the Detail link for the desired client to open the AP > Clients > Traffic Stream Metrics page.
This page shows the TSM statistics for this access point and a client associated to it. The statistics are shown in
90-second intervals. The timestamp text box shows the specific interval when the statistics were collected.
Viewing Voice and Video Settings (CLI)
Step 1
See the CAC configuration for the 802.11 network by entering this command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b}
Step 2
See the CAC statistics for a particular access point by entering this command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b} ap_name
Call Admission Control (CAC) Stats
Voice Bandwidth in use(% of config bw)......... 0
Total channel MT free........................ 0
Total voice MT free.......................... 0
Na Direct.................................... 0
Na Roam...................................... 0
Video Bandwidth in use(% of config bw)......... 0

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Total num of voice calls in progress........... 0

Num of roaming voice calls in progress......... 0
Total Num of voice calls since AP joined....... 0
Total Num of roaming calls since AP joined..... 0
Total Num of exp bw requests received.......... 5
Total Num of exp bw requests admitted.......... 2
Num of voice calls rejected since AP joined...... 0
Num of roam calls rejected since AP joined..... 0
Num of calls rejected due to insufficient bw....0
Num of calls rejected due to invalid params.... 0
Num of calls rejected due to PHY rate.......... 0
Num of calls rejected due to QoS policy..... 0
In the example above, MT is medium time, Na is the number of additional calls, and exp bw is expedited bandwidth.
Note
Suppose an AP has to be rebooted when a voice client associated with the AP is on an active call. After the AP
is rebooted, the client continues to maintain the call, and during the time the AP is down, the database is not
refreshed by the controller. Therefore, we recommend that all active calls are ended before the AP is taken
down.
Step 3
See the U-APSD status for a particular client by entering this command:
show client detail client_mac
Step 4
See the TSM statistics for a particular client and the access point to which this client is associated by entering this
command:
show client tsm {802.11a | 802.11b} client_mac {ap_mac | all}
The optional all command shows all access points to which this client has associated. Information similar to the following
appears:
Client Interface Mac:
Measurement Duration:
00:01:02:03:04:05
90 seconds
Timestamp
1st Jan 2006, 06:35:80
UpLink Stats
================
Average Delay (5sec intervals)............................35
Delay less than 10 ms.....................................20
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
Delay greater than 40 ms..................................20
Total packet Count.........................................80
Total packet lost count (5sec).............................10
Maximum Lost Packet count(5sec)............................5
Average Lost Packet count(5secs)...........................2
DownLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20

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Note
Note
Step 5
The statistics are shown in 90-second intervals. The timestamp text box shows the specific interval when the
statistics were collected.
Clear the TSM statistics for a particular access point or all the access points to which this client is associated
by entering this clear client tsm {802.11a | 802.11b} client_mac {ap_mac | all} command.
See the TSM statistics for a particular access point and a particular client associated to this access point by entering this
command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b} ap_name tsm {client_mac | all}
The optional all command shows all clients associated to this access point. Information similar to the following appears:
AP Interface Mac:
00:0b:85:01:02:03
00:01:02:03:04:05
90 seconds
Timestamp
1st Jan 2006, 06:35:80
UpLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
DownLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
Enable or disable debugging for call admission control (CAC) messages, events, or packets by entering this command:
debug cac {all | event | packet}{enable | disable}
Note
Step 6
where all configures debugging for all CAC messages, event configures debugging for all CAC events, and packet
configures debugging for all CAC packets.
Step 7
Use the following command to perform voice diagnostics and to view the debug messages between a maximum of two
802.11 clients:
debug voice-diag {enable | disable} mac-id mac-id2 [verbose]

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The verbose mode is an optional argument. When the verbose option is used, all debug messages are displayed in the
console. You can use this command to monitor a maximum of two 802.11 clients. If one of the clients is a non-WiFi
client, only the 802.11 client is monitored for debug messages.
It is implicitly assumed that the clients being monitored are on
call.
Note
The debug command automatically stops after 60
minutes.
Use the following commands to view various voice-related parameters:
Note
Step 8
show client voice-diag status

Displays information about whether voice diagnostics is enabled or disabled. If enabled, will also displays information
about the clients in the watch list and the time remaining for the diagnostics of the voice call.
If voice diagnostics is disabled when the following commands are entered, a message indicating that voice diagnostics
is disabled appears.
show client voice-diag tspec
Displays the TSPEC information sent from the clients that are enabled for voice diagnostics.
show client voice-diag qos-map
Displays information about the QoS/DSCP mapping and packet statistics in each of the four queues: VO, VI, BE,
BK. The different DSCP values are also displayed.
show client voice-diag avrg_rssi
Display the clients RSSI values in the last 5 seconds when voice diagnostics is enabled.
show client voice-diag roam-history
Displays information about the last three roaming calls. The output contains the timestamp, access point associated
with roaming, roaming reason, and if there is a roaming failure, the reason for the roaming-failure.
show client calls {active | rejected} {802.11a | 802.11bg | all}
This command lists the details of active TSPEC and SIP calls on the controller.
Step 9
Use the following commands to troubleshoot video debug messages and statistics:
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name multicastDisplays the access points supported multicast
rates.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name loadDisplays the access points QBSS and other statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name tx-queueDisplays the access points transmit queue traffic
statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name client {all | video | client-mac}Displays the access points
client metrics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name packetDisplays the access points packet statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name video metricsDisplays the access points video metrics.
debug ap show stats video ap-name multicast mgid number Displays an access points Layer 2 MGID database
number.

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debug ap show stats video ap-name admissionDisplays an access points admission control statistics.
debug ap show stats video ap-name bandwidthDisplays an access points video bandwidth.
Configuring SIP-Based CAC

Restrictions for SIP-Based CAC
SIPs are available only on the Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, Cisco 8500 Series Controllers, and on the
1240, 1130, and 11n access points.
SIP CAC should only be used for phones that support status code 17 and do not support TSPEC-based
admission control.
SIP CAC will be supported only if SIP snooping is enabled.
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (GUI)

Before You Begin
Ensure that you have set the voice to the platinum QoS level.
Ensure that you have enabled call snooping for the WLAN.
Ensure that you have enabled the Admission Control (ACM) for this radio.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > Advanced > SIP Snooping to open the SIP Snooping page.
Specify the call-snooping ports by entering the starting port and the ending port.
Click Apply and then click Save Configuration.
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (CLI)
Step 1
Set the voice to the platinum QoS level by entering this command:
config wlan qos wlan-id Platinum
Step 2
Enable the call-snooping feature for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan call-snoop enable wlan-id
Step 3
Enable the ACM to this radio by entering this command:

config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac {voice | video} acm enable

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Step 4
To configure the call snooping ports, enter this command:

config advanced sip-snooping-ports starting-port ending-port
Step 5
To troubleshoot SIP-based CAC events, enter this command:

debug sip event {enable | disable}
Configuring Media Parameters

Configuring Media Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media > Parameters page appears.
Step 5
Choose the Media tab to open the Media page.
Step 6
Select the Unicast Video Redirect check box to enable Unicast Video Redirect. The default value is disabled.
Step 7
In the Maximum Media Bandwidth (0-85%) text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth to be allocated
for media applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches the specified value, the access point rejects new calls
on this radio band.
The default value is 85%; valid values are from 0 to 85%.
Step 8
Step 9
In the Client Phy Rate text box, enter the value for the rate in kilobits per second at which the client operates.
In the Maximum Retry Percent (0-100%) text box, enter the percentage of the maximum retry. The default value is
80.
Select the Multicast Direct Enable check box to enable the Multicast Direct Enable text box. The default value is
enabled.
From the Max Streams per Radio drop-down list, choose the maximum number of allowed multicast direct streams
per radio. Choose a value between 1 to 20 or No Limit. The default value is set to No Limit.
From the Max Streams per Client drop-down list, choose the maximum number of allowed clients per radio. Choose
a value between 1 to 20 or No Limit. The default value is set to No Limit.
If you want to enable the best radio queue for this radio, select the Best Effort QoS Admission check box. The default
value is disabled.
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13

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Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers

Information About Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers
You can configure a controller to support calls from clients that do not support TSPEC-based calls. This
feature is known as voice prioritization. These calls are given priority over other clients utilizing the voice
pool. Voice prioritization is available only for SIP-based calls and not for TSPEC-based calls. If the bandwidth
is available, it takes the normal flow and allocates the bandwidth to those calls.
You can configure up to six preferred call numbers. When a call comes to one of the configured preferred
numbers, the controller does not check on the maximum call limit. It invokes the CAC to allocate bandwidth
for the preferred call. The bandwidth allocation is 85 percent of the entire bandwidth pool, not just from the
maximum configured voice pool. The bandwidth allocation is the same even for roaming calls.
Prerequisites for Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers

You must configure the following before configuring voice prioritization:
Set WLAN QoS to platinum.
Enable ACM for the radio.
Enable SIP call snooping on the WLAN.
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Set the WLAN QoS profile to Platinum.

Enable ACM for the WLAN radio.
Enable SIP call snooping for the WLAN.
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Preferred Call to open the Preferred Call page.
All calls configured on the controller appear.
Note
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
To remove a preferred call, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow and choose Remove.
Click Add Number to add a new preferred call.

In the Call Index text box, enter the index that you want to assign to the call. Valid values are from 1 through 6.
In the Call Number text box, enter the number.
Click Apply to add the new number.
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (CLI)
Step 1

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Step 2

Step 3
Step 4
Add a new preferred call by entering this command:

config advanced sip-preferred-call-no call_index {call_number | none}
Step 5
Remove a preferred call by entering this command:

config advanced sip-preferred-call-no call_index none
Step 6
View the preferred call statistics by entering the following command:

show ap stats {802.11{a | b} | wlan} ap_name
Step 7
Enter the following command to list the preferred call numbers:

show advanced sip-preferred-call-no
Configuring EDCA Parameters

Information About EDCA Parameters
Enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters are designed to provide preferential wireless channel
access for voice, video, and other quality-of-service (QoS) traffic.
Configuring EDCA Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click EDCA Parametersunder 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n.
Step 3
Step 4
The 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) > EDCA Parameters window is displayed.

Choose one of the following options from the EDCA Profile drop-down list:
WMMEnables the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) default parameters. This is the default value. Choose this option
when voice or video services are not deployed on your network.
Spectralink Voice PriorityEnables SpectraLink voice-priority parameters. Choose this option if SpectraLink
phones are deployed on your network to improve the quality of calls.
Voice OptimizedEnables Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) voice-optimized profile parameters.
Choose this option when voice services other than SpectraLink are deployed on your network.
Voice & Video OptimizedEnables EDCA voice-optimized and video-optimized profile parameters. Choose
this option when both voice and video services are deployed on your network.
Custom VoiceEnables custom voice EDCA parameters for 802.11a. The EDCA parameters under this option
also match the 6.0 WMM EDCA parameters when this profile is applied.

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Note
If you deploy video services, admission control must be

disabled.
FastlaneEnables fastlane EDCA parameters.

Step 5
Step 6
To enable MAC optimization for voice, check the Enable Low Latency MAC check box. By default, this check box is
not checked. This feature enhances voice performance by controlling packet retransmits and appropriately aging out
voice packets on lightweight access points, which improves the number of voice calls serviced per access point.
Note
We recommend against you enabling low latency MAC. You should enable low-latency MAC only if the WLAN
allows WMM clients. If WMM is enabled, then low-latency MAC can be used with any of the EDCA profiles.
Step 7
To re-enable the radio network, click Network under 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n, check the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g)
Network Status check box, and click Apply.
Step 8
Configuring EDCA Parameters (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2

save config
Step 3
Enable a specific EDCA profile by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} edca-parameters {wmm-default | svp-voice | optimized-voice |
optimzed-voice-video | custom-voice |fastlane}
wmm-defaultEnables the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) default parameters. This is the default value. Choose this
option if voice or video services are not deployed on your network.
svp-voiceEnables SpectraLink voice-priority parameters. Choose this option if SpectraLink phones are deployed
on your network to improve the quality of calls.
optimized-voiceEnables EDCA voice-optimized profile parameters. Choose this option if voice services other
than SpectraLink are deployed on your network.
optimized-video-voiceEnables EDCA voice-optimized and video-optimized profile parameters. Choose this
option if both voice and video services are deployed on your network.
custom-voiceEnables custom voice EDCA parameters for 802.11a. The EDCA parameters under this option
Note
If you deploy video services, admission control (ACM) must be disabled.
FastlaneEnables Fast Lane EDCA parameters.

Step 4
View the current status of MAC optimization for voice by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b}

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Information that is similar to the following example is displayed:

Voice-mac-optimization...................Disabled
Step 5
Enable or disable MAC optimization for voice by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} voice-mac-optimization {enable | disable}
This feature enhances voice performance by controlling packet retransmits and appropriately aging out voice
packets on lightweight APs. This, in tun improves the number of voice calls serviced per AP. The default value
is disabled.
Re-enable the radio network by entering this command:
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Save your settings by entering this command: save config.
Key Telephone System-based CAC

Restrictions for Key Telephone System-Based CAC
The controller ignores the SSID Capability Check Request message from the clients.
Preferred call is not supported for KTS CAC clients.
Reason code 17 is not supported in intercontroller roaming scenarios.
To make the KTS-based CAC feature functional, ensure that you do the following:
Enable WMM on the WLAN
Enable ACM at the radio level
Enable processing of TSPEC inactivity timeout at the radio level
Information About Key Telephone System-Based CAC

Key Telephone System-based CAC is a protocol that is used in NEC MH240 wireless IP telephones. You can
configure the controller to support CAC on KTS-based SIP clients, to process bandwidth request message
from such clients, to allocate the required bandwidth on the AP radio, and to handle other messages that are
part of the protocol.
When a call is initiated, the KTS-based CAC client sends a Bandwidth Request message to which the controller
responds with a Bandwidth Confirm message indicating whether the bandwidth is allocated or not. The call
is allowed only if the bandwidth is available. If the client roams from one AP to another, the client sends
another Bandwidth Request message to the controller.
Bandwidth allocation depends on the median time calculated using the data rate from the Bandwidth Request
message and the packetization interval. For KTS-based CAC clients, the G.711 codec with 20 milliseconds
as the packetization interval is used to compute the medium time.

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The controller releases the bandwidth after it receives the bandwidth release message from the client. When
the client roams to another AP, the controller releases the bandwidth on the previous AP and allocates bandwidth
on the new AP, in both intracontroller and intercontroller roaming scenarios. The controller releases the
bandwidth if the client is dissociated or if there is inactivity for 120 seconds. The controller does not inform
the client when the bandwidth is released for the client due to inactivity or dissociation of the client.
Configuring KTS-based CAC (GUI)

Before You Begin
To enable KTS-based CAC for a WLAN, ensure that you do the following:
Set the QoS profile for the WLAN to Platinum.
Set the WLAN in disabled state.
Set the FlexConnect Local Switching in disabled state for the WLAN (On the WLANs > Edit page,
click the Advanced tab and uncheck the FlexConnect Local Switching check box).
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure the KTS-based CAC policy.
Under Voice, check or uncheck the KTS based CAC Policy check box to enable or disable KTS-based CAC for the
WLAN.
Configuring KTS-based CAC (CLI)

Before You Begin
Configure the QoS profile for the WLAN to Platinum by entering the following command:
config wlan qos wlan-id platinum
Disable the WLAN by entering the following command:
config wlan disable wlan-id
Disable FlexConnect Local Switching for the WLAN by entering the following command:
config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan-id disable
Step 1
To enable KTS-based CAC for a WLAN, enter the following command:

config wlan kts-cac enable wlan-id
Step 2
To enable the functioning of the KTS-based CAC feature, ensure you do the following:

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Application Visibility and Control
a) Enable WMM on the WLAN by entering the following command:

config wlan wmm allow wlan-id
b) Enable ACM at the radio level by entering the following command:
config 802.11a cac voice acm enable
c) Enable the processing of the TSPEC inactivity timeout at the radio level by entering the following command:
config 802.11a cac voice tspec-inactivity-timeout enable
Related Commands
To see whether the client supports KTS-based CAC, enter the following command:
Client MAC Address............................... 00:60:b9:0d:ef:26
Client Username ................................. N/A
AP MAC Address................................... 58:bc:27:93:79:90
QoS Level........................................
802.1P Priority Tag..............................
KTS CAC Capability...............................
WMM Support......................................
Power Save.......................................
Platinum
disabled
Yes
Enabled
ON
To troubleshoot issues with KTS-based CAC, enter the following command:

debug cac kts enable
To troubleshoot other issues related to CAC, enter the following commands:
debug cac event enable
debug call-control all enable

Information About Application Visibility and Control
Application Visibility and Control (AVC) classifies applications using deep packet inspection techniques with
the Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) engine, and provides application-level visibility and
control (QoS) in wireless networks. After the applications are recognized, the AVC feature enables you to
either drop, mark, or police the data traffic.
Using AVC, we can detect more than 1000 applications. AVC enables you to perform real-time analysis and
create policies to reduce network congestion, costly network link usage, and infrastructure upgrades.
Note
You can view list of 30 applications in Top Applications in Monitor Summary section of the UI.

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AVC DSCP marks only the DSCP of the original packet in the controller in both directions (upstream and
downstream). It does not affect the outer CAPWAP DCSP. AVC DSCP is applicable only when the application
is classified. For example, based on the AVC profile configuration, if an application is classified as ftp or
http, the corresponding DSCP marking is applied irrespective of the WLAN QoS. For downstream, the DSCP
value of outer CAPWAP header and inner packets DSCP are taken from AVC DSCP. WLAN QoS is only
applicable for all traffic from WLC to AP through CAPWAP. It does not change the DSCP of the original
packet.
Using AVC rule, you can limit the bandwidth of a particular application for all the clients joined on the WLAN.
These bandwidth contracts coexist with per-client downstream rate limiting with per client downstream rate
limits that takes precedence over the per-application rate limits.
Note
When you downgrade the controller from 8.0 to any earlier version, the AVC rate limit rules display the
action as drop. This action is expected since the AVC rate limit rule is introduced in the controller version
8.0.
AVC is supported in central switching mode on the following controller platforms: Cisco 2500 Series Wireless
Controllers, Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco 8500
Series Wireless Controllers, and Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2).
The number of concurrent flows supported for AVC classification on different controller platforms for 8.0
release are noted in the following table. The absolute maximum number of flows supported on one platform
cannot exceed more than 110% of the numbers shown in the following table and this 10% extra flows support
will happen based on availability of the free memory in the system.
Controller
Flow
Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controller
1,75,000
25,000
WISM-2
3,75,000
3,50,000
Application Visibility and Control Protocol Packs

Protocol packs are a means to distribute protocol updates outside the controller software release trains, and
can be loaded on the controller without replacing the controller software.
The Application Visibility and Control Protocol Pack (AVC Protocol Pack) is a single compressed file that
contains multiple Protocol Description Language (PDL) files and a manifest file. A set of required protocols
can be loaded, which helps AVC to recognize additional protocols for classification on your network. The
manifest file gives information about the protocol pack, such as the protocol pack name, version, and some
information about the available PDLs in the protocol pack.
The AVC Protocol Packs are released to specific AVC engine versions. You can load a protocol pack if the
engine version on the controller platform is the same or higher than the version required by the protocol pack.

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AAA override for AVC profiles

The AAA attribute for client or user profile is configured on the AAA server using authentication from
RADIUS server or Cisco ACS or ISE. The AAA attribute is processed during layer 2 or layer 3 authentication
by the controller and the same is overridden by what is configured on the WLAN.
The AAA AVC profile is defined as a Cisco AV air. The string option is defined as avc-profile-name and
this value has to be configured for any AVC profile available in the controller.
Restrictions for Application Visibility and Control

IPv6 packet classification is not supported.
Layer 2 roaming is not supported across controllers.
Multicast traffic is not supported.
Controller GUI support is not present for the AVC Protocol Pack feature.
Downloading the AVC Protocol Pack is not supported on the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers.
The number of applications that you can apply rate limit is 3.
Only one rule can be configured per application. An application cannot have both a rate limit as well as
a Mark rule.
If the standby controller has a different protocol pack version installed before pairing, then the active
and standby controllers will have different protocol packs versions after pairing, in a HA environment.
In the standby controller, the transferred protocol pack takes the preference over default protocol pack.
For example, the controller with the software release 8.0 contains Protocol Pack version 9.0 by default.
Before pairing, if one of the controllers has a Protocol Pack version 11.0 installed, then after pairing one
controller contains Protocol Pack version 9.0 and the other controller contains Protocol Pack 11.0
installed.
AVC rate limiting is not supported on Cisco 2504 WLC.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (GUI)
Step 1
Create and configure an AVC profile by following these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Application Visibility and Control > AVC Profiles.
b) Click New.
c) Enter the AVC profile name.
d) Click Apply.
e) On the AVC Profile Name page, click the corresponding AVC profile name.
The AVC Profile > Edit page is displayed.
f) Click Add New Rule.
g) Choose the application group and the application name from the respective drop-down lists.
View the list of default AVC applications available by choosing Wireless > Application Visibility and Control >
AVC Applications.

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h) From the Action drop-down list, choose either of the following:

DropDrops the upstream and downstream packets that correspond to the chosen application.
MarkMarks the upstream and downstream packets that correspond to the chosen application with the
Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value that you specify in the DSCP (0 to 63) drop-down list. The
DSCP value helps you provide differentiated services based on the QoS levels.
Note
The default action is to give permission to all

applications.
i) If you choose Mark from the Action drop-down list, choose a DSCP value from the DSCP (0 to 63) drop-down list.
The DSCP value is a packet header code that is used to define QoS across the Internet. The DSCP values are mapped
to the following QoS levels:
Platinum (Voice)Assures a high QoS for Voice over Wireless.
Gold (Video)Supports high-quality video applications.
Silver (Best Effort)Supports normal bandwidth for clients.
Bronze (Background)Provides the lowest bandwidth for guest services.
You can also choose Custom and specify the DSCP value. The valid range is from 0 to 63.
j) Click Apply.
k) Click Save Configuration.
Step 2
Associate an AVC profile to a WLAN by following these steps:

a) Choose WLANs and click the corresponding WLAN ID.
b)
c)
d)
e)
Click the QoS tab.

Choose the AVC profile from the AVC Profile drop-down list.
Click Apply.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (CLI)

Create or delete an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name {create | delete}
Add a rule for an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name rule add application application-name {drop | mark dscp-value
| ratelimit Average Ratelimit value Burst Ratelimit value}
Remove a rule for an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name rule remove application application-name
Configure an AVC profile to a WLAN by entering this command:

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config wlan avc wlan-id profile avc-profile-name {enable | disable}

Configure application visibility for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan avc wlan-id visibility {enable | disable}
Note
Application visibility is the subset of an AVC profile. Therefore, visibility is

automatically enabled when you configure an AVC profile on the WLAN.
Download an AVC Protocol Pack to the controller by entering these commands:

1 transfer download datatype avc-protocol-pack
2 transfer download start
View information about all AVC profile or a particular AVC profile by entering this command:
show avc profile {summary | detailed avc-profile-name}
View information about AVC applications by entering these commands:
show avc applications [application-group]Displays all the supported AVC applications for the
application group.
show avc statistics application application_name top-users [downstream wlan | upstream wlan
| wlan] [wlan_id ]} Displays AVC statistics for the top users of an application.
show avc statistics top-apps [upstream | downstream]Displays the AVC statistics for the
most used application.
show avc statistics wlan wlan_id {application application_name | top-app-groups [upstream
| downstream] | top-apps [upstream | downstream]}Displays the AVC statistics of a WLAN
per application or top applications or top application groups.
show avc statistics client client_MAC {application application_name | top-apps [upstream |
downstream]}Displays the client AVC statistics per application or top applications.
Note
You can view list of 30 applications using the show avc applications and show avc
statistics commands.
View the protocol pack that is used on the controller by entering this command:
show avc protocol-pack version
View the AVC engine version information by entering this command:
show avc engine version
Configure troubleshooting for AVC events by entering this command:
debug avc events {enable | disable}
Configure troubleshooting for AVC errors by entering this command:
debug avc error {enable | disable}

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Application Visibility Control for FlexConnect

Release 8.1 introduces support for Application Visibility and Control for locally switched WLANs on
FlexConnect APs. Application Visibility Control (AVC) provides application-aware control on a wireless
network and enhances manageability and productivity. The support of AVC embedded within the FlexConnect
AP extends as this is an end-to-end solution, which gives a complete visibility of applications in the network
and allows the administrator to perform necessary actions.
Supported Hardware
Supported Access Points1600, 1700, 2600, 2700, 3600, 3700, 1532, 1570
Supported WLCs5508, 5520, Flex 7510, 8510, 8540, vWLC, and WiSM2
Supported ModesFlexConnect and Flex+bridge mode
Restrictions on AVC for FlexConnect
Cisco Aironet 1570 Access Points are not supported.
Downloading the AVC Protocol Pack is not supported on FlexConnect APs.
a Mark rule.
A maximum of 31 rules can be configured in a profile. You can configure a maximum of 16 profiles in
the complete system.
AAA override of AVC profiles is not supported.
FlexConnect AVC feature is not supported on Cisco 2504 WLC.
By design, WLAN-level FlexConnect AVC stats are not supported.
When the AP is in a FLexGroup and the FlexGroup does not have FlexConnect AVC configured, then
FlexConnect AVC configuration is not pushed to the AP from the WLC.
Netflow Export from WLC is not supported.
In the stats, DHCP information is not supported on the WLC.
Foreign anchor scenario: AVC for FlexConnect statistics can be seen only on the foreign WLC.
FlexConnect Group AVC configuration:
WLAN AVC configuration is not inherited when the AP is part of FlexConnect group.
It is mandatory to configure AVC for FlexConnect on a FlexConnect Group if the AP is part of
the FlexConnect group, if you want to push the AVC for FlexConnect configuration to the AP.
If a FlexConnect AP is not part of a FlexConnect group, local switching WLAN AVC configuration
is pushed to the FlexConnect AP.

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Upgrade to 8.1 or a later release from a previous release:

Enabling AVC on Local Switching WLAN might have performance issues on a FlexConnect AP.
After you upgrade to 8.1 or a later release, AVC configuration of WLAN is pushed to all
FlexConnect APs that are not part of the FlexConnect Group. You can disable the AVC configuration
at the WLAN level and can configure it at the FlexConnect group level based on your requirement.
Note
We recommend that you do not change any configuration directly on the AP. Doing so might result in
unexpected behavior.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (GUI)
Step 1
To create a FlexConnect AVC profile and add a rule:

a) Choose Wireless > Application Visibility and Control > FlexConnect AVC Profiles and click New.
b) Specify the FlexConnect profile name and click Apply.
c) Click the profile name and click Add New Rule.
d) Specify the Application Group, Application Name, and Action and click Apply.
Step 2
To check the visibility globally for all WLANs on a FlexConnect Group, choose Monitor > Applications > FlexConnect
Groups and select the FlexConnect group that you created earlier.
This page provides more granular visibility per FlexConnect group and lists the top 10 applications in the last 90 seconds,
as well as cumulative stats for the top 10 applications. You can view upstream and downstream statistics individually
per FlexConnect group on the same page by clicking the Upstream and Downstream tabs.
You can set the number of applications that are displayed on this page through the Max Number of Records drop-down
list. The default value is 10.
Step 3
To specify more granular visibility of the top 10 applications per client on a locally switched WLAN where AVC visibility
is enabled, choose Monitor > Applications > FlexConnect Groups, select the FlexConnect group name and click the
Client tab. Then, click any individual client MAC address entry listed on the page.
This page provides further granular statistics per client associated on locally switched WLANs where AVC visibility is
enabled on the WLAN itself or on the FlexConnect Group, and lists the top 10 applications in last the 180 seconds as
well as cumulative stats for top 10 applications. You can view upstream and downstream stats individually per-client
from same page by clicking the Upstream and Downstream tab. You can set the number of applications that are displayed
on this page through the Max Number of Records drop-down list. The default value is 10.
Configuration Example
Step 1
Create an open WLAN.

An open WLAN has Layer 2 security set to None.
Step 2
Enable FlexConnect Local Switching on the WLAN and click Apply.

a) On the WLANs page, click the WLAN ID.

435
b) On the WLANs > Edit page, click the Advanced tab.

c) In the FlexConnect area, select the FlexConnect Local Switching check box.
Step 3
Ensure that the APs connected to this WLAN are among the list of supported access points for this feature. Set the APs
in FlexConnect mode.
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs.
b) Click the AP name.
c) From the AP Mode drop-down list, select FlexConnect and click Apply.
Step 4
Create a FlexConnect group and add the AP to the FlexConnect group.

a) Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups.
b) Click New and enter the name of the FlexConnect group, and then click Apply.
c) On the FlexConnect Groups > Edit page, in the FlexConnect APs area, click Add AP.
d) You can either select an AP from a list of APs associated with the WLC or directly specify the Ethernet MAC address
of the AP that is associated with the WLC.
e) Click Add.
Note
Applications that can be identified, classified, and controlled are listed under Wireless > Application
Visiblity and Control > FlexConnect AVC Applications. The access points support Protocol Pack version
8.0 and NBAR engine version 16.
Create an AVC profile and add a rule.
Note
A FlexConnect AVC profile can have a maximum of 32
rules.
Step 5
Step 6
Enable AVC on the FlexConnect group and apply the FlexConnect AVC profile to the FlexConnect group.
a) Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Group and click the FlexConnect group name.
b) Click the WLAN AVC Mapping tab.
c) Specify the WLAN ID and from the Application Visibility drop-down list, choose Enable.
d) From the Flex AVC Profile drop-down list, choose the FlexConnect AVC profile, and click Add.
e) Click Apply.
Step 7
After Application Visibility is enabled on the FlexConnect Group, you can start different types of traffic (from the
associated wireless client) using the applications (already installed) such as Cisco Jabber, Skype, Yahoo Messenger,
HTTP, HTTPS/SSL, YouTube, Ping, Trace route.
After traffic is initiated from the wireless client, visibility of different traffic can be observed on a per-FlexConnect
Group and per-client basis. This provides a good overview to the administrator of the network bandwidth utilization and
type of traffic in the network per-client and per-branch site.
Step 8

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Step 9
Step 10
Click Clear AVC Stats to clear all the AVC statistics for a particular client.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (CLI)

Configure a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name {create | delete}
Add a rule for a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule add application app-name {drop | {mark dscp-value
{upstream | downstream}}}
Delete a rule for a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule remove application app-name
Apply rule changes to a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name apply
See a summary of FlexConnect AVC profiles or detailed information about one FlexConnect AVC
profile by entering this command:
show flexconnect avc profile summary
show flexconnect avc profile detailed profile-name
Note
The FlexConnect AVC profile rules are pushed to the AP only when the rules are in 'Applied' state.
Troubleshooting command:
debug flexconnect avc {event | error | detail} {enable | disable}
Monitoring commands to be entered on the AP console:
a) Check whether the FlexConnect AVC profiles are present on the AP by entering this command:
show policy-map
b) See statistics for each application in the FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
show policy-map target
c) Check the applications present in the FlexConnect AVC profiles by entering this command:
show class-map
d) See WLAN and FlexConnect AVC mapping on the AP by entering this command:
show dot11 qos

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Before You Begin

Ensure that you have created an open WLAN.
Step 1
Enable FlexConnect local switching on the WLAN:

config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan-id
Step 2
config ap mode flexconnect submode none
Step 3
Create a FlexConnect group and add the AP to the FlexConnect group:

a) config flexconnect group group-name add
b) config flexconnect group group-name ap add ap-mac-addr
Step 4
Create a FlexConnect AVC profile and add a rule:

Note
rules.
a) config flexconnect avc profile profile-name create
b) config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule add application app-name {drop | mark}
Step 5
a) config flexconnect group group-name avc wlan-id visibility enable
b) config wlan avc wlan-id visibility enable
c) config wlan avc wlan-id flex-profile profile-name enable
Step 6
To check the visibility globally for all WLANs on a FlexConnect Group:
show flexconnect avc statistics
Step 7
Step 8
To see a summary of AVC for FlexConnect profiles or detailed information about one AVC for FlexConnect profile:
The AVC profile rules are pushed to the AP only when the rules are in 'Applied'
state.
To troubleshoot AVC for FlexConnect:
Note
Step 9
Step 10

show policy-map

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NetFlow
show class-map
show dot11 qos
NetFlow
Information About NetFlow
NetFlow is an embedded instrumentation within the Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC) software to characterize
wireless network flows. NetFlow monitors each IP flow and exports the aggregated flow data to the external
NetFlow collectors.
The NetFlow architecture consists of the following components:
CollectorEntity that collects all the IP traffic information from various NetFlow exporters.
ExporterNetwork entity that exports the template with the IP traffic information. The Cisco WLC acts
as an exporter.
Note
Cisco WLC does not support IPv6 address format when acting as an exporter for
NetFlow.
NetFlow has added an enhanced template in Release 8.2 using the Version 9 export format, which provides
additional 17-field information about the flow. This report is compatible with third-party NetFlow collectors,
including Lancope. The minimum supported protocol pack version is 14 with NBAR engine version 23.
Currently, the enhanced template is supported on specific models, such as Cisco 5520, Cisco 8510, and Cisco
8540 WLCs. The existing template continues to export data for the following Cisco models:
Cisco 2504 WLC
Cisco 5508 WLC
Cisco 5520 WLC
Cisco Flex 7510 WLC
Cisco 8510 WLC
Cisco 8540 WLC
Cisco WiSM2
The following are the template enhancements in NetFlow Version 9 :
New features can be added to NetFlow quickly, without breaking existing implementations.
NetFlow is future-proofed against new or developing protocols, because NetFlow Version 9 can be
adapted to provide support for those protocols.
NetFlow Version 9 is the IETF standard mechanism for information export.

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NetFlow
Third-party business partners who produce applications that provide collector or display services for
NetFlow are not required to recompile their applications each time a new NetFlow feature is added.
Table 21: List of data points in a NetFlow template
4
Existing Template : ipv4_client_app_flow_record
Enhanced template :
ipv4_client_src_dst_flow_record
applicationTag
applicationTag
ipDiffServCodePoint
staMacAddress
octetDeltaCount
wtpMacAddress
packetDeltaCount
WlanID
postIpDiffServCodePoint
Source IP
staIPv4Address
Dest IP
staMacAddress
Source Port
wlanSSID
Dest Port
wtpMacAddress
Protocol
Start Time
End Time
Direction
Packet count
Byte count
VLAN id
TOS
Client username
4 Supported on Cisco 2504, 5508, 5520, Flex 7510, 8510, 8540, WiSM2 WLCs
5 Supported on Cisco 5520, 8510, and 8540 WLCs
Restrictions for Using Netflow

The enhanced template is supported only on Cisco 5520, 8510, and 8540 WLCs.

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NetFlow
The enhanced template is not supported on the Cisco 2504, 5508, 7510, and WiSM2 WLCs.
NetFlow is not supported on Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller (vWLC).
FlexConnect mode is not supported.
IPv6 traffic is not supported.
Only one collector and exporter each can be configured.
Configuring NetFlow (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the Exporter by performing these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Netflow > Exporter.
b) Click New.
c) Enter the Exporter name, IP address, and the port number.
The valid range for the port number is from 1 to 65535.
d) Click Apply.
e) Click Save Configuration.
Step 2
Configure the NetFlow Monitor by performing these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Netflow > Monitor.
b) Click New and enter a Monitor name.
c) On the Monitor List window, click the Monitor name to open the Netflow Monitor > Edit window.
d) Choose the exporter name and the record name from the respective drop-down lists.
Client App RecordBetter Performance
Client Source and Destination RecordHigher Visibility
Note
This option is not available in Cisco 5508
WLC.
e) Click Apply.
f) Click Save Configuration.
Step 3
Associate a NetFlow Monitor to a WLAN by performing these steps:

a) Choose WLANs and click a WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
b) In the QoS tab, choose a NetFlow monitor from the Netflow Monitor drop-down list.
c) Click Apply.
Configuring NetFlow (CLI)

Create an Exporter by entering this command:
config flow create exporter exporter-name ip-addr port-number

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QoS Profiles
Create a NetFlow Monitor by entering this command:

config flow create monitor monitor-name
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with an exporter by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name exporter exporter-name
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with a record by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name record ipv4_client_app_flow_record
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with the new template record by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name record ipv4_client_src_dst_flow_record
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan flow wlan-id monitor monitor-name {enable | disable}
View a summary of NetFlow monitors by entering this command:
show flow monitor summary
View information about the Exporter by entering this command:
show flow exporter {summary | statistics}
Configure NetFlow debug by entering this command:
debug flow {detail | error | info} {enable | disable}
QoS Profiles
Information About QoS Profiles
Cisco UWN solution WLANs support four levels of QoS: Platinum/Voice, Gold/Video, Silver/Best Effort
(default), and Bronze/Background. You can configure the voice traffic WLAN to use Platinum QoS, assign
the low-bandwidth WLAN to use Bronze QoS, and assign all other traffic between the remaining QoS levels.
The WLAN QoS level defines a specific 802.11e user priority (UP) for over-the-air traffic. This UP is used
to derive the over-the-wire priorities for non-WMM traffic, and it also acts as the ceiling when managing
WMM traffic with various levels of priorities.
The wireless rate limits can be defined on both upstream and downstream traffic. Rate limits can be defined
per SSID and/or specified as a maximum rate limit for all clients. These rate limits can be individually
configured.
The access point uses this QoS-profile-specific UP in accordance with the values in the following table to
derive the IP DSCP value that is visible on the wired LAN.
Table 22: Access Point QoS Translation Values
AVVID Traffic Type
AVVID IP DSCP
QoS Profile
AVVID 802.1p
IEEE 802.11e
UP
Network control
56 (CS7)
Platinum

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QoS Profiles
Note
AVVID Traffic Type
AVVID IP DSCP
QoS Profile
AVVID 802.1p
IEEE 802.11e
UP
Inter-network control
(CAPWAP control,
802.11 management)
48 (CS6)
Platinum
Voice
46 (EF)
Platinum
Interactive video
34 (AF41)
Gold
Mission critical
26 (AF31)
Gold
Transactional
18 (AF21)
Silver
Bulk data
10 (AF11)
Bronze
Best effort
0 (BE)
Silver
Scavenger
Bronze
The IEEE 802.11e UP value for DSCP values that are not mentioned in the table is calculated by considering
3 MSB bits of DSCP.
For example, the IEEE 802.11e UP value for DSCP 32 (100 000 in binary), would be the decimal equivalent
of the MSB (100) which is 4. The 802.11e UP value of DSCP 32 is 4.
Configuring Quality of Service Profiles

Configuring QoS Profiles (GUI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles.
To disable the radio networks, choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network, unselect the 802.11a (or
802.11b/g) Network Status check box, and click Apply.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Wireless > QoS > Profiles to open the QoS Profiles page.
Click the name of the profile that you want to configure to open the Edit QoS Profile page.
Change the description of the profile by modifying the contents of the Description text box.
Define the data rates on a per-user basis as follows:
a) Define the average data rate for TCP traffic per user by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Data Rate text boxes.
A value of 0 indicates that the value specified in the selected QoS profile will take effect.
b) Define the peak data rate for TCP traffic per user by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Data Rate text boxes. A
value of 0 indicates that the value specified in the selected QoS profile will take effect.

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QoS Profiles
Note
The burst data rate should be greater than or equal to the average data rate. Otherwise, the QoS policy may
block traffic to and from the wireless client.
Ensure that you configure the average data rate before you configure the burst data rate.
c) Define the average real-time rate for UDP traffic per user by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Real-Time
Rate text boxes. A value of 0 indicates that the value specified in the selected QoS profile will take effect.
Note
Average Data Rate is used to measure TCP traffic while Average Real-time rate is used for UDP traffic.
They are measured in kbps for all the entries. The values for Average Data Rate and Average Real-time rate
can be different because they are applied to different upper layer protocols such as TCP and UDP. These
different values for the rates do not impact the bandwidth.
d) Define the peak real-time rate for UDP traffic per user by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Real-Time Rate text
boxes. A value of 0 indicates that the value specified in the selected QoS profile will take effect.
Note
The burst real-time rate should be greater than or equal to the average real-time rate. Otherwise, the QoS
policy may block traffic to and from the wireless client.
Step 6
Define the data rates on a per-SSID basis as follows:

a) Define the average data rate TCP traffic per SSID by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Data Rate text boxes.
b) Define the peak data rate for TCP traffic per SSID by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Data Rate text boxes. A
Note
block traffic in the WLANs.
c) Define the average real-time rate for UDP traffic per SSID by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Real-Time
d) Define the peak real-time rate for UDP traffic per SSID by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Real-Time Rate
text boxes. A value of 0 indicates that the value specified in the selected QoS profile will take effect.
Note
policy may block traffic in the WLANs.
Step 7
Define the maximum and default QoS levels for unicast and multicast traffic when you assign a QoS profile to a WLAN.
a) From the Maximum Priority drop-down list, choose the maximum QoS priority for any data frames transmitted by
the AP to any station in the WLAN.
For example, a QoS profile named gold targeted for video applications has the maximum priority set to video by
default.
b) From the Unicast Default Priority drop-down list, choose the QoS priority for unicast data frames transmitted by the
AP to non-WMM stations in the WLAN
c) From the Multicast Default Priority drop-down list, choose the QoS priority for multicast data frames transmitted by
the AP to stations in the WLAN,
Note
The default unicast priority cannot be used for non-WMM clients in a mixed WLAN.
Step 8
Choose 802.1p from the Protocol Type drop-down list and enter the maximum priority value in the 802.1p Tag text box
to define the maximum value (07) for the priority tag associated with packets that fall within the profile.
The tagged packets include CAPWAP data packets (between access points and the controller) and packets sent toward
the core network.
Note
If a QoS profile has 802.1p tagging configured and if this QoS profile is assigned to a WLAN that uses an
untagged interface on the controller, the client traffic will be blocked.

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QoS Profiles
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Apply.
Reenable the 802.11 networks.
To enable the radio networks, choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network, select the 802.11a (or
Step 12
Choose WLANs and select a WLAN ID to apply the new QoS profile to it.
Step 13
In the WLAN > Edit page, go to the QoS tab and select the QoS Profile type from the Quality of Service drop-down
list. The QoS profile will add the rate limit values configured on the controller on per WLAN, per radio and per AP basis.
For example, if upstream rate limit of 5Mbps is configured for a QoS profile of type silver, then every WLAN that has
silver profile will limit traffic to 5Mbps (5Mbps for each wlan) on each radio and on each AP where the WLAN is
applicable.
Step 14
Step 15
Click Apply.
Configuring QoS Profiles (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles by entering these commands:
config 802.11{a | b} disable network
Step 2
Change the profile description by entering this command:

config qos description {bronze | silver | gold | platinum }description
Step 3
Define the average data rate for TCP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos average-data-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
For the rate parameter, you can enter a value between 0 and 512,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes
no bandwidth restriction on the QoS profile.
Define the peak data rate for TCP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos burst-data-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream} rate
Note
Step 4
Step 5
Define the average real-time data rate for UDP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos average-realtime-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
Step 6
Define the peak real-time data rate for UDP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos burst-realtime-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
Step 7
Define the maximum and default QoS levels for unicast and multicast traffic when you assign a QoS profile to a WLAN
config qos priority {bronze | gold | platinum | silver} {maximum priority} {default unicast priority} {default multicast
priority}

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QoS Profiles
You choose from the following options for the maximum priority, default unicast priority, and default multicast priority
parameters:
besteffort
background
video
voice
Step 8
Define the maximum value (07) for the priority tag associated with packets that fall within the profile, by entering these
commands:
config qos protocol-type {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} dot1p
config qos dot1p-tag {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} tag
the core network.
Note
The 802.1p tagging has impact only on wired packets. Wireless packets are impacted only by the maximum
priority level set for a QoS profile.
Reenable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles by entering these commands:
Note
Step 9
Step 10
Apply the new QoS profile to a WLAN, by entering these commands:

config wlan qos <WLAN ID> {bronze | silver | gold | platinum}
QoS Profile per WLAN

Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (GUI)
Before You Begin
If you have not already done so, configure one or more QoS profiles using the instructions in the Configuring
QoS Profiles (GUI) section.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to assign a QoS profile.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the QoS tab.
From the Quality of Service (QoS) drop-down list, choose one of the following:
Platinum (voice)
Gold (video)
Silver (best effort)

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QoS Profiles
Bronze (background)
Note
Step 5
Silver (best effort) is the default

value.
To define the data rates on a per-user basis, do the following:

Note
Note
Note
Step 6
To define the data rates on a per-SSID basis, do the following:

Note
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.

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QoS Profiles
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (CLI)

QoS Profiles (CLI) section.
Step 1
Assign a QoS profile to a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan qos wlan_id {bronze | silver | gold | platinum}
Silver is the default value.
Step 2
To override QoS profile rate limit parameters, enter this command:

config wlan override-rate-limit wlan-id {average-data-rate | average-realtime-rate | burst-data-rate |
burst-realtime-rate} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream} rate
Step 3
Step 4
Verify that you have properly assigned the QoS profile to the WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
MAC Filtering....................................
Broadcast SSID...................................
AAA Policy Override..............................
Exclusionlist....................................
Session Timeout..................................
Interface........................................
WLAN ACL.........................................
DHCP Server......................................
DHCP Address Assignment Required.................
Quality of Service...............................
WMM..............................................
...

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1
test
test
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
0
Disabled
0
management
unconfigured
1.100.163.24
Disabled
Disabled
CHAPTER
26
Location Services
Cisco Hyperlocation, page 449
RFID Tracking, page 451
Probe Request Forwarding, page 452
CCX Radio Management, page 453
Mobile Concierge, page 457
CMX Cloud Connector, page 474
Cisco Hyperlocation
Information About Cisco Hyperlocation
The Cisco Hyperlocation radio module provides the following:
WSM Radio Module functions that are extended to:
802.11ac
Wi-Fi Transmit
WSM and RRM channel scanning that is extended to 20-MHz, 40-MHz, and 80-MHz channel
bandwidth.
Expanded location functionality:
Low latency location optimized channel scanning
32-antenna angle of arrival (AoA)
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capability
The Cisco Hyperlocation Radio Module is supported on Cisco Aironet 3600 and 3700 Series Access Points.
For more information about Cisco Hyperlocation, see the following documents:
Cisco Hyperlocation Solution

449
Cisco Hyperlocation
Cisco CMX 10.2 Configuration Guide to enable Cisco Hyperlocation

Cisco CMX 10.2 Release Notes
Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation

Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation (GUI)
This section provides instructions to configure Cisco Hyperlocation on all APs that have the Cisco Hyperlocation
radio module and are connected to the Cisco WLC. You can also apply the Cisco Hyperlocation configuration
to an individual access point or an access point group.
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Global Configuration.

In the Hyperlocation Config Parameters section:
a) Check the Enable Hyperlocation check box.
Based on AP and installed module, checking the Enable Hyperlocation check box enables different location service
(PRL-based or AoA-based).
b) Enter the Packet Detection RSSI Minimum (dBm) value.
This is the minimum level at which a data packet can be heard by the WSM modules for use in location calculations.
The default values is 100 db.
We recommend that this value be increased if you want to have only strong signals used in calculating locations.
c) Enter the Scan Count Threshold for Idle Client Detection value.
The Scan Count Threshold represent the number of off-channel scan cycles the AP will wait before sending a Block
Acknowledgment Request (BAR) to idle clients. The default value of 10 corresponds to approximately 40s, depending
on the number of channels in the off channel scan cycle.
d) Enter the IPv4 address of the NTP server.
This is the IPv4/IPv6 address of the NTP server that all AP that are involved in this calculation need to sync to.
We recommend that you use the same NTP server as is used by the general WLC infrastructure. The scans from
multiple AP needs to be synced up for the location to be accurately calculated. An IPv4 address is required.
Step 3
In the BLE Beacon Config Parameters section:

a) Enter the BLE transmission interval in the Interval (1-10)Hz box.
b) Select the Beacon ID.
c) If required, delete the selected beacon by checking the Delete Beacon check box.
d) Enable or disable the Beacon Status.
e) Specify the beacon's UUID.
f) Specify the selected beacon's transmission power in the TxPower (-52 to 0)dBm box.
Step 4
Configuring Cisco Hyperlocation (CLI)

Configure Cisco Hyperlocation globally by entering this command:

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RFID Tracking
config advanced hyperlocation {enable | disable}

See a summary of Cisco Hyperlocation global configuration by entering this command:
show advanced hyperlocation summary
Configure Cisco Hyperlocation on a per AP group basis by entering this command:
config advanced hyperlocation apgroup group-name {enable | disable}
RFID Tracking
Information About Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points
To optimize the monitoring and location calculation of RFID tags, you can enable tracking optimization on
up to four channels within the 2.4-GHz band of an 802.11b/g access point radio. This feature allows you to
scan only the channels on which tags are usually programmed to operate (such as channels 1, 6, and 11).
You can use the controller GUI or CLI to configure the access point for monitor mode and to then enable
tracking optimization on the access point radio.
Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the name of the access point for which you want to configure monitor mode. The All APs > Details for page
appears.
From the AP Mode drop-down list, choose Monitor.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply.
Click OK when warned that the access point will be rebooted.
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11b/g/n Radios page.
Step 8
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and choose Configure. The 802.11b/g/n
Cisco APs > Configure page appears.
Disable the access point radio by choosing Disable from the Admin Status drop-down list and click Apply.
Enable tracking optimization on the radio by choosing Enable from the Enable Tracking Optimization drop-down list.
From the four Channel drop-down lists, choose the channels on which you want to monitor RFID tags.
Note
You must configure at least one channel on which the tags will be
monitored.
Click Apply.
To reenable the access point radio, choose Enable from the Admin Status drop-down list and click Apply.
Step 15
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11

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Probe Request Forwarding
Optimizing RFID Tracking on Access Points (CLI)
Step 1
Configure an access point for monitor mode by entering this command:

config ap mode monitor Cisco_AP
Step 2
When warned that the access point will be rebooted and asked if you want to continue, enter Y.
Step 3

save config
Step 4
Disable the access point radio by entering this command:

config 802.11b disable Cisco_AP
Step 5
Configure the access point to scan only the DCA channels supported by its country of operation by entering this command:
config ap monitor-mode tracking-opt Cisco_AP
Note
Note
Step 6
To specify the exact channels to be scanned, enter the config ap monitor-mode tracking-opt Cisco_AP
command in Step 6.
To disable tracking optimization for this access point, enter the config ap monitor-mode no-optimization
Cisco_AP command.
After you have entered the command in Step 5, you can enter this command to choose up to four specific 802.11b channels
to be scanned by the access point:
config ap monitor-mode 802.11b fast-channel Cisco_AP channel1 channel2 channel3 channel4
In the United States, you can assign any value between 1 and 11 (inclusive) to the channel variable. Other
countries support additional channels. You must assign at least one channel.
config 802.11b enable Cisco_AP
Note
Step 7
Step 8

save config
Step 9
See a summary of all access points in monitor mode by entering this command:
show ap monitor-mode summary
Probe Request Forwarding

Information About Configuring Probe Request Forwarding
Probe requests are 802.11 management frames sent by clients to request information about the capabilities of
SSIDs. By default, access points forward acknowledged probe requests to the controller for processing.
Acknowledged probe requests are probe requests for SSIDs that are supported by the access point. If desired,
you can configure access points to forward both acknowledged and unacknowledged probe requests to the
controller. The controller can use the information from unacknowledged probe requests to improve the location
accuracy.

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CCX Radio Management
Configuring Probe Request Forwarding (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable the filtering of probe requests forwarded from an access point to the controller by entering this command:
config advanced probe filter {enable | disable}
If you enable probe filtering, the default filter setting, the access point forwards only acknowledged probe requests to
the controller. If you disable probe filtering, the access point forwards both acknowledged and unacknowledged probe
requests to the controller.
Step 2
Limit the number of probe requests sent to the controller per client per access point radio in a given interval by entering
this command:
config advanced probe limit num_probes interval
where
num_probes is the number of probe requests (from 1 to 100) forwarded to the controller per client per access point
radio in a given interval.
interval is the probe limit interval (from 100 to 10000 milliseconds).
The default value for num_probes is 2 probe requests, and the default value for interval is 500 milliseconds.
Step 3
Step 4
Configure the backoff parameters for probe queue in a Cisco AP by entering this command:
config advanced probe backoff {enable | disable}
enableChoose this parameter to use increased backoff parameters for probe response.
disableChoose this parameter to use default backoff parameter value for probe response.
Step 5
See the probe request forwarding configuration by entering this command:

show advanced probe
Probe request filtering.......................... Enabled
Probes fwd to controller per client per radio.... 2
Probe request rate-limiting interval.......... 500 msec

Information About CCX Radio Management Features
You can configure two parameters that affect client location calculations:
Radio measurement requests
Location calibration

453
These parameters are supported in Cisco Client Extensions (CCX) v2 and later releases are designed to enhance
location accuracy and timeliness for participating CCX clients.
For the location features to operate properly, the access points must be configured for normal, monitor, or
FlexConnect mode. However, for FlexConnect mode, the access point must be connected to the Cisco WLC.
Radio Measurement Requests

When you enable the radio measurements requests feature, lightweight access points issue broadcast radio
measurement request messages to clients running CCXv2 or later releases. The access points transmit these
messages for every SSID over each enabled radio interface at a configured interval. In the process of performing
802.11 radio measurements, CCX clients send 802.11 broadcast probe requests on all the channels specified
in the measurement request. The Cisco Location Appliance uses the uplink measurements based on these
requests received at the access points to quickly and accurately calculate the client location. You do not need
to specify on which channels the clients are to measure. The Cisco WLC, access point, and client automatically
determine which channels to use.
The radio measurement feature enables the Cisco WLC to also obtain information on the radio environment
from the clients perspective (rather than from just that of the access point). In this case, the access points
issue unicast radio measurement requests to a particular CCXv4 or v5 client. The client then sends various
measurement reports back to the access point and onto the Cisco WLC. These reports include information
about the radio environment and data used to interpret the location of the clients. To prevent the access points
and Cisco WLC from being overwhelmed by radio measurement requests and reports, only two clients per
access point and up to 20 clients per Cisco WLC are supported. You can view the status of radio measurement
requests for a particular access point or client as well as radio measurement reports for a particular client from
the Cisco WLC CLI.
The Cisco WLC software improves the ability of the mobility services engine to accurately interpret the
location of a device through a CCXv4 feature called location-based services. The Cisco WLC issues a path-loss
request to a particular CCXv4 or v5 client. If the client chooses to respond, it sends a path-loss measurement
report to the Cisco WLC. These reports contain the channel and transmit power of the client.
Note
Non-CCX and CCXv1 clients ignore the CCX measurement requests and do not participate in the radio
measurement activity.
Location Calibration
For CCX clients that need to be tracked more closely (for example, when a client calibration is performed),
the Cisco WLC can be configured to command the access point to send unicast measurement requests to these
clients at a configured interval and whenever a CCX client roams to a new access point. These unicast requests
can be sent out more often to these specific CCX clients than the broadcast measurement requests, which are
sent to all clients. When location calibration is configured for non-CCX and CCXv1 clients, the clients are
forced to disassociate at a specified interval to generate location measurements.

454
Configuring CCX Radio Management

Configuring CCX Radio Management (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Global Parameters
page.
Under CCX Location Measurement, select the Mode check box to globally enable CCX radio management. This parameter
causes the access points connected to this Cisco WLC to issue broadcast radio measurement requests to clients running
CCX v2 or later releases. The default value is disabled (or unselected).
If you selected the Mode check box in the previous step, enter a value in the Interval text box to specify how often the
access points are to issue the broadcast radio measurement requests.
The range is 60 to 32400 seconds.
Step 3
The default is 60 seconds.

Step 4
Click Apply.
Step 5
Step 6
Follow the instructions in Step 2 of the Configuring CCX Radio Management (CLI) section below to enable access point
customization.
Note
To enable CCX radio management for a particular access point, you must enable access point customization,
which can be done only through the Cisco WLC CLI.
If desired, repeat this procedure for the other radio band (802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n).
Step 7
Configuring CCX Radio Management (CLI)
Step 1
Globally enable CCX radio management by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ccx location-meas global enable interval_seconds
The range for the interval_seconds parameter is 60 to 32400 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds. This command
causes all access points connected to this Cisco WLC in the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network to issue broadcast radio
measurement requests to clients running CCXv2 or later releases.
Step 2
Enable access point customization by entering these commands:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ccx customize Cisco_AP {on | off}
This command enables or disables CCX radio management features for a particular access point in the 802.11a or
802.11b/g network.
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ccx location-meas ap Cisco_AP enable interval_seconds
The range for the interval_seconds parameter is 60 to 32400 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds. This
command causes a particular access point in the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network to issue broadcast radio measurement
requests to clients running CCXv2 or higher.

455
Step 3

save config
Viewing CCX Radio Management Information (CLI)

To see the CCX broadcast location measurement request configuration for all access points connected
to this Cisco WLC in the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network, enter this command:
show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ccx global
To see the CCX broadcast location measurement request configuration for a particular access point in
the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network, enter this command:
show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} ccx ap Cisco_AP
To see the status of radio measurement requests for a particular access point, enter this command:
show ap ccx rm Cisco_AP status
A Radio
Beacon Request.................................
Channel Load Request...........................
Frame Request..................................
Noise Histogram Request........................
Path Loss Request..............................
Interval.......................................
Iteration......................................
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
60
5
B Radio
Beacon Request.................................
Channel Load Request...........................
Frame Request..................................
Noise Histogram Request........................
Path Loss Request..............................
Interval.......................................
Iteration................................... 5
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
60
To see the status of radio measurement requests for a particular client, enter this command:
show client ccx rm client_mac status
Client Mac Address...............................
Beacon Request...................................
Channel Load Request.............................
Frame Request....................................
Noise Histogram Request..........................
Path Loss Request................................
Interval.........................................
Iteration........................................
00:40:96:ae:53:b4
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
5
3
To see radio measurement reports for a particular client, enter these commands:
show client ccx rm client_mac report beaconShows the beacon report for the specified client.

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Mobile Concierge
show client ccx rm client_mac report chan-loadShows the channel-load report for the specified
client.
show client ccx rm client_mac report noise-histShows the noise-histogram report for the specified
client.
show client ccx rm client_mac report frameShows the frame report for the specified client.
To see the clients configured for location calibration, enter this command:
show client location-calibration summary
To see the RSSI reported for both antennas on each access point that heard the client, enter this command:
Debugging CCX Radio Management Issues (CLI)

Debug CCX broadcast measurement request activity by entering this command:
debug airewave-director message {enable | disable}
Debug client location calibration activity by entering this command:
debug ccxrm [all | error | warning | message | packet | detail {enable | disable}]
The CCX radio measurement report packets are encapsulated in Internet Access Point Protocol (IAPP)
packets. Therefore, if the previous debug ccxrm command does not provide any debugs, enter this
command to provide debugs at the IAPP level:
debug iapp error {enable | disable}
Debug the output for forwarded probes and their included RSSI for both antennas by entering this
command:
debug dot11 load-balancing
Mobile Concierge
Information About Mobile Concierge
Mobile Concierge is a solution that enables 802.1X capable clients to interwork with external networks. The
Mobile Concierge feature provides service availability information to clients and can help them to associate
available networks.
The services offered by the network can be broadly classified into two protocols:
802.11u MSAP
802.11u HotSpot 2.0

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Mobile Concierge
Configuring Mobile Concierge (802.11u) (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose WLAN to open the WLANs page.

Hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired WLAN on which you want to configure the 802.11u
parameters and select 802.11u. The 802.11u page appears.
Select the 802.11u Status check box to enable 802.11u on the WLAN.
In the 802.11u General Parameters area, do the following:
a) Select the Internet Access check box to enable this WLAN to provide Internet services.
b) From the Network Type drop-down list, choose the network type that best describes the 802.11u you want to configure
on this WLAN.
c) From the Network Auth Type drop-down list, choose the authentication type that you want to configure for the
802.11u parameters on this network.
d) In the HESSID box, enter the homogenous extended service set identifier (HESSID) value. The HESSID is a 6-octet
MAC address that identifies the homogeneous ESS.
e) If the IP address is in the IPv4 format, then from the IPv4 Type drop-down list, choose the IPv4 address type.
f) From the IPv6 Type drop-down list, choose whether you want to make the IPv6 address type available or not.
Step 5
In the OUI List area, do the following:

a) In the OUI text box, enter the Organizationally Unique Identifier, which can be a hexadecimal number represented
in 3 or 5 bytes (6 or 10 characters). For example, AABBDF.
b) Select the Is Beacon check box to enable the OUI beacon responses.
Note
You can have a maximum of 3 OUIs with this field
enabled.
c) From the OUI Index drop-down list, choose a value from 1 to 32. The default is 1.
d) Click Add to add the OUI entry to the WLAN.
To remove this entry, hover your mouse pointer over the blue drop-down image and choose Remove.
Step 6
In the Domain List area, do the following:

a) In the Domain Name box, enter the domain name that is operating in the WLAN.
b) From the Domain Index drop-down list, choose an index for the domain name from 1 to 32. The default is 1.
c) Click Add to add the domain entry to the WLAN.
Step 7
In the Realm List area, do the following:

a) In the Realm text box, enter the realm name that you can assign to the WLAN.
b) From the Realm Index drop-down list, choose an index for the realm from 1 to 32. The default is 1.
c) Click Add to add the domain entry to this WLAN.
Step 8
In the Cellular Network Information List area, do the following:

a) In the Country Code text box, enter the 3-character mobile country code.
b) From the CellularIndex drop-down list, choose a value between 1 and 32. The default is 1.
c) In the Network Code text box, enter the character network code. The network code can be 2 or 3 characters.
d) Click Add to add the cellular network information to the WLAN.
To remove this entry, hover your mouse pointer over the blue drop-down image and select Remove.

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Mobile Concierge
Step 9
Click Apply.
Configuring Mobile Concierge (802.11u) (CLI)

To enable or disable 802.11u on a WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u {enable | disable} wlan-id
To add or delete information about a third generation partnership project's cellular network, enter this
command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u 3gpp-info {add index mobile-country-code network-code wlan-id | delete
index wlan-id}
To configure the domain name for the entity operating in the 802.11u network, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u domain {{{add | modify} wlan-id domain-index domain-name} | {delete
wlan-id domain-index}}
To configure a homogenous extended service set identifier (HESSID) value for a WLAN, enter this
command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u hessid hessid wlan-id
The HESSID is a 6-octet MAC address that identifies the homogeneous ESS.
To configure the IP address availability type for the IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses on the WLAN, enter
this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u ipaddr-type ipv4-type ipv6-type wlan-id
To configure the network authentication type, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u auth-type network-auth wlan-id
To configure the Roaming Consortium OI list, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u roam-oi {{{add | modify} wlan-id oi-index oi is-beacon} | {delete wlan-id
oi-index}}
To configure the 802.11u network type and internet access, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u network-type wlan-id network-type internet-access
To configure the realm for the WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u nai-realm {{{add | modify} realm-name wlan-id realm-index realm-name
| {delete realm-name wlan-id realm-index}}
To configure the authentication method for the realm, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u nai-realm {add | modify} auth-method wlan-id realm-index eap-index
auth-index auth-method auth-parameter
To delete the authentication method for the realm, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u nai-realm delete auth-method wlan-id realm-index eap-index auth-index
To configure the extensible authentication protocol (EAP) method for the realm, enter this command:
config wlan hotpspot dot11u nai-realm {add | modify} eap-method wlan-id realm-index eap-index
eap-method
To delete the EAP method for the realm, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot dot11u nai-realm delete eap-method wlan-id realm-index eap-index

459
Mobile Concierge
Online Sign Up
Online Sign Up (OSU) is a process in which a mobile device is registered with a service provider, enabling
users to select a plan to obtain network access. After the sign-up, the device receives the users' credentials to
connect to the network. A network architecture for OSU is given below, which consists of a service provider
network and a hotspot:
The service provider network consists of an OSU server, an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting
(AAA) server, and (access to) a Certification Authority (CA). These devices may be co-located or separate.
The hotspot has its own OSU, which is optional, and a AAA server. The hotspot is configured to allow only
HTTPS traffic to OSU servers. An OSU server registers new customers and provides security credentials to
their mobile devices. It can also be used to initially provision devices of existing customers. The AAA server
of the service provider is used to authenticate subscribers based on the information received from the OSU
server.
The OSU process ensures that:
A user is communicating with the intended service provider network and OSU server.
The communication is protected between the mobile device and OSU server.
Poor security practices of one service provider affecting other service providers are reduced.
The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) should support the following requirements:
Hotspot 2.0 Indication Element
OSU Service Provider List
Icon Request and Response Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) Element
OSU Server-Only Authenticated L2 Encryption Network (OSEN)
Wireless Network Management (WNM) Notification Subscription Remediation Request
WNM Notification Deauth Imminent Request
Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition Management Request Frame - Session URL
QoS Map Set
Extended Capability Bit Support:
WNM Notification
QoS Map Set
Hotspot 2.0 Indication Element

This element (using vendor-specific information) enables the Cisco WLCs and mobile devices to indicate that
they are HotSpot (HS) 2.0 capable. All the beacon and probe response frames from HS 2.0 Cisco WLCs
contain this HS 2.0 indication element. For mobile devices, the association and re-association request frames
contain the HS 2.0 indication element.

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Mobile Concierge
OSU Service Provider List

This element provides information for the entities offering OSU service. The following information is provided
for each OSU provider:
A friendly name (in one or more human languages)-Name of the OSU provider in human language,
which matches the name drawn from the OSU server certificate exactly.
The Network Access Identifier (NAI) used to authenticate to the OSU (if configured for OSEN).
The icons and Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the OSU server.
Note
The WLC supports a maximum of 16 service providers per OSU-SP list.
The Icon Request or Response ANQP Element

This element provides a filename for the (icon) download request from the mobile device, which is one of
the filenames included in the OSU providers list element. The maximum file size for the icon is 65535 octets;
the file type should be a valid image type, for example, PNG, JPEG, and so on. The file type restriction is not
applicable for Cisco WLC and supports a maximum of 16 icons.
OSEN
The OSEN element is used to advertise and select an OSEN-capable network.
WNM Notification Subscription Remediation Request
The WNM notification request is sent from a WLC to a mobile device to indicate that subscription remediation
is required when the AAA server indicates to WLC of this requirement through the RADIUS Access-Accept
message. After the authentication is complete, the WLC sends WNM motification to the mobile device, using
the URL of the Subscription Remediation server as the server URL.
WNM Notification Deauth Imminent Request
A home SP uses the Deauthentication Imminent Notice to inform the mobile device when it is no longer
authorized to use the service due to a temporary condition in the network that requires deauthentication, for
example, congestion in the Wi-Fi AN or congestion on a mobile core network element. The notice also provides
information on the time that must elapse before the AAA server permits the mobile device to reauthenticate
again on the same Basic Service Set (BSS) or Extended Service Set (ESS). Following this, the mobile device
should not try to reauthenticate to the same BSS or ESS until the expiry of the reauthentication delay.
BSS Transition Management Request Frame - Session URL
The controller uses the BSS Transition Management Request frame to inform the mobile device of the
impending session expiry. It also provides an URL to the user detailing on how to extend the session. The
controller gets the information about session warning time and URL from the AAA server through the
Access-Accept message.
Extended Capability Bit Support
This element has two sections, WNM Notification and QoS Map Set, which are explained in the previous
sections.

461
Mobile Concierge
Configuring 802.11u Mobility Services Advertisement Protocol

Information About 802.11u MSAP
MSAP (Mobility Services Advertisement Protocol) is designed to be used primarily by mobile devices that
are configured with a set of policies for establishing network services. These services are available for devices
that offer higher-layer services, or network services that are enabled through service providers.
Service advertisements use MSAP to provide services to mobile devices prior to association to a Wi-Fi access
network. This information is conveyed in a service advertisement. A single-mode or dual-mode mobile device
queries the network for service advertisements before association. The device's network discovery and the
selection function may use the service advertisements in its decision to join the network.
Configuring 802.11u MSAP (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose WLAN to open the WLANs page.

Hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired WLAN on which you want to configure the MSAP
parameters and select Service Advertisements. The Service Advertisement page appears.
Enable the service advertisements.
Enter the server index for this WLAN. The server index field uniquely identifies an MSAP server instance serving a
venue that is reachable through the BSSID.
Click Apply.
Step 5
Configuring MSAP (CLI)

To enable or disable MSAP on a WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot msap {enable | disable} wlan-id
To assign a server ID, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot msap server-id server-id wlan-id
Configuring 802.11u HotSpot

Information About 802.11u HotSpot
This feature, which enables IEEE 802.11 devices to interwork with external networks, is typically found in
hotspots or other public networks irrespective of whether the service is subscription based or free.
The interworking service aids network discovery and selection, enabling information transfer from external
networks. It provides information to the stations about the networks prior to association. Interworking not
only helps users within the home, enterprise, and public access, but also assists manufacturers and operators
to provide common components and services for IEEE 802.11 customers. These services are configured on
a per WLAN basis on the controller.

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Mobile Concierge
Note
The Downstream Group-Addressed Forwarding (DGAF) bit in the Hotspot 2.0 IE will not be updated
automatically until you disable and enable the WLAN.
Configuring 802.11u HotSpot (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose WLAN to open the WLANs window.

Hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow that corresponds to the desired WLAN on which you want to configure
the HotSpot parameters and choose HotSpot. The WLAN > HotSpot 2.0 page is displayed.
On the WLAN > HotSpot 2.0 window, enable HotSpot2.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In the Domain ID field, enter the domain identifier.

In the OSU SSID field, enter the OSU SSID.
To set the WAN link parameters, perform the following tasks:
a) From the WAN Link Status drop-down list, choose the status. The default is the Not Configured status.
b) From the WAN Symmetric Link Status drop-down list, choose the status as either Different or Same.
c) Enter the WAN Downlink and Uplink speeds. The maximum value is 4,294,967,295 kbps.
Step 7
In the Online Sign Up List area, perform the following tasks:

a) From the OSU Index drop-down list, choose the OSU index you want to use.
b) From the Lang Code drop-down list, choose the language code you want to use, and select whether its in ASCII or
HEX format from the next drop down list.
c) In the SP Name field, enter the service provider name.
d) In the Description field, enter the description.
e) Click Add to add the parameters to the list.
Step 8
In the Operator Name List area, perform the following tasks:

a) In the Operator Name text box, enter the name of the 802.11 operator.
b) From the Operator index drop-down list, choose an index value between 1 and 32 for the operator.
c) In the Language Code field, enter an ISO-14962-1997-encoded string defining the language. This string is a
three-character language code.
d) Click Add to add the operator details.
The operator details are displayed in a tabular form. To remove an operator, hover your mouse pointer over the blue
drop-down arrow and choose Remove.
Step 9
In the Port Config List area, perform the following tasks:

a) From the IP Protocol drop-down list, choose the IP protocol that you want to enable.
b) From the Port No drop-down list, choose the port number that is enabled on the WLAN.
c) From the Status drop-down list, choose the status of the port.
d) From the Index drop-down list, choose an index value for the port configuration.
e) Click Add to add the port configuration parameters.
To remove a port configuration list, hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow and choose Remove.
Step 10
Click Apply.

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Mobile Concierge
Configuring HotSpot 2.0 (CLI)
Note
The character '?' is not supported in the value part of the commands.
To enable or disable HotSpot2 on a WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 {enable | disable}
To configure the operator name on a WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 operator-name {add | modify} wlan-id index operator-name lang-code
wlan-idThe WLAN ID on which you want to configure the operator-name.
indexThe operator index of the operator. The range is 1 to 32.
operator-nameThe name of the 802.11an operator.
lang-codeThe language used. An ISO-14962-1997 encoded string defining the language. This
string is a three character language code. Enter the first three letters of the language in English
(For example: eng for English).
Tip
Press the tab key after entering a keyword or argument to get a list of valid values for
the command.
To delete the operator name, enter this command:

config wlan hotspot hs2 operator-name delete wlan-id index
To configure the port configuration parameters, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 port-config {add | modify} wlan-id index ip-protocol port-number
To delete a port configuration, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 port-config delete wlan-id index
To configure the WAN metrics, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 wan-metrics wlan-id link-status symet-link downlink-speed uplink-speed
The values are as follows:
link-statusThe link status. The valid range is 1 to 3.
symet-linkThe symmetric link status. For example, you can configure the uplink and downlink
to have different speeds or same speeds.
downlink-speedThe downlink speed. The maximum value is 4,194,304 kbps.
uplink-speedThe uplink speed. The maximum value is 4,194,304 kbps.

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To clear all HotSpot configurations, enter this command:

config wlan hotspot clear-all wlan-id
To configure the Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) 4-way messaging, enter this command:
config advanced hotspot anqp-4way {enable | disable | threshold value}
To configure the ANQP comeback delay value in terms of TUs, enter this command:
config advanced hotspot cmbk-delay value
To configure the gratuitous ARP (GARP) forwarding to wireless networks, enter this command:
config advanced hotspot garp {enable | disable}
To limit the number of GAS request action frames to be sent to the controller by an AP in a given interval,
enter this command:
config advanced hotspot gas-limit {enable num-of-GAS-required interval | disable}
Configuring Access Points for HotSpot2 (GUI)

When HotSpot2 is configured, the access points that are part of the network must be configured to support
HotSpot2.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click Wireless > All APs to open the All APs page.
Click the AP Name link to configure the HotSpot parameters on the desired access point. The AP Details page appears.
Under the General Tab, configure the following parameters:
Venue GroupThe venue category that this access point belongs to. The following options are available:
Unspecified
Assembly
Business
Educational
Factory and Industrial
Institutional
Mercantile
Residential
Storage
Utility and Misc
Vehicular
Outdoor
Venue TypeDepending on the venue category selected above, the venue type drop-down list displays options
for the venue type.

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Mobile Concierge
Venue NameVenue name that you can provide to the access point. This name is associated with the BSS. This
is used in cases where the SSID does not provide enough information about the venue.
LanguageThe language used. An ISO-14962-1997 encoded string defining the language. This is a three character
language code. Enter the first three letters of the language in English (For example, eng for English).
Step 4
Click Apply.
Configuring Access Points for HotSpot2 (CLI)

config ap venue add venue-name venue-group venue-type lang-code ap-nameAdds the venue details
to the access point indicating support for HotSpot2.
The values are as follows:
venue-nameName of the venue where this access point is located.
venue-groupCategory of the venue. See the following table.
venue-typeType of the venue. Depending on the venue-group chosen, select the venue type. See
the following table.
lang-codeThe language used. An ISO-14962-1997 encoded string defining the language. This
is a three character language code. Enter the first three letters of the language in English (For
example: eng for English)
ap-nameAccess point name.
Tip
Press the tab key after entering a keyword or argument to get a list of valid values for
the command.
config ap venue delete ap-nameDeletes the venue related information from the access point.
Table 23: Venue Group Mapping
Venue Group Name
Value
UNSPECIFIED

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Venue Type for Group
Mobile Concierge
Venue Group Name
Value
ASSEMBLY

0UNSPECIFIED ASSEMBLY
1ARENA
2STADIUM
3PASSENGER TERMINAL (E.G., AIRPORT, BUS,
FERRY, TRAIN STATION)
4AMPHITHEATER
5AMUSEMENT PARK
6PLACE OF WORSHIP
7CONVENTION CENTER
8LIBRARY
9MUSEUM
10RESTAURANT
11THEATER
12BAR
13COFFEE SHOP
14ZOO OR AQUARIUM
15EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTER
BUSINESS
0UNSPECIFIED BUSINESS
1DOCTOR OR DENTIST OFFICE
2BANK
3FIRE STATION
4POLICE STATION
6POST OFFICE
7PROFESSIONAL OFFICE
8RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITY
9ATTORNEY OFFICE

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Venue Group Name
Value
EDUCATIONAL

0UNSPECIFIED EDUCATIONAL
1SCHOOL, PRIMARY
2SCHOOL, SECONDARY
3UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE
FACTORY-INDUSTRIAL
0UNSPECIFIED FACTORY AND INDUSTRIAL

1FACTORY
INSTITUTIONAL
0UNSPECIFIED INSTITUTIONAL
1HOSPITAL
2LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY (E.G., NURSING
HOME, HOSPICE, ETC.)
3ALCOHOL AND DRUG RE-HABILITATION
CENTER
4GROUP HOME
5PRISON OR JAIL
MERCANTILE
0UNSPECIFIED MERCANTILE
1RETAIL STORE
2GROCERY MARKET
3AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE STATION
4SHOPPING MALL
5GAS STATION
RESIDENTIAL
0UNSPECIFIED RESIDENTIAL
1PRIVATE RESIDENCE
2HOTEL OR MOTEL
3DORMITORY
4BOARDING HOUSE
STORAGE
UNSPECIFIED STORAGE
UTILITY-MISC
0UNSPECIFIED UTILITY AND MISCELLANEOUS

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Venue Group Name
Value
VEHICULAR
10

0UNSPECIFIED VEHICULAR
1AUTOMOBILE OR TRUCK
2AIRPLANE
3BUS
4FERRY
5SHIP OR BOAT
6TRAIN
7MOTOR BIKE
OUTDOOR
11
0UNSPECIFIED OUTDOOR
1MUNI-MESH NETWORK
2CITY PARK
3REST AREA
4TRAFFIC CONTROL
5BUS STOP
6KIOSK
Downloading the Icon File (CLI)

You can configure unique icons of the service providers to be displayed on the client devices. You can
download these icon files to the Cisco WLC for the icon files to be sent through a gas message and displayed
on the client devices. This feature enhances the user interface on the client devices wherein users can
differentiate between service providers based on the icons displayed.
Step 1
Step 2
Save the icon file on an TFTP, SFTP, or an FTP server.

Download the icon file to the Cisco WLC by entering these commands:
a) transfer download datatype icon
b) transfer download start

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Configuring ICONs
Note
The character '?' is not supported in the command values.

To download an icon from the TFTP server or FTP server into Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC), enter
this command:
configure icon parameters
To configure icon parameters, enter this command:
config icons file-info filename file-type lang-code width height
To delete an icon from flash, enter this command:
config icons delete {filename | all}
To display icon parameters, enter this command:
show icons summary
Downloading an ICON File (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the ICON file to the default directory on your server.

Choose Commands > Download File.
The Download File to Controller window is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
From the File Type drop-down list, choose ICON.

From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose from one of the following options:
TFTP
FTP
SFTP (available in Release 7.4 and later releases)
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the server type you chose in Step 4. If you are using a TFTP server, the
default values of 10 retries and 6 seconds for the Maximum Retries and Timeout fields should work correctly without
any adjustment. However, you can change these values.
Enter the maximum number of times the TFTP server can attempt to download the certificate in the Maximum Retries
text box, and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server can attempt to download the certificate in the Timeout
field.
In the File Path field, enter the directory path of the icon file.
In the File Name field, enter the name of the icon file.
a) In the Server Login Username text box, enter the username to log in to the FTP server.
b) In the Server Login Password text box, enter the password to log in to the FTP server.

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Mobile Concierge
c) In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number in the FTP server through which the download occurs.
Step 10
Click Download to download the login ICON file to the Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC).
A message is displayed indicating the status of the download.
Step 11
Click Apply.
Configuring an ICON (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Icons.

The Icon Configuration window is displayed.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
In the Filename field, enter the filename for the icon.

In the File Type field, enter the file type of the icon.
In the Lang Code field, enter the language code.
In the Width field, enter the width of the icon.
In the Height field, enter the height of the icon.
Click Add.
Click Apply.
Configuring OSEN Support
Note

To enable or disbale OSEN on a given WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan security wpa osen {enable | disable} wlan-id
To display OSEN details on a given WLAN, enter this command:
show wlan wlan-id

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Mobile Concierge
Configuring OSEN Details (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Choose WLAN to open the WLANs window.

Click the WLAN ID to open the Edit page pertaining to the selected WLAN.
Click the Security tab and then the Layer 2 tab.
From the Layer 2 Security drop-down list, choose WPA+WPA2.
Under WPA+WPA2 Parameters, check the OSEN Policy check box to enable OSEN.
Check the OSEN Encryption check box to enable OSEN encryption, and check the TKIP check box to enable TKIP.
Click Apply.
Configuring OSU
Note

To configure an (OSU) Service Set Identifier (SSID) name, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu legacy-ssid {wlan-id | ssid-name}
To create an OSU service provider name, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp create wlan-id osu-index lang-code ascii/hex friendly-name[description]
wlan-idThe WLAN ID on which you want to configure the operator-name.
osu-indexThe osu index of the operator. The range is 1 to 32.
lang-codeThe language used.
ascii/hex.
friendly-nameThe name of the 802.11an operator.
descriptionThe language used.
To delete an OSU service provider, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp delete wlan-id osu-index lang-code
To configure a domain ID, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 domain-id {wland | domain-id}
To create an OSU URL, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp uri add wlan-id osu-index uri
To delete an OSU URL, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp uri delete wlan-id osu-index

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To configure an OSU method list, enter this command:

config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp method add wlan-id osu-index method-pri [method-sec]
To delete an OSU method list, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp method delete wlan-id osu-index method
To configure an OSU icon file on a given WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp icon-file add wlan-id osu-index icon-filename
Note
Yous should first configure icon parameters using the config icon icon-filename
command.
To delete an OSU icon file from a given WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp icon-file delete wlan-id osu-index icon-filename
To configure an OSU NAI, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp nai add wlan-id osu-index nai
To delete an OSU NAI, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 osu sp nai delete wlan-id osu-index
To display the OSU details configured on a given WLAN, enter this command:
show wlan wlan-id
Configuring OSU Details (GUI)
Step 1
Choose WLAN.
It opens the WLANs window.
Step 2
Hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow corresponding to the desired WLAN on which you want to configure
the OSU parameters and choose 802.11u.
The 802.11u Parameters window appears.
Step 3
Step 4
In the WLAN > 802.11u Parameters window, enable 802.11u.

In the Service Provider Name field, enter the name of the service provider.
The OSU Index field displays the OSU index that you are editing.
The Language Code field displays the language code associated with the OSU Index.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
In the Description field, enter the description for the OSU.

In the URI field, enter the URI details.
In the NAI field, enter the NAI details.
In the Icon Filename field, enter the filename for the icon associated with the service provider.
From the Method drop-down list, choose the association method.
Click Apply.

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CMX Cloud Connector
Configuring WAN Metrics
Note

To configure downlink WAN metrics, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 wan-metrics downlink wlan-id dlink-speed dlink-load
To configure uplink WAN metrics, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 wan-metrics uplink wlan-id ulink-speed ulink-load
To configure the link status of WAN metrics, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 wan-metrics link-status wlan-id link-status
To configure the load measurement duration WAN metrics, enter this command:
config wlan hotspot hs2 wan-metrics lmd wlan-id ilmd-val
CMX Cloud Connector

Information About CMX Cloud Connector
Cisco CMX Cloud Connector is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product aimed to provide in-venue analytics
which seamlessly integrates with the Cisco wireless infrastructure. This product provides secured guest-access
solutions to visitors through custom portal that analyze guest activity to provide better engagement, and track
assets to list some of the features of Cisco CMX Cloud.
The Cisco CMX Cloud Connector comprises the following packages:
Cisco CMX Connect
Cisco CMX Connect with Cisco CMX Presence Analytics
Cisco CMX Connect provides a customizable, seamless, location-aware guest-captive portal that on-boards
customers with free Wi-Fi internet access.
Cisco CMX Presence Analytics is a comprehensive analytics and engagement platform that detects the presence
of visitors through their mobile devices, using Cisco access points. It eliminates the need for maps, thus
enabling faster deployment, easy-to-use and quicker insights.
Cisco CMX Presence Analytics provides customer insights to customer-facing enterprises like retail, hospitality,
education, sports and entertainment, healthcare, airport sectors and so on. This caters to the needs of businesses
with smaller sites and wireless deployments that are not designed for location accuracy.
The incoming connections from Mobility Service Engine to WLC are restricted to two TCP/TLS connections.
One outgoing HTTPS connection is used to connect WLC to CMX cloud, with the WLC acting as HTTPs
client. The WLC uses the pre-installed GeoTrust CA certificate to authenticate CMX Cloud server.
The NMSP protocol is used to export the following data from WLC to CMX server:
Client Information

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CMX Cloud Connector
Client RSSI measurements

Client traffic stats
RFID Tag information/measurements
AP Radio information
Rogue AP
Client information
RSSI measurements
Prerequisites for CMX Cloud Connector

You must have a CMX account at http://www.cmxcisco.com.
Configure the DNS name in the Cisco WLC.
For more information, see https://support.cmxcisco.com/hc/en-us.
Restrictions for CMX Cloud Connector

Incoming TCP/TLS connections from MSE are limited to two to prevent duplication of data.
One CMX cloud URL can be configured in a WLC.
wIPS service is not supported on HTTPS connection.
Configuring CMX Cloud Connector (GUI)

Configure the CMX cloud server in a WLC.

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CMX Cloud Connector
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
To change either the ID token or the URL, you need to disable the CMX service, update the fields, and
enable the service.
Choose Management > Cloud Services > CMX.

Set the Service Status as Disabled.
Click Apply.
Choose Cloud Services > Server.
Enter the server URL in the URL box.
Enter the ID-Token in the Id-token box.
Click Apply.
Choose Cloud Services > CMX.
Set the Service Status as Enabled.
Click Apply
Configuring CMX Cloud Connector (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the CMX Cloud Services by entering this command:

config cloud-services cmx {enabled | disabled}
Step 2
Configure the Cloud Server URL by entering this command:

config cloud-services server url url
Step 3
Configure the Cloud Server Id-Token by entering this command:

config cloud-services server id-token id-token
Step 4
View CMX Cloud Services summary by entering this command:

show cloud-services cmx summary
Step 5
View the CMX cloud services statistics by entering this command:

show cloud-services cmx statistics
Step 6
View the status of active NMSP connections by entering this command

show nmsp status
Step 7
View the mobility services summary by entering this command:

show nmsp subscription summary

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CHAPTER
27
Wireless Intrusion Detection System

Management Frame Protection, page 477
Client Exclusion Policies, page 481
Rogue Management, page 483
Cisco Intrusion Detection System, page 507
IDS Signatures, page 510
SNMP, page 518
wIPS, page 523
Management Frame Protection

Information About Management Frame Protection
Management frame protection (MFP) provides security for the otherwise unprotected and unencrypted 802.11
management messages passed between access points and clients. MFP provides both infrastructure and client
support.
Infrastructure MFPProtects management frames by detecting adversaries that are invoking
denial-of-service attacks, flooding the network with associations and probes, interjecting as rogue access
points, and affecting network performance by attacking the QoS and radio measurement frames.
Infrastructure MFP is a global setting that provides a quick and effective means to detect and report
phishing incidents.
Specifically, infrastructure MFP protects 802.11 session management functions by adding message
integrity check information elements (MIC IEs) to the management frames emitted by access points
(and not those emitted by clients), which are then validated by other access points in the network.
Infrastructure MFP is passive. It can detect and report intrusions but has no means to stop them.
Client MFPShields authenticated clients from spoofed frames, preventing many of the common attacks
against wireless LANs from becoming effective. Most attacks, such as deauthentication attacks, revert
to simply degrading performance by contending with valid clients.
Specifically, client MFP encrypts management frames are sent between access points and CCXv5 clients
so that both the access points and clients can take preventative action by dropping spoofed class 3

477
management frames (that is, management frames passed between an access point and a client that is
authenticated and associated). Client MFP leverages the security mechanisms defined by IEEE 802.11i
to protect the following types of class 3 unicast management frames: disassociation, deauthentication,
and QoS (WMM) action. Client MFP protects a client-access point session from the most common type
of denial-of-service attack. It protects class 3 management frames by using the same encryption method
used for the sessions data frames. If a frame received by the access point or client fails decryption, it is
dropped, and the event is reported to the controller.
To use client MFP, clients must support CCXv5 MFP and must negotiate WPA2 using either TKIP or
AES-CCMP. EAP or PSK may be used to obtain the PMK. CCKM and controller mobility management
are used to distribute session keys between access points for Layer 2 and Layer 3 fast roaming.
Note
To prevent attacks using broadcast frames, access points supporting CCXv5 will not
emit any broadcast class 3 management frames (such as disassociation, deauthentication,
or action). CCXv5 clients and access points must discard broadcast class 3 management
frames.
Client MFP supplements infrastructure MFP rather than replaces it because infrastructure
MFP continues to detect and report invalid unicast frames sent to clients that are not
client-MFP capable as well as invalid class 1 and 2 management frames. Infrastructure
MFP is applied only to management frames that are not protected by client MFP.
Infrastructure MFP consists of three main components:
Management frame protectionThe access point protects the management frames it transmits by adding
a MIC IE to each frame. Any attempt to copy, alter, or replay the frame invalidates the MIC, causing
any receiving access point configured to detect MFP frames to report the discrepancy. MFP is supported
for use with Cisco Aironet lightweight access points.
Management frame validationIn infrastructure MFP, the access point validates every management
frame that it receives from other access points in the network. It ensures that the MIC IE is present (when
the originator is configured to transmit MFP frames) and matches the content of the management frame.
If it receives any frame that does not contain a valid MIC IE from a BSSID belonging to an access point
that is configured to transmit MFP frames, it reports the discrepancy to the network management system.
In order for the timestamps to operate properly, all controllers must be Network Time Protocol (NTP)
synchronized.
Event reportingThe access point notifies the controller when it detects an anomaly, and the controller
aggregates the received anomaly events and can report the results through SNMP traps to the network
management system.
Note
Client MFP uses the same event reporting mechanisms as infrastructure MFP.
Infrastructure MFP is disabled by default and can be enabled globally. When you upgrade from a previous
software release, infrastructure MFP is disabled globally if access point authentication is enabled because the
two features are mutually exclusive. Once infrastructure MFP is enabled globally, signature generation (adding
MICs to outbound frames) can be disabled for selected WLANs, and validation can be disabled for selected
access points.

478
Client MFP is enabled by default on WLANs that are configured for WPA2. It can be disabled, or it can be
made mandatory (in which case, only clients that negotiate MFP are allowed to associate) on selected WLANs.
Restrictions for Management Frame Protection

Lightweight access points support infrastructure MFP in local and monitor modes and in FlexConnect
mode when the access point is connected to a controller. They support client MFP in local, FlexConnect,
and bridge modes.
OEAP 600 Series Access points do not support MFP.
Client MFP is supported for use only with CCXv5 clients using WPA2 with TKIP or AES-CCMP.
Non-CCXv5 clients may associate to a WLAN if client MFP is disabled or optional.
Error reports generated on a FlexConnect access point in standalone mode cannot be forwarded to the
controller and are dropped.
Configuring Management Frame Protection (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Security> Wireless Protection Policies > AP Authentication/MFP to open the AP Authentication Policy page.
Enable infrastructure MFP globally for the controller by choosing Management Frame Protection from the Protection
Type drop-down list.
Note
If more than one controller is included in the mobility group, you must configure an NTP/SNTP server on all
controllers in the mobility group that are configured for infrastructure MFP.
Configure client MFP for a particular WLAN after infrastructure MFP has been enabled globally for the controller as
follows:
a) Choose WLANs.
b) Click the profile name of the desired WLAN. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
c) Choose Advanced. The WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page appears.
d) Choose Disabled, Optional, or Required from the MFP Client Protection drop-down list. The default value is
Optional. If you choose Required, clients are allowed to associate only if MFP is negotiated (that is, if WPA2 is
configured on the controller and the client supports CCXv5 MFP and is also configured for WPA2).
Note
For Cisco OEAP 600, MFP is not supported. It should either be Disabled or Optional.
Step 4

Step 5
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (GUI)

To see the controllers current global MFP settings, choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies >
Management Frame Protection. The Management Frame Protection Settings page appears.
On this page, you can see the following MFP settings:

479
The Management Frame Protection field shows if infrastructure MFP is enabled globally for the
controller.
The Controller Time Source Valid field indicates whether the controller time is set locally (by manually
entering the time) or through an external source (such as the NTP/SNTP server). If the time is set by an
external source, the value of this field is True. If the time is set locally, the value is False. The time
source is used for validating the timestamp on management frames between access points of different
controllers within a mobility group.
The Client Protection field shows if client MFP is enabled for individual WLANs and whether it is
optional or required.
Configuring Management Frame Protection (CLI)

Enable or disable infrastructure MFP globally for the controller by entering this command:
config wps mfp infrastructure {enable | disable}
Enable or disable client MFP on a specific WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan mfp client {enable | disable} wlan_id [required ]
If you enable client MFP and use the optional required parameter, clients are allowed to associate only
if MFP is negotiated.
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (CLI)

See the controllers current MFP settings by entering this command:
show wps mfp summary
See the current MFP configuration for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
See whether client MFP is enabled for a specific client by entering this command:
See MFP statistics for the controller by entering this command:
show wps mfp statistics
Note
This report contains no data unless an active attack is in progress. This table is cleared every 5 minutes
when the data is forwarded to any network management stations.
Debugging Management Frame Protection Issues (CLI)

Use this command if you experience any problems with MFP:
debug wps mfp ? {enable | disable}
clientConfigures debugging for client MFP messages.
capwapConfigures debugging for MFP messages between the controller and access points.

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Client Exclusion Policies
detailConfigures detailed debugging for MFP messages.

reportConfigures debugging for MFP reporting.
mmConfigures debugging for MFP mobility (inter-controller) messages.

Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Client Exclusion Policies to open the Client Exclusion Policies
page.
Step 2
Select any of these check boxes if you want the controller to exclude clients for the condition specified. The default value
for each exclusion policy is enabled.
Excessive 802.11 Association FailuresClients are excluded on the sixth 802.11 association attempt, after five
consecutive failures.
Excessive 802.11 Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the sixth 802.11 authentication attempt, after
five consecutive failures.
Excessive 802.1X Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the fourth 802.1X authentication attempt,
after three consecutive failures.
IP Theft or IP ReuseClients are excluded if the IP address is already assigned to another device.
Excessive Web Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the fourth web authentication attempt, after
three consecutive failures.
Step 3
Save your configuration.
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the sixth 802.11 association attempt, after five consecutive failures
config wps client-exclusion 802.11-assoc {enable | disable}
Step 2
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the sixth 802.11 authentication attempt, after five consecutive
failures by entering this command:
config wps client-exclusion 802.11-auth {enable | disable}
Step 3
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the fourth 802.1X authentication attempt, after three consecutive

481
config wps client-exclusion 802.1x-auth {enable | disable}

Step 4
Configure the controller to exclude clients that reaches the maximum failure 802.1X authentication attempt with the
RADIUS server by entering this command:
config wps client-exclusion 802.1x-auth max-1x-aaa-fail-attempts
You can configure the maximum failure 802.1X authentication attempt from 1 to 3 and the default value is 3.
Step 5
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients if the IP address is already assigned to another device by entering this
command:
config wps client-exclusion ip-theft {enable | disable}
Step 6
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the fourth web authentication attempt, after three consecutive
config wps client-exclusion web-auth {enable | disable}
Step 7
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients for all of the above reasons by entering this command:
config wps client-exclusion all {enable | disable}
Step 8
Use the following command to add or delete client exclusion entries.

config exclusionlist {add mac-addr description | delete mac-addr | description mac-addr description}
Step 9

save config
Step 10
See a list of clients that have been dynamically excluded, by entering this command:
show exclusionlist
Dynamically Disabled Clients
---------------------------MAC Address
Exclusion Reason
-------------------------00:40:96:b4:82:55
Step 11
802.1X Failure
Time Remaining (in secs)

-----------------------51
See the client exclusion policy configuration settings by entering this command:
show wps summary
Auto-Immune
Auto-Immune.................................... Disabled
Client Exclusion Policy
Excessive 802.11-association failures..........
Excessive 802.11-authentication failures.......
Excessive 802.1x-authentication................
IP-theft.......................................
Excessive Web authentication failure...........
Maximum 802.1x-AAA failure attempts............
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
3
Signature Policy
Signature Processing........................ Enabled

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Rogue Management
Rogue Management
Rogue Detection
Information About Rogue Devices
Rogue access points can disrupt wireless LAN operations by hijacking legitimate clients and using plain-text
or other denial-of-service or man-in-the-middle attacks. That is, a hacker can use a rogue access point to
capture sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords. The hacker can then transmit a series of
Clear to Send (CTS) frames. This action mimics an access point, informing a particular client to transmit, and
instructing all the other clients to wait, which results in legitimate clients being unable to access network
resources. Wireless LAN service providers have a strong interest in banning rogue access points from the air
space.
Because rogue access points are inexpensive and readily available, employees sometimes plug unauthorized
rogue access points into existing LANs and build ad hoc wireless networks without their IT department's
knowledge or consent. These rogue access points can be a serious breach of network security because they
can be plugged into a network port behind the corporate firewall. Because employees generally do not enable
any security settings on the rogue access point, it is easy for unauthorized users to use the access point to
intercept network traffic and hijack client sessions. Even more alarming, wireless users frequently publish
unsecured access point locations, increasing the odds of having enterprise security breached.
The following are some guidelines to manage rogue devices:
The containment frames are sent immediately after the authorization and associations are detected. The
enhanced containment algorithm provides more effective containment of ad hoc clients.
In a dense RF environment, where maximum rogue access points are suspected, the chances of detecting
rogue access points by a local mode access point and FlexConnect mode access point in channel 157 or
channel 161 are less when compared to other channels. To mitigate this problem, we recommend that
you use dedicated monitor mode access points.
The local and FlexConnect mode access points are designed to serve associated clients. These access
points spend relatively less time performing off-channel scanning: about 50 milliseconds on each channel.
If you want to perform high rogue detection, a monitor mode access point must be used. Alternatively,
you can reduce the scan intervals from 180 seconds to a lesser value, for example, 120 or 60 seconds,
ensuring that the radio goes off-channel more frequently, which improves the chances of rogue detection.
However, the access point will still spend about 50 milliseconds on each channel.
Rogue detection is disabled by default for OfficeExtend access points because these access points, which
are deployed in a home environment, are likely to detect a large number of rogue devices.
Client card implementations might mitigate the effectiveness of ad hoc containment.
It is possible to classify and report rogue access points through the use of rogue states and user-defined
classification rules that enable rogues to automatically move between states.
Each controller limits the number of rogue containment to three per radio (or six per radio for access
points in the monitor mode).
Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP) detects rogue access points that are configured for open
authentication.

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RLDP detects rogue access points that use a broadcast Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), that is, the
access point broadcasts its Service Set Identifier in beacons.
RLDP detects only those rogue access points that are on the same network. If an access list in the network
prevents the sending of RLDP traffic from the rogue access point to the controller, RLDP does not work.
RLDP does not work on 5-GHz dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channels. However, RLDP works
when the managed access point is in the monitor mode on a DFS channel.
If RLDP is enabled on mesh APs, and the APs perform RLDP tasks, the mesh APs are dissociated from
the controller. The workaround is to disable RLDP on mesh APs.
If RLDP is enabled on nonmonitor APs, client connectivity outages occur when RLDP is in process.
If the rogue is manually contained, the rogue entry is retained even after the rogue expires.
If the rogue is contained by any other means, such as auto, rule, and AwIPS preventions, the rogue entry
is deleted when it expires.
The controller will request to AAA server for rogue client validation only once. As a result, if rogue
client validation fails on the first attempt then the rogue client will not be detected as a threat any more.
To avoid this, add the valid client entries in the authentication server before enabling Validate Rogue
Clients Against AAA.
All the valid client MAC details should be registered in the AAA authentication server with the same
MAC delimiter options as set in the RADIUS configuration on the controller. For more information
about configuring MAC delimiter options, see the Configuring RADIUS (GUI) section.
In the 7.4 and earlier releases, if a rogue that was already classified by a rule was not reclassified. In the
7.5 release, this behavior is enhanced to allow reclassification of rogues based on the priority of the
rogue rule. The priority is determined by using the rogue report that is received by the controller.
All rogues that are marked as friendly or contained state (due to auto or rule or manual) are stored in
the flash memory of the controller. When you reboot the controller loaded with Release 7.4, these rogues
are shown as manually changed. If you wish to reboot the controller, you need to clear all rogue APs
and rogue adhoc from the controller, save the configuration, and then reboot the controller.
All rogues that are marked as friendly or contained state (only due to manual) are stored in the flash
memory of the controller. If you upgrade the controller from the Release 7.4 to 7.6 or later versions,
then all rogues stored in the Release 7.4 are shown as manually classified (if friendly classified) or
manually contained. Hence after upgrading the controller from the Release 7.4 to 7.6 or later versions,
you need to delete all rogue APs and rogue adhoc from the controller and then start configuring rogue
detection.
A FlexConnect AP (with rogue detection enabled) in the connected mode takes the containment list
from the controller. If auto-contain SSID and auto contain adhoc are set in the controller, then these
configurations are set to all FlexConnect APs in the connected mode and the AP stores it in its memory.
When the FlexConnect AP moves to a standalone mode, the following tasks are performed:
The containment set by the controller continues.
If the FlexConnect AP detects any rogue AP that has same SSID as that of infra SSID (SSID
configured in the controller that the FlexConnect AP is connected to), then containment gets started
if auto contain SSID was enabled from the controller before moving to the standalone mode.
If the FlexConnect AP detects any adhoc rogue, containment gets started if auto-contain adhoc
was enabled from the controller when it was in the connected mode.

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When the standalone FlexConnect AP moves back to the connected mode, then the following tasks are
performed:
All containment gets cleared.
Containment initiated from the controller will take over.
The rogue detector AP fails to co-relate and contain the wired rogue AP on a 5Mhz channel because the
MAC address of the rogue AP for WLAN, LAN, 11a radio and 11bg radio are configured with a difference
of +/-1 of the rogue BSSID. In the 8.0 release, this behavior is enhanced by increasing the range of MAC
address, that the rogue detector AP co-relates the wired ARP MAC and rogue BSSID, by +/-3.
The rogue access points with open authentication can be detected on wire. The NAT wired or rogue
wired detection is not supported in by WLC (both RLDP and rogue detector AP). The non-adjacent
MAC address is supported by rogue detector mode of AP and not by RLDP.
In a High Availability scenario, if the rogue detection security level is set to either High or Critical, the
rogue timer on the standby Cisco WLC starts only after the rogue detection pending stabilization time,
which is 300 seconds. Therefore, the active configurations on the standby Cisco WLC are reflected only
after 300 seconds.
Note
A rogue AP or client or adhoc containment configuration is not saved after the reload. You have to configure
all the rogues again after the reload.
Note
No separate command exists for controlling rogue client traps. However, you can enable or disable rogue
client traps using the config trapflags rogueap {enable | disable} command, which is also used for rouge
APs. In GUI configuration also, you should use the rogue AP flag under
Management->SNMP->TrapControl->Security->Rogue AP to control rogue clients.
Rogue Location Discovery Protocol

Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP) is an active approach, which is used when rogue AP has no
authentication (Open Authentication) configured. This mode, which is disabled by default, instructs an active
AP to move to the rogue channel and connect to the rogue as a client. During this time, the active AP sends
de-authentication messages to all connected clients and then shuts down the radio interface. Then, it associates
to the rogue AP as a client. The AP then tries to obtain an IP address from the rogue AP and forwards a User
Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet (port 6352) that contains the local AP and rogue connection information to
the controller through the rogue AP. If the controller receives this packet, the alarm is set to notify the network
administrator that a rogue AP was discovered on the wired network with the RLDP feature.
RLDP has 100 % accuracy in rouge AP detection. It detects Open APs and NAT APs.
Note
Use the debug dot11 rldp enable command in order to check if the Lightweight AP associates and receives
a DHCP address from the rogue AP. This command also displays the UDP packet sent by the Lightweight
AP to the controller.

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A sample of a UDP (destination port 6352) packet sent by the Lightweight AP is shown here: 0020 0a 01 01
0d 0a 01 .......(.*...... 0030 01 1e 00 07 85 92 78 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ......x......... 0040 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00
The first 5 bytes of the data contain the DHCP address given to the local mode AP by the rogue AP. The next
5 bytes are the IP address of the controller, followed by 6 bytes that represent the rogue AP MAC address.
Then, there are 18 bytes of zeroes.
Steps of how RLDP works are listed here:
1 Identify the closest Unified AP to the rogue using signal strength values.
2 The AP then connects to the rogue as a WLAN client, attempting three associations before timing out.
3 If association is successful, the AP then uses DHCP to obtain an IP address.
4 If an IP address was obtained, the AP (acting as a WLAN client) sends a UDP packet to each of the
controller's IP addresses.
5 If the controller receives even one of the RLDP packets from the client, that rogue is marked as on-wire
with a severity of critical.
Note
The RLDP packets are unable to reach the controller if filtering rules are placed between the controller's
network and the network where the rogue device is located.
Caveats of RLDP:
RLDP only works with open rogue APs broadcasting their SSID with authentication and encryption
disabled.
RLDP requires that the Managed AP acting as a client is able to obtain an IP address via DHCP on the
rogue network.
Manual RLDP can be used to attempt an RLDP trace on a rogue multiple number of times.
During RLDP process, the AP is unable to serve clients. This negatively impacts performance and
connectivity for local mode APs. To avoid this case, RLDP can be selectively enabled for Monitor Mode
AP only.
RLDP does not attempt to connect to a rogue AP operating in a 5GHz DFS channel.
Note
RLDP is not supported for use with Cisco autonomous rogue access points. These access points drop the
DHCP Discover request sent by the RLDP client. Also, RLDP is not supported if the rogue access point
channel requires dynamic frequency selection (DFS). If the automatic RLDP attempt does not detect the
rogue (due to a noisy RF environment, for example), the controller does not retry. However, you can
initiate RLDP manually on a rogue device.
Detecting Rogue Devices

The controller continuously monitors all the nearby access points and automatically discovers and collects
information on rogue access points and clients. When the controller discovers a rogue access point, it uses

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the Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP) and the rogue detector mode access point is connected to
determine if the rogue is attached to your network.
Controller initiates RLDP on rogue devices that have open authenticated and configured. If RLDP uses
Flexconnect or local mode access points, then clients are disconnected for that moment. After the RLDP cycle,
the clients are reconnected to the access points. As and when rogue access points are seen (auto-configuration),
the RLDP process is initiated.
You can configure the controller to use RLDP on all the access points or only on the access points configured
for the monitor (listen-only) mode. The latter option facilitates automated rogue access point detection in a
crowded radio frequency (RF) space, allowing monitoring without creating unnecessary interference and
without affecting the regular data access point functionality. If you configure the controller to use RLDP on
all the access points, the controller always chooses the monitor access point for RLDP operation if a monitor
access point and a local (data) access point are both nearby. If RLDP determines that the rogue is on your
network, you can choose to contain the detected rogue either manually or automatically.
RLDP detects on wire presence of the rogue access points that are configured with open authentication only
once, which is the default retry configuration. Retries can be configured using the config rogue ap rldp
retries command.
You can initiate or trigger RLDP from controller in three ways:
1 Enter the RLDP initiation command manually from the controller CLI. The equivalent GUI option for
initiating RLDP is not supported.
config rogue ap rldp initiate mac-address
2 Schedule RLDP from the controller CLI. The equivalent GUI option for scheduling RLDP is not supported.
config rogue ap rldp schedule
3 Auto RLDP. You can configure auto RLDP on controller either from controller CLI or GUI but keep in
mind the following guidelines:
The auto RLDP option can be configured only when the rogue detection security level is set to
custom.
Either auto RLDP or schedule of RLDP can be enabled at a time.
A rogue access point is moved to a contained state either automatically or manually. The controller selects
the best available access point for containment and pushes the information to the access point. The access
point stores the list of containments per radio. For auto containment, you can configure the controller to use
only the monitor mode access point. The containment operation occurs in the following two ways:
The container access point goes through the list of containments periodically and sends unicast
containment frames. For rogue access point containment, the frames are sent only if a rogue client is
associated.
Whenever a contained rogue activity is detected, containment frames are transmitted.
Individual rogue containment involves sending a sequence of unicast disassociation and deauthentication
frames.
Cisco Prime Infrastructure Interaction and Rogue Detection
Cisco Prime Infrastructure supports rule-based classification and uses the classification rules configured on
the controller. The controller sends traps to Cisco Prime Infrastructure after the following events:

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If an unknown access point moves to the Friendly state for the first time, the controller sends a trap to
Cisco Prime Infrastructure only if the rogue state is Alert. It does not send a trap if the rogue state is
Internal or External.
If a rogue entry is removed after the timeout expires, the controller sends a trap to Cisco Prime
Infrastructure for rogue access points categorized as Malicious (Alert, Threat) or Unclassified (Alert).
The controller does not remove rogue entries with the following rogue states: Contained, Contained
Pending, Internal, and External.
Configuring Rogue Detection (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Make sure that rogue detection is enabled on the corresponding access points. Rogue detection is enabled by default for
all access points joined to the controller (except for OfficeExtend access points). However, you can enable or disable
rogue detection for individual access points by selecting or unselecting the Rogue Detection check box on the All APs
> Details for (Advanced) page.
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Rogue Policies > General.
The Rogue Policies page is displayed.
Choose the Rogue Detection Security Level from the following options:
LowBasic rogue detection for small-scale deployments.
HighBasic rogue detection with auto containment for medium-scale deployments.
CriticalBasic rogue detection with auto containment and RLDP for highly sensitive deployments.
Custom
Note
Step 4
For auto RLDP, the security level should be set to Custom mode. There should not be any scheduling for
RLDP even in the Custom mode.
Choose one of the following options from the Rogue Location Discovery Protocol drop-down list:
DisableDisables RLDP on all the access points. This is the default value.
All APsEnables RLDP on all the access points.
Monitor Mode APsEnables RLDP only on the access points in the monitor mode.
Step 5
In the Expiration Timeout for Rogue AP and Rogue Client Entries text box, enter the number of seconds after which
the rogue access point and client entries expire and are removed from the list. The valid range is 240 to 3600 seconds,
Note
If a rogue access point or client entry times out, it is removed from the controller only if its rogue state is Alert
or Threat for any classification type.
Step 6
To use the AAA server or local database to validate if rogue clients are valid clients, select the Validate Rogue Clients
Against AAA check box. By default, the check box is unselected.
To use the Cisco Mobility Services Engine (MSE) that has the rogue client details to validate the clients, select the
Validate Rogue Clients Against MSE check box.
MSE responds with information about whether the rogue client is a valid learned client or not. The controller can contain
or consider the rogue client as a threat.
Step 7

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Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
If necessary, select the Detect and Report Ad-Hoc Networks check box to enable ad hoc rogue detection and reporting.
By default, the check box is selected.
In the Rogue Detection Report Interval text box, enter the time interval, in seconds, at which APs should send the
rogue detection report to the controller. The valid range is 10 seconds to 300 seconds, and the default value is 10 seconds.
In the Rogue Detection Minimum RSSI text box, enter the minimum Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value
that a rogue entry should have for APs to detect the rogue and for a rogue entry to be created in the controller. The valid
range is 128 dBm to 0 dBm, and the default value is 0 dBm.
Note
This feature is applicable to all the AP modes. There can be many rogues with very weak RSSI values that do
not provide any valuable information in rogue analysis. Therefore, you can use this option to filter rogues by
specifying the minimum RSSI value at which APs should detect rogues.
In the Rogue Detection Transient Interval text box, enter the time interval at which a rogue should be scanned for by
the AP after the first time the rogue is scanned. After the rogue is scanned for consistently, updates are sent periodically
to the controller. Thus, the APs filter the transient rogues, which are active for a very short period and are then silent.
The valid range is between 120 seconds to 1800 seconds, and the default value is 0.
The rogue detection transient interval is applicable to the monitor mode APs only.
This feature has the following advantages:
Rogue reports from APs to the controller are shorter.
Transient rogue entries are avoided in the controller.
Unnecessary memory allocation for transient rogues are avoided.
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
In the Rogue Client Threshold text box, enter the threshold value. A value of 0 disables the rogue client threshold
parameter.
Enable or disable the Rogue Containment Automatic Rate Selection check box.
Using this option, you can optimize the rate to use the best rate for the target rogue. The AP selects the best rate based
on rogue RSSI.
If you want the controller to automatically contain certain rogue devices, enable the following parameters. By default,
these parameters are in disabled state.
Caution
When you select any of the Auto Contain parameters and click Apply, the following message is displayed:
Using this feature may have legal consequences. Do you want to continue?
The 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz frequencies in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band are open to the
public and can be used without a license. As such, containing devices on another partys network could have
legal consequences.
Auto Containment LevelSet the auto containment level. By default, the auto containment level is set to 1.
If you choose Auto, the controller dynamically chooses the number of APs required for effective containment.
Auto Containment only for Monitor mode APsConfigure the monitor mode access points for auto-containment.
Auto Containment on FlexConnect StandaloneConfigure the FlexConnect Standalone mode access points for
auto containment.
Note
The auto-containment is continued if it was configured when the AP was in connected FlexConnect mode.
After the standalone AP reassociates with the controller, auto containment is stopped and the future course
of action is determined by the configuration on the controller that the AP is associated with. You can also
configure auto containment on the ad hoc SSIDs and managed SSIDs on FlexConnect APs.
Rogue on WireConfigure the auto containment of rogues that are detected on the wired network.

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Using Our SSIDConfigure the auto containment of rogues that are advertising your networks SSID. If you
leave this parameter unselected, the controller only generates an alarm when such a rogue is detected.
Valid Client on Rogue APConfigure the auto containment of a rogue access point to which trusted clients are
associated. If you leave this parameter unselected, the controller only generates an alarm when such a rogue is
detected.
AdHoc Rogue APConfigure the auto containment of ad hoc networks detected by the controller. If you leave
this parameter unselected, the controller only generates an alarm when such a network is detected.
Step 15
Step 16
Click Apply.
Configuring Rogue Detection (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Ensure that rogue detection is enabled on the desired access points. Rogue detection is enabled by default for all the
access points that are associated with the controller. You can enable or disable rogue detection for individual access
points by entering this command:
config rogue detection {enable | disable} cisco-ap command.
Note
To see the current rogue detection configuration for a specific access point, enter the show ap config general
Cisco_AP command.
Note
Rogue detection is disabled by default for OfficeExtend access points because these access points, which are
deployed in a home environment, are likely to detect a large number of rogue devices.
Configure the rogue detection security level by entering this command:

config rogue detection security-level {critical | custom | high | low}
criticalBasic rogue detection with auto containment and RLDP for highly sensitive deployments.
highBasic rogue detection with auto containment for medium-scale deployments.
lowBasic rogue detection for small-scale deployments.
Step 3
Enable, disable, or initiate RLDP by entering these commands:

config rogue ap rldp enable alarm-onlyEnables RLDP on all the access points.
config rogue ap rldp enable alarm-only monitor_ap_onlyEnables RLDP only on the access points in the
monitor mode.
config rogue ap rldp initiate rogue_mac_addressInitiates RLDP on a specific rogue access point.
config rogue ap rldp disableDisables RLDP on all the access points.

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config rogue ap rldp retriesSpecifies the number of times RLDP to be tried per rogue access point. The range
is from 1 to 5 and default is 1.
Step 4
Specify the number of seconds after which the rogue access point and client entries expire and are removed from the list
config rogue ap timeout seconds
The valid range for the seconds parameter is 240 to 3600 seconds (inclusive). The default value is 1200 seconds.
If a rogue access point or client entry times out, it is removed from the controller only if its rogue state is Alert
or Threat for a classification type.
Enable or disable ad hoc rogue detection and reporting by entering this command:
config rogue adhoc {enable | disable}
Note
Step 5
Step 6
Enable or disable the AAA server or local database to validate if rogue clients are valid clients by entering this command:
config rogue client aaa {enable | disable}
Step 7
Enable or disable the use of MSE that has the rogue client details to validate the clients by entering this command:
config rogue client mse {enable | disable}
Step 8
Specify the time interval, in seconds, at which APs should send the rogue detection report to the controller by entering
this command:
config rogue detection monitor-ap report-interval time in sec
The valid range for the time in sec parameter is 10 seconds to 300 seconds. The default value is 10 seconds.
This feature is applicable only to the monitor mode
APs.
Specify the minimum RSSI value that rogues should have for APs to detect them and for the rogue entries to be created
in the controller by entering this command:
config rogue detection min-rssi rssi in dBm
Note
Step 9
The valid range for the rssi in dBm parameter is 128 dBm to 0 dBm. The default value is 0 dBm.
This feature is applicable to all the AP modes. There can be many rogues with very weak RSSI values that do
not provide any valuable information in rogue analysis. Therefore, you can use this option to filter rogues by
specifying the minimum RSSI value at which APs should detect rogues.
Specify the time interval at which rogues have to be consistently scanned for by APs after the first time the rogues are
scanned for by entering this command:
config rogue detection monitor-ap transient-rogue-interval time in sec
Note
Step 10
The valid range for the time in sec parameter is 120 seconds to 1800 seconds. The default value is 0.
Note
This feature is applicable only to the monitor mode APs.

Using the transient interval values, you can control the time interval at which APs should scan for rogues. APs
can also filter rogues based on their transient interval values.
This feature has the following advantages:
Rogue reports from APs to the controller are shorter.
Transient rogue entries are avoided in the controller.
Unnecessary memory allocation for transient rogues are avoided.
Step 11
If you want the controller to automatically contain certain rogue devices, enter these commands.

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Caution
When you enter any of these commands, the following message is displayed: Using this feature
may have legal consequences. Do you want to continue? The 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz
frequencies in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band are open to the public and can be used
without a license. As such, containing devices on another partys network could have legal consequences.
config rogue ap rldp enable auto-containAutomatically contains the rogues that are detected on the wired
network.
config rogue ap ssid auto-containAutomatically contains the rogues that are advertising your networks SSID.
Note
If you want the controller to only generate an alarm when such a rogue is detected, enter the config rogue
ap ssid alarm command.
config rogue ap valid-client auto-containAutomatically contains a rogue access point to which trusted clients
are associated.
Note
If you want the controller to only generate an alarm when such a rogue is detected, enter the config rogue
ap valid-client alarm command.
config rogue adhoc auto-containAutomatically contains ad hoc networks detected by the controller.
Note
If you want the controller to only generate an alarm when such a network is detected, enter the config
rogue adhoc alert command.
config rogue auto-contain level level monitor_mode_ap_onlySets the auto containment level for the monitor
mode access points. The default value is 1. If you enter the level as 0, then the controller dynamically chooses the
number of APs required for effective containment.
config rogue containment flexconnect {enable | disable}Sets the auto containment options for standalone
FlexConnect access points.
Note
The auto containment is continued if the auto containment was configured when the AP was in the connected
FlexConnect mode. After the standalone AP is reassociated with the controller, auto containment is stopped
and the future course of action is determined by the configuration on the controller the AP is associated
with. You can also configure auto containment on ad hoc SSIDs and managed SSIDs on FlexConnect
APs.
config rogue containment auto-rate {enable | disable}Sets the auto rate for containment of rogues.
Step 12
Configure ad hoc rogue classification by entering these commands:

config rogue adhoc classify friendly state {internal | external} mac-addr
config rogue adhoc classify malicious state {alert | contain} mac-addr
config rogue adhoc classify unclassified state {alert | contain} mac-addr
The following is a brief description of the parameters:
internalTrusts a foreign ad hoc rogue.
externalAcknowledges the presence of an ad hoc rogue.
alertGenerates a trap when an ad hoc rogue is detected.
containStarts containing a rogue ad hoc.
Step 13
Configure RLDP scheduling by entering this command:

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config rogue ap rldp schedule { add | delete | disable | enable }

addEnables you to schedule RLDP on a particular day of the week. You must enter the day of the week (for
example, mon, tue, wed, and so on) on which you want to schedule RLDP and the start time and end time in
HH:MM:SS format. For example: config rogue ap rldp schedule add mon 22:00:00 23:00:00.
deleteEnables you to delete the RLDP schedule. You must enter the number of days.
disable Configure to disable RLDP scheduling.
enable Configure to enable RLDP scheduling.
When you configure RLDP scheduling, it is assumed that the scheduling will occur in the future, that is, after
the configuration is saved.
save config
Note
Step 14
Note
Rogue client detection on non monitor AP on serving channel was not done until 8.1 Release . From Release
8.1 onwards, serving channel rogue client detection will happen only if WIPS submode is turned on non monitor
AP's.
Classifying Rogue Devices

Information About Classifying Rogue Access Points
The controller software enables you to create rules that can organize and display rogue access points as
Friendly, Malicious, Custom, or Unclassified. For the Custom type, you must specify a severity score and a
classification name.
Note
Manual classification and classification that is the result of auto-containment or rogue-on-wire overrides
the rogue rule. If you have manually changed the class and/or the state of a rogue AP, then to apply rogue
rules to the AP, you must change it to unclassified and alert condition.
Note
If you manually move any rogue device to contained state (any class) or friendly state, this information
is stored in the standby Cisco WLC flash memory; however, the database is not updated. When HA
switchover occurs, the rogue list from the previously standby Cisco WLC flash memory is loaded.
By default, none of the classification rules are enabled. Therefore, all unknown access points are categorized
as Unclassified. When you create a rule, configure conditions for it, and enable the rule, the unclassified access
points are reclassified. Whenever you change a rule, it is applied to all access points (friendly, malicious,
custom, and unclassified) in the Alert state only.
You can configure up to 64 rogue classification rules per controller.
You can also apply rogue rules to ad hoc rogues except for client count condition.
The number of rogue clients that can be stored in the database table of a rogue access point is 256.

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If a rogue AP or an ad hoc rogue is classified because of an RSSI rogue rule condition, the RSSI value that
caused the trigger is displayed on the controller GUI/CLI. The controller includes the classified RSSI, the
classified AP MAC address, and rule name in the trap. A new trap is generated for every new classification
or change of state due to rogue rule but is rate limited to every half hour for every rogue AP or ad hoc rogue.
However, if there is a change of state in containment by rogue rule, the trap is sent immediately. The classified
by, classified at, and classified by rule name are valid for the non-default classification types, which are
Friendly, Malicious, and Custom classifications. For the unclassified types, these fields are not displayed.
Note
For the RSSI condition of rogue rule, reclassification occurs only if the RSSI change is more than 2 dBm
of the configured RSSI value.
The rogue rule may not work properly if friendly rogue rule is configured with RSSI as a condition. Then,
you need to modify the rules with the expectation that friendly rule is using maximum RSSI and modify rules
accordingly.
When the controller receives a rogue report from one of its managed access points, it responds as follows:
1 The controller verifies that the unknown access point is in the friendly MAC address list. If it is, the
controller classifies the access point as Friendly.
2 If the unknown access point is not in the friendly MAC address list, the controller starts applying rogue
classification rules.
3 If the rogue is already classified as Malicious, Alert or Friendly, Internal or External, the controller does
not reclassify it automatically. If the rogue is classified differently, the controller reclassifies it automatically
only if the rogue is in the Alert state.
4 The controller applies the first rule based on priority. If the rogue access point matches the criteria specified
by the rule, the controller classifies the rogue according to the classification type configured for the rule.
5 If the rogue access point does not match any of the configured rules, the controller classifies the rogue as
Unclassified.
6 The controller repeats the previous steps for all rogue access points.
7 If RLDP determines that the rogue access point is on the network, the controller marks the rogue state as
Threat and classifies it as Malicious automatically, even if no rules are configured. You can then manually
contain the rogue (unless you have configured RLDP to automatically contain the rogue), which would
change the rogue state to Contained. If the rogue access point is not on the network, the controller marks
the rogue state as Alert, and you can manually contain the rogue.
8 If desired, you can manually move the access point to a different classification type and rogue state.

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Table 24: Classification Mapping
Rule-Based
Rogue States
Classification Type
Friendly
InternalIf the unknown access point is inside the network and poses no threat
to WLAN security, you would manually configure it as Friendly, Internal. An
example is the access points in your lab network.
ExternalIf the unknown access point is outside the network and poses no threat
to WLAN security, you would manually configure it as Friendly, External. An
example is an access point that belongs to a neighboring coffee shop.
AlertThe unknown access point is moved to Alert if it is not in the neighbor
list or in the user-configured friendly MAC list.
Malicious

ContainedThe unknown access point is contained.
Custom

Unclassified
PendingOn first detection, the unknown access point is put in the Pending
state for 3 minutes. During this time, the managed access points determine if the
unknown access point is a neighbor access point.
Contained PendingThe unknown access point is marked Contained, but the
action is delayed due to unavailable resources.
The classification and state of the rogue access points are configured as follows:
From Known to Friendly, Internal
From Acknowledged to Friendly, External
From Contained to Malicious, Contained
If the rogue state is Contained, you have to uncontain the rogue access point before you can change the
classification type. If you want to move a rogue access point from Malicious to Unclassified, you must delete
the access point and allow the controller to reclassify it.

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Restrictions on Classifying Rogue Access Points

The following rules apply to this feature:
Classifying Custom type rogues is tied to rogue rules. Therefore, it is not possible to manually classify
a rogue as Custom. Custom class change can occur only using rogue rules.
There are traps that are sent for containment by rule and for every 30 minutes for rogue classification
change. For custom classification, the first trap does not contain the severity score because the trap has
existed before the custom classification. The severity score is obtained from the subsequent trap that is
generated after 30 minutes if the rogue is classified.
Rogue rules are applied on every incoming new rogue report in the controller in the order of their priority.
Once a rogue satisfies a higher priority rule and classified, it does not move down the priority list for
the same report.
Previously classified rogue gets re-classified on every new rogue report with the following restrictions:
Rogues which are classified as friendly by rule and whose state is set to ALERT, go through
re-classification on receiving the new rogue report.
If a rogue is classified as friendly by the administrator manually, then the state is INTERNAL and
it does not get re-classified on successive rogue reports.
If rogue is classified as malicious, irrespective of the state it does not get re-classified on subsequent
rogue reports.
Transition of the rogue's state from friendly to malicious is possible by multiple rogue rules if some
attribute is missing in new rogue report.
Transition of the rogue's state from malicious to any other classification is not possible by any rogue
rule.
The status change of a rogue device to contain or alert does not work when you move it between different
class types until you move the class type of the rogue to unclassified.
If a rogue AP is classified as friendly, it means that the rogue AP exists in the vicinity, is a known AP,
and need not be tracked. Therefore, all the rogue clients are either deleted or not tracked if they are
associated with the friendly rogue AP.
Configuring Rogue Classification Rules (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Rogue Policies > Rogue Rules to open the Rogue Rules page.
Any rules that have already been created are listed in priority order. The name, type, and status of each rule is provided.
Note
Step 2
To delete a rule, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that rule and click Remove.
Create a new rule as follows:

a) Click Add Rule. An Add Rule section appears at the top of the page.
b) In the Rule Name text box, enter a name for the new rule. Ensure that the name does not contain any spaces.

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c) From the Rule Type drop-down list, choose from the following options to classify rogue access points matching this
rule as friendly or malicious:
Friendly
Malicious
Custom
d) Configure the notification when the rule is matched from the Notify drop-down list to All, Global, Local, or None.
Note
Rogue Rule Notification options All, Global, Local, and None can control only the following rogue traps
mentioned:
Rogue AP Detected (Rogue AP: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX detected on Base Radio MAC:
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Interface no: 0(1) Channel: 6 RSSI: 45 SNR: 10 Classification: unclassified,
State: alert, RuleClassified : unclassified, Severity Score: 100, RuleName: rule1, Classified AP MAC:
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, Classified RSSI: 45)
Rogue Adhoc Detected (Adhoc Rogue : XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX detected on Base Radio MAC :
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX Interface no: 0(1) on Channel 6 with RSSI: 45 and SNR: 10 Classification:
unclassified, State: alert, RuleClassified: unclassified, Severity Score: 100, RuleName: rule1,Classified
APMAC: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, Classified RSSI: 45)
Rogue AP contained (Rogue AP: Rogue with MAC Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX has been
contained due to rule with containment Level : 1)
Rogue AP clear contained (Rogue AP: Rogue with MAC Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX is no
longer contained due to rule
e) Configure the state of the rogue AP when the rule is matched from the State drop-down list.
f) If you choose the Rule Type as Custom, enter the Severity Score and the Classification Name.
g) Click Add to add this rule to the list of existing rules, or click Cancel to discard this new rule.
Step 3
Edit a rule as follows:

a) Click the name of the rule that you want to edit. The Rogue Rule > Edit page appears.
b) From the Type drop-down list, choose from the following options to classify rogue access points matching this rule:
Friendly
Malicious
Custom
c) Configure the notification when the rule is matched from the Notify drop-down list to All, Global, Local, or None.
d) Configure the state of the rogue AP when the rule is matched from the State drop-down list.
e) From the Match Operation text box, choose one of the following:
Match AllIf this rule is enabled, a detected rogue access point must meet all of the conditions specified by the rule
in order for the rule to be matched and the rogue to adopt the classification type of the rule.
Match AnyIf this rule is enabled, a detected rogue access point must meet any of the conditions specified by the
rule in order for the rule to be matched and the rogue to adopt the classification type of the rule. This is the default
value.
f) To enable this rule, select the Enable Rule check box. The default value is unselected.
g) If you choose the Rule Type as Custom, enter the Severity Score and the Classification Name.

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h) From the Add Condition drop-down list, choose one or more of the following conditions that the rogue access point
must meet and click Add Condition.
SSIDRequires that the rogue access point have a specific user-configured SSID. If you choose this option,
enter the SSID in the User Configured SSID text box, and click Add SSID.
Note
To delete an SSID, highlight the SSID and click
Remove.
RSSIRequires that the rogue access point have a minimum received signal strength indication (RSSI) value.
For example, if the rogue access point has an RSSI that is greater than the configured value, then the access
point could be classified as malicious. If you choose this option, enter the minimum RSSI value in the Minimum
RSSI text box. The valid range is 95 to 50 dBm (inclusive), and the default value is 0 dBm.
DurationRequires that the rogue access point be detected for a minimum period of time. If you choose this
option, enter a value for the minimum detection period in the Time Duration text box. The valid range is 0 to
3600 seconds (inclusive), and the default value is 0 seconds.
Client CountRequires that a minimum number of clients be associated to the rogue access point. For example,
if the number of clients associated to the rogue access point is greater than or equal to the configured value,
then the access point could be classified as malicious. If you choose this option, enter the minimum number of
clients to be associated to the rogue access point in the Minimum Number of Rogue Clients text box. The
valid range is 1 to 10 (inclusive), and the default value is 0.
No EncryptionRequires that the rogue access points advertised WLAN does not have encryption enabled.
If a rogue access point has encryption disabled, it is likely that more clients will try to associate to it. No further
configuration is required for this option.
Note
Cisco Prime Infrastructure refers to this option as Open Authentication.
Managed SSIDRequires that the rogue access points managed SSID (the SSID configured for the WLAN)
be known to the controller. No further configuration is required for this option.
Note
The SSID and Managed SSID conditions cannot be used with the Match All operation because these
two SSID lists are mutually exclusive. If you define a rule with Match All and have these two conditions
configured, the rogue access points are never classified as friendly or malicious because one of the
conditions can never be met.
Note
You can add up to six conditions per rule. When you add a condition, it appears under the Conditions
section.
To delete a condition from this rule, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that condition
and click Remove.
SSID WildcardRequires that the rogue access point have a substring of the specific user-configured SSID.
The controller searches the substring in the same occurrence pattern and returns a match if the substring is found
in the whole string of an SSID.
i) Click Apply.
Step 4
Step 5

If you want to change the order in which rogue classification rules are applied, follow these steps:
1 Click Back to return to the Rogue Rules page.
2 Click Change Priority to access the Rogue Rules > Priority page.
The rogue rules are listed in priority order in the Change Rules Priority text box.

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3 Highlight the rule for which you want to change the priority, and click Up to raise its priority in the list or Down to
lower its priority in the list.
4 Continue to move the rules up or down until the rules are in the desired order.
5 Click Apply.
Step 6
Classify any rogue access points as friendly and add them to the friendly MAC address list as follows:
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Rogue Policies > Friendly Rogue to open the Friendly Rogue
> Create page.
In the MAC Address text box, enter the MAC address of the friendly rogue access point.
Click Apply.
Click Save Configuration. This access point is added to the controllers list of friendly access points and should
now appear on the Friendly Rogue APs page.
Viewing and Classifying Rogue Devices (GUI)

Before You Begin
Caution
Step 1
Step 2
When you choose to contain a rogue device, the following warning appears: There may be legal issues
following this containment. Are you sure you want to continue? The 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies in the
Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band are open to the public and can be used without a license.
As such, containing devices on another partys network could have legal consequences.
Choose Monitor > Rogues.

Choose the following options to view the different types of rogue access points detected by the controller:
Friendly APs
Malicious APs
Unclassified APs
Custom APs
The respective rogue APs pages provide the following information: the MAC address and SSID of the rogue access
point, channel number, the number of radios that detected the rogue access point, the number of clients connected to the
rogue access point, and the current status of the rogue access point.
Note
To remove acknowledged rogues from the database, change the rogue state to Alert. If the rogue is no longer
present, the rogue data is deleted from the database in 20 minutes.

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To delete a rogue access point from one of these pages, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow and
click Remove. To delete multiple rogue access points, select the check box corresponding to the row you want
to delete and click Remove.
Note
You can move the Malicious or Unclassified rogue APs that are being contained or were contained back to Alert
state by clicking the Move to Alert button on the respective pages.
Get more details about a rogue access point by clicking the MAC address of the access point. The Rogue AP Detail page
appears.
This page provides the following information: the MAC address of the rogue device, the type of rogue device (such as
an access point), whether the rogue device is on the wired network, the dates and times when the rogue device was first
and last reported, and the current status of the device.
Note
Step 3
The Class Type text box shows the current classification for this rogue access point:
FriendlyAn unknown access point that matches the user-defined friendly rules or an existing known and
acknowledged rogue access point. Friendly access points cannot be contained.
MaliciousAn unknown access point that matches the user-defined malicious rules or is moved manually by the
user from the Friendly or Unclassified classification type.
Note
Once an access point is classified as Malicious, you cannot apply rules to it in the future, and it cannot be
moved to another classification type. If you want to move a malicious access point to the Unclassified
classification type, you must delete the access point and allow the controller to reclassify it.
UnclassifiedAn unknown access point that does not match the user-defined friendly or malicious rules. An
unclassified access point can be contained. It can also be moved to the Friendly or Malicious classification type
automatically in accordance with user-defined rules or manually by the user.
CustomA user-defined classification type that is tied to rogue rules. It is not possible to manually classify a
rogue as Custom. Custom class change can occur only using rogue rules.
Step 4
If you want to change the classification of this device, choose a different classification from the Class Type drop-down
list.
Note
A rogue access point cannot be moved to another class if its current state is Contain.
Step 5
From the Update Status drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify how the controller should respond
to this rogue access point:
InternalThe controller trusts this rogue access point. This option is available if the Class Type is set to Friendly.
ExternalThe controller acknowledges the presence of this rogue access point. This option is available if the
Class Type is set to Friendly.
ContainThe controller contains the offending device so that its signals no longer interfere with authorized clients.
This option is available if the Class Type is set to Malicious or Unclassified.
AlertThe controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action. This option is
available if the Class Type is set to Malicious or Unclassified.
The bottom of the page provides information on both the access points that detected this rogue access point and any
clients that are associated to it. To see more details for any of the clients, click Edit to open the Rogue Client Detail
page.

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Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Click Apply.
View any rogue clients that are connected to the controller by choosing Rogue Clients. The Rogue Clients page appears.
This page shows the following information: the MAC address of the rogue client, the MAC address of the access point
to which the rogue client is associated, the SSID of the rogue client, the number of radios that detected the rogue client,
the date and time when the rogue client was last reported, and the current status of the rogue client.
Obtain more details about a rogue client by clicking the MAC address of the client. The Rogue Client Detail page appears.
This page provides the following information: the MAC address of the rogue client, the MAC address of the rogue access
point to which this client is associated, the SSID and IP address of the rogue client, the dates and times when the rogue
client was first and last reported, and the current status of the rogue client.
to this rogue client:
AlertThe controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action.
The bottom of the page provides information on the access points that detected this rogue client.
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Click Apply.
If desired, you can test the controllers connection to this client by clicking Ping.
See any ad-hoc rogues detected by the controller by choosing Adhoc Rogues. The Adhoc Rogues page appears.
This page shows the following information: the MAC address, BSSID, and SSID of the ad-hoc rogue, the number of
radios that detected the ad-hoc rogue, and the current status of the ad-hoc rogue.
Step 15
Obtain more details about an ad-hoc rogue by clicking the MAC address of the rogue. The Adhoc Rogue Detail page
appears.
This page provides the following information: the MAC address and BSSID of the ad-hoc rogue, the dates and times
when the rogue was first and last reported, and the current status of the rogue.
Step 16
to this ad-hoc rogue:
AlertThe controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action.
InternalThe controller trusts this rogue access point.
ExternalThe controller acknowledges the presence of this rogue access point.
Step 17
From the Maximum number of APs to contain the rogue drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify
the maximum number of access points used to contain this ad-hoc rogue: 1, 2, 3, or 4.
The bottom of the page provides information on the access points that detected this ad-hoc rogue.
1Specifies targeted rogue access point is contained by one access point. This is the lowest containment level.
2Specifies targeted rogue access point is contained by two access points.
3Specifies targeted rogue access point is contained by three access points.
4Specifies targeted rogue access point is contained by four access points. This is the highest containment level.

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Step 18
Step 19
Step 20
Click Apply.
View any access points that have been configured to be ignored by choosing Rogue AP Ignore-List. The Rogue AP
Ignore-List page appears.
This page shows the MAC addresses of any access points that are configured to be ignored. The rogue-ignore list contains
a list of any autonomous access points that have been manually added to Cisco Prime Infrastructure maps by the users.
The controller regards these autonomous access points as rogues even though the Prime Infrastructure is managing them.
The rogue-ignore list allows the controller to ignore these access points. The list is updated as follows:
When the controller receives a rogue report, it checks to see if the unknown access point is in the rogue-ignore
access point list.
If the unknown access point is in the rogue-ignore list, the controller ignores this access point and continues to
process other rogue access points.
If the unknown access point is not in the rogue-ignore list, the controller sends a trap to the Prime Infrastructure.
If the Prime Infrastructure finds this access point in its autonomous access point list, the Prime Infrastructure sends
a command to the controller to add this access point to the rogue-ignore list. This access point is then ignored in
future rogue reports.
If a user removes an autonomous access point from the Prime Infrastructure, the Prime Infrastructure sends a
command to the controller to remove this access point from the rogue-ignore list.
Configuring Rogue Classification Rules (CLI)
Step 1
Create a rule by entering this command:

config rogue rule add ap priority priority classify {friendly | malicious} rule-name
If you later want to change the priority of this rule and shift others in the list accordingly, enter the config rogue rule
priority priority rule-name command.
If you later want to change the classification of this rule, enter the config rogue rule classify {friendly | malicious}
rule-name command.
If you ever want to delete all of the rogue classification rules or a specific rule, enter the {config rogue rule delete {all
| rule-name} command.
Step 2
Create a rule by entering these commands:

Configure a rule for friendly rogues by entering this command:
config rogue rule add ap priority priority classify friendly notify {all | global | local | none} state {alert |
internal | external | delete} rule-name
Configure a rule for malicious rogues by entering this command:
config rogue rule add ap priority priority classify malicious notify {all | global | local | none} state {alert |
contain} rule-name
Configure a rule for custom rogues by entering this command:

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config rogue rule add ap priority priority classify custom severity-score classification-name notify {all | global
| local | none} state {alert | contain} rule-name
If you later want to change the priority of this rule and shift others in the list accordingly, enter the config rogue rule
priority priority rule-name command.
If you later want to change the classification of this rule, enter the config rogue rule classify {friendly | malicious |
custom severity-score classification-name} rule-name command.
If you ever want to delete all of the rogue classification rules or a specific rule, enter the {config rogue rule delete {all
| rule-name} command.
Step 3
Configure the state on the rogue AP upon rule match by entering this command:
config rogue rule state {alert | contain | internal | external} rule-name
Step 4
Configure the notification upon rule match by entering this command:

config rogue rule notify {all | global | local | none} rule-name
Step 5
Disable all rules or a specific rule by entering this command:

config rogue rule disable {all | rule_name}
A rule must be disabled before you can modify its
attributes.
Add conditions to a rule that the rogue access point must meet by entering this command:
config rogue rule condition ap set condition_type condition_value rule_name
Note
Step 6
The following condition types are available:

ssidRequires that the rogue access point have a specific SSID. You should add SSIDs that are not managed by
the controller. If you choose this option, enter the SSID for the condition_value parameter. The SSID is added to
the user-configured SSID list.
Note
Note
If you ever want to delete all of the SSIDs or a specific SSID from the user-configured SSID list, enter
the config rogue rule condition ap delete ssid {all | ssid} rule_name command.
The sub-string should be specified in full or part of SSID (without any asterisks). This sub-string is matched
in the same sequence to its occurrence in the rogue AP SSID. Once the condition is met, the rogue AP is
classified (depending on OR or AND match condition).
rssiRequires that the rogue access point have a minimum RSSI value. For example, if the rogue access point has
an RSSI that is greater than the configured value, then the access point could be classified as malicious. If you
choose this option, enter the minimum RSSI value for the condition_value parameter.
In Release 8.0 and later releases, for friendly rogue rules, you are required to set a maximum RSSI value. The RSSI
value of the rogue AP must be less than the RSSI value set, for the rogue AP to be classified as a friendly rogue.
For malicious and custom rogue rules, there is no change in functionality.
For example, for a friendly rogue rule, the RSSI value is set at 80 dBm. All the rogue APs that are detected and
have RSSI value that is less than 80 dBm are classified as friendly rogues. For malicious and custom rogue rules,
the RSSI value is set at 80 dBm. All the rogue APs that are detected and have RSSI value that is more than 80
dBm are classified as malicious or custom rogue APs.
durationRequires that the rogue access point be detected for a minimum period of time. If you choose this
option, enter a value for the minimum detection period for the condition_value parameter. The valid range is 0 to
3600 seconds (inclusive), and the default value is 0 seconds.

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client-countRequires that a minimum number of clients be associated to the rogue access point. For example,
if the number of clients associated to the rogue access point is greater than or equal to the configured value, then
the access point could be classified as malicious. If you choose this option, enter the minimum number of clients
to be associated to the rogue access point for the condition_value parameter. The valid range is 1 to 10 (inclusive),
and the default value is 0.
managed-ssidRequires that the rogue access points SSID be known to the controller. A condition_value parameter
is not required for this option.
Note
You can add up to six conditions per rule. If you ever want to delete all of the conditions or a specific
condition from a rule, enter the config rogue rule condition ap delete all condition_type condition_value
rule_name command.
wildcard-ssidRequires that the rogue access point have a wildcard of the specific user-configured SSID. The
controller searches the wildcard in the same occurrence pattern and returns a match if the substring is found in the
whole string of an SSID.
Step 7
Specify whether a detected rogue access point must meet all or any of the conditions specified by the rule in order for
the rule to be matched and the rogue access point to adopt the classification type of the rule by entering this command:
config rogue rule match {all | any} rule_name
Step 8
Enable all rules or a specific rule by entering this command:

config rogue rule enable {all | rule_name}
Note
For your changes to become effective, you must enable the
rule.
Add a new friendly access point entry to the friendly MAC address list or delete an existing friendly access point entry
from the list by entering this command:
config rogue ap friendly {add | delete} ap_mac_address
Step 9
Step 10

save config
Step 11
View the rogue classification rules that are configured on the controller by entering this command:
show rogue rule summary
Step 12
View detailed information for a specific rogue classification rule by entering this command:
show rogue rule detailed rule_name
Viewing and Classifying Rogue Devices (CLI)

View a list of all rogue access points detected by the controller by entering this command:
show rogue ap summary
See a list of the friendly rogue access points detected by the controller by entering this command:
show rogue ap friendly summary
See a list of the malicious rogue access points detected by the controller by entering this command:
show rogue ap malicious summary
See a list of the unclassified rogue access points detected by the controller by entering this command:

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show rogue ap unclassified summary

See detailed information for a specific rogue access point by entering this command:
show rogue ap detailed ap_mac_address
See the rogue report (which shows the number of rogue devices detected on different channel widths)
for a specific 802.11a/n/ac radio by entering this command:
show ap auto-rf 802.11a Cisco_AP
See a list of all rogue clients that are associated to a rogue access point by entering this command:
show rogue ap clients ap_mac_address
See a list of all rogue clients detected by the controller by entering this command:
show rogue client summary
See detailed information for a specific rogue client by entering this command:
show rogue client detailed Rogue_AP client_mac_address
See a list of all ad-hoc rogues detected by the controller by entering this command:
show rogue adhoc summary
See detailed information for a specific ad-hoc rogue by entering this command:
show rogue adhoc detailed rogue_mac_address
See a summary of ad hoc rogues based on their classification by entering this command:
show rogue adhoc {friendly | malicious | unclassified} summary
See a list of rogue access points that are configured to be ignore by entering this command:
show rogue ignore-list
Note
See the Viewing and Classifying Rogue Devices (GUI) section for more information on the rogue-ignore
access point list.
Classify a rogue access point as friendly by entering this command:
config rogue ap classify friendly state {internal | external} ap_mac_address
where
internal means that the controller trusts this rogue access point.
external means that the controller acknowledges the presence of this rogue access point.
Note
A rogue access point cannot be moved to the Friendly class if its current state is Contain.
Mark a rogue access point as malicious by entering this command:
config rogue ap classify malicious state {alert | contain} ap_mac_address
where
alert means that the controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action.
contain means that the controller contains the offending device so that its signals no longer interfere
with authorized clients.

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Note
A rogue access point cannot be moved to the Malicious class if its current state is Contain.
Mark a rogue access point as unclassified by entering this command:
config rogue ap classify unclassified state {alert | contain} ap_mac_address
Note
A rogue access point cannot be moved to the Unclassified class if its current state is Contain.
alert means that the controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action.
contain means that the controller contains the offending device so that its signals no longer interfere with
authorized clients.
Choose the maximum number of access points used to contain the ad-hoc rogue by entering this command:
config rogue ap classify unclassified state contain rogue_ap_mac_address 1, 2, 3, or 4
1Specifies targeted rogue access point will be contained by one access point. This is the lowest
containment level.
2Specifies targeted rogue access point will be contained by two access points.
3Specifies targeted rogue access point will be contained by three access points.
4Specifies targeted rogue access point will be contained by four access points. This is the highest
containment level.
Specify how the controller should respond to a rogue client by entering one of these commands:
config rogue client alert client_mac_addressThe controller forwards an immediate alert to the system
administrator for further action.
config rogue client contain client_mac_addressThe controller contains the offending device so that
its signals no longer interfere with authorized clients.
Specify how the controller should respond to an ad-hoc rogue by entering one these commands:
config rogue adhoc alert rogue_mac_addressThe controller forwards an immediate alert to the
system administrator for further action.
config rogue adhoc contain rogue_mac_addressThe controller contains the offending device so that
its signals no longer interfere with authorized clients.
config rogue adhoc external rogue_mac_addressThe controller acknowledges the presence of this
ad-hoc rogue.
Configure the classification of ad hoc rogues by entering any one of these commands:
Friendly stateconfig rogue adhoc classify friendly state {internal | external} mac-addr
Malicious stateconfig rogue adhoc classify malicious state {alert | contain} mac-addr
Unclassified stateconfig rogue adhoc classify unclassified state {alert | contain} mac-addr
View a summary of custom rogue AP information by entering this command:
show rogue ap custom summary
See custom ad hoc rogue information by entering this command:

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show rogue adhoc custom summary

Delete the rogue APs by entering this command:
config rogue ap delete {class | all | mac-addr}
Delete the rogue clients by entering this command:
config rogue client delete {state | all | mac-addr}
Delete the ad hoc rogues by entering this command:
config rogue adhoc delete {class | all | mac-addr}
save config

Information About Cisco Intrusion Detection System
The Cisco Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System (CIDS/CIPS) instructs controllers to block
certain clients from accessing the wireless network when attacks involving these clients are detected at Layer
3 through Layer 7. This system offers significant network protection by helping to detect, classify, and stop
threats including worms, spyware/adware, network viruses, and application abuse. Two methods are available
to detect potential attacks:
IDS sensors
IDS signatures
You can configure IDS sensors to detect various types of IP-level attacks in your network. When the sensors
identify an attack, they can alert the controller to shun the offending client. When you add a new IDS sensor,
you register the controller with that IDS sensor so that the controller can query the sensor to get the list of
shunned clients.
Shunned Clients
When an IDS sensor detects a suspicious client, it alerts the controller to shun this client. The shun entry is
distributed to all controllers within the same mobility group. If the client to be shunned is currently joined to
a controller in this mobility group, the anchor controller adds this client to the dynamic exclusion list, and the
foreign controller removes the client. The next time that the client tries to connect to a controller, the anchor
controller rejects the handoff and informs the foreign controller that the client is being excluded.
Configuring IDS Sensors (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Advanced > CIDS > Sensors to open the CIDS Sensors List page.
Note
If you want to delete an existing sensor, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that sensor and
choose Remove.

507
Step 2
Step 3
Click New to add a new IDS sensor to the list. The CIDS Sensor Add page is displayed.
From the Index drop-down list, choose a number (between 1 and 5) to determine the sequence in which the controller
consults the IDS sensors. For example, if you choose 1, the controller consults this IDS sensor first.
Cisco WLC supports up to five IDS sensors.
Step 4
Step 5
In the Server Address text box, enter the IP address of your IDS server.
In the Port text box, enter the number of the HTTPS port through which the controller has to communicate with the IDS
sensor.
We recommend that you set this parameter to 443 because the sensor uses this value to communicate by default. The
default value is 443 and the range is 1 to 65535.
Step 6
In the Username text box, enter the name that the controller uses to authenticate to the IDS sensor.
Note
This username must be configured on the IDS sensor and have at least a read-only privilege.
Step 7
In the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, enter the password that the controller uses to authenticate to the
IDS sensor.
In the Query Interval text box, enter the time (in seconds) for how often the controller should query the IDS server for
IDS events.
The default is 60 seconds and the range is 10 to 3600 seconds.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Check the State check box to register the controller with this IDS sensor or uncheck this check box to disable registration.
Enter a 40-hexadecimal-character security key in the Fingerprint text box. This key is used to verify the validity of the
sensor and is used to prevent security attacks.
Note
Make sure you include colons that appear between every two bytes within the key. For example, enter
AA:BB:CC:DD.
Click Apply. Your new IDS sensor appears in the list of sensors on the CIDS Sensors List page.
Viewing Shunned Clients (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Advanced > CIDS > Shunned Clients to open the CIDS Shun List page.
This page shows the IP address and MAC address of each shunned client, the length of time that the clients data packets
should be blocked by the controller as requested by the IDS sensor, and the IP address of the IDS sensor that discovered
the client.
Step 2
Click Re-sync to purge and reset the list as desired.

Note
The controller does not take any action on shun entries when the corresponding timers have expired. The shun
entry timers are maintained only for the display purpose. The shun entries are cleaned up whenever the controller
polls the IPS server. If the CIDS IPS server is not reachable, the shun entries are not removed even if they are
timed out on the controller. The shun entries are cleaned up only when the CIDS IPS server is operational again
and the controller polls the CIDS IPS server.

508
Configuring IDS Sensors (CLI)
Step 1
Add an IDS sensor by entering this command:

config wps cids-sensor add index ids_ip_address username password. The index parameter determines the sequence
in which the controller consults the IDS sensors. The controller supports up to five IDS sensors. Enter a number (between
1 and 5) to determine the priority of this sensor. For example, if you enter 1, the controller consults this IDS sensor first.
Note
The username must be configured on the IDS sensor and have at least a read-only privilege.
Step 2
(Optional) Specify the number of the HTTPS port through which the controller is to communicate with the IDS sensor
config wps cids-sensor port index port
For the port-number parameter, you can enter a value between 1 and 65535. The default value is 443. This step is optional
because we recommend that you use the default value of 443. The sensor uses this value to communicate by default.
Step 3
Step 4
Specify how often the controller should query the IDS server for IDS events by entering this command:
config wps cids-sensor interval index interval
For the interval parameter, you can enter a value between 10 and 3600 seconds. The default value is 60 seconds.
Enter a 40-hexadecimal-character security key used to verify the validity of the sensor by entering this command:
config wps cids-sensor fingerprint index sha1 fingerprint
You can get the value of the fingerprint by entering show tls fingerprint on the sensors console.
Note
Make sure to include the colons that appear between every two bytes within the key (for example,
AA:BB:CC:DD).
Step 5
Enable or disable this controllers registration with an IDS sensor by entering this command:
config wps cids-sensor {enable | disable} index
Step 6
Enable or disable protection from DoS attacks by entering this command:

A potential attacker can use specially crafted packets to mislead the IDS into treating a legitimate client as an
attacker. It causes the controller to wrongly disconnect this legitimate client and launches a DoS attack. The
auto-immune feature, when enabled, is designed to protect against such attacks. However, conversations using
Cisco 792x phones might be interrupted intermittently when the auto-immune feature is enabled. If you experience
frequent disruptions when using 792x phones, you might want to disable this feature.
save config
Note
Step 7
Step 8
See the IDS sensor configuration by entering one of these commands:

show wps cids-sensor summary
show wps cids-sensor detail index
Step 9
Step 10
The second command provides more information than the first.

See the auto-immune configuration setting by entering this command:
show wps summary
Auto-Immune

509
IDS Signatures
IP-theft.......................................
Signature Policy
Signature Processing...........................
Step 11
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Obtain debug information regarding IDS sensor configuration by entering this command:
debug wps cids enable
Note
If you ever want to delete or change the configuration of a sensor, you must first disable it by entering the config
wps cids-sensor disable index command. To delete the sensor, enter the config wps cids-sensor delete index
command.
Viewing Shunned Clients (CLI)
Step 1
View the list of clients to be shunned by entering this command:

show wps shun-list
Step 2
Force the controller to synchronize with other controllers in the mobility group for the shun list by entering this command:
config wps shun-list re-sync
Note
The controller does not take any action on shun entries when the corresponding timers have expired. The shun
entry timers are maintained only for the display purpose. The shun entries are cleaned up whenever the controller
polls the IPS server. If the CIDS IPS server is not reachable, the shun entries are not removed even if they are
timed out on the controller. The shun entries are cleaned up only when the CIDS IPS server is operational again
and the controller polls the CIDS IPS server.
IDS Signatures
Information About IDS Signatures
You can configure IDS signatures, or bit-pattern matching rules used to identify various types of attacks in
incoming 802.11 packets, on the controller. When the signatures are enabled, the access points joined to the
controller perform signature analysis on the received 802.11 data or management frames and report any
discrepancies to the controller. If an attack is detected, appropriate mitigation is initiated.
Cisco supports 17 standard signatures. These signatures are divided into six main groups. The first four groups
contain management signatures, and the last two groups contain data signatures.

510
IDS Signatures
Broadcast deauthentication frame signaturesDuring a broadcast deauthentication frame attack, a

hacker sends an 802.11 deauthentication frame to the broadcast MAC destination address of another
client. This attack causes the destination client to disassociate from the access point and lose its connection.
If this action is repeated, the client experiences a denial of service. When the broadcast deauthentication
frame signature (precedence 1) is used to detect such an attack, the access point listens for clients
transmitting broadcast deauthentication frames that match the characteristics of the signature. If the
access point detects such an attack, it alerts the controller. Depending on how your system is configured,
the offending device is contained so that its signals no longer interfere with authorized clients, or the
controller forwards an immediate alert to the system administrator for further action, or both.
NULL probe response signaturesDuring a NULL probe response attack, a hacker sends a NULL
probe response to a wireless client adapter. As a result, the client adapter locks up. When a NULL probe
response signature is used to detect such an attack, the access point identifies the wireless client and
alerts the controller. The NULL probe response signatures are as follows:
NULL probe resp 1 (precedence 2)
NULL probe resp 2 (precedence 3)
Note
Controller does not log historical NULL Probe IDS events within the Signature Events
Summary output.
Management frame flood signaturesDuring a management frame flood attack, a hacker floods an
access point with 802.11 management frames. The result is a denial of service to all clients associated
or attempting to associate to the access point. This attack can be implemented with different types of
management frames: association requests, authentication requests, reassociation requests, probe requests,
disassociation requests, deauthentication requests, and reserved management subtypes.
When a management frame flood signature is used to detect such an attack, the access point identifies
management frames matching the entire characteristic of the signature. If the frequency of these frames
is greater than the value of the frequency set in the signature, an access point that hears these frames
triggers an alarm. The controller generates a trap and forwards it to Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
The management frame flood signatures are as follows:
Assoc flood (precedence 4)
Auth flood (precedence 5)
Reassoc flood (precedence 6)
Broadcast probe flood (precedence 7)
Disassoc flood (precedence 8)
Deauth flood (precedence 9)
Reserved mgmt 7 (precedence 10)
Reserved mgmt F (precedence 11)
The reserved management frame signatures 7 and F are reserved for future use.

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IDS Signatures
Wellenreiter signatureWellenreiter is a wireless LAN scanning and discovery utility that can reveal
access point and client information. When the Wellenreiter signature (precedence 17) is used to detect
such an attack, the access point identifies the offending device and alerts the controller.
EAPOL flood signatureDuring an EAPOL flood attack, a hacker floods the air with EAPOL frames
that contain 802.1X authentication requests. As a result, the 802.1X authentication server cannot respond
to all of the requests and fails to send successful authentication responses to valid clients. The result is
a denial of service to all affected clients. When the EAPOL flood signature (precedence 12) is used to
detect such an attack, the access point waits until the maximum number of allowed EAPOL packets is
exceeded. It then alerts the controller and proceeds with the appropriate mitigation.
NetStumbler signaturesNetStumbler is a wireless LAN scanning utility that reports access point
broadcast information (such as operating channel, RSSI information, adapter manufacturer name, SSID,
WEP status, and the latitude and longitude of the device running NetStumbler when a GPS is attached).
If NetStumbler succeeds in authenticating and associating to an access point, it sends a data frame with
the following strings, depending on the NetStumbler version:
Version
String
3.2.0
Flurble gronk bloopit, bnip Frundletrune
3.2.3
All your 802.11b are belong to us
3.3.0
Sends white spaces
When a NetStumbler signature is used to detect such an attack, the access point identifies the offending device
and alerts the controller. The NetStumbler signatures are as follows:
NetStumbler 3.2.0 (precedence 13)
NetStumbler generic (precedence 16)
A standard signature file exists on the controller by default. You can upload this signature file from the
controller, or you can create a custom signature file and download it to the controller or modify the standard
signature file to create a custom signature.
Configuring IDS Signatures (GUI)

Uploading or Downloading IDS Signatures
Step 1
Step 2
If desired, create your own custom signature file.

Make sure that you have a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server available. Follow these guidelines when setting
up a TFTP server:

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IDS Signatures
If you are downloading through the service port, the TFTP server must be on the same subnet as the service port
because the service port is not routable, or you must create static routes on the controller.
If you are downloading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP server can be on the same or a
different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.
A third-party TFTP server cannot run on the same computer as the Cisco Prime Infrastructure because the Prime
Infrastructure built-in TFTP server and the third-party TFTP server require the same communication port.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
If you are downloading a custom signature file (*.sig), copy it to the default directory on your TFTP server.
Choose Commands to open the Download File to Controller page.
If you want to download a custom signature file to the controller, choose Signature File from the File Type
drop-down list on the Download File to Controller page.
If you want to upload a standard signature file from the controller, choose Upload File and then Signature File
from the File Type drop-down list on the Upload File from Controller page.
Step 6
From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose TFTP, FTP, or SFTP.
The SFTP option was added in Release 7.4.
Step 7
In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP, FTP, or SFTP server.
Step 8
If you are downloading the signature file using a TFTP server, enter the maximum number of times that the controller
should attempt to download the signature file in the Maximum retries text box.
The range is 1 to 254 and the default value is 10.
Step 9
If you are downloading the signature file using a TFTP server, enter the amount of time in seconds before the controller
times out while attempting to download the signature file in the Timeout text box.
The range is 1 to 254 seconds and the default is 6 seconds.
Step 10
In the File Path text box, enter the path of the signature file to be downloaded or uploaded. The default value is /.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the signature file to be downloaded or uploaded.
Note
When uploading signatures, the controller uses the filename that you specify as a base name and then adds
_std.sig and _custom.sig to it in order to upload both standard and custom signature files to the TFTP server.
For example, if you upload a signature file called ids1, the controller automatically generates and uploads both
ids1_std.sig and ids1_custom.sig to the TFTP server. If desired, you can then modify ids1_custom.sig on the
TFTP server (making sure to set Revision = custom) and download it by itself.
If you are using an FTP or SFTP server, follow these steps:
Step 11
Step 12
1 In the Server Login Username text box, enter the username to log into the FTP or SFTP server.
2 In the Server Login Password text box, enter the password to log into the FTP or SFTP server.
3 In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number on the FTP or SFTP server through which the download
occurs. The default value is 21.
Step 13
Choose Download to download the signature file to the controller or Upload to upload the signature file from the
controller.

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IDS Signatures
Enabling or Disabling IDS Signatures
Step 1
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Standard Signatures or Custom Signatures to open the Standard
Signatures page or the Custom Signatures page.
The Standard Signatures page shows the list of Cisco-supplied signatures that are currently on the controller. The Custom
Signatures page shows the list of customer-supplied signatures that are currently on the controller. This page shows the
following information for each signature:
The order, or precedence, in which the controller performs the signature checks.
The name of the signature, which specifies the type of attack that the signature is trying to detect.
The frame type on which the signature is looking for a security attack. The possible frame types are data and
management.
The action that the controller is directed to take when the signature detects an attack. The possible actions are None
and Report.
The state of the signature, which indicates whether the signature is enabled to detect security attacks.
A description of the type of attack that the signature is trying to detect.
Step 2

If you want to allow all signatures (both standard and custom) whose individual states are set to Enabled to remain
enabled, select the Enable Check for All Standard and Custom Signatures check box at the top of either the
Standard Signatures page or the Custom Signatures page. The default value is enabled (or selected). When the
signatures are enabled, the access points joined to the controller perform signature analysis on the received 802.11
data or management frames and report any discrepancies to the controller.
If you want to disable all signatures (both standard and custom) on the controller, unselect the Enable Check for
All Standard and Custom Signatures check box. If you unselected this check box, all signatures are disabled,
even the ones whose individual states are set to Enabled.
Step 3
Step 4

Click the precedence number of the desired signature to enable or disable an individual signature. The Standard Signature
(or Custom Signature) > Detail page appears.
This page shows much of the same information as the Standard Signatures and Custom Signatures pages but provides
these additional details:
The tracking method used by the access points to perform signature analysis and report the results to the controller.
The possible values are as follows:
Per SignatureSignature analysis and pattern matching are tracked and reported on a per-signature and
per-channel basis.
Per MACSignature analysis and pattern matching are tracked and reported separately for individual client
MAC addresses on a per-channel basis.
Per Signature and MACSignature analysis and pattern matching are tracked and reported on a per-signature
and per-channel basis as well as on a per-MAC-address and per-channel basis.
The pattern that is being used to detect a security attack

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IDS Signatures
Step 5
In the Measurement Interval text box, enter the number of seconds that must elapse before the signature frequency
threshold is reached within the configured interval. The range is 1 to 3600 seconds, and the default value varies per
signature.
In the Signature Frequency text box, enter the number of matching packets per interval that must be identified at the
individual access point level before an attack is detected. The range is 1 to 32,000 packets per interval, and the default
value varies per signature.
In the Signature MAC Frequency text box, enter the number of matching packets per interval that must be identified per
client per access point before an attack is detected. The range is 1 to 32,000 packets per interval, and the default value
varies per signature.
In the Quiet Time text box, enter the length of time (in seconds) after which no attacks have been detected at the individual
access point level and the alarm can stop. The range is 60 to 32,000 seconds, and the default value varies per signature.
Select the State check box to enable this signature to detect security attacks or unselect it to disable this signature. The
default value is enabled (or selected).
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Apply to commit your changes. The Standard Signatures or Custom Signatures page reflects the signatures updated
state.
Viewing IDS Signature Events (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Signature Events Summary to open the Signature Events Summary
page.
Click the Signature Type for the signature to see more information on the attacks detected by a particular signature. The
Signature Events Detail page appears.
The MAC addresses of the clients identified as attackers
The method used by the access point to track the attacks
The number of matching packets per second that were identified before an attack was detected.
The number of access points on the channel on which the attack was detected
The day and time when the access point detected the attack
Step 3
Click the Detail link for that attack to see more information for a particular attack. The Signature Events Track Detail
page appears.
The MAC address of the access point that detected the attack
The name of the access point that detected the attack
The type of radio (802.11a or 802.11b/g) used by the access point to detect the attack
The radio channel on which the attack was detected

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IDS Signatures
The day and time when the access point reported the attack
Configuring IDS Signatures (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
If desired, create your own custom signature file.

Make sure that you have a TFTP server available.
Copy the custom signature file (*.sig) to the default directory on your TFTP server.
Specify the download or upload mode by entering the transfer {download | upload} mode tftp command.
Step 5
Specify the type of file to be downloaded or uploaded by entering the transfer {download | upload} datatype signature
command.
Step 6
Specify the IP address of the TFTP server by entering the transfer {download | upload} serverip tftp-server-ip-address
command.
Note
Some TFTP servers require only a forward slash (/) as the TFTP server IP address, and the TFTP server
automatically determines the path to the correct directory.
Step 7
Specify the download or upload path by entering the transfer {download | upload} path absolute-tftp-server-path-to-file
command.
Step 8
Specify the file to be downloaded or uploaded by entering the transfer {download | upload} filename filename.sig
command.
Note
When uploading signatures, the controller uses the filename you specify as a base name and then adds _std.sig
and _custom.sig to it in order to upload both standard and custom signature files to the TFTP server. For
example, if you upload a signature file called ids1, the controller automatically generates and uploads both
ids1_std.sig and ids1_custom.sig to the TFTP server. If desired, you can then modify ids1_custom.sig on the
TFTP server (making sure to set Revision = custom) and download it by itself.
Step 9
Enter the transfer {download | upload} start command and answer y to the prompt to confirm the current settings and
start the download or upload.
Specify the number of seconds that must elapse before the signature frequency threshold is reached within the configured
interval by entering this command:
config wps signature interval signature_id interval
Step 10
where signature_id is a number used to uniquely identify a signature. The range is 1 to 3600 seconds, and the default
value varies per signature.
Step 11
Specify the number of matching packets per interval that must be identified at the individual access point level before
an attack is detected by entering this command:
config wps signature frequencysignature_id frequency
The range is 1 to 32,000 packets per interval, and the default value varies per signature.
Step 12
Specify the number of matching packets per interval that must be identified per client per access point before an attack
is detected by entering this command:
config wps signature mac-frequency signature_id mac_frequency

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IDS Signatures
Step 13
The range is 1 to 32,000 packets per interval, and the default value varies per signature.
Specify the length of time (in seconds) after which no attacks have been detected at the individual access point level and
the alarm can stop by entering by entering this command:
config wps signature quiet-time signature_id quiet_time
The range is 60 to 32,000 seconds, and the default value varies per signature.
Step 14

To enable or disable an individual IDS signature, enter this command:
config wps signature {standard | custom} state signature_id {enable | disable}
To enable or disable IDS signature processing, which enables or disables the processing of all IDS signatures, enter
this command:
config wps signature {enable | disable}
Note
If IDS signature processing is disabled, all signatures are disabled, regardless of the state configured for
individual signatures.
Step 15

save config
Step 16
If desired, you can reset a specific signature or all signatures to default values. To do so, enter this command:
config wps signature reset {signature_id | all}
Note
You can reset signatures to default values only through the controller
CLI.
Viewing IDS Signature Events (CLI)

See whether IDS signature processing is enabled or disabled on the controller by entering this command:
show wps summary
Note
If IDS signature processing is disabled, all signatures are disabled, regardless of the state configured for
individual signatures.
See individual summaries of all of the standard and custom signatures installed on the controller by
show wps signature summary
See the number of attacks detected by the enabled signatures by entering this command:
show wps signature events summary
See more information on the attacks detected by a particular standard or custom signature by entering
this command:
show wps signature events {standard | custom} precedence# summary

517
SNMP
See information on attacks that are tracked by access points on a per-signature and per-channel basis by
show wps signature events {standard | custom} precedence# detailed per-signature source_mac
See information on attacks that are tracked by access points on an individual-client basis (by MAC
address) by entering this command:
show wps signature events {standard | custom} precedence# detailed per-mac source_mac
SNMP
Configuring SNMP (CLI)
Note
Starting from Release 8.3, SNMP over IPSec, and SNMP Traps over IPSec is supported over IPv6 interfaces.
Note
To view the controller trap log, choose Monitor and click View All under Most Recent Traps on the
controller GUI.
Create an SNMP community name by entering this command:
config snmp community create name
Delete an SNMP community name by entering this command:
config snmp community delete name
Configure an SNMP community name with read-only privileges by entering this command:
config snmp community accessmode ro name
Configure an SNMP community name with read-write privileges by entering this command:
config snmp community accessmode rw name
For IPv4 configurationConfigure an IPv4 address and subnet mask for an SNMP community by
config snmp community ipaddr ip-address ip-mask name
Note
This command behaves like an SNMP access list. It specifies the IP address from which the device accepts
SNMP packets with the associated community. An AND operation is performed between the requesting
entitys IP address and the subnet mask before being compared to the IP address. If the subnet mask is set
to 0.0.0.0, an IP address of 0.0.0.0 matches to all IP addresses. The default value is 0.0.0.0.
Note
The controller can use only one IP address range to manage an SNMP community.
For IPv6 configurationConfigure an IPv6 address and prefix-length for an SNMP community by
config snmp community ipaddr ipv6-address ip-mask name
Enable or disable a community name by entering this command:

518
SNMP
config snmp community mode {enable | disable}

Enable or disable a community name by entering this command:
config snmp community ipsec {enable | disable}
Configure the IKE authentication methods by entering this command:
config snmp community ipsec ike auth-mode {certificate | pre-shared-key ascii/hex secret}
Authentication mode can be configured per trap receiver. By default, the authentication mode is set to
certificate.
Configure a destination for a trap by entering this command:
config snmp trapreceiver create name ip-address
Delete a trap by entering this command:
config snmp trapreceiver delete name
Change the destination for a trap by entering this command:
config snmp trapreceiver ipaddr old-ip-address name new-ip-address
Configure the trap receiver IPSec session entering this command:
config snmp trapreceiver ipsec {enable | disable} community-name
Trap receiver IPSec must be in the disabled state to change the authentication mode.
config snmp trapreceiver ipsec ike auth-mode {certificate | pre-shared-key ascii/hex secret
community-name}
Authentication mode can be configured per trap receiver. By default, the authentication mode is set to
certificate.
Enable or disable the traps by entering this command:
config snmp trapreceiver mode {enable | disable}
Configure the name of the SNMP contact by entering this command:
config snmp syscontact syscontact-name
Enter up to 31 alphanumeric characters for the contact name.
Configure the SNMP system location by entering this command:
config snmp syslocation syslocation-name
Enter up to 31 alphanumeric characters for the location.
Verify that the SNMP traps and communities are correctly configured by entering these commands:
show snmpcommunity
show snmptrap
See the enabled and disabled trap flags by entering this command:
show trapflags
If necessary, use the config trapflags command to enable or disable trap flags.
Configure when the warning message should be displayed after the number of clients or RFID tags
associated with the controller hover around the threshold level by entering this command:
config trapflags {client | rfid} max-warning-threshold {threshold-between-80-to-100 | enable | disable}
The warning message is displayed at an interval of 600 seconds (10 minutes).
Configure the SNMP engine ID by entering this command:

519
SNMP
config snmp engineID engine-id-string
Note
The engine ID string can be a maximum of 24 characters.

View the engine ID by entering this command:
show snmpengineID
Configure the SNMP version by entering this command:
config snmp version {v1 | v2c | v3} {enable | disable}
SNMP Community Strings

The controller has commonly known default values of "public" and "private" for the read-only and read-write
SNMP community strings. Using these standard values presents a security risk. If you use the default community
names, and since these are known, the community names could be used to communicate to the controller
using SNMP. Therefore, we strongly advise that you change these values.
Changing the SNMP Community String Default Values (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management and then Communities under SNMP. The SNMP v1 / v2c Community page appears.
Step 2
If public or private appears in the Community Name column, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for
the desired community and choose Remove to delete this community.
Step 3
Click New to create a new community. The SNMP v1 / v2c Community > New page appears.
Step 4
Step 6
In the Community Name text box, enter a unique name containing up to 16 alphanumeric characters. Do not enter public
or private.
In the next two text boxes, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address and IP Mask/Prefix Length from which this device accepts SNMP
packets with the associated community and the IP mask.
Choose Read Only or Read/Write from the Access Mode drop-down list to specify the access level for this community.
Step 7
Choose Enable or Disable from the Status drop-down list to specify the status of this community.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Repeat this procedure if a public or private community still appears on the SNMP v1 / v2c Community page.
Step 5
Changing the SNMP Community String Default Values (CLI)
Step 1
See the current list of SNMP communities for this controller by entering this command:
show snmp community
Step 2
If "public" or "private" appears in the SNMP Community Name column, enter this command to delete this community:

520
SNMP
config snmp community delete name

The name parameter is the community name (in this case, public or private).
Step 3
Create a new community by entering this command:

config snmp community create name
Enter up to 16 alphanumeric characters for the name parameter. Do not enter public or private.
Step 4
For IPv4 specific configuration, enter the IPv4 address from which this device accepts SNMP packets with the associated
community by entering this command:
config snmp community ipaddr ip_address ip_mask name
Step 5
For IPv6 specific configuration, enter the IPv6 address from which this device accepts SNMP packets with the associated
community by entering this command:
config snmp community ipaddr ip_address prefix_length name
Step 6
Specify the access level for this community by entering this command, where ro is read-only mode and rw is read/write
mode:
config snmp community accessmode {ro | rw} name
Step 7
Enable or disable this SNMP community by entering this command:

config snmp community mode {enable | disable} name
Step 8
Enable or disable SNMP IPSec sessions for all SNMP communities by entering this command:
config snmp community ipsec {enable | disable} name
By default SNMP IPSec session is disabled. SNMP IPSec session must be disabled state to change the authentication
mode.
Step 9

config snmp community ipsec ike auth-mode {certificate | pre-shared-key ascii/hex secret}
If authentication mode is configured as pre-shared-key, then enter a secret value. The secret value can either be an
ASCII or a hexadecimal value. If auth-mode configured is certificate, then WLC will use the ipsecCaCert and
ipsecDevCerts for SNMP over IPSEC.
If authentication mode is configured as certificate, then controller uses the IPSEC CA and IPSEC device certificates
for SNMP sessions. You need to download these certificates to the controller using the transfer download datatype
{ipseccacert | ipsecdevcert} command.
Step 10

save config
Step 11
Repeat this procedure if you still need to change the default values for a public or private community string.
Configuring Real Time Statistics (CLI)

SNMP traps are defined for CPU and memory utilization of AP and controller. The SNMP trap is sent out
when the threshold is crossed. The sampling period and statistics update interval can be configured using
SNMP and CLI.

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SNMP
Note
To get the right value for the current memory usage, you should configure either sampling interval or
statistics interval.
Configure the sampling interval by entering this command:
config service statistics sampling-interval seconds
Configure the statistics interval by entering this command:
config service statistics statistics-interval seconds
See sampling and service interval statistics by entering this command:
show service statistics interval
SNMP Trap Enhancements

This feature provides soaking of SNMP traps and resending of traps after a threshold that you can configure
called the hold time. The hold time helps in suppressing false traps being generated. The traps that are supported
are for CPU and memory utilization of AP and controller. The retransmission of the trap occurs until the trap
is cleared.
Configure the hold time after which the SNMP traps are to be resent by entering this command:
config service alarm hold-time seconds
Configure the retransmission interval of the trap by entering this command:
config service alarm trap retransmit-interval seconds
Configure debugging of the traps by entering this command:
debug service alarm {enable | disable}
Configuring SNMP Trap Receiver (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Management > SNMP > Trap Receivers.

Click New.
On the SNMP Trap Receiver > New page, specify the trap receiver details:
a) In the Community Name box, enter the SNMP trap receiver name.
b) In the IP Address(Ipv4/Ipv6) box, enter the IP address of the receiver. Both IPv4 and IPv6 address formats are
supported.
c) From the Status drop-down list, choose to Enable or Disable the trap receiver.
d) Check the IPSec check box if you want to configure IPSec parameters for the trap receiver.
e) From the Auth Method drop-down list, choose the IKE authentication method as either Certificate or PSK.
If authentication mode is configured as certificate, then Cisco WLC uses the IPSEC CA and IPSEC device
certificates for SNMP sessions.

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wIPS
If authentication mode is configured as pre-shared-key, then enter a secret value. The secret value can either
be an ASCII or a hexadecimal value. If auth-mode configured is certificate, then Cisco WLC uses the ipsecCaCert
and ipsecDevCerts for SNMP over IPSEC.
You can create a maximum of 6 such SNMP trap receivers.
Step 4
wIPS
Information About wIPS
The Cisco Adaptive Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (wIPS) uses an advanced approach to wireless
threat detection and performance management. It combines network traffic analysis, network device and
topology information, signature-based techniques, and anomaly detection to deliver highly accurate and
complete wireless threat prevention. With a fully infrastructure-integrated solution, you can continually monitor
wireless traffic on both the wired and wireless networks and use that network intelligence to analyze attacks
from many sources to accurately pinpoint and proactively prevent attacks, rather than wait until damage or
exposure has occurred.
Cisco Adaptive wIPS is a part of the Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE), which centralizes
the processing of intelligence collected by the continuous monitoring of Cisco Aironet APs. With Cisco
Adaptive wIPS functionalities and Cisco Prime Infrastructure integration into the Cisco MSE, the wIPS can
configure and monitor wIPS policies and alarms and report threats.
Note
If your wIPS deployment consists of a Cisco WLC, access point, and Cisco MSE, you must set all the
three entities to the UTC time zone.
Cisco Adaptive wIPS is not configured on the Cisco WLC. Instead, the Cisco Prime Infrastructure forwards
the profile configuration to the wIPS service, which forwards the profile to the Cisco WLC. The profile is
stored in flash memory on the Cisco WLC and sent to APs when they join the Cisco WLC. When an access
point disassociates and joins another Cisco WLC, it receives the wIPS profile from the new Cisco WLC.
Local-mode or FlexConnect mode APs with a subset of wIPS capabilities are referred to as Enhanced Local
Mode access point or ELM AP. You can configure an access point to work in the wIPS mode if the AP is in
any of the following modes:
Monitor
Local
FlexConnect
The regular local mode or FlexConnect mode AP is extended with a subset of wIPS capabilities. This feature
enables you to deploy your APs to provide protection without needing a separate overlay network.
wIPS ELM has the limited capability of detecting off-channel alarms. AN AP periodically goes off-channel,
and monitors the nonserving channels for a short duration, and triggers alarms if any attack is detected on the

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wIPS
channel. But off-channel alarm detection is best effort, and it takes a longer time to detect attacks and trigger
alarms, which might cause the ELM AP to intermittently detect an alarm and clear it because it is not visible.
APs in any of the above modes can periodically send alarms based on the policy profile to the wIPS service
through the Cisco WLC. The wIPS service stores and processes the alarms and generates SNMP traps. Cisco
Prime Infrastructure configures its IP address as a trap destination to receive SNMP traps from the Cisco
MSE.
This table lists all the SNMP trap controls and their respective traps. When a trap control is enabled, all the
traps of that trap control are also enabled.
Note
The Cisco WLC uses only SNMPv2 for SNMP trap transmission.
Table 25: SNMP Trap Controls and Their Respective Traps
Tab Name
Trap Control
Trap
General
Link (Port) Up/Down
linkUp, linkDown
Spanning Tree
newRoot, topologyChange,
stpInstanceNewRootTrap,
stpInstanceTopologyChangeTrap
Config Save
bsnDot11EssCreated,
bsnDot11EssDeleted, bsnConfigSaved,
ciscoLwappScheduledResetNotif,
ciscoLwappClearResetNotif,
ciscoLwappResetFailedNotif,
ciscoLwappSysInvalidXmlConfig
AP Register
bsnAPDisassociated, bsnAPAssociated
AP Interface Up/Down
bsnAPIfUp, bsnAPIfDown
802.11 Association
bsnDot11StationAssociate
802.11 Disassociation
bsnDot11StationDisassociate
802.11 Deauthentication
bsnDot11StationDeauthenticate
802.11 Failed Authentication
bsnDot11StationAuthenticateFail
802.11 Failed Association
bsnDot11StationAssociateFail
Exclusion
bsnDot11StationBlacklisted
NAC Alert
cldcClientWlanProfileName,
cldcClientIPAddress, cldcApMacAddress,
cldcClientQuarantineVLAN,
cldcClientAccessVLAN
AP
Client Traps

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wIPS
Tab Name
Trap Control
Trap
Security Traps
User Authentication
bsnTooManyUnsuccessLoginAttempts,
cLWAGuestUserLoggedIn,
cLWAGuestUserLoggedOut
RADIUS Servers Not Responding
bsnRADIUSServerNotResponding,
ciscoLwappAAARadiusReqTimedOut
WEP Decrypt Error
bsnWepKeyDecryptError
Rogue AP
bsnAdhocRogueAutoContained,
bsnRogueApAutoContained,
bsnTrustedApHasInvalidEncryption,
bsnMaxRogueCountExceeded,
bsnMaxRogueCountClear,
bsnApMaxRogueCountExceeded,
bsnApMaxRogueCountClear,
bsnTrustedApHasInvalidRadioPolicy,
bsnTrustedApHasInvalidSsid,
bsnTrustedApIsMissing
SNMP Authentication
agentSnmpAuthenticationTrapFlag
Multiple Users
multipleUsersTrap
Load Profile
bsnAPLoadProfileFailed
Noise Profile
bsnAPNoiseProfileFailed
Interference Profile
bsnAPInterferenceProfileFailed
Coverage Profile
bsnAPCoverageProfileFailed
Channel Update
bsnAPCurrentChannelChanged
Tx Power Update
bsnAPCurrentTxPowerChanged
Auto RF Profile
Traps
Auto RF Update
Traps

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wIPS
Tab Name
Trap Control
Trap
Mesh Traps
Child Excluded Parent
ciscoLwappMeshChildExcludedParent
Parent Change
ciscoLwappMeshParentChange
Authfailure Mesh
ciscoLwappMeshAuthorizationFailure
Child Moved
ciscoLwappMeshChildMoved
Excessive Parent Change
ciscoLwappMeshExcessiveParentChange
Excessive Children
ciscoLwappMeshExcessiveChildren
Poor SNR
ciscoLwappMeshAbateSNR,
ciscoLwappMeshOnsetSNR
Console Login
ciscoLwappMeshConsoleLogin
Excessive Association
ciscoLwappMeshExcessiveAssociation
Default Bridge Group Name
ciscoLwappMeshDefaultBridgeGroupName
The following are the trap descriptions for the traps mentioned in the SNMP Trap Controls and Their Respective
Traps table:
General Traps
SNMP AuthenticationThe SNMPv2 entity has received a protocol message that is not properly
authenticated.
Note
When a user who is configured in SNMP V3 mode tries to access the Cisco WLC with
an incorrect password, the authentication fails and a failure message is displayed.
However, no trap logs are generated for the authentication failure.
Link (Port) Up/DownLink changes status from up or down.

Link (Port) Up/DownLink changes status from up or down.
Multiple UsersTwo users log in with the same ID.
Rogue APWhenever a rogue access point is detected, this trap is sent with its MAC address;
when a rogue access point that was detected earlier no longer exists, this trap is sent.
Config SaveNotification that is sent when the Cisco WLC configuration is modified.
Cisco AP Traps
AP RegisterNotification sent when an access point associates or disassociates with the Cisco
WLC.

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wIPS
AP Interface Up/DownNotification sent when an access point interface (802.11X) status goes
up or down.
Client-Related Traps
802.11 AssociationAssociate notification that is sent when a client sends an association frame.
802.11 DisassociationDisassociate notification that is sent when a client sends a disassociation
frame.
802.11 DeauthenticationDeauthenticate notification that is sent when a client sends a
deauthentication frame.
802.11 Failed AuthenticationAuthenticate failure notification that is sent when a client sends
an authentication frame with a status code other than successful.
802.11 Failed AssociationAssociate failure notification that is sent when the client sends an
association frame with a status code other than successful.
ExclusionAssociate failure notification that is sent when a client is exclusion listed (blacklisted).
AuthenticationAuthentication notification that is sent when a client is successfully authenticated.
Max Clients Limit ReachedNotification that is sent when the maximum number of clients,
defined in the Threshold field, are associated with the Cisco WLC.
NAC AlertAlert that is sent when a client joins an SNMP NAC-enabled WLAN.
This notification is generated when a client on NAC-enabled SSIDs completes Layer2 authentication
to inform the NAC appliance about the client's presence. cldcClientWlanProfileName represents
the profile name of the WLAN that the 802.11 wireless client is connected to, cldcClientIPAddress
represents the unique IP address of the client. cldcApMacAddress represents the MAC address of
the AP to which the client is associated. cldcClientQuarantineVLAN represents the quarantine
VLAN for the client. cldcClientAccessVLAN represents the access VLAN for the client.
Association with StatsAssociate notification that is sent with data statistics when a client is
associated with the Cisco WLC, or roams. Data statistics include transmitted and received bytes
and packets.
Disassociation with StatsDisassociate notification that is sent with data statistics when a client
disassociates from the Cisco WLC. Data statistics include transmitted and received bytes and
packets, SSID, and session ID.
Note
When you downgrade to Release 7.4 from a later release, if a trap that was not supported
in Release 7.4 (for example, NAC Alert trap) is enabled before the downgrade, all traps
are disabled. After the downgrade, you must enable all the traps that were enabled before
the downgrade. We recommend that you disable the new traps before the downgrade
so that all the other traps are not disabled.
Security Traps
User Auth FailureThis trap informs that a client RADIUS Authentication failure has occurred.
RADIUS Server No ResponseThis trap is to indicate that no RADIUS servers are responding
to authentication requests sent by the RADIUS client.

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wIPS
WEP Decrypt ErrorNotification sent when the Cisco WLC detects a WEP decrypting error.
Rouge APWhenever a rogue access point is detected, this trap is sent with its MAC address;
when a rogue access point that was detected earlier no longer exists, this trap is sent.
SNMP AuthenticationThe SNMPv2 entity has received a protocol message that is not properly
authenticated.
Note
When a user who is configured in SNMP V3 mode tries to access the Cisco WLC with
an incorrect password, authentication fails and a failure message is displayed. However,
no trap logs are generated for the authentication failure.
Multiple UsersTwo users log in with the same ID.

SNMP Authentication
Load ProfileNotification sent when the Load Profile state changes between PASS and FAIL.
Noise ProfileNotification sent when the Noise Profile state changes between PASS and FAIL.
Interference ProfileNotification sent when the Interference Profile state changes between PASS
and FAIL.
Coverage ProfileNotification sent when the Coverage Profile state changes between PASS and
FAIL.
Auto RF Profile Traps
Load ProfileNotification sent when the Load Profile state changes between PASS and FAIL.
Noise ProfileNotification sent when the Noise Profile state changes between PASS and FAIL.
Interference ProfileNotification sent when the Interference Profile state changes between PASS
and FAIL.
Coverage ProfileNotification sent when the Coverage Profile state changes between PASS and
FAIL.
Auto RF Update Traps
Channel UpdateNotification sent when the access point dynamic channel algorithm is updated.
Tx Power UpdateNotification sent when the access point dynamic transmit power algorithm is
updated.
Mesh Traps
Child Excluded ParentNotification that is sent when a defined number of failed association to
the Cisco WLC occurs through a parent mesh node.
Notification sent when a child mesh node exceeds the threshold limit of the number of discovery
response timeouts. The child mesh node does not try to associate an excluded parent mesh node
for the interval defined. The child mesh node remembers the excluded parent MAC address when
it joins the network, and informs the Cisco WLC.

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wIPS
Parent ChangeNotification is sent by the agent when a child mesh node changes its parent. The
child mesh node remembers previous parent and informs the Cisco WLC about the change of
parent when it rejoins the network.
Child MovedNotification sent when a parent mesh node loses connection with its child mesh
node.
Excessive Parent ChangeNotification sent when the child mesh node changes its parent frequently.
Each mesh node keeps a count of the number of parent changes in a fixed time. If it exceeds the
defined threshold, the child mesh node informs the Cisco WLC.
Excessive ChildrenNotification sent when the child count exceeds for a RAP and a MAP.
Poor SNRNotification sent when the child mesh node detects a lower SNR on a backhaul link.
For the other trap, a notification is sent to clear a notification when the child mesh node detects an
SNR on a backhaul link that is higher then the object defined by 'clMeshSNRThresholdAbate'.
Console LoginNotification is sent by the agent when a login on a MAP console is either successful
or fail after three attempts.
Default Bridge Group NameNotification sent when the MAP mesh node joins its parent using
the default bridge group name.
Note
The remaining traps do not have trap controls. These traps are not generated too frequently and do not
require any trap control. Any other trap that is generated by the Cisco WLC cannot be turned off.
Note
In all of the above cases, the Cisco WLC functions solely as a forwarding device.
wIPS Support for 40 and 80 MHz

Release 8.2 introduces wIPS support for 40 and 80 MHz range. This feature detects alarms in the 40 and 80
MHz range (if RRM channel scanning is selected) and provides information to the Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
The channel-width information is derived from the packet data rate and sent to the wIPS module that stores
the channel width per alarm. Using the show capwap am alarm alarm-id command, you can view the channel
width in which the attack has occured.
The wIPS alarm report contains the channel-width of the attack and device capability (11a/bg/n/ac). No wIPS
specific configuration is required to enable this feature. The only prerequisite is that RRM scanning should
be enabled for this feature to work properly.
Restrictions for wIPS

wIPS ELM is not supported on 702i, 702W, 1130 and 1240 access points.
Request to Send (RTS) and Clear to Send (CTS) frames are not forwarded to driver if RTS and CTS are
for the BSSID of the AP.
WIPS and Rogue Detection must be disabled on the AP in IPv6 mode to prevent it from leaking traffic
outside CAPWAP towards 32.x.x.x destination.

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wIPS
Configuring wIPS on an Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs > access point name.
Set the AP Mode parameter. To configure an access point for wIPS, you must choose one of the following modes from
the AP Mode drop-down list:
Local
FlexConnect
Monitor
Step 3
Choose wIPS from the AP Sub Mode drop-down list.
Step 4
Step 5
Click Apply.
Configuring wIPS on an Access Point (CLI)
Step 1
Configure an access point for the monitor mode by entering this command:
config ap mode {monitor | local | flexconnect} Cisco_AP
Note
To configure an access point for wIPS, the access point must be in monitor, local, or flexconnect modes.
Step 2
Enter Y when you see the message that the access point will be rebooted if you want to continue.
Step 3

save config
Step 4
Disable the access point radio by entering this command:

Step 5
Configure the wIPS submode on the access point by entering this command:
config ap mode ap_mode submode wips Cisco_AP
Note
To disable wIPS on the access point, enter the config ap mode ap_mode submode none Cisco_AP command.
Step 6
Enable wIPS-optimized channel scanning for the access point by entering this command:
config ap monitor-mode wips-optimized Cisco_AP
The access point scans each channel for 250 milliseconds. It derives the list of channels to be scanned from the monitor
configuration. You can choose one of these options:
AllAll channels are supported by the access points radio
CountryOnly the channels supported by the access points country of operation
DCAOnly the channel set used by the dynamic channel assignment (DCA) algorithm, which, by default, includes
all of the nonoverlapping channels allowed in the access points country of operation

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wIPS
The 802.11a or 802.11b Monitor Channels information in the output of the show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} monitor
command shows the monitor configuration channel set:
Default 802.11b AP monitoring
802.11b Monitor Mode...........................
802.11b Monitor Channels.......................
802.11b AP Coverage Interval...................
802.11b AP Load Interval.......................
802.11b AP Noise Interval......................
802.11b AP Signal Strength Interval............
Step 7

config { 802.11a | 802.11b} enable Cisco_AP
Step 8

save config
enable
Country channels
180 seconds
60 seconds
180 seconds
60 seconds
Viewing wIPS Information (CLI)

Note
You can also view the access point submode from the controller GUI. To do so, choose Wireless > Access
Points > All APs > access point name > the Advanced tab. The AP Sub Mode field shows wIPS if the
access point is in the monitor mode and the wIPS submode is configured on the access point, or None if
the access point is not in the monitor mode or the access point is in the monitor mode, but the wIPS
submode is not configured.
See the wIPS submode in the access point by entering this command:
show ap config general Cisco_AP
See the wIPS-optimized channel-scanning configuration in the access point by entering this command:
show ap monitor-mode summary
See the wIPS configuration forwarded by Cisco Prime Infrastructure to the controller by entering this
command:
show wps wips summary
See the current state of the wIPS operation in the controller by entering this command:
show wps wips statistics
Clear the wIPS statistics in the controller by entering this command:
clear stats wps wips
Cisco Adaptive wIPS Alarms

The controller supports five Cisco Adaptive wIPS alarms that serve as notifications for potential threats. You
must enable these alarms based on your network topology using Cisco Prime Infrastructure. For more details
on this, see the Cisco Prime Infrastructure User Guide.

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wIPS
Device not protected by VPNThe controller generates an alarm when a wireless client and access
point does not communicate over secure VPN, as all controller traffic must be routed through a VPN
connection.
WPA Dictionary AttackThe controller generates an alarm when a dictionary attack on the WPA
security key occurs. The attack is detected before the initial handshake message between the client and
the access point.
WiFi Direct Session DetectedThe controller generates an alarm when Wifi direct sessions of clients
are detected with Wifi direct and prevents enterprise vulnerability.
RSN Info Element Out-of-Bound Denial-of-ServiceThe controller generates an alarm when there are
large values for RSN information element that results in an access point crash.
DS Parameter Set DoSThe controller generates an alarm when confusion exists in the channel for the
client while multiple channels overlap.

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CHAPTER
28
Advanced Wireless Tuning

Band Selection, page 533
Short and Long Preambles, page 537
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx-SOP), page 539
Band Selection
Information About Configuring Band Selection
Band selection enables client radios that are capable of dual-band (2.4- and 5-GHz) operation to move to a
less congested 5-GHz access point. The 2.4-GHz band is often congested. Clients on this band typically
experience interference from Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, and cordless phones as well as co-channel
interference from other access points because of the 802.11b/g limit of three nonoverlapping channels. To
prevent these sources of interference and improve overall network performance, you can configure band
selection on the controller.
Band selection works by regulating probe responses to clients and it can be enabled on a per-WLAN basis.
It makes 5-GHz channels more attractive to clients by delaying probe responses to clients on 2.4-GHz channels.
In the access point, the band select table can be viewed by giving show dot11 band-select command. It can
also be viewed from show cont d0/d1 | begin Lru.
Note
The WMM default configuration will not be shown in show running-config output.
Band Selection Algorithm

The band selection algorithm affects clients that use 2.4-GHz band. Initially, when a client sends a probe
request to the access point, the corresponding client probes Active and Count values (as seen from the band
select table) become 1. The algorithm functions based on the following scenarios:
Scenario - 1: Client RSSI (as seen from show cont d0/d1 | begin RSSI) is greater than both Mid-RSSI
and Acceptable Client RSSI.

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Band Selection
Dual band clientsNo 2.4-GHz probe responses are seen at any time; 5-GHz probe responses are
seen for all 5-GHz probe requests.
Single band (2.4-GHz) clients 2.4-GHz probe responses are seen only after the probe suppression
cycle.
After the clients probe count reaches the configured probe cycle count, the algorithm waits for
the Age Out Suppression time and then marks the client probes Active value as 0. Then, the
algorithm is restarted.
Scenario - 2: Client RSSI (as seen from show cont d0/d1 | begin RSSI) lies between Mid-RSSI and
Acceptable Client RSSI.
All 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz probe requests are responded without any restrictions.
This scenario is similar to the band select disabled.
Note
The client RSSI value (seen as sh cont d0 | begin RSSI) is the average of the client packets received, and
the Mid-RSSI feature is the instantaneous RSSI value of the probe packets. As a result, the client RSSI is
seen as weaker than the configured Mid-RSSI value (7 dB delta). The 802.11b probes from the client are
suppressed to push the client to associate with the 802.11a band.
Restrictions on Band Selection

Band-selection enabled WLANs do not support time-sensitive applications like voice and video because
of roaming delays.
Band selection can be used only with Cisco Aironet 1140, 1250, 1260, 1530, 1550, 1570, 1600, 1700,
2600, 2700, 3500, 3600 and 3700 series access points.
Mid RSSI is not supported on Cisco Aironet 1600 Series access points.
Band selection is not supported in Cisco Aironet 1040, OEAP 600 series access points.
Band selection operates only on access points that are connected to a controller. A FlexConnect access
point without a controller connection does not perform band selection after a reboot.
The band-selection algorithm directs dual-band clients only from the 2.4-GHz radio to the 5-GHz radio
of the same access point, and it only runs on an access point when both the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios
are up and running.
You can enable both band selection and aggressive load balancing on the controller. They run
independently and do not impact one another.
It is not possible to enable or disable band selection and client load balancing globally through the
controller GUI or CLI. You can, however, enable or disable band selection and client load balancing
for a particular WLAN. Band selection and client load balancing are enabled globally by default.

534
Band Selection
Configuring Band Selection

Configuring Band Selection (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Band Select to open the Band Select page.
Step 2
In the Probe Cycle Count text box, enter a value between 1 and 10. This cycle count sets the number of 2.4 GHz probe
suppression cycles. The cycle count sets the number of suppression cycles for a new client. The default cycle count is
2.
In the Scan Cycle Period Threshold (milliseconds) text box, enter a value between 1 and 1000 milliseconds for the
scan cycle period threshold. This setting determines the time threshold during which new probe requests from a client
come from a new scanning cycle (i.e. only if the time difference between the successive probe requests is greater than
this configured value, then the count value in the band select table increases). The default cycle threshold is 200
milliseconds.
In the Age Out Suppression (seconds) text box, enter a value between 10 and 200 seconds. Age-out suppression sets
the expiration time for pruning previously known 802.11b/g/n clients. The default value is 20 seconds. After this time
elapses, clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
In the Age Out Dual Band (seconds) text box, enter a value between 10 and 300 seconds. The age-out period sets the
expiration time for pruning previously known dual-band clients. The default value is 60 seconds. After this time elapses,
clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In the Acceptable Client RSSI (dBm) text box, enter a value between 20 and 90 dBm. This parameter sets the
minimum RSSI for a client to respond to a probe. The default value is 80 dBm.
Step 7
Step 8
In the Acceptable Client Mid RSSI (dBm) text box, enter a value between 20 and 90 dBm. This parameter sets the
mid-RSSI, whose value can be used for toggling 2.4 GHz probe suppression based on the RSSI value. The default value
is 60 dBm.
Click Apply.
Step 9
Step 10
To enable or disable band selection on specific WLANs, choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit page
appears.
Click the Advanced tab.
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
In the Load Balancing and Band Select text area, if you want to enable band selection, select the Client Band Select
check box. If you want to disable band selection, leave the check box unselected. The default value is disabled.
Configuring Band Selection (CLI)
Step 1
Set the probe cycle count for band select by entering this command:
config band-select cycle-count cycle_count
You can enter a value between 1 and 10 for the cycle_count parameter.

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Band Selection
Step 2
Set the time threshold for a new scanning cycle period by entering this command:
config band-select cycle-threshold milliseconds
You can enter a value for threshold between 1 and 1000 for the milliseconds parameter.
Step 3
Set the suppression expire to the band select by entering this command:
config band-select expire suppression seconds
You can enter a value for suppression between 10 to 200 for the seconds parameter.
Step 4
Set the dual band expire by entering this command:

config band-select expire dual-band seconds
You can enter a value for dual band between 10 and 300 for the seconds parameter.
Step 5
Set the client RSSI threshold by entering this command:

config band-select client-rssi client_rssi
You can enter a value for minimum dBm of a client RSSI to respond to a probe between -20 and -90 for the client_rssi
parameter.
Step 6
Set the client mid RSSI threshold by entering this command:

config band-select client-mid-rssi client_mid_rssi
You can enter a value for mid RSSI between -20 and -90 for the client_mid_rssi parameter.
Step 7
Step 8
Enable or disable band selection on specific WLANs by entering this command:

config wlan band-select allow {enable | disable} wlan_ID
Step 9

show band-select
Band Select Probe Response.......................
Cycle Count...................................
Cycle Threshold...............................
Age Out Suppression...........................
Age Out Dual Band.............................
Client RSSI...................................
Client Mid RSSI...............................
Step 10

536
Enabled
3 cycles
300 milliseconds
20 seconds
20 seconds
-30 dBm
-80 dBm
Short and Long Preambles

Information About SpectraLink NetLink Telephones
For the best integration with the Cisco UWN solution, SpectraLink NetLink Telephones require an extra
operating system configuration step: enable long preambles. The radio preamble (sometimes called a header)
is a section of data at the head of a packet that contains information that wireless devices need when sending
and receiving packets. Short preambles improve throughput performance, so they are enabled by default.
However, some wireless devices, such as SpectraLink NetLink phones, require long preambles.
Configuring SpectraLink NetLink Phones

Enabling Long Preambles (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the 802.11b/g Global Parameters page.
If the Short Preamble check box is selected, continue with this procedure. However, if the Short Preamble check box
is unselected (which means that long preambles are enabled), the controller is already optimized for SpectraLink NetLink
phones and you do not need to continue this procedure.
Unselect the Short Preamble check box to enable long preambles.
Click Apply to update the controller configuration.
Note
If you do not already have an active CLI session to the controller, we recommend that you start a CLI session
to reboot the controller and watch the reboot process. A CLI session is also useful because the GUI loses its
connection when the controller reboots.
Choose Commands > Reboot > Reboot > Save and Reboot to reboot the controller. Click OK in response to this
prompt:
Step 5
Configuration will be saved and the controller will be rebooted. Click ok to confirm.

Step 6
Step 7
Log back onto the controller GUI to verify that the controller is properly configured.
Choose Wireless > 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the 802.11b/g Global Parameters page. If the Short Preamble check
box is unselected, the controller is optimized for SpectraLink NetLink phones.
Enabling Long Preambles (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Enter the show 802.11b command and select the Short preamble mandatory parameter. If the parameter indicates that
short preambles are enabled, continue with this procedure. This example shows that short preambles are enabled:
Short Preamble mandatory....................... Enabled

537
However, if the parameter shows that short preambles are disabled (which means that long preambles are enabled), the
controller is already optimized for SpectraLink NetLink phones and you do not need to continue this procedure.
Step 3
Disable the 802.11b/g network by entering this command:

Step 4
You cannot enable long preambles on the 802.11a network.

Enable long preambles by entering this command:
config 802.11b preamble long
Step 5
Reenable the 802.11b/g network by entering this command:

Step 6
Enter the reset system command to reboot the controller. Enter y when the prompt to save the system changes is displayed.
Verify that the controller is properly configured by logging back into the CLI and entering the show 802.11b command
to view these parameters:
Step 7
802.11b Network................................ Enabled

Short Preamble mandatory....................... Disabled
These parameters show that the 802.11b/g network is enabled and that short preambles are disabled.
Configuring Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (CLI)

To configure 802.11 enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters to support SpectraLink phones,
use the following CLI commands:
config advanced edca-parameter {custom-voice | optimized-video-voice | optimized-voice | svp-voice |
wmm-default}
where
custom-voice enables custom voice EDCA parameters
optimized-video-voice enables combined video-voice-optimized parameters
optimized-voice enables non-SpectraLink voice-optimized parameters
svp-voice enables SpectraLink voice priority (SVP) parameters
wmm-default enables wireless multimedia (WMM) default parameters
Note
To propagate this command to all access points connected to the controller, make sure to disable and then
reenable the 802.11b/g network after entering this command.

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Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx-SOP)

Information About Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx SOP) determines the Wi-Fi signal level in dBm at which
an access point's radio demodulates and decodes a packet. As the Wi-Fi level increases, the radio sensitivity
decreases and the receiver cell size becomes smaller. Reduction of the cell size affects the distribution of
clients in the network.
Rx SOP is used to address clients with weak RF links, sticky clients, and client load balancing across access
points. Rx SOP helps to optimize the network performance at high-density deployments such as stadiums and
auditoriums where access points need to optimize the nearest and strongest clients.
Note
RXSOP configuration is not applicable to 3rd radio module pluggable on 3600 AP.
Restrictions for Rx SOP

Rx SOP configurations are supported only on Cisco 1600, 2600, 2700 , 3500, 3600, 3700, and 1550
series access points.
The permitted range for the Rx SOP threshold for the 5-GHz band is -76 dBm to -80 dBm and for the
2.4-GHz is -79 dBm to -85 dBm.
Configuring Rx SOP (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Rx SOP Threshold to configure the high, medium, and low Rx SOP threshold values
for each 802.11 band. The table below shows the Rx SOP threshold values for high, medium and low levels for each
802.11 band.
Table 26: Rx SOP Thresholds
Step 2
802.11 Band
High Threshold
Medium Threshold
Low Threshold
5 GHz
-76 dBm
-78 dBm
-80 dBm
2.4 GHz
-79 dBm
-82 dBm
-85 dBm
Choose Wireless > RF Profiles to configure the Rx SOP threshold value for an RF profile. The RF profiles page is
displayed.
a) Click an RF profile to open the RF Profile > Edit page.
b) In the High Density tab, choose the Rx SOP threshold value from the Rx SOP Threshold drop-down list.

539
What to Do Next
Verify information about Rx SOP thresholds for an 802.11 band by using theshow {802.11a | 802.11b}
extended command.
Configuring RxSOP (CLI)
Step 1
Configure high, medium, or low Rx SOP threshold values for each 802.11 band by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} rx-sop threshold {high | medium | low | auto} {ap ap_name | default}
You can configure the Rx SOP thresholds for an access point or on all access points in an 802.11 band.
Step 2
Configure high, medium, or low Rx SOP threshold values for an RF profile by entering this command:
config rf-profile rx-sop threshold {high | medium | low | auto} profile_name
Step 3
View information about Rx SOP thresholds for an 802.11 band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b} extended
(Cisco Controller) > show 802.11a extended
Default 802.11a band Radio Extended Configurations:
Beacon period: 100, range: 0 (AUTO);
Multicast buffer: 0 (AUTO), rate: 0 (AUTO);
RX SOP threshold: -76; CCA threshold: 0 (AUTO);
AP3600-XALE3 34:a8:4e:6a:7b:00
AP54B4 3c:ce:73:6c:42:f0
RX SOP threshold: -76; CCA threshold: -80;

540
PART
Access Points
AP Power and LAN Connections, page 543
AP Connectivity to Cisco WLC, page 563
Managing APs, page 605
CHAPTER
29
AP Power and LAN Connections

Power over Ethernet, page 543
Cisco Discovery Protocol, page 548
Link Aggregation, page 555
Cisco Aironet 700 Series Access Points, page 559
Power over Ethernet

Information About Configuring Power over Ethernet
When an access point that has been converted to lightweight mode (such as an AP1131 or AP1242) or a 1250
series access point is powered by a power injector that is connected to a Cisco pre-Intelligent Power
Management (pre-IPM) switch, you need to configure Power over Ethernet (PoE), also known as inline power.
The dual-radio 1250 series access points can operate in four different modes when powered using PoE:
20.0 W (Full Power)This mode is equivalent to using a power injector or an AC/DC adapter.
16.8 WBoth transmitters are used but at reduced power. Legacy data rates are not affected, but the
M0 to M15 data rates are reduced in the 2.4-GHz band. Throughput should be minimally impacted
because all data rates are still enabled. The range is affected because of the lower transmit power. All
receivers remain enabled.
15.4 WOnly a single transmitter is enabled. Legacy data rates and M0 to M7 rates are minimally
affected. M8 to M15 rates are disabled because they require both transmitters. Throughput is better than
that received with legacy access points but less than the 20 and 16.8 W power modes.
11.0 W (Low Power)The access point runs, but both radios are disabled.
The following are some guidelines for Power over Ethernet:
When a dual-radio 1250 series access point is powered using 15.4-W PoE, it cannot operate at full
functionality, which requires 20 W. The access point can operate with dual radios on 15.4-W PoE, but
performance is reduced in terms of throughput and range. If full functionality is required on 15.4 W,
you can remove one of the radios from the 1250 series access point chassis or disable it in controller
software release 6.0 or later releases so that the other radio can operate in full 802.11n mode. After the

543
Power over Ethernet
access point radio is administratively disabled, the access point must be rebooted for the change to take
effect. The access point must also be rebooted after you reenable the radio to put it into reduced throughput
mode.
These modes provide the flexibility of running the 1250 series access points with the available wired
infrastructure to obtain the desired level of performance. With enhanced PoE switches (such as the Cisco
Catalyst 3750-E Series Switches), the 1250 series access points can provide maximum features and
functionality with a minimum total cost of ownership. Alternatively, if you decide to power the access
point with the existing PoE (802.3af) switches, the access point chooses the appropriate mode of operation
based on whether it has one radio or two.
Note
For more information about Cisco PoE switches, see

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/epoe.html
The table below shows the maximum transmit power settings for 1250 series access
points using PoE.
Table 27: Maximum Transmit Power Settings for 1250 Series Access Points Using PoE
Radio
Band
Data Rates
Number of Cyclic Shift

Maximum Transmit Power (dBm)6
Transmitters Diversity (CSD)
802.3af
ePoE Power ePoE Mode
Mode (15.4 Optimized
(20 W)
W)
Mode (16.8
W)
2.4 GHz 802.11b
20
20
20
802.11g
17
17
17
802.11n MCS
0-7
Disabled
17
17
17
Enabled
(default)
Disabled
14 (11 per
Tx)
20 (17 per
Tx)
802.11n MCS
8-15
Disabled
14 (11 per
Tx)
20 (17 per
Tx)
802.11a
17
17
17
802.11n MCS
0-7
Disabled
17
17
17
Enabled
(default)
Disabled
20 (17 per
Tx)
20 (17 per
Tx)
802.11n MCS
8-15
Disabled
20 (17 per
Tx)
20 (17 per
Tx)
5 GHz
6 Maximum transmit power varies by channel and according to individual country regulations. See the product documentation for specific details.

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Power over Ethernet
When powered with a non-Cisco standard PoE switch, the 1250 series access point operates under 15.4
Watts. Even if the non-Cisco switch or midspan device is capable of providing higher power, the access
point does not operate in enhanced PoE mode.
Configuring Power over Ethernet (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs and then the name of the desired access point.
Step 2
The PoE Status text box shows the power level at which the access point is operating: High (20 W), Medium (16.8 W),
or Medium (15.4 W). This text box is not configurable. The controller auto-detects the access points power source and
displays the power level here.
This text box applies only to 1250 series access points that are powered using PoE. There are two other ways
to determine if the access point is operating at a lower power level. First, the Due to low PoE, radio is transmitting
at degraded power message appears under the Tx Power Level Assignment section on the 802.11a/n/ac (or
802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page. Second, the PoE Status: degraded operation message appears in
the controllers trap log on the Trap Logs page.
Note
Step 3
Select the Pre-standard 802.3af switches check box if the access point is being powered by a high-power 802.3af
Cisco switch. This switch provides more than the traditional 6 Watts of power but do not support the intelligent
power management (IPM) feature.
Unselect the Pre-standard 802.3af switches check box if power is being provided by a power injector. This is the
default value.
Step 4
Step 5
Select the Power Injector State check box if the attached switch does not support IPM and a power injector is being
used. If the attached switch supports IPM, you do not need to select this check box.
If you selected the Power Injector State check box in the previous step, the Power Injector Selection and Injector Switch
MAC Address parameters appear. The Power Injector Selection parameter enables you to protect your switch port from
an accidental overload if the power injector is inadvertently bypassed. Choose one of these options from the drop-down
list to specify the desired level of protection:
InstalledThis option examines and remembers the MAC address of the currently connected switch port and
assumes that a power injector is connected. Choose this option if your network contains older Cisco 6-Watt switches
and you want to avoid possible overloads by forcing a double-check of any relocated access points.
If you want to configure the switch MAC address, enter the MAC address in the Injector Switch MAC Address
text box. If you want the access point to find the switch MAC address, leave the Injector Switch MAC Address
text box blank.
Note
Each time an access point is relocated, the MAC address of the new switch port fails to match the
remembered MAC address, and the access point remains in low-power mode. You must then physically
verify the existence of a power injector and reselect this option to cause the new MAC address to be
remembered.
OverrideThis option allows the access point to operate in high-power mode without first verifying a matching
MAC address. You can use this option if your network does not contain any older Cisco 6-W switches that could
be overloaded if connected directly to a 12-W access point. The advantage of this option is that if you relocate the

545
Power over Ethernet
access point, it continues to operate in high-power mode without any further configuration. The disadvantage of
this option is that if the access point is connected directly to a 6-W switch, an overload occurs.
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply.
If you have a dual-radio 1250 series access point and want to disable one of its radios in order to enable the other radio
to receive full power, follow these steps:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
b) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the radio that you want to disable and choose Configure.
c) On the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page, choose Disable from the Admin Status drop-down
list.
d) Click Apply.
e) Manually reset the access point in order for the change to take effect.
Step 8
Configuring Power over Ethernet (CLI)

Use these commands to configure and See PoE settings using the controller CLI:
If your network contains any older Cisco 6-W switches that could be accidentally overloaded if connected
directly to a 12-W access point, enter this command:
config ap power injector enable {Cisco_AP | all} installed
The access point remembers that a power injector is connected to this particular switch port. If you
relocate the access point, you must reissue this command after the presence of a new power injector is
verified.
Note
Ensure CDP is enabled before entering this command. Otherwise, this command will
fail. See the Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol section for information about
enabling CDP.
Remove the safety checks and allow the access point to be connected to any switch port by entering this
command:
config ap power injector enable {Cisco_AP | all} override
You can use this command if your network does not contain any older Cisco 6-W switches that could
be overloaded if connected directly to a 12-W access point. The access point assumes that a power
injector is always connected. If you relocate the access point, it continues to assume that a power injector
is present.
If you know the MAC address of the connected switch port and do not want to automatically detect it
using the installed option, enter this command:
config ap power injector enable {Cisco_AP | all} switch_port_mac_address

546
Power over Ethernet
If you have a dual-radio 1250 series access point and want to disable one of its radios in order to enable
the other radio to receive full power, enter this command:
Note
You must manually reset the access point in order for the change to take effect.
See the PoE settings for a specific access point by entering this command:
Cisco AP Name....................................
...
PoE Pre-Standard Switch..........................
PoE Power Injector MAC Addr......................
Power Type/Mode..................................
...
1
AP1
Enabled
Disabled
PoE/Low Power (degraded mode)
The Power Type/Mode text box shows degraded mode if the access point is not operating at full power.
See the controllers trap log by entering this command:
show traplog
If the access point is not operating at full power, the trap contains PoE Status: degraded operation.
You can power an access point by a Cisco prestandard 15-W switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE)
config ap power pre-standard {enable | disable} {all | Cisco_AP}
A Cisco prestandard 15-W switch does not support intelligent power management (IPM) but does have
sufficient power for a standard access point. The following Cisco prestandard 15-W switches are available:
WS-C3550, WS-C3560, WS-C3750
C1880
2600, 2610, 2611, 2621, 2650, 2651
2610XM, 2611XM, 2621XM, 2650XM, 2651XM, 2691
2811, 2821, 2851
3631-telco, 3620, 3640, 3660
3725, 3745
3825, 3845
The enable version of this command is required for full functionality when the access point is powered
by a Cisco prestandard 15-W switch. It is safe to use if the access point is powered by either an IPM
switch or a power injector or if the access point is not using one of the 15-W switches listed above.
You might need this command if your radio operational status is "Down" when you expect it to be "Up."
Enter the show msglog command to look for this error message, which indicates a PoE problem:

547
Apr 13 09:08:24.986 spam_lrad.c:2262 LWAPP-3-MSGTAG041: AP 00:14:f1:af:f3:40 is unable

to
verify sufficient in-line power. Radio slot 0 disabled.

Information About Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol
The Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) is a device discovery protocol that runs on all Cisco-manufactured
equipment. A device enabled with CDP sends out periodic interface updates to a multicast address in order
to make itself known to neighboring devices.
The default value for the frequency of periodic transmissions is 60 seconds, and the default advertised
time-to-live value is 180 seconds. The second and latest version of the protocol, CDPv2, introduces new
time-length-values (TLVs) and provides a reporting mechanism that allows for more rapid error tracking,
which reduces downtime.
Note
Cisco recommends that you disable Cisco Discovery Protocol on the controller and access point when
connected to non-Cisco switches as CDP is unsupported on non-Cisco switches and network elements.
Restrictions for Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol

CDPv1 and CDPv2 are supported on the following devices:
CAPWAP-enabled access points
An access point connected directly to a Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller
Note
To use the Intelligent Power Management feature, ensure that CDPv2 is enabled on the
Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller. CDP v2 is enabled by default.
The Cisco 600 Series OEAP access points do not support CDP.
The support of CDPv1 and CDPv2 enables network management applications to discover Cisco devices.
The following TLVs are supported by both the controller and the access point:
Device-ID TLV: 0x0001The hostname of the controller, the access point, or the CDP neighbor.
Address TLV: 0x0002The IP address of the controller, the access point, or the CDP neighbor.

548
Port-ID TLV: 0x0003The name of the interface on which CDP packets are sent out.
Capabilities TLV: 0x0004The capabilities of the device. The controller sends out this TLV with
a value of Host: 0x10, and the access point sends out this TLV with a value of Transparent Bridge:
0x02.
Version TLV: 0x0005The software version of the controller, the access point, or the CDP
neighbor.
Platform TLV: 0x0006The hardware platform of the controller, the access point, or the CDP
neighbor.
Power Available TLV: 0x001a The amount of power available to be transmitted by power
sourcing equipment to permit a device to negotiate and select an appropriate power setting.
Full/Half Duplex TLV: 0x000bThe full- or half-duplex mode of the Ethernet link on which CDP
packets are sent out.
These TLVs are supported only by the access point:
Power Consumption TLV: 0x0010The maximum amount of power consumed by the access
point.
Power Request TLV:0x0019The amount of power to be transmitted by a powerable device in
order to negotiate a suitable power level with the supplier of the network power.
Changing the CDP configuration on the controller does not change the CDP configuration on the access
points that are connected to the controller. You must enable and disable CDP separately for each access
point.
You can enable or disable the CDP state on all or specific interfaces and radios. This configuration can
be applied to all access points or a specific access point.
The following is the behavior assumed for various interfaces and access points:
CDP is disabled on radio interfaces on indoor (nonindoor mesh) access points.
Nonmesh access points have CDPs disabled on radio interfaces when they join the controller. The
persistent CDP configuration is used for the APs that had CDP support in its previous image.
CDP is enabled on radio interfaces on indoor-mesh and mesh access points.
Mesh access points will have CDP enabled on their radio interfaces when they join the controller.
The persistent CDP configuration is used for the access points that had CDP support in a previous
image. The CDP configuration for radio interfaces is applicable only for mesh APs.

549
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol

Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > CDP > Global Configuration to open the CDP > Global Configuration page.
Step 2
Step 6
Select the CDP Protocol Status check box to enable CDP on the controller or unselect it to disable this feature. The
default value is selected.
Note
Enabling or disabling this feature is applicable to all controller
ports.
From the CDP Advertisement Version drop-down list, choose v1 or v2 to specify the highest CDP version supported on
the controller. The default value is v1.
In the Refresh-time Interval text box, enter the interval at which CDP messages are to be generated. The range is 5 to
254 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds.
In the Holdtime text box, enter the amount of time to be advertised as the time-to-live value in generated CDP packets.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
To enable or disable CDP on a specific access point, follow these steps:

Select the Cisco Discovery Protocol check box to enable CDP on this access point or unselect it to disable this
feature. The default value is enabled.
Note
If CDP is disabled in Step 2, a message indicating that the Controller CDP is disabled appears.
Enable CDP for a specific Ethernet interface, radio, or slot as follows:

Choose the Interfaces tab and select the corresponding check boxes for the radios or slots from the CDP
Configuration section.
Note
Configuration for radios is only applicable for mesh access

points.
To enable or disable CDP on all access points currently associated to the controller, follow these steps:
Select the CDP State check box to enable CDP on all access points associated to the controller or unselect it to
disable CDP on all access points. The default value is selected. You can enable CDP on a specific Ethernet interface,

550
radio, or slot by selecting the corresponding check box. This configuration will be applied to all access points
associated with the controller.
Step 9
Configuring the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable CDP on the controller by entering this command:

config cdp {enable | disable}
CDP is enabled by default.
Step 2
Specify the interval at which CDP messages are to be generated by entering this command:
config cdp timer seconds
Step 3
Specify the amount of time to be advertised as the time-to-live value in generated CDP packets by entering this command:
config cdp holdtime seconds
Step 4
Specify the highest CDP version supported on the controller by entering this command:
config cdp advertise {v1 | v2}
The default value is v1.
Step 5
Enable or disable CDP on all access points that are joined to the controller by entering the config ap cdp {enable |
disable} all command.
The config ap cdp disable all command disables CDP on all access points that are joined to the controller and all access
points that join in the future. CDP remains disabled on both current and future access points even after the controller or
access point reboots. To enable CDP, enter the config ap cdp enable all command.
After you enable CDP on all access points joined to the controller, you may disable and then reenable CDP on
individual access points using the command in Step 6. After you disable CDP on all access points joined to the
controller, you may not enable and then disable CDP on individual access points.
Enable or disable CDP on a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap cdp {enable | disable} Cisco_AP
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Configure CDP on a specific or all access points for a specific interface by entering this command:
config ap cdp {ethernet | radio} interface_number slot_id {enable | disable} {all | Cisco_AP}
When you use the config ap cdp command to configure CDP on radio interfaces, a warning message appears
indicating that the configuration is applicable only for mesh access points.
save config
Note
Step 8

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Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information

Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > CDP > Interface Neighbors to open the CDP > Interface Neighbors page appears.
The port used by each CDP neighbor for transmitting CDP packets
The time left (in seconds) before each CDP neighbor entry expires
The functional capability of each CDP neighbor, defined as follows: R - Router, T - Trans Bridge, B - Source Route
The hardware platform of each CDP neighbor device
Step 2
Click the name of the desired interface neighbor to see more detailed information about each interfaces CDP neighbor.
The CDP > Interface Neighbors > Detail page appears.
The port used by the CDP neighbor for transmitting CDP packets
The functional capability of the CDP neighbor, defined as follows: Router, Trans Bridge,?Source Route Bridge,
Switch, Host, IGMP, Repeater, or Remotely Managed Device
Step 3
Step 4
Note
If your Cisco Aironet 1830 Series or Cisco Aironet 1850 Series AP does not receive an IP address through
DHCP, the AP is assigned a default IP address from the 6.x.x.x range. Executing the show cdp neighbor command
on a connected switch displays this IP address in the APs CDP neighbor table.
Choose AP Neighbors to see a list of CDP neighbors for all access points connected to the controller. The CDP AP
Neighbors page appears.
Click the CDP Neighbors link for the desired access point to see a list of CDP neighbors for a specific access point.
The CDP > AP Neighbors page appears.

552

The name of each access point
The IP address of each access point
The port used by each CDP neighbor
Step 5
Click the name of the desired access point to see detailed information about an access points CDP neighbors. The CDP
> AP Neighbors > Detail page appears.
The name of the access point
The MAC address of the access points radio
The IP address of the access point
The interface on which the CDP packets were received
The port used by the CDP neighbor
The functional capability of the CDP neighbor, defined as follows: R - Router, T - Trans Bridge,?B - Source Route
Step 6
Choose Traffic Metrics to see CDP traffic information. The CDP > Traffic Metrics page appears.
The number of CDP packets received by the controller
The number of CDP packets sent from the controller
The number of packets that experienced a checksum error
The number of packets dropped due to insufficient memory
The number of invalid packets

553
Viewing Cisco Discovery Protocol Information (CLI)
Step 1
See the status of CDP and to view CDP protocol information by entering this command:
show cdp
Step 2
See a list of all CDP neighbors on all interfaces by entering this command:
show cdp neighbors [detail]
The optional detail command provides detailed information for the controllers CDP neighbors.
This command shows only the CDP neighbors of the controller. It does not show the CDP neighbors of the
controllers associated access points. Additional commands are provided below to show the list of CDP neighbors
per access point.
See all CDP entries in the database by entering this command:
show cdp entry all
Note
Step 3
Step 4
See CDP traffic information on a given port (for example, packets sent and received, CRC errors, and so on) by entering
this command:
show cdp traffic
Step 5
See the CDP status for a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap cdp ap-name Cisco_AP
Step 6
See the CDP status for all access points that are connected to the controller by entering this command:
show ap cdp all
Step 7
See a list of all CDP neighbors for a specific access point by entering these commands:
show ap cdp neighbors ap-name Cisco_AP
show ap cdp neighbors detail Cisco_AP
Note
Step 8
See a list of all CDP neighbors for all access points connected to the controller by entering these commands:
show ap cdp neighbors all
show ap cdp neighbors detail all
Note
Getting CDP Debug Information

Get debug information related to CDP packets by entering by entering this command:
debug cdp packets
Get debug information related to CDP events by entering this command:

554
Link Aggregation
debug cdp events
Link Aggregation
Information About Link Aggregation
Link aggregation (LAG) is a partial implementation of the 802.3ad port aggregation standard. It bundles all
of the controllers distribution system ports into a single 802.3ad port channel, thereby reducing the number
of IP addresses needed to configure the ports on your controller. When LAG is enabled, the system dynamically
manages port redundancy and load balances access points transparently to the user.
LAG simplifies controller configuration because you no longer need to configure primary and secondary ports
for each interface. If any of the controller ports fail, traffic is automatically migrated to one of the other ports.
As long as at least one controller port is functioning, the system continues to operate, access points remain
connected to the network, and wireless clients continue to send and receive data.
Cisco WLC does not send CDP advertisements on a LAG interface.
Note
LAG is supported across switches.
Link Aggregation for Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Points

Cisco Aironet 1850 Series 802.11ac Wave 2 Access Points have two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, the PoE port
and the AUX port, which, by using Link Aggregation, can together accommodate the greater than 1 Gbps of
throughput expected with Wave 2.
Note
Only Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is supported; Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is not
supported.
LAG is supported on Cisco Aironet 1850 Series APs with the following switches:
Cisco Catalyst 4500E Supervisor Engine 8-E
Restrictions for Link Aggregation

You can bundle all eight ports on a Cisco 5508 Controller into a single link.
Terminating on two different modules within a single Catalyst 6500 series switch provides redundancy
and ensures that connectivity between the switch and the controller is maintained when one module
fails. The controllers port 1 is connected to Gigabit interface 3/1, and the controllers port 2 is connected
to Gigabit interface 2/1 on the Catalyst 6500 series switch. Both switch ports are assigned to the same
channel group.

555
Link Aggregation
LAG requires the EtherChannel to be configured for 'mode on' on both the controller and the Catalyst
switch.
Once the EtherChannel is configured as on at both ends of the link, the Catalyst switch should not be
configured for either Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) or Cisco proprietary Port Aggregation
Protocol (PAgP) but be set unconditionally to LAG. Because no channel negotiation is done between
the controller and the switch, the controller does not answer to negotiation frames and the LAG is not
formed if a dynamic form of LAG is set on the switch. Additionally, LACP and PAgP are not supported
on the controller.
If the recommended load-balancing method cannot be configured on the Catalyst switch, then configure
the LAG connection as a single member link or disable LAG on the controller.
Figure 33: Link Aggregation with the Catalyst 6500 Series Neighbor Switch
You cannot configure the controllers ports into separate LAG groups. Only one LAG group is supported
per controller. Therefore, you can connect a controller in LAG mode to only one neighbor device.
When you enable LAG or make any changes to the LAG configuration, you must immediately reboot
the controller.
When you enable LAG, you can configure only one AP-manager interface because only one logical port
is needed. LAG removes the requirement for supporting multiple AP-manager interfaces.
When you enable LAG, all dynamic AP-manager interfaces and untagged interfaces are deleted, and all
WLANs are disabled and mapped to the management interface. Also, the management, static AP-manager,
and VLAN-tagged dynamic interfaces are moved to the LAG port.
Multiple untagged interfaces to the same port are not allowed.
When you enable LAG, you cannot create interfaces with a primary port other than 29.
When you enable LAG, all ports participate in LAG by default. You must configure LAG for all of the
connected ports in the neighbor switch.
When you enable LAG, if any single link goes down, traffic migrates to the other links.

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Link Aggregation
When you enable LAG, only one functional physical port is needed for the controller to pass client
traffic.
When you enable LAG, access points remain connected to the controller until you reboot the controller,
which is needed to activate the LAG mode change, and data service for users continues uninterrupted.
When you enable LAG, you eliminate the need to configure primary and secondary ports for each
interface.
When you enable LAG, the controller sends packets out on the same port on which it received them. If
a CAPWAP packet from an access point enters the controller on physical port 1, the controller removes
the CAPWAP wrapper, processes the packet, and forwards it to the network on physical port 1. This
may not be the case if you disable LAG.
When you disable LAG, the management, static AP-manager, and dynamic interfaces are moved to port
1.
When you disable LAG, you must configure primary and secondary ports for all interfaces.
When you disable LAG, you must assign an AP-manager interface to each port on the controller.
Otherwise, access points are unable to join.
Cisco 5500 Series Controllers support a single static link aggregation bundle.
LAG is typically configured using the Startup Wizard, but you can enable or disable it at any time through
either the GUI or CLI.
When you enable LAG on Cisco 2500 Series Controller to which the direct-connect access point is
associated, the direct connect access point is disconnected since LAG enabling is still in the transition
state. You must reboot the controller immediately after enabling LAG.
In 8500 when more than 1000 APs joining WLC flapping occurs, to avoid this do not add more than
1000 Aps on a single catalyst switch for Capwap IPv6.
Configuring Link Aggregation (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Set the LAG Mode on Next Reboot parameter to Enabled.
Reboot Cisco WLC.
Assign the WLAN to the appropriate VLAN.
Configuring Link Aggregation (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the config lag enable command to enable LAG.

Note
Enter the config lag disable command if you want to disable
LAG.

557
Link Aggregation
Step 2
Step 3
Reboot Cisco WLC.
Configuring Link Aggregation for Cisco 1850 Series APs (CLI)

Configure the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series AP link aggregation by entering this global configuration
command:
config ap lag-mode support {enable | disable}
Disabling global link aggregation for the APs will result in a reboot of all the lag enabled APs.
Configure link aggregation for a specific Cisco AP by entering this command:
config ap lag-mode support {enable | disable} ap-name
Enabling or disabling link aggregation for the Cisco AP resets and reboots the specified Cisco AP.
Enable and configure Port Channel mode on switches connected to the Cisco AP. For optimal traffic
load balancing on the LAG ports to the Cisco AP, ensure that the switch supports balancing based purely
on the L4 source and destination ports.
Configuration Example:
interface Port-channel20
description 1852I lag
For more information about this step, see the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Point Deployment Guide
at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/8-1/1850_DG/b_Cisco_Aironet_
Series_1850_Access_Point_Deployment_Guide.html.
After link aggregation is enabled on the Cisco AP, the Cisco WLC and the Cisco AP use multiple
CAPWAP data tunnels to send and receive wireless client traffic.
View the link aggregation status by entering these commands:
a) View the status of link aggregation on the Cisco AP by entering this command on the AP console:
show configuration
b) View the status of link aggregation on Cisco WLC by entering these commands on the Cisco WLC
CLI:
show ap lag-mode

558
Cisco Aironet 700 Series Access Points
Verifying Link Aggregation Settings (CLI)

To verify your LAG settings, enter this command:
show lag summary
LAG Enabled
Configuring Neighbor Devices to Support Link Aggregation

The controllers neighbor devices must also be properly configured to support LAG.
Each neighbor port to which the controller is connected should be configured as follows:
interface GigabitEthernet <interface id>
switchport
channel-group <id> mode on
no shutdown
The port channel on the neighbor switch should be configured as follows:

interface port-channel <id>
switchport
switchport trunk native vlan <native vlan id>
switchport trunk allowed vlan <allowed vlans>
no shutdown
Choosing Between Link Aggregation and Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces

Cisco 5500 Series Controllers have no restrictions on the number of access points per port, but we recommend
using LAG or multiple AP-manager interfaces on each Gigabit Ethernet port to automatically balance the
load.
The following factors should help you decide which method to use if your controller is set for Layer 3 operation:
With LAG, all of the controller ports need to connect to the same neighbor switch. If the neighbor switch
goes down, the controller loses connectivity.
With multiple AP-manager interfaces, you can connect your ports to different neighbor devices. If one
of the neighbor switches goes down, the controller still has connectivity. However, using multiple
AP-manager interfaces presents certain challenges when port redundancy is a concern.

Information About Cisco 700 Series Access Points
The Cisco Aironet 700 Series is a compact access point that delivers secure and reliable wireless connections.
The main features are:

559
Simultaneous dual band, dual radio with support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
Optimized antenna and radio designs: Consistent network transmit and receive for optimized rate versus
range.
Radio resource management (RRM): Automated self-healing optimizes the unpredictability of RF to
reduce dead spots and help ensure high-availability client connections.
Cisco BandSelect improves 5-GHz client connections in mixed-client environments.
Advanced security features including Rogue Detection, wIPS and Context-Aware.
Configuring Cisco 700 Series Access Points

The Cisco 700 series access points has four LAN ports. The configuration of these ports is stored in a file on
flash. The AP retrieves the configuration when restarted. The AP then shares the information with Controller
after joining so that Controller can display the updated information.
Note
The AP deletes the saved port information and applies the default configuration when the controller clears
all the existing configuration on the AP. All LAN ports are disabled by default.
Enabling the LAN Ports (CLI)

Enable or disable a LAN port on the access point by entering this command:
config ap lan port-id port-id {enable | disable} AP-NAME
See the port information by entering this command:
showap lan port-id port-id AP-NAME
See the port summary information by entering this command:
showap lan port-summary AP-NAME
Enabling 702W LAN Ports
In Release 7.6, there is no support for administrating the Ethernet ports or assigning them to different VLANs.
All ports are mapped to the same access VLAN that AP's switch port is configured to. Alternatively, the ports
are mapped to the native VLAN if port is a trunk. In 8.0 and later releases, it is possible to enable or disable
the ports and map them to specific VLANs if needed. This allows traffic to be separated not only between
wireless and wired networks, but also among the four Ethernet ports.
Step 1
Enable or disable a LAN port on the access point by entering this command:
config ap lan port-id port-id { enable| disable} AP-NAME
Step 2
Configure the port ID by entering this command:

Configap lan port-id port-id AP-NAME
Step 3
Enable the access VLAN by entering this command:

Configap lan enable accessvlanvlan-id
Step 4
Enable the port ID for a VLAN by entering this command:

560
Configap lan enable accessvlanport-id

Step 5
Configure VLAN for the AP by entering this command:

Configap lan enable accessvlanvlan-id port-id Cisco AP

561

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CHAPTER
30
AP Connectivity to Cisco WLC

CAPWAP, page 563
Discovering and Joining Cisco WLC, page 574
Authorizing Access Points, page 586
AP 802.1X Supplicant, page 592
Infrastructure MFP, page 595
Troubleshooting the Access Point Join Process, page 598
CAPWAP
Information About Access Point Communication Protocols
Cisco lightweight access points use the IETF standard Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points
Protocol (CAPWAP) to communicate with the controller and other lightweight access points on the network.
CAPWAP, which is based on LWAPP, is a standard, interoperable protocol that enables a controller to manage
a collection of wireless access points. CAPWAP is implemented in controller for these reasons:
To provide an upgrade path from Cisco products that use LWAPP to next-generation Cisco products
that use CAPWAP
To manage RFID readers and similar devices
To enable controllers to interoperate with third-party access points in the future
LWAPP-enabled access points can discover and join a CAPWAP controller, and conversion to a CAPWAP
controller is seamless. For example, the controller discovery process and the firmware downloading process
when using CAPWAP are the same as when using LWAPP. The one exception is for Layer 2 deployments,
which are not supported by CAPWAP.
You can deploy CAPWAP controllers and LWAPP controllers on the same network. The CAPWAP-enabled
software allows access points to join either a controller running CAPWAP or LWAPP. The only exceptions
are that the Cisco Aironet 1040, 1140, 1260, 3500, and 3600 Series Access Points, which support only
CAPWAP and join only controllers that run CAPWAP. For example, an 1130 series access point can join a

563
CAPWAP
controller running either CAPWAP or LWAPP where an1140 series access point can join only a controller
that runs CAPWAP.
The following are some guidelines that you must follow for access point communication protocols:
If your firewall is currently configured to allow traffic only from access points using LWAPP, you must
change the rules of the firewall to allow traffic from access points using CAPWAP.
Ensure that the CAPWAP UDP ports 5246 and 5247 (similar to the LWAPP UDP ports 12222 and
12223) are enabled and are not blocked by an intermediate device that could prevent an access point
from joining the controller.
If access control lists (ACLs) are in the control path between the controller and its access points, you
need to open new protocol ports to prevent access points from being stranded.
Restrictions for Access Point Communication Protocols

On virtual controller platforms, per-client downstream rate limiting is not supported in FlexConnect
central switching.
Rate-limiting is applicable to all traffic destined to the CPU from either direction (wireless or wired).
We recommend that you always run the controller with the default config advanced rate enable command
in effect to rate limit traffic to the controller and protect against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. You
can use the config advanced rate disable command to stop rate-limiting of Internet Control Message
Protocol (ICMP) echo responses for testing purposes. However, we recommend that you reapply the
config advanced rate enable command after testing is complete.
Ensure that the controllers are configured with the correct date and time. If the date and time configured
on the controller precedes the creation and installation date of certificates on the access points, the access
point fails to join the controller.
Viewing CAPWAP Maximum Transmission Unit Information

See the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the CAPWAP path on the controller by entering this command:
The MTU specifies the maximum size of any packet (in bytes) in a transmission.
Cisco AP Name....................................
Country code.....................................
Regulatory Domain allowed by Country.............
AP Country code..................................
AP Regulatory Domain.............................
Switch Port Number ..............................
MAC Address......................................
IP Address Configuration.........................
IP Address.......................................
IP NetMask.......................................
CAPWAP Path MTU..................................

564
9
Maria-1250
US - United States
802.11bg:-A
802.11a:-A
US - United States
802.11bg:-A
802.11a:-A
1
00:1f:ca:bd:bc:7c
DHCP
1.100.163.193
255.255.255.0
1485
CAPWAP
Debugging CAPWAP
Use these commands to obtain CAPWAP debug information:
debug capwap events {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP events.
debug capwap errors {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP errors.
debug capwap detail {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP details.
debug capwap info {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP information.
debug capwap packet {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP packets.
debug capwap payload {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP payloads.
debug capwap hexdump {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of the CAPWAP
hexadecimal dump.
debug capwap dtls-keepalive {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of CAPWAP DTLS
data keepalive packets.
Preferred Mode
Information About Prefer Mode
Prefer-mode allows an administrator to configure CAPWAP L3 transport (IPv4 and IPv6) through which
access points join the WLC (based on its primary/secondary/tertiary configuration).
There are two levels of prefer-mode
AP Group specific
Global Configuration
AP PnP
PnP solution provides staging parameters to the AP before it joins a WLC. Using this staging configuration,
the AP gets the runtime configuration when it joins the WLC. PnP is supported only on AP recovery images
and activated for the zero-day deployment alone. PnP is not initiated after the AP connects to the WLC for
the first time.
The following AP scenario is supported:
On-premise redirectionCustomer hosting the PnP server in their network.
Guidelines for Configuring Preferred Mode

The following preferred mode configurations are available:
AP-Group specific prefer-mode is pushed to an AP only when the prefer-mode of AP-Group is configured
and the AP belongs to that group.
Global prefer-mode is pushed to default-group APs and to those AP-Groups on which the prefer-mode
is not configured.

565
CAPWAP
By-default, values of prefer-mode for AP-Group and Global is set to un-configured and IPv4 respectively.
If an AP, with an configured prefer-mode, tries to join the controller and fails, then it will fall back to
choose AP-manager of the other transport and joins the same controller. When both transports fail, AP
will move to next discovery response.
In such a scenario, Static IP configuration will take precedence over prefer mode. For example:
On the controller, the preferred mode is configured with an IPv4 address.
On the AP, Static IPv6 is configured using CLI or GUI.
The AP will join the controller using IPv6 transport mode.
The controllers CLI provides an XML support of prefer-mode.
Configuring CAPWAP Preferred Mode (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > General to open the Global Configuration page. Select the CAPWAP Preferred Mode list box
and select either IPv4 or IPv6 as the global CAPWAP Preferred mode.
Note
By default, the controller is configured with an CAPWAP Prefer Mode IPv4 address.
Step 2
Choose WLAN > Advanced > APGroup > General Tab and select the CAPWAP Preferred Mode checkbox to
configure an AP-Group with an IPv4 or IPv6 CAPWAP Preferred Mode.
Choose Wireless > ALL APs > General Tab to check the APs CAPWAP setting. Refer to the IP Config section to
view if the AP's CAPWAP Preferred Mode is applied globally or for an AP-Group.
Choose Monitor > Statistics > Preferred Mode to help users to check if the prefer mode command is pushed
successfully to an AP.
Step 3
Step 4
Prefer Mode of Global/AP Groups The name of the AP that is configured with either IPv4, IPv6 or global.
Total The total count of APs configured with preferred mode.
Success Counts the number of times the AP was successfully configured with the preferred mode.
Unsupported AP's that are not capable of joining in with IPv6 CAPWAP.
Already Configured Counts the attempts made to configure an already configured AP.
Per AP Group Configured Preferred mode configured on per AP-Group.
Failure Counts the number of times the AP was failed to get configured with the preferred mode.

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CAPWAP
Configuring CAPWAP Preferred Mode (CLI)
Step 1
Use this command to configure prefer-mode of AP-Group and all APs. Global prefer-mode will not be applied on APs
whose AP-Group prefer-mode is already configured. On successful configuration, the AP will restart CAPWAP and join
with the configured prefer-mode after choosing a controller based on its primary/secondary/tertiary configuration.
config ap preferred-mode {IPv4|IPv6}{ <apgroup>|<all>}
Step 2
Use this command to disable (un-configure) the prefer-mode on the AP.

config ap preferred-mode disable <apgroup>
Note
APs that belong to <apgroup> will restart CAPWAP and join back the controller with global prefer-mode.
Step 3
Use this command to view the statistics for prefer-mode configuration. The statistics are not cumulative but will be
updated for last executed configuration CLI of prefer-mode.
show ap prefer-mode stats
Step 4
Use this command to view the prefer-mode configured for all AP-Groups.
show wlan apgroups
Step 5
Use this command to view the global prefer-mode configured.

Step 6
Use this command to view to check if the prefer mode command is pushed to an AP from global configuration or from
an AP-Group specific configuration.
show ap config general <Cisco AP>
(Cisco Controller) >show ap config general AP-3702E
Cisco AP Name....................................
Country code.....................................
AP Country code..................................
MAC Address......................................
IPv6 Address Configuration.......................
IPv6 Address.....................................
IPv6 Prefix Length...............................
Gateway IPv6 Addr................................
NAT External IP Address..........................
CAPWAP Path MTU..................................
Telnet State.....................................
Ssh State........................................
Cisco AP Location................................
Cisco AP Floor Label.............................
Cisco AP Group Name..............................
Primary Cisco Switch Name........................
Primary Cisco Switch IP Address..................
.....................................
.....................................
.....................................
.....................................
.....................................
Ethernet Port Speed..............................
AP Link Latency..................................
2
AP-3702E
US - United States
802.11bg:-A
802.11a:-A
US - United States
802.11bg:-A
802.11a:-A
1
bc:16:65:09:4e:fc
SLAAC
2001:9:2:35:be16:65ff:fe09:4efc
64
fe80::a2cf:5bff:fe51:c4ce
None
1473
Globally Enabled
Globally Enabled
default location
0
default-group
amb
9.2.35.25
Auto
Disabled

567
CAPWAP
Rogue Detection.................................. Enabled

AP TCP MSS Adjust................................ Disabled
IPv6 Capwap UDP Lite............................. Enabled
Capwap Prefer Mode............................... Ipv6 (Global Config)
Hotspot Venue Group.............................. Unspecified
Hotspot Venue Type............................... Unspecified
DNS server IP ............................. Not Available
Note
Check for Capwap Prefer Mode in the command

output.
UDP Lite
Information About UDP Lite
The CAPWAP functionality, in Release 8.0, spans both IPv4 and IPv6. CAPWAP changes span the Controller
and the AP. An AP running older image, that is not IPv6 capable, can join an IPv6 capable controller provided
it has an IPv4 address and download image and vice-versa.
Implementation of IPv6 mandates complete payload checksum for User Datagram Protocol (UDP) which
slows down the performance of the AP and the Controller. To minimize the performance impact, Controller
and AP supports UDP Lite that mandates only a header checksum of the datagram, thereby avoiding checksum
on the entire packet. Enabling UDP Lite enhances the packet processing time.
UDP Lite protocol uses the IP Protocol ID 136 and uses the same CAPWAP port as used by UDP. Enabling
UDP Lite would require the network firewall to allow protocol 136. Switching between UDP and UDP Lite
causes the AP to disjoin and rejoin. UDP Lite is used for data traffic and UDP for control traffic.
A controller with UDP Lite enabled on it can exchange messages with IPv6 enabled APs along with the
existing APs that support only IPv4.
Note
A dual stack controller responds to a discovery request with both the IPv4 and IPv6 AP Managers.
AP Discovery mechanism uses both, IPv4 and IPv6 addresses assigned to an AP. An AP will use the source
address selection to determine the address to use to reach an IPv6 controller.
Configuring UDP Lite Globally (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Under the Global UDP Lite section, select the UDP Lite checkbox to enable UDP Lite globally.
Note
IPv6 UDP Lite is not applicable for APs connected with CAPWAPv4 tunnel. They are applicable only for APs
joining the controller using CAPWAPv6 tunnel.
Click Apply to set the global UDP Lite configuration.
If desired, you can choose to override the global UDP Lite configuration by unselecting the Global IPv6 UDP Lite
mentioned in Step 2.
Note
Switching between UDP and UDP Lite causes the AP to disjoin and rejoin.

568
CAPWAP
Step 5
Configuring UDP Lite on AP (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select an AP Name with an IPv6 address and click on it to open the Details page of the selected AP.
Under the Advanced tab, select the UDP Lite checkbox to enable UDP Lite for the selected AP.
Note
This field is displayed only for APs that have joined the controller over CAPWAPv6 tunnel. The Web UI page
does not display this field for APs joining the controller over the CAPWAPv4 tunnel .
Configuring the UDP Lite (CLI)
Step 1
Use this command to enable UDP Lite globally.

config ipv6 capwap udplite enable all
Step 2
Use this command to enable UDP Lite on a selected AP.

config ipv6 capwap udplite enable <Cisco AP>
Step 3
Use this command to disable UDP Lite globally.

config ipv6 capwap udplite disable all
Step 4
Use this command to disable UDP Lite on a selected AP.

config ipv6 capwap udplite disable <Cisco AP>
Step 5
Use this command to view the status of UDP Lite on a controller.

show ipv6 summary
(Cisco Controller) >show ipv6 summary
Global Config...............................
Reachable-lifetime value....................
Stale-lifetime value........................
Down-lifetime value.........................
RA Throttling...............................
RA Throttling allow at-least................
RA Throttling allow at-most.................
RA Throttling max-through...................
RA Throttling throttle-period...............
RA Throttling interval-option...............
NS Mulitcast CacheMiss Forwarding...........
NA Mulitcast Forwarding.....................
IPv6 Capwap UDP Lite........................
Operating System IPv6 state ................
Disabled
300
86400
30
Disabled
1
1
10
600
passthrough
Disabled
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled

569
CAPWAP
(Cisco Controller) >
Data DTLS
Configuring Data Encryption
Cisco 5500 Series Controllers enable you to encrypt CAPWAP control packets (and optionally, CAPWAP
data packets) that are sent between the access point and the controller using Datagram Transport Layer Security
(DTLS). DTLS is a standards-track Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocol based on TLS. CAPWAP
control packets are management packets exchanged between a controller and an access point while CAPWAP
data packets encapsulate forwarded wireless frames. CAPWAP control and data packets are sent over separate
UDP ports: 5246 (control) and 5247 (data). If an access point does not support DTLS data encryption, DTLS
is enabled only for the control plane, and a DTLS session for the data plane is not established.
Note
With Release 8.2, DTLSv1.2 for CAPWAP is not supported. The following are supported for web
authentication and WebAdmin based on the configuration:
TLSv1.2
TLSv1.0
SSLv3
SSLv2
Note
Cisco WLC supports only static configuration of gateway. Therefore, the ICMP redirect to change IP
address of the gateway is not considered.
Guidelines for Data Encryption

Cisco 1130 and 1240 series access points support DTLS data encryption with software-based encryption.
Cisco 1040, 1140, 1250, 1260, 1530, 1550, 1600, 1700, 2600, 2700, 3500, 3600, and 3700 series access
points support DTLS data encryption with hardware-based encryption
Cisco Aironet 1552 and 1522 outdoor access points support data DTLS.
DTLS data encryption is not supported on Cisco Aironet 700 Series Access Points.
DTLS data encryption is enabled automatically for OfficeExtend access points but disabled by default
for all other access points. Most access points are deployed in a secure network within a company
building, so data encryption is not necessary. In contrast, the traffic between an OfficeExtend access
point and the controller travels through an unsecure public network, so data encryption is more important
for these access points. When data encryption is enabled, traffic is encrypted at the access point before
it is sent to the controller and at the controller before it is sent to the client.

570
CAPWAP
Encryption limits throughput at both the controller and the access point, and maximum throughput is
desired for most enterprise networks.
In a Cisco unified local wireless network environment, do not enable DTLS on the Cisco 1130 and 1240
access points, as it may result in severe throughput degradation and may render the APs unusable.
See the OfficeExtend Access Points section for more information on OfficeExtend access points.
You can use the controller to enable or disable DTLS data encryption for a specific access point or for
all access points.
The availability of data DTLS is as follows:
The Cisco 5500 Series Controller will be available with two licenses options: One that allows data
DTLS without any license requirements and another image that requires a license to use data DTLS.
See the Upgrading or Downgrading DTLS Images for Cisco 5508 WLC section. The images for
the DTLS and licensed DTLS images are as follows:
Licensed DTLSAS_5500_LDPE_x_x_x_x.aes
Non licensed DTLSAS_5500_x_x_x_x.aes
Cisco 2500, Cisco WiSM2, Cisco Virtual Wireless ControllerBy default, these platforms do not
contain DTLS. To turn on data DTLS, you must install a license. These platforms have a single
image with data DTLS turned off. To use data DTLS you must have a license.
For Cisco Virtual Wireless Controllers without Data DTLS, the average controller throughput is
about 200 Mbps. With all APs using Data DTLS, the average controller throughput is about 100
Mbps.
If your controller does not have a data DTLS license and if the access point associated with the controller
has DTLS enabled, the data path will be unencrypted.
Non-Russian customers using Cisco 5508 Series Controller do not need data DTLS license. However
all customers using Cisco 2500 Series Controllers, Cisco 8500 Series Controllers, WISM2, and Cisco
Virtual Wireless Controllers need a data DTLS license to turn on the Data DTLS feature.
Upgrading or Downgrading DTLS Images for Cisco 5508 WLC
Step 1
Step 2
The upgrade operation fails on the first attempt with a warning indicating that the upgrade to a licensed DTLS image is
irreversible.
Note
Do not reboot the controller after Step
1.
On a subsequent attempt, the license is applied and the image is successfully updated.
Guidelines When Upgrading to or from a DTLS Image

You cannot install a regular image (nonlicensed data DTLS) once a licensed data DTLS image is installed.
You can upgrade from one licensed DTLS image to another licensed DTLS image.
You can upgrade from a regular image (DTLS) to a licensed DTLS image in a two step process.
You can use the show sysinfo command to verify the LDPE image, before and after the image upgrade.

571
CAPWAP
Configuring Data Encryption (GUI)

Ensure that the base license is installed on the Cisco 5500 Series Controller. Once the license is installed, you
can enable data encryption for the access points.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Click the name of the access point for which you want to enable data encryption.
Select the Data Encryption check box to enable data encryption for this access point or unselect it to disable this feature.
Note
Changing the data encryption mode requires the access points to rejoin the controller.
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
Configuring Data Encryption (CLI)
Note
In images without a DTLS license, the config or show commands are not available.
To enable DTLS data encryption for access points on the controller using the controller CLI, follow these
steps:
Step 1
Enable or disable data encryption for all access points or a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap link-encryption {enable | disable} {all | Cisco_AP}
Note
Changing the data encryption mode requires the access points to rejoin the controller.
Step 2
When prompted to confirm that you want to disconnect the access point(s) and attached client(s), enter Y.
Step 3
Enter the save config command to save your configuration.
Step 4
See the encryption state of all access points or a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap link-encryption {all | Cisco_AP}
This command also shows authentication errors, which tracks the number of integrity check failures, and replay errors,
which tracks the number of times that the access point receives the same packet.
Step 5
See a summary of all active DTLS connections by entering this command:

show dtls connections
Note
If you experience any problems with DTLS data encryption, enter the debug dtls {all | event | trace | packet}
{enable | disable} command to debug all DTLS messages, events, traces, or packets.
Step 6
Enable new cipher suites for DTLS connection between AP and controller by entering this command:
config ap dtls-cipher-suite {RSA-AES256-SHA256 | RSA-AES256-SHA | RSA-AES128-SHA}
Step 7
See the summary of DTLS cipher suite by entering this command:

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CAPWAP
show ap dtls-cipher-suite
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points

Information About VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points
You can configure VLAN tagging on the Ethernet interface either directly on the AP console or through the
controller. The configuration is saved in the flash memory and all CAPWAP frames use the VLAN tag as
configured, along with all the locally switched traffic, which is not mapped to a VLAN.
This feature is not supported on mesh access points that are in bridge mode.
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click the AP name from the list of AP names to open the Details page for the AP.
In the VLAN Tagging area, select the VLAN Tagging check box.
In the Trunk VLAN ID text box, enter an ID.
If the access point is unable to route traffic through the specified trunk VLAN after about 10 minutes, the access point
performs a recovery procedure by rebooting and sending CAPWAP frames in untagged mode to try and reassociate with
the controller. The controller sends a trap to a trap server such as the Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which indicates the
failure of the trunk VLAN.
If the access point is unable to route traffic through the specified trunk VLAN, it untags the packets and reassociates
with the controller. The controller sends a trap to a trap server such as the Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which indicates
the failure of the trunk VLAN.
If the trunk VLAN ID is 0, the access point untags the CAPWAP frames.
The VLAN Tag status is displayed showing whether the AP tags or untags the CAPWAP frames.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
You are prompted with a warning message saying that the configuration will result in a reboot of the access point. Click
OK to continue.
What to Do Next
After the configuration, the switch or other equipment connected to the Ethernet interface of the AP must also
be configured to support tagged Ethernet frames.

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Discovering and Joining Cisco WLC
Configuring VLAN Tagging for CAPWAP Frames from Access Points (CLI)
Step 1
Configure VLAN tagging for CAPWAP frames from access points by entering this command:
config ap ethernet tag {disable | id vlan-id} {ap-name | all}
Step 2
You can see VLAN tagging information for an AP or all APs by entering this command:
show ap ethernet tag {summary | ap-name}

Controller Discovery Process
In a CAPWAP environment, a lightweight access point discovers a controller by using CAPWAP discovery
mechanisms and then sends the controller a CAPWAP join request. The controller sends the access point a
CAPWAP join response allowing the access point to join the controller. When the access point joins the
controller, the controller manages its configuration, firmware, control transactions, and data transactions.
The following are some guidelines for the controller discovery process:
Upgrade and downgrade paths from LWAPP to CAPWAP or from CAPWAP to LWAPP are supported.
An access point with an LWAPP image starts the discovery process in LWAPP. If it finds an LWAPP
controller, it starts the LWAPP discovery process to join the controller. If it does not find a LWAPP
controller, it starts the discovery in CAPWAP. If the number of times that the discovery process starts
with one discovery type (CAPWAP or LWAPP) exceeds the maximum discovery count and the access
point does not receive a discovery response, the discovery type changes to the other type. For example,
if the access point does not discover the controller in LWAPP, it starts the discovery process in CAPWAP.
If an access point is in the UP state and its IP address changes, the access point tears down the existing
CAPWAP tunnel and rejoins the controller.
To configure the IP addresses that the controller sends in its CAPWAP discovery responses, use the
config network ap-discovery nat-ip-only {enable | disable} command.
Access points must be discovered by a controller before they can become an active part of the network.
The lightweight access points support the following controller discovery processes:
Layer 3 CAPWAP or LWAPP discoveryThis feature can be enabled on different subnets from
the access point and uses either IPv4 or IPv6 addresses and UDP packets rather the MAC addresses
used by Layer 2 discovery.
CAPWAP Multicast DiscoveryBroadcast does not exist in IPv6 address. Access point sends
CAPWAP discovery message to all the controllers multicast address (FF01::18C). The controller
receives the IPv6 discovery request from the AP only if it is in the same L2 segment and sends
back the IPv6 discovery response.
Locally stored controller IPv4 or IPv6 address discoveryIf the access point was previously
associated to a controller, the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses of the primary, secondary, and tertiary

574
controllers are stored in the access points nonvolatile memory. This process of storing controller
IPv4 or IPv6 addresses on an access point for later deployment is called priming the access point.
DHCP server discovery using option 43This feature uses DHCP option 43 to provide controller
IPv4 addresses to the access points. Cisco switches support a DHCP server option that is typically
used for this capability. For more information about DHCP option 43, see the Using DHCP Option
43 and DHCP Option 60 section.
DHCP server discovery using option 52 This feature uses DHCP option 52 to allow the AP to
discover the IPv6 address of the controller to which it connects. As part of the DHCPv6 messages,
the DHCP server provides the controllers management with an IPv6 address.
DNS discoveryThe access point can discover controllers through your domain name server
(DNS). You must configure your DNS to return controller IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in response to
CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER.localdomain or CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.localdomain,
where localdomain is the access point domain name.
When an access point receives an IPv4/IPv6 address and DNSv4/DNSv6 information from a
DHCPv4/DHCPv6 server, it contacts the DNS to resolve
CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER.localdomain or CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.localdomain.
When the DNS sends a list of controller IP addresses, which may include either IPv4 addresses or
IPv6 addresses or both the addresses, the access point sends discovery requests to the controllers.
Restrictions for Controller Discovery Process

During the discovery process, the 1040, 1140, 1260, 3500, and 3600 series access points will only query
for Cisco CAPWAP Controllers. It will not query for LWAPP controllers. If you want these access
points to query for both LWAPP and CAPWAP controllers then you need to update the DNS.
Ensure that the controller is set to the current time. If the controller is set to a time that has already
occurred, the access point might not join the controller because its certificate may not be valid for that
time.
To avoid downtime restart CAPWAP on AP while configuring Global HA , so that AP goes back and
joins the backup primary controller. This starts a discovery with the primary controller in the back
ground. If the discovery with primary is successful, it goes back and joins the primary again.
Using DHCP Option 43 and DHCP Option 60

Cisco Aironet access points use the type-length-value (TLV) format for DHCP option 43. DHCP servers must
be programmed to return the option based on the access points DHCP Vendor Class Identifier (VCI) string
(DHCP option 60).
This table lists the VCI strings for Cisco access points capable of operating in lightweight mode.
Table 28: VCI Strings For Lightweight Access Points
Access Point
VCI String
Cisco Aironet 1040 Series
Cisco AP c1040
Cisco AP c1130

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Access Point
VCI String
Cisco AP c1140
Cisco AP c1240
Cisco AP c1250
Cisco AP c1260
Cisco AP c1520
Cisco AP c1550
Cisco AP c1700
Cisco AP c2700
Cisco AP c3600
Cisco AP c3700
Cisco AP c3500
Cisco AP c700
Cisco AP801 Embedded Access Point
Cisco AP801
Cisco AP802 Embedded Access Point
Cisco AP802
The format of the TLV block is as follows:

Type: 0xf1 (decimal 241)
Length: Number of controller IP addresses * 4
Value: List of the IP addresses of controller management interfaces
See the product documentation for your DHCP server for instructions on configuring DHCP option 43. The
Upgrading Autonomous Cisco Aironet Access Points to Lightweight Mode document contains example steps
for configuring option 43 on a DHCP server.
If the access point is ordered with the Service Provider Option - AIR-OPT60-DHCP selected, the VCI string
for that access point will be different than those listed above. The VCI string will have the ServiceProvider.
For example, a 1260 with this option will return this VCI string: "Cisco AP c1260-ServiceProvider".
Note
The controller IP address that you obtain from the DHCP server should be a unicast IP address. Do not
configure the controller IP address as a multicast address when configuring DHCP Option 43.

576
Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller

When replacing a controller, ensure that access points join the new controller.
Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the new controller as a master controller as follows:

a) Choose Controller > Advanced > Master Controller Mode to open the Master Controller Configuration page.
b) Select the Master Controller Mode check box.
c) Click Apply to commit your changes.
d) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
(Optional) Flush the ARP and MAC address tables within the network infrastructure.
Restart the access points.
Once all the access points have joined the new controller, configure the controller not to be a master controller by
unselecting the Master Controller Mode check box on the Master Controller Configuration page.
Verifying that Access Points Join the Controller (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the new controller as a master controller by entering this command:

config network master-base enable
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
(Optional) Flush the ARP and MAC address tables within the network infrastructure.
Restart the access points.
Configure the controller not to be a master controller after all the access points have joined the new controller by entering
this command:
config network master-base disable
Backup Cisco WLCs

Information About Configuring Backup Controllers
A single controller at a centralized location can act as a backup for access points when they lose connectivity
with the primary controller in the local region. Centralized and regional controllers do not need to be in the
same mobility group. You can specify a primary, secondary, and tertiary controller for specific access points
in your network. Using the controller GUI or CLI, you can specify the IP addresses of the backup controllers,
which allows the access points to fail over to controllers outside of the mobility group.
The following are some guidelines for configuring backup controllers:

577
You can configure primary and secondary backup controllers (which are used if primary, secondary, or
tertiary controllers are not specified or are not responsive) for all access points connected to the controller
as well as various timers, including heartbeat timers and discovery request timers. To reduce the controller
failure detection time, you can configure the fast heartbeat interval (between the controller and the access
point) with a smaller timeout value. When the fast heartbeat timer expires (at every heartbeat interval),
the access point determines if any data packets have been received from the controller within the last
interval. If no packets have been received, the access point sends a fast echo request to the controller.
The access point maintains a list of backup controllers and periodically sends primary discovery requests
to each entry on the list. When the access point receives a new discovery response from a controller, the
backup controller list is updated. Any controller that fails to respond to two consecutive primary discovery
requests is removed from the list. If the access points local controller fails, it chooses an available
controller from the backup controller list in this order: primary, secondary, tertiary, primary backup,
and secondary backup. The access point waits for a discovery response from the first available controller
in the backup list and joins the controller if it receives a response within the time configured for the
primary discovery request timer. If the time limit is reached, the access point assumes that the controller
cannot be joined and waits for a discovery response from the next available controller in the list.
When an access point's primary controller comes back online, the access point disassociates from the
backup controller and reconnects to its primary controller. The access point falls back only to its primary
controller and not to any available secondary controller for which it is configured. For example, if an
access point is configured with primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers, it fails over to the tertiary
controller when the primary and secondary controllers become unresponsive. If the secondary controller
comes back online while the primary controller is down, the access point does not fall back to the
secondary controller and stays connected to the tertiary controller. The access point waits until the
primary controller comes back online to fall back from the tertiary controller to the primary controller.
If the tertiary controller fails and the primary controller is still down, the access point then falls back to
the available secondary controller.
Restrictions for Configuring Backup Controllers

You can configure the fast heartbeat timer only for access points in local and FlexConnect modes.
Configuring Backup Controllers (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
From the Local Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timer State drop-down list, choose Enable to enable the fast heartbeat timer
for access points in local mode or choose Disable to disable this timer. The default value is Disable.
Step 3
If you chose Enable in Step 2, enter the Local Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout text box to configure the fast heartbeat
timer for access points in local mode. Specifying a small heartbeat interval reduces the amount of time it takes to detect
a controller failure.
The range for the AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout value for Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers is 1015 (inclusive) and is 110
(inclusive) for other controllers. The default value for the heartbeat timeout for Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers is 10. The
default value for other controllers is 1 second.

578
Step 4
From the FlexConnect Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timer State drop-down list, choose Enable to enable the fast heartbeat
timer for FlexConnect access points or choose Disable to disable this timer. The default value is Disable.
Step 5
If you enable FlexConnect fast heartbeat, enter the FlexConnect Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout value in the FlexConnect
Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout text box. Specifying a small heartbeat interval reduces the amount of time it takes to
detect a controller failure.
The range for the FlexConnect Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout value for Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers is 1015 (inclusive)
and is 110 for other controllers. The default value for the heartbeat timeout for Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers is 10. The
default value for other controllers is 1 second.
Step 6
In the AP Primary Discovery Timeout text box, a value between 30 and 3600 seconds (inclusive) to configure the access
point primary discovery request timer. The default value is 120 seconds.
If you want to specify a primary backup controller for all access points, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the primary backup
controller in the Back-up Primary Controller IP Address (IPv4/IPv6) text box and the name of the controller in the
Back-up Primary Controller Name text box.
Note
The default value for the IP address is 0.0.0.0, which disables the primary backup controller.
Step 7
Step 8
If you want to specify a secondary backup controller for all access points, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the secondary
backup controller in the Back-up Secondary Controller IP Address (IPv4/IPv6) text box and the name of the controller
in the Back-up Secondary Controller Name text box.
Note
The default value for the IP address is 0.0.0.0, which disables the secondary backup controller.
Step 9
Step 10
Configure primary, secondary, and tertiary backup controllers for a specific access point as follows:
a) Choose Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
b) Click the name of the access point for which you want to configure primary, secondary, and tertiary backup controllers.
c) Choose the High Availability tab to open the All APs > Details for (High Availability) page.
d) If desired, enter the name and IP address of the primary controller for this access point in the Primary Controller text
boxes.
Note
Entering an IP address for the backup controller is optional in this step and the next two steps. If the backup
controller is outside the mobility group to which the access point is connected (the primary controller), then
you need to provide the IP address of the primary, secondary, or tertiary controller, respectively. The controller
name and IP address must belong to the same primary, secondary, or tertiary controller. Otherwise, the
access point cannot join the backup controller.
e) If desired, enter the name and IP address of the secondary controller for this access point in the Secondary Controller
text boxes.
f) If desired, enter the name and IP address of the tertiary controller for this access point in the Tertiary Controller text
boxes.
g) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 11
Configuring Backup Controllers (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a primary controller for a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap primary-base controller_name Cisco_AP [controller_ip_address]

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The controller_ip_address parameter in this command and the next two commands is optional. If the backup
controller is outside the mobility group to which the access point is connected (the primary controller), then
you need to provide the IP address of the primary, secondary, or tertiary controller, respectively. In each
command, the controller_name and controller_ip_address must belong to the same primary, secondary, or
tertiary controller. Otherwise, the access point cannot join the backup controller.
Configure a secondary controller for a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap secondary-base controller_name Cisco_AP [controller_ip_address]
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Configure a tertiary controller for a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap tertiary-base controller_name Cisco_AP [controller_ip_address]
Step 4
Configure a primary backup controller for all access points by entering this command:
config advanced backup-controller primary system name ip_addr
This command is valid for both IPv4 and
IPv6
Configure a secondary backup controller for all access points by entering this command:
config advanced backup-controller secondary system name ip_addr
Note
Step 5
Note
To delete a primary or secondary backup controller entry, enter 0.0.0.0 for the controller IPv4/IPv6 address.
This command is valid for both IPv4 and

IPv6
Enable or disable the fast heartbeat timer for local or FlexConnect access points by entering this command:
config advanced timers ap-fast-heartbeat {local | flexconnect | all} {enable | disable} interval
Note
Step 6
where all is both local and FlexConnect access points, and interval is a value between 1 and 10 seconds (inclusive).
Specifying a small heartbeat interval reduces the amount of time that it takes to detect a controller failure. The default
value is disabled.Configure the access point heartbeat timer by entering this command:
config advanced timers ap-heartbeat-timeout interval
where interval is a value between 1 and 30 seconds (inclusive). This value should be at least three times larger than the
fast heartbeat timer. The default value is 30 seconds.
Do not enable the fast heartbeat timer with the high latency link. If you have to enable the fast heartbeat timer,
the timer value must be greater than the latency.
Configure the access point primary discovery request timer by entering this command:
config advanced timers ap-primary-discovery-timeout interval
Caution
Step 7
where interval is a value between 30 and 3600 seconds. The default value is 120 seconds.
Step 8
Configure the access point discovery timer by entering this command:

config advanced timers ap-discovery-timeout interval
where interval is a value between 1 and 10 seconds (inclusive). The default value is 10 seconds.
Step 9
Configure the 802.11 authentication response timer by entering this command:

config advanced timers auth-timeout interval
where interval is a value between 5 and 600 seconds (inclusive). The default value is 10 seconds.
Step 10

save config
Step 11
See an access points configuration by entering these commands:


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show advanced backup-controller

show advanced timers
Information similar to the following appears for the show ap config general Cisco_AP command for Primary Cisco
Switch IP Address using IPv4:
Cisco AP Name....................................
Country code.....................................
AP Country code..................................
MAC Address......................................
IP Address.......................................
...
Secondary Cisco Switch Name......................
Secondary Cisco Switch IP Address................
Tertiary Cisco Switch Name.......................
Tertiary Cisco Switch IP Address.................
...
1
AP5
US - United States
802.11bg:-AB
802.11a:-AB
US - United States
802.11bg:-A
802.11a:-N
1
00:13:80:60:48:3e
DHCP
1.100.163.133
1-5508
2.2.2.2
1-4404
2.2.2.2
2-4404
1.1.1.4
Information similar to the following appears for the show ap config general Cisco_AP command for Primary Cisco
Switch IP Address using IPv6:
Cisco AP Name....................................
Country code.....................................
AP Country code..................................
MAC Address......................................
IPv6 Address.....................................
Gateway IPv6 Addr................................
CAPWAP Path MTU..................................
Telnet State.....................................
Ssh State........................................
Cisco AP Location................................
Cisco AP Floor Label.............................
Cisco AP Group Name..............................
1
AP6
US - United States
802.11bg:-A 802.11a:-A
US - United States
802.11bg:-A 802.11a:-A
13
44:2b:03:9a:9d:30
DHCPv6
2001:9:5:96:295d:3b2:2db2:9b47
128
fe80::6abd:abff:fe8c:764a
None
1473
Globally Disabled
Globally Disabled
_5500
0
IPv6-Same_VLAN
Maulik_WLC_5500-HA
2001:9:5:95::11

581
Information similar to the following appears for the show advanced backup-controller command when configured
using IPv4:
AP primary Backup Controller .................... controller1 10.10.10.10
AP secondary Backup Controller ............... 0.0.0.0
Information similar to the following appears for the show advanced backup-controller command when configured
using IPv6:
AP primary Backup Controller .................... WLC_5500-2 fd09:9:5:94::11
AP secondary Backup Controller .................. vWLC 9.5.92.11
Information similar to the following appears for the show advanced timers command:
Authentication Response Timeout (seconds)........ 10
Rogue Entry Timeout (seconds).................... 1300
AP Heart Beat Timeout (seconds).................. 30
AP Discovery Timeout (seconds)................... 10
AP Local mode Fast Heartbeat (seconds)........... 10 (enable)
AP flexconnect mode Fast Heartbeat (seconds)........... disable
AP Primary Discovery Timeout (seconds)........... 120
Failover Priority for APs

Information About Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points
Each controller has a defined number of communication ports for access points. When multiple controllers
with unused access point ports are deployed on the same network and one controller fails, the dropped access
points automatically poll for unused controller ports and associate with them.
The following are some guidelines for configuring failover priority for access points:
You can configure your wireless network so that the backup controller recognizes a join request from
a higher-priority access point and if necessary disassociates a lower-priority access point as a means to
provide an available port.
Failover priority is not in effect during the regular operation of your wireless network. It takes effect
only if there are more association requests after a controller failure than there are available backup
controller ports.
To configure this feature, you must enable failover priority on your network and assign priorities to the
individual access points.
By default, all access points are set to priority level 1, which is the lowest priority level. Therefore, you
need to assign a priority level only to those access points that warrant a higher priority.

582
Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
From the Global AP Failover Priority drop-down list, choose Enable to enable access point failover priority or choose
Disable to disable this feature and turn off any access point priority assignments. The default value is Disable.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click the name of the access point for which you want to configure failover priority.
Choose the High Availability tab. The All APs > Details for (High Availability) page appears.
Step 8
From the AP Failover Priority drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the priority of the access
point:
LowAssigns the access point to the level 1 priority, which is the lowest priority level. This is the default value.
MediumAssigns the access point to the level 2 priority.
HighAssigns the access point to the level 3 priority.
CriticalAssigns the access point to the level 4 priority, which is the highest priority level.
Step 9
Step 10
Configuring Failover Priority for Access Points (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable access point failover priority by entering this command:

config network ap-priority {enable | disable}
Step 2
Specify the priority of an access point by entering this command:

config ap priority {1 | 2 | 3 | 4} Cisco_AP
where 1 is the lowest priority level and 4 is the highest priority level. The default value is 1.
Step 3
Viewing Failover Priority Settings (CLI)

Confirm whether access point failover priority is enabled on your network by entering this command:

583

RF-Network Name.............................
Web Mode....................................
Secure Web Mode.............................
Secure Web Mode Cipher-Option High..........
Secure Shell (ssh)..........................
Telnet......................................
Ethernet Multicast Mode.....................
Ethernet Broadcast Mode.....................
IGMP snooping...............................
IGMP timeout................................
User Idle Timeout...........................
ARP Idle Timeout............................
Cisco AP Default Master.....................
mrf
Enable
Enable
Disable
Enable
Enable
Disable
Disable
Disabled
60 seconds
300 seconds
300 seconds
Disable
AP Join Priority......................... Enabled

...
See the failover priority for each access point by entering this command:
show ap summary
Number of APs.................................... 2
Global AP User Name.............................. user
Global AP Dot1x User Name........................ Not Configured
AP Name
------ap:1252
ap:1121
Slots
----2
1
AP Model
-----------------AIR-LAP1252AG-A-K9
AIR-LAP1121G-A-K9
Ethernet MAC
Location
Port Country Priority
----------------- --------- ---- ------- ------00:1b:d5:13:39:74 hallway 6 1
US
1
00:1b:d5:a9:ad:08 reception 1
US
3
To see the summary of a specific access point, you can specify the access point name. You can also use
wildcard searches when filtering for access points.
AP Retransmission Interval and Retry Count

Information About Configuring the AP Retransmission Interval and Retry Count
The controller and the APs exchange packets using the CAPWAP reliable transport protocol. For each request,
a response is defined. This response is used to acknowledge the receipt of the request message. Response
messages are not explicitly acknowledged; therefore, if a response message is not received, the original request
message is retransmitted after the retransmit interval. If the request is not acknowledged after a maximum
number of retransmissions, the session is closed and the APs reassociate with another controller.
Restrictions for Access Point Retransmission Interval and Retry Count

You can configure the retransmission intervals and retry count both at a global as well as a specific
access point level. A global configuration applies these configuration parameters to all the access points.
That is, the retransmission interval and the retry count are uniform for all access points. Alternatively,
when you configure the retransmission level and retry count at a specific access point level, the values
are applied to that particular access point. The access point specific configuration has a higher precedence
than the global configuration.
Retransmission intervals and the retry count do not apply for mesh access points.

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Configuring the AP Retransmission Interval and Retry Count (GUI)

You can configure the retransmission interval and retry count for all APs globally or a specific AP.
Step 1
To configure the controller to set the retransmission interval and retry count globally using the controller GUI, follow
these steps:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Global Configuration.
b) Choose one of the following options under the AP Transmit Config Parameters section:
AP Retransmit CountEnter the number of times you want the access point to retransmit the request to the
controller. This parameter can take values between 3 and 8.
AP Retransmit IntervalEnter the time duration between the retransmission of requests. This parameter can
take values between 2 and 5.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
To configure the controller to set the retransmission interval and retry count for a specific access point, follow these
steps:
b) Click on the AP Name link for the access point on which you want to set the values.
The All APs > Details page appears.
c) Click the Advanced Tab to open the advanced parameters page.
d) Choose one of the following parameters under the AP Transmit Config Parameters section:
AP Retransmit CountEnter the number of times that you want the access point to retransmit the request to
the controller. This parameter can take values between 3 and 8.
AP Retransmit IntervalEnter the time duration between the retransmission of requests. This parameter can
take values between 2 and 5.
e) Click Apply.
Configuring the Access Point Retransmission Interval and Retry Count (CLI)
You can configure the retransmission interval and retry count for all access points globally or a specific access
point.
Configure the retransmission interval and retry count for all access points globally by entering the this
command:
config ap retransmit {interval | count} seconds all
The valid range for the interval parameter is between 3 and 8. The valid range for the count parameter
is between 2 and 5.
Configure the retransmission interval and retry count for a specific access point, by entering this command:
config ap retransmit {interval | count} seconds Cisco_AP

585
Authorizing Access Points
The valid range for the interval parameter is between 3 and 8. The valid range for the count parameter
is between 2 and 5.
See the status of the configured retransmit parameters on all or specific APs by entering this command:
show ap retransmit all
Note
Because retransmit and retry values cannot be set for access points in mesh mode, these
values are displayed as N/A (not applicable).
See the status of the configured retransmit parameters on a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap retransmit Cisco_AP

Authorizing Access Points Using SSCs
The Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points protocol (CAPWAP) secures the control
communication between the access point and controller by a secure key distribution requiring X.509 certificates
on both the access point and controller. CAPWAP relies on provisioning of the X.509 certificates. Cisco
Aironet access points shipped before July 18, 2005 do not have a MIC, so these access points create an SSC
when upgraded to operate in lightweight mode. Controllers are programmed to accept local SSCs for
authentication of specific access points and do not forward those authentication requests to a RADIUS server.
This behavior is acceptable and secure.
Authorizing Access Points for Virtual Controllers Using SSC

Virtual controllers use SSC certificates instead of Manufacturing Installed Certificates (MIC) used by physical
controllers. You can configure the controller to allow an AP to validate the SSC of the virtual controller.
When an AP validates the SSC, the AP checks if the hash key of the virtual controller matches the hash key
stored in its flash. If a match is found, the AP associates with the controller. If a match is not found, the
validation fails and the AP disconnects from the controller and restarts the discovery process. By default, hash
validation is enabled. An AP must have the virtual controller hash key in its flash before associating with the
virtual controller. If you disable hash validation of the SSC, the AP bypasses the hash validation and directly
moves to the Run state. APs can associate with a physical controller, download the hash keys and then associate
with a virtual controller. If the AP is associated with a physical controller and hash validation is disabled, the
AP associates with any virtual controller without hash validation. The hash key of the virtual controller can
be configured for a mobility group member. This hash key gets pushed to the APs, so that the APs can validate
the hash key of the controller.
Configuring SSC (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Certificate > SSC to open the Self Significant Certificates (SSC) page.
The SSC device certification details are displayed.

586
Step 2
Step 3
Select the Enable SSC Hash Validation check box to enable the validation of the hash key.
Configuring SSC (CLI)
Step 1
To configure hash validation of SSC, enter this command:

config certificate ssc hash validation {enable | disable}
Step 2
To see the hash key details, enter this command:

show certificate ssc
Authorizing Access Points Using MICs

You can configure controllers to use RADIUS servers to authorize access points using MICs. The controller
uses an access points MAC address as both the username and password when sending the information to a
RADIUS server. For example, if the MAC address of the access point is 000b85229a70, both the username
and password used by the controller to authorize the access point are 000b85229a70.
Note
The lack of a strong password by the use of the access points MAC address should not be an issue because
the controller uses MIC to authenticate the access point prior to authorizing the access point through the
RADIUS server. Using MIC provides strong authentication.
Note
If you use the MAC address as the username and password for access point authentication on a RADIUS
AAA server, do not use the same AAA server for client authentication.
Authorizing Access Points Using LSCs

You can use an LSC if you want your own public key infrastructure (PKI) to provide better security, to have
control of your certificate authority (CA), and to define policies, restrictions, and usages on the generated
certificates.
The LSC CA certificate is installed on access points and controllers. You need to provision the device certificate
on the access point. The access point gets a signed X.509 certificate by sending a certRequest to the controller.
The controller acts as a CA proxy and receives the certRequest signed by the CA for the access point.

587
Note
When the CA server is in manual mode and if there is an AP entry in the LSC SCEP table that is pending
enrollment, the controller waits for the CA server to send a pending response. If there is no response from
the CA server, the controller retries a total of three times to get a response, after which the fallback mode
comes into effect where the AP provisioning times out and the AP reboots and comes up with MIC.
Note
LSC on controller does not take password challenge. Therefore, for LSC to work, you must disable
password challenge on the CA server.
Configuring Locally Significant Certificates (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Certificate > LSC to open the Local Significant Certificates (LSC) - General page.
Step 2
Select the Enable LSC on Controller check box to enable the LSC on the system.
Step 3
Step 4
In the CA Server URL text box, enter the URL to the CA server. You can enter either a domain name or an IP address.
In the Params text boxes, enter the parameters for the device certificate. The key size is a value from 384 to 2048 (in
bits), and the default value is 2048.
Step 5
Step 6
To add the CA certificate into the controllers CA certificate database, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow
for the certificate type and choose Add.
Step 7
Choose the AP Provisioning tab to open the Local Significant Certificates (LSC) - AP Provisioning page.
Step 8
Select the Enable check box and click Update to provision the LSC on the access point.
Step 9
When a message appears indicating that the access points will be rebooted, click OK.
Step 10
In the Number of Attempts to LSC text box, enter the number of times that the access point attempts to join the controller
using an LSC before the access point reverts to the default certificate (MIC or SSC). The range is 0 to 255 (inclusive),
and the default value is 3.
Note
If you set the number of retries to a nonzero value and the access point fails to join the controller using an LSC
after the configured number of retries, the access point reverts to the default certificate. If you set the number
of retries to 0 and the access point fails to join the controller using an LSC, the access point does not attempt
to join the controller using the default certificate.
Note
Step 11
If you are configuring LSC for the first time, we recommend that you configure a nonzero
value.
Enter the access point MAC address in the AP Ethernet MAC Addresses text box and click Add to add access points to
the provision list.
Note
To remove an access point from the provision list, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the
access point and choose Remove.
Note
If you configure an access point provision list, only the access points in the provision list are provisioned when
you enable AP provisioning. If you do not configure an access point provision list, all access points with a MIC
or SSC certificate that join the controller are LSC provisioned.

588
Step 12
Step 13
Configuring Locally Significant Certificates (CLI)
Step 1
Enable LSC on the system by entering this command:

config certificate lsc {enable | disable}
Step 2
Configure the URL to the CA server by entering this command:

config certificate lsc ca-server http://url:port/path
where url can be either a domain name or IP address.
Note
You can configure only one CA server. To configure a different CA server, delete the configured CA server
using the config certificate lsc ca-server delete command, and then configure a different CA server.
Step 3
Add the LSC CA certificate into the controllers CA certificate database by entering this command:
config certificate lsc ca-cert {add | delete}
Step 4
Configure the parameters for the device certificate by entering this command:
config certificate lsc subject-params country state city orgn dept e-mail
The common name (CN) is generated automatically on the access point using the current MIC/SSC format
Cxxxx-MacAddr, where xxxx is the product number.
Configure a key size by entering this command:
config certificate lsc other-params keysize
Note
Step 5
The keysize is a value from 384 to 2048 (in bits), and the default value is 2048.
Step 6
Add access points to the provision list by entering this command:

config certificate lsc ap-provision auth-list add AP_mac_addr
To remove access points from the provision list, enter the config certificate lsc ap-provision auth-list delete
AP_mac_addr command.
Note
If you configure an access point provision list, only the access points in the provision list are provisioned when
you enable AP provisioning (in Step 8). If you do not configure an access point provision list, all access points
with a MIC or SSC certificate that join the controller are LSC provisioned.
Configure the number of times that the access point attempts to join the controller using an LSC before the access point
reverts to the default certificate (MIC or SSC) by entering this command:
config certificate lsc ap-provision revert-cert retries
Note
Step 7
where retries is a value from 0 to 255, and the default value is 3.

If you set the number of retries to a nonzero value and the access point fails to join the controller using an LSC
after the configured number of retries, the access point reverts to the default certificate. If you set the number
of retries to 0 and the access point fails to join the controller using an LSC, the access point does not attempt
to join the controller using the default certificate.
Note
If you are configuring LSC for the first time, Cisco recommends that you configure a nonzero
value.
Provision the LSC on the access point by entering this command:
Note
Step 8

589
config certificate lsc ap-provision {enable | disable}

Step 9
See the LSC summary by entering this command:

show certificate lsc summary
LSC Enabled.......................................... Yes
LSC CA-Server........................................ http://10.0.0.1:8080/caserver
LSC AP-Provisioning.................................. Yes
Provision-List................................... Not Configured
LSC Revert Count in AP reboots................... 3
LSC Params:
Country..........................................
State............................................
City.............................................
Orgn.............................................
Dept.............................................
Email............................................
KeySize..........................................
4
ca
ss
org
dep
[email protected]
390
LSC Certs:
CA Cert.......................................... Not Configured
RA Cert....................................... Not Configured
Step 10
See details about the access points that are provisioned using LSC by entering this command:
show certificate lsc ap-provision
LSC AP-Provisioning........................... Yes
Provision-List................................ Present
Idx Mac Address
--- -----------1 00:18:74:c7:c0:90

590
Authorizing Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > AAA > AP Policies to open the AP Policies page.
Step 2
If you want the access point to accept self-signed certificates (SSCs), manufactured-installed certificates (MICs), or local
significant certificates (LSCs), select the appropriate check box.
If you want the access points to be authorized using a AAA RADIUS server, select the Authorize MIC APs against
auth-list or AAA check box.
If you want the access points to be authorized using an LSC, select the Authorize LSC APs against auth-list check
box.
Enter the Ethernet MAC address for all APs except when in bridge mode (where you need to enter the radio Mac address).
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Follow these steps to add an access point to the controllers authorization list:
a) Click Add to access the Add AP to Authorization List area.
b) In the MAC Address text box, enter the MAC address of the access point.
c) From the Certificate Type drop-down list, choose MIC, SSC, or LSC.
d) Click Add. The access point appears in the access point authorization list.
Note
To remove an access point from the authorization list, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for
the access point and choose Remove.
Note
To search for a specific access point in the authorization list, enter the MAC address of the access point in
the Search by MAC text box and click Search.
Authorizing Access Points (CLI)

Configure an access point authorization policy by entering this command:
config auth-list ap-policy {authorize-ap {enable | disable} | authorize-lsc-ap {enable | disable}}
Configure an access point to accept manufactured-installed certificates (MICs), self-signed certificates
(SSCs), or local significant certificates (LSCs) by entering this command:
config auth-list ap-policy {mic | ssc | lsc {enable | disable}}
Configure the user name to be used in access point authorization requests.
config auth-list ap-policy {authorize-ap username {ap_name | ap_mac | both}}
Add an access point to the authorization list by entering this command:
config auth-list add {mic | ssc | lsc} ap_mac [ap_key]
where ap_key is an optional key hash value equal to 20 bytes or 40 digits.
Note
To delete an access point from the authorization list, enter this command: config auth-list delete ap_mac.
See the access point authorization list by entering this command:
show auth-list

591
AP 802.1X Supplicant
Information About Configuring Authentication for Access Points
You can configure 802.1X authentication between a lightweight access point and a Cisco switch. The access
point acts as an 802.1X supplicant and is authenticated by the switch using EAP-FAST with anonymous PAC
provisioning.
You can configure global authentication settings that all access points that are currently associated with the
controller and any that associate in the future. You can also override the global authentication settings and
assign unique authentication settings for a specific access point.
Prerequisites for Configuring Authentication for Access Points
Step 1
If the access point is new, do the following:

a) Boot the access point with the installed recovery image.
b) If you choose not to follow this suggested flow and instead enable 802.1X authentication on the switch port connected
to the access point prior to the access point joining the controller, enter this command:
lwapp ap dot1x username username password password
Note
Note
If you choose to follow this suggested flow and enable 802.1X authentication on the switch port after the
access point has joined the controller and received the configured 802.1X credentials, you do not need to
enter this command.
This command is available only for access points that are running the 5.1, 5.2, 6.0, or 7.0 recovery
image.
Connect the access point to the switch port.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Install the 5.1, 5.2, 6.0, or 7.0 image on the controller and reboot the controller.
Allow all access points to join the controller.
Configure authentication on the controller. See the Configuring Authentication for Access Points (GUI) section or the
Configuring Authentication for Access Points (CLI) section for information about configuring authentication on the
controller.
Configure the switch to allow authentication. See the Configuring the Switch for Authentication section for information
about configuring the switch for authentication.
Restrictions for Authenticating Access Points

The OEAP 600 Series access points do not support LEAP.
The Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) guard should always be disabled on the switch port connected
to the AP. Enabling of BPDU guard is allowed only when the switch puts the port in port fast mode.

592
Configuring Authentication for Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Under 802.1x Supplicant Credentials, select the 802.1x Authentication check box.
In the Username text box, enter the username that is to be inherited by all access points that join the controller.
In the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, enter the password that is to be inherited by all access points that
join the controller.
Note
You must enter a strong password in these text boxes. Strong passwords have the following characteristics:
They are at least eight characters long
They contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols
They are not a word in any language
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply to send the global authentication username and password to all access points that are currently joined to
the controller and to any that join the controller in the future.
If desired, you can choose to override the global authentication settings and assign a unique username and password to
a specific access point as follows:
a) Choose Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
b) Click the name of the access point for which you want to override the authentication settings.
c) Click the Credentials tab to open the All APs > Details for (Credentials) page.
d) Under 802.1x Supplicant Credentials, select the Over-ride Global Credentials check box to prevent this access
point from inheriting the global authentication username and password from the controller. The default value is
unselected.
e) In the Username, Password, and Confirm Password text boxes, enter the unique username and password that you
want to assign to this access point.
Note
The information that you enter is retained across controller and access point reboots and whenever the access
point joins a new controller.
f) Click Apply to commit your changes.
g) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global authentication settings, unselect the
Over-ride Global Credentials check box.
Configuring Authentication for Access Points (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the global authentication username and password for all access points currently joined to the controller as
well as any access points that join the controller in the future by entering this command:
config ap 802.1Xuser add username ap-username password ap-password all

593
Note
You must enter a strong password for the ap-password parameter. Strong passwords have the following
characteristics:
They are at least eight characters long.
They contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
They are not a word in any language.
Step 2
(Optional) Override the global authentication settings and assign a unique username and password to a specific access
point. To do so, enter this command:
config ap 802.1Xuser add username ap-username password ap-password Cisco_AP
Note
You must enter a strong password for the ap-password parameter. See the note in Step 1 for the characteristics
of strong passwords.
The authentication settings that you enter in this command are retained across controller and access point reboots and
whenever the access point joins a new controller.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global authentication settings, enter the config ap
802.1Xuser delete Cisco_AP command. The following message appears after you execute this command: AP
reverted to global username configuration.
Step 3
Step 4
(Optional) Disable 802.1X authentication for all access points or for a specific access point by entering this command:
config ap 802.1Xuser disable {all | Cisco_AP}
Note
Step 5
You can disable 802.1X authentication for a specific access point only if global 802.1X authentication is not
enabled. If global 802.1X authentication is enabled, you can disable 802.1X for all access points only.
See the authentication settings for all access points that join the controller by entering this command:
show ap summary
Number of APs.................................... 1
Global AP User Name.............................. globalap
Global AP Dot1x User Name........................ globalDot1x
Step 6
See the authentication settings for a specific access point by entering this command:
Note
The name of the access point is case

sensitive.
Note
If this access point is configured for global authentication, the AP Dot1x User Mode text boxes shows Automatic.
If the global authentication settings have been overwritten for this access point, the AP Dot1x User Mode text
box shows Customized.
Configuring the Switch for Authentication

To enable 802.1X authentication on a switch port, on the switch CLI, enter these commands:

594
Infrastructure MFP
Switch# configure terminal

Switch(config)# dot1x system-auth-control
Switch(config)# aaa new-model
Switch(config)# aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
Switch(config)# radius-server host ip_addr auth-port port acct-port port key key
Switch(config)# interface fastethernet2/1
Switch(config-if)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if)# dot1x pae authenticator
Switch(config-if)# dot1x port-control auto
Switch(config-if)# end
Infrastructure MFP
Information About Management Frame Protection
Management frame protection (MFP) provides security for the otherwise unprotected and unencrypted 802.11
management messages passed between access points and clients. MFP provides both infrastructure and client
support.
Infrastructure MFPProtects management frames by detecting adversaries that are invoking
denial-of-service attacks, flooding the network with associations and probes, interjecting as rogue access
points, and affecting network performance by attacking the QoS and radio measurement frames.
Infrastructure MFP is a global setting that provides a quick and effective means to detect and report
phishing incidents.
Specifically, infrastructure MFP protects 802.11 session management functions by adding message
integrity check information elements (MIC IEs) to the management frames emitted by access points
(and not those emitted by clients), which are then validated by other access points in the network.
Infrastructure MFP is passive. It can detect and report intrusions but has no means to stop them.
Client MFPShields authenticated clients from spoofed frames, preventing many of the common attacks
against wireless LANs from becoming effective. Most attacks, such as deauthentication attacks, revert
to simply degrading performance by contending with valid clients.
Specifically, client MFP encrypts management frames are sent between access points and CCXv5 clients
so that both the access points and clients can take preventative action by dropping spoofed class 3
management frames (that is, management frames passed between an access point and a client that is
authenticated and associated). Client MFP leverages the security mechanisms defined by IEEE 802.11i
to protect the following types of class 3 unicast management frames: disassociation, deauthentication,
and QoS (WMM) action. Client MFP protects a client-access point session from the most common type
of denial-of-service attack. It protects class 3 management frames by using the same encryption method
used for the sessions data frames. If a frame received by the access point or client fails decryption, it is
dropped, and the event is reported to the controller.
To use client MFP, clients must support CCXv5 MFP and must negotiate WPA2 using either TKIP or
AES-CCMP. EAP or PSK may be used to obtain the PMK. CCKM and controller mobility management
are used to distribute session keys between access points for Layer 2 and Layer 3 fast roaming.

595
Infrastructure MFP
Note
To prevent attacks using broadcast frames, access points supporting CCXv5 will not
emit any broadcast class 3 management frames (such as disassociation, deauthentication,
or action). CCXv5 clients and access points must discard broadcast class 3 management
frames.
Client MFP supplements infrastructure MFP rather than replaces it because infrastructure
MFP continues to detect and report invalid unicast frames sent to clients that are not
client-MFP capable as well as invalid class 1 and 2 management frames. Infrastructure
MFP is applied only to management frames that are not protected by client MFP.
Infrastructure MFP consists of three main components:
Management frame protectionThe access point protects the management frames it transmits by adding
a MIC IE to each frame. Any attempt to copy, alter, or replay the frame invalidates the MIC, causing
any receiving access point configured to detect MFP frames to report the discrepancy. MFP is supported
for use with Cisco Aironet lightweight access points.
Management frame validationIn infrastructure MFP, the access point validates every management
frame that it receives from other access points in the network. It ensures that the MIC IE is present (when
the originator is configured to transmit MFP frames) and matches the content of the management frame.
If it receives any frame that does not contain a valid MIC IE from a BSSID belonging to an access point
that is configured to transmit MFP frames, it reports the discrepancy to the network management system.
In order for the timestamps to operate properly, all controllers must be Network Time Protocol (NTP)
synchronized.
Event reportingThe access point notifies the controller when it detects an anomaly, and the controller
aggregates the received anomaly events and can report the results through SNMP traps to the network
management system.
Note
Client MFP uses the same event reporting mechanisms as infrastructure MFP.
Infrastructure MFP is disabled by default and can be enabled globally. When you upgrade from a previous
software release, infrastructure MFP is disabled globally if access point authentication is enabled because the
two features are mutually exclusive. Once infrastructure MFP is enabled globally, signature generation (adding
MICs to outbound frames) can be disabled for selected WLANs, and validation can be disabled for selected
access points.
Client MFP is enabled by default on WLANs that are configured for WPA2. It can be disabled, or it can be
made mandatory (in which case, only clients that negotiate MFP are allowed to associate) on selected WLANs.
Restrictions for Management Frame Protection

Lightweight access points support infrastructure MFP in local and monitor modes and in FlexConnect
mode when the access point is connected to a controller. They support client MFP in local, FlexConnect,
and bridge modes.
OEAP 600 Series Access points do not support MFP.
Client MFP is supported for use only with CCXv5 clients using WPA2 with TKIP or AES-CCMP.

596
Infrastructure MFP
Non-CCXv5 clients may associate to a WLAN if client MFP is disabled or optional.

Error reports generated on a FlexConnect access point in standalone mode cannot be forwarded to the
controller and are dropped.
Configuring Management Frame Protection (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Security> Wireless Protection Policies > AP Authentication/MFP to open the AP Authentication Policy page.
Enable infrastructure MFP globally for the controller by choosing Management Frame Protection from the Protection
Type drop-down list.
Note
If more than one controller is included in the mobility group, you must configure an NTP/SNTP server on all
controllers in the mobility group that are configured for infrastructure MFP.
Configure client MFP for a particular WLAN after infrastructure MFP has been enabled globally for the controller as
follows:
a) Choose WLANs.
b) Click the profile name of the desired WLAN. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
c) Choose Advanced. The WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page appears.
d) Choose Disabled, Optional, or Required from the MFP Client Protection drop-down list. The default value is
Optional. If you choose Required, clients are allowed to associate only if MFP is negotiated (that is, if WPA2 is
configured on the controller and the client supports CCXv5 MFP and is also configured for WPA2).
Note
For Cisco OEAP 600, MFP is not supported. It should either be Disabled or Optional.
Step 4

Step 5
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (GUI)

To see the controllers current global MFP settings, choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies >
Management Frame Protection. The Management Frame Protection Settings page appears.
On this page, you can see the following MFP settings:
The Management Frame Protection field shows if infrastructure MFP is enabled globally for the
controller.
The Controller Time Source Valid field indicates whether the controller time is set locally (by manually
entering the time) or through an external source (such as the NTP/SNTP server). If the time is set by an
external source, the value of this field is True. If the time is set locally, the value is False. The time
source is used for validating the timestamp on management frames between access points of different
controllers within a mobility group.
The Client Protection field shows if client MFP is enabled for individual WLANs and whether it is
optional or required.

597
Troubleshooting the Access Point Join Process
Configuring Management Frame Protection (CLI)

Enable or disable infrastructure MFP globally for the controller by entering this command:
config wps mfp infrastructure {enable | disable}
Enable or disable client MFP on a specific WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan mfp client {enable | disable} wlan_id [required ]
If you enable client MFP and use the optional required parameter, clients are allowed to associate only
if MFP is negotiated.
Viewing the Management Frame Protection Settings (CLI)

See the controllers current MFP settings by entering this command:
show wps mfp summary
See the current MFP configuration for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
See whether client MFP is enabled for a specific client by entering this command:
See MFP statistics for the controller by entering this command:
show wps mfp statistics
Note
This report contains no data unless an active attack is in progress. This table is cleared every 5 minutes
when the data is forwarded to any network management stations.
Debugging Management Frame Protection Issues (CLI)

Use this command if you experience any problems with MFP:
debug wps mfp ? {enable | disable}
clientConfigures debugging for client MFP messages.
capwapConfigures debugging for MFP messages between the controller and access points.
detailConfigures detailed debugging for MFP messages.
reportConfigures debugging for MFP reporting.
mmConfigures debugging for MFP mobility (inter-controller) messages.

Access points can fail to join a controller for many reasons such as a RADIUS authorization is pending,
self-signed certificates are not enabled on the controller, the access point and controllers regulatory domains
do not match, and so on.

598
Controller software release 5.2 or later releases enable you to configure the access points to send all
CAPWAP-related errors to a syslog server. You do not need to enable any debug commands on the controller
because all of the CAPWAP error messages can be viewed from the syslog server itself.
The state of the access point is not maintained on the controller until it receives a CAPWAP join request from
the access point, so it can be difficult to determine why the CAPWAP discovery request from a certain access
point was rejected. In order to troubleshoot such joining issues without enabling CAPWAP debug commands
on the controller, the controller collects information for all access points that send a discovery message to this
controller and maintains information for any access points that have successfully joined this controller.
The controller collects all join-related information for each access point that sends a CAPWAP discovery
request to the controller. Collection begins with the first discovery message received from the access point
and ends with the last configuration payload sent from the controller to the access point.
You can view join-related information for the following numbers of access points:
When the controller is maintaining join-related information for the maximum number of access points, it does
not collect information for any more access points.
If any of these conditions are met and the access point has not yet joined a controller, you can also configure
a DHCP server to return a syslog server IP address to the access point using option 7 on the server. The access
point then starts sending all syslog messages to this IP address.
You can also configure the syslog server IP address through the access point CLI, provided the access point
is currently not connected to the controller by entering the capwap ap log-server syslog_server_IP_address
command.
When the access point joins a controller for the first time, the controller pushes the global syslog server IP
address (the default is 255.255.255.255) to the access point. After that, the access point sends all syslog
messages to this IP address, until it is overridden by one of the following scenarios:
The access point is still connected to the same controller, and the global syslog server IP address
configuration on the controller has been changed using the config ap syslog host global
syslog_server_IP_address command. In this case, the controller pushes the new global syslog server IP
address to the access point.
The access point is still connected to the same controller, and a specific syslog server IP address has
been configured for the access point on the controller using the config ap syslog host specific Cisco_AP
syslog_server_IP_address command. In this case, the controller pushes the new specific syslog server
IP address to the access point.
The access point gets disconnected from the controller, and the syslog server IP address has been
configured from the access point CLI using the lwapp ap log-server syslog_server_IP_address command.
This command works only if the access point is not connected to any controller.
The access point gets disconnected from the controller and joins another controller. In this case, the new
controller pushes its global syslog server IP address to the access point.
Whenever a new syslog server IP address overrides the existing syslog server IP address, the old address is
erased from persistent storage, and the new address is stored in its place. The access point also starts sending
all syslog messages to the new IP address, provided the access point can reach the syslog server IP address.
You can configure the syslog server for access points using the controller GUI and view the access point join
information using the controller GUI or CLI.
When the name of the access point is modified using the config ap name new_name old_name command,
then the new AP name is updated. You can view the new AP name updated in both the show ap join stats
summary all as well as the show ap summary commands.

599
Note
When an AP in a Release 8.0 image tries to join Cisco WLC, Release 8.3 (having Release 8.2 as the
primary image and Release 8.2.1 as the secondary image on Flash), the AP goes into a perpetual loop.
(Note that the release numbers are used only as an example to illustrate the scenario of three different
images and does not apply to the releases mentioned.) This loop occurs due to version mismatch. After
the download, when the AP compares its image with the Cisco WLC image, there will be a version
mismatch. The AP will start the entire process again, resulting in a loop.
Configuring the Syslog Server for Access Points (CLI)
Step 1

To configure a global syslog server for all access points that join this controller, enter this command:
config ap syslog host global syslog_server_IP_address
By default, the global syslog server IPv4/IPv6 address for all access points is 255.255.255.255. Make sure
that the access points can reach the subnet on which the syslog server resides before configuring the syslog
server on the controller. If the access points cannot reach this subnet, the access points are unable to send
out syslog messages.
Note
Only one Syslog Server is used for both IPv4 and
IPv6.
To configure a syslog server for a specific access point, enter this command:
config ap syslog host specific Cisco_AP syslog_server_IP_address
Note
Note
By default, the syslog server IPv4/IPv6 address for each access point is 0.0.0.0, which indicates that the
access point is not yet set. When the default value is used, the global access point syslog server IP address
is pushed to the access point.
Step 2
Step 3
See the global syslog server settings for all access points that join the controller by entering this command:
show ap config global
AP global system logging host.................... 255.255.255.255
Step 4
See the syslog server settings for a specific access point by entering this command:
Viewing Access Point Join Information

Join statistics for an access point that sends a CAPWAP discovery request to the controller at least once are
maintained on the controller even if the access point is rebooted or disconnected. These statistics are removed
only when the controller is rebooted or when you choose to clear the statistics.

600
Viewing Access Point Join Information (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Monitor > Statistics > AP Join to open the AP Join Stats page.
This page lists all of the access points that are joined to the controller or that have tried to join. It shows the radio MAC
address, access point name, current join status, Ethernet MAC address, IP address, and last join time for each access
point.
The total number of access points appears in the upper right-hand corner of the page. If the list of access points spans
multiple pages, you can view these pages by clicking the page number links. Each page shows the join statistics for up
to 25 access points.
Note
Note
Step 2
If you want to remove an access point from the list, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that
access point and click Remove.
If you want to clear the statistics for all access points and start over, click Clear Stats on All
APs.
If you want to search for specific access points in the list of access points on the AP Join Stats page, follow these steps
to create a filter to display only access points that meet certain criteria (such as MAC address or access point name).
Note
This feature is especially useful if your list of access points spans multiple pages, preventing you from viewing
them all at once.
a) Click Change Filter to open the Search AP dialog box.
b) Select one of the following check boxes to specify the criteria used when displaying access points:
MAC AddressEnter the base radio MAC address of an access point.
AP NameEnter the name of an access point.
Note
When you enable one of these filters, the other filter is disabled
automatically.
c) Click Find to commit your changes. Only the access points that match your search criteria appear on the AP Join
Stats page, and the Current Filter parameter at the top of the page specifies the filter used to generate the list (for
example, MAC Address:00:1e:f7:75:0a:a0 or AP Name:pmsk-ap).
Note
If you want to remove the filter and display the entire access point list, click Clear
Filter.
Step 3
To see detailed join statistics for a specific access point, click the radio MAC address of the access point. The AP Join
Stats Detail page appears.
This page provides information from the controllers perspective on each phase of the join process and shows any errors
that have occurred.
Viewing Access Point Join Information (CLI)

Use these CLI commands to see access point join information:
See the MAC addresses of all the access points that are joined to the controller or that have tried to join
show ap join stats summary all
See the last join error detail for a specific access point by entering this command:

601
show ap join stats summary ap_mac

where ap_mac is the MAC address of the 802.11 radio interface.
Note
To obtain the MAC address of the 802.11 radio interface, enter the show interfaces
Dot11Radio 0 command on the access point.
Is the AP currently connected to controller................ Yes
Time at which the AP joined this controller last time...... Aug 21
12:50:36.061
Type of error that occurred last........................... AP got or has
been disconnected
Reason for error that occurred last........................ The AP has
been reset by the controller
Time at which the last join error occurred.............. Aug 21
12:50:34.374
See all join-related statistics collected for a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap join stats detailed ap_mac
Discovery phase statistics
- Discovery requests received..............................
- Successful discovery responses sent......................
- Unsuccessful discovery request processing................
- Reason for last unsuccessful discovery attempt...........
- Time at last successful discovery attempt................
- Time at last unsuccessful discovery attempt..............
Join phase statistics
- Join requests received...................................
- Successful join responses sent...........................
- Unsuccessful join request processing.....................
- Reason for last unsuccessful join attempt................
is pending for the AP
- Time at last successful join attempt.....................
- Time at last unsuccessful join attempt...................
Configuration phase statistics
- Configuration requests received..........................
- Successful configuration responses sent..................
- Unsuccessful configuration request processing............
- Reason for last unsuccessful configuration attempt.......
- Time at last successful configuration attempt............
- Time at last unsuccessful configuration attempt..........
2
2
0
Not applicable
Aug 21 12:50:23.335
Not applicable
1
1
1
RADIUS authorization
Aug 21 12:50:34.481
Aug 21 12:50:34.374
1
1
0
Not applicable
Aug 21 12:50:34.374
Not applicable
Last AP message decryption failure details

- Reason for last message decryption failure............... Not applicable
Last AP disconnect details
- Reason for last AP connection failure.................... The AP has been reset by
the controller
Last join error summary
- Type of error that occurred last......................... AP got or has been
disconnected
- Reason for error that occurred last...................... The AP has been reset by
the controller
- Time at which the last join error occurred............... Aug 21 12:50:34.374

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Clear the join statistics for all access points or for a specific access point by entering this command:
clear ap join stats {all | ap_mac}

603

604
CHAPTER
31
Managing APs
Converting Autonomous APs to Lightweight Mode, page 605
Global Credentials for APs, page 610
Embedded APs, page 614
AP Modules, page 615
Access Points with Dual-Band Radios, page 623
Link Latency, page 624
Converting Autonomous APs to Lightweight Mode

Information About Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode
You can convert any autonomous mode Cisco Aironet access point, to lightweight mode. When you upgrade
one of these access points to lightweight mode, the access point communicates with a controller and receives
a configuration and software image from the controller.
See the Upgrading Autonomous Cisco Aironet Access Points to Lightweight Mode document for instructions
to upgrade an autonomous access point to lightweight mode:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-0/configuration-guide/b_cg80/b_cg80_chapter_01101010.html
The following are some guidelines for converting autonomous APs to lightweight mode APs:
All Cisco lightweight access points support 16 BSSIDs per radio and a total of 16 wireless LANs per
access point. When a converted access point associates with a controller, wireless LANs with IDs 1
through 16 are pushed to the access point if the AP is part of the default AP group on the controller.
You can use other AP group configurations to push other wireless LANs to the new AP.
When a 802.11ac module (the RM3000AC) is added to a 3600 AP, you can have only 8 wireless LANs
on the 802.11a/n/ac radio.
Access points converted to lightweight mode must get an IP address and discover the controller using
DHCP, DNS, or IP subnet broadcast.

605
Restrictions for Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode

Access points converted to lightweight mode do not support Wireless Domain Services (WDS). Converted
access points communicate only with Cisco wireless LAN controllers and cannot communicate with
WDS devices. However, the controller provides functionality that is equivalent to WDS when the access
point associates to it.
After you convert an access point to lightweight mode, the console port provides read-only access to
the unit.
Converting Autonomous Access Points to Lightweight Mode

1 Download the CAPWAP file matching your access point model from Cisco.com. Two types of CAPWAP
files are available:
Fully functional CAPWAP files, identified by the k9w8 string in their name. When booting this
image, the AP is fully functional and can join a controller to obtain its configuration.
Recovery mode CAPWAP files, identified by the rcvk9w8 string in their name. These files are smaller
than the fully functional k9w8 CAPWAP files. When booting rcvk9w8 files, the AP can join a
controller to download a fully functional image. The AP will then reboot, use the fully functional
image and rejoin a controller to obtain its configuration.
2 position the image on an FTP server
3 Configure the AP to connect to the FTP server as a FTP client. This is done under global configuration
mode, with the command ip ftp username, and ip ftp password. For example:
Ap#configure terminal
ap(config)#ip ftp username cisco
ap(config)#ip ftp password Cisco123
ap(config)#exit
4 Once the parameters are configured, you can start the download process on the AP. Use the archive
download-sw command, with the /force-reload argument to have the AP reboot at the end of the cycle,
and /overwrite to replace the autonomous code with the CAPWAP code. See the following example:
ap#archive download-sw /force-reload /overwrite
ftp://10.100.1.31/ap3g2-rcvk9w8-tar.152-4.JB6.tar
examining image...
Loading ap3g2-rcvk9w8-tar.152-4.JB6.tar
extracting info (273 bytes)!
Image info:
Version Suffix: rcvk9w8Image Name: ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx
Version Directory: ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx
Ios Image Size: 2335232
Total Image Size: 2335232
Image Feature: WIRELESS LAN|CAPWAP|RECOVERY
Image Family: ap3g2
Wireless Switch Management Version: 3.0.51.0
Extracting files...
ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx/ (directory) 0 (bytes)
extracting ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx/ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx (2327653 bytes)!!!!!!!!!
extracting ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx/info (273 bytes)
The AP reboots into lightweight mode and looks for a controller.

606
Reverting from Lightweight Mode to Autonomous Mode

After you convert an autonomous access point to lightweight mode, you can convert the access point from a
lightweight unit back to an autonomous unit by loading a Cisco IOS release that supports autonomous mode.
If the access point is associated to a controller, you can use the controller to load the Cisco IOS release. If the
access point is not associated to a controller, you can load the Cisco IOS release using TFTP. In either method,
the access point must be able to access a TFTP server that contains the Cisco IOS release to be loaded.
Reverting to a Previous Release (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Log on to the CLI on the controller to which the access point is associated.
Revert from lightweight mode, by entering this command:
config ap tftp-downgrade tftp-server-ip-address filename access-point-name
Step 3
Wait until the access point reboots and reconfigure the access point using the CLI or GUI.
Reverting to a Previous Release Using the MODE Button and a TFTP Server
Step 1
Step 2
Configure the PC on which your TFTP server software runs with a static IP address in the range of 10.0.0.2 to 10.0.0.30.
Step 7
Make sure that the PC contains the access point image file (such as ap3g2-k9w7-tar.152-4.JB4.tar for a 2700 or 3700
series access point) in the TFTP server folder and that the TFTP server is activated.
Rename the access point image file in the TFTP server folder to ap3g2-k9w7-tar.default for a 2700 or a 3700 series
access point.
Connect the PC to the access point using a Category 5 (CAT5) Ethernet cable.
Disconnect power from the access point.
Press and hold the MODE button while you reconnect power to the access point.
Note
The MODE button on the access point must be enabled. Follow the steps in the Disabling the Reset Button on
Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode to select the status of the access point MODE button.
Hold the MODE button until the status LED turns red (approximately 20 to 30 seconds), and release the MODE button.
Step 8
Step 9
Wait until the access point reboots as indicated by all LEDs turning green followed by the Status LED blinking green.
After the access point reboots, reconfigure the access point using the GUI or the CLI.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Configuring a Static IP Address on a Lightweight Access Point

If you want to specify an IP address for an access point rather than having one assigned automatically by a
DHCP server, you can use the controller GUI or CLI to configure a static IP address for the access point.
Static IP addresses are generally used only for deployments with a limited number of APs.

607
An access point cannot discover the controller using domain name system (DNS) resolution if a static IP
address is configured for the access point, unless you specify a DNS server and the domain to which the access
point belongs.
Note
If you configure an access point to use a static IP address that is not on the same subnet on which the
access points previous DHCP address was, the access point falls back to a DHCP address after the access
point reboots. If the access point falls back to a DHCP address, enter the show ap config general Cisco_AP
CLI command to show that the access point is using a fallback IP address. However, the GUI shows both
the static IP address and the DHCP address, but it does not identify the DHCP address as a fallback address.
Configuring a Static IP Address (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the name of the access point for which you want to configure a static IP address. The All APs > Details for (General)
page appears.
Under IP Config, select the Static IP (IPv4/IPv6) check box if you want to assign a static IP address to this access point.
Note
The static IP configured on the AP will take precedence over the preferred mode configured on the AP. For
example: If AP has static IPV6 address and prefer-mode is set to IPV4, then the AP will join over IPv6.
Enter the static IPv4/IPv6 address of the access point, subnet mask/ prefix length assigned to the access point IPv4/IPv6
address, and the IPv4/IPv6 gateway of the access point in the corresponding text boxes.
Click Apply to commit your changes. The access point reboots and rejoins the controller, and the static IPv4/IPv6 address
that you specified in Step 4 is sent to the access point.
After the static IPv4/IPv6 address has been sent to the access point, you can configure the DNS server IP address and
domain name as follows:
a) In the DNS IP Address text box, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the DNS server.
b) In the Domain Name text box, enter the name of the domain to which the access point belongs.
c) Click Apply to commit your changes.
d) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Configuring a Static IP Address (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a static IP address on the access point by entering this command:

For IPv4config ap static-ip enable Cisco_AP ip_address mask gateway
For IPv6config ap static-ip enable Cisco_AP ip_address prefix_length gateway
Note
To disable static IP for the access point, enter the config ap static-ip disable Cisco_AP command.
Note
The static IP configured on the AP will take precedence over the preferred mode configured on the AP. For
example: If AP has static IPV6 address and prefer-mode is set to IPV4, then the AP will join over IPv6.

608
Step 2

The access point reboots and rejoins the controller, and the static IP address that you specified in Step 1 is pushed to the
access point.
Step 3
After the static IPv4/IPv6 address has been sent to the access point, you can configure the DNSv4/DNSv6 server IP
address and domain name as follows:
a) To specify a DNSv4/DNSv6 server so that a specific access point or all access points can discover the controller
using DNS resolution, enter this command:
config ap static-ip add nameserver {Cisco_AP | all} ip_address
To delete a DNSv4/DNSv6 server for a specific access point or all access points, enter the config ap static-ip
delete nameserver {Cisco_AP | all} command.
b) To specify the domain to which a specific access point or all access points belong, enter this command:
config ap static-ip add domain {Cisco_AP | all} domain_name
Note
To delete a domain for a specific access point or all access points, enter this command: config ap static-ip
delete domain {Cisco_AP | all}.
c) Enter the save config command to save your changes.
Note
Step 4
See the IPv4/IPv6 address configuration for the access point by entering this command:
For IPv4:
show ap config general <Cisco_AP>
Cisco AP Identifier.............................. 4
Cisco AP Name................................. AP6
...
IP Address Configuration......................... Static IP assigned
IP Address....................................... 10.10.10.118
IP NetMask....................................... 255.255.255.0
Gateway IP Addr............................... 10.10.10.1
Domain........................................... Domain1
Name Server................................... 10.10.10.205
...
For IPv6:
show ap config general <Cisco_AP>
Cisco AP Name....................................
...
IPv6 Address.....................................
Gateway IPv6 Addr................................
16
AP2602I-A-K9-1
DHCPv6
2001:9:2:16:1ae:a1da:c2c7:44b
128
fe80::c60a:cbff:fe79:53c4
None
...
IPv6 Capwap UDP Lite............................. Enabled
Capwap Prefer Mode............................... Ipv6 (ApGroup Config)
DNS server IP ............................. Not Available

609
Global Credentials for APs
Supporting Oversized Access Point Images

Controller software release 5.0 or later releases allow you to upgrade to an oversized access point image by
automatically deleting the recovery image to create sufficient space.
The recovery image provides a backup image that can be used if an access point power-cycles during an image
upgrade. The best way to avoid the need for access point recovery is to prevent an access point from
power-cycling during a system upgrade. If a power-cycle occurs during an upgrade to an oversized access
point image, you can recover the access point using the TFTP recovery procedure.
Recovering the Access PointUsing the TFTP Recovery Procedure
Step 1
Step 2
Download the required recovery image from Cisco.com (for example, ap3g2-rcvk9w8-tar.152-4.JB6.tar for 2700 or
3700 APs) and install it in the root directory of your TFTP server.
Connect the TFTP server to the same subnet as the target access point and power-cycle the access point. The access point
boots from the TFTP image and then joins the controller to download the oversized access point image and complete
the upgrade procedure.
After the access point has been recovered, you may remove the TFTP server.
Step 3

Information About Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points
Cisco IOS access points are shipped from the factory with Cisco as the default enable password. This password
allows users to log onto the nonprivileged mode and enter show and debug commands, which poses a security
threat. The default enable password must be changed to prevent unauthorized access and to enable users to
enter configuration commands from the access points console port.
The following are some guidelines to configure global credentials for access points:
You can set a global username, password, and enable password that all access points that are currently
joined to the controller and any that join in the future inherit as they join the controller. If desired, you
can override the global credentials and assign a unique username, password, and enable password for a
specific access point.
After an access point joins the controller, the access point enables console port security, and you are
prompted for your username and password whenever you log into the access points console port. When
you log on, you are in nonprivileged mode, and you must enter the enable password in order to use the
privileged mode.
The global credentials that you configure on the controller are retained across controller and access point
reboots. They are overwritten only if the access point joins a new controller that is configured with a

610
global username and password. If the new controller is not configured with global credentials, the access
point retains the global username and password configured for the first controller.
You must keep track of the credentials used by the access points. Otherwise, you might not be able to
log onto the console port of the access point. If you need to return the access points to the default
Cisco/Cisco username and password, you must clear the controllers configuration and the access points
configuration to return them to factory-default settings. To clear the controllers configuration, choose
Commands > Reset to Factory Default > Reset on the controller GUI, or enter the clear config
command on the controller CLI. To clear the access points configuration, choose Wireless > Access
Points > All APs, click the AP name and click Clear All Config on the controller GUI, or enter the
clear ap config Cisco_AP command on the controller CLI. To clear the access point's configuration
except its static IP address, choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs, click the AP name and click
Clear Config Except Static IP, or enter the clear ap config ap-name keep-ip-config command on the
controller CLI. After the access point rejoins a controller, it adopts the default Cisco/Cisco username
and password.
Note
Suppose you configure an indoor Cisco AP to go into the mesh mode. If you want to
reset the Cisco AP to the local mode, use the test mesh mode local command.
To reset the AP hardware, choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs, click the AP name and click
Reset AP Now.
Restrictions for Global Credentials for Access Points

The controller software features are supported on all access points that have been converted to lightweight
mode except the 1100 series. VxWorks access points are not supported.
Telnet is not supported on Cisco Aironet 1810 OEAP, 1810W, 1830, 1850, 2800, and 3800 Series APs.
A global Access Point login credentials once configured in WLC cannot be removed.
Configuring Global Credenitals for Access Points

Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the Username text box, enter the username that is to be inherited by all access points that join the controller.
In the Password text box, enter the password that is to be inherited by all access points that join the controller.
You can set a global username, password, and enable password that all access points inherit as they join the controller
including access points that are currently joined to the controller and any that join in the future. You can override the
global credentials and assign a unique username, password, and enable password for a specific access point. The following
are requirements enforced on the password:
The password should contain characters from at least three of the following classes: lowercase letters, uppercase
letters, digits, and special characters.

611
No character in the password can be repeated more than three times consecutively.
The password should not contain the management username or the reverse of the username.
The password should not contain words like Cisco, oscic, admin, nimda or any variant obtained by changing the
capitalization of letters by substituting 1, |, or ! or substituting 0 for o or substituting $ for s.
Step 4
Step 5
In the Enable Password text box, enter the enable password that is to be inherited by all access points that join the
controller.
Click Apply to send the global username, password, and enable password to all access points that are currently joined
to the controller or that join the controller in the future.
(Optional) Override the global credentials for a specific access point and assign a unique username, password, and enable
password to this access point as follows:
Step 6
Step 7
a)
b)
c)
d)
Choose Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
Click the name of the access point for which you want to override the global credentials.
Choose the Credentials tab. The All APs > Details for (Credentials) page appears.
Select the Over-ride Global Credentials check box to prevent this access point from inheriting the global username,
password, and enable password from the controller. The default value is unselected.
e) In the Username, Password, and Enable Password text boxes, enter the unique username, password, and enable
password that you want to assign to this access point.
Note
The information that you enter is retained across controller and access point reboots and if the access point
joins a new controller.
f) Click Apply to commit your changes.
g) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global credentials, unselect the Over-ride Global
Credentials check box.
Configuring Global Credentials for Access Points (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the global username, password, and enable password for all access points currently joined to the controller as
well as any access points that join the controller in the future by entering this command:
config ap mgmtuser add username user password password enablesecret enable_password all
Step 2
(Optional) Override the global credentials for a specific access point and assign a unique username, password, and enable
password to this access point by entering this command:
config ap mgmtuser add username user password password enablesecret enable_password Cisco_AP
The credentials that you enter in this command are retained across controller and access point reboots and if the access
point joins a new controller.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global credentials, enter the config ap mgmtuser
delete Cisco_AP command. The following message appears after you execute this command: AP reverted to
global username configuration.

612
Step 3
Step 4
Verify that global credentials are configured for all access points that join the controller by entering this command:
show ap summary
Note
If global credentials are not configured, the Global AP User Name text box shows Not Configured.
To view summary of specific access point you can specify the access point name. You can also use wildcard searches
when filtering for access points.
Step 5
See the global credentials configuration for a specific access point by entering this command:
Note
The name of the access point is case
sensitive.
Note
If this access point is configured for global credentials, the AP User Mode text boxes shows Automatic. If the
global credentials have been overwritten for this access point, the AP User Mode text box shows Customized.
Configuring Telnet and SSH for Access Points

Configuring Telnet and SSH for APs (GUI)
Step 1
Global configuration:
b) In the Global Telnet SSH area, select or unselect Telnet and SSH check boxes.
When you enable Telnet or SSH for all APs, the functionality is allowed on APs that are yet to associate with the
Cisco WLC regardless of their mode.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Configuration for a specific AP:

b) Click an AP name.
c) Click the Advanced tab.
d) From the Telnet drop-down list, choose AP Specific and select the check box to enable the functionality for the AP.
e) From the SSH drop-down list, choose AP Specific and select the check box to enable the functionality.
f) Click Apply.
g) Click Save Configuration.
Configuring Telnet and SSH for APs (CLI)

Configure Telnet or SSH for all APs or a specific AP by entering this command:
config ap {telnet | ssH} {enable | disable} {ap-name | all}

613
Embedded APs
Replace the Telnet or SSH configuration for a specific AP with the global configuration by entering this
command:
config ap {telnet | ssH} default ap-name
Embedded APs
Information About Embedded Access Points
Controller software release 7.0.116.0 or later releases support the embedded access points: AP801 and AP802,
which are the integrated access points on the Cisco 880 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs). This access
points use a Cisco IOS software image that is separate from the router Cisco IOS software image. The access
points can operate as autonomous access points configured and managed locally, or they can operate as
centrally managed access points that utilize the CAPWAP or LWAPP protocol. The AP801 and AP802 access
points are preloaded with both an autonomous Cisco IOS release and a recovery image for the unified mode.
The following are some guidelines for embedded access points:
Before you use an AP801 or AP802 Series Lightweight Access Point with controller software release
7.0.116.0 or later releases, you must upgrade the software in the Next Generation Cisco 880 Series
Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) to Cisco IOS 151-4.M or later.
Note
In Release 7.4, all AP modes except bridging (required for mesh) are supported for both
AP801 and AP802. In Release 7.5 and later, all AP modes are supported on AP802;
however, bridging is not supported on AP801.
When you want to use the AP801 or AP802 with a controller, you must enable the recovery image for
the unified mode on the access point by entering the service-module wlan-ap 0 bootimage unified
command on the router in privileged EXEC mode.
If the service-module wlan-ap 0 bootimage unified command does not work, make sure that the
software license is still eligible.
After enabling the recovery image, enter the service-module wlan-ap 0 reload command on the router
to shut down and reboot the access point. After the access point reboots, it discovers the controller,
downloads the full CAPWAP or LWAPP software release from the controller, and acts as a lightweight
access point.
Note
To use the CLI commands mentioned above, the router must be running Cisco IOS
Release 12.4(20)T or later releases.
To support CAPWAP or LWAPP, the router must be activated with at least the Cisco Advanced IP
Services IOS license-grade image. A license is required to upgrade to this Cisco IOS image on the router.
For licensing information, see
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/sw_activation/SA_on_ISR.html.
After the AP801 or AP802 boots up with the recovery image for the unified mode, it requires an IP
address to communicate with the controller and to download its unified image and configuration from
the controller. The router can provide DHCP server functionality, the DHCP pool to reach the controller,

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AP Modules
and setup option 43 for the controller IP address in the DHCP pool configuration. Use the following
configuration to perform this task:
ip dhcp pool pool_name
network ip_address subnet_mask
dns-server ip_address
default-router ip_address
option 43 hex controller_ip_address_in_hex
Example:
ip dhcp pool embedded-ap-pool
network 60.0.0.0 255.255.255.0
dns-server 171.70.168.183
default-router 60.0.0.1
option 43 hex f104.0a0a.0a0f
*/
/* single WLC IP address(10.10.10.15) in hex format
The AP801 and AP802 802.11n radio supports lower power levels than the 802.11n radio in the Cisco
Aironet 1250 series access points. The AP801 and AP802 access points store the radio power levels and
passes them to the controller when the access point joins the controller. The controller uses the supplied
values to limit the users configuration.
The AP801 and AP802 access points can be used in FlexConnect mode.
For more information about the AP801, see the documentation for the Cisco 800 Series ISRs at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/800-series-routers/tsd-products-support-series-home.html.
For more information about the AP802, see the documentation for the Next generation Cisco 880 Series ISRs
at
http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/800/860-880-890/software/configuration/guide/SCG_880_series.pdf.
AP Modules
Spectrum Expert
Information About Spectrum Expert Connection
To obtain detailed spectrum data that can be used to generate RF analysis plots similar to those provided by
a spectrum analyzer, you can configure a Cisco CleanAir-enabled access point to connect directly to a Microsoft
Windows XP or Vista PC running the Spectrum Expert application (referred to as a Spectrum Expert console).
You can initiate the Spectrum Expert connection semi-automatically from Prime Infrastructure or by manually
launching it from the Cisco WLC. This section provides instructions for the latter.
Note
The Cisco Aironet Access Point Module for Wireless Security and Spectrum Intelligence (WSSI) for the
Cisco Aironet 3600 Series Access Point tightly couples data connectivity, spectrum analysis, and security
threat detection and mitigation into a single, multipurpose access point. With WSSI you have to use
Metageek Chanalyzer Pro with CleanAir support and not Spectrum expert for wIPS, CleanAir and spectrum
analysis.

615
AP Modules
Configuring Spectrum Expert (GUI)

Before You Begin
Prior to establishing a connection between the Spectrum Expert console and the access point, make sure that
IP address routing is properly configured and the network spectrum interface (NSI) ports are open in any
intervening firewalls.
Step 1
Step 2
Ensure that Cisco CleanAir functionality is enabled for the access point that will be connected to the Spectrum Expert
console.
Configure the access point for SE-Connect mode using the Cisco WLC GUI or CLI.
Note
The SE-Connect mode is set for the entire access point, not just a single radio. However, the Spectrum Expert
console connects to a single radio at a time.
If you are using the Cisco WLC GUI, follow these steps:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs to open the All APs page.
b) Click the name of the desired access point to open the All APs > Details for page.
c) Choose SE-Connect from the AP Mode drop-down list. This mode is available only for access points that are capable
of supporting Cisco CleanAir functionality. For the SE-Connect mode to appear as an available option, the access
point must have at least one spectrum-capable radio in the Enable state.
d) Click Apply to commit your changes.
e) Click OK when prompted to reboot the access point.
If you are using the CLI, follow these steps:
a) To configure the access point for SE-Connect mode, enter this command:
config ap mode se-connect Cisco_AP
b) When prompted to reboot the access point, enter Y.
c) To verify the SE-Connect configuration status for the access point, enter this command:
Cisco AP Name.................................... CISCO_AP3500
...
Spectrum Management Information
Spectrum Management Capable.............. Yes
Spectrum Management Admin State.......... Enabled
Spectrum Management Operation State...... Up
Rapid Update Mode........................ Disabled
Spectrum Expert connection............... Enabled
Spectrum Sensor State.................. Configured (Error code = 0)
Step 3
On the Windows PC, access the Cisco Software Center from this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html

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AP Modules
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Click Product > Wireless > Cisco Spectrum Intelligence > Cisco Spectrum Expert > Cisco Spectrum Expert Wi-Fi,
and then download the Spectrum Expert 4.0 executable (*.exe) file.
Run the Spectrum Expert application on the PC.
When the Connect to Sensor dialog box appears, enter the IP address of the access point, choose the access point radio,
and enter the 16-byte network spectrum interface (NSI) key to authenticate. The Spectrum Expert application opens a
TCP/IP connection directly to the access point using the NSI protocol.
Note
The access point must be a TCP server listening on ports 37540 for 2.4 GHz and 37550 for 5 GHz frequencies.
These ports must be opened for the spectrum expert application to connect to the access point using the NSI
protocol.
Note
On the Cisco WLC GUI, the NSI key appears in the Network Spectrum Interface Key field (below the Port
Number field) on the All APs > Details for page. To view the NSI key from the Cisco WLC CLI, enter the show
ap config {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP command.
When an access point in SE-Connect mode joins a Cisco WLC, it sends a Spectrum Capabilities notification message,
and the Cisco WLC responds with a Spectrum Configuration Request. The request contains the 16-byte random NSI key
generated by the Cisco WLC for use in NSI authentication. The Cisco WLC generates one key per access point, which
the access point stores until it is rebooted.
You can establish up to three Spectrum Expert console connections per access point radio. The Number of
Spectrum Expert Connections text box on the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page of
the Cisco WLC GUI shows the number of Spectrum Expert applications that are currently connected to the
access point radio.
Verify that the Spectrum Expert console is connected to the access point by selecting the Slave Remote Sensor text box
in the bottom right corner of the Spectrum Expert application. If the two devices are connected, the IP address of the
access point appears in this text box.
Use the Spectrum Expert application to view and analyze spectrum data from the access point.
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module

Information About Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module
Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module is an external module (4G/LTE) that can be plugged
into the Cisco Aironet 3600I APs or Cisco Aironet 3700I APs. The following features are available:
You can configure VLAN tagging for the external modules traffic for the following modes:
Mode
Native VLAN
Non-Native VLAN
FlexConnect Local Switching
Supported
Supported
Local Mode Central Switching
Supported
Supported
The module can be powered up by the PoE+ power supply

Co-existence detection and warning when Wi-Fi in 2.4 GHz and 3G/4G module are enabled
The module's inventory details are available on the Cisco WLC GUI at Wireless > Access Points >
Access Point name > Inventory.

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AP Modules
Supported on the following Cisco Wireless Controller models:

Cisco 2504 WLC
Cisco 5508 WLC
Cisco 5520 WLC
Cisco Flex 7510 WLC
Cisco 8510 WLC
Cisco 8540 WLC
Cisco Virtual Controller
Cisco WiSM2
Supported on the following Cisco Access Point models:
Cisco Aironet 3600I AP
Cisco Aironet 3700I AP
Restrictions
Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Modules are not supported on the following Cisco Access Point
models:
Cisco Aironet 3600E AP
Cisco Aironet 3700E AP
For more information about Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode modules, see http://www.cisco.com/
c/en/us/support/wireless/universal-small-cell-8000-series/tsd-products-support-series-home.html.
Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module

Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs.

Click the AP name.
The All APs > Details page is displayed.
In the Advanced tab, check or uncheck the External Module Status check box.
You might be prompted with a co-existence warning when Wi-Fi in 2.4-GHz and 3G/4G module are enabled.
Configuring Cisco Universal Small Cell 8x18 Dual-Mode Module (CLI)

Enable or disable the Cisco USC 8x18 Dual-Mode Module by entering this command:
config ap module3G {enable | disable} ap-name
You might be prompted with a co-existence warning when Wi-Fi in 2.4-GHz and 3G/4G module are
enabled.

618
AP Modules
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Different Scenarios

Configuring VLAN Tagging for USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in FlexConnect Local Switching (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs.

Click the AP name.
The All APs > Details page is displayed.
In the FlexConnect tab, check the VLAN Support check box and enter the number of the native VLAN on the remote
network (such as 100) in the Native VLAN ID box.
To enable FlexConnect Local Switching with VLAN ID that is other than 0:
a) Enable FlexConnect Local Switching under External Module.
b) Enter a value between 2 and 4096 in the VLAN ID box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 4
Step 5
To enable FlexConnect local switching with VLAN ID equal to 0:

a) Enable FlexConnect Local Switching under External Module.
b) Click Apply.
Step 6
Step 7
To remove the FlexConnect local switching per AP configuration, click Remove AP Specific Config.
Configuring VLAN Tagging for USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in FlexConnect Local Switching (CLI)
config ap flexconnect module-vlan enable ap-name Enables FlexConnect local switching for external
module with native VLAN
config ap flexconnect module-vlan remove ap-nameRemoves the AP specific external module
VLAN configuration
config ap flexconnect module-vlan enable ap-name vlan vlan-idEnables FlexConnect local switching
with non-native VLAN for the external module
show ap module summary {ap-name | all}Displays detailed information about the external module.
show ap inventory {ap-name | all}Displays information about the APs inventory and the external
module, if the module is present
show ap flexconnect module-vlan ap-nameDisplays status of FlexConnect local switching and
VLAN ID value
show ap config general ap-nameDisplays information about the external module info, if the module
is present.

619
AP Modules
Configuring VLAN Tagging for USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in FlexConnect Group Local Switching (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups.

Click New, enter the FlexConnect group name, and click Apply.
On the FlexConnect Groups > Edit page, in the FlexConnect APs area, click Add AP.
You can either select an AP from a list of APs associated with the Cisco WLC or directly specify the Ethernet MAC
address of the AP that is associated with the Cisco WLC.
Click Add.
To enable FlexConnect Local Switching with VLAN ID:
a) Enable FlexConnect Local Switching under External Module Configuration.
b) Enter a value between 2 and 4096 in the VLAN ID box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 7
Configuring VLAN Tagging for USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in FlexConnect Group Local Switching (CLI)
config flexconnect group group-name module-vlan enable vlan vlan-idEnables FlexConnect local
switching for the FlexConnect group
config flexconnect group group-name module-vlan disableDisables the FlexConnect local switching
for the FlexConnect group
show flexconnect group detail group-name module-vlanDisplays status of the FlexConnect local
switching and VLAN ID in the group
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Local Mode Central Switching (GUI)
Step 1
Create a Remote LAN.

For instructions to create a remote LAN, see the Configuring Remote LANs chapter under WLANs.
Step 2
Step 3
On the WLANs > Edit page, click the Security tab.

In the Layer 2 sub-tab, uncheck the MAC Filtering check box.
Note
Remote LAN should be configured only with open security. 802.1X security is not supported.
Step 4
Step 5
To see the current state of the 3G/4G client, choose Monitor > Clients to open the Clients page.
Configuring USC8x18 Dual-Mode Module in Local Mode Central Switching (CLI)

Create a Remote LAN.
For instructions to create a remote LAN, see the Configuring Remote LANs chapter under WLANs.
config interface 3g-vlan interface-name {enable | disable}Enables or disables the 3G/4G-VLAN
interface
show interface detailed interface-nameDisplays status of the 3G/4G-VLAN flag

620
AP Modules
show client summary ipDisplays status of the 3G/4G clients
LED Settings
Information About Configuring LED States for Access Points
In a wireless LAN network where there are a large number of access points, it is difficult to locate a specific
access point associated with the controller. You can configure the controller to set the LED state of an access
point so that it blinks and the access point can be located. This configuration can be done in the wireless
network on a global as well as per-AP level.
The LED state configuration at the global level takes precedence over the AP level.
Configuring the LED State for Access Points in a Network Globally (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Select the LED state check box.
Choose Enable from the drop-down list adjacent to this check box.
Click Apply.
Configuring the LED State for Access Point in a Network Globally (CLI)
Set the LED state for all access points associated with a controller by entering this command:
config ap led-state {enable | disable} all
Configuring LED State on a Specific Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select the LED state check box.
Choose Enable from the drop-down list adjacent to this text box.
Click Apply.
Configuring LED State on a Specific Access Point (CLI)
Step 1
Determine the ID of the access point for which you want to configure the LED state by entering this command:

621
AP Modules
show ap summary
Step 2
Configure the LED state by entering the following command:

config ap led-state {enable | disable} Cisco_AP
Configuring Flashing LEDs

Information About Configuring Flashing LEDs
Controller software enables you to flash the LEDs on an access point in order to locate it. All Cisco IOS
lightweight access points support this feature.
Configuring Flashing LEDs (CLI)
Use these commands to configure LED flashing from the privileged EXEC mode of the controller:
1 Configure the LED flash for an AP by entering this command:
config ap led-state flash {seconds | indefinite | disable} {Cisco_AP}
The valid LED flash duration for the AP is 1 to 3600 seconds. You can also configure the LED to flash
indefinitely or to stop flashing the LED.
2 Disable LED flash for an AP after enabling it by entering this command:
config ap led-state flash disable Cisco_AP
The command disables LED flashing immediately. For example, if you run the previous command (with
the seconds parameter set to 60 seconds) and then disable LED flashing after only 20 seconds, the access
points LEDs stop flashing immediately.
3 Save your changes by entering this command:
save config
4 Check the status of LED flash for the AP by entering this command:
show ap led-flash Cisco_AP
(Cisco Controller)> show ap led-flash AP1040_46:b9
Led Flash........................................ Enabled for 450 secs, 425 secs left
Note
The output of these commands is sent only to the controller console, regardless of whether the commands
were entered on the console or in a TELNET/SSH CLI session.

622
Access Points with Dual-Band Radios
Configuring LED Flash State on a Specific Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the LED Flash State section, select one of the following radio buttons:
Click the LED flash duration for the AP option and enter the duration range from 1 to 3600 seconds.
Click the Indefinite option to configure the LED to flash indefinitely.
Click the Disable option to stop flashing the LED.
Step 4
Click Apply.
Access Points with Dual-Band Radios

Configuring Access Points with Dual-Band Radios (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > Dual-Band Radios to open the Dual-Band Radios page.
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow of the AP and click Configure.
Configure the Admin Status.
Configure CleanAir Admin Status as one of the following:
Enable
Disable
5 GHz Only
2.4 GHz Only
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
What to Do Next
You can monitor the access points with dual-band radios by navigating to Monitor > Access Points > Radios
> Dual-Band Radios.
Configuring Access Points with Dual-Band Radios (CLI)

Configure an access point with dual-band radios by entering this command:
config 802.11-abgn {enable | disable} ap-name

623
Link Latency
Configure the CleanAir features for an access point with dual-band radios by entering this command:
config 802.11-abgn cleanair {enable | disable} ap-name band 2.4-or-5-GHz
Link Latency
Information About Configuring Link Latency
You can configure link latency on the controller to measure the link between an access point and the controller.
This feature can be used with all access points joined to the controller but is especially useful for FlexConnect
and OfficeExtend access points, for which the link could be a slow or unreliable WAN connection.
The following are some guidelines for link latency:
Link latency monitors the round-trip time of the CAPWAP heartbeat packets (echo request and response)
from the access point to the controller and back. This time can vary due to the network link speed and
controller processing loads. The access point timestamps the outgoing echo requests to the controller
and the echo responses received from the controller. The access point sends this delta time to the controller
as the system round-trip time. The access point sends heartbeat packets to the controller at a default
interval of 30 seconds.
Note
Link latency calculates the CAPWAP response time between the access point and the
controller. It does not measure network latency or ping responses.
The controller displays the current round-trip time as well as a running minimum and maximum round-trip
time. The minimum and maximum times continue to run as long as the controller is up or can be cleared
and allowed to restart.
You can configure link latency for a specific access point using the controller GUI or CLI or for all
access points joined to the controller using the CLI.
Restrictions for Link Latency

Link latency is supported for use only with FlexConnect access points in connected mode. FlexConnect
access points in standalone mode are not supported.

624
Link Latency
Configuring Link Latency (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the name of the access point for which you want to configure link latency.
Step 4
Step 5
Select the Enable Link Latency check box to enable link latency for this access point or unselect it to prevent the access
point from sending the round-trip time to the controller after every echo response is received. The default value is
unselected.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
When the All APs page reappears, click the name of the access point again.
When the All APs > Details for page reappears, choose the Advanced tab again. The link latency and data latency results
appear below the Enable Link Latency check box:
CurrentThe current round-trip time (in milliseconds) of CAPWAP heartbeat packets or data packets from the
access point to the controller and back.
MinimumSince link latency has been enabled or reset, the minimum round-trip time (in milliseconds) of
CAPWAP heartbeat packets or data packets from the access point to the controller and back.
MaximumSince link latency has been enabled or reset, the maximum round-trip time (in milliseconds) of
CAPWAP heartbeat packets or data packets from the access point to the controller and back.
Step 9
To clear the current, minimum, and maximum link latency and data latency statistics on the controller for this access
point, click Reset Link Latency.
Step 10
After the page refreshes and the All APs > Details for page reappears, choose the Advanced tab. The updated statistics
appear in the Minimum and Maximum text boxes.
Configuring Link Latency (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable link latency for a specific access point or for all access points currently associated to the controller by
config ap link-latency {enable | disable} {Cisco_AP | all}
The config ap link-latency {enable | disable} all command enables or disables link latency only for access
points that are currently joined to the controller. It does not apply to access points that join in the future.
See the link latency results for a specific access point by entering this command:
Note
Step 2

625
Link Latency

Cisco AP Name.................................... AP1
...
AP Link Latency.................................. Enabled
Current Delay................................... 1 ms
Maximum Delay................................... 1 ms
Minimum Delay................................... 1 ms
Last updated (based on AP Up Time)........... 0 days, 05 h 03 m 25 s
The output of this command contains the following link latency results:
Current DelayThe current round-trip time (in milliseconds) of CAPWAP heartbeat packets from the access
point to the controller and back.
Maximum DelaySince link latency has been enabled or reset, the maximum round-trip time (in milliseconds)
of CAPWAP heartbeat packets from the access point to the controller and back.
Minimum DelaySince link latency has been enabled or reset, the minimum round-trip time (in milliseconds) of
CAPWAP heartbeat packets from the access point to the controller and back.
Step 3
Clear the current, minimum, and maximum link latency statistics on the controller for a specific access point by entering
this command:
config ap link-latency reset Cisco_AP
Step 4
See the results of the reset by entering this command:


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PART
VI
Client Network
Global Traffic Forwarding Configurations, page 629
Quality of Service, page 637
WLANs, page 709
Per-WLAN Wireless Settings, page 717
WLAN Interfaces, page 729
WLAN Timeouts, page 737
WLAN Security, page 743
Client Roaming, page 833
DHCP, page 851
Client Data Tunneling, page 869
Configuring AP Groups, page 885
Workgroup Bridges, page 895
CHAPTER
32
Global Traffic Forwarding Configurations

Configuring IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Caching, page 629
802.3 Bridging, page 630
Fast SSID Change, page 631
IP-MAC Address Binding, page 632
AP TCP MSS Adjust, page 633
Configuring IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Caching

Information About IPv6 Neighbor Discovery
IPv6 Neighbor Discovery is a set of messages and processes that determine relationships between neighboring
nodes. Neighbor Discovery replaces ARP, ICMP Router Discovery, and ICMP Redirect used in IPv4.
At any given time, only eight IPv6 addresses are supported per client. When the ninth IPv6 address is
encountered, the controller removes the oldest stale entry and accommodates the latest one.
IPv6 Neighbor Discovery inspection analyzes neighbor discovery messages in order to build a trusted binding
table database, and IPv6 neighbor discovery packets that do not comply are dropped. The neighbor binding
table in the controller track each IPv6 address and its associated MAC address. Clients are expired from the
table according to Neighbor Binding timers.
Configuring Neighbor Binding (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > IPv6 > Neighbor Binding page.
Step 2
Configure the following:

DownLifetimeSpecifies how long IPv6 cache entries are kept if the interface goes down. The range is from 0
to 86400 seconds.
ReachableLifetimeSpecifies how long IPv6 addresses are active. The range is from 0 to 86400 seconds.

629
802.3 Bridging
StaleLifetimeSpecifies how long to keep IPv6 addresses in the cache. The range is from 0 to 86400 seconds.
Step 3
Step 4
Enable or disable the Unknown Address Multicast NS Forwarding.

Enable or disable NA Multicast Forwarding.
If you enable NA Multicast Forwarding, all unsolicited multicast NA from Wired/Wireless is not forwarded to Wireless.
Step 5
Click Apply.
Step 6
Configuring Neighbor Binding (CLI)

Configure the neighbor binding parameters by entering this command:
config ipv6 neighbor-binding timers {down-lifetime | reachable-lifetime | stale-lifetime} {enable |
disable}
Configure the Unknown Address Multicast NS Forwarding by entering this command:
config ipv6 ns-mcast-fwd {enable | disable}
Configure NA Multicast Forwarding by entering this command:
config ipv6 na-mcast-fwd {enable | disable}
If you enable NA Multicast Forwarding, all unsolicited multicast NA from Wired/Wireless is not
forwarded to Wireless.
See the status of neighbor binding data that are configured on the controller by entering this command:
show ipv6 neighbor-binding summary
802.3 Bridging
Information About Configuring 802.3 Bridging
The controller supports 802.3 frames and the applications that use them, such as those typically used for cash
registers and cash register servers. However, to make these applications work with the controller, the 802.3
frames must be bridged on the controller.
You can also configure 802.3 bridging using the Cisco Prime Network Control System. See the Cisco Prime
Network Control System Configuration Guide for instructions.
Restrictions on 802.3 Bridging

Support for raw 802.3 frames allows the controller to bridge non-IP frames for applications not running
over IP.
The raw 802.3 frame contains destination MAC address, source MAC address, total packet length, and
payload.

630
Fast SSID Change
By default, Cisco 5500 Series Controllers bridge all non-IPv4 packets (such as AppleTalk, IPv6, and so
on). You can also use ACLs to block the bridging of these protocols.
Configuring 802.3 Bridging

Configuring 802.3 Bridging (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
From the 802.3 Bridging drop-down list, choose Enabled to enable 802.3 bridging on your controller or Disabled to
disable this feature. The default value is Disabled.
Step 4
Configuring 802.3 Bridging (CLI)
Step 1
See the current status of 802.3 bridging for all WLANs by entering this command:
show network
Step 2
Enable or disable 802.3 bridging globally on all WLANs by entering this command:
config network 802.3-bridging {enable | disable}
Step 3

save config
Enabling 802.3X Flow Control

802.3X Flow Control is disabled by default. To enable it, enter the config switchconfig flowcontrol enable
command.
Fast SSID Change

Information About Configuring Fast SSID Changing
When fast SSID changing is enabled, the controller allows clients to move faster between SSIDs. When fast
SSID is enabled, the client entry is not cleared and the delay is not enforced.

631
IP-MAC Address Binding
When fast SSID changing is disabled, the controller enforces a delay before clients are allowed to move to a
new SSID. When fast SSID is disabled and the client sends a new association for a different SSID, the client
entry in the controller connection table is cleared before the client is added to the new SSID.
Configuring Fast SSID Changing (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller to open the General page.
Step 2
Step 3
From the Fast SSID Change drop-down list, choose Enabled to enable this feature or Disabled to disable it. The default
value is disabled.
Step 4
Configuring Fast SSID Changing (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable fast SSID changing by entering this command:

config network fast-ssid-change {enable | disable}
Step 2

save config
IP-MAC Address Binding

Information About Configuring IP-MAC Address Binding
In the controller software Release 5.2 or later releases, the controller enforces strict IP address-to-MAC address
binding in client packets. The controller checks the IP address and MAC address in a packet, compares them
to the addresses that are registered with the controller, and forwards the packet only if they both match. In
previous releases, the controller checks only the MAC address of the client and ignores the IP address.
You must disable IP-MAC address binding to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is
associated with a 5500 series controller, a 2500 series controller, or a controller network module. To disable
IP-MAC address binding, enter the config network ip-mac-binding disable.
WLAN must be enabled to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is associated with a 5500
series controller, a 2500 series controller, or a controller network module. If WLAN is disabled, the access
point cannot send packets.

632
AP TCP MSS Adjust
Note
If the IP address or MAC address of the packet has been spoofed, the check does not pass, and the controller
discards the packet. Spoofed packets can pass through the controller only if both the IP and MAC addresses
are spoofed together and changed to that of another valid client on the same controller.
Configuring IP-MAC Address Binding (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable IP-MAC address binding by entering this command:

config network ip-mac-binding {enable | disable}
Note
You might want to disable this binding check if you have a routed network behind a workgroup bridge (WGB).
You must disable this binding check in order to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is joined
to a Cisco 5500 Series Controller.
save config
Note
Step 2
Step 3
View the status of IP-MAC address binding by entering this command:

RF-Network Name.............................
Web Mode....................................
Secure Web Mode.............................
Secure Web Mode Cipher-Option High..........
Secure Web Mode Cipher-Option SSLv2.........
...
ctrl4404
Disable
Enable
Disable
Disable
IP/MAC Addr Binding Check ............... Enabled

...<?Line-Break?><?HardReturn?>
AP TCP MSS Adjust

Information About Configuring the TCP MSS
If the clients maximum segment size (MSS) in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) three-way handshake
is greater than the maximum transmission unit can handle, the client might experience reduced throughput
and the fragmentation of packets. To avoid this problem in controller software release 6.0 or later releases,
you can specify the MSS for all access points that are joined to the controller or for a specific access point.

633
AP TCP MSS Adjust
When you enable this feature, the access point selects the MSS for TCP packets to and from wireless clients
in its data path. If the MSS of these packets is greater than the value that you configured or greater than the
default value for the CAPWAP tunnel, the access point changes the MSS to the new configured value.
TCP MSS is supported only on APs that are in local mode or FlexConnect with centrally switched WLANs.
Configuring TCP MSS (GUI)
Step 1
Choose WIRELESS > Access Points > Global Configuration to open the Global Configuration page.
Step 2
Under TCP MSS, select the Global TCP Adjust MSS check box and set the MSS for all access points that are associated
with the controller.
Note
The valid range are:
For IPv4 TCP - between 536 and
1363 bytes.
For IPv6 TCP - between 1220 and
1331.
Any TCP MSS value that is below 1220 and above 1331 will not be effective for CAPWAP v6 AP .
Configuring TCP MSS (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable the TCP MSS on a particular access point or on all access points by entering this command:
config ap tcp-mss-adjust {enable|disable} {Cisco_AP | all} size
where the size parameter is a value between 536 and 1363 bytes for IPv4 and between 1220 and 1331 for IPv6. The
default value varies for different clients.
Note
The valid ranges are:
For IPv4 - Use a value between 536 and 1363 bytes.
For IPv6 - Use a value between 1220 and 1331 bytes.
Step 2
Step 3
Any TCP MSS value that is below 1220 and above 1331 will not be effective for CAPWAP v6
AP.
save config
See the current TCP MSS setting for a particular access point or all access points by entering this command:
show ap tcp-mss-adjust {Cisco_AP | all}
AP Name
-----------------AP-1140
TCP State
-------enabled
MSS Size
------536

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AP TCP MSS Adjust
AP-1240
AP-1130
disabled
disabled

635
AP TCP MSS Adjust

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CHAPTER
33
Quality of Service
Configuring Quality of Service, page 637
Quality of Service Roles, page 644
Configuring QoS Mapping, page 646
Fastlane QoS, page 649
Media and EDCA, page 659
Application Visibility and Control, page 690
Configuring Quality of Service

Information About Quality of Service
Quality of service (QoS) refers to the capability of a network to provide better service to selected network
traffic over various technologies. The primary goal of QoS is to provide priority including dedicated bandwidth,
controlled jitter and latency (required by some real-time and interactive traffic), and improved loss
characteristics.
The controller supports four QoS levels:
Platinum/VoiceEnsures a high quality of service for voice over wireless.
Gold/VideoSupports high-quality video applications.
Silver/Best EffortSupports normal bandwidth for clients. This is the default setting.
Bronze/BackgroundProvides the lowest bandwidth for guest services.
Note
VoIP clients should be set to Platinum.
You can configure the bandwidth of each QoS level using QoS profiles and then apply the profiles to WLANs.
The profile settings are pushed to the clients associated to that WLAN. In addition, you can create QoS roles
to specify different bandwidth levels for regular and guest users. Follow the instructions in this section to

637
configure QoS profiles and QoS roles. You can also define the maximum and default QoS levels for unicast
and multicast traffic when you assign a QoS profile to a WLAN.
configured.
Configuring Quality of Service Profiles

You can configure the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze QoS profiles.
Configuring QoS Profiles (GUI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles.
To disable the radio networks, choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network, unselect the 802.11a (or
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Wireless > QoS > Profiles to open the QoS Profiles page.
Click the name of the profile that you want to configure to open the Edit QoS Profile page.
Change the description of the profile by modifying the contents of the Description text box.
Define the data rates on a per-user basis as follows:
Note
Note
Note
Step 6
Define the data rates on a per-SSID basis as follows:

Note

638
Note
Step 7
Define the maximum and default QoS levels for unicast and multicast traffic when you assign a QoS profile to a WLAN.
a) From the Maximum Priority drop-down list, choose the maximum QoS priority for any data frames transmitted by
the AP to any station in the WLAN.
For example, a QoS profile named gold targeted for video applications has the maximum priority set to video by
default.
b) From the Unicast Default Priority drop-down list, choose the QoS priority for unicast data frames transmitted by the
AP to non-WMM stations in the WLAN
c) From the Multicast Default Priority drop-down list, choose the QoS priority for multicast data frames transmitted by
the AP to stations in the WLAN,
Note
The default unicast priority cannot be used for non-WMM clients in a mixed WLAN.
Step 8
Choose 802.1p from the Protocol Type drop-down list and enter the maximum priority value in the 802.1p Tag text box
to define the maximum value (07) for the priority tag associated with packets that fall within the profile.
the core network.
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Apply.
Step 12
Choose WLANs and select a WLAN ID to apply the new QoS profile to it.
Step 13
In the WLAN > Edit page, go to the QoS tab and select the QoS Profile type from the Quality of Service drop-down
list. The QoS profile will add the rate limit values configured on the controller on per WLAN, per radio and per AP basis.
For example, if upstream rate limit of 5Mbps is configured for a QoS profile of type silver, then every WLAN that has
silver profile will limit traffic to 5Mbps (5Mbps for each wlan) on each radio and on each AP where the WLAN is
applicable.
Step 14
Step 15
Click Apply.
Note
Configuring QoS Profiles (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles by entering these commands:

639
config 802.11{a | b} disable network

Step 2
Change the profile description by entering this command:

config qos description {bronze | silver | gold | platinum }description
Step 3
Define the average data rate for TCP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos average-data-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
For the rate parameter, you can enter a value between 0 and 512,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes
no bandwidth restriction on the QoS profile.
Define the peak data rate for TCP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos burst-data-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream} rate
Note
Step 4
Step 5
Define the average real-time data rate for UDP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos average-realtime-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
Step 6
Define the peak real-time data rate for UDP traffic per user or per SSID by entering this command:
config qos burst-realtime-rate {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream}
rate
Step 7
Define the maximum and default QoS levels for unicast and multicast traffic when you assign a QoS profile to a WLAN
config qos priority {bronze | gold | platinum | silver} {maximum priority} {default unicast priority} {default multicast
priority}
You choose from the following options for the maximum priority, default unicast priority, and default multicast priority
parameters:
besteffort
background
video
voice
Step 8
Define the maximum value (07) for the priority tag associated with packets that fall within the profile, by entering these
commands:
config qos protocol-type {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} dot1p
config qos dot1p-tag {bronze | silver | gold | platinum} tag
the core network.
Note
The 802.1p tagging has impact only on wired packets. Wireless packets are impacted only by the maximum
priority level set for a QoS profile.
Reenable the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks so that you can configure the QoS profiles by entering these commands:
Note
Step 9
Step 10
Apply the new QoS profile to a WLAN, by entering these commands:

640
config wlan qos <WLAN ID> {bronze | silver | gold | platinum}
QoS Profile per WLAN

Information About QoS Profiles
Cisco UWN solution WLANs support four levels of QoS: Platinum/Voice, Gold/Video, Silver/Best Effort
(default), and Bronze/Background. You can configure the voice traffic WLAN to use Platinum QoS, assign
the low-bandwidth WLAN to use Bronze QoS, and assign all other traffic between the remaining QoS levels.
The WLAN QoS level defines a specific 802.11e user priority (UP) for over-the-air traffic. This UP is used
to derive the over-the-wire priorities for non-WMM traffic, and it also acts as the ceiling when managing
WMM traffic with various levels of priorities.
configured.
The access point uses this QoS-profile-specific UP in accordance with the values in the following table to
derive the IP DSCP value that is visible on the wired LAN.
Table 29: Access Point QoS Translation Values
AVVID Traffic Type
AVVID IP DSCP
QoS Profile
AVVID 802.1p
IEEE 802.11e
UP
Network control
56 (CS7)
Platinum
Inter-network control
(CAPWAP control,
802.11 management)
48 (CS6)
Platinum
Voice
46 (EF)
Platinum
Interactive video
34 (AF41)
Gold
Mission critical
26 (AF31)
Gold
Transactional
18 (AF21)
Silver
Bulk data
10 (AF11)
Bronze
Best effort
0 (BE)
Silver
Scavenger
Bronze

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Note
The IEEE 802.11e UP value for DSCP values that are not mentioned in the table is calculated by considering
3 MSB bits of DSCP.
For example, the IEEE 802.11e UP value for DSCP 32 (100 000 in binary), would be the decimal equivalent
of the MSB (100) which is 4. The 802.11e UP value of DSCP 32 is 4.
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (GUI)
Before You Begin

QoS Profiles (GUI) section.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to assign a QoS profile.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the QoS tab.
From the Quality of Service (QoS) drop-down list, choose one of the following:
Platinum (voice)
Gold (video)
Bronze (background)
Note
Step 5
Silver (best effort) is the default

value.
To define the data rates on a per-user basis, do the following:

Note
Note
Note
Step 6
To define the data rates on a per-SSID basis, do the following:

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Note
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
Assigning a QoS Profile to a WLAN (CLI)

QoS Profiles (CLI) section.
Step 1
Assign a QoS profile to a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan qos wlan_id {bronze | silver | gold | platinum}
Silver is the default value.
Step 2
To override QoS profile rate limit parameters, enter this command:

config wlan override-rate-limit wlan-id {average-data-rate | average-realtime-rate | burst-data-rate |
burst-realtime-rate} {per-ssid | per-client} {downstream | upstream} rate
Step 3
Step 4
Verify that you have properly assigned the QoS profile to the WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
MAC Filtering....................................
Broadcast SSID...................................
Exclusionlist....................................
Session Timeout..................................
Interface........................................
WLAN ACL.........................................
DHCP Server......................................
DHCP Address Assignment Required.................
1
test
test
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
0
Disabled
0
management
unconfigured
1.100.163.24
Disabled

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Quality of Service Roles
Quality of Service............................... Silver (best effort)

WMM.............................................. Disabled
...

Information About Quality of Service Roles
After you configure a QoS profile and apply it to a WLAN, it limits the bandwidth level of clients associated
to that WLAN. Multiple WLANs can be mapped to the same QoS profile, which can result in bandwidth
contention between regular users (such as employees) and guest users. In order to prevent guest users from
using the same level of bandwidth as regular users, you can create QoS roles with different (and presumably
lower) bandwidth contracts and assign them to guest users.
You can configure up to ten QoS roles for guest users.
Note
If you choose to create an entry on the RADIUS server for a guest user and enable RADIUS authentication
for the WLAN on which web authentication is performed rather than adding a guest user to the local user
database from the controller, you need to assign the QoS role on the RADIUS server itself. To do so, a
guest-role Airespace attribute needs to be added on the RADIUS server with a datatype of string and
a return value of 11. This attribute is sent to the controller when authentication occurs. If a role with the
name returned from the RADIUS server is found configured on the controller, the bandwidth associated
to that role is enforced for the guest user after authentication completes successfully.
Configuring QoS Roles (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > QoS > Roles to open the QoS Roles for the Guest Users page.
This page shows any existing QoS roles for guest users.
If you want to delete a QoS role, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that role and choose
Remove.
Click New to create a new QoS role. The QoS Role Name > New page appears.
In the Role Name text box, enter a name for the new QoS role. The name should uniquely identify the role of the QoS
user (such as Contractor, Vendor, and so on).
Click Apply.
Click the name of the QoS role to edit the bandwidth of a QoS role. The Edit QoS Role Data Rates page appears.
Note
The values that you configure for the per-user bandwidth contracts affect only the amount of bandwidth going
downstream (from the access point to the wireless client). They do not affect the bandwidth for upstream traffic
(from the client to the access point).
Note
The Access Points that support per-user bandwidth contracts for upstream (from the client to the access point)
are - AP1140, AP1040, AP3500, AP3600, AP1250, and AP1260.
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

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Step 6
Define the average data rate for TCP traffic on a per-user basis by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Data Rate
text box. You can enter a value between 0 and 60,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes no bandwidth restriction
on the QoS role.
Define the peak data rate for TCP traffic on a per-user basis by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Data Rate text box.
You can enter a value between 0 and 60,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes no bandwidth restriction on the QoS
role.
Note
The burst data rate should be greater than or equal to the average data rate. Otherwise, the QoS policy may block
traffic to and from the wireless client.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Define the average real-time rate for UDP traffic on a per-user basis by entering the rate in Kbps in the Average Real-Time
Rate text box. You can enter a value between 0 and 60,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes no bandwidth
restriction on the QoS role.
Define the peak real-time rate for UDP traffic on a per-user basis by entering the rate in Kbps in the Burst Real-Time
Rate text box. You can enter a value between 0 and 60,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes no bandwidth
Note
The burst real-time rate should be greater than or equal to the average real-time rate. Otherwise, the QoS policy
may block traffic to and from the wireless client.
Click Apply.
Apply a QoS role to a guest user by following the instructions in the Configuring Local Network Users for the Controller
(GUI) section.
Configuring QoS Roles (CLI)
Step 1
Create a QoS role for a guest user by entering this command:

config netuser guest-role create role_name
Note
Step 2
If you want to delete a QoS role, enter the config netuser guest-role delete role_name command.
Configure the bandwidth contracts for a QoS role by entering these commands:
config netuser guest-role qos data-rate average-data-rate role_name rateConfigures the average data rate
for TCP traffic on a per-user basis.
config netuser guest-role qos data-rate burst-data-rate role_name rateConfigures the peak data rate for TCP
traffic on a per-user basis.
Note
config netuser guest-role qos data-rate average-realtime-rate role_name rateConfigures the average real-time
rate for UDP traffic on a per-user basis.
config netuser guest-role qos data-rate burst-realtime-rate role_name rateConfigures the peak real-time rate
for UDP traffic on a per-user basis.

645
Configuring QoS Mapping
Note
Note
Step 3
For the role_name parameter in each of these commands, enter a name for the new QoS role. The name
should uniquely identify the role of the QoS user (such as Contractor, Vendor, and so on). For the rate
parameter, you can enter a value between 0 and 60,000 Kbps (inclusive). A value of 0 imposes no bandwidth
Apply a QoS role to a guest user by entering this command:

config netuser guest-role apply username role_name
For example, the role of Contractor could be applied to guest user jsmith.
Note
Note
If you do not assign a QoS role to a guest user, the Role text box in the User Details shows the role as default.
The bandwidth contracts for this user are defined in the QoS profile for the WLAN.
If you want to unassign a QoS role from a guest user, enter the config netuser guest-role apply username
default command. This user now uses the bandwidth contracts defined in the QoS profile for the WLAN.
Step 4

save config
Step 5
See a list of the current QoS roles and their bandwidth parameters by entering this command:
show netuser guest-roles
Role Name........................................
Average Data Rate...........................
Burst Data Rate.............................
Average Realtime Rate.......................
Burst Realtime Rate.........................
Contractor
10
10
100
100
Role Name........................................ Vendor

Average Data Rate........................... unconfigured
Burst Data Rate............................. unconfigured
Average Realtime Rate....................... unconfigured
Burst Realtime Rate...................... unconfigured

Information About QoS Map
The QoS Map feature maintains the QoS policies in situations where appropriate QoS markings that match
the application type are not marked by clients or applications. The administrator gets to map the differentiated
services code point (DSCP) to user priority (UP) values and also is able to mark from UP to DSCP in a Cisco
WLC.
With QoS in enabled state, the QoS feature is advertised by the AP in the frame. The map is propagated
through a frame to a compatible device when it associates or re-associates with the network.
With QoS in disabled state, the default map is propagated to the AP and the clients from Cisco WLC.

646
This feature is supported on all Cisco AP models.
Restrictions in QoS Map

QoS Map feature is not configurable on the Cisco WLC GUI
You can configure QoS Map only when this feature is in disabled state
This feature does not function with non-801.11u supported hardware. The frames with QoS map is not
sent to these clients, yet, the packets sent by these clients follow the DSCP-UP map that you have
configured
Ensure that you configure all UP values from 0 to 7 before QoS Map is enabled
Ensure the DSCP range for each user priority is non-overlapping
Ensure the DSCP High Value is greater than or equal to the DSCP Low Value
You can configure up to 21 exceptions at a time
Network needs to be disabled before enabling the QoS maps
Configuring QoS Map (GUI)

Before You Begin
We recommend that you disable QoS Map to change the QoS map configuration. When the QoS map is
disabled, the DSCP values reset to default values automatically.
Note
To enable the QoS map after configuring the values, the following conditions must be met:
Configure all the UP values.
Do not overlap DSCP ranges for UP values. For example, if UP1 value range is 10 to 20, do
not use any of the numbers within 10 and 20 for any other UP value range.
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a/n/ac and 802.11b/g/n networks so that you can configure the QoS map.
To disable the radio networks, choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network, uncheck the 802.11a (or
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > QoS > QoS Map to open the QoS map page.
To disable the QoS Map feature, perform the following steps:
1 From the QoS Map drop-down list, choose Disable.
2 To reset the DSCP Exception values, select the Default option.
The Default option resets the UP to DSCP and DSCP to UP table values to 255. This also adds DSCP UP exceptions
if not present previously.

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Step 4
To modify the UP to DSCP Map, perform the following steps:

1 From the User Priority drop-down list, select the value.
2 Enter the DSCP Default, DSCP Start, DSCP End values.
3 Click Modify.
Step 5
To create a DSCP exception, perform the following steps:

1 Enter the DSCP Exception value.
2 From the User Priority drop-down list, select the value.
3 Click Add.
Step 6
To delete a DSCP Exception, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the DSCP Exception and click
Remove.
Click OK when you are prompted to confirm your action.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
To clear the DSCP Exception list, click Clear ALL.

Check or uncheck the Trust DSCP UpStream check box to enable or disable the marking of the upstream packets.
To enable the QoS Map feature, choose Enable from the QoS Map drop-down list.
Click Apply.
802.11b/g) Network Status check box.
Step 12
Configuring QoS Map (CLI)

Enable, disable or revert to default map by entering this command:
config qos qos-map {enable | disable | default}
The default command resets the UP to DSCP and DSCP to UP table values to default values (255). This
also adds DSCP UP exceptions if not present previously.
Set DSCP range for UP by entering this command:
config qos qosmap up-to-dscp-map up dscp-default dscp-start dscp-end
You can run the above command in the following situations:
Clients are QoS map supportive and marks the DSCP or UP with unusual value and the clients
Clients are not QoS map supportive, then this allows the administrator to map particular UP to
DSCP upstream and downstream of Client Packets
Set an exception for DSCP by entering this command:
config qos qosmap dscp-up-to-exception dscp up
You can run the above command in situations when the client marks DSCP with an unusual value.

648
Fastlane QoS
Delete a specific DSCP exception by entering this command:

config qos qosmap delete-dscp-exception dscp
You can run the above command in situations when specific exceptions are to be deleted from the QoS
map.
Delete all exceptions by entering this command:
config qos qosmap clear-all
You can run the above command in a situation where all the values needs to be cleared from the map.
Enable or disable marking of the upstream packets using the client DSCP by entering this command:
config qos qosmap trust-dscp-upstream {enable | disable }
You can run the above command in situations where the client marks DSCP and not UP, or marks UP
to an unusual value. When in enabled state, it will use the DSCP to mark the upstream packets at AP
instead of UP
See the QoS mapping configuration by entering this command:
show qos qosmap
Fastlane QoS
Configuring Fastlane QoS (CLI)
The Fastlane QoS feature provides better quality of service (QoS) treatment for Apple clients when compared
to other wireless clients. This feature is disabled by default.
Note
You should enable or disable this feature only during a maintenance window when not many clients are
connected, as there will be a disruption in service when all the WLANs and the network are disabled and
enabled again.
Enabling Fastlane QoS per WLAN

To enable the Fastlane QoS feature per WLAN, use config qos fastlane enable wlan_id command.
The commands listed in the following table are enabled when you run the config qos fastlane enable wlan_id
command.
Note
If the commands are executed, then Fastlane QoS feature is set and sent to an access point (AP). If a
command that is associated with the Fastlane QoS feature fails while is being enabled on a WLAN, all
the changes will be reverted to their original values, except for QoS map. The QoS map value will revert
to the default value instead of the previously configured value. Also, the new AVC Profile will not be
deleted; it will only be removed from the WLAN.

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Fastlane QoS
Table 30: Commands Executed for Enabling Fastlane QoS
Description
Temporarily disables 802.11a and 802.11b networks
and WLANs.
Commands
config wlan disable all
Sets the QoS profile to Platinum, and default marking

to unmarked unicast, and multicast traffic to best
effort.
config qos priority platinum voice besteffort

besteffort
Disables 802.1p marking (all wired marking is

DSCP-based).
config qos protocol-type platinum none
Does not restrict profile bandwidth for TCP traffic.
Does not restrict profile bandwidth for UDP traffic.
Enables ACM for 802.11a and 802.11b
config qos average-realtime-rate platinum

per-ssid downstream 0
config qos burst-realtime-rate platinum


config 802.11b cac voice acm enable
Limits voice traffic to 50 percent of total bandwidth

for 802.11a and 802.11b.
config 802.11a cac voice max-bandwidth 50

config 802.11b cac voice max-bandwidth 50
Limits video bandwidth to 35 percent if video

bandwidth is greater than 35 percent.
config 802.11a cac video max-bandwidth 35

config 802.11b cac video max-bandwidth 35
Keeps 6 percent bandwidth for roaming users for

802.11a and 802.11b.
config 802.11a cac voice roam-bandwidth 6

config 802.11b cac voice roam-bandwidth 6
Enables expedited bandwidth for 802.11a and

802.11b.
config 802.11a exp-bwreq enable

config 802.11b exp-bwreq enable

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Fastlane QoS
Description
Commands
Configures the user priority (UP) to differentiated

services code point (DSCP) maps.
config qos qosmap disable

config qos qosmap default
config qos qosmap up-to-dscp-map 0 0 0 7
config qos qosmap up-to-dscp-map 1 8 8 15
config qos qosmap up-to-dscp-map 2 16 16
23
31
39
47
62
63
config qos qosmap clear all

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Fastlane QoS
Description
Configures DSCP-to-UP mapping exceptions.

652
Commands
Fastlane QoS
Description
Commands
config qos qosmap dscp-to-up-exception 56
0
0
6
6
5
4
4
4
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
0
2
2

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Fastlane QoS
Description
Commands
2
config qos qosmap dscp-to-up-exception 8 1
Enables DSCP-Trust (new QoS maps).
config qos qosmap trust-dscp-upstream

enable
config qos qosmap enable
Creates the Application Visibility and Control (AVC)

profile.
Configures AVC to mark voice applications and

subcomponents to expedited forwarding (EF) (DSCP
46).
config avc profile

AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE create
config avc profile

AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE rule add
application cisco-phone-audio mark 46
config avc profile
application cisco-jabber-audio mark 46
config avc profile
application ms-lync-audio mark 46
config avc profile
application citrix-audio mark 46
Configures AVC to mark multimedia conferencing

applications to assured forwarding (AF) 41 (DSCP
34).
config avc profile

application cisco-phone-video mark 34
config avc profile
application cisco-jabber-video mark 34
config avc profile
application ms-lync-video mark 34
config avc profile
application webex-media mark 34

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Fastlane QoS
Description
Commands
Configures AVC to mark multimedia streaming

applications to AF31 (DSCP 26).
config avc profile

application citrix mark 26
config avc profile
application pcoip mark 26
config avc profile
application vnc mark 26
config avc profile
application vnc-http mark 26
Configures AVC to mark signaling protocols to CS3

(DSCP 24).
config avc profile

application skinny mark 24
config avc profile
application cisco-jabber-control mark 24
config avc profile
application sip mark 24
config avc profile
application sip-tls mark 24
Configures AVC to mark transactional data

applications to AF21 (DSCP 18).
config avc profile

application cisco-jabber-im mark 18
config avc profile
application ms-office-web-apps mark 18
config avc profile
application salesforce mark 18
config avc profile
application sap mark 18

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Fastlane QoS
Description
Configures AVC to mark OAM applications to CS2
(DSCP 16).
Commands
config avc profile
application dhcp mark 16
config avc profile
application dns mark 16
config avc profile
application ntp mark 16
config avc profile
application snmp mark 16
Configures AVC to mark bulk data applications

marking to AF11 (DSCP 10).
config avc profile

application ftp mark 10
config avc profile
application ftp-data mark 10
config avc profile
application ftps-data mark 10
config avc profile
application cifs mark 10
Configures AVC to mark scavenger applications to

CS1 (DSCP 8).
config avc profile

application netflix mark 8
config avc profile
application youtube mark 8
config avc profile
application skype mark 8
config avc profile
application bittorrent mark 8
Applies the platinum QoS profile to the WLAN.

656
config wlan qos wlan_id platinum
Fastlane QoS
Description
Commands
Applies the AVC profile AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE

to the WLAN ID wlan-id if AVC visibility is enabled
on the WLAN.
config wlan avc wlan_idprofile

AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE enable
Re-enables 802.11a and 802.11b networks and

WLANs.

config wlan enable all
Disabling Fastlane QoS in WLANs

To disable Fastlane QoS in WLANs, use the config qos fastlane disable wlan_id command.
The commands listed in the following table will be disabled when the Fastlane QoS feature is disabled in
WLANs, using the config qos fastlane disable wlan_id command:
Note
When the Fastlane QoS feature is disabled per WLAN, all the values will revert to the default state, except
the WLAN status, which moves to the previous state.
While disabling Fastlane QoS in WLANs, if media stream is enabled, it will be disabled before enabling
a Silver profile to QoS.
Table 31: Commands Executed for Disabling Fastlane QoS in WLAN
Description
Commands
Disables the WLANs to make changes to WLAN

configuration.
Note
If Call Snooping and KTS are enabled, then

it will disabled.
Applies the Silver (default) QoS profile to the WLAN

.
config wlan qos wlan_id silver
Removes the AVC profile

AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE to the WLAN ID
wlan-id if attached.
config wlan avc wlan_id profile

AUTOQOS-AVC-PROFILE disable
Reverts the WLAN to the earlier state (if WLAN was

in Enabled state before, it will revert to Enabled state
and if WLAN was in Disabled state, it will revert to
Disabled state).

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Fastlane QoS
Disabling Fastlane QoS Globally

To disable Fastlane QoS globally, use the config qos fastlane disable global command.
When the Fastlane QoS feature is disabled globally, the values will be reverted to the default values shown
in the following table.
Note
Fastlane QoS must be disabled on all the WLANs before config qos fastlane disable global command
is executed.
If a command associated with the Fastlane QoS feature fails while the command is being enabled globally,
all the changes will be reverted to their original values, except QoS map, whose value is reverted to the
default, instead of the previously configured value.
Table 32: Commands Executed for Disabling Fastlane QoS Globally
Description
Temporarily disable 802.11a and 802.11b networks
to make changes to QoS Profiles.
Commands
Disable all the WLANs to make changes to QoS

profile.
config wlan disable all
Optimizes the Platinum QoS profile to the default

QoS configuration.
config qos priority platinum voice voice voice

config qos protocol-type platinum none
config qos average-realtime-rate platinum
config qos burst-realtime-rate platinum
Disables ACM for 802.11a and 802.11b.
config 802.11a cac voice acm disable

config 802.11b cac voice acm disable
config 802.11a cac video max-bandwidth 5
config 802.11b cac video max-bandwidth 5
Limits voice traffic to the default of the total

bandwidth for 802.11a and 802.11b.
config 802.11a cac voice max-bandwidth 75

config 802.11b cac voice max-bandwidth 75

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Description
Commands
Keeps the default bandwidth for roaming users for

802.11a and 802.11b.
config 802.11a cac voice roam-bandwidth 6

config 802.11b cac voice roam-bandwidth 6
Enables the expedited bandwidth for 802.11a and

802.11b.
config 802.11a exp-bwreq enable

config 802.11b exp-bwreq enable
Disables the UP-to-DSCP maps.
config qos qosmap disable

config qos qosmap default
Configuring Fastlane QoS (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Select WLANs to open the WLANs window.

Select QoS to open the WLANs > Edit window.
From the Fastlane drop-down, enable or disable Fastlane QoS.
Click Apply to save your settings.
Disabling Fastlane QoS Globally (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Advanced > QoS >Fastlane to open the Fastlane Configuration window.
Click Apply at the Revert Fastlane AutoQoS global parameters to defaults to disable Fastlane globally.
Media and EDCA

Aggressive Load Balancing
Information About Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing
Enabling aggressive load balancing on the controller allows lightweight access points to load balance wireless
clients across access points. You can enable aggressive load balancing using the controller.

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Media and EDCA
Note
Clients are load balanced between access points on the same controller. Load balancing does not occur
between access points on different controllers.
When a wireless client attempts to associate to a lightweight access point, association response packets are
sent to the client with an 802.11 response packet including status code 17. The code 17 indicates that the AP
is busy. The AP does not respond with an association response bearing 'success' if the AP threshold is not
met, and with code 17 (AP busy) if the AP utilization threshold is exceeded, and another less busy AP heard
the client request.
For example, if the number of clients on AP1 is more than the number of clients on AP2 plus the load-balancing
window, then AP1 is considered to be busier than AP2. When a client attempts to associate to AP1, it receives
an 802.11 response packet with status code 17, indicating that the access point is busy, and the client attempts
to associate to a different access point.
You can configure the controller to deny client associations up to 10 times (if a client attempted to associate
11 times, it would be allowed to associate on the 11th try). You can also enable or disable load balancing on
a particular WLAN, which is useful if you want to disable load balancing for a select group of clients (such
as time-sensitive voice clients).
Note
Voice Client does not authenticate when delay is configured more than 300 ms. To avoid this configure
a Central-Auth, Local Switching WLAN with CCKM, configure a Pagent Router between AP and WLC
with a delay of 600 ms (300 ms UP and 300 ms DOWN and try associating the voice client
Passive scanning clients will be able to associate to an AP irrespective of whether load balancing is enabled
or not.
Note
Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points do not support client load balancing.
With the 7.4 release, FlexConnect access points do support client load balancing.
You can configure the controller to analyze the WAN interface utilization of neighboring APs and then load
balance the clients across the lightly loaded APs. You can configure this by defining a load balancing threshold.
By defining the threshold, you can measure the WAN interface utilization percentage. For example, a threshold
value of 50 triggers the load balancing upon detecting utilization of 50% or more on an AP-WAN interface.
Note
For a FlexConnect AP the association is locally handled. The load-balancing decisions are taken at the
Cisco WLC. A FlexConnect AP initially responds to the client before knowing the result of calculations
at the Cisco WLC. Load-balancing doesn't take effect when the FlexConnect AP is in standalone mode.
FlexConnect AP does not send (re)association response with status 17 for Load-Balancing as Local mode
APs do; instead, it first sends (re)association with status 0 (success) and then deauth with reason 5.

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Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Load Balancing to open the Load Balancing page.
In the Client Window Size text box, enter a value between 1 and 20.
The window size becomes part of the algorithm that determines whether an access point is too heavily loaded to accept
more client associations:
clients on the access point with the lightest load forms the threshold. Access points with more client associations than
this threshold is considered busy, and clients can associate only to access points with client counts lower than the threshold.
Step 3
In the Maximum Denial Count text box, enter a value between 0 and 10.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
To enable or disable aggressive load balancing on specific WLANs, do the following:
a) Choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
b) In the Advanced tab, select or unselect the Client Load Balancing check box.
c) Click Apply.
Configuring Aggressive Load Balancing (CLI)
Step 1
Set the client window for aggressive load balancing by entering this command:
config load-balancing window client_count
You can enter a value between 0 and 20 for the client_count parameter.
Step 2
Set the denial count for load balancing by entering this command:
config load-balancing denial denial_count
You can enter a value between 1 and 10 for the denial_count parameter.
Step 3

save config
Step 4
Enable or disable aggressive load balancing on specific WLANs by entering this command:
config wlan load-balance allow {enable | disable} wlan_ID
Step 5

show load-balancing

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Step 6

save config
Step 7
Configure the load balance mode on a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan load-balance mode {client-count | uplink-usage} wlan-id
This feature requires the AP to upload its uplink usage statistics to the controller periodically. Check these statistics by
show ap stats system cisco-AP
Media Session and Snooping

Information About Media Session Snooping and Reporting
This feature enables access points to detect the establishment, termination, and failure of Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) voice calls and then report them to the controller and Cisco Prime Infrastructure. You can
enable or disable Voice over IP (VoIP) snooping and reporting for each WLAN.
When you enable VoIP Media Session Aware (MSA) snooping, the access point radios that advertise this
WLAN look for SIP voice packets that comply with SIP RFC 3261. They do not look for non-RFC
3261-compliant SIP voice packets or Skinny Call Control Protocol (SCCP) voice packets. Any SIP packets
destined to or originating from port number 5060 (the standard SIP signaling port) are considered for further
inspection. The access points track when Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) and non-WMM clients are establishing
a call, are already on an active call, or are in the process of ending a call. Upstream packet classification for
both client types occurs at the access point. Downstream packet classification occurs at the controller for
WMM clients and at the access point for non-WMM clients. The access points notify the controller and Cisco
Prime Infrastructure of any major call events, such as call establishment, termination, and failure.
The controller provides detailed information for VoIP MSA calls. For failed calls, the controller generates a
trap log with a timestamp and the reason for failure (in the GUI) and an error code (in the CLI) to aid in
troubleshooting. For successful calls, the controller shows the number and duration of calls for usage tracking
purposes. Cisco Prime Infrastructure displays failed VoIP call information in the Events page.
Restrictions for Media Session Snooping and Reporting

Controller software release 6.0 or later releases support Voice over IP (VoIP) Media Session Aware (MSA)
snooping and reporting.

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Configuring Media Session Snooping (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure media session snooping.
Under Voice, select the Media Session Snooping check box to enable media session snooping or unselect it to disable
this feature. The default value is unselected.
Click Apply.
See the VoIP statistics for your access point radios as follows:
a) Choose Monitor > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
b) Scroll to the right and click the Detail link for the access point for which you want to view VoIP statistics. The Radio
> Statistics page appears.
The VoIP Stats section shows the cumulative number and length of voice calls for this access point radio. Entries
are added automatically when voice calls are successfully placed and deleted when the access point disassociates
from the controller.
Step 8
Choose Management > SNMP > Trap Logs to see the traps generated for failed calls. The Trap Logs page appears.
For example, log 0 in the figure shows that a call failed. The log provides the date and time of the call, a description of
the failure, and the reason why the failure occurred.
Configuring Media Session Snooping (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable VoIP snooping for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan call-snoop {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the status of media session snooping on a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier.................................. 1
Profile Name..................................... wpa2-psk
Network Name (SSID).............................. wpa2-psk
Status........................................... Enabled
...
FlexConnect Local Switching........................ Disabled
Infrastructure MFP protection.............. Enabled (Global Infrastructure MFP

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Disabled)
Call Snooping.................................. Enabled
Step 4
See the call information for an MSA client when media session snooping is enabled and the call is active by entering
this command:
show call-control client callInfo client_MAC_address
Uplink IP/port......................................
Downlonk IP/port....................................
UP..................................................
Calling Party.......................................
Called Party........................................
Call ID.............................................
Number of calls for given client is.............. 1
Step 5
192.11.1.71 / 23870
192.12.1.47 / 2070
6
sip:1054
sip:1000
58635b00-850161b7-14853-1501a8
See the metrics for successful calls or the traps generated for failed calls by entering this command:
show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP {metrics | traps}
Information similar to the following appears when you enter show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
metrics:
Total Call Duration in Seconds................... 120
Number of Calls.................................. 10
Information similar to the following appears when you enter show call-control ap {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP traps:
Number of traps sent in one min.................. 2
Last SIP error code.............................. 404
Last sent trap timestamp...................... Jun 20 10:05:06
To aid in troubleshooting, the output of this command shows an error code for any failed calls. This table explains the
possible error codes for failed calls.
Table 33: Error Codes for Failed VoIP Calls
Error Code
Integer
Description
unknown
Unknown error.
400
badRequest
The request could not be understood because of malformed syntax.
401
unauthorized
The request requires user authentication.
402
paymentRequired
Reserved for future use.
403
forbidden
The server understood the request but refuses to fulfill it.

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Error Code
Integer
Description
404
notFound
The server has information that the user does not exist at the domain
specified in the Request-URI.
405
methodNotallowed
The method specified in the Request-Line is understood but not

allowed for the address identified by the Request-URI.
406
notAcceptabl
The resource identified by the request is only capable of generating

response entities with content characteristics that are not acceptable
according to the Accept header text box sent in the request.
407
proxyAuthenticationRequired
The client must first authenticate with the proxy.
408
requestTimeout
The server could not produce a response within a suitable amount

of time, if it could not determine the location of the user in time.
409
conflict
The request could not be completed due to a conflict with the

current state of the resource.
410
gone
The requested resource is no longer available at the server, and no

forwarding address is known.
411
lengthRequired

413
requestEntityTooLarge

414
requestURITooLarge
The server is refusing to service the request because the

Request-URI is longer than the server is willing to interpret.
415
unsupportedMediaType
The server is refusing to service the request because the message

body of the request is in a format not supported by the server for
the requested method.
420
badExtension
The server did not understand the protocol extension specified in

a Proxy-Require or Require header text box.
480
temporarilyNotAvailable
is currently unavailable.
481
callLegDoesNotExist
The UAS received a request that does not match any existing dialog
or transaction.
482
loopDetected
The server has detected a loop.
483
tooManyHops
The server received a request that contains a Max-Forwards header

text box with the value zero.

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Error Code
Integer
Description
484
addressIncomplete
The server received a request with a Request-URI that was

incomplete.
485
ambiguous
The Request-URI was ambiguous.
486
busy
is currently not willing or able to take additional calls at this end
system.
500
internalServerError
The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it

from fulfilling the request.
501
notImplemented
The server does not support the functionality required to fulfill the
request.
502
badGateway
The server, while acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid

response from the downstream server it accessed in attempting to
fulfill the request.
503
serviceUnavailable
The server is temporarily unable to process the request because of

a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server.
504
serverTimeout
The server did not receive a timely response from an external server
it accessed in attempting to process the request.
505
versionNotSupported
The server does not support or refuses to support the SIP protocol
version that was used in the request.
600
busyEverywhere
is busy or does not want to take the call at this time.
603
decline
The callees machine was contacted successfully, but the user does
not want to or cannot participate.
604
doesNotExistAnywhere
The server has information that the user indicated in the

Request-URI does not exist anywhere.
606
notAcceptable
The users agent was contacted successfully, but some aspects of

the session description (such as the requested media, bandwidth,
or addressing style) were not acceptable.
Note
If you experience any problems with media session snooping, enter the debug call-control {all | event} {enable
| disable} command to debug all media session snooping messages or events.

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QoS Enhanced BSS

Prerequisites for Using QoS Enhanced BSS on Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP Phones
Follow these guidelines to use Cisco 7921 and 7920 Wireless IP Phones with controllers:
Aggressive load balancing must be disabled for each controller. Otherwise, the initial roam attempt by
the phone may fail, causing a disruption in the audio path.
The Dynamic Transmit Power Control (DTPC) information element (IE) must be enabled using the
config 802.11b dtpc enable command. The DTPC IE is a beacon and probe information element that
allows the access point to broadcast information on its transmit power. The 7921 or 7920 phone uses
this information to automatically adjust its transmit power to the same level as the access point to which
it is associated. In this manner, both devices are transmitting at the same level.
Both the 7921 and 7920 phones and the controllers support Cisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM)
fast roaming.
When configuring WEP, there is a difference in nomenclature for the controller and the 7921 or 7920
phone. Configure the controller for 104 bits when using 128-bit WEP for the 7921 or 7920.
For standalone 7921 phones, load-based CAC must be enabled, and the WMM Policy must be set to
Required on the WLAN.
The controller supports traffic classification (TCLAS) coming from 7921 phones using firmware version
1.1.1. This feature ensures proper classification of voice streams to the 7921 phones.
When using a 7921 phone with the 802.11a radio of a 1242 series access point, set the 24-Mbps data
rate to Supported and choose a lower Mandatory data rate (such as 12 Mbps). Otherwise, the phone
might experience poor voice quality.
Information About QoS Enhanced BSS

The QoS Enhanced Basis Service Set (QBSS) information element (IE) enables the access points to
communicate their channel usage to wireless devices. Because access points with high channel usage might
not be able to handle real-time traffic effectively, the 7921 or 7920 phone uses the QBSS value to determine
if they should associate to another access point. You can enable QBSS in these two modes:
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) mode, which supports devices that meet the 802.11E QBSS standard (such
as Cisco 7921 IP Phones)
7920 support mode, which supports Cisco 7920 IP Phones on your 802.11b/g network
The 7920 support mode has two options:
Support for 7920 phones that require call admission control (CAC) to be configured on and
advertised by the client device (these are typically older 7920 phones)
Support for 7920 phones that require CAC to be configured on and advertised by the access point
(these are typically newer 7920 phones)
When access point-controlled CAC is enabled, the access point sends out a Cisco proprietary CAC
Information Element (IE) and does not send out the standard QBSS IE.

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Restrictions for QoS Enhanced BSS

The OEAP 600 Series access points do not support CAC.
QBSS is disabled by default.
7920 phones are non-WMM phones with limited CAC functionality. The phones look at the channel
utilization of the access point to which they are associated and compare that to a threshold that is beaconed
by the access point. If the channel utilization is less than the threshold, the 7920 places a call. In contrast,
7921 phones are full-fledged WMM phones that use traffic specifications (TSPECs) to gain access to
the voice queue before placing a phone call. The 7921 phones work well with load-based CAC, which
uses the percentage of the channel set aside for voice and tries to limit the calls accordingly.
Because 7921 phones support WMM and 7920 phones do not, capacity and voice quality problems can
arise if you do not properly configure both phones when they are used in a mixed environment. To enable
both 7921 and 7920 phones to co-exist on the same network, make sure that load-based CAC and 7920
AP CAC are both enabled on the controller and the WMM Policy is set to Allowed. These settings
become particularly important if you have many more 7920 users than 7921 users.
We recommend that aggressive load balancing always be turned off either through the controller GUI
or CLI in any wireless network that is supporting voice, regardless of vendor. When aggressive load
balancing is turned on, voice clients can hear an audible artifact when roaming, if the handset is refused
at its first reassociation attempt.
Configuring QBSS (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure WMM mode.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the QoS tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Qos) page.
From the WMM Policy drop-down list, choose one of the following options, depending on whether you want to enable
WMM mode for 7921 phones and other devices that meet the WMM standard:
DisabledDisables WMM on the WLAN. This is the default value.
AllowedAllows client devices to use WMM on the WLAN.
RequiredRequires client devices to use WMM. Devices that do not support WMM cannot join the WLAN.
Step 5
Step 6
Select the 7920 AP CAC check box if you want to enable 7920 support mode for phones that require access
point-controlled CAC. The default value is unselected.
Select the 7920 Client CAC check box if you want to enable 7920 support mode for phones that require client-controlled
CAC. The default value is unselected.
Note
Step 7
Step 8


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Configuring QBSS (CLI)
Step 1
Determine the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to add QBSS support by entering this command:
show wlan summary
Step 2

Step 3
Configure WMM mode for 7921 phones and other devices that meet the WMM standard by entering this command:
config wlan wmm {disabled | allowed | required} wlan_id
where
disabled disables WMM mode on the WLAN.
allowed allows client devices to use WMM on the WLAN.
required requires client devices to use WMM. Devices that do not support WMM cannot join the WLAN.
Step 4
Enable or disable 7920 support mode for phones that require client-controlled CAC by entering this command:
config wlan 7920-support client-cac-limit {enable | disable} wlan_id
Note
Step 5
Enable or disable 7920 support mode for phones that require access point-controlled CAC by entering this command:
config wlan 7920-support ap-cac-limit {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 6

Step 7

save config
Step 8
Verify that the WLAN is enabled and the Dot11-Phone Mode (7920) text box is configured for compact mode by entering
this command:
show wlan wlan_id

Configuring Voice and Video Parameters
Information About Configuring Voice and Video Parameters
Three parameters on the controller affect voice and/or video quality:
Call admission control
Expedited bandwidth requests
Unscheduled automatic power save delivery

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Each of these parameters is supported in Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) v4 and v5.
Note
Traffic stream metrics (TSM) can be used to monitor and report issues with voice quality.

Call admission control (CAC) enables an access point to maintain controlled quality of service (QoS) when
the wireless LAN is experiencing congestion. The Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) protocol deployed in CCXv3
ensures sufficient QoS as long as the wireless LAN is not congested. However, in order to maintain QoS
under differing network loads, CAC in CCXv4 is required. Two types of CAC are available: bandwidth-based
CAC and load-based CAC.
Note
CAC is not supported in Flexconnect local auth, resulting in voice traffic not getting properly tagged.
Bandwidth-Based CAC
Bandwidth-based, or static, CAC enables the client to specify how much bandwidth or shared medium time
is required to accept a new call and in turn enables the access point to determine whether it is capable of
accommodating this particular call. The access point rejects the call if necessary in order to maintain the
maximum allowed number of calls with acceptable quality.
The QoS setting for a WLAN determines the level of bandwidth-based CAC support. To use bandwidth-based
CAC with voice applications, the WLAN must be configured for Platinum QoS. To use bandwidth-based
CAC with video applications, the WLAN must be configured for Gold QoS. Also, make sure that WMM is
enabled for the WLAN. See the Information About Configuring 802.3 Bridging, on page 630 section for QoS
and WMM configuration instructions.
Note
You must enable admission control (ACM) for CCXv4 clients that have WMM enabled. Otherwise,
bandwidth-based CAC does not operate properly.
Load-Based CAC
Load-based CAC incorporates a measurement scheme that takes into account the bandwidth consumed by all
traffic types (including that from clients), co-channel access point loads, and collocated channel interference,
for voice applications. Load-based CAC also covers the additional bandwidth consumption resulting from
PHY and channel impairment.
In load-based CAC, the access point continuously measures and updates the utilization of the RF channel
(that is, the percentage of bandwidth that has been exhausted), channel interference, and the additional calls
that the access point can admit. The access point admits a new call only if the channel has enough unused
bandwidth to support that call. By doing so, load-based CAC prevents oversubscription of the channel and
maintains QoS under all conditions of WLAN loading and interference.
Note
Load-based CAC is supported only on lightweight access points. If you disable load-based CAC, the
access points start using bandwidth-based CAC.
Expedited Bandwidth Requests

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The expedited bandwidth request feature enables CCXv5 clients to indicate the urgency of a WMM traffic
specifications (TSPEC) request (for example, an e911 call) to the WLAN. When the controller receives this
request, it attempts to facilitate the urgency of the call in any way possible without potentially altering the
quality of other TSPEC calls that are in progress.
You can apply expedited bandwidth requests to both bandwidth-based and load-based CAC. Expedited
bandwidth requests are disabled by default. When this feature is disabled, the controller ignores all expedited
requests and processes TSPEC requests as normal TSPEC requests.
This table lists examples of TSPEC request handling for normal TSPEC requests and expedited bandwidth
requests.
Table 34: TSPEC Request Handling Examples
8
CAC Mode
Reserved
bandwidth
for voice
7
calls
Usage
Normal
TSPEC
Request
TSPEC with Expedited

Bandwidth Request
Bandwidth-based
CAC
75%
(default
setting)
Less than 75%
Admitted
Admitted
Between 75% and 90%

Rejected
Admitted
More than 90%
Rejected
Rejected
Less than 75%
Admitted
Admitted
Between 75% and 85%

Rejected
Admitted
More than 85%
Rejected
Rejected
Load-based CAC
7 For bandwidth-based CAC, the voice call bandwidth usage is per access point and does not take into account co-channel access points. For load-based CAC,
the voice call bandwidth usage is measured for the entire channel.
8 Bandwidth-based CAC (consumed voice and video bandwidth) or load-based CAC (channel utilization [Pb]).
Note
Admission control for TSPEC g711-40ms codec type is supported.
Note
When video ACM is enabled, the controller rejects a video TSPEC if the non-MSDU size in the TSPEC
is greater than 149 or the mean data rate is greater than 1 Kbps.
U-APSD
Unscheduled automatic power save delivery (U-APSD) is a QoS facility defined in IEEE 802.11e that extends
the battery life of mobile clients. In addition to extending battery life, this feature reduces the latency of traffic
flow delivered over the wireless media. Because U-APSD does not require the client to poll each individual

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packet buffered at the access point, it allows delivery of multiple downlink packets by sending a single uplink
trigger packet. U-APSD is enabled automatically when WMM is enabled.
Traffic Stream Metrics
In a voice-over-wireless LAN (VoWLAN) deployment, traffic stream metrics (TSM) can be used to monitor
voice-related metrics on the client-access point air interface. It reports both packet latency and packet loss.
You can isolate poor voice quality issues by studying these reports.
The metrics consist of a collection of uplink (client side) and downlink (access point side) statistics between
an access point and a client device that supports CCX v4 or later releases. If the client is not CCX v4 or CCXv5
compliant, only downlink statistics are captured. The client and access point measure these metrics. The access
point also collects the measurements every 5 seconds, prepares 90-second reports, and then sends the reports
to the controller. The controller organizes the uplink measurements on a client basis and the downlink
measurements on an access point basis and maintains an hours worth of historical data. To store this data,
the controller requires 32 MB of additional memory for uplink metrics and 4.8 MB for downlink metrics.
TSM can be configured through either the GUI or the CLI on a per radio-band basis (for example, all 802.11a
radios). The controller saves the configuration in flash memory so that it persists across reboots. After an
access point receives the configuration from the controller, it enables TSM on the specified radio band.
Note
Access points support TSM entries in both local and FlexConnect modes.
This table shows the upper limit for TSM entries in different controller series.
Note
TSM Entries
5500
7500
MAX AP TSM entries
100
100
MAX Client TSM entries
250
250
MAX TSM entries
100*250=25000
100*250=25000
Once the upper limit is reached, additional TSM entries cannot be stored and sent to Cisco Prime
Infrastructure. If client TSM entries are full and AP TSM entries are available, then only the AP entries
are stored, and vice versa. This leads to partial output. TSM cleanup occurs every one hour. Entries are
removed only for those APs and clients that are not in the system.

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Configuring Voice Parameters

Configuring Voice Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Ensure that the WLAN is configured for WMM and the Platinum QoS level.
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media page appears. The Voice
tab is displayed by default.
Select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable bandwidth-based CAC for this radio band. The default value
is disabled.
Select the Admission Control (ACM) you want to use by choosing from the following choices:
Step 5
Step 6
Load-basedTo enable channel-based CAC. This is the default option.

StaticTo enable radio-based CAC.
Step 7
In the Max RF Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for voice
applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new calls on this
radio band.
The range is 5% to 85%. The sum of maximum bandwidth percentage of voice and video should not exceed 85%.
The default is 75%.
Step 8
In the Reserved Roaming Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of maximum allocated bandwidth that is reserved
for roaming voice clients. The controller reserves this bandwidth from the maximum allocated bandwidth for roaming
voice clients.
The range is 0% to 25%.
The default is 6%.
Step 9
To enable expedited bandwidth requests, select the Expedited Bandwidth check box. By default, this text box is disabled.
Step 10
To enable SIP CAC support, select the SIP CAC Support check box. By default, SIP CAC support is disabled.
Step 11
From the SIP Codec drop-down list, choose one of the following options to set the codec name. The default value is
G.711. The options are as follows:
User Defined
G.711
G.729
Step 12
In the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box, enter the bandwidth in kilobits per second.
Note
The SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is highlighted only when you select the SIP codec as User-Defined. If you
choose the SIP codec as G.711, the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is set to 64. If you choose the SIP codec
as G.729, the SIP Bandwidth (kbps) text box is set to 8.

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Step 13
Step 14
In the SIP Voice Sample Interval (msecs) text box, enter the value for the sample interval.
In the Maximum Calls text box, enter the maximum number of calls that can be made to this radio. The maximum call
limit includes both direct and roaming-in calls. If the maximum call limit is reached, the new or roaming-in calls result
in failure.
The default value is 0, which indicates that there is no check for maximum call limit.
Step 19
If SIP CAC is supported and the CAC method is static, the Maximum Possible Voice Calls and Maximum
Possible Roaming Reserved Calls fields appear.
Select the Metrics Collection check box to collect traffic stream metrics. By default, this box is unselected. That is, the
traffic stream metrics is not collected by default.
Click Apply.
Step 20
Repeat this procedure if you want to configure voice parameters for another radio band.
Note
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Configuring Voice Parameters (CLI)
Before You Begin

Step 1
show wlan summary
Step 2
Make sure that the WLAN that you are planning to modify is configured for WMM and the QoS level is set to Platinum
show wlan wlan_id
Step 3
Disable all WLANs with WMM enabled prior to changing the voice parameters by entering the command:
Step 4

Step 5

save config
Step 6
Enable or disable bandwidth-based voice CAC for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice acm {enable | disable}
Step 7
Set the percentage of maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for voice applications on the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network

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The bandwidth range is 5 to 85%, and the default value is 75%. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access
point rejects new calls on this network.
Step 8
Set the percentage of maximum allocated bandwidth reserved for roaming voice clients by entering this command:
The bandwidth range is 0 to 25%, and the default value is 6%. The controller reserves this much bandwidth from the
maximum allocated bandwidth for roaming voice clients.
Step 9
Configure the codec name and sample interval as parameters and to calculate the required bandwidth per call by entering
this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice sip codec {g711 | g729} sample-interval number_msecs
Step 10
Configure the bandwidth that is required per call by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac voice sip bandwidth bandwidth_kbps sample-interval number_msecs
Step 11

Step 12

Step 13
View the TSM voice metrics by entering this command:

show [802.11a | 802.11b] cu-metrics AP_Name
The command also displays the channel utilization metrics.
Step 14
Configuring Video Parameters

Configuring Video Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media page appears.
In the Video tab, select the Admission Control (ACM) check box to enable video CAC for this radio band. The default
value is disabled.
From the CAC Method drop-down list, choose between Static and Load Based methods.
The static CAC method is based on the radio and the load-based CAC method is based on the channel.
Note
Step 7
In the Max RF Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for video
applications on this radio band. When the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new requests on this
radio band.
The range is 5% to 85%. The sum of maximum bandwidth percentage of voice and video should not exceed 85%. The
default is 0%.

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Step 8
Step 9
In the Reserved Roaming Bandwidth text box, enter the percentage of the maximum RF bandwidth that is reserved for
roaming clients for video.
Configure the SIP CAC Support by selecting or unselecting the SIP CAC Support check box.
SIP CAC is supported only if SIP Snooping is enabled.
Note
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
You cannot enable SIP CAC if you have selected the Load Based CAC method.
Click Apply.
Repeat this procedure if you want to configure video parameters for another radio band.
Configuring Video Parameters (CLI)
Before You Begin

Step 1
show wlan summary
Step 2
Make sure that the WLAN that you are planning to modify is configured for WMM and the QoS level is set to Gold by
show wlan wlan_id
Step 3
Disable all WLANs with WMM enabled prior to changing the video parameters by entering this command:
Step 4

Step 5

save config
Step 6
Enable or disable video CAC for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video acm {enable | disable}
Step 7
To configure the CAC method as either static or load-based, enter this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video cac-method {static | load-based}
Step 8
Set the percentage of maximum bandwidth allocated to clients for video applications on the 802.11a or 802.11b/g network
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video max-bandwidth bandwidth
The bandwidth range is 5 to 85%, and the default value is 5%. However, the maximum RF bandwidth cannot exceed
85% for voice and video. Once the client reaches the value specified, the access point rejects new calls on this network.
Note
If this parameter is set to zero (0), the controller assumes that you do not want to do any bandwidth allocation
and, therefore, allows all bandwidth requests.

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Step 9
To configure the percentage of the maximum RF bandwidth that is reserved for roaming clients for video, enter this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video roam-bandwidth bandwidth
Step 10
To configure the CAC parameters for SIP-based video calls, enter this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video sip {enable | disable}
Step 11
Process or ignore the TSPEC inactivity timeout received from an access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} cac video tspec-inactivity-timeout {enable | ignore}
Step 12

Step 13

Step 14
Viewing Voice and Video Settings

Viewing Voice and Video Settings (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click the MAC address of the desired client to open the Clients > Detail page.
This page shows the U-APSD status (if enabled) for this client under Quality of Service Properties.
Step 3
Click Back to return to the Clients page.
Step 4
See the TSM statistics for a particular client and the access point to which this client is associated as follows:
a) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired client and choose 802.11aTSM or 802.11b/g TSM.
The Clients > AP page appears.
b) Click the Detail link for the desired access point to open the Clients > AP > Traffic Stream Metrics page.
This page shows the TSM statistics for this client and the access point to which it is associated. The statistics are
shown in 90-second intervals. The timestamp text box shows the specific interval when the statistics were collected.
Step 5
See the TSM statistics for a particular access point and a particular client associated to this access point, as follows:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n. The 802.11a/n/ac Radios or 802.11b/g/n
Radios page appears.
b) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and choose 802.11aTSM or 802.11b/g
TSM. The AP > Clients page appears.
c) Click the Detail link for the desired client to open the AP > Clients > Traffic Stream Metrics page.
This page shows the TSM statistics for this access point and a client associated to it. The statistics are shown in
90-second intervals. The timestamp text box shows the specific interval when the statistics were collected.

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Viewing Voice and Video Settings (CLI)
Step 1
See the CAC configuration for the 802.11 network by entering this command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b}
Step 2
See the CAC statistics for a particular access point by entering this command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b} ap_name
Call Admission Control (CAC) Stats
Voice Bandwidth in use(% of config bw)......... 0
Total channel MT free........................ 0
Total voice MT free.......................... 0
Na Direct.................................... 0
Na Roam...................................... 0
Video Bandwidth in use(% of config bw)......... 0
Total num of voice calls in progress........... 0
Num of roaming voice calls in progress......... 0
Total Num of voice calls since AP joined....... 0
Total Num of roaming calls since AP joined..... 0
Total Num of exp bw requests received.......... 5
Total Num of exp bw requests admitted.......... 2
Num of voice calls rejected since AP joined...... 0
Num of roam calls rejected since AP joined..... 0
Num of calls rejected due to insufficient bw....0
Num of calls rejected due to invalid params.... 0
Num of calls rejected due to PHY rate.......... 0
Num of calls rejected due to QoS policy..... 0
In the example above, MT is medium time, Na is the number of additional calls, and exp bw is expedited bandwidth.
Note
Suppose an AP has to be rebooted when a voice client associated with the AP is on an active call. After the AP
is rebooted, the client continues to maintain the call, and during the time the AP is down, the database is not
refreshed by the controller. Therefore, we recommend that all active calls are ended before the AP is taken
down.
Step 3
See the U-APSD status for a particular client by entering this command:
Step 4
See the TSM statistics for a particular client and the access point to which this client is associated by entering this
command:
show client tsm {802.11a | 802.11b} client_mac {ap_mac | all}
The optional all command shows all access points to which this client has associated. Information similar to the following
appears:
Timestamp
UpLink Stats
================
00:01:02:03:04:05
90 seconds
1st Jan 2006, 06:35:80

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Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
DownLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
Note
Note
Step 5
Clear the TSM statistics for a particular access point or all the access points to which this client is associated
by entering this clear client tsm {802.11a | 802.11b} client_mac {ap_mac | all} command.
See the TSM statistics for a particular access point and a particular client associated to this access point by entering this
command:
show ap stats {802.11a | 802.11b} ap_name tsm {client_mac | all}
The optional all command shows all clients associated to this access point. Information similar to the following appears:
AP Interface Mac:
00:0b:85:01:02:03
00:01:02:03:04:05
90 seconds
Timestamp
1st Jan 2006, 06:35:80
UpLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20
DownLink Stats
================
Delay bet 10 - 20 ms......................................20
Delay bet 20 - 40 ms......................................20

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Enable or disable debugging for call admission control (CAC) messages, events, or packets by entering this command:
debug cac {all | event | packet}{enable | disable}
Note
Step 6
where all configures debugging for all CAC messages, event configures debugging for all CAC events, and packet
configures debugging for all CAC packets.
Step 7
Use the following command to perform voice diagnostics and to view the debug messages between a maximum of two
802.11 clients:
debug voice-diag {enable | disable} mac-id mac-id2 [verbose]
The verbose mode is an optional argument. When the verbose option is used, all debug messages are displayed in the
console. You can use this command to monitor a maximum of two 802.11 clients. If one of the clients is a non-WiFi
client, only the 802.11 client is monitored for debug messages.
It is implicitly assumed that the clients being monitored are on
call.
Note
The debug command automatically stops after 60
minutes.
Use the following commands to view various voice-related parameters:
Note
Step 8
show client voice-diag status

Displays information about whether voice diagnostics is enabled or disabled. If enabled, will also displays information
about the clients in the watch list and the time remaining for the diagnostics of the voice call.
If voice diagnostics is disabled when the following commands are entered, a message indicating that voice diagnostics
is disabled appears.
show client voice-diag tspec
Displays the TSPEC information sent from the clients that are enabled for voice diagnostics.
show client voice-diag qos-map
Displays information about the QoS/DSCP mapping and packet statistics in each of the four queues: VO, VI, BE,
BK. The different DSCP values are also displayed.
show client voice-diag avrg_rssi
Display the clients RSSI values in the last 5 seconds when voice diagnostics is enabled.
show client voice-diag roam-history
Displays information about the last three roaming calls. The output contains the timestamp, access point associated
with roaming, roaming reason, and if there is a roaming failure, the reason for the roaming-failure.
show client calls {active | rejected} {802.11a | 802.11bg | all}
This command lists the details of active TSPEC and SIP calls on the controller.
Step 9
Use the following commands to troubleshoot video debug messages and statistics:

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debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name multicastDisplays the access points supported multicast
rates.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name loadDisplays the access points QBSS and other statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name tx-queueDisplays the access points transmit queue traffic
statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name client {all | video | client-mac}Displays the access points
client metrics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name packetDisplays the access points packet statistics.
debug ap show stats {802.11b | 802.11a} ap-name video metricsDisplays the access points video metrics.
debug ap show stats video ap-name multicast mgid number Displays an access points Layer 2 MGID database
number.
debug ap show stats video ap-name admissionDisplays an access points admission control statistics.
debug ap show stats video ap-name bandwidthDisplays an access points video bandwidth.
Configuring SIP-Based CAC

Restrictions for SIP-Based CAC
SIPs are available only on the Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, Cisco 8500 Series Controllers, and on the
1240, 1130, and 11n access points.
SIP CAC should only be used for phones that support status code 17 and do not support TSPEC-based
admission control.
SIP CAC will be supported only if SIP snooping is enabled.
Configuring SIP-Based CAC (GUI)
Before You Begin

Ensure that you have set the voice to the platinum QoS level.
Ensure that you have enabled call snooping for the WLAN.
Ensure that you have enabled the Admission Control (ACM) for this radio.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > Advanced > SIP Snooping to open the SIP Snooping page.
Specify the call-snooping ports by entering the starting port and the ending port.
Click Apply and then click Save Configuration.

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Configuring SIP-Based CAC (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Step 4
To configure the call snooping ports, enter this command:

config advanced sip-snooping-ports starting-port ending-port
Step 5
To troubleshoot SIP-based CAC events, enter this command:

debug sip event {enable | disable}
Configuring Media Parameters

Configuring Media Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Media. The 802.11a (or 802.11b) > Media > Parameters page appears.
Step 5
Choose the Media tab to open the Media page.
Step 6
Select the Unicast Video Redirect check box to enable Unicast Video Redirect. The default value is disabled.
Step 7
In the Maximum Media Bandwidth (0-85%) text box, enter the percentage of the maximum bandwidth to be allocated
for media applications on this radio band. Once the client reaches the specified value, the access point rejects new calls
on this radio band.
The default value is 85%; valid values are from 0 to 85%.

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Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
In the Client Phy Rate text box, enter the value for the rate in kilobits per second at which the client operates.
In the Maximum Retry Percent (0-100%) text box, enter the percentage of the maximum retry. The default value is
80.
Select the Multicast Direct Enable check box to enable the Multicast Direct Enable text box. The default value is
enabled.
From the Max Streams per Radio drop-down list, choose the maximum number of allowed multicast direct streams
per radio. Choose a value between 1 to 20 or No Limit. The default value is set to No Limit.
From the Max Streams per Client drop-down list, choose the maximum number of allowed clients per radio. Choose
a value between 1 to 20 or No Limit. The default value is set to No Limit.
If you want to enable the best radio queue for this radio, select the Best Effort QoS Admission check box. The default
value is disabled.
Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers

Information About Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers
You can configure a controller to support calls from clients that do not support TSPEC-based calls. This
feature is known as voice prioritization. These calls are given priority over other clients utilizing the voice
pool. Voice prioritization is available only for SIP-based calls and not for TSPEC-based calls. If the bandwidth
is available, it takes the normal flow and allocates the bandwidth to those calls.
You can configure up to six preferred call numbers. When a call comes to one of the configured preferred
numbers, the controller does not check on the maximum call limit. It invokes the CAC to allocate bandwidth
for the preferred call. The bandwidth allocation is 85 percent of the entire bandwidth pool, not just from the
maximum configured voice pool. The bandwidth allocation is the same even for roaming calls.
Prerequisites for Configuring Voice Prioritization Using Preferred Call Numbers
You must configure the following before configuring voice prioritization:
Set WLAN QoS to platinum.
Enable ACM for the radio.
Enable SIP call snooping on the WLAN.
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Set the WLAN QoS profile to Platinum.

Enable ACM for the WLAN radio.
Enable SIP call snooping for the WLAN.
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Preferred Call to open the Preferred Call page.
All calls configured on the controller appear.
Note
To remove a preferred call, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow and choose Remove.

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Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Add Number to add a new preferred call.

In the Call Index text box, enter the index that you want to assign to the call. Valid values are from 1 through 6.
In the Call Number text box, enter the number.
Click Apply to add the new number.
Configuring a Preferred Call Number (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Step 3
Step 4
Add a new preferred call by entering this command:

config advanced sip-preferred-call-no call_index {call_number | none}
Step 5
Remove a preferred call by entering this command:

config advanced sip-preferred-call-no call_index none
Step 6
View the preferred call statistics by entering the following command:

show ap stats {802.11{a | b} | wlan} ap_name
Step 7
Enter the following command to list the preferred call numbers:

show advanced sip-preferred-call-no
Configuring EDCA Parameters

Information About EDCA Parameters
Enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters are designed to provide preferential wireless channel
access for voice, video, and other quality-of-service (QoS) traffic.
Configuring EDCA Parameters (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click EDCA Parametersunder 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n.
Step 3
Step 4
The 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) > EDCA Parameters window is displayed.

Choose one of the following options from the EDCA Profile drop-down list:
WMMEnables the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) default parameters. This is the default value. Choose this option
when voice or video services are not deployed on your network.

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Spectralink Voice PriorityEnables SpectraLink voice-priority parameters. Choose this option if SpectraLink
phones are deployed on your network to improve the quality of calls.
Voice OptimizedEnables Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) voice-optimized profile parameters.
Choose this option when voice services other than SpectraLink are deployed on your network.
Voice & Video OptimizedEnables EDCA voice-optimized and video-optimized profile parameters. Choose
this option when both voice and video services are deployed on your network.
Custom VoiceEnables custom voice EDCA parameters for 802.11a. The EDCA parameters under this option
Note
If you deploy video services, admission control must be

disabled.
FastlaneEnables fastlane EDCA parameters.

Step 5
Step 6
To enable MAC optimization for voice, check the Enable Low Latency MAC check box. By default, this check box is
not checked. This feature enhances voice performance by controlling packet retransmits and appropriately aging out
voice packets on lightweight access points, which improves the number of voice calls serviced per access point.
Note
We recommend against you enabling low latency MAC. You should enable low-latency MAC only if the WLAN
allows WMM clients. If WMM is enabled, then low-latency MAC can be used with any of the EDCA profiles.
Step 7
To re-enable the radio network, click Network under 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n, check the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g)
Network Status check box, and click Apply.
Step 8
Configuring EDCA Parameters (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2

save config
Step 3
Enable a specific EDCA profile by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} edca-parameters {wmm-default | svp-voice | optimized-voice |
optimzed-voice-video | custom-voice |fastlane}
wmm-defaultEnables the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) default parameters. This is the default value. Choose this
option if voice or video services are not deployed on your network.
svp-voiceEnables SpectraLink voice-priority parameters. Choose this option if SpectraLink phones are deployed
on your network to improve the quality of calls.
optimized-voiceEnables EDCA voice-optimized profile parameters. Choose this option if voice services other
than SpectraLink are deployed on your network.
optimized-video-voiceEnables EDCA voice-optimized and video-optimized profile parameters. Choose this
option if both voice and video services are deployed on your network.

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custom-voiceEnables custom voice EDCA parameters for 802.11a. The EDCA parameters under this option
Note
If you deploy video services, admission control (ACM) must be disabled.
FastlaneEnables Fast Lane EDCA parameters.

Step 4
View the current status of MAC optimization for voice by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b}
Information that is similar to the following example is displayed:
Voice-mac-optimization...................Disabled
Step 5
Enable or disable MAC optimization for voice by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} voice-mac-optimization {enable | disable}
This feature enhances voice performance by controlling packet retransmits and appropriately aging out voice
packets on lightweight APs. This, in tun improves the number of voice calls serviced per AP. The default value
is disabled.
Re-enable the radio network by entering this command:
Note
Step 6
Step 7
Save your settings by entering this command: save config.
Key Telephone System-based CAC

Restrictions for Key Telephone System-Based CAC
The controller ignores the SSID Capability Check Request message from the clients.
Preferred call is not supported for KTS CAC clients.
Reason code 17 is not supported in intercontroller roaming scenarios.
To make the KTS-based CAC feature functional, ensure that you do the following:
Enable WMM on the WLAN
Enable ACM at the radio level
Enable processing of TSPEC inactivity timeout at the radio level
Information About Key Telephone System-Based CAC
Key Telephone System-based CAC is a protocol that is used in NEC MH240 wireless IP telephones. You can
configure the controller to support CAC on KTS-based SIP clients, to process bandwidth request message
from such clients, to allocate the required bandwidth on the AP radio, and to handle other messages that are
part of the protocol.
When a call is initiated, the KTS-based CAC client sends a Bandwidth Request message to which the controller
responds with a Bandwidth Confirm message indicating whether the bandwidth is allocated or not. The call

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is allowed only if the bandwidth is available. If the client roams from one AP to another, the client sends
another Bandwidth Request message to the controller.
Bandwidth allocation depends on the median time calculated using the data rate from the Bandwidth Request
message and the packetization interval. For KTS-based CAC clients, the G.711 codec with 20 milliseconds
as the packetization interval is used to compute the medium time.
The controller releases the bandwidth after it receives the bandwidth release message from the client. When
the client roams to another AP, the controller releases the bandwidth on the previous AP and allocates bandwidth
on the new AP, in both intracontroller and intercontroller roaming scenarios. The controller releases the
bandwidth if the client is dissociated or if there is inactivity for 120 seconds. The controller does not inform
the client when the bandwidth is released for the client due to inactivity or dissociation of the client.
Configuring KTS-based CAC (GUI)
Before You Begin

Set the QoS profile for the WLAN to Platinum.
Set the WLAN in disabled state.
Set the FlexConnect Local Switching in disabled state for the WLAN (On the WLANs > Edit page,
click the Advanced tab and uncheck the FlexConnect Local Switching check box).
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure the KTS-based CAC policy.
Under Voice, check or uncheck the KTS based CAC Policy check box to enable or disable KTS-based CAC for the
WLAN.
Configuring KTS-based CAC (CLI)
Before You Begin

Configure the QoS profile for the WLAN to Platinum by entering the following command:
config wlan qos wlan-id platinum
Disable the WLAN by entering the following command:
Disable FlexConnect Local Switching for the WLAN by entering the following command:

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Media and EDCA
config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan-id disable
Step 1
To enable KTS-based CAC for a WLAN, enter the following command:

config wlan kts-cac enable wlan-id
Step 2
To enable the functioning of the KTS-based CAC feature, ensure you do the following:
a) Enable WMM on the WLAN by entering the following command:
config wlan wmm allow wlan-id
b) Enable ACM at the radio level by entering the following command:
c) Enable the processing of the TSPEC inactivity timeout at the radio level by entering the following command:
config 802.11a cac voice tspec-inactivity-timeout enable
Related Commands
To see whether the client supports KTS-based CAC, enter the following command:
Client MAC Address............................... 00:60:b9:0d:ef:26
Client Username ................................. N/A
AP MAC Address................................... 58:bc:27:93:79:90
QoS Level........................................
802.1P Priority Tag..............................
KTS CAC Capability...............................
WMM Support......................................
Power Save.......................................
Platinum
disabled
Yes
Enabled
ON
To troubleshoot issues with KTS-based CAC, enter the following command:

debug cac kts enable
To troubleshoot other issues related to CAC, enter the following commands:
debug cac event enable
debug call-control all enable
Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients

Information About Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients
You can allow voice clients to get anchored on the best suited and nearest available controller, which is useful
when intercontroller roaming occurs. By using this feature, you can avoid the use of tunnels to carry traffic
between the foreign controller and the anchor controller and remove unnecessary traffic from the network.

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Media and EDCA
The ongoing call during roaming is not affected and can continue without any problem. The traffic passes
through proper tunnels that are established between the foreign controller and the anchor controller.
Disassociation occurs only after the call ends, and then the client then gets reassociated to a new controller.
Note
You can reanchor roaming of voice clients for each WLAN.
Restrictions for Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients

The ongoing data session might be affected due to disassociation and then reassociation.
This feature is supported for TSPEC-based calls and non-TSPEC SIP-based calls only when you enable
the admission control.
This feature is not recommended for use on Cisco 792x phones.
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure reanchoring of roaming voice clients.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page.
In the Voice area select the Re-anchor Roamed Clients check box.
Configuring Reanchoring of Roaming Voice Clients (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable reanchoring of roaming voice clients for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan roamed-voice-client re-anchor {enable | disable} wlan id
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the status of reanchoring roaming voice client on a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
1
wpa2-psk
wpa2-psk
Enabled

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...
Call Snooping....................................
Roamed Call Re-Anchor Policy.....................
Band Select......................................
Load Balancing...................................
Step 4
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled

save config

Information About Application Visibility and Control
Application Visibility and Control (AVC) classifies applications using deep packet inspection techniques with
the Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) engine, and provides application-level visibility and
control (QoS) in wireless networks. After the applications are recognized, the AVC feature enables you to
either drop, mark, or police the data traffic.
Using AVC, we can detect more than 1000 applications. AVC enables you to perform real-time analysis and
create policies to reduce network congestion, costly network link usage, and infrastructure upgrades.
Note
You can view list of 30 applications in Top Applications in Monitor Summary section of the UI.
AVC DSCP marks only the DSCP of the original packet in the controller in both directions (upstream and
downstream). It does not affect the outer CAPWAP DCSP. AVC DSCP is applicable only when the application
is classified. For example, based on the AVC profile configuration, if an application is classified as ftp or
http, the corresponding DSCP marking is applied irrespective of the WLAN QoS. For downstream, the DSCP
value of outer CAPWAP header and inner packets DSCP are taken from AVC DSCP. WLAN QoS is only
applicable for all traffic from WLC to AP through CAPWAP. It does not change the DSCP of the original
packet.
Using AVC rule, you can limit the bandwidth of a particular application for all the clients joined on the WLAN.
These bandwidth contracts coexist with per-client downstream rate limiting with per client downstream rate
limits that takes precedence over the per-application rate limits.
Note
When you downgrade the controller from 8.0 to any earlier version, the AVC rate limit rules display the
action as drop. This action is expected since the AVC rate limit rule is introduced in the controller version
8.0.
AVC is supported in central switching mode on the following controller platforms: Cisco 2500 Series Wireless
Controllers, Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco 8500
Series Wireless Controllers, and Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2).
The number of concurrent flows supported for AVC classification on different controller platforms for 8.0
release are noted in the following table. The absolute maximum number of flows supported on one platform

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cannot exceed more than 110% of the numbers shown in the following table and this 10% extra flows support
will happen based on availability of the free memory in the system.
Controller
Flow
1,75,000
25,000
WISM-2
3,75,000
3,50,000
Application Visibility and Control Protocol Packs

Protocol packs are a means to distribute protocol updates outside the controller software release trains, and
can be loaded on the controller without replacing the controller software.
The Application Visibility and Control Protocol Pack (AVC Protocol Pack) is a single compressed file that
contains multiple Protocol Description Language (PDL) files and a manifest file. A set of required protocols
can be loaded, which helps AVC to recognize additional protocols for classification on your network. The
manifest file gives information about the protocol pack, such as the protocol pack name, version, and some
information about the available PDLs in the protocol pack.
The AVC Protocol Packs are released to specific AVC engine versions. You can load a protocol pack if the
engine version on the controller platform is the same or higher than the version required by the protocol pack.
AAA override for AVC profiles
The AAA attribute for client or user profile is configured on the AAA server using authentication from
RADIUS server or Cisco ACS or ISE. The AAA attribute is processed during layer 2 or layer 3 authentication
by the controller and the same is overridden by what is configured on the WLAN.
The AAA AVC profile is defined as a Cisco AV air. The string option is defined as avc-profile-name and
this value has to be configured for any AVC profile available in the controller.
Restrictions for Application Visibility and Control

Layer 2 roaming is not supported across controllers.
Controller GUI support is not present for the AVC Protocol Pack feature.
Downloading the AVC Protocol Pack is not supported on the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers.
a Mark rule.
If the standby controller has a different protocol pack version installed before pairing, then the active
and standby controllers will have different protocol packs versions after pairing, in a HA environment.
In the standby controller, the transferred protocol pack takes the preference over default protocol pack.

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For example, the controller with the software release 8.0 contains Protocol Pack version 9.0 by default.
Before pairing, if one of the controllers has a Protocol Pack version 11.0 installed, then after pairing one
controller contains Protocol Pack version 9.0 and the other controller contains Protocol Pack 11.0
installed.
AVC rate limiting is not supported on Cisco 2504 WLC.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (GUI)
Step 1
Create and configure an AVC profile by following these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Application Visibility and Control > AVC Profiles.
b) Click New.
c) Enter the AVC profile name.
d) Click Apply.
e) On the AVC Profile Name page, click the corresponding AVC profile name.
The AVC Profile > Edit page is displayed.
f) Click Add New Rule.
g) Choose the application group and the application name from the respective drop-down lists.
View the list of default AVC applications available by choosing Wireless > Application Visibility and Control >
AVC Applications.
h) From the Action drop-down list, choose either of the following:
DropDrops the upstream and downstream packets that correspond to the chosen application.
MarkMarks the upstream and downstream packets that correspond to the chosen application with the
Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value that you specify in the DSCP (0 to 63) drop-down list. The
DSCP value helps you provide differentiated services based on the QoS levels.
Note
The default action is to give permission to all

applications.
i) If you choose Mark from the Action drop-down list, choose a DSCP value from the DSCP (0 to 63) drop-down list.
The DSCP value is a packet header code that is used to define QoS across the Internet. The DSCP values are mapped
to the following QoS levels:
Platinum (Voice)Assures a high QoS for Voice over Wireless.
Gold (Video)Supports high-quality video applications.
Silver (Best Effort)Supports normal bandwidth for clients.
Bronze (Background)Provides the lowest bandwidth for guest services.
You can also choose Custom and specify the DSCP value. The valid range is from 0 to 63.
j) Click Apply.
k) Click Save Configuration.
Step 2
Associate an AVC profile to a WLAN by following these steps:

a) Choose WLANs and click the corresponding WLAN ID.

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b)
c)
d)
e)
Click the QoS tab.

Choose the AVC profile from the AVC Profile drop-down list.
Click Apply.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control (CLI)

Create or delete an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name {create | delete}
Add a rule for an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name rule add application application-name {drop | mark dscp-value
| ratelimit Average Ratelimit value Burst Ratelimit value}
Remove a rule for an AVC profile by entering this command:
config avc profile avc-profile-name rule remove application application-name
Configure an AVC profile to a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan avc wlan-id profile avc-profile-name {enable | disable}
Configure application visibility for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan avc wlan-id visibility {enable | disable}
Note
Application visibility is the subset of an AVC profile. Therefore, visibility is

automatically enabled when you configure an AVC profile on the WLAN.
Download an AVC Protocol Pack to the controller by entering these commands:

1 transfer download datatype avc-protocol-pack
2 transfer download start
View information about all AVC profile or a particular AVC profile by entering this command:
show avc profile {summary | detailed avc-profile-name}
View information about AVC applications by entering these commands:
show avc applications [application-group]Displays all the supported AVC applications for the
application group.
show avc statistics application application_name top-users [downstream wlan | upstream wlan
| wlan] [wlan_id ]} Displays AVC statistics for the top users of an application.
show avc statistics top-apps [upstream | downstream]Displays the AVC statistics for the
most used application.

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show avc statistics wlan wlan_id {application application_name | top-app-groups [upstream

| downstream] | top-apps [upstream | downstream]}Displays the AVC statistics of a WLAN
per application or top applications or top application groups.
show avc statistics client client_MAC {application application_name | top-apps [upstream |
downstream]}Displays the client AVC statistics per application or top applications.
Note
You can view list of 30 applications using the show avc applications and show avc
statistics commands.
View the protocol pack that is used on the controller by entering this command:
show avc protocol-pack version
View the AVC engine version information by entering this command:
show avc engine version
Configure troubleshooting for AVC events by entering this command:
debug avc events {enable | disable}
Configure troubleshooting for AVC errors by entering this command:
debug avc error {enable | disable}
Configuring NetFlow
Information About NetFlow
NetFlow is an embedded instrumentation within the Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC) software to characterize
wireless network flows. NetFlow monitors each IP flow and exports the aggregated flow data to the external
NetFlow collectors.
The NetFlow architecture consists of the following components:
CollectorEntity that collects all the IP traffic information from various NetFlow exporters.
ExporterNetwork entity that exports the template with the IP traffic information. The Cisco WLC acts
as an exporter.
Note
Cisco WLC does not support IPv6 address format when acting as an exporter for
NetFlow.
NetFlow has added an enhanced template in Release 8.2 using the Version 9 export format, which provides
additional 17-field information about the flow. This report is compatible with third-party NetFlow collectors,
including Lancope. The minimum supported protocol pack version is 14 with NBAR engine version 23.
Currently, the enhanced template is supported on specific models, such as Cisco 5520, Cisco 8510, and Cisco
8540 WLCs. The existing template continues to export data for the following Cisco models:
Cisco 2504 WLC

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Cisco 5508 WLC

Cisco 5520 WLC
Cisco Flex 7510 WLC
Cisco 8510 WLC
Cisco 8540 WLC
Cisco WiSM2
The following are the template enhancements in NetFlow Version 9 :
New features can be added to NetFlow quickly, without breaking existing implementations.
NetFlow is future-proofed against new or developing protocols, because NetFlow Version 9 can be
adapted to provide support for those protocols.
NetFlow Version 9 is the IETF standard mechanism for information export.
Third-party business partners who produce applications that provide collector or display services for
NetFlow are not required to recompile their applications each time a new NetFlow feature is added.
Table 35: List of data points in a NetFlow template
9
10
Enhanced template :
applicationTag
applicationTag
ipDiffServCodePoint
staMacAddress
octetDeltaCount
wtpMacAddress
packetDeltaCount
WlanID
postIpDiffServCodePoint
Source IP
staIPv4Address
Dest IP
staMacAddress
Source Port
wlanSSID
Dest Port
wtpMacAddress
Protocol
Start Time
End Time
Direction
Packet count

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10
Enhanced template :
Byte count
VLAN id
TOS
Client username
9 Supported on Cisco 2504, 5508, 5520, Flex 7510, 8510, 8540, WiSM2 WLCs
10 Supported on Cisco 5520, 8510, and 8540 WLCs
Restrictions for Using Netflow

The enhanced template is supported only on Cisco 5520, 8510, and 8540 WLCs.
The enhanced template is not supported on the Cisco 2504, 5508, 7510, and WiSM2 WLCs.
NetFlow is not supported on Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller (vWLC).
FlexConnect mode is not supported.
IPv6 traffic is not supported.
Only one collector and exporter each can be configured.
Configuring NetFlow (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the Exporter by performing these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Netflow > Exporter.
b) Click New.
c) Enter the Exporter name, IP address, and the port number.
The valid range for the port number is from 1 to 65535.
d) Click Apply.
e) Click Save Configuration.
Step 2
Configure the NetFlow Monitor by performing these steps:

a) Choose Wireless > Netflow > Monitor.
b) Click New and enter a Monitor name.
c) On the Monitor List window, click the Monitor name to open the Netflow Monitor > Edit window.
d) Choose the exporter name and the record name from the respective drop-down lists.
Client App RecordBetter Performance
Client Source and Destination RecordHigher Visibility
Note
This option is not available in Cisco 5508
WLC.

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e) Click Apply.
f) Click Save Configuration.
Step 3
Associate a NetFlow Monitor to a WLAN by performing these steps:

a) Choose WLANs and click a WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
b) In the QoS tab, choose a NetFlow monitor from the Netflow Monitor drop-down list.
c) Click Apply.
Configuring NetFlow (CLI)

Create an Exporter by entering this command:
config flow create exporter exporter-name ip-addr port-number
Create a NetFlow Monitor by entering this command:
config flow create monitor monitor-name
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with an exporter by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name exporter exporter-name
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with a record by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name record ipv4_client_app_flow_record
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with the new template record by entering this command:
config flow {add | delete} monitor monitor-name record ipv4_client_src_dst_flow_record
Associate or dissociate a NetFlow monitor with a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan flow wlan-id monitor monitor-name {enable | disable}
View a summary of NetFlow monitors by entering this command:
show flow monitor summary
View information about the Exporter by entering this command:
show flow exporter {summary | statistics}
Configure NetFlow debug by entering this command:
debug flow {detail | error | info} {enable | disable}
Application Visibility Control for FlexConnect

Release 8.1 introduces support for Application Visibility and Control for locally switched WLANs on
FlexConnect APs. Application Visibility Control (AVC) provides application-aware control on a wireless
network and enhances manageability and productivity. The support of AVC embedded within the FlexConnect
AP extends as this is an end-to-end solution, which gives a complete visibility of applications in the network
and allows the administrator to perform necessary actions.

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Supported Hardware
Supported Access Points1600, 1700, 2600, 2700, 3600, 3700, 1532, 1570
Supported WLCs5508, 5520, Flex 7510, 8510, 8540, vWLC, and WiSM2
Supported ModesFlexConnect and Flex+bridge mode
Restrictions on AVC for FlexConnect
Cisco Aironet 1570 Access Points are not supported.
Downloading the AVC Protocol Pack is not supported on FlexConnect APs.
a Mark rule.
A maximum of 31 rules can be configured in a profile. You can configure a maximum of 16 profiles in
the complete system.
AAA override of AVC profiles is not supported.
FlexConnect AVC feature is not supported on Cisco 2504 WLC.
By design, WLAN-level FlexConnect AVC stats are not supported.
When the AP is in a FLexGroup and the FlexGroup does not have FlexConnect AVC configured, then
FlexConnect AVC configuration is not pushed to the AP from the WLC.
Netflow Export from WLC is not supported.
In the stats, DHCP information is not supported on the WLC.
Foreign anchor scenario: AVC for FlexConnect statistics can be seen only on the foreign WLC.
FlexConnect Group AVC configuration:
WLAN AVC configuration is not inherited when the AP is part of FlexConnect group.
It is mandatory to configure AVC for FlexConnect on a FlexConnect Group if the AP is part of
the FlexConnect group, if you want to push the AVC for FlexConnect configuration to the AP.
If a FlexConnect AP is not part of a FlexConnect group, local switching WLAN AVC configuration
is pushed to the FlexConnect AP.
Upgrade to 8.1 or a later release from a previous release:
Enabling AVC on Local Switching WLAN might have performance issues on a FlexConnect AP.
After you upgrade to 8.1 or a later release, AVC configuration of WLAN is pushed to all
FlexConnect APs that are not part of the FlexConnect Group. You can disable the AVC configuration
at the WLAN level and can configure it at the FlexConnect group level based on your requirement.

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Note
We recommend that you do not change any configuration directly on the AP. Doing so might result in
unexpected behavior.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (GUI)
Step 1
To create a FlexConnect AVC profile and add a rule:

Step 2
Step 3
Step 1
Create an open WLAN.

An open WLAN has Layer 2 security set to None.
Step 2
Enable FlexConnect Local Switching on the WLAN and click Apply.

a) On the WLANs page, click the WLAN ID.
b) On the WLANs > Edit page, click the Advanced tab.
c) In the FlexConnect area, select the FlexConnect Local Switching check box.
Step 3
b) Click the AP name.

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c) From the AP Mode drop-down list, select FlexConnect and click Apply.
Step 4
Step 5
Create a FlexConnect group and add the AP to the FlexConnect group.

a) Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups.
b) Click New and enter the name of the FlexConnect group, and then click Apply.
c) On the FlexConnect Groups > Edit page, in the FlexConnect APs area, click Add AP.
d) You can either select an AP from a list of APs associated with the WLC or directly specify the Ethernet MAC address
of the AP that is associated with the WLC.
e) Click Add.
Note
Applications that can be identified, classified, and controlled are listed under Wireless > Application
Visiblity and Control > FlexConnect AVC Applications. The access points support Protocol Pack version
8.0 and NBAR engine version 16.
Create an AVC profile and add a rule.
Note
rules.
Step 6
a) Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Group and click the FlexConnect group name.
b) Click the WLAN AVC Mapping tab.
c) Specify the WLAN ID and from the Application Visibility drop-down list, choose Enable.
d) From the Flex AVC Profile drop-down list, choose the FlexConnect AVC profile, and click Add.
e) Click Apply.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9

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Step 10
Click Clear AVC Stats to clear all the AVC statistics for a particular client.
Configuring Application Visibility and Control for FlexConnect (CLI)

Configure a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name {create | delete}
Add a rule for a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule add application app-name {drop | {mark dscp-value
{upstream | downstream}}}
Delete a rule for a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule remove application app-name
Apply rule changes to a FlexConnect AVC profile by entering this command:
config flexconnect avc profile profile-name apply
See a summary of FlexConnect AVC profiles or detailed information about one FlexConnect AVC
profile by entering this command:
Note
The FlexConnect AVC profile rules are pushed to the AP only when the rules are in 'Applied' state.
Troubleshooting command:
show policy-map
show class-map
show dot11 qos

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Before You Begin

Ensure that you have created an open WLAN.
Step 1
Enable FlexConnect local switching on the WLAN:

config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan-id
Step 2
config ap mode flexconnect submode none
Step 3
Create a FlexConnect group and add the AP to the FlexConnect group:

a) config flexconnect group group-name add
b) config flexconnect group group-name ap add ap-mac-addr
Step 4
Create a FlexConnect AVC profile and add a rule:

Note
rules.
a) config flexconnect avc profile profile-name create
b) config flexconnect avc profile profile-name rule add application app-name {drop | mark}
Step 5
a) config flexconnect group group-name avc wlan-id visibility enable
b) config wlan avc wlan-id visibility enable
c) config wlan avc wlan-id flex-profile profile-name enable
Step 6
To check the visibility globally for all WLANs on a FlexConnect Group:
show flexconnect avc statistics
Step 7
Step 8
To see a summary of AVC for FlexConnect profiles or detailed information about one AVC for FlexConnect profile:
The AVC profile rules are pushed to the AP only when the rules are in 'Applied'
state.
To troubleshoot AVC for FlexConnect:
Note
Step 9
Step 10

show policy-map

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show class-map
show dot11 qos
Air Time Fairness

Information About Cisco Air Time Fairness
Cisco Air Time Fairness (ATF) for High Density Experience (HDX) allows network administrators to group
devices of a defined category and enables some groups to receive traffic from the WLAN more frequently
than other groups. Therefore, some groups are entitled to more air time than other groups.
Cisco ATF has the following capabilities:
Allocates Wi-Fi air time for user groups or device categories
Air time fairness is defined by the network administrator and not by the network
Provides a simplified mechanism for allocating air time
Dynamically adapts to changing conditions in a WLAN
Enables a more efficient fulfillment of service-level agreements
Augments standards-based Wi-Fi QoS mechanisms
By enabling network administrators to define what fairness means within their environments with regard to
the amount of on air time per client group, the amount of traffic is also controlled.
To control air time on a percentage basis, the air time, which includes both uplink and downlink transmissions
of a client/SSID, is continuously measured.
Only air time in the downlink direction, that is AP to client, can be controlled accurately by the AP. Although
air time in the uplink direction, that is client to AP, can be measured, it cannot be strictly controlled. Although
the AP can constrain air time for packets that it sends to clients, the AP can only measure air time for packets
that it hears from clients because it cannot strictly limit their air time.
Cisco ATF establishes air time limits (defined as a percentage of total air time) and to apply those limits on
a per SSID basis, where the SSID is used as a parameter to define a client group. Other parameters can be
used as well to define groups of clients. Furthermore, a single air time limit (defined as a percentage of total
air time) can be applied to individual clients.
If the air time limit for an SSID (or client) is exceeded, the packets that are in the downlink direction are
dropped. Dropping downlink packets (AP to client) frees up air time whereas dropping uplink packets (client
to AP) does not do anything to free up air time because the packet has already been transmitted over the air
by the client.
Client Fair Sharing
With Cisco Wireless Release 8.2, Cisco Air Time Fairness can be enforced on clients that are associated with
an SSID/WLAN. This ensures that all clients within an SSID/WLAN are treated equally based on their
utilization of the radio bandwidth. This feature is useful in scenarios where one or a few clients could use the

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complete air time allocated for an SSID/WLAN, thereby depriving Wi-Fi experience for other clients associated
with the same SSID/WLAN.
The percentage of air time to be given to each client is recomputed every time a client connects or
disconnects.
Client fair sharing is applicable to only downstream traffic.
Clients can be categorized into the following usage groups at the policy level: low, medium, and high.
Client-based ATF metrics accumulation is performed in the transmit complete routine. This allows the
air time that is unused by clients in low-usage or medium-usage groups to be accumulated to a common
share pool bucket where the high-usage clients can be replenished.
Supported Access Point Platforms
Cisco ATF is supported on the following access points:
Note
Cisco ATF is supported only on Local and FlexConnect mode APs.

Cisco ATF Modes
Cisco ATF operates in the following modes:
Monitor mode in which users can do the following:
View the air time
Report air time usage for all AP transmissions
View reports
per SSID/WLAN
per AP Group
per AP
per client

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Report air time usage at periodic intervals

Block ACKs are not reported
No enforcement as part of Monitor mode
Enforce Policy mode in which users can do the following:
Enforce air time based on configured policy
Enforce air time on
a WLAN
All APs connected within a Cisco WLC's network
an AP group
an AP
a client
An AP can have multiple WLANs with multiple policies (1:16)
Strict Enforcement per WLANAir time used by the WLANs on a radio is strictly enforced up
to the configured limits in the policies
Optimal Enforcement per WLANShare unused air time from other SSIDs
The sum of all policies should amount to 100 percent; there can be no oversubscription.
Restrictions on Cisco Air Time Fairness

ATF can be implemented only on data frames that are in the downstream direction.
When ATF is configured in per-SSID mode, all of the WLANs must be disabled before you can enter
any ATF configuration commands. The WLANs can be enabled after all of the ATF commands have
been entered.
Cisco Air Time Fairness (ATF) Use Cases
Public Hotspots (Stadium/Airport/Convention Center/Other)
In this instance a public network is sharing a WLAN between two (or more) service providers and the venue.
Subscribers to each service provider can be grouped and each group can be allocated a certain percentage of
air time.
Education
In this instance, a university is sharing a WLAN between students, faculty, and guests. The guest network
can be further partitioned by service provider. Each group can be assigned a certain percentage of air time.
Enterprise/Hospitality/Retail
In this instance, the venue is sharing a WLAN between employees and guests. The guest network can be
further partitioned by service provider. The guests could be sub-grouped by tier of service type with each
subgroup being assigned a certain percentage of air time, for example a paid group is entitled to more air time
than the free group.

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Time Shared Managed Hotspot

In this instance, the business entity managing the hotspot, such as a service provider or an enterprise, can
allocate and subsequently lease air time to other business entities.
The following are the high-level steps to configure Cisco ATF:
1 Enable Monitor mode to determine network usage (optional)
2 Create Cisco ATF policies
3 Add WLAN ATF policies per network, AP group, or AP. Policies set in AP or AP group override per
network polices.
4 Determine if optimization should be enabled.
5 Periodically check Cisco ATF statistics.
For more information about Air Time Fairness, see Air Time Fairness(ATF) Phase1 and Phase 2 Deployment
Guide.
Configuring Cisco Air Time Fairness (GUI)

Configuring Cisco ATF Monitor Mode (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Wireless > ATF > Monitor Configuration.

On the ATF Monitor Mode Configuration page, choose an AP, AP group, or an entire network. If you choose the
entire network, specify the radio type(s).
Click Enable.
Configuring Cisco ATF Policy (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > ATF > Policy Configuration.

On the ATF Policy Configuration page, specify an ID, name, and a weight to the ATF policy, and click Create.
Weighted ratio is used instead of percentages so that the total can exceed 100. The minimum weight that you can set is
10.
Step 3
Step 4
Check the Client Fair Sharing check box to apply Client Fair Sharing on the policy.

706
Configuring Cisco ATF Enforcement SSID (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Choose Wireless > ATF > Enforcement SSID Configuration.

On the ATF Enforcement SSID Configuration page, apply the ATF policy created to an AP, an AP group, or the entire
network with the radio type specified.
Choose the enforcement type as either Optimized or Strict.
Click Enable.
Enforce an ATF policy on a WLAN by selecting the WLAN and the ATF policy and clicking Add.
Monitoring ATF Statistics (GUI)
To monitor per WLAN per AP ATF statistics with percentage of used time, choose Wireless > ATF > ATF Statistics.
Select the AP name in the drop-down list to view the statistics.
absNumber of air time units being used per SSID
Relative TimePercentage of time used per SSID
Total Air timeTotal air time used per SSID
Configuring Cisco Air Tme Fairness (CLI)

Configure Cisco ATF at the network level (global) by entering these commands:
config atf 802.11{a | b} mode disable
config atf 802.11{a | b} mode monitor
config atf 802.11{a | b} mode enforce-policy
config atf 802.11{a | b} optimization {enable | disable}
Configure Cisco ATF on a per AP group basis by entering these commands:
config wlan apgroup atf 802.11{a | b} mode disable ap-group-name
config wlan apgroup atf 802.11{a | b} mode monitor ap-group-name
config wlan apgroup atf 802.11{a | b} mode enforce-policy ap-group-name
config wlan apgroup atf 802.11{a | b} optimization {enable | disable} ap-group-name
Configure Cisco ATF on a per AP radio basis by entering these commands:
config ap atf 802.11{a | b} mode disable ap-name
config ap atf 802.11{a | b} mode monitor ap-name

707
config ap atf 802.11{a | b} mode enforce-policy ap-name

config ap atf 802.11{a | b} optimization {enable | disable} ap-name
Configure ATF policies by entering these commands:
config atf policy create policy-id policy-name policy-weight
config atf policy modify {weight policy-weight policy-name} | {client-sharing {enable | disable}
policy-name}
config atf policy delete policy-name
Configure WLAN with a policy ID by entering this command:
config wlan atf wlan-id policy policy-id
Configure AP group-level override for Cisco ATF policy on a WLAN by entering these commands:
config wlan apgroup atf 802.11{a | b} policy ap-group-name wlan-id policy-name override
{enable | disable}
Configure AP-level override for Cisco ATF policy on a WLAN by entering these commands:
config ap atf 802.11{a | b} policy wlan-id policy-name ap-name override {enable | disable}
Monitor Cisco ATF configurations by entering these commands:
show atf config all
show atf config ap-name ap-name
show atf config apgroup ap-group-name
show atf config 802.11{a | b}
show atf config policy
show atf config wlan
show atf statistics ap ap-name 802.11{a | b} summary
show atf statistics ap ap-name 802.11{a | b} wlan wlan-id
show atf statistics ap ap-name 802.11{a | b} policy policy-name

708
CHAPTER
34
WLANs
Prerequisites for WLANs, page 709
Restrictions for WLANs, page 710
Information About WLANs, page 711
Creating and Removing WLANs (GUI), page 711
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (GUI), page 712
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (GUI), page 713
Creating and Deleting WLANs (CLI), page 713
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (CLI), page 714
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (CLI), page 714
Viewing WLANs (CLI), page 715
Searching WLANs (GUI), page 715
Assigning WLANs to Interfaces, page 715
Configuring Network Access Identifier (CLI), page 716
Prerequisites for WLANs

You can associate up to 16 WLANs with each access point group and assign specific access points to
each group. Each access point advertises only the enabled WLANs that belong to its access point group.
The access point (AP) does not advertise disabled WLANs in its access point group or WLANs that
belong to another group.
management interfaces to ensure that controllers properly route VLAN traffic.

709
Restrictions for WLANs
Restrictions for WLANs

When you change the WLAN profile name, then FlexConnect APs (using AP-specific VLAN mapping)
will become WLAN-specific. If FlexConnect Groups are properly configured, the VLAN mapping will
become Group-specific.
Peer-to-peer blocking does not apply to multicast traffic.
The WLAN name and SSID can have up to 32 characters. Spaces are not allowed in the WLAN profile
name and SSID. WLAN name cannot be a keyword; for example, if you try to create a WLAN with the
name as 's' by entering the wlan s command, it results in shutting down all WLANs because 's' is used
as a keyword for shutdown.
You cannot map a WLAN to VLAN0, and you cannot map VLANs 1002 to 1006.
Dual stack clients with a static-IPv4 address is not supported.
When creating a WLAN with the same SSID, you must create a unique profile name for each WLAN.
All OfficeExtend access points should be in the same access point group, and that group should contain
no more than 15 WLANs. A controller with OfficeExtend access points in an access point group publishes
only up to 15 WLANs to each connected OfficeExtend access point because it reserves one WLAN for
the personal SSID.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controller does not support the 802.1X security variants on a centrally
switched WLAN. For example, the following configurations are not allowed on a centrally switched
WLAN:
WPA1/WPA2 with 802.1X AKM
WPA1/WPA2 with CCKM
Conditional webauth
Splash WEB page redirect
If you want to configure your WLAN in any of the above combinations, the WLAN must be
configured to use local switching.
If you configured your WLAN with EAP Passthrough and if you downgrade to an earlier controller
version, you might encounter XML validation errors during the downgrade process. This problem is
because EAP Passthrough is not supported in earlier releases. The configuration will default to the default
security settings (WPA2/802.1X).
Note
The OEAP 600 Series access point supports a maximum of two WLANs and one remote
LAN. If you have configured more than two WLANs and one remote LAN, you can
assign the 600 Series access point to an AP group. The support for two WLANs and
one remote LAN still applies to the AP Group If the 600 Series OEAP is in the default
group, the WLAN or remote LAN IDs must be lower than 8.
Profile name of WLAN can be of max 31 characters for a locally switched WLAN. For central switched
WLAN, the profile name can be of 32 characters.

710
When multiple WLANs with the same SSID get assigned to the same AP radio, you must have a unique
Layer 2 security policy so that clients can safely select between them.
When AAA override is enabled on WLAN with flex local switching, the client must receive the IPv6
address from the VLAN returned by the AAA server. This implies that if a WLAN with both local
switching and AAA override enabled is mapped to VLAN X and the AAA server returns a VLAN Y;
then, the client must receive an address from VLAN Y. However, this is not supported in this controller
release.
When WLAN is local switching, associate the client to local-switching WLAN where AVC is enabled.
Send some traffic from client, when you check the AVC stats after 90 sec. Cisco WLC shows stats under
top-apps but does not show under client. There is timer issue so for the first slot Cisco WLC might not
show stats for the clients. Earlier, only 1 sec stats for a client is seen if the timers at AP and at WLC are
off by 89 seconds. Now, clearing of the stats is after 180 seconds so stats from 91 seconds to 179 seconds
for a client is seen. This is done because two copies of the stats per client cannot be kept due to memory
constraint in Cisco 5508 WLC.
Caution
Some clients might not be able to connect to WLANs properly if they detect the same SSID with multiple
security policies. Use this feature with care.

This feature enables you to control up to WLANs for lightweight access points. Each WLAN has a separate
WLAN ID, a separate profile name, and a WLAN SSID. All controllers publish up to 16 WLANs to each
connected access point, but you can create up to the maximum number of WLANs supported and then
selectively publish these WLANs (using access point groups) to different access points to better manage your
wireless network.
You can configure WLANs with different SSIDs or with the same SSID. An SSID identifies the specific
wireless network that you want the controller to access.
Creating and Removing WLANs (GUI)

Step 1

This page lists all of the WLANs currently configured on the controller. For each WLAN, you can see its WLAN ID,
profile name, type, SSID, status, and security policies.
The total number of WLANs appears in the upper right-hand corner of the page. If the list of WLANs spans multiple
pages, you can access these pages by clicking the page number links.
If you want to delete a WLAN, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that WLAN and choose
Remove, or select the check box to the left of the WLAN, choose Remove Selected from the drop-down list,
and click Go. A message appears asking you to confirm your decision. If you proceed, the WLAN is removed
from any access point group to which it is assigned and from the access points radio.
Create a new WLAN by choosing Create New from the drop-down list and clicking Go. The WLANs > New page
appears.
Note
Step 2

711
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (GUI)
When you upgrade to controller software release 5.2 or later releases, the controller creates the default-group
access point group and automatically populates it with the first 16 WLANs (WLANs with IDs 1 through 16, or
fewer if 16 WLANs are not configured). This default group cannot be modified (you cannot add WLANs to it
nor delete WLANs from it). It is dynamically updated whenever the first 16 WLANs are added or deleted. If
an access point does not belong to an access point group, it is assigned to the default group and uses the WLANs
in that group. If an access point joins the controller with an undefined access point group name, the access point
keeps its group name but uses the WLANs in the default-group access point group.
From the Type drop-down list, choose WLAN to create a WLAN.
Note
If you want to create a guest LAN for wired guest users, choose Guest
LAN.
In the Profile Name text box, enter up to 32 characters for the profile name to be assigned to this WLAN. The profile
name must be unique.
In the WLAN SSID text box, enter up to 32 characters for the SSID to be assigned to this WLAN.
From the WLAN ID drop-down list, choose the ID number for this WLAN.
Note
If the Cisco OEAP 600 is in the default group, the WLAN/Remote LAN IDs need to be set as lower than ID
8.
Click Apply to commit your changes. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Note
You can also open the WLANs > Edit page from the WLANs page by clicking the ID number of the WLAN
that you want to edit.
Note
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Use the parameters on the General, Security, QoS, and Advanced tabs to configure this WLAN. See the sections in the
rest of this chapter for instructions on configuring specific features for WLANs.
On the General tab, select the Status check box to enable this WLAN. Be sure to leave it unselected until you have
finished making configuration changes to the WLAN.
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (GUI)

Step 1

This page lists all of the WLANs currently configured on the controller.
Step 2
Enable or disable WLANs from the WLANs page by selecting the check boxes to the left of the WLANs that you want
to enable or disable, choosing Enable Selected or Disable Selected from the drop-down list, and clicking Go.
Click Apply.
Step 3

712
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (GUI)
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (GUI)

Step 1

This page lists all of the WLANs currently configured on the controller. For each WLAN, you can see its WLAN ID,
profile name, type, SSID, status, and security policies.
The total number of WLANs appears in the upper right-hand corner of the page. If the list of WLANs spans multiple
pages, you can access these pages by clicking the page number links.
Step 2
To edit the a WLAN profile or SSID, click the WLAN ID link in the WLANs > Edit page.
In the Profile Name text box, edit the WLAN profile name.
In the WLAN SSID text box, edit the WLAN SSID.
Step 3
Step 4

Creating and Deleting WLANs (CLI)

Create a new WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan create wlan_id {profile_name | foreign_ap} ssid
Note
If you do not specify an ssid, the profile_name parameter is used for both the profile
name and the SSID.
Note
When WLAN 1 is created in the configuration wizard, it is created in enabled mode.

Disable it until you have finished configuring it. When you create a new WLAN using
the config wlan create command, it is created in disabled mode. Leave it disabled until
you have finished configuring it.
Delete a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan delete {wlan_id | foreign_ap}
Note
An error message appears if you try to delete a WLAN that is assigned to an access
point group. If you proceed, the WLAN is removed from the access point group and
from the access points radio.
View the WLANs configured on the controller by entering this command:

713
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (CLI)
show wlan summary
Enabling and Disabling WLANs (CLI)

Enable a WLAN (for example, after you have finished making configuration changes to the WLAN) by
config wlan enable {wlan_id | foreign_ap | all}
Note
If the command fails, an error message appears (for example, Request failed for wlan 10 - Static WEP
key size does not match 802.1X WEP key size).
Disable a WLAN (for example, before making any modifications to a WLAN) by entering this command:
config wlan disable {wlan_id | foreign_ap | all}
where
wlan_id is a WLAN ID between 1 and 512.
foreign_ap is a third-party access point.
all is all WLANs.
Note
If the management and AP-manager interfaces are mapped to the same port and are members of the same
VLAN, you must disable the WLAN before making a port-mapping change to either interface. If the
management and AP-manager interfaces are assigned to different VLANs, you do not need to disable the
WLAN.
Note
If the WLAN is disabled, the VLAN acls corresponding to the WLAN-VLAN mapping at the AP is pushed
to the AP and has precedence over the group mappings. Before WLAN is disabled there should be 16 sub
interface created for vlan-acl mapping and 3 ap specific WLAN-VLAN mapping and 3 more sub interface
should be created for group specific WLAN-VLAN mapping, as of now out of 16 vlan-acl mapping only
14 are pushed. After disabling all the WLAN only vlan-acl sub interface should be pushed and other sub
interface should be deleted from the AP.
Editing WLAN SSID or Profile Name for WLANs (CLI)

Edit a profile name or SSID associated to a WLAN:
Disable the WLAN first before changing the profile name or SSID by entering this command:
Rename the WLAN profile name or SSID by entering this command:
config wlan ssid wlan_id ssid
config wlan profile wlan_id profile-name

714
Viewing WLANs (CLI)
View the WLANs configured on the controller by entering this command:

show wlan summary
Viewing WLANs (CLI)

View the list of existing WLANs and to see whether they are enabled or disabled by entering this
command:
show wlan summary
Searching WLANs (GUI)

Step 1
Step 2
On the WLANs page, click Change Filter. The Search WLANs dialog box appears.
To search for WLANs based on profile name, select the Profile Name check box and enter the desired profile
name in the edit box.
To search for WLANs based on SSID, select the SSID check box and enter the desired SSID in the edit box.
To search for WLANs based on their status, select the Status check box and choose Enabled or Disabled from
the drop-down list.
Step 3
Click Find. Only the WLANs that match your search criteria appear on the WLANs page, and the Current Filter field
at the top of the page specifies the search criteria used to generate the list (for example, None, Profile Name:user1,
SSID:test1, Status: disabled).
Note
To clear any configured search criteria and display the entire list of WLANs, click Clear
Filter.
Assigning WLANs to Interfaces

Use these commands to assign a WLAN to an interface:
Assign a WLAN to an interface by entering this command:
config wlan interface {wlan_id | foreignAp} interface_id
Use the interface_id option to assign the WLAN to a specific interface.
Use the foreignAp option to use a third-party access point.
Verify the interface assignment status by entering the show wlan summary command.
For the client with an IPv6 address, controller supports only one untagged interface for a controller. However,
in an ideal scenario of IPv4 address, the controller supports one untagged interface per port.

715
Configuring Network Access Identifier (CLI)
Configuring Network Access Identifier (CLI)

You can configure a network access server identifier (NAS-ID) on each WLAN profile, VLAN interface, or
AP group. The NAS-ID is sent to the RADIUS server by the controller through an authentication request to
classify users to different groups so that the RADIUS server can send a customized authentication response.
If you configure a NAS-ID for an AP group, this NAS-ID overrides the NAS-ID that is configured for a
WLAN profile or the VLAN interface. If you configure a NAS-ID for a WLAN profile, this NAS-ID overrides
the NAS-ID that is configured for the VLAN interface.
Configure a NAS-ID for a WLAN profile by entering this command:
config wlan nasid {nas-id-string | none} wlan-id
Configure a NAS-ID for a VLAN interface by entering this command:
config interface nasid {nas-id-string | none} interface-name
Configure a NAS-ID for an AP group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup nasid {nas-id-string | none} apgroup-name
When the controller communicates with the RADIUS server, the NAS-ID attribute is replaced with the
configured NAS-ID in an AP group, a WLAN, or a VLAN interface.
The NAS-ID that is configured on the controller for an AP group, a WLAN, or a VLAN interface is used for
authentication. The configuration of NAS-ID is not propagated across controllers.
Note
If WLAN interface is overridden at AP group then overridden interface NAS ID will be used. Since
Interface NASID is given priority over WLAN NAS ID.

716
CHAPTER
35
Per-WLAN Wireless Settings

DTIM Period, page 717
Off-Channel Scanning Deferral, page 719
Cisco Client Extensions, page 726
DTIM Period
Information About DTIM Period
In the 802.11 networks, lightweight access points broadcast a beacon at regular intervals, which coincides
with the Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM). After the access point broadcasts the beacon, it transmits
any buffered broadcast and multicast frames based on the value set for the DTIM period. This feature allows
power-saving clients to wake up at the appropriate time if they are expecting broadcast or multicast data.
Typically, the DTIM value is set to 1 (to transmit broadcast and multicast frames after every beacon) or 2 (to
transmit after every other beacon). For instance, if the beacon period of the 802.11 network is 100 ms and the
DTIM value is set to 1, the access point transmits buffered broadcast and multicast frames 10 times per second.
If the beacon period is 100 ms and the DTIM value is set to 2, the access point transmits buffered broadcast
and multicast frames 5 times per second. Either of these settings are suitable for applications, including Voice
Over IP (VoIP), that expect frequent broadcast and multicast frames.
However, the DTIM value can be set as high as 255 (to transmit broadcast and multicast frames after every
255th beacon) if all 802.11 clients have power save enabled. Because the clients have to listen only when the
DTIM period is reached, they can be set to listen for broadcasts and multicasts less frequently which results
in a longer battery life. For example, if the beacon period is 100 ms and you set the DTIM value to 100, the
access point transmits buffered broadcast and multicast frames once every 10 seconds. This rate allows the
power-saving clients to sleep longer before they have to wake up and listen for broadcasts and multicasts,
which results in a longer battery life.
Note
A beacon period, which is specified in milliseconds on the controller, is converted internally by the software
to 802.11 Time Units (TUs), where 1 TU = 1.024 milliseconds. On Ciscos 802.11n access points, this
value is rounded to the nearest multiple of 17 TUs. For example, a configured beacon period of 100 ms
results in an actual beacon period of 104 ms.

717
DTIM Period
Many applications cannot tolerate a long time between broadcast and multicast messages, which results in
poor protocol and application performance. We recommend that you set a low DTIM value for 802.11 networks
that support such clients.
You can configure the DTIM period for the 802.11 radio networks on specific WLANs. For example, you
might want to set different DTIM values for voice and data WLANs.
Configuring the DTIM Period (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure the DTIM period.
Unselect the Status check box to disable the WLAN.
Click Apply.
Step 5
Step 6
Under DTIM Period, enter a value between 1 and 255 (inclusive) in the 802.11a/n/ac and 802.11b/g/n text boxes. The
default value is 1 (transmit broadcast and multicast frames after every beacon).
Click Apply.
Choose the General tab to open the WLANs > Edit (General) page.
Select the Status check box to reenable the WLAN.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Configuring the DTIM Period (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2
Configure the DTIM period for a 802.11 radio network on a specific WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan dtim {802.11a | 802.11b} dtim wlan_id
where dtim is a value between 1 and 255 (inclusive). The default value is 1 (transmit broadcast and multicast frames
after every beacon).
Step 3

Step 4

save config
Step 5
Verify the DTIM period by entering this command:

show wlan wlan_id

718
Off-Channel Scanning Deferral

Information About Off-Channel Scanning Defer
In deployments with certain power-save clients, you sometimes need to defer the Radio Resource Management's
(RRM) normal off-channel scanning to avoid missing critical information from low-volume clients (for
example, medical devices that use power-save mode and periodically send telemetry information). This feature
improves the way that Quality of Service (QoS) interacts with the RRM scan defer feature.
You can use a client's Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) UP marking to configure the access point to defer off-channel
scanning for a configurable period of time if it receives a packet marked UP.
Off-Channel Scanning Defer is essential to the operation of RRM, which gathers information about alternate
channel choices such as noise and interference. Additionally, Off-Channel Scanning Defer is responsible for
rogue detection. Devices that need to defer Off-Channel Scanning Defer should use the same WLAN as often
as possible. If there are many of these devices (and the possibility exists that Off-Channel Defer scanning
could be completely disabled by the use of this feature), you should implement an alternative to local AP
Off-Channel Scanning Defer, such as monitoring access points, or other access points in the same location
that do not have this WLAN assigned.
You can assign a QoS policy (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum) to a WLAN to affect how packets are marked
on the downlink connection from the access point regardless of how they were received on the uplink from
the client. UP=1,2 is the lowest priority, and UP=0,3 is the next higher priority. The marking results of each
QoS policy are as follows:
Bronze marks all downlink traffic to UP= 1.
Silver marks all downlink traffic to UP= 0.
Gold marks all downlink traffic to UP=4.
Platinum marks all downlink traffic to UP=6.
Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for WLANs

Configuring Off-Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the ID number of the WLAN to which you want to configure off-channel scanning Defer.
Choose the Advanced tab from the WLANs > Edit page.
Step 4
From the Off Channel Scanning Defer section, set the Scan Defer Priority by clicking on the priority argument.
Step 5
Set the time in milliseconds in the Scan Defer Time text box.
Valid values are 100 through 60000. The default value is 100 milliseconds.
Step 6
Click Apply to save your configuration.

719
Configuring Off Channel Scanning Defer for a WLAN (CLI)
Step 1
Assign a defer-priority for the channel scan by entering this command:

config wlan channel-scan defer-priority priority [enable | disable] WLAN-id
The valid range for the priority argument is 0 to 7.
The priority is 0 to 7 (this value should be set to 6 on the client and on the WLAN).
Use this command to configure the amount of time that scanning will be deferred following an UP packet in the queue.
Step 2
Assign the channel scan defer time (in milliseconds) by entering this command:
config wlan channel-scan defer-time msec WLAN-id
The time value is in miliseconds (ms) and the valid range is 100 (default) to 60000 (60 seconds). This setting should
match the requirements of the equipment on your wireless LAN.
You can also configure this feature on the Cisco WLC GUI by selecting WLANs, and either edit an existing WLAN or
create a new one.
Configuring Dynamic Channel Assignment (GUI)

You can specify the channels that the dynamic channel assignment (DCA) algorithm considers when selecting
the channels to be used for RRM scanning by using the Cisco WLC GUI.
Note
This functionality is helpful when you know that the clients do not support certain channels because they
are legacy devices or they have certain regulatory restrictions.
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n network as follows:

a) Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > DCA to open the Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA)
page.
Step 3
Choose one of the following options from the Channel Assignment Method drop-down list to specify the Cisco WLCs
DCA mode:
AutomaticCauses the Cisco WLC to periodically evaluate and, if necessary, update the channel assignment for
all joined access points. This is the default value.
FreezeCauses the Cisco WLC to evaluate and update the channel assignment for all joined access points, if
necessary, but only when you click Invoke Channel Update Once.
Note
The Cisco WLC does not evaluate and update the channel assignment immediately after you click Invoke
Channel Update Once. It waits for the next interval to elapse.

720
OFFTurns off DCA and sets all access point radios to the first channel of the band, which is the default value.
If you choose this option, you must manually assign channels on all radios.
Note
Step 4
Step 5
For optimal performance, we recommend that you use the Automatic setting. See the Disabling Dynamic
Channel and Power Assignment (GUI), on page 365 section for instructions on how to disable the Cisco
WLCs dynamic channel and power settings.
From the Interval drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify how often the DCA algorithm is allowed
to run: 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours. The default value is
10 minutes.
Note
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the DCA interval to
6 hours for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of OfficeExtend access points and local
access points, the range of 10 minutes to 24 hours can be used.
From the AnchorTime drop-down list, choose a number to specify the time of day when the DCA algorithm is to start.
The options are numbers between 0 and 23 (inclusive) representing the hour of the day from 12:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Step 6
Select the Avoid Foreign AP Interference check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider 802.11
traffic from foreign access points (those not included in your wireless network) when assigning channels to lightweight
access points, or unselect it to disable this feature. For example, RRM may adjust the channel assignment to have access
points avoid channels close to foreign access points. The default value is selected.
Step 7
Select the Avoid Cisco AP Load check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider 802.11 traffic from
Cisco lightweight access points in your wireless network when assigning channels, or unselect it to disable this feature.
For example, RRM can assign better reuse patterns to access points that carry a heavier traffic load. The default value
is unselected.
Step 8
Select the Avoid Non-802.11a (802.11b) Noise check box to cause the Cisco WLCs RRM algorithms to consider noise
(non-802.11 traffic) in the channel when assigning channels to lightweight access points, or unselect it to disable this
feature. For example, RRM may have access points avoid channels with significant interference from nonaccess point
sources, such as microwave ovens. The default value is selected.
Select the Avoid Persistent Non-WiFi Interference check box to enable the Cisco WLC to ignore persistent non-WiFi
interference.
From the DCA Channel Sensitivity drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify how sensitive the
DCA algorithm is to environmental changes such as signal, load, noise, and interference when determining whether to
change channels:
Step 9
Step 10
LowThe DCA algorithm is not particularly sensitive to environmental changes.

MediumThe DCA algorithm is moderately sensitive to environmental changes.
HighThe DCA algorithm is highly sensitive to environmental changes.
The default value is Medium. The DCA sensitivity thresholds vary by radio band, as noted in the table below.
Option
2.4-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold
5-GHz DCA Sensitivity Threshold
High
5 dB
5 dB
Medium
10 dB
15 dB
Low
20 dB
20 dB

721
Step 11
For 802.11a/n/ac networks only, choose one of the following channel width options to specify the channel bandwidth
supported for all 802.11n radios in the 5-GHz band:
20 MHzThe 20-MHz channel bandwidth.
Note
Note
Note
Note
If you choose 40 MHz, be sure to choose at least two adjacent channels from the DCA Channel List
in Step 13 (for example, a primary channel of 36 and an extension channel of 40). If you choose only
one channel, that channel is not used for 40-MHz channel width.
If you choose 40 MHz, you can also configure the primary and extension channels used by individual
access points.
To override the globally configured DCA channel width setting, you can statically configure an
access points radio for 20- or 40-MHz mode on the 802.11a/n Cisco APs > Configure page. if you
then change the static RF channel assignment method to WLC Controlled on the access point radio,
the global DCA configuration overrides the channel width configuration that the access point was
previously using. It can take up to 30 minutes (depending on how often DCA is configured to run)
for the change to take effect.
If you choose 40 MHz on the 802.11a radio, you cannot pair channels 116, 140, and 165 with any
other channels.
80 MHzThe 80-MHz bandwidth for the 802.11ac radios.

160 MHzThe 160-MHz bandwidth for 802.11ac radios.
bestIt selects the best bandwidth suitable. This option is enabled for the 5-GHz radios only.
This page also shows the following nonconfigurable channel parameter settings:
Channel Assignment LeaderThe MAC address of the RF group leader, which is responsible for channel assignment.
Last Auto Channel AssignmentThe last time RRM evaluated the current channel assignments.
Step 12
Step 13
Select the Avoid check for non-DFS channel to enable the Cisco WLC to avoid checks for non-DFS channels. DCA
configuration requires at least one non-DFS channel in the list. In the EU countries, outdoor deployments do not support
non-DFS channels. Customers based in EU or regions with similar regulations must enable this option or at least have
one non-DFS channel in the DCA list even if the channel is not supported by the APs.
Note
1524.
In the DCA Channel List area, the DCA Channels text box shows the channels that are currently selected. To choose a
channel, select its check box in the Select column. To exclude a channel, unselect its check box.
The ranges are as follows: 802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153,
157, 161, 165, 190, 196 802.11b/g1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
The defaults are as follows: 802.11a36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153,
157, 161 802.11b/g1, 6, 11
Note
These extended UNII-2 channels in the 802.11a band do not appear in the channel list: 100, 104, 108, 112, 116,
132, 136, and 140. If you have Cisco Aironet 1520 series mesh access points in the -E regulatory domain, you
must include these channels in the DCA channel list before you start operation. If you are upgrading from a
previous release, verify that these channels are included in the DCA channel list. To include these channels in
the channel list, select the Extended UNII-2 Channels check box.

722
Step 14
If you are using Cisco Aironet 1520 series mesh access points in your network, you need to set the 4.9-GHz channels in
the 802.11a band on which they are to operate. The 4.9-GHz band is for public safety client access traffic only. To choose
a 4.9-GHz channel, select its check box in the Select column. To exclude a channel, unselect its check box.
The ranges are as follows: 802.11a1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,
26
The defaults are as follows: 802.11a20, 26
Step 15
Step 16
Click Apply.
Reenable the 802.11 networks as follows:
1 Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.
3 Click Apply.
Step 17

Note
To see why the DCA algorithm changed channels, choose Monitor and then choose View All under Most
Recent Traps. The trap provides the MAC address of the radio that changed channels, the previous channel and
the new channel, the reason why the change occurred, the energy before and after the change, the noise before
and after the change, and the interference before and after the change.
Configuring Coverage Hole Detection (GUI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11 network as follows:

page.
c) Click Apply.
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > Coverage to open the 802.11a/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM
> Coverage page.
Select the Enable Coverage Hole Detection check box to enable coverage hole detection, or unselect it to disable this
feature. If you enable coverage hole detection, the Cisco WLC automatically determines, based on data received from
the access points, if any access points have clients that are potentially located in areas with poor coverage. The default
value is selected.
In the Data RSSI text box, enter the minimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for data packets received
by the access point. The value that you enter is used to identify coverage holes (or areas of poor coverage) within your
network. If the access point receives a packet in the data queue with an RSSI value below the value that you enter here,
a potential coverage hole has been detected. The valid range is 90 to 60 dBm, and the default value is 80 dBm. The
access point takes data RSSI measurements every 5 seconds and reports them to the Cisco WLC in 90-second intervals.
In the Voice RSSI text box, enter the minimum receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value for voice packets received
by the access point. The value that you enter is used to identify coverage holes within your network. If the access point
receives a packet in the voice queue with an RSSI value below the value that you enter here, a potential coverage hole
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

723
has been detected. The valid range is 90 to 60 dBm, and the default value is 75 dBm. The access point takes voice
RSSI measurements every 5 seconds and reports them to the Cisco WLC in 90-second intervals.
In the Min Failed Client Count per AP text box, enter the minimum number of clients on an access point with an RSSI
value at or below the data or voice RSSI threshold. The valid range is 1 to 75, and the default value is 3.
In the Coverage Exception Level per AP text box, enter the percentage of clients on an access point that are experiencing
a low signal level but cannot roam to another access point. The valid range is 0 to 100%, and the default value is 25%.
Note
If both the number and percentage of failed packets exceed the values configured for Failed Packet Count and
Failed Packet Percentage (configurable through the Cisco WLC CLI) for a 5-second period, the client is considered
to be in a pre-alarm condition. The Cisco WLC uses this information to distinguish between real and false
coverage holes. False positives are generally due to the poor roaming logic implemented on most clients. A
coverage hole is detected if both the number and percentage of failed clients meet or exceed the values entered
in the Min Failed Client Count per AP and Coverage Exception Level per AP text boxes over a 90-second
period. The Cisco WLC determines if the coverage hole can be corrected and, if appropriate, mitigates the
coverage hole by increasing the transmit power level for that specific access point.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
Step 9
Reenable the 802.11 network as follows:

page.
b) Select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g/n) Network Status check box.
c) Click Apply.
Step 10
Configuring RRM Profile Thresholds, Monitoring Channels, and Monitor Intervals (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > General to open the 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM
> General page.
Configure profile thresholds used for alarming as follows:
Note
The profile thresholds have no bearing on the functionality of the RRM algorithms. Lightweight access points
send an SNMP trap (or an alert) to the Cisco WLC when the values set for these threshold parameters are
exceeded.
a) In the Interference text box, enter the percentage of interference (802.11 traffic from sources outside of your wireless
network) on a single access point. The valid range is 0 to 100%, and the default value is 10%.
b) In the Clients text box, enter the number of clients on a single access point. The valid range is 1 to 200, and the
c) In the Noise text box, enter the level of noise (non-802.11 traffic) on a single access point. The valid range is 127
to 0 dBm, and the default value is 70 dBm.
d) In the Utilization text box, enter the percentage of RF bandwidth being used by a single access point. The valid range
Step 3
From the Channel List drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the set of channels that the access
point uses for RRM scanning:

724
All ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs on all channels supported by the selected radio, which includes
channels not allowed in the country of operation.
Country ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs only on the data channels in the country of operation. This is
the default value.
DCA ChannelsRRM channel scanning occurs only on the channel set used by the DCA algorithm, which by
default includes all of the non-overlapping channels allowed in the country of operation. However, you can specify
the channel set to be used by DCA if desired. To do so, follow instructions in the Dynamic Channel Assignment.
Step 4
Configure monitor intervals as follows:

1 In the Channel Scan Interval box, enter (in seconds) the sum of the time between scans for each channel within a
radio band. The entire scanning process takes 50 ms per channel, per radio and runs at the interval configured here.
The time spent listening on each channel is determined by the non-configurable 50-ms scan time and the number of
channels to be scanned. For example, in the U.S. all 11 802.11b/g channels are scanned for 50 ms each within the
default 180-second interval. So every 16 seconds, 50 ms is spent listening on each scanned channel (180/11 = ~16
seconds). The Channel Scan Interval parameter determines the interval at which the scanning occurs.The valid range
is 60 to 3600 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds for 802.11a radios and 180 seconds for the 802.11b/g
radios.
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the channel scan
interval to 1800 seconds for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of OfficeExtend
access points and local access points, the range of 60 to 3600 seconds can be used.
2 In the Neighbor Packet Frequency box, enter (in seconds) how frequently neighbor packets (messages) are sent,
which eventually builds the neighbor list. The valid range is 60 to 3600 seconds, and the default value is 60 seconds.
Note
If your Cisco WLC supports only OfficeExtend access points, we recommend that you set the neighbor
packet frequency to 600 seconds for optimal performance. For deployments with a combination of
OfficeExtend access points and local access points, the range of 60 to 3600 seconds can be used.
3 In the Neighbor Timeout Factor box, enter the NDP timeout factor value in minutes. The valid range is 5 minutes
to 60 minutes with the default value being 5 minutes.
Note
If you are using Release 8.1 or a later release, we recommend that you set the timeout factor to 60 minutes. If the
access point radio does not receive a neighbor packet from an existing neighbor within 60 minutes, the Cisco WLC
deletes the neighbor from the neighbor list.
Note
The Neighbor Timeout Factor was hardcoded to 60 minutes in Release 7.6, but was changed to 5 minutes
in Release 8.0.100.0.
Step 5
Click Apply.
Step 6

Note
Click Set to Factory Default if you want to return all of the Cisco WLCs RRM parameters to their factory-default
values.

725
Cisco Client Extensions

Prerequisites for Configuring Cisco Client Extensions
The software supports CCX versions 1 through 5, which enables controllers and their access points to
communicate wirelessly with third-party client devices that support CCX. CCX support is enabled
automatically for every WLAN on the controller and cannot be disabled. However, you can configure
Aironet information elements (IEs).
If Aironet IE support is enabled, the access point sends an Aironet IE 0x85 (which contains the access
point name, load, number of associated clients, and so on) in the beacon and probe responses of this
WLAN, and the controller sends Aironet IEs 0x85 and 0x95 (which contains the management IP address
of the controller and the IP address of the access point) in the reassociation response if it receives Aironet
IE 0x85 in the reassociation request.
Information About Cisco Client Extensions

The Cisco Client Extensions (CCX) software is licensed to manufacturers and vendors of third-party client
devices. The CCX code resident on these clients enables them to communicate wirelessly with Cisco access
points and to support Cisco features that other client devices do not, including those features that are related
to increased security, enhanced performance, fast roaming, and power management.
Restrictions for Configuring Cisco Client Extensions

CCX is not supported on Cisco OEAP 600 access points and all elements related to CCX are not
supported.
Cisco OEAP 600 do not support Cisco Aeronet IEs.
With the 7.2 release, a new version of CCX, which is called CCX Lite, is available. For more information
about CCX Lite, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/compatible-extensions.html
Configuring CCX Aironet IEs (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Choose the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Advanced tab) page.
Select the Aironet IE check box if you want to enable support for Aironet IEs for this WLAN. Otherwise, unselect this
check box. The default value is enabled (or selected).

726
Viewing a Clients CCX Version (GUI)

A client device sends its CCX version in association request packets to the access point. The controller then
stores the clients CCX version in its database and uses it to limit the features for this client. For example, if
a client supports CCX version 2, the controller does not allow the client to use CCX version 4 features.
Step 1
Step 2

Click the MAC address of the desired client device to open the Clients > Detail page.
The CCX Version text box shows the CCX version supported by this client device. Not Supported appears if the client
does not support CCX.
Step 3
Step 4
Click Back to return to the previous screen.

Repeat this procedure to view the CCX version supported by any other client devices.
Configuring CCX Aironet IEs (CLI)

Use this command to configure CCX Aironet IEs:
config wlan ccx aironet-ie {enable | disable} wlan_id
Viewing a Clients CCX Version (CLI)

See the CCX version supported by a particular client device using the controller CLI by entering this command:

727

728
CHAPTER
36
WLAN Interfaces
Multicast VLAN, page 729
Passive Clients, page 730
Dynamic Anchoring for Clients with Static IP Addresses, page 733
Multicast VLAN
Information About Multicast Optimization
Prior to the 7.0.116.0 release, multicast was based on the grouping of the multicast address and the VLAN as
one entity, MGID. With VLAN select and VLAN pooling, there is a possibility that you might increase
duplicate packets. With the VLAN select feature, every client listens to the multicast stream on a different
VLAN. As a result, the controller creates different MGIDs for each multicast address and VLAN. Therefore,
the upstream router sends one copy for each VLAN, which results, in the worst case, in as many copies as
there are VLANs in the pool. Since the WLAN is still the same for all clients, multiple copies of the multicast
packet are sent over the air. To suppress the duplication of a multicast stream on the wireless medium and
between the controller and access points, you can use the multicast optimization feature.
Multicast optimization enables you to create a multicast VLAN which you can use for multicast traffic. You
can configure one of the VLANs of the WLAN as a multicast VLAN where multicast groups are registered.
Clients are allowed to listen to a multicast stream on the multicast VLAN. The MGID is generated using
mulicast VLAN and multicast IP addresses. If multiple clients on the VLAN pool of the same WLAN are
listening to a single multicast IP address, a single MGID is generated. The controller makes sure that all
multicast streams from the clients on this VLAN pool always go out on the multicast VLAN to ensure that
the upstream router has one entry for all the VLANs of the VLAN pool. Only one multicast stream hits the
VLAN pool even if the clients are on different VLANs. Therefore, the multicast packets that are sent out over
the air is just one stream.

729
Passive Clients
Configuring a Multicast VLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLAN > Edit page appears.
In the General tab, select the Multicast VLAN feature check box to enable multicast VLAN for the WLAN.
The Multicast Interface drop-down list appears.
Step 3
Step 4
Choose the VLAN from the Multicast Interface drop-down list.

Click Apply.
Configuring a Multicast VLAN (CLI)

Use the config wlan multicast interface wlan_id enable interface_name command to configure the multicast
VLAN feature.
Passive Clients
Information About Passive Clients
Passive clients are wireless devices, such as scales and printers that are configured with a static IP address.
These clients do not transmit any IP information such as IP address, subnet mask, and gateway information
when they associate with an access point. As a result, when passive clients are used, the controller never
knows the IP address unless they use the DHCP.
Wireless LAN controllers currently act as a proxy for ARP requests. Upon receiving an ARP request, the
controller responds with an ARP response instead of passing the request directly to the client. This scenario
has two advantages:
The upstream device that sends out the ARP request to the client will not know where the client is
located.
Power for battery-operated devices such as mobile phones and printers is preserved because they do not
have to respond to every ARP requests.
Since the wireless controller does not have any IP related information about passive clients, it cannot respond
to any ARP requests. The current behavior does not allow the transfer of ARP requests to passive clients. Any
application that tries to access a passive client will fail.
The passive client feature enables the ARP requests and responses to be exchanged between wired and wireless
clients. This feature when enabled, allows the controller to pass ARP requests from wired to wireless clients
until the desired wireless client gets to the RUN state.
Note
For FlexConnect APs with locally switched WLANs, passive client feature enables the broadcast of ARP
requests and the APs respond on behalf of the client.

730
Passive Clients
Restrictions for Passive Clients

The interface associated to the WLAN must have a VLAN tagging.
GARP forwarding must to be enabled using the show advanced hotspot command.
Note
Client ARP forwarding will not work if any one of the two scenarios, mentioned above,
is not configured.
The passive client feature is not supported with the AP groups and FlexConnect centrally switched
WLANs.
Configuring Passive Clients (GUI)

Before You Begin
To configure passive clients, you must enable multicast-multicast or multicast-unicast mode.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

From the AP Multicast Mode drop-down list, choose Multicast. The Multicast Group Address text box is displayed.
In the Multicast Group Address text box, enter the IP address of the multicast group.
Click Apply.
Enable global multicast mode as follows:
a) Choose Controller > Multicast.
b) Check the Enable Global Multicast Mode check box.
Enabling the Multicast-Multicast Mode (GUI)

Before You Begin
To configure passive clients, you must enable multicast-multicast or multicast-unicast mode.
Step 1
Step 2

Choose one of the following options from the AP Multicast Mode drop-down list:
UnicastConfigures the controller to use the unicast method to send multicast packets. This is the default value.
MulticastConfigures the controller to use the multicast method to send multicast packets to a CAPWAP multicast
group.
Step 3
From the AP Multicast Mode drop-down list, choose Multicast. The Multicast Group Address text box is displayed.

731
Passive Clients
It is not possible to configure the AP multicast mode for Cisco Flex 7500 Series controllers because only unicast
is supported.
In the Multicast Group Address text box, enter the IP address of the multicast group.
Click Apply.
Enable global multicast mode as follows:
a) Choose Controller > Multicast.
b) Check the Enable Global Multicast Mode check box.
Note
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Enabling the Global Multicast Mode on Controllers (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Multicast to open the Multicast page.

Note
The Enable IGMP Snooping text box is highlighted only when you enable the Enable Global Multicast mode.
The IGMP Timeout (seconds) text box is highlighted only when you enable the Enable IGMP Snooping text
box.
Step 2
Select the Enable Global Multicast Mode check box to enable the multicast mode. This step configures the controller
to use the multicast method to send multicast packets to a CAPWAP multicast group.
Note
It is not possible to configure Global Multicast Mode for Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select the Enable IGMP Snooping check box to enable the IGMP snooping. The default value is disabled.
In the IGMP Timeout text box to set the IGMP timeout, enter a value between 30 and 7200 seconds.
Enabling the Passive Client Feature on the Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose WLANs > WLANs > WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page. By default, the General tab is displayed.
Select the Passive Client check box to enable the passive client feature.
Configuring Passive Clients (CLI)
Step 1
Enable multicasting on the controller by entering this command:

732
Dynamic Anchoring for Clients with Static IP Addresses
config network multicast global enable

Step 2
Configure the controller to use multicast to send multicast to an access point by entering this command:
config network multicast mode multicast multicast_group_IP_address
Step 3
Configure passive client on a wireless LAN by entering this command:

config wlan passive-client {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 4
Configure a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan
Step 5

save config
Step 6
Display the passive client information on a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan 2
Step 7
Verify if the passive client is associated correctly with the AP and if the passive client has moved into the DHCP required
state at the controller by entering this command:
debug client mac_address
Step 8
Display the detailed information for a client by entering this command:

show client detail mac_address
Step 9
Check if the client moves into the run state, when a wired client tries to contact the client by entering this command:
debug client mac_address
Step 10
Configure and check if the ARP request is forwarded from the wired side to the wireless side by entering this command:
debug arp all enable
Note
Cisco WLC detects duplicate IP addresses based on the ARP table, and not based on the VLAN information.
If two clients in different VLANs are using the same IP address, Cisco WLC reports IP conflict and sends
GARP. This is not limited to two wired clients, but also for a wired client and a wireless client.

Information About Dynamic Anchoring for Clients with Static IP
At times you may want to configure static IP addresses for wireless clients. When these wireless clients move
about in a network, they could try associating with other controllers. If the clients try to associate with a
controller that does not support the same subnet as the static IP, the clients fail to connect to the network. You
can now enable dynamic tunneling of clients with static IP addresses.
Dynamic anchoring of static IP clients with static IP addresses can be associated with other controllers where
the clients subnet is supported by tunneling the traffic to another controller in the same mobility group. This
feature enables you to configure your WLAN so that the network is serviced even though the clients use static
IP addresses.

733
How Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients Works

The following sequence of steps occur when a client with a static IP address tries to associate with a controller:
1 When a client associates with a controller, for example, WLC-1, it performs a mobility announcement. If
a controller in the mobility group responds (for example WLC-2), the client traffic is tunneled to the
controller WLC-2. As a result, the controller WLC 1 becomes the foreign controller and WLC-2 becomes
the anchor controller.
2 If none of the controllers responds, the client is treated as a local client and authentication is performed.
The IP address for the client is updated either through an orphan packet handling or an ARP request
processing. If the IP subnet of the client is not supported in the controller (WLC-1), WLC-1 sends another
static IP mobile announce and if a controller (for example WLC-3) that supports the client's subnet responds
to that announcement, the client traffic is tunneled to that controller, that is WLC-3. As a result, the
controller WLC 1 becomes the export foreign controller and WLC-3 becomes the export anchor controller.
3 Once the acknowledgment is received, the client traffic is tunneled between the anchor and the controller
(WLC-1).
Note
If you configure WLAN with an interface group and any of the interfaces in the interface group supports
the static IP client subnet, the client is assigned to that interface. This situation occurs in local or remote
(static IP Anchor) controller.
When AAA override is used along with the interface group that is mapped to WLAN, the source interface
that is used for DHCP transactions is the Management interface.
If the interface group that you add to a WLAN has RADIUS Server Overwrite interface enabled and a
client requests for authentication, the controller selects the first IP address from the interface group as the
RADIUS server.
Note
A security level 2 authentication is performed only in the local (static IP foreign) controller, which is also
known as the exported foreign controller.
Restrictions on Dynamic Anchoring for Clients With Static IP Addresses

Do not configure overridden interfaces when you perform AAA for static IP tunneling, this is because
traffic can get blocked for the client if the overridden interface does not support the clients subnet. This
can be possible in extreme cases where the overriding interface group supports the clients subnet.
The local controller must be configured with the correct AAA server where this client entry is present.
The following restrictions apply when configuring static IP tunneling with other features on the same WLAN:
Auto anchoring mobility (guest tunneling) cannot be configured for the same WLAN.
FlexConnect local authentication cannot be configured for the same WLAN.
The DHCP required option cannot be configured for the same WLAN.
You cannot configure dynamic anchoring of static IP clients with FlexConnect local switching.

734
We recommend that you configure the same NTP/SNTP servers on the Cisco WLCs. If the NTP/SNTP
servers are different, ensure that the system time on all Cisco WLCs is the same when NTP/SNTP is
enabled. If the system time is not in sync, seamless mobility might fail in some scenarios. Also, a Cisco
WLC that has the lagging time with NTP/SNTP enabled drops the mobile announce messages.
Configuring Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the ID number of the WLAN on which you want to enable dynamic anchoring of IP clients. The WLANs > Edit
page is displayed.
Step 4
Enable dynamic anchoring of static IP clients by selecting the Static IP Tunneling check box.
Step 5
Configuring Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients (CLI)

config wlan static-ip tunneling {enable | disable} wlan_id Enables or disables the dynamic anchoring of
static IP clients on a given WLAN.
To monitor and troubleshoot your controller for clients with static IP, use the following commands:
show wlan wlan_idEnables you to see the status of the static IP clients feature.
..
Static IP client tunneling.............. Enabled
..
debug client client-mac

debug dot11 mobile enable

735

736
CHAPTER
37
WLAN Timeouts
Timeouts, page 737
Authentication for Sleeping Clients, page 739
Timeouts
Configuring a Timeout for Disabled Clients
Information About Configuring a Timeout for Disabled Clients
You can configure a timeout for disabled clients. Clients who fail to authenticate three times when attempting
to associate are automatically disabled from further association attempts. After the timeout period expires,
the client is allowed to retry authentication until it associates or fails authentication and is excluded again.
Use these commands to configure a timeout for disabled clients.
Configuring Timeout for Disabled Clients (CLI)

Configure the timeout for disabled clients by entering the config wlan exclusionlist wlan_id timeout
command. The valid timeout range is 1 to 2147483647 seconds. A value of 0 permanently disables the
client.
Verify the current timeout by entering the show wlan command.
Configuring Session Timeout

Information About Session Timeouts
You can configure a WLAN with a session timeout. The session timeout is the maximum time for a client
session to remain active before requiring reauthorization.

737
Timeouts
Configuring a Session Timeout (GUI)

Configurable session timeout range is:
300-86400 for 802.1x.
0-65535 for all other security types.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Note
If you configure session timeout as 0, it means disabling session-timeout, in case of open system, and
86400 seconds for all other system types.
Note
When a 802.1x WLAN session timeout value is modified, the associated clients pmk-cache does not
change to reflect the new session time out value.
Step 5
Step 6

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to assign a session timeout.
When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Advanced tab. The WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page appears.
Select the Enable Session Timeout check box to configure a session timeout for this WLAN. Not selecting the checkbox
is equal to setting it to 0, which is the maximum value for a session timeout for each session type.
Configuring a Session Timeout (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a session timeout for wireless clients on a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan session-timeout wlan_id timeout
The default value is 1800 seconds for the following Layer 2 security types: 802.1X, Static WEP+802.1X, WPA+WPA2
with 802.1X, CCKM, or 802.1X+CCKM authentication key management and 0 seconds for all other Layer 2 security
types (Open WLAN/CKIP/Static WEP). A value of 0 is equivalent to no timeout.
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the current session timeout value for a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier.................................. 9
Profile Name..................................... test12
Network Name (SSID)........................... test12

738
Authentication for Sleeping Clients
...
Number of Active Clients......................... 0
Exclusionlist Timeout............................ 60 seconds
Session Timeout............................... 1800 seconds
...
Configuring the User Idle Timeout

Information About the User Idle Timeout Per WLAN
This is an enhancement to the present implementation of the user idle timeout feature, which is applicable to
all WLAN profiles on the controller. With this enhancement, you can configure a user idle timeout for an
individual WLAN profile. This user idle timeout is applicable to all the clients that belong to this WLAN
profile.
You can also configure a threshold triggered timeout where if a client has not sent a threshold quota of data
within the specified user idle timeout, the client is considered to be inactive and is deauthenticated. If the data
sent by the client is more than the threshold quota specified within the user idle timeout, the client is considered
to be active and the controller refreshes for another timeout period. If the threshold quota is exhausted within
the timeout period, the timeout period is refreshed.
Suppose the user idle timeout is specified as 120 seconds and the user idle threshold is specified as 10
megabytes. After a period of 120 seconds, if the client has not sent 10 megabytes of data, the client is considered
to be inactive and is deauthenticated. If the client has exhausted 10 megabytes within 120 seconds, the timeout
period is refreshed.
Configuring Per-WLAN User Idle Timeout (CLI)

Configure user idle timeout for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan usertimeout timeout-in-seconds wlan-id
Configure user idle threshold for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan user-idle-threshold value-in-bytes wlan-id

Information About Authenticating Sleeping Clients
Clients with guest access that have had successful web authentication are allowed to sleep and wake up without
having to go through another authentication process through the login page. You can configure the duration
for which the sleeping clients are to be remembered for before reauthentication becomes necessary. The valid
range is 10 minutes to 43200 minutes, with the default being 720 minutes. You can configure the duration on
a WLAN and on a user group policy that is mapped to the WLAN. The sleeping timer becomes effective after
the idle timeout. If the client timeout is lesser than the time configured on the sleeping timer of the WLAN,
then the lifetime of the client is used as the sleeping time.

739
Note
The sleeping timer expires every 6 minutes.

This feature is supported in the following FlexConnect scenario: local switching and central authentication.
Caution
If the MAC address of a client that goes to sleep mode is spoofed, the fake device such as a laptop can be
authenticated.
Following are some guidelines in a mobility scenario:
L2 roaming in the same subnet is supported.
Anchor sleeping timer is applicable.
The sleeping client information is shared between multiple autoanchors when a sleeping client moves
from one anchor to another.
From release 8.0 and later, in a High Availability scenario, the sleeping timer is synchronized between active
and standby.
Supported Mobility Scenarios
A sleeping client does not require reauthentication in the following scenarios:
Suppose there are two controllers in a mobility group. A client that is associated with one controller
goes to sleep and then wakes up and gets associated with the other controller.
Suppose there are three controllers in a mobility group. A client that is associated with the second
controller that is anchored to the first controller goes to sleep, wakes up, and gets associated with the
third controller.
A client sleeps, wakes up and gets associated with the same or different export foreign controller that
is anchored to the export anchor.
Restrictions for Authenticating Sleeping Clients

The sleep client feature works only for WLAN configured with WebAuth security. Web passthrough is
supported on Release 8.0 and later.
You can configure the sleeping clients only on a per-WLAN basis.
The authentication of sleeping clients feature is not supported with Layer 2 security and web authentication
enabled.
The authentication of sleeping clients feature is supported only on WLANs that have Layer 3 security
enabled.
With Layer 3 security, the Authentication, Passthrough, and On MAC Filter failure web policies are
supported. The Conditional Web Redirect and Splash Page Web Redirect web policies are not supported.
The central web authentication of sleeping clients is not supported.
The authentication of sleeping clients feature is not supported on guest LANs and remote LANs.

740
If the Cisco WLC does not get username or password of the client, the sleep client feature may not work
as expected.
A guest access sleeping client that has a local user policy is not supported. In this case, the WLAN-specific
timer is applied.
In a High Availability scenario, the client entry is synchronized between active and standby, but the
sleeping timer is not synchronized. If the active controller fails, the client has to get reauthenticated
when it associates with the standby controller.
The number of sleeping clients that are supported depends on the controller platform:
Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller500
Cisco Flex 7510 Wireless Controller25000 with Release 7.6 and later; 9000 in earlier releases
Cisco 8510 Wireless Controller25000 with Release 7.6 and later; 9000 in earlier releases
Cisco WiSM21000
Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controller500
New mobility is not supported.
Configuring Authentication for Sleeping Clients (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs.
Click the corresponding WLAN ID.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click the Security tab and then click the Layer 3 tab.
Select the Sleeping Client check box to enable authentication for sleeping clients.
Enter the Sleeping Client Timeout, which is the duration for which the sleeping clients are to be remembered before
reauthentication becomes necessary.
The default timeout is 12 hours.
Step 6
Step 7
Click Apply.
Configuring Authentication for Sleeping Clients (CLI)

Enable or disable authentication for sleeping clients on a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan custom-web sleep-client {enable | disable} wlan-id

741
Configure the sleeping client timeout on a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan custom-web sleep-client timeout wlan-id duration
View the sleeping client configuration on a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id
Delete any unwanted sleeping client entries by entering this command:
config custom-web sleep-client delete client-mac-addr
View a summary of all the sleeping client entries by entering this command:
show custom-web sleep-client summary
View the details of a sleeping client entry based on the MAC address of the client by entering this
command:
show custom-web sleep-client detail client-mac-addr

742
CHAPTER
38
WLAN Security
Layer 2 Security, page 743
Layer 3 Security, page 791
NAC Out-of-Band Integration, page 803
RADIUS NAC, page 807
Local Network Users, page 812
Client Exclusion Policies, page 815
Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy, page 816
Peer-to-Peer Blocking, page 818
Local Policies, page 820
Wired Guest Access, page 827
Layer 2 Security
Prerequisites for Layer 2 Security
WLANs with the same SSID must have unique Layer 2 security policies so that clients can make a WLAN
selection based on information advertised in beacon and probe responses. The available Layer 2 security
policies are as follows:
None (open WLAN)
Static WEP or 802.1X

743
Layer 2 Security
Note
Because static WEP and 802.1X are both advertised by the same bit in beacon and
probe responses, they cannot be differentiated by clients. Therefore, they cannot
both be used by multiple WLANs with the same SSID.
WLAN WEP is not supported in 1810w Access Point.
WPA/WPA2
Note
Although WPA and WPA2 cannot be used by multiple WLANs with the same
SSID, you can configure two WLANs with the same SSID with WPA/TKIP with
PSK and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA )/Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
with 802.1X, or with WPA/TKIP with 802.1X or WPA/AES with 802.1X.
A WLAN that is configured with TKIP support will not be enabled on an
RM3000AC module.
Authentication
Configuring Dynamic 802.1X Keys and Authorization (CLI)
Controllers can control 802.1X dynamic WEP keys using Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) across
access points and support 802.1X dynamic key settings for WLANs.
Note
To use LEAP with lightweight access points and wireless clients, make sure to choose Cisco-Aironet as
the RADIUS server type when configuring the CiscoSecure Access Control Server (ACS).
Check the security settings of each WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
The default security setting for new WLANs is 802.1X with dynamic keys enabled. To maintain robust
Layer 2 security, leave 802.1X configured on your WLANs.
Disable or enable the 802.1X authentication by entering this command:
config wlan security 802.1X {enable | disable} wlan_id
After you enable 802.1X authentication, the controller sends EAP authentication packets between the
wireless client and the authentication server. This command allows all EAP-type packets to be sent to
and from the controller.

744
Layer 2 Security
Note
The controller performs both web authentication and 802.1X authentication in the same
WLAN. The clients are initially authenticated with 802.1X. After a successful
authentication, the client must provide the web authentication credentials. After a
successful web authentication, the client is moved to the run state.
Change the 802.1X encryption level for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan security 802.1X encryption wlan_id [0 | 40 | 104]
Use the 0 option to specify no 802.1X encryption.
Use the 40 option to specify 40/64-bit encryption.
Use the 104 option to specify 104/128-bit encryption. (This is the default encryption setting.)
RADIUS VSA
Information About RADIUS VSA
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft standard specifies a method for communicating
vendor-specific information between the network access server and the RADIUS server by using vendor
specific attributes (VSA). VSA allow vendors to support their own extended attributes otherwise not suitable
for general use. VSA are predefined in an XML file. You need to add the vendor specific attributes to the
XML file and this XML file is downloaded to the controller. There is no configuration required on the controller
to enable the support. The file contains the RADIUS attributes in a specific format as explained by the XML
schema to specify the XML tags.
The XML file with the vendor specific attributes defined can be downloaded from a FTP server. The
downloaded file is stored in the flash memory and retained across several reboot processes. The file is parsed
upon successful download and each time when the controller boots up. The XML file can be uploaded to
RADIUS server for authentication and accounting. Once controller parses these values, it stores the file in a
separate data structures meant for vendor specific attributes storage. The controller uses these attributes value
in authentication or accounting packets, or both based on specified usage format. If there are any errors in the
file, the controller parsing fails, and the attributes are not applied. You should address the errors in the file or
download the file from the FTP server again to the controller.
Sample RADIUS AVP List XML File
You can use the sample RADIUS AVP list XML file for reference. The sample XML file contains only two
attributes, one for authentication and the other for accounting. You can add more number of RADIUS attributes
and value pairs but those attributes and value pairs should be appended in the format specified.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<radiusFile>
<avpList SSID_PROF="test" incAuth="true" incAcct="false">
<radiusAttributes>
<attributeName>Idle-Timeout</attributeName>
<vendorId>9</vendorId>
<attributeId>21</attributeId>
<valueType>INTEGER</valueType>
<attributeValue>100</attributeValue>
</radiusAttributes>
<radiusAttributes>
<attributeName>remote-name</attributeName>

745
Layer 2 Security
<valueType>STRING</valueType>
<attributeValue>TEST</attributeValue>
</radiusAttributes>
</avpList>
<avpList SSID_PROF="test" incAcct="true">
<radiusAttributes>
<attributeName>Idle-Timeout</attributeName>
<valueType>INTEGER</valueType>
<attributeValue>100</attributeValue>
</radiusAttributes>
<radiusAttributes>
<attributeName>remote-name</attributeName>
<valueType>STRING</valueType>
<attributeValue>TEST</attributeValue>
</radiusAttributes>
</avpList>
</radiusFile>
Downloading RADIUS AVP List (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
From the File Type drop-down list, choose RADIUS AVP List.
Step 3
TFTP
FTP
SFTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
In the IP Address text box, enter the IPv4 or IPv6 address of the server.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the RADIUS AVP list.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the RADIUS AVP list.
Step 8
Click Download to download the RADIUS AVP list to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the
download.
Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS > Downloaded AVP to open the Download RADIUS AVP List page.
From the WLAN SSID Profile name drop-down list, choose the WLAN SSID profile name.
Click the Auth AVP tab to view the RADIUS authentication attributes mapped to the AVP list.
Click the Acct AVP tab to view the RADIUS accounting attributes mapped to the AVP list.
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Uploading RADIUS AVP List (GUI)

746
Layer 2 Security
Step 1
Step 2
From the File Type drop-down list, choose RADIUS AVP List.
Step 3
TFTP
FTP
SFTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
In the IP Address text box, enter the IPv4 or IPv6 address of the server.
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the RADIUS AVP list.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the RADIUS AVP list.
Step 8
Click Upload to upload the RADIUS AVP list from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
Uploading and Downloading RADIUS AVP List (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Download the RADIUS AVPs in the XML file format from the FTP server to the controller by entering this command:
transfer download datatype radius-avplist
Step 3
Upload the XML file from the controller to the RADIUS server using the command:
transfer upload datatype radius-avplist
Step 4
Display VSA AVPs using the command:

show radius avp-list ssid-profile-name
RADIUS Realm
Information About RADIUS Realm
When mobile clients associate to a WLAN, RADIUS realm is received as a part of EAP-AKA identity response
request in the authentication request packet. The Network Access Identifier (NAI) format (EAP-AKA) for
WLAN can be specified as 0<IMSI>@wlan.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>.3gppnetwork.org. The realm in the
NAI format is represented after the @ symbol, which is specified as
wlan.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>.3gppnetwork.org. If vendor specific attributes are added for MCC as 311 and
MNC as 480 to 489, then the NAI format can be represented as:
[email protected].

747
Layer 2 Security
For a mobile subscriber, the controller sends the authentication request to the AAA server only when the
realm in the NAI format received from the device complies as per the given standards. Apart from
authentication, accounting requests are also required to be sent to AAA server based on realm filtering.
In order to support realm filtering on the controller, you need to configure realm on the RADIUS. When a
user is connected with a particular SSID, the user is authenticated and authorized using the NAI format received
against the realm configured on the RADIUS server.
Realm Support on a WLAN
Each WLAN is configured to support NAI realms. Once the realm is enabled on a particular SSID, the lookup
is done to match the realms received in the EAP identity response against the configured realms on the RADIUS
server.
Realm Support on RADIUS Server
The RADIUS server needs to redirect the authentication and accounting requests based on configured realms.
Each RADIUS server support realms to a maximum of 30 each for authentication and accounting.
Realm Match for AuthenticationIn WPA2 dot1x with EAP methods (similar to EAP AKA), the
username is received as part of EAP identity response. The realm is derived from the username and
match with the realms configured in the RADIUS authentication server. If there is a match, then the
authentication requests are forwarded to the RADIUS server. If there is a mismatch, then the client is
deauthenticated.
Realm Match for AccountingUsername is received in access accept messages. When accounting
messages are triggered, the realm is derived from the username and compared against the accounting
realms configured on the RADIUS accounting server. If succeeded, accounting requests are forwarded
to the RADIUS server. If there is a mismatch, the accounting requests are dropped. For example, if realm
is configured as cisco on the controller, then the username is authenticated as xyz@cisco on the RADIUS
server.
Note
Even if the NAI realm is enabled on a WLAN and if there is no realm in the username, then the behavior
is defaulted to no lookup, and the usual selection of the RADIUS server is followed.
Note
When the client uses fast re-authentication identity, the realm name is required from the authentication
server in order for the controller to forward corresponding requests to the correct server.
When EAP-AKA is used along with realm, fast re authentication is supported when eap server responds with
AT_NEXT_REAUTH_ID attribute having both the username portion and realm portion. Purpose of the realm
is received controller picks up the right server for the subsequent fast re authentication requests. eg host apd
server which supports eap aka does not support realm portion. So Cisco WLC supports fast re authentication
only with those eap servers which have this compatibility.
Prerequisites for Configuring RADIUS Realm

RADIUS authentication or accounting server has to be disabled before adding realm and enabled after adding
realm on the controller.
Restrictions for Configuring RADIUS Realm
You can configure a maximum of 17 RADIUS authentication and accounting servers to one controller.

748
Layer 2 Security
The total number of realms that you can configure for one RADIUS authentication and accounting server
is 30.
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Select the RADIUS NAI-Realm check box to enable realm on the WLAN.
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable realm on a WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan radius_server realm {enable | disable} wlan-id
Step 2
View the realm configuration on a WLAN by entering this command:

show wlan wlan-id
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS > Authentication to open RADIUS Authentication Servers > Edit page.
Click the Realm List link to open the Authentication Server Index page.
Enter the realm name in the Realm Name text box.
Click Add.
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server (CLI)
Step 1
Add realm to a RADIUS authentication server by entering this command:

config radius auth realm add radius_index realm_string
Step 2
Delete realm from a RADIUS authentication server by entering this command:

config radius auth realm delete radius_index realm_string
Step 3
View RADIUS authentication server information by entering this command:

show radius auth detailed radius_index

749
Layer 2 Security
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose Security > AAA > RADIUS > Accounting to open RADIUS Accounting Servers > Edit page.
Click the Realm List link to open the Accounting Server Index page.
Enter the realm name in the Realm Name text box.
Click Add.
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (CLI)
Step 1
Add realm to a RADIUS accounting server by entering this command:

config radius acct realm add radius_index realm_string
Step 2
Delete realm from a RADIUS accounting server by entering this command:

config radius acct realm delete radius_index realm_string
Step 3
View RADIUS accounting server information by entering this command:

show radius acct detailed radius_index
Identity Networking
Information About Identity Networking
In most wireless LAN systems, each WLAN has a static policy that applies to all clients associated with an
SSID. Although powerful, this method has limitations because it requires clients to associate with different
SSIDs to inherit different QoS and security policies.
However, the Cisco Wireless LAN solution supports identity networking, which allows the network to advertise
a single SSID but allows specific users to inherit different QoS or security policies based on their user profiles.
The specific policies that you can control using identity networking are as follows:
ACLWhen the ACL attribute is present in the RADIUS Access Accept, the system applies the ACL
name to the client station after it authenticates, which overrides any ACLs that are assigned to the
interface.
VLANWhen a VLAN Interface-name or VLAN tag is present in a RADIUS Access Accept, the
system places the client on a specific interface.
Note
The VLAN feature only supports MAC filtering, 802.1X, and WPA. The VLAN feature
does not support web authentication or IPsec.
Tunnel Attributes.
Note
When any of the other RADIUS attributes (QoS-Level, ACL-Name, Interface-Name,

or VLAN-Tag), which are described later in this section, are returned, the Tunnel
Attributes must also be returned.

750
Layer 2 Security
The operating systems local MAC filter database has been extended to include the interface name, allowing
local MAC filters to specify to which interface the client should be assigned. A separate RADIUS server can
also be used, but the RADIUS server must be defined using the Security menus.
RADIUS Attributes Used in Identity Networking
QoS-Level
This section explains the RADIUS attributes used in identity networking.
This attribute indicates the QoS level to be applied to the mobile client's traffic within the switching fabric,
as well as over the air. This example shows a summary of the QoS-Level Attribute format. The text boxes
are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
QoS Level
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Length 10
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 2
Vendor length 4
Value Three octets:
3 Bronze (Background)
0 Silver (Best Effort)
1 Gold (Video)
2 Platinum (Voice)
ACL-Name
This attribute indicates the ACL name to be applied to the client. A summary of the ACL-Name Attribute
format is shown below. The text boxes are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
| Vendor type
| Vendor length |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
ACL Name...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length >7

751
Layer 2 Security
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 6
Vendor length >0
Value A string that includes the name of the ACL to use for the client
Interface Name
This attribute indicates the VLAN Interface a client is to be associated to. A summary of the Interface-Name
Attribute format is shown below. The text boxes are transmitted from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
| Length
|
Vendor-Id
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Vendor-Id (cont.)
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Interface Name...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Length >7
Vendor-Id 14179
Vendor type 5
Vendor length >0
Value A string that includes the name of the interface the client is to be assigned to.
Note
This Attribute only works when MAC filtering is enabled or if 802.1X or WPA is used
as the security policy.
VLAN Tag
This attribute indicates the group ID for a particular tunneled session and is also known as the
Tunnel-Private-Group-ID attribute.
This attribute might be included in the Access-Request packet if the tunnel initiator can predetermine the
group resulting from a particular connection and should be included in the Access-Accept packet if this tunnel
session is to be treated as belonging to a particular private group. Private groups may be used to associate a
tunneled session with a particular group of users. For example, it may be used to facilitate routing of unregistered
IP addresses through a particular interface. It should be included in Accounting-Request packets which contain
Acct-Status-Type attributes with values of either Start or Stop and which pertain to a tunneled session.
A summary of the Tunnel-Private-Group-ID Attribute format is shown below. The text boxes are transmitted
from left to right.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
|
Length
|
Tag
|
String...
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

752
Layer 2 Security
Type 81 for Tunnel-Private-Group-ID.

Length >= 3
Tag The Tag text box is one octet in length and is intended to provide a means of grouping attributes
in the same packet which refer to the same tunnel. If the value of the Tag text box is greater than 0x00
and less than or equal to 0x1F, it should be interpreted as indicating which tunnel (of several alternatives)
this attribute pertains. If the Tag text box is greater than 0x1F, it should be interpreted as the first byte
of the following String text box.
String This text box must be present. The group is represented by the String text box. There is no
restriction on the format of group IDs.
Note
When any of the other RADIUS attributes (QoS-Level, ACL-Name, Interface-Name,

or VLAN-Tag) are returned, the Tunnel Attributes must also be returned.
Tunnel Attributes
RFC 2868 defines RADIUS tunnel attributes used for authentication and authorization, and RFC2867 defines
tunnel attributes used for accounting. Where the IEEE 802.1X authenticator supports tunneling, a compulsory
tunnel may be set up for the Supplicant as a result of the authentication.
In particular, it may be desirable to allow a port to be placed into a particular VLAN, defined in IEEE 8021Q,
based on the result of the authentication. This configuration can be used, for example, to allow a wireless host
to remain on the same VLAN as it moves within a campus network.
The RADIUS server typically indicates the desired VLAN by including tunnel attributes within the
Access-Accept. However, the IEEE 802.1X authenticator may also provide a hint as to the VLAN to be
assigned to the Supplicant by including Tunnel attributes within the AccessRequest.
For use in VLAN assignment, the following tunnel attributes are used:
Tunnel-Type=VLAN (13)
Tunnel-Medium-Type=802
Tunnel-Private-Group-ID=VLANID
The VLAN ID is 12 bits, with a value between 1 and 4094, inclusive. Because the Tunnel-Private-Group-ID
is of type String as defined in RFC 2868, for use with IEEE 802.1X, the VLANID integer value is encoded
as a string.
When Tunnel attributes are sent, it is necessary to fill in the Tag text box. As noted in RFC 2868, section 3.1:
The Tag text box is one octet in length and is intended to provide a means of grouping attributes in the
same packet that refer to the same tunnel. Valid values for this text box are 0x01 through 0x1F, inclusive.
If the Tag text box is unused, it must be zero (0x00).
For use with Tunnel-Client-Endpoint, Tunnel-Server-Endpoint, Tunnel-Private-Group-ID,
Tunnel-Assignment-ID, Tunnel-Client-Auth-ID or Tunnel-Server-Auth-ID attributes (but not
Tunnel-Type, Tunnel-Medium-Type, Tunnel-Password, or Tunnel-Preference), a tag text box of greater
than 0x1F is interpreted as the first octet of the following text box.
Unless alternative tunnel types are provided, (e.g. for IEEE 802.1X authenticators that may support
tunneling but not VLANs), it is only necessary for tunnel attributes to specify a single tunnel. As a result,

753
Layer 2 Security
where it is only desired to specify the VLANID, the tag text box should be set to zero (0x00) in all tunnel
attributes. Where alternative tunnel types are to be provided, tag values between 0x01 and 0x1F should
be chosen.
AAA Override
Information About AAA Override
The AAA Override option of a WLAN enables you to configure the WLAN for identity networking. It enables
you to apply VLAN tagging, Quality of Service (QoS), and Access Control Lists (ACLs) to individual clients
based on the returned RADIUS attributes from the AAA server.
AAA Override for IPv6 ACLs
In order to support centralized access control through a centralized AAA server such as the Cisco Identity
Services Engine (ISE) or ACS, the IPv6 ACL can be provisioned on a per-client basis using AAA Override
attributes. In order to use this feature, the IPv6 ACL must be configured on the controller and the WLAN
must be configured with the AAA Override feature enabled. The client will be de-authenticated if the ACL
is not preconfigured on the controller. The actual named AAA attribute for an IPv6 ACL is
Airespace-IPv6-ACL-Name, which is similar to the Airespace-ACL-Name attribute that is used for provisioning
an IPv4-based ACL. The AAA attribute returned contents should be a string equal to the name of the IPv6
ACL as configured on the controller.
Note
From Release 7.5, the upstream AAA override rate limiting value is same as the downstream AAA override
rate limiting value.
Restrictions for AAA Override

If a client moves to a new interface due to the AAA override and then you apply an ACL to that interface,
the ACL does not take effect until the client reauthenticates. To work around this issue, apply the ACL
and then enable the WLAN so that all clients connect to the ACL that is already configured on the
interface, or disable and then reenable the WLAN after you apply the interface so that the clients can
reauthenticate.
If the ACL returned from the AAA server does not exist on the controller or if the ACL is configured
with an incorrect name, then the clients are not allowed to be authenticated.
With FlexConnect local switching, Multicast is forwarded only for the VLAN that the SSID is mapped
to and not to any overridden VLANs. Therefore, IPv6 does not work as expected because Multicast
traffic is forwarded from the incorrect VLAN.
When the interface group is mapped to a WLAN and clients connect to the WLAN, the client does not
get the IP address in a round robin fashion. The AAA override with interface group is supported.
Most of the configuration for allowing AAA override is done at the RADIUS server, where you should
configure the Access Control Server (ACS) with the override properties you would like it to return to
the controller (for example, Interface-Name, QoS-Level, and VLAN-Tag).
On the controller, enable the Allow AAA Override configuration parameter using the GUI or CLI.
Enabling this parameter allows the controller to accept the attributes returned by the RADIUS server.
The controller then applies these attributes to its clients.
During Layer2 authentication if AAA override is enabled, local policies are not applied and the override
takes precedence.
Cisco TrustSec security group tag is not applied until you enable AAA override on a WLAN.

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Layer 2 Security
Updating the RADIUS Server Dictionary File for Proper QoS Values
If you are using a Steel-Belted RADIUS (SBR), FreeRadius, or similar RADIUS server, clients may not obtain
the correct QoS values after the AAA override feature is enabled. For these servers, which allow you to edit
the dictionary file, you need to update the file to reflect the proper QoS values: Silver is 0, Gold is 1, Platinum
is 2, and Bronze is 3. To update the RADIUS server dictionary file, follow these steps:
Note
This issue does not apply to the Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS).
To update the RADIUS server dictionary file, follow these steps:
1 Stop the SBR service (or other RADIUS service).
2 Save the following text to the Radius_Install_Directory\Service folder as ciscowlan.dct:
################################################################################
# CiscoWLAN.dct- Cisco Wireless Lan Controllers
#
# (See README.DCT for more details on the format of this file)
################################################################################
# Dictionary - Cisco WLAN Controllers
#
# Start with the standard Radius specification attributes
#
@radius.dct
#
# Standard attributes supported by Airespace
#
# Define additional vendor specific attributes (VSAs)
#
MACRO Airespace-VSA(t,s) 26 [vid=14179 type1=%t% len1=+2 data=%s%]
ATTRIBUTE
WLAN-Id
ATTRIBUTE
Aire-QoS-Level
VALUE Aire-QoS-Level Bronze
VALUE Aire-QoS-Level Silver
VALUE Aire-QoS-Level Gold
VALUE Aire-QoS-Level Platinum
ATTRIBUTE
ATTRIBUTE
ATTRIBUTE
ATTRIBUTE
Airespace-VSA(1, integer)
Airespace-VSA(2, integer)
cr
r
Airespace-VSA(3,
Airespace-VSA(4,
Airespace-VSA(5,
Airespace-VSA(6,
r
r
r
r
3
0
1
2
DSCP
802.1P-Tag
Interface-Name
ACL-Name
integer)
integer)
string)
string)
# This should be last.

################################################################################
# CiscoWLAN.dct - Cisco WLC dictionary
##############################################################################
3 Open the dictiona.dcm file (in the same directory) and add the line @ciscowlan.dct.
4 Save and close the dictiona.dcm file.
5 Open the vendor.ini file (in the same directory) and add the following text:
vendor-product
dictionary
ignore-ports
port-number-usage
help-id
=
=
=
=
=
Cisco WLAN Controller

ciscowlan
no
per-port-type

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Layer 2 Security
6 Save and close the vendor.ini file.

7 Start the SBR service (or other RADIUS service).
8 Launch the SBR Administrator (or other RADIUS Administrator).
9 Add a RADIUS client (if not already added). Choose Cisco WLAN Controller from the Make/Model
drop-down list.
Configuring AAA Override (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Click the ID number of the WLAN that you want to configure. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Select the Allow AAA Override check box to enable AAA override or unselect it to disable this feature. The default
value is disabled.
Click Apply.
Configuring AAA Override (CLI)

Configure override of user policy through AAA on a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan aaa-override {enable | disable} wlan-id
For wlan-id, enter a value between 1 and 16.
Configure debugging of 802.1X AAA interactions by entering this command:
debug dot1x aaa {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of AAA QoS override by entering this command:
debug ap aaaqos-dump {enable | disable}
Per-WLAN RADIUS Source
Prerequisites for Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support
You must implement appropriate rule filtering on the new identity for the authentication server (RADIUS)
because the controller sources traffic only from the selected interface.
Restrictions for Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support
Information About Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support
The controller sources RADIUS traffic from the IP address of its management interface unless the configured
RADIUS server exists on a VLAN accessible via one of the controller Dynamic interfaces. If a RADIUS
server is reachable via a controller Dynamic interface, RADIUS requests to this specific RADIUS server will
be sourced from the controller via the corresponding Dynamic interface.
By default, RADIUS packets sourced from the controller will set the NAS-IP-Address attribute to that of the
management interface's IP Address, regardless of the packet's source IP Address (Management or Dynamic,
depending on topology).

756
Layer 2 Security
When you enable per-WLAN RADIUS source support (Radius Server Overwrite interface) the NAS-IP-Address
attribute is overwritten by the controller to reflect the sourced interface. Also, RADIUS attributes are modified
accordingly to match the identity. This feature virtualizes the controller on the per-WLAN RADIUS traffic,
where each WLAN can have a separate layer 3 identity. This feature is useful in deployments that integrate
with ACS Network Access Restrictions and Network Access Profiles.
To filter WLANs, use the callStationID that is set by RFC 3580 to be in the APMAC:SSID format. You can
also extend the filtering on the authentication server to be on a per-WLAN source interface by using the
NAS-IP-Address attribute.
You can combine per-WLAN RADIUS source support with the normal RADIUS traffic source and some
WLANs that use the management interface and others using the per-WLAN dynamic interface as the address
source.
Configuring Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (GUI)
Before You Begin

Ensure that the WLAN is in disabled state. You can enable the WLAN after the configuration is done.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Click the WLAN ID.
Click the Security tab, and then click the AAA Servers tab.
Check the RADIUS Server Overwrite interface check box to enable the per-WLAN RADIUS source support.
Note
When enabled, the controller uses the interface specified on the WLAN configuration as identity and source for
all RADIUS related traffic on that WLAN. When disabled, the controller uses the management interface as the
identity in the NAS-IP-Address attribute. If the RADIUS server is on a directly connected dynamic interface,
the RADIUS traffic will be sourced from that interface. Otherwise, the management IP address is used. In all
cases, the NAS-IP-Address attribute remains the management interface, unless the feature is enabled.
From the Interface Priority drop-down list, select either AP Group or WLAN as the interface for RADIUS packet
routing.
Ensure that the Interim Interval for RADIUS Server Accounting is within the valid range.
Configuring Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (CLI)
Step 1
Enter the config wlan disable wlan-id command to disable the WLAN.
Step 2
Enter the following command to enable or disable the per-WLAN RADIUS source support:
config wlan radius_server overwrite-interface {enable | disable} wlan-id
When enabled, the controller uses the interface specified on the WLAN configuration as identity and source for
all RADIUS related traffic on that WLAN. When disabled, the controller uses the management interface as the
identity in the NAS-IP-Address attribute. If the RADIUS server is on a directly connected dynamic interface,
the RADIUS traffic will be sourced from that interface. Otherwise, the management IP address is used. In all
cases, the NAS-IP-Address attribute remains the management interface, unless the feature is enabled.
Enable either an AP group's interface or a WLAN's interface for RADIUS packet routing by entering these commands:
Note
Step 3

757
Layer 2 Security
AP group's interfaceconfig wlan radius_server overwrite-interface apgroup wlan-id

WLAN's interfaceconfig wlan radius_server overwrite-interface wlan wlan-id
Note
Step 4
Valid WLAN ID range is between 1 and

16.
Enter the config wlan enable wlan-id command to enable the WLAN.
Note
You can filter requests on the RADIUS server side using CiscoSecure ACS. You can filter (accept or reject) a
request depending on the NAS-IP-Address attribute through a Network Access Restrictions rule. The filtering
to be used is the CLI/DNIS filtering.
Monitoring the Status of Per-WLAN RADIUS Source Support (CLI)

To see if the feature is enabled or disabled, enter the following command:
show wlan wlan-id
Example
The following example shows that the per-WLAN RADIUS source support is enabled on WLAN 1.
show wlan 1
Information similar to the following is displayed:
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
MAC Filtering....................................
Broadcast SSID...................................
Network Admission Control
...
Radius Servers
Authentication................................
Accounting....................................
Overwrite Sending Interface...................
Local EAP Authentication.........................
4
example
example
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
Global Servers
Global Servers
Enabled
Disabled
LDAP
Information About LDAP
An LDAP backend database allows the controller to query an LDAP server for the credentials (username and
password) of a particular user. These credentials are then used to authenticate the user. For example, local
EAP may use an LDAP server as its backend database to retrieve user credentials.
Note
From Release 8.0, IPv6 can also be used to configure the LDAP server on the controller.
Fallback LDAP Servers
The LDAP servers are configured on a WLAN for authentication. You require at least two LDAP servers to
configure them for fallback behavior. A maximum of three LDAP servers can be configured for the fallback
behavior per WLAN. The servers are listed in the priority order for authentication. If the first LDAP server
becomes irresponsive, then the controller switches to the next LDAP server. If the second LDAP server
becomes irresponsive, then the controller switches again to the third LDAP server.

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Layer 2 Security
The LDAP backend database supports these local EAP methods: EAP-TLS, EAP-FAST/GTC, and
PEAPv1/GTC. LEAP, EAP-FAST/MSCHAPv2, EAP-FAST/EAP-GTC and PEAPv0/MSCHAPv2 are also
supported, but only if the LDAP server is set up to return a clear-text password.
Cisco wireless LAN controllers support Local EAP authentication against external LDAP databases such as
Microsoft Active Directory and Novells eDirectory. For more information about configuring the controller
for Local EAP authentication against Novells eDirectory, see the Configure Unified Wireless Network for
Authentication Against Novell's eDirectory Database whitepaper at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/4400-series-wireless-lan-controllers/112137-novell-edirectory-00.html
Configuring LDAP (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > AAA > LDAP to open the LDAP Servers page.
If you want to delete an existing LDAP server, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that server
and choose Remove.
Step 2

To edit an existing LDAP server, click the index number for that server. The LDAP Servers > Edit page appears.
To add an LDAP server, click New. The LDAP Servers > New page appears. If you are adding a new server,
choose a number from the Server Index (Priority) drop-down list to specify the priority order of this server in
relation to any other configured LDAP servers. You can configure up to 17 servers. If the controller cannot reach
the first server, it tries the second one in the list and so on.
Step 3
If you are adding a new server, enter the IP address of the LDAP server in the Server IP Address text box.
Note
From Release 8.0, IPv6 can also be used to configure the LDAP server on the controller.
Step 4
If you are adding a new server, enter the LDAP servers TCP port number in the Port Number text box. The valid range
is 1 to 65535, and the default value is 389.
Note
Only LDAP port 389 is supported on Cisco WLC. No other ports are supported for LDAP.
Step 5
From the Server Mode (via TLS) drop-down list, choose Disabled to establish LDAP connection (without secure tunnel)
between LDAP server and the Cisco WLC using TCP or Enabled to establish a secure LDAP connection using TLS.
Select the Enable Server Status check box to enable this LDAP server or unselect it to disable it. The default value is
disabled.
From the Simple Bind drop-down list, choose Anonymous or Authenticated to specify the local authentication bind
method for the LDAP server. The Anonymous method allows anonymous access to the LDAP server. The Authenticated
method requires that a username and password be entered to secure access. The default value is Anonymous.
If you chose Authenticated in the previous step, follow these steps:
a) In the Bind Username text box, enter a username to be used for local authentication to the LDAP server. The username
can contain up to 80 characters.
Note
If the username starts with cn= (in lowercase letters), the controller assumes that the username includes
the entire LDAP database path and does not append the user base DN. This designation allows the
authenticated bind user to be outside the user base DN.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8

759
Layer 2 Security
b) In the Bind Username text box, enter a username to be used for local authentication to the LDAP server. The username
can contain up to 80 characters.
Step 9
In the User Base DN text box, enter the distinguished name (DN) of the subtree in the LDAP server that contains a list
of all the users. For example, ou=organizational unit, .ou=next organizational unit, and o=corporation.com. If the tree
containing users is the base DN, type.
o=corporation.com
or
dc=corporation,dc=com
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
In the User Attribute text box, enter the name of the attribute in the user record that contains the username. You can
obtain this attribute from your directory server.
In the User Object Type text box, enter the value of the LDAP objectType attribute that identifies the record as a user.
Often, user records have several values for the objectType attribute, some of which are unique to the user and some of
which are shared with other object types.
Specify LDAP as the priority backend database server for local EAP authentication as follows:
a) Choose Security > Local EAP > Authentication Priority to open the Priority Order > Local-Auth page.
b) Highlight LOCAL and click < to move it to the left User Credentials box.
c) Highlight LDAP and click > to move it to the right User Credentials box. The database that appears at the top of the
right User Credentials box is used when retrieving user credentials.
Note
If both LDAP and LOCAL appear in the right User Credentials box with LDAP on the top and LOCAL on
the bottom, local EAP attempts to authenticate clients using the LDAP backend database and fails over to
the local user database if the LDAP servers are not reachable. If the user is not found, the authentication
attempt is rejected. If LOCAL is on the top, local EAP attempts to authenticate using only the local user
database. It does not fail over to the LDAP backend database.
e) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Step 16
(Optional) Assign specific LDAP servers to a WLAN as follows:

b) Click the ID number of the desired WLAN.
c) When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Security > AAA Servers tabs to open the WLANs > Edit (Security
> AAA Servers) page.
d) From the LDAP Servers drop-down lists, choose the LDAP server(s) that you want to use with this WLAN. You can
choose up to three LDAP servers, which are tried in priority order.
Note
These LDAP servers apply only to WLANs with web authentication enabled. They are not used by local
EAP.
f) Click Save Configuration to save your changes.
Step 17
Specify the LDAP server fallback behavior, as follows:

a) Choose WLAN > AAA Server to open the Fallback Parameters page.
b) From the LDAP Servers drop-down list, choose the LDAP server in the order of priority when the controller attempts
to authenticate management users. The order of authentication is from server.

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Layer 2 Security
c) Choose Security > AAA > LDAP to view the list of global LDAP servers configured for the controller.
Configuring LDAP (CLI)

Configure an LDAP server by entering these commands:
config ldap add index server_ip_address port# user_base user_attr user_type secure Adds an
LDAP server for secure LDAP.
config ldap delete indexDeletes a previously added LDAP server.
config ldap {enable | disable} indexEnables or disables an LDAP server.
config ldap security-mode enable indexEnables the LDAP server using index with existing
commands.
config ldap simple-bind {anonymous index | authenticated index username username password
password}Specifies the local authentication bind method for the LDAP server. The anonymous
method allows anonymous access to the LDAP server whereas the authenticated method requires
that a username and password be entered to secure access. The default value is anonymous. The
username can contain up to 80 characters.
If the username starts with cn= (in lowercase letters), the controller assumes that the username
includes the entire LDAP database path and does not append the user base DN. This designation
allows the authenticated bind user to be outside the user base DN.
config ldap retransmit-timeout index timeoutConfigures the number of seconds between
retransmissions for an LDAP server.
Specify LDAP as the priority backend database server by entering this command:
config local-auth user-credentials ldap
If you enter the config local-auth user-credentials ldap local command, local EAP attempts to
authenticate clients using the LDAP backend database and fails over to the local user database if the
LDAP servers are not reachable. If the user is not found, the authentication attempt is rejected. If you
enter the config local-auth user-credentials local ldap command, local EAP attempts to authenticate
using only the local user database. It does not fail over to the LDAP backend database.
(Optional) Assign specific LDAP servers to a WLAN by entering these commands:
config wlan ldap add wlan_id server_indexLinks a configured LDAP server to a WLAN.
The LDAP servers specified in this command apply only to WLANs with web authentication
enabled. They are not used by local EAP.
config wlan ldap delete wlan_id {all | index}Deletes a specific or all configured LDAP server(s)
from a WLAN.
View information pertaining to configured LDAP servers by entering these commands:
show ldap summaryShows a summary of the configured LDAP servers.
Idx
---
Server Address
---------------
Port
----
Enabled
-------

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Layer 2 Security
1
2
Idx
--1
2
2.3.1.4
10.10.20.22
389
389
Server Address
-------------2.3.1.4
2.3.1.5
No
Yes
Port
----389
389
Enabled Secure
------ ------No
No
Yes
No
show ldap indexShows detailed LDAP server information. Information like the following
appears:
Server Index..................................... 2
Address.......................................... 10.10.20.22
Port............................................. 389
Enabled.......................................... Yes
User DN.......................................... ou=active,ou=employees,ou=people,
o=cisco.com
User Attribute................................... uid
User Type........................................ Person
Retransmit Timeout............................... 2 seconds
Bind Method ..................................... Authenticated
Bind Username................................. user1
Controller# show ldap 1
Server Index..................................... 1
Address.......................................... 9.1.0.100
Port............................................. 389
Server State..................................... Disabled
User DN.......................................... user1
User Attribute................................... user
User Type........................................ user
Retransmit Timeout............................... 2 seconds
Secure (via TLS)................................. Disabled
Bind Method ..................................... Anonymous
show ldap statisticsShows LDAP server statistics.

Server Index.....................................
Server statistics:
Initialized OK.................................
Initialization failed..........................
Initialization retries.........................
Closed OK......................................
Request statistics:
Received.......................................
Sent...........................................
OK.............................................
Success........................................
Authentication failed..........................
Server not found...............................
No received attributes.........................
No passed username.............................
Not connected to server........................
Internal error.................................
Retries........................................
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Server Index..................................... 2
..
show wlan wlan_idShows the LDAP servers that are applied to a WLAN.
Make sure the controller can reach the LDAP server by entering this command:
save config
Enable or disable debugging for LDAP by entering this command:

762
Layer 2 Security
debug aaa ldap {enable | disable}

Local EAP
Information About Local EAP
Local EAP is an authentication method that allows users and wireless clients to be authenticated locally. It is
designed for use in remote offices that want to maintain connectivity to wireless clients when the backend
system becomes disrupted or the external authentication server goes down. When you enable local EAP, the
controller serves as the authentication server and the local user database, which removes dependence on an
external authentication server. Local EAP retrieves user credentials from the local user database or the LDAP
backend database to authenticate users. Local EAP supports LEAP, EAP-FAST, EAP-TLS, P
EAPv0/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv1/GTC authentication between the controller and wireless clients.
Note
The LDAP backend database supports these local EAP methods: EAP-TLS, EAP-FAST/GTC, and
PEAPv1/GTC. LEAP, EAP-FAST/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv0/MSCHAPv2 are also supported but only
if the LDAP server is set up to return a clear-text password.
Note
Cisco wireless LAN controllers support Local EAP authentication against external LDAP databases such as Microsof
Active Directory and Novells eDirectory. For more information about configuring the controller for Local EAP
authentication against Novells eDirectory, see the Configure Unified Wireless Network for Authentication Against
Novell's eDirectory Database whitepaper at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/4400-series-wireless-lan-controllers/112137-novell-edirectory-00.ht
If any RADIUS servers are configured on the controller, the controller tries to authenticate the wireless clients
using the RADIUS servers first. Local EAP is attempted only if no RADIUS servers are found, either because
the RADIUS servers timed out or no RADIUS servers were configured. If four RADIUS servers are configured,
the controller attempts to authenticate the client with the first RADIUS server, then the second RADIUS
server, and then local EAP. If the client attempts to then reauthenticate manually, the controller tries the third
RADIUS server, then the fourth RADIUS server, and then local EAP. If you never want the controller to try
to authenticate clients using an external RADIUS server, enter these CLI commands in this order:
config wlan radius_server auth disable wlan_id

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Layer 2 Security

Figure 34: Local EAP Example
Restrictions on Local EAP

Local EAP profiles are not supported on Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend access points.
Configuring Local EAP (GUI)

764
Layer 2 Security
Before You Begin
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
EAP-TLS, P EAPv0/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv1/GTC use certificates for authentication, and EAP-FAST
uses either certificates or PACs. The controller is shipped with Cisco-installed device and Certificate
Authority (CA) certificates. However, if you want to use your own vendor-specific certificates, they must
be imported on the controller.
If you are configuring local EAP to use one of the EAP types listed in the note above, make sure that the appropriate
certificates and PACs (if you will use manual PAC provisioning) have been imported on the controller.
If you want the controller to retrieve user credentials from the local user database, make sure that you have properly
configured the local network users on the controller.
If you want the controller to retrieve user credentials from an LDAP backend database, make sure that you have properly
configured an LDAP server on the controller.
Specify the order in which user credentials are retrieved from the backend database servers as follows:
a) Choose Security > Local EAP > Authentication Priority to open the Priority Order > Local-Auth page.
b) Determine the priority order in which user credentials are to be retrieved from the local and/or LDAP databases. For
example, you may want the LDAP database to be given priority over the local user database, or you may not want
the LDAP database to be considered at all.
c) When you have decided on a priority order, highlight the desired database. Then use the left and right arrows and
the Up and Down buttons to move the desired database to the top of the right User Credentials box.
Note
If both LDAP and LOCAL appear in the right User Credentials box with LDAP on the top and LOCAL on
the bottom, local EAP attempts to authenticate clients using the LDAP backend database and fails over to
the local user database if the LDAP servers are not reachable. If the user is not found, the authentication
attempt is rejected. If LOCAL is on the top, local EAP attempts to authenticate using only the local user
database. It does not fail over to the LDAP backend database.
Step 5
Specify values for the local EAP timers as follows:

a) Choose Security > Local EAP > General to open the General page.
b) In the Local Auth Active Timeout text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller attempts
to authenticate wireless clients using local EAP after any pair of configured RADIUS servers fails. The valid range
is 1 to 3600 seconds, and the default setting is 100 seconds.
Step 6
Specify values for the Advanced EAP parameters as follows:

a) Choose Security> Advanced EAP.
b) In the Identity Request Timeout text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller attempts to
send an EAP identity request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 seconds, and the default
setting is 30 seconds.
c) In the Identity Request Max Retries text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts to
retransmit the EAP identity request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 20 retries, and the
default setting is 20 retries.
d) In the Dynamic WEP Key Index text box, enter the key index used for dynamic wired equivalent privacy (WEP).
The default value is 0, which corresponds to a key index of 1; the valid values are 0 to 3 (key index of 1 to 4).

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Layer 2 Security
e) In the Request Timeout text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller attempts to send an
EAP request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 seconds, and the default setting is 30
seconds.
f) In the Request Max Retries text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts to retransmit
the EAP request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 retries, and the default setting is 20
retries.
g) From the Max-Login Ignore Identity Response drop-down list, choose Enable to limit the number of devices that
can be connected to the controller with the same username. You can log in up to eight times from different devices
(PDA, laptop, IP phone, and so on) on the same controller. The default value is enabled.
h) In the EAPOL-Key Timeout text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller attempts to send
an EAP key over the LAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 5 seconds, and the default
setting is 1 second.
Note
If the controller and access point are separated by a WAN link, the default timeout of 1 second may not be
sufficient.
i) In the EAPOL-Key Max Retries text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts to send
an EAP key over the LAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 0 to 4 retries, and the default setting
is 2 retries.
j) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 7
Create a local EAP profile, which specifies the EAP authentication types that are supported on the wireless clients as
follows:
a) Choose Security > Local EAP > Profiles to open the Local EAP Profiles page.
This page lists any local EAP profiles that have already been configured and specifies their EAP types. You can
create up to 16 local EAP profiles.
Note
If you want to delete an existing profile, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that profile
and choose Remove.
b) Click New to open the Local EAP Profiles > New page.
c) In the Profile Name text box, enter a name for your new profile and then click Apply.
Note
You can enter up to 63 alphanumeric characters for the profile name. Make sure not to include spaces.
d) When the Local EAP Profiles page reappears, click the name of your new profile. The Local EAP Profiles > Edit
page appears.
e) Select the LEAP, EAP-FAST, EAP-TLS, and/or PEAP check boxes to specify the EAP type that can be used for
local authentication.
Note
You can specify more than one EAP type per profile. However, if you choose multiple EAP types that use
certificates (such as EAP-FAST with certificates, EAP-TLS, PEAPv0/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv1/GTC), all
of the EAP types must use the same certificate (from either Cisco or another vendor).
Note
If you select the PEAP check box, both PEAPv0/MSCHAPv2 or PEAPv1/GTC are enabled on the controller.
f) If you chose EAP-FAST and want the device certificate on the controller to be used for authentication, select the
Local Certificate Required check box. If you want to use EAP-FAST with PACs instead of certificates, leave this
check box unselected, which is the default setting.
Note
This option applies only to EAP-FAST because device certificates are not used with LEAP and are mandatory
for EAP-TLS and PEAP.
g) If you chose EAP-FAST and want the wireless clients to send their device certificates to the controller in order to
authenticate, select the Client Certificate Required check box. If you want to use EAP-FAST with PACs instead
of certificates, leave this check box unselected, which is the default setting.

766
Layer 2 Security
Note
This option applies only to EAP-FAST because client certificates are not used with LEAP or PEAP and are
mandatory for EAP-TLS.
h) If you chose EAP-FAST with certificates, EAP-TLS, or PEAP, choose which certificates will be sent to the client,
the ones from Cisco or the ones from another Vendor, from the Certificate Issuer drop-down list. The default setting
is Cisco.
i) If you chose EAP-FAST with certificates or EAP-TLS and want the incoming certificate from the client to be validated
against the CA certificates on the controller, select the Check against CA certificates check box. The default setting
is enabled.
j) If you chose EAP-FAST with certificates or EAP-TLS and want the common name (CN) in the incoming certificate
to be validated against the CA certificates CN on the controller, select the Verify Certificate CN Identity check
box. The default setting is disabled.
k) If you chose EAP-FAST with certificates or EAP-TLS and want the controller to verify that the incoming device
certificate is still valid and has not expired, select the Check Certificate Date Validity check box. The default setting
is enabled.
Note
Certificate date validity is checked against the current UTC (GMT) time that is configured on the controller.
Timezone offset will be ignored.
l) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 8
If you created an EAP-FAST profile, follow these steps to configure the EAP-FAST parameters:
a) Choose Security > Local EAP > EAP-FAST Parameters to open the EAP-FAST Method Parameters page.
b) In the Server Key and Confirm Server Key text boxes, enter the key (in hexadecimal characters) used to encrypt and
decrypt PACs.
c) In the Time to Live for the PAC text box, enter the number of days for the PAC to remain viable. The valid range is
1 to 1000 days, and the default setting is 10 days.
d) In the Authority ID text box, enter the authority identifier of the local EAP-FAST server in hexadecimal characters.
You can enter up to 32 hexadecimal characters, but you must enter an even number of characters.
e) In the Authority ID Information text box, enter the authority identifier of the local EAP-FAST server in text format.
f) If you want to enable anonymous provisioning, select the Anonymous Provision check box. This feature allows
PACs to be sent automatically to clients that do not have one during PAC provisioning. If you disable this feature,
PACS must be manually provisioned. The default setting is enabled.
Note
If the local and/or client certificates are required and you want to force all EAP-FAST clients to use
certificates, unselect the Anonymous Provision check box.
g) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 9
Enable local EAP on a WLAN as follows:

c) When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Security > AAA Servers tabs to open the WLANs > Edit
(Security > AAA Servers) page.
d) Unselect the Enabled check boxes for Radius Authentication Servers and Accounting Server to disable RADIUS
accounting and authentication for this WLAN.
e) Select the Local EAP Authentication check box to enable local EAP for this WLAN.
f) From the EAP Profile Name drop-down list, choose the EAP profile that you want to use for this WLAN.
g) If desired, choose the LDAP server that you want to use with local EAP on this WLAN from the LDAP Servers
drop-down lists.
h) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 10
Enable EAP parameters on a WLAN as follows:

767
Layer 2 Security

c) When the WLANs > Edit page appears, choose the Security > AAA Servers tabs to open the WLANs > Edit
(Security > AAA Servers) page.
d) Select the Enable check box to configure EAP parameters for this WLAN.
e) In the EAPOL Key Timeout (200 to 5000 millisec) text box, enter the amount of time (in milliseconds) in which
the controller attempts to send an EAP key over the WLAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is
200 to 5000 milliseconds and the default value is 1000 milliseconds.
f) In the EAPOL Key Retries (0 to 4) text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts to
send an EAP key over the WLAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 0 to 4 retries and the default
setting is 2 retries.
g) In the Identity Request Timeout (1 to 120 sec) text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller
attempts to send an EAP identity request to wireless clients within WLAN using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to
120 seconds and the default value is 30 seconds.
h) In the Identity Request Retries (1 to 20 sec) text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts
to retransmit the EAP identity request to wireless clients within WLAN using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 20
retries, and the default setting is 2 retries.
i) In the Request Timeout (1 to 120 sec) text box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller attempts
to send an EAP parameter request to wireless clients within WLAN using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120
seconds, and the default setting is 30 seconds.
j) In the Request Retries (1 to 20 sec) text box, enter the maximum number of times that the controller attempts to
retransmit the EAP parameter request to wireless clients within WLAN using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 20
retries, and the default setting is 2 retries.
k) Click Apply to commit your changes.
Step 11
Configuring Local EAP (CLI)
Before You Begin
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
EAP-TLS, P EAPv0/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv1/GTC use certificates for authentication, and EAP-FAST
uses either certificates or PACbs. The controller is shipped with Cisco-installed device and Certificate
Authority (CA) certificates. However, if you want to use your own vendor-specific certificates, they must
be imported on the controller.
If you are configuring local EAP to use one of the EAP types listed in the note above, make sure that the appropriate
certificates and PACs (if you will use manual PAC provisioning) have been imported on the controller.
If you want the controller to retrieve user credentials from the local user database, make sure that you have properly
configured the local network users on the controller.
If you want the controller to retrieve user credentials from an LDAP backend database, make sure that you have properly
configured an LDAP server on the controller.
Specify the order in which user credentials are retrieved from the local and/or LDAP databases by entering this command:

768
Layer 2 Security
config local-auth user-credentials {local | ldap}

Note
Step 5
If you enter the config local-auth user-credentials ldap local command, local EAP attempts to authenticate
clients using the LDAP backend database and fails over to the local user database if the LDAP servers are not
reachable. If the user is not found, the authentication attempt is rejected. If you enter the config local-auth
user-credentials local ldap command, local EAP attempts to authenticate using only the local user database.
It does not fail over to the LDAP backend database.
Specify values for the local EAP timers by entering these commands:
config local-auth active-timeout timeoutSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller
attempts to authenticate wireless clients using local EAP after any pair of configured RADIUS servers fails. The
valid range is 1 to 3600 seconds, and the default setting is 100 seconds.
config advanced eap identity-request-timeout timeoutSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds) in which the
controller attempts to send an EAP identity request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120
seconds, and the default setting is 30 seconds.
config advanced eap identity-request-retries retriesSpecifies the maximum number of times that the controller
attempts to retransmit the EAP identity request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 20 retries,
and the default setting is 20 retries.
config advanced eap key-index indexSpecifies the key index used for dynamic wired equivalent privacy (WEP).
The default value is 0, which corresponds to a key index of 1; the valid values are 0 to 3 (key index of 1 to 4).
config advanced eap request-timeout timeoutSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller
attempts to send an EAP request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 seconds, and the
default setting is 30 seconds.
config advanced eap request-retries retriesSpecifies the maximum number of times that the controller attempts
to retransmit the EAP request to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 retries, and the default
setting is 20 retries.
config advanced eap eapol-key-timeout timeoutSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds) in which the controller
attempts to send an EAP key over the LAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 5 seconds,
and the default setting is 1 second.
Note
If the controller and access point are separated by a WAN link, the default timeout of 1 second may not
be sufficient.
config advanced eap eapol-key-retries retriesSpecifies the maximum number of times that the controller
attempts to send an EAP key over the LAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid range is 0 to 4 retries,
and the default setting is 2 retries.
config advanced eap max-login-ignore-identity-response {enable | disable}When enabled, this command
ignores the limit set for the number of devices that can be connected to the controller with the same username
through 802.1x authentication. When disabled, this command limits the number of devices that can be connected
to the controller with the same username. This is not applicable for web authentication users. You can log in up to
eight times from different devices (PDA, laptop, IP phone, and so on) on the same controller. The default value is
enabled. Use the command config netuser maxUserLogin to set the limit of maximum number of devices per
same username.
Step 6
Specify values for the local EAP timers on a WLAN by entering these commands:
config wlan security eap-params {enable | disable} wlan_idSpecifies to enable or disable SSID specific EAP
timeouts or retries. The default value is disabled.

769
Layer 2 Security
config wlan security eap-params eapol-key-timeout timeout wlan_idSpecifies the amount of time (in
milliseconds) in which the controller attempts to send an EAP key over the WLAN to wireless clients using local
EAP. The valid range is 200 to 5000 milliseconds, and the default setting is 1000 milliseconds.
config wlan security eap-params eapol-key-retries retries wlan_idSpecifies the maximum number of times
that the controller attempts to send an EAP key over the WLAN to wireless clients using local EAP. The valid
range is 0 to 4 retries, and the default setting is 2 retries.
config wlan security eap-params identity-request-timeout timeout wlan_idSpecifies the amount of time (in
seconds) in which the controller attempts to send an EAP identity request to wireless clients within WLAN using
local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 seconds, and the default setting is 30 seconds.
config wlan security eap-params identity-request-retries retries wlan_idSpecifies the maximum number of
times that the controller attempts to retransmit the EAP identity request to wireless clients within WLAN using
local EAP. The valid range is 1 to 20 retries, and the default setting is 2 retries.
config wlan security eap-params request-timeout timeout wlan_idSpecifies the amount of time (in seconds)
in which the controller attempts to send an EAP parameter request to wireless clients within WLAN using local
EAP. The valid range is 1 to 120 seconds, and the default setting is 30 seconds.
config wlan security eap-params request-retries retries wlan_idSpecifies the maximum number of times that
the controller attempts to retransmit the EAP parameter request to wireless clients within WLAN using local EAP.
The valid range is 1 to 20 retries, and the default setting is 2 retries.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Create a local EAP profile by entering this command:

config local-auth eap-profile add profile_name
Note
Do not include spaces within the profile

name.
Note
To delete a local EAP profile, enter the config local-auth eap-profile delete profile_name command.
Add an EAP method to a local EAP profile by entering this command:

config local-auth eap-profile method add method profile_name
The supported methods are leap, fast, tls, and peap.
Note
If you choose peap, both P EAPv0/MSCHAPv2 or PEAPv1/GTC are enabled on the controller.
Note
You can specify more than one EAP type per profile. However, if you create a profile with multiple EAP types
that use certificates (such as EAP-FAST with certificates, EAP-TLS, PEAPv0/MSCHAPv2, and PEAPv1/GTC),
all of the EAP types must use the same certificate (from either Cisco or another vendor).
Note
To delete an EAP method from a local EAP profile, enter the config local-auth eap-profile method delete
method profile_name command:
Configure EAP-FAST parameters if you created an EAP-FAST profile by entering this command:
config local-auth method fast ?
anon-prov {enable | disable}Configures the controller to allow anonymous provisioning, which allows PACs
to be sent automatically to clients that do not have one during PAC provisioning.
authority-id auth_idSpecifies the authority identifier of the local EAP-FAST server.
pac-ttl daysSpecifies the number of days for the PAC to remain viable.

770
Layer 2 Security
server-key keySpecifies the server key used to encrypt and decrypt PACs.
Step 10
Configure certificate parameters per profile by entering these commands:

config local-auth eap-profile method fast local-cert {enable | disable} profile_name Specifies whether the
device certificate on the controller is required for authentication.
Note
This command applies only to EAP-FAST because device certificates are not used with LEAP and are
mandatory for EAP-TLS and PEAP.
config local-auth eap-profile method fast client-cert {enable | disable} profile_name Specifies whether
wireless clients are required to send their device certificates to the controller in order to authenticate.
Note
This command applies only to EAP-FAST because client certificates are not used with LEAP or PEAP
and are mandatory for EAP-TLS.
config local-auth eap-profile cert-issuer {cisco | vendor} profile_nameIf you specified EAP-FAST with
certificates, EAP-TLS, or PEAP, specifies whether the certificates that will be sent to the client are from Cisco or
another vendor.
config local-auth eap-profile cert-verify ca-issuer {enable | disable} profile_nameIf you chose EAP-FAST
with certificates or EAP-TLS, specifies whether the incoming certificate from the client is to be validated against
the CA certificates on the controller.
config local-auth eap-profile cert-verify cn-verify {enable | disable} profile_nameIf you chose EAP-FAST
with certificates or EAP-TLS, specifies whether the common name (CN) in the incoming certificate is to be validated
against the CA certificates CN on the controller.
config local-auth eap-profile cert-verify date-valid {enable | disable} profile_nameIf you chose EAP-FAST
with certificates or EAP-TLS, specifies whether the controller is to verify that the incoming device certificate is
still valid and has not expired.
Step 11
Enable local EAP and attach an EAP profile to a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan local-auth enable profile_name wlan_id
Note
To disable local EAP for a WLAN, enter the config wlan local-auth disable wlan_id command.
Step 12

save config
Step 13
View information pertaining to local EAP by entering these commands:

show local-auth configShows the local EAP configuration on the controller.
User credentials database search order:
Primary ..................................... Local DB
Timer:
Active timeout .............................. 300
Configured EAP profiles:
Name ........................................
Certificate issuer ........................
Peer verification options:
Check against CA certificates ...........
Verify certificate CN identity ..........
Check certificate date validity .........
EAP-FAST configuration:
Local certificate required ..............
Client certificate required .............
fast-cert
vendor
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Yes
Yes

771
Layer 2 Security
Enabled methods ........................... fast

Configured on WLANs ....................... 1
Name ........................................
Certificate issuer ........................
Peer verification options:
Check against CA certificates ...........
Verify certificate CN identity ..........
Check certificate date validity .........
EAP-FAST configuration:
Local certificate required ..............
Client certificate required .............
Enabled methods ...........................
Configured on WLANs .......................
EAP Method configuration:
EAP-FAST:
Server key ................................
TTL for the PAC ...........................
Anonymous provision allowed ...............
Accept client on auth prov ................
Authority ID ..............................
Authority Information .....................
tls
vendor
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
No
No
tls
2
<hidden>
10
Yes
No
436973636f0000000000000000000000
Cisco A-ID
show local-auth statisticsShows the local EAP statistics.

show local-auth certificatesShows the certificates available for local EAP.
show local-auth user-credentialsShows the priority order that the controller uses when retrieving user credentials
from the local and/or LDAP databases.
show advanced eapShows the timer values for local EAP.
EAP-Identity-Request Timeout (seconds)...........
EAP-Identity-Request Max Retries.................
EAP Key-Index for Dynamic WEP....................
EAP Max-Login Ignore Identity Response...........
EAP-Request Timeout (seconds)....................
EAP-Request Max Retries..........................
EAPOL-Key Timeout (seconds)......................
EAPOL-Key Max Retries......................... 2
1
20
0
enable
20
20
1
show ap stats wlan Cisco_APShows the EAP timeout and failure counters for a specific access point for each
WLAN.
show client detail client_macShows the EAP timeout and failure counters for a specific associated client. These
statistics are useful in troubleshooting client association issues.
...
Client Statistics:
Number of Bytes Received...................
Number of Bytes Sent.......................
Number of Packets Received.................
Number of Packets Sent.....................
Number of EAP Id Request Msg Timeouts......
Number of EAP Id Request Msg Failures......
Number of EAP Request Msg Timeouts.........
Number of EAP Request Msg Failures.........
Number of EAP Key Msg Timeouts.............
Number of EAP Key Msg Failures.............
Number of Policy Errors....................
Radio Signal Strength Indicator............
Signal to Noise Ratio......................

772
10
10
2
2
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
Unavailable
Unavailable
Layer 2 Security
show wlan wlan_idShows the status of local EAP on a particular WLAN.

Step 14
(Optional) Troubleshoot local EAP sessions by entering these commands:

debug aaa local-auth eap method {all | errors | events | packets | sm} {enable | disable} Enables or disables
debugging of local EAP methods.
debug aaa local-auth eap framework {all | errors | events | packets | sm} {enable | disable} Enables or
disables debugging of the local EAP framework.
Note
In these two debug commands, sm is the state

machine.
clear stats local-authClears the local EAP counters.

clear stats ap wlan Cisco_APClears the EAP timeout and failure counters for a specific access point for each
WLAN.
WLAN
1
EAP Id Request Msg Timeouts...................
EAP Id Request Msg Timeouts Failures..........
EAP Request Msg Timeouts......................
EAP Request Msg Timeouts Failures.............
EAP Key Msg Timeouts..........................
EAP Key Msg Timeouts Failures.................
WLAN
2
EAP Id Request Msg Timeouts...................
EAP Id Request Msg Timeouts Failures..........
EAP Request Msg Timeouts......................
EAP Request Msg Timeouts Failures.............
EAP Key Msg Timeouts..........................
EAP Key Msg Timeouts Failures.............. 1
0
0
2
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
MAC Filtering
MAC Filtering of WLANs
Information About MAC Filtering of WLANs
When you use MAC filtering for client or administrator authorization, you need to enable it at the WLAN
level first. If you plan to use local MAC address filtering for any WLAN, use the commands in this section
to configure MAC filtering for a WLAN.
Restrictions for MAC Filtering
MAC filtering cannot be configured for Guest LANs.
Central Authentication and SwitchingMAC authentication takes priority over MAC filtering if an
external RADIUS is configured for the WLAN.
Local Authentication and SwitchingMAC authentication does not work if MAC filtering is not
supported on local authentication.
Interface mapping and profile precedenceMAC filtering for the WLAN set to any WLAN/Interface
requires a mandatory profile name, followed by the interface name for the traffic to work properly.
Enabling MAC Filtering
Use these commands to enable MAC filtering on a WLAN:

773
Layer 2 Security
Enable MAC filtering by entering the config wlan mac-filtering enable wlan_id command.
Verify that you have MAC filtering enabled for the WLAN by entering the show wlan command.
When you enable MAC filtering, only the MAC addresses that you add to the WLAN are allowed to join the
WLAN. MAC addresses that have not been added are not allowed to join the WLAN.
When a client tries to associate to a WLAN for the first time, the client gets authenticated with its MAC
address from AAA server. If the authentication is successful, the client gets an IP address from DHCP server,
and then the client is connected to the WLAN.
When the client roams or sends association request to the same AP or different AP and is still connected to
WLAN, the client is not authenticated again to AAA server.
If the client is not connected to WLAN, then the client has to get authenticated from the AAA server.
Local MAC Filters
Information About Local MAC Filters
Controllers have built-in MAC filtering capability, similar to that provided by a RADIUS authorization server.
Prerequisites for Configuring Local MAC Filters
You must have AAA enabled on the WLAN to override the interface name.
Configuring Local MAC Filters (CLI)
Create a MAC filter entry on the controller by entering the config macfilter add mac_addr wlan_id
[interface_name] [description] [IP_addr] command.
The following parameters are optional:
mac_addrMAC address of the client.
wlan_idWLAN id on which the client is associating.
interface_nameThe name of the interface. This interface name is used to override the interface
configured to the WLAN.
descriptionA brief description of the interface in double quotes (for example, Interface1).
IP_addrThe IP address which is used for a passive client with the MAC address specified by
the mac addr value above.
Assign an IP address to an existing MAC filter entry, if one was not assigned in the config macfilter
add command by entering the config macfilter ip-address mac_addr IP_addr command.
Verify that MAC addresses are assigned to the WLAN by entering the show macfilter command.
Note
If MAC filtering is configured, the controller tries to authenticate the wireless clients using the RADIUS
servers first. Local MAC filtering is attempted only if no RADIUS servers are found, either because the
RADIUS servers timed out or no RADIUS servers were configured.
MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X

Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X Authentication
You can configure the controller to start 802.1X authentication when MAC authentication with static WEP
for the client fails. If the RADIUS server rejects an access request from a client instead of deauthenticating

774
Layer 2 Security
the client, the controller can force the client to undergo an 802.1X authentication. If the client fails the 802.1X
authentication too, then the client is deauthenticated.
If MAC authentication is successful and the client requests for an 802.1X authentication, the client has to pass
the 802.1X authentication to be allowed to send data traffic. If the client does not choose an 802.1X
authentication, the client is declared to be authenticated if the client passes the MAC authentication.
Note
WLAN with WPA2 + 802.1X + WebAuth with WebAuth on MAC failure is not supported.
Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1x Authentication (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs > WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
In the Security tab, click the Layer 2 tab.
Step 3
Step 4
Select the MAC Filtering check box.

Select the Mac Auth or Dot1x check box.
Configuring MAC Authentication Failover to 802.1X Authentication (CLI)
To configure MAC authentication failover to 802.1X authentication, enter this command:

config wlan security 802.1X on-macfilter-failure {enable | disable} wlan-id
Configuring 802.11w
Restrictions for 802.11w
Cisco's legacy Management Frame Protection is not related to the 802.11w standard that is implemented
in the 7.4 release.
The 802.11w standard is supported on all 802.11n capable APs except those that are configured for
FlexConnect operation.
The 802.11w standard is supported on the following Cisco Wireless LAN Controller model series: 2500,
5500, 8500, and WiSM2.
The 802.11w standard is not supported on the following Cisco Wireless LAN Controller models: Flex
7500 and Virtual Wireless LAN Controller.
802.11w cannot be applied on an open WLAN, WEP-encrypted WLAN, or a TKIP-encrypted WLAN.
The WLAN on which 802.11w is configured must have either WPA2-PSK or WPA2-802.1x security
configured.
Information About 802.11w
Wi-Fi is a broadcast medium that enables any device to eavesdrop and participate either as a legitimate or
rogue device. Control and management frames such as authentication/deauthentication,

775
Layer 2 Security
association/disassociation, beacons, and probes are used by wireless clients to select an AP and to initiate a
session for network services.
Unlike data traffic which can be encrypted to provide a level of confidentiality, these frames must be heard
and understood by all clients and therefore must be transmitted as open or unencrypted. While these frames
cannot be encrypted, they must be protected from forgery to protect the wireless medium from attacks. For
example, an attacker could spoof management frames from an AP to tear down a session between a client and
AP.
The 802.11w standard for Management Frame Protection is implemented in the 7.4 release.
The 802.11w protocol applies only to a set of robust management frames that are protected by the Management
Frame Protection (PMF) service. These include Disassociation, Deauthentication, and Robust Action frames.
Management frames that are considered as robust action and therefore protected are the following:
Spectrum Management
QoS
DLS
Block Ack
Radio Measurement
Fast BSS Transition
SA Query
Protected Dual of Public Action
Vendor-specific Protected
When 802.11w is implemented in the wireless medium, the following occur:
Client protection is added by the AP adding cryptographic protection (by including the MIC information
element) to deauthentication and disassociation frames preventing them from being spoofed in a DOS
attack.
Infrastructure protection is added by adding a Security Association (SA) teardown protection mechanism
consisting of an Association Comeback Time and an SA-Query procedure preventing spoofed association
request from disconnecting an already connected client.
Configuring 802.11w (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose WLANs > WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
In the Security tab, choose the Layer 2 security tab.
The 802.11w IGTK Key is derived using the 4-way handshake, which means that it can only be used on WLANs that
are configured for WPA2 security at Layer 2.
WPA2 is mandatory and encryption type must be AES. TKIP is not
valid.
Choose the PMF state from the drop-down list
Note
Step 4

776
Layer 2 Security
DisabledDisables 802.11w MFP protection on a WLAN

OptionalTo be used if the client supports 802.11w.
RequiredEnsures that the clients that do not support 802.11w cannot associate with the WLAN.
Step 5
If you choose the PMF state as either Optional or Required, do the following:
a) In the Comeback Timer box, enter the association comeback interval in milliseconds. It is the time within which the
access point reassociates with the client after a valid security association.
b) In the SA Query Timeout box, enter the maximum time before an Security Association (SA) query times out.
Step 6
In the Authentication Key Management section, follow these steps:

a) Select or unselect the PMF 802.1X check box to configure the 802.1X authentication for the protection of management
frames.
b) Select or unselect the PMF PSK check box to configure the preshared keys for PMF. Choose the PSK format as
either ASCII or Hexadecimal and enter the PSK.
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
Configuring 802.11w (CLI)

Configure the 802.1X authentication for PMF by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa akm pmf 802.1x {enable | disable} wlan-id
Configure the preshared key support for PMF by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa akm pmf psk {enable | disable} wlan-id
If not done, configure a preshared key for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa akm psk set-key {ascii | hex} psk wlan-id
Configure protected management frames by entering this command:
config wlan security pmf {disable | optional | required} wlan-id
Configure the association comeback time settings by entering this command:
config wlan security pmf association-comeback timeout-in-seconds wlan-id
Configure the SA query retry timeout settings by entering this command:
config wlan security pmf saquery-retrytimeout timeout-in-milliseconds wlan-id
See the 802.11w configuration status for a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id
Configure the debugging of PMF by entering this command:
debug pmf events {enable | disable}
Fast Secure Roaming
802.11r Fast Transition
Information About 802.11r Fast Transition
802.11r, which is the IEEE standard for fast roaming, introduces a new concept of roaming where the initial
handshake with the new AP is done even before the client roams to the target AP, which is called Fast Transition
(FT). The initial handshake allows the client and APs to do the Pairwise Transient Key (PTK) calculation in

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Layer 2 Security
advance. These PTK keys are applied to the client and AP after the client does the reassociation request or
response exchange with new target AP.
802.11r provides two methods of roaming:
Over-the-Air
Over-the-DS (Distribution System)
The FT key hierarchy is designed to allow clients to make fast BSS transitions between APs without requiring
reauthentication at every AP. WLAN configuration contains a new Authenticated Key Management (AKM)
type called FT (Fast Transition).
From Release 8.0, you can create an 802.11r WLAN that is also an WPAv2 WLAN. In earlier releases, you
had to create separate WLANs for 802.11r and for normal security. Non-802.11r clients can now join
802.11r-enabled WLANs as the 802.11r WLANs can accept non-802.11r associations. If clients do not support
mixed mode or 802.11r join, they can join non-802.11r WLANS. When you configure FT PSK and later
define PSK, clients that can join only PSK can now join the WLAN in mixed mode.
How a Client Roams
For a client to move from its current AP to a target AP using the FT protocols, the message exchanges are
performed using one of the following two methods:
Over-the-AirThe client communicates directly with the target AP using IEEE 802.11 authentication
with the FT authentication algorithm.
Over-the-DSThe client communicates with the target AP through the current AP. The communication
between the client and the target AP is carried in FT action frames between the client and the current
AP and is then sent through the controller.

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Layer 2 Security
This figure shows the sequence of message exchanges that occur when Over the Air client roaming is
configured.
Figure 35: Message Exchanges when Over the Air client roaming is configured

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Layer 2 Security
This figure shows the sequence of message exchanges that occur when Over the DS client roaming is configured.
Figure 36: Message Exchanges when Over the DS client roaming is configured
Restrictions for 802.11r Fast Transition

This feature is not supported on Mesh access points.
In 8.1 and earlier releases, this feature is not supported on access points in FlexConnect mode. In Release
8.2, this restriction is removed.
For access points in FlexConnect mode:
802.11r Fast Transition is supported in central and locally switched WLANs.
This feature is not supported for the WLANs enabled for local authentication.
802.11r client association is not supported on access points in standalone mode.
802.11r fast roaming is not supported on access points in standalone mode.
802.11r fast roaming between local authentication and central authentication WLAN is not
supported.
802.11r fast roaming works only if the APs are in the same FlexConnect group.
This feature is not supported on Linux-based APs such as Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points.

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Layer 2 Security
802.11r fast roaming is not supported if the client uses Over-the-DS preauthentication in standalone
mode.
EAP LEAP method is not supported. WAN link latency prevents association time to a maximum of 2
seconds.
The service from standalone AP to client is only supported until the session timer expires.
TSpec is not supported for 802.11r fast roaming. Therefore, RIC IE handling is not supported.
If WAN link latency exists, fast roaming is also delayed. Voice or data maximum latency should be
verified. The Cisco WLC handles 802.11r Fast Transition authentication request during roaming for
both Over-the-Air and Over-the-DS methods.
This feature is supported only on open and WPA2 configured WLANs.
Legacy clients cannot associate with a WLAN that has 802.11r enabled if the driver of the supplicant
that is responsible for parsing the Robust Security Network Information Exchange (RSN IE) is old and
not aware of the additional AKM suites in the IE. Due to this limitation, clients cannot send association
requests to WLANs. These clients, however, can still associate with non-802.11r WLANs. Clients that
are 802.11r capable can associate as 802.11i clients on WLANs that have both 802.11i and 802.11r
Authentication Key Management Suites enabled.
The workaround is to enable or upgrade the driver of the legacy clients to work with the new 802.11r
AKMs, after which the legacy clients can successfully associate with 802.11r enabled WLANs.
Another workaround is to have two SSIDs with the same name but with different security settings (FT
and non-FT).
Fast Transition resource request protocol is not supported because clients do not support this protocol.
Also, the resource request protocol is an optional protocol.
To avoid any Denial of Service (DoS) attack, each Cisco WLC allows a maximum of three Fast Transition
handshakes with different APs.
Non-802.11r capable devices will not be able to associate with FT-enabled WLAN.
802.11r FT + PMF is not recommended.
802.11r FT Over-the-Air roaming is recommended for FlexConnect deployments.
Configuring 802.11r Fast Transition (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose WLANs to open the WLANs window.

Click a WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit window.
Choose Security > Layer 2 tab.
The Authentication Key Management parameters for Fast Transition are displayed.
Step 5
Step 6
From the Fast Transition drop-down list, choose Fast Transition on the WLAN.
Check or uncheck the Over the DS check box to enable or disable Fast Transition over a distributed system.
This option is available only if you enable Fast Transition or if Fast Transition is adaptive.
To use 802.11r Fast Transition over-the-air and over-the-ds must be disabled.

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Layer 2 Security
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
In the Reassociation Timeout field, enter the number of seconds after which the reassociation attempt of a client to an
AP should time out. The valid range is 1 to 100 seconds.
Note
This option is available only if you enable Fast
Transition.
Under Authentication Key Management, choose FT 802.1X or FT PSK. Check or uncheck the corresponding check
boxes to enable or disable the keys. If you check the FT PSK check box, from the PSK Format drop-down list, choose
ASCII or Hex and enter the key value.
Note
When Fast Transition adaptive is enabled, you can use only 802.1X and PSK AKM..
From the WPA gtk-randomize State drop-down list, choose Enable or Disable to configure the Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA) group temporal key (GTK) randomize state.
Click Apply to save your settings.
Configuring 802.11r Fast Transition (CLI)

802.11r-enabled WLAN provides faster roaming for wireless client devices. However, if 802.11r is enabled
on a WLAN and advertises fast transition (FT) and non-FT AKMs in Beacon and Probe RSN IE, some of the
devices with bad implementation may not recognise FT/WPA2 authentication key-management (AKM) in
RSN IE and fails to join. As a result, customers cannot enable 802.11r on the SSID.
To overcome this, Cisco Wireless infrastructure introduces adaptive 802.11r Feature. When FT mode is set
to adaptive, WLAN advertises 802.11r Mobility Domain ID on an 802.11i-enabled WLAN. Apple iOS10
client devices identifies the presence of MDIE on a 80211i/WPA2 WLAN and does a proprietary handshake
to establish 802.11r association. Once the client completes successful 802.11r association, it will be able to
do FT roaming as in a normal 802.11r enabled WLAN.
The FT adaptive is applicable only to selected Apple iOS10 devices. All other clients will continue to have
802.11i association on the WLAN.
Step 1
To enable or disable 802.11r fast transition parameters, use the config wlan security ft {adaptive | enable | disable}
wlan-id command.
Fast Transition adaptive option is enabled by default when you create a new WLAN, from Cisco Wireless Controller
(WLC), Release 8.3, onwards. However, the existing WLANs will retain its current configuration when Cisco WLC
upgrades to Release 8.3 from an earlier release.
Enable Fast SSID feature for allowing client devices a smother switching smoother switching from one WLAN to another.
For more information on Fast SSID Change, see Configuring Fast SSID Changing.
Step 2
Step 3
To enable or disable 802.11r fast transition parameters over a distributed system, use the config wlan security ft
over-the-ds {enable | disable} wlan-id command.
The Client devices normally prefer fast transition over-the-ds if the capability is advertised in the WLAN. To force a
client to perform fast transition over-the-air, disable fast transition over-the-ds.
To enable or disable the authentication key management for fast transition using preshared keys (PSK), use the config
wlan security wpa akm ft psk {enable | disable} wlan-id command.
By default, the authentication key management using PSK is disabled.

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Layer 2 Security
Step 4
To enable or disable authentication key management for adaptive using PSK, use the config wlan security wpa akm
psk {enable | disable} wlan-id command.
Step 5
To enable or disable authentication key management for fast transition using 802.1X, use the config wlan security wpa
akm ft-802.1X {enable | disable} wlan-id command.
By default, authentication key management using 802.1X is enabled.
Step 6
To enable or disable authentication key management for adaptive using 802.1x, use the config wlan security wpa akm
802.1x {enable | disable} wlan-id command.
Note
When Fast Transition adaptive is enabled, you can use only 802.1X and PSK AKM.
Step 7
To enable or disable 802.11r fast transition reassociation timeout, use the config wlan security ft reassociation-timeout
timeout-in-seconds wlan-id command.
The valid range is 1 to 100 seconds. The default value of reassociation timeout is 20 seconds.
Step 8
To view the fast transition configuration on a WLAN, use the show wlan wlan-id command.
Step 9
To view the fast transition configuration on a client, use the show client detail client-mac command.
Note
This command is relevant only for a connected or connecting client station (STA).
Step 10
To enable or disable debugging of fast transition events, use the debug ft events {enable | disable} command.
What to Do Next
The tech support command output and xml config will not display fast transition information, when it
is disabled.
The tech support command output and xml config will display Adaptive 802.11r information, when it
is enabled.
To display a comprehensive view of the current Cisco WLC configuration, use the show run-config all
command.
The fast transition adaptive mode is not supported on Releases prior to Release 8.3, the fast transition
adaptive WLANs default to fast transition disable when Cisco WLC is downgraded from Release 8.3
to a previous release, and the fast transition adaptive configuration is invalidated.
Troubleshooting 802.11r BSS Fast Transition
Symptom
Resolution
Non-802.11r legacy clients are no longer connecting. Check if the WLAN has FT enabled. If so, non-FT
WLAN will need to be created.
When configuring WLAN, the FT setup options are Check if WPA2 is being used (802.1x / PSK). FT is
not shown.
supported only on WPA2 and OPEN SSIDs.
802.11r clients appear to reauthenticate when they do Check if the reassociation timeout has been lowered
a Layer 2 roam to a new controller.
from the default of 20 by navigating to WLANs >
WLAN Name > Security > Layer 2 on the controller
GUI.
Sticky Key Caching

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Layer 2 Security
Information About Sticky Key Caching

The controller supports sticky key caching (SKC). With sticky key caching, the client receives and stores a
different PMKID for every AP it associates with. The APs also maintain a database of the PMKID issued to
the client.
In SKC, the client stores each Pairwise Master Key ID (PMKID) against a Pairwise Master Key Security
Association (PMKSA). When a client finds an AP for which it has the PMKSA, it sends the PMKID in the
association request to the AP. If the PMKSA is alive in the AP, the AP provides support for fast roaming. In
SKC, full authentication is done on each new AP to which the client associates and the client must keep the
PMKSA associated with all APs. For SKC, PMKSA is a per AP cache that the client stores and PMKSA is
precalculated based on the BSSID of the new AP.
Restrictions for Sticky Key Caching
The controller supports SKC for up to eight APs per client. If a client roams to more than 8 APs per
session, the old APs are removed to store the newly cached entries when the client roams. We recommend
that you do not use SKC for large scale deployments.
SKC works only on WPA2-enabled WLANs.
SKC does not work across controllers in a mobility group.
SKC works only on local mode APs.
Configuring Sticky Key Caching (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2
Enable sticky key caching by entering this command:

config wlan security wpa wpa2 cache sticky enable wlan_id
By default, SKC is disabled and opportunistic key caching (OKC) is enabled.
SKC works only on WPA2 enabled
WLANs.
You can check if SKC is enabled by entering this command:
Note
show wlan wlan_id

WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
MAC Filtering....................................
Security
802.11 Authentication:........................
Static WEP Keys...............................
802.1X........................................
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2).............
WPA (SSN IE)...............................
WPA2 (RSN IE)..............................
TKIP Cipher.............................

784
2
new
new
Disabled
Disabled
Open System
Disabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
Layer 2 Security
AES Cipher..............................
Auth Key Management
802.1x..................................
PSK.....................................
CCKM....................................
FT(802.11r).............................
FT-PSK(802.11r).........................
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
SKC Cache Support......................... Enabled

FT Reassociation Timeout...................
FT Over-The-Air mode.......................
FT Over-The-Ds mode........................
CCKM tsf Tolerance...............................
Wi-Fi Direct policy configured................
EAP-Passthrough...............................
Step 3
Enable the WLAN by entering this command:

Step 4

save config
20
Enabled
Enabled
1000
Disabled
Disabled
Encryption
WLAN for Static WEP
Information About WLAN for Static WEP
You can configure up to four WLANs to support static WEP keys. Follow these guidelines when configuring
a WLAN for static WEP:
When you configure static WEP as the Layer 2 security policy, no other security policies can be specified.
That is, you cannot configure web authentication. However, when you configure static WEP as the Layer
2 security policy, you can configure web authentication.
Note
Dynamic WEP encryption method is not supported. The last release to support this method was Release
7.0 (7.0.240.0 and later 7.0 releases).
WPA1 and WPA2

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA1) and WPA2 are standards-based security solutions from the Wi-Fi
Alliance that provide data protection and access control for wireless LAN systems. WPA1 is compatible with
the IEEE 802.11i standard but was implemented prior to the standards ratification; WPA2 is the Wi-Fi
Alliance's implementation of the ratified IEEE 802.11i standard.
By default, WPA1 uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and message integrity check (MIC) for data
protection while WPA2 uses the stronger Advanced Encryption Standard encryption algorithm using Counter

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Layer 2 Security
Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol (AES-CCMP). Both WPA1 and
WPA2 use 802.1X for authenticated key management by default. However, these options are also available:
802.1XThe standard for wireless LAN security, as defined by IEEE, is called 802.1X for 802.11, or
simply 802.1X. An access point that supports 802.1X acts as the interface between a wireless client and
an authentication server, such as a RADIUS server, to which the access point communicates over the
wired network. If 802.1X is selected, only 802.1X clients are supported.
PSKWhen you choose PSK (also known as WPA preshared key or WPA passphrase), you need to
configure a preshared key (or a passphrase). This key is used as the pairwise master key (PMK) between
the clients and the authentication server.
CCKMCisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM) uses a fast rekeying technique that enables
clients to roam from one access point to another without going through the controller, typically in under
150 milliseconds (ms). CCKM reduces the time required by the client to mutually authenticate with the
new access point and derive a new session key during reassociation. CCKM fast secure roaming ensures
that there is no perceptible delay in time-sensitive applications such as wireless Voice over IP (VoIP),
enterprise resource planning (ERP), or Citrix-based solutions. CCKM is a CCXv4-compliant feature.
If CCKM is selected, only CCKM clients are supported.
When CCKM is enabled, the behavior of access points differs from the controller's for fast roaming in
the following ways:
If an association request sent by a client has CCKM enabled in a Robust Secure Network Information
Element (RSN IE) but CCKM IE is not encoded and only PMKID is encoded in RSN IE, then the
controller does not do a full authentication. Instead, the controller validates the PMKID and does
a four-way handshake.
If an association request sent by a client has CCKM enabled in RSN IE but CCKM IE is not
encoded and only PMKID is encoded in RSN IE, then AP does a full authentication. The access
point does not use PMKID sent with the association request when CCKM is enabled in RSN IE.
802.1X+CCKMDuring normal operation, 802.1X-enabled clients mutually authenticate with a new
access point by performing a complete 802.1X authentication, including communication with the main
RADIUS server. However, when you configure your WLAN for 802.1X and CCKM fast secure roaming,
CCKM-enabled clients securely roam from one access point to another without the need to reauthenticate
to the RADIUS server. 802.1X+CCKM is considered optional CCKM because both CCKM and
non-CCKM clients are supported when this option is selected.
On a single WLAN, you can allow WPA1, WPA2, and 802.1X/PSK/CCKM/802.1X+CCKM clients to join.
All of the access points on such a WLAN advertise WPA1, WPA2, and 802.1X/PSK/CCKM/ 802.1X+CCKM
information elements in their beacons and probe responses. When you enable WPA1 and/or WPA2, you can
also enable one or two ciphers, or cryptographic algorithms, designed to protect data traffic. Specifically, you
can enable AES and/or TKIP data encryption for WPA1 and/or WPA2. TKIP is the default value for WPA1,
and AES is the default value for WPA2.
Restrictions for Configuring Static WEP
The OEAP 600 series does not support fast roaming for clients. Dual mode voice clients will experience
reduced call quality when they roam between the two spectrums on OEAP602 access point. We
recommend that you configure voice devices to only connect on one band, either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
The Cisco WLC software supports CCX versions 1 through 5. CCX support is enabled automatically
for every WLAN on the controller and cannot be disabled. The controller stores the CCX version of the
client in its client database and uses it to limit client functionality. Clients must support CCXv4 or v5

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Layer 2 Security
in order to use CCKM. For more information about CCX, see the Configuring Cisco Client Extensions
section.
In a unified architecture where multiple VLAN clients are supported for a WGB, you also need to
configure encryption cipher suite and WEP keys globally, when the WEP encryption is enabled on the
WGB. Otherwise, multicast traffic for wired VLAN clients fail.
Configuring WPA1+WPA2 (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Choose WPA+WPA2 from the Layer 2 Security drop-down list.
Under WPA+WPA2 Parameters, select the WPA Policy check box to enable WPA1, select the WPA2 Policy check
box to enable WPA2, or select both check boxes to enable both WPA1 and WPA2.
Note
The default value is disabled for both WPA1 and WPA2. If you leave both WPA1 and WPA2 disabled, the
access points advertise in their beacons and probe responses information elements only for the authentication
key management method that you choose in Step 7.
Select the WPA2 Policy-AES check box to enable AES data encryption .
Note
Based on guidance from the Wi-Fi alliance (WFA), WPA/TKIP can only be configured on a secondary interface
(CLI). Any previously saved TKIP configurations are retained upon upgrade and can be viewed on the CLI.
This allows customers with Wi-Fi clients that only support WPA/TKIP to have a planned migration to devices
that support AES.
Choose one of the following key management methods from the Auth Key Mgmt drop-down list: 802.1X, CCKM, PSK,
or 802.1X+CCKM.
Note
Cisco OEAP 600 does not support CCKM. You must choose either 802.1X or
PSK.
Note
For Cisco OEAP 600, the TKIP and AES security encryption settings must be identical for WPA and WPA2.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
If you chose PSK in Step 7, choose ASCII or HEX from the PSK Format drop-down list and then enter a preshared key
in the blank text box. WPA preshared keys must contain 8 to 63 ASCII text characters or 64 hexadecimal characters.
Note
The PSK parameter is a set-only parameter. The value set for the PSK key is not visible to the user for security
reasons. For example, if you selected HEX as the key format when setting the PSK key, and later when you
view the parameters of this WLAN, the value shown is the default value. The default is ASCII.
Configuring WPA1+WPA2 (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2
Enable or disable WPA for the WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan security wpa {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 3
Enable or disable WPA1 for the WLAN by entering this command:

787
Layer 2 Security
config wlan security wpa wpa1 {enable | disable} wlan_id

Step 4
Enable or disable WPA2 for the WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan security wpa wpa2 {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 5
Enable or disable AES or TKIP data encryption for WPA1 or WPA2 by entering one of these commands:
config wlan security wpa wpa1 ciphers {aes | tkip} {enable | disable} wlan_id
config wlan security wpa wpa2 ciphers {aes | tkip} {enable | disable} wlan_id
The default values are TKIP for WPA1 and AES for WPA2.
From Release 8.0, you cannot configure TKIP as a standalone encryption method. TKIP can be used only with
the AES encryption method.
Note
You can enable or disable TKIP encryption only using the CLI. Configuring TKIP encryption is not supported
in GUI.
When you have VLAN configuration on WGB, you need to configure the encryption cipher mode and keys for a particular
VLAN, for example, encryption vlan 80 mode ciphers tkip. Then, you need configure the encryption cipher mode
globally on the multicast interface by entering the following command: encryption mode ciphers tkip.
Note
Step 6
Enable or disable 802.1X, PSK, or CCKM authenticated key management by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa akm {802.1X | psk | cckm} {enable | disable} wlan_id
The default value is 802.1X.
Step 7
If you enabled PSK in Step 6, enter this command to specify a preshared key:
config wlan security wpa akm psk set-key {ascii | hex} psk-key wlan_id
WPA preshared keys must contain 8 to 63 ASCII text characters or 64 hexadecimal characters.
Step 8
Enable or disable authentication key management suite for fast transition by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa akm ft {802.1X | psk} {enable | disable} wlan_id
You can now choose between the PSK and the fast transition PSK as the AKM
suite.
Enable or disable randomization of group temporal keys (GTK) between AP and clients by entering this command:
config wlan security wpa gtk-random {enable | disable} wlan_id
Note
Step 9
Step 10
If you enabled WPA2 with 802.1X authenticated key management or WPA1 or WPA2 with CCKM authenticated key
management, the PMK cache lifetime timer is used to trigger reauthentication with the client when necessary. The timer
is based on the timeout value received from the AAA server or the WLAN session timeout setting. To see the amount
of time remaining before the timer expires, enter this command:
show pmk-cache all
If you enabled WPA2 with 802.1X authenticated key management, the controller supports both opportunistic PMKID
caching and sticky (or non-opportunistic) PMKID caching. In sticky PMKID caching (SKC), the client stores multiple
PMKIDs, a different PMKID for every AP it associates with. Opportunistic PMKID caching (OKC) stores only one
PMKID per client. By default, the controller supports OKC.
Step 11

Step 12

save config

788
Layer 2 Security
CKIP
Information About CKIP
Cisco Key Integrity Protocol (CKIP) is a Cisco-proprietary security protocol for encrypting 802.11 media.
CKIP improves 802.11 security in infrastructure mode using key permutation, a message integrity check
(MIC), and a message sequence number. Software release 4.0 or later releases support CKIP with a static key.
For this feature to operate correctly, you must enable Aironet information elements (IEs) for the WLAN.
A lightweight access point advertises support for CKIP in beacon and probe response packets by adding an
Aironet IE and setting one or both of the CKIP negotiation bits (key permutation and multi-modular hash
message integrity check [MMH MIC]). Key permutation is a data encryption technique that uses the basic
encryption key and the current initialization vector (IV) to create a new key. MMH MIC prevents bit-flip
attacks on encrypted packets by using a hash function to compute message integrity code.
The CKIP settings specified in a WLAN are mandatory for any client attempting to associate. If the WLAN
is configured for both CKIP key permutation and MMH MIC, the client must support both. If the WLAN is
configured for only one of these features, the client must support only the CKIP feature.
CKIP requires that 5-byte and 13-byte encryption keys be expanded to 16-byte keys. The algorithm to perform
key expansion occurs at the access point. The key is appended to itself repeatedly until the length reaches 16
bytes. All lightweight access points support CKIP.
Note
CKIP is supported for use only with static WEP. It is not supported for use with dynamic WEP. Therefore,
a wireless client that is configured to use CKIP with dynamic WEP is unable to associate to a WLAN that
is configured for CKIP. We recommend that you use either dynamic WEP without CKIP (which is less
secure) or WPA/WPA2 with TKIP or AES (which are more secure).

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Layer 2 Security
Configuring CKIP (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Select the Aironet IE check box to enable Aironet IEs for this WLAN and click Apply.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Choose the General tab.

Unselect the Status check box, if selected, to disable this WLAN and click Apply.
Choose CKIP from the Layer 2 Security drop-down list.
Under CKIP Parameters, choose the length of the CKIP encryption key from the Key Size drop-down list.The range is
Not Set, 40 bits, or 104 bits and the default is Not Set.
Choose the number to be assigned to this key from the Key Index drop-down list. You can configure up to four keys.
From the Key Format drop-down list, choose ASCII or HEX and then enter an encryption key in the Encryption Key
text box. 40-bit keys must contain 5 ASCII text characters or 10 hexadecimal characters. 104-bit keys must contain 13
ASCII text characters or 26 hexadecimal characters.
Select the MMH Mode check box to enable MMH MIC data protection for this WLAN. The default value is disabled
(or unselected).
Select the Key Permutation check box to enable this form of CKIP data protection. The default value is disabled (or
unselected).
Choose the General tab.
Select the Status check box to enable this WLAN.
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Configuring CKIP (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2
Enable Aironet IEs for this WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan ccx aironet-ie enable wlan_id
Step 3
Enable or disable CKIP for the WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan security ckip {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 4
Specify a CKIP encryption key for the WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan security ckip akm psk set-key wlan_id {40 | 104} {hex | ascii} key key_index
Step 5
Enable or disable CKIP MMH MIC for the WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan security ckip mmh-mic {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 6
Enable or disable CKIP key permutation for the WLAN by entering this command:

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Layer 3 Security
config wlan security ckip kp {enable | disable} wlan_id

Step 7

Step 8

save config
Layer 3 Security
Configuring Layer 3 Security Using Web Authentication
Prerequisites for Configuring Web Authentication on a WLAN
To initiate HTTP/HTTPS web authentication redirection, use HTTP URL or HTTPS URL.
If the CPU ACLs are configured to block HTTP / HTTPS traffic, after the successful web login
authentication, there could be a failure in the redirection page.
Before enabling web authentication, make sure that all proxy servers are configured for ports other than
port 53.
When you enable web authentication for a WLAN, a message appears indicating that the controller
forwards DNS traffic to and from wireless clients prior to authentication. We recommend that you have
a firewall or intrusion detection system (IDS) behind your guest VLAN to regulate DNS traffic and to
prevent and detect any DNS tunneling attacks.
If the web authentication is enabled on the WLAN and you also have the CPU ACL rules, the client-based
web authentication rules take higher precedence as long as the client is unauthenticated (in the
webAuth_Reqd state). Once the client goes to the RUN state, the CPU ACL rules get applied. Therefore,
if the CPU ACL rules are enabled in the controller, an allow rule for the virtual interface IP is required
(in any direction) with the following conditions:
When the CPU ACL does not have an allow ACL rule for both directions.
When an allow ALL rule exists, but also a DENY rule for port 443 or 80 of higher precedence.
The allow rule for the virtual IP should be for TCP protocol and port 80 (if secureweb is disabled) or
port 443 (if secureweb is enabled). This process is required to allow clients access to the virtual interface
IP address, post successful authentication when the CPU ACL rules are in place.
Restrictions for Configuring Web Authentication on a WLAN

Web authentication is supported only with these Layer 2 security policies: open authentication, open
authentication+WEP, and WPA-PSK. With the 7.4 release, web authentication is supported for use with
802.1X.
Special charecters are not supported in the username field for web-authentication.

791
Layer 3 Security
When clients connect to a WebAuth SSID and a preauthorization ACL configured to allow VPN users,
the clients will get disconnected from the SSID every few minutes. Webauth SSIDs must not connect
without authenticating on the web page.
You can select the following identity stores to authenticate web-auth user, under WLANs > Security
> AAA servers > Authentication priority order for web-auth user section:
Local
RADIUS
LDAP
If multiple identity stores are selected, then the controller checks each identity store in the list, in the
order specified, from top to bottom, until authentication for the user succeeds. The authentication fails,
if the controller reaches the end of the list and user remains un-authenticated in any of the identity stores.
Information About Web Authentication

WLANs can use web authentication only if VPN passthrough is not enabled on the controller. Web
authentication is simple to set up and use and can be used with SSL to improve the overall security of the
WLAN.
Using Web Authentication with 802.1x
There are three types of timers that are active when your WLAN uses web authentication along with 802.1x.
These timers are based on the timeout value received from the AAA server or the WLAN session timeout:
Session timerClient session timeout configured for a WLAN that requires reauthentication. This timer
starts after a successful web authentication.
Reauthentication timerTimer that is used to trigger client reauthentication for WPA1.
PMK cache timerCache lifetime timer that is used to trigger client reauthentication for WPA2.
This section describes the two scenarios that clients can encounter when a WLAN is configured to use web
authentication along with 802.1x.
Client associated to a single controllerIn this scenario, when the reauthentication or PMK cache timer
expires, the client reauthenticates, updates the reauthentication/PMK cache timer and remains in the run state.
When the client session timer (ST) expires, the client is deauthenticated even if the reauthentication/PMK
cache timer is still valid.
Client roams from one controller to another controllerIn this scenario, after the client roams the foreign
controller triggers an L2 authentication and the anchor controller triggers an L3 authentication. The 802.1x
reauthentication/PMK timer runs on the foreign controller and the client session timer runs on the anchor
controller. When the reauthentication/PMK timer expires, 802.1x client reauthentication happens and the
client is in the run state. Client is deauthenticated only when the client session timer expires.
The session timeout depends on the type of authentication, AAA or local, and the number of users:
If we have AAA user with AAA override enabled, the session timeout is received from the RADIUS
server.
If we have AAA user with AAA override disabled, the session timeout is taken from the corresponding
WLAN.

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Layer 3 Security
If we use local authentication, 802.1x reauthentication/PMK cache timer is the WLAN ST value and
web authentication local user remaining lifetime is configured as ST.
Note
We can have same or different users for both 802.1x and web authentication.
Configuring Web Authentication

Configuring Web Authentication (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure web authentication. The WLANs > Edit page
appears.
Make sure that the Authentication option is selected.
Configuring Web Authentication (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable web authentication on a particular WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan security web-auth {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 2
Release the guest user IP address when the web authentication policy timer expires and prevent the guest user from
acquiring an IP address for 3 minutes by entering this command:
config wlan webauth-exclude wlan_id {enable | disable}
The default value is disabled. This command is applicable when you configure the internal DHCP scope on the controller.
By default, when the web authentication timer expires for a guest user, the user can immediately reassociate to the same
IP address before another guest user can acquire it. If there are many guest users or limited IP addresses in the DHCP
pool, some guest users might not be able to acquire an IP address.
When you enable this feature on the guest WLAN, the guest users IP address is released when the web authentication
policy timer expires and the guest user is excluded from acquiring an IP address for 3 minutes. The IP address is available
for another guest user to use. After 3 minutes, the excluded guest user can reassociate and acquire an IP address, if
available.
Step 3
See the status of web authentication by entering this command:

show wlan wlan_id

793
Layer 3 Security
Web Authentication Proxy

Information About the Web Authentication Proxy
This feature enables clients that have manual web proxy enabled in the browser to facilitate authentication
with the controller. If the user's browser is configured with manual proxy settings with a configured port
number as 8080 or 3128 and if the client requests any URL, the controller responds with a web page prompting
the user to change the Internet proxy settings to automatically detect the proxy settings so that the browsers
manual proxy settings information does not get lost. After enabling this settings, the user can get access to
the network through the web authentication policy. This functionality is given for port 8080 and 3128 because
these are the most commonly used ports for the web proxy server.
Note
The web authentication proxy redirect ports are not blocked through CPU ACL. If a CPU ACL is configured
to block the port 8080, 3128, and one random port as part of web authentication proxy configuration, those
ports are not blocked because the webauth rules take higher precedence than the CPU ACL rules unless
the client is in the webauth_req state.
A web browser has the following three types of Internet settings that you can configure:
Auto detect
System Proxy
Manual
In a manual proxy server configuration, the browser uses the IP address of a proxy server and a port. If this
configuration is enabled on the browser, the wireless client communicates with the IP address of the destination
proxy server on the configured port. In a web authentication scenario, the controller does not listen to such
proxy ports and the client is not able to establish a TCP connection with the controller. The user is unable to
get any login page to authentication and get access to the network.
When a wireless client enters a web-authenticated WLAN, the client tries to access a URL. If a manual proxy
configuration is configured on the client's browser, all the web traffic going out from the client will be destined
to the proxy IP and port configured on the browser.
A TCP connection is established between the client and the proxy server IP address that the controller
proxies for.
The client processes the DHCP response and obtains a JavaScript file from the controller. The script
disables all proxy configurations on the client for that session.
Note
For external clients, the controller sends the login page as is (with or without JavaScipt).
Any requests that bypass the proxy configuration. The controller can then perform web-redirection,
login, and authentication.
When the client goes out of the network, and then back into its own network, a DHCP refresh occurs
and the client continues to use the old proxy configuration configured on the browser.

794
Layer 3 Security
If the external DHCP server is used with webauth proxy, then DHCP option 252 must be configured on
the DHCP server for that scope. The value of option 252 will have the format http://<virtual ip>/proxy.js.
No extra configuration is needed for internal DHCP servers.
Note
When you configure FIPS mode with secure web authentication, we recommend that
you use Mozilla Firefox as your browser.
If web authentication redirect to HTTPS is enabled, then both the client HTTPS and client HTTP requests
are redirected to HTTPS web authentication.
Note
This enhancement was introduced in Release 8.0.
Configuring the Web Authentication Proxy (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Controller > General

From the WebAuth Proxy Redirection Mode drop-down list, choose Enabled or Disabled.
In the WebAuth Proxy Redirection Port text box, enter the port number of the web auth proxy.
This text box consists of the port numbers on which the controller listens to for web authentication proxy redirection.
By default, the three ports 80, 8080, and 3128 are assumed. If you configured the web authentication redirection port to
any port other than these values, you must specify that value.
Step 4
Click Apply.
Configuring the Web Authentication Proxy (CLI)

Enable web authentication proxy redirection by entering this command:
config network web-auth proxy-redirect {enable | disable}
Configure the secure web (HTTPS) authentication for clients by entering this command:
config network web-auth secureweb {enable | disable}
The default secure web (HTTPS) authentication for clients is enabled.
Note
If you configure to disallow secure web (HTTPS) authentication for clients using the config network
web-auth secureweb disable command, then you must reboot the Cisco WLC to implement the change.
Set the web authentication port number by entering this command:
config network web-auth port port-number
This parameter specifies the port numbers on which the controller listens to for web authentication proxy
redirection. By default, the three ports 80, 8080, and 3128 are assumed. If you configured the web
authentication redirection port to any port other than these values, you must specify that value.

795
Layer 3 Security
Configure secure redirection (HTTPS) for web authentication clients by entering this command:
config network web-auth https-redirect {enable | disable}
See the current status of the web authentication proxy configuration by entering one of the following
commands:
show running-config
Captive Portal Bypass

Information About Captive Bypassing
WISPr is a draft protocol that enables users to roam between different wireless service providers. Some devices
(For example, Apple iOS devices) have a mechanism using which they can determine if the device is connected
to Internet, based on an HTTP WISPr request made to a designated URL. This mechanism is used for the
device to automatically open a web browser when a direct connection to the internet is not possible. This
enables the user to provide his credentials to access the internet. The actual authentication is done in the
background every time the device connects to a new SSID.
The client device (Apple IOS device) sends a WISPr request to the controller, which checks for the user agent
details and then triggers an HTTP request with a web authentication interception in the controller. After
verification of the IOS version and the browser details provided by the user agent, the controller allows the
client to bypass the captive portal settings and provides access to the Internet.
Note
The captive portal bypass for IOS7 is supported only with Cisco Wireless LAN Controller, Release 7.6.
This HTTP request triggers a web authentication interception in the controller as any other page requests are
performed by a wireless client. This interception leads to a web authentication process, which will be completed
normally. If the web authentication is being used with any of the controller splash page features (URL provided
by a configured RADIUS server), the splash page may never be displayed because the WISPr requests are
made at very short intervals, and as soon as one of the queries is able to reach the designated server, any web
redirection or splash page display process that is performed in the background is aborted, and the device
processes the page request, thus breaking the splash page functionality.
For example, Apple introduced an iOS feature to facilitate network access when captive portals are present.
This feature detects the presence of a captive portal by sending a web request on connecting to a wireless
network. This request is directed to http://www.apple.com/library/test/success.html for Apple IOS version 6
and older, and to several possible target URLs for Apple IOS version 7 and later. If a response is received,
then the Internet access is assumed to be available and no further interaction is required. If no response is
received, then the Internet access is assumed to be blocked by the captive portal and Apples Captive Network
Assistant (CNA) auto-launches the pseudo-browser to request portal login in a controlled window. The CNA
may break when redirecting to an ISE captive portal. The controller prevents this pseudo-browser from popping
up.
You can now configure the controller to bypass WISPr detection process, so the web authentication interception
is only done when a user requests a web page leading to splash page load in user context, without the WISPr
detection being performed in the background.

796
Layer 3 Security
Configuring Captive Bypassing (CLI)

Use these commands to configure captive bypassing:
config network web-auth captive-bypass {enable | disable}Enables or disables the controller to
support bypass of captive portals at the network level.
show network summaryDisplays the status for the WISPr protocol detection feature.
MAC Authentication Fallback to Web Authentication

Information About Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web Authentication
You can configure a fallback policy mechanism that combines Layer 2 and Layer 3 security. In a scenario
where you have both MAC filtering and web authentication implemented, when a client tries to connect to a
WLAN using the MAC filter (RADIUS server), if the client fails the authentication, you can configure the
authentication to fall back to web authentication. When a client passes the MAC filter authentication, the web
authentication is skipped and the client is connected to the WLAN. With this feature, you can avoid
disassociations based on only a MAC filter authentication failure.
Restrictions
Configuring a Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web Authentication (GUI)
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Before configuring a fallback policy, you must have MAC filtering enabled.

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure the fallback policy for web authentication. The
WLANs > Edit page appears.
From the Layer 3 Security drop-down list, choose None.
Note
The controller forwards DNS traffic to and from wireless clients prior to authentication.
The following options are displayed:
Authentication
Passthrough
Conditional Web Redirect
Splash Page Web Redirect
On MAC Filter Failure

797
Layer 3 Security
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click On MAC Filter Failure.

Configuring a Fallback Policy with MAC Filtering and Web Authentication (CLI)
Note
Before configuring a fallback policy, you must have MAC filtering enabled. To know more about how to
enable MAC filtering, see the Information About MAC Filtering of WLANs, on page 773 section.
Step 1
Enable or disable web authentication on a particular WLAN by entering this command:

config wlan security web-auth on-macfilter-failure wlan-id
Step 2
See the web authentication status by entering this command:

show wlan wlan_id
FT Over-The-Ds mode.............................. Enabled
CKIP ......................................... Disabled
IP Security................................... Disabled
IP Security Passthru.......................... Disabled
Web Based Authentication...................... Enabled-On-MACFilter-Failure
ACL............................................. Unconfigured
Web Authentication server precedence:
1............................................... local
2............................................... radius
3............................................... ldap
Web Redirect with 8021.X Authentication

Information About Web Redirect with 802.1X Authentication
You can configure a WLAN to redirect a user to a particular web page after 802.1X authentication has
completed successfully. You can configure the web redirect to give the user partial or full access to the network.
Conditional Web Redirect
If you enable conditional web redirect, the user can be conditionally redirected to a particular web page after
802.1X authentication has completed successfully. You can specify the redirect page and the conditions under
which the redirect occurs on your RADIUS server. Conditions might include the users password reaching
expiration or the user needing to pay his or her bill for continued usage.

798
Layer 3 Security
If the RADIUS server returns the Cisco AV-pair url-redirect, then the user is redirected to the specified URL
upon opening a browser. If the server also returns the Cisco AV-pair url-redirect-acl, the specified access
control list (ACL) is installed as a preauthentication ACL for this client. The client is not considered fully
authorized at this point and can only pass traffic allowed by the preauthentication ACL.
After the client completes a particular operation at the specified URL (for example, changing a password or
paying a bill), the client must reauthenticate. When the RADIUS server does not return a url-redirect, the
client is considered fully authorized and allowed to pass traffic.
Note
The conditional web redirect feature is available only for WLANs that are configured for 802.1X or
WPA+WPA2 Layer 2 security.
After you configure the RADIUS server, you can then configure the conditional web redirect on the controller
using either the controller GUI or CLI.
Splash Page Web Redirect

If you enable splash page web redirect, the user is redirected to a particular web page after 802.1X authentication
has completed successfully. After the redirect, the user has full access to the network. You can specify the
redirect page on your RADIUS server and the corresponding ACL to allow access to this server in
"url-redirect-acl". If the RADIUS server returns the Cisco AV-pair url-redirect, then the user is redirected
to the specified URL upon opening a browser. The client is considered fully authorized at this point and is
allowed to pass traffic, even if the RADIUS server does not return a url-redirect.
Note
The splash page web redirect feature is available only for WLANs that are configured for 802.1X or
WPA+WPA2 Layer 2 security with 802.1x key management. Preshared key management is not supported
with any Layer 2 security method.
Suppose there are backend applications running on the wireless clients and they use HTTP or HTTPS port
for their communication. If the applications start communicating before the actual web page is opened, the
redirect functionality does not work with web passthrough.
After you configure the RADIUS server, you can then configure the splash page web redirect on the controller
using either the controller GUI or CLI.

799
Layer 3 Security
Configuring the RADIUS Server (GUI)
Note
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
These instructions are specific to the CiscoSecure ACS; however, they should be similar to those for other
RADIUS servers.
From the CiscoSecure ACS main menu, choose Group Setup.

Click Edit Settings.
From the Jump To drop-down list, choose RADIUS (Cisco IOS/PIX 6.0).
Select the [009\001] cisco-av-pair check box.
Enter the following Cisco AV-pairs in the [009\001] cisco-av-pair edit box to specify the URL to which the user is
redirected and, if configuring conditional web redirect, the conditions under which the redirect takes place, respectively:
url-redirect=http://url
url-redirect-acl=acl_name
Configuring Web Redirect

Configuring Web Redirect (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the ID number of the desired WLAN. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Step 4
From the Layer 2 Security drop-down list, choose 802.1X or WPA+WPA2.
Step 5
Step 6
Set any additional parameters for 802.1X or WPA+WPA2.

Choose the Layer 3 tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Security > Layer 3) page.
Step 7
From the Layer 3 Security drop-down list, choose None.
Step 8
Check the Web Policy check box.
Step 9
Choose one of the following options to enable conditional or splash page web redirect: Conditional Web Redirect or
Splash Page Web Redirect. The default value is disabled for both parameters.
Step 10
Step 11
If the user is to be redirected to a site external to the controller, choose the ACL that was configured on your RADIUS
server from the Preauthentication ACL drop-down list.
Step 12

800
Layer 3 Security
Configuring Web Redirect (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable conditional web redirect by entering this command:

config wlan security cond-web-redir {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 2
Enable or disable splash page web redirect by entering this command:

config wlan security splash-page-web-redir {enable | disable} wlan_id
Step 3

save config
Step 4
See the status of the web redirect features for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
...
Web Based Authentication.........................
Web-Passthrough..................................
Conditional Web Redirect.........................
Splash-Page Web Redirect.........................
...
1
test
test
Disabled
Disabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabling Accounting Servers per WLAN (GUI)
Note
Disabling accounting servers disables all accounting operations and prevents the controller from falling
back to the default RADIUS server for the WLAN.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the ID number of the WLAN to be modified. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Choose the Security and AAA Servers tabs to open the WLANs > Edit (Security > AAA Servers) page.
Step 4
Unselect the Enabled check box for the Accounting Servers.
Step 5
Step 6

801
Layer 3 Security
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection per WLAN
Note
Coverage hole detection is enabled globally on the controller.
Note
You can disable coverage hole detection on a per-WLAN basis. When you disable coverage hole detection
on a WLAN, a coverage hole alert is still sent to the controller, but no other processing is done to mitigate
the coverage hole. This feature is useful for guest WLANs where guests are connected to your network
for short periods of time and are likely to be highly mobile.
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection on a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Click the profile name of the WLAN to be modified. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Choose the Advanced tab to display the WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page.
Unselect the Coverage Hole Detection Enabled check box.
Note
OEAP 600 Series Access Points do not support coverage hole
detection.
Click Apply.
Disabling Coverage Hole Detection on a WLAN (CLI)
Step 1
Disable coverage hole detection on a by entering this command:

config wlan chd wlan-id disable
OEAP 600 Series Access Points do not support Coverage Hole
detection.
save config
Note
Step 2
Step 3
See the coverage hole detection status for a particular WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id
WLAN Identifier.................................. 2
Profile Name..................................... wlan2
Network Name (SSID).............................. 2
. . .
CHD per WLAN.................................. Disabled

802
NAC Out-of-Band Integration
Central Web Authentication

In the case of Central Web Authentication (CWA), web authentication occurs on the Cisco ISE server. The
web portal in the Cisco ISE server provides a login page to a client. After the credentials are verified on the
Cisco ISE server, the client is provisioned. The client remains in the POSTURE_REQD state until a change
of authorization (CoA) is reached. The credentials and ACLs are received from the Cisco ISE server.

Information About NAC Out-of-Band Integration
The Cisco NAC Appliance, also known as Cisco Clean Access (CCA), is a network admission control (NAC)
product that enables network administrators to authenticate, authorize, evaluate, and remediate wired, wireless,
and remote users and their machines prior to allowing users onto the network. NAC identifies whether machines
are compliant with security policies and repairs vulnerabilities before permitting access to the network.
The NAC appliance is available in two modes: in-band and out-of-band. Customers can deploy both modes
if desired, each geared toward certain types of access (in-band for supporting wireless users and out-of-band
for supporting wired users, for example).
To implement the NAC out-of-band feature on the controller, you must enable NAC support on the WLAN
or guest LAN and then map this WLAN or guest LAN to an interface that is configured with a quarantine
VLAN (untrusted VLAN) and an access VLAN (trusted VLAN). When a client associates and completes
Layer 2 authentication, the client obtains an IP address from the access VLAN subnet, but the client state is
Quarantine. While deploying the NAC out-of-band feature, be sure that the quarantine VLAN is allowed only
between the Layer 2 switch on which the controller is connected and the NAC appliance and that the NAC
appliance is configured with a unique quarantine-to-access VLAN mapping. Client traffic passes into the
quarantine VLAN, which is trunked to the NAC appliance. After posture validation is completed, the client
is prompted to take remedial action. After cleaning is completed, the NAC appliance updates the controller
to change the client state from Quarantine to Access.
The link between the controller and the switch is configured as a trunk, enabling the quarantine VLAN (110)
and the access VLAN (10). On the Layer 2 switch, the quarantine traffic is trunked to the NAC appliance
while the access VLAN traffic goes directly to the Layer 3 switch. Traffic that reaches the quarantine VLAN
on the NAC appliance is mapped to the access VLAN based on a static mapping configuration.

803
Figure 37: Example of NAC Out-of-Band Integration
Prerequisites for NAC Out Of Band

CCA software release 4.5 or later releases is required for NAC out-of-band integration.
Because the NAC appliance supports static VLAN mapping, you must configure a unique quarantine
VLAN for each interface that is configured on the controller. For example, you might configure a
quarantine VLAN of 110 on controller 1 and a quarantine VLAN of 120 on controller 2. However, if
two WLANs or guest LANs use the same distribution system interface, they must use the same quarantine
VLAN if they have one NAC appliance deployed in the network. The NAC appliance supports unique
quarantine-to-access VLAN mapping.
For a posture reassessment that is based on a session expiry, you must configure the session timeout on
both the NAC appliance and the WLAN, making sure that the session expiry on the WLAN is greater
than that on the NAC appliance.
When a session timeout is configured on an open WLAN, the timing out of clients in the Quarantine
state is determined by the timer on the NAC appliance. After the session timeout expires for WLANs
that use web authentication, clients deauthenticate from the controller and must perform posture validation
again.
All Layer 2 and Layer 3 authentication occurs in the quarantine VLAN. To use external web
authentication, you must configure the NAC appliance to allow HTTP traffic to and from external web
servers and to allow the redirect URL in the quarantine VLAN.
Note
See the Cisco NAC appliance configuration guides for configuration instructions at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/nac-appliance-clean-access/
products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.
If you want to enable NAC on an access point group VLAN, you must first enable NAC on the WLAN.
Then you can enable or disable NAC on the access point group VLAN. If you ever decide to disable
NAC on the WLAN, be sure to disable it on the access point group VLAN as well.

804
The NAC appliance supports up to 3500 users, and the controller supports up to 5000 users. Multiple
NAC appliances might need to be deployed.
If you want to enable NAC on an access point group VLAN, you must first enable NAC on the WLAN.
Then you can enable or disable NAC on the access point group VLAN. If you ever decide to disable
NAC on the WLAN, be sure to disable it on the access point group VLAN as well.
The NAC appliance supports up to 3500 users, and the controller supports up to 5000 users. Multiple
NAC appliances might need to be deployed.
In controller software releases prior to 5.1, the controller integrates with the NAC appliance only in
in-band mode, where the NAC appliance must remain in the data path. For in-band mode, a NAC
appliance is required at each authentication location (such as at each branch or for each controller), and
all traffic must traverse the NAC enforcement point. In controller software release 5.1 or later releases,
the controller can integrate with the NAC appliance in out-of-band mode, where the NAC appliance
remains in the data path only until clients have been analyzed and cleaned. Out-of-band mode reduces
the traffic load on the NAC appliance and enables centralized NAC processing.
NAC out-of-band integration is supported only on WLANs configured for FlexConnect central switching.
It is not supported for use on WLANs configured for FlexConnect local switching.
Restrictions for NAC Out of Band

NAC out-of-band integration is not supported for use with the WLAN AAA override feature.
In controller software releases prior to 5.1, the controller integrates with the NAC appliance only in
in-band mode, where the NAC appliance must remain in the data path. For in-band mode, a NAC
appliance is required at each authentication location (such as at each branch or for each controller), and
all traffic must traverse the NAC enforcement point. In controller software release 5.1 or later releases,
the controller can integrate with the NAC appliance in out-of-band mode, where the NAC appliance
remains in the data path only until clients have been analyzed and cleaned. Out-of-band mode reduces
the traffic load on the NAC appliance and enables centralized NAC processing.
Configuring NAC Out-of-Band Integration (GUI)
Step 1
Configure the quarantine VLAN for a dynamic interface as follows:

a) Choose Controller > Interfaces to open the Interfaces page.
b) Click New to create a new dynamic interface.
c) In the Interface Name text box, enter a name for this interface, such as quarantine.
d) In the VLAN ID text box, enter a nonzero value for the access VLAN ID, such as 10.
e) Click Apply to commit your changes. The Interfaces > Edit page appears.
f) Select the Quarantine check box and enter a nonzero value for the quarantine VLAN ID, such as 110.

805
We recommend that you configure unique quarantine VLANs throughout your network. If multiple controllers
are configured in the same mobility group and access interfaces on all controllers are in the same subnet, it
is mandatory to have the same quarantine VLAN if there is only one NAC appliance in the network. If
multiple controllers are configured in the same mobility group and access interfaces on all controllers are
in different subnets, it is mandatory to have different quarantine VLANs if there is only one NAC appliance
in the network.
g) Configure any remaining text boxes for this interface, such as the IP address, netmask, and default gateway.
h) Click Apply to save your changes.
Note
Step 2
Configure NAC out-of-band support on a WLAN or guest LAN as follows:

b) Click the ID number of the desired WLAN or guest LAN. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
c) Choose the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page.
d) Configure NAC out-of-band support for this WLAN or guest LAN by selecting the NAC State check box. To disable
NAC out-of-band support, leave the check box unselected, which is the default value.
Step 3
Configure NAC out-of-band support for a specific access point group as follows:
a) Choose WLANs > Advanced > AP Groups to open the AP Groups page.
b) Click the name of the desired access point group.
c) Choose the WLANs tab to open the AP Groups > Edit (WLANs) page.
d) Click Add New to assign a WLAN to this access point group. The Add New section appears at the top of the page.
e) From the WLAN SSID drop-down list, choose the SSID of the WLAN.
f) From the Interface Name drop-down list, choose the interface to which you want to map the access point group.
Choose the quarantine VLAN if you plan to enable NAC out-of-band support.
g) To enable NAC out-of-band support for this access point group, select the NAC State check box. To disable NAC
out-of-band support, leave the check box unselected, which is the default value.
h) Click Add to add this WLAN to the access point group. This WLAN appears in the list of WLANs assigned to this
access point group.
Note
If you ever want to remove this WLAN from the access point group, hover your cursor over the blue
drop-down arrow for the WLAN and choose Remove.
Step 4
Step 5

See the current state of the client (Quarantine or Access) as follows:
a) Choose Monitor > Clients to open the Clients page.
b) Click the MAC address of the desired client to open the Clients > Detail page. The NAC state appears under the
Security Information section.
Note
The client state appears as Invalid if the client is probing, has not yet associated to a WLAN, or cannot
complete Layer 2 authentication.
Configuring NAC Out-of-Band Integration (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the quarantine VLAN for a dynamic interface by entering this command:

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RADIUS NAC

Note
You must configure a unique quarantine VLAN for each interface on the controller.
To disable the quarantine VLAN on an interface, enter 0 for the VLAN ID.
Step 2
Enable or disable NAC out-of-band support for a WLAN or guest LAN by entering this command:
config {wlan | guest-lan} nac {enable | disable} {wlan_id | guest_lan_id}
Step 3
Enable or disable NAC out-of-band support for a specific access point group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup nac {enable | disable} group_name wlan_id
Step 4

save config
Step 5
See the configuration of a WLAN or guest LAN, including the NAC state by entering this command:
show {wlan wlan_ id | guest-lan guest_lan_id}
WLAN Identifier..................................
Profile Name.....................................
Status...........................................
MAC Filtering....................................
Broadcast SSID...................................
Network Admission Control
1
wlan
wlan
Disabled
Disabled
Enabled
Disabled
NAC-State...................................... Enabled
Quarantine VLAN............................. 110
...
Step 6
See the current state of the client (either Quarantine or Access) by entering this command:
show client detailed client_mac
Clients NAC state.................................. QUARANTINE
Note
The client state appears as Invalid if the client is probing, has not yet associated to a WLAN, or cannot complete
Layer 2 authentication.
RADIUS NAC
Information About RADIUS NAC Support
The Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a next-generation, context-based access control solution that
provides the functions of Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) and Cisco Network Admission Control
(NAC) in one integrated platform.

807
RADIUS NAC
Cisco ISE was introduced in Cisco Wireless Release 7.0.116.0. Cisco ISE can be used to provide advanced
security for your deployed network. It is an authentication server that you can configure on your controller.
When a client associates with a Cisco WLC on a RADIUS NACenabled WLAN, the controller forwards the
request to the Cisco ISE server.
The Cisco ISE server validates a user in the database, and on successful authentication, the URL and the
pre-AUTH ACL are sent to the client. The client then moves to the Posture Required state and is redirected
to the URL returned by the ISE server.
Note
The client moves to the Central Web Authentication state, if the URL returned by the Cisco ISE server
has the keyword cwa.
The NAC agent in the client triggers the posture validation process. On successful posture validation by the
Cisco ISE server, the client is moved to the Run state.
Note
FlexConnect local switching with RADIUS NAC support is added in Release 7.2.110.0. It is not supported
in the 7.0 releases and Release 7.2.103.0. Downgrading from Release 7.2.110.0 or a later release to either
Release 7.2.103.0 or a 7.0 release will require you to reconfigure the WLAN for the RADIUS NAC feature
to work.
Device Registration
Device registration enables you to authenticate and provision new devices on the WLAN with RADIUS NAC
enabled. When a device is registered on the WLAN, it can use the network based on the configured ACL.
Central Web Authentication

In the case of Central Web Authentication (CWA), web authentication occurs on the Cisco ISE server. The
web portal in the Cisco ISE server provides a login page to a client. After the credentials are verified on the
Cisco ISE server, the client is provisioned. The client remains in the POSTURE_REQD state until a change
of authorization (CoA) is reached. The credentials and ACLs are received from the Cisco ISE server.
Local Web Authentication

Local web authentication is not supported for RADIUS NAC.
This table describes the possible combinations in a typical ISE deployment with Device Registration, CWA
and LWA enabled:
Table 37: ISE Network Authentication Flow
WLAN Configuration
CWA
LWA
Device Registration
RADIUS NAC Enabled
Yes
No
Yes
L2 None
No
PSK, Static WEP, CKIP
No
L3 None
N/A
Internal/External
N/A

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RADIUS NAC
WLAN Configuration
CWA
LWA
Device Registration
MAC Filtering Enabled
Yes
No
Yes
Guidelines and Restrictions on RADIUS NAC Support

Guidelines
When either an authentication or accounting RADIUS server fails, the corresponding server in the
authentication or accounting server list will be made inactive. This ensures that client authentication and
accounting occurs on the same IP authentication and accounting servers. However, the authentication
and accounting servers should be added in the same order while configuring the RADIUS servers if they
have to work together.
When a client moves from one WLAN to another, the Cisco WLC retains the clients audit session ID
if it returns to the WLAN before the idle timeout occurs. As a result, when the client associates with the
Cisco WLC before the idle timeout session expires, it is immediately moved to Run state. The client is
validated if it reassociates with the Cisco WLC after the session timeout.
If you have two WLANs, and WLAN 1 is configured on a Cisco WLC (WLC1) and WLAN2 is configured
on another Cisco WLC (WLC2) and both are RADIUS NAC enabled, the client first connects to WLC1
and moves to the RUN state after posture validation. Assume that the client now moves to WLC2. If
the client connects back to WLC1 before the PMK expires for this client in WLC1, the posture validation
is skipped for the client. The client directly moves to Run state by passing posture validation because
the Cisco WLC retains the old audit session ID for the client that is already known to Cisco ISE.
When deploying RADIUS NAC in your wireless network, do not configure a primary and secondary
Cisco ISE server. Instead, we recommend that you configure High Availability (HA) between the two
Cisco ISE servers. Having a primary and secondary ISE setup will require posture validation to occur
before the clients move to the Run state. If HA is configured, the client is automatically moved to the
Run state in the fallback Cisco ISE server.
Do not swap AAA server indexes in a live network because clients might get disconnected and have to
reconnect to the RADIUS server, which might result in log messages to be appended to the ISE server
logs.
Enable AAA override on the WLAN to use RADIUS NAC.
WPA and WPA2 or dot1X must be enabled on the WLAN. This is also required in case of PSK in Layer
2 security.
During slow roaming, clients go through posture validation.
If the AAA url-redirect-acl and url-redirect attributes are expected from the AAA server, the AAA
override feature must be enabled on the controller.
Restrictions
A RADIUS NAC-enabled WLAN supports only Open Authentication and MAC filtering.
The RADIUS NAC functionality does not work if the configured accounting server is different from
the authentication (Cisco ISE) server. You should configure the same server as the authentication and

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RADIUS NAC
accounting server if Cisco ISE functionalities are used. If Cisco ISE is used only for Cisco ACS
functionality, the accounting server can be flexible.
The controller software configured with RADIUS NAC does not support a CoA on the service port.
Guest tunneling mobility is supported only for ISE NACenabled WLANs.
VLAN select is not supported.
Workgroup bridges are not supported.
The AP Group over NAC is not supported in RADIUS NAC.
When RADIUS NAC is enabled, the RADIUS server overwrite interface is not supported.
Configuring RADIUS NAC Support (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WLANs.
Click the WLAN ID.
Step 3
Step 4

From the NAC State drop-down list, choose from the following options:
None
SNMP NACUses SNMP NAC for the WLAN.
ISE NACUses RADIUS NAC for the WLAN.
Note
AAA override is automatically enabled when you use RADIUS NAC on a WLAN.
Step 5
Configuring RADIUS NAC Support (CLI)

Enter the following command:
config wlan nac radius {enable | disable} wlan_id
Enabling RADIUS NAC on a WPA/WPA2-PSK WLAN

Information About Enabling RADIUS NAC on a WPA and WPA2-PSK WLAN
It is possible to enable both RADIUS NAC and WPA and WPA2-PSK on a WLAN.
This enhancement is introduced in Release 8.3. Prior to Release 8.3, it was not possible to enable both these
configurations on the same WLAN.

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RADIUS NAC
A use case is Web redirect with PSK on Cisco WLCs for the purpose of device onboarding. For example,
on-board devices using an SSID with a PSK send the MAC address to Cisco ISE using central web
authentication (CWA), and determine if it is registered.
Workflow
To support PSK along with RADIUS NAC, you must enable MAC filtering to facilitate a communication
link to the AAA server to get redirect URL and preauthentication ACLs. The WLAN configuration that is
supported is WPA and WPA-2 PSK + MAC filtering + RADIUS NAC.
1 A client joins the WLAN with Layer 2 authentication method, that is, PSK with the credentials created at
the time of creating the WLAN.
2 Cisco WLC looks up the AAA server to check if MAC filtering is enabled. If yes, the AAA server provides
the redirect URL and preauthentication ACLs. The client moves to central web authentication (CWA)
state.
3 The client should log on via the redirect URL and authenticate using the available credentials. The CoA
is then sent from the AAA server to Cisco WLC.
4 As part of the CoA, Cisco WLC triggers DISSOC to the client with the reason as UNSPECIFIED by
starting a rejoin timer with 30 seconds.
5 The final authentication is a MAC authentication to which the final authorization results, such as the final
VLAN and ACL, are returned.
6 Expecting client to rejoin performing Layer 2 authentication generating PMK and GTK, thus the wireless
encrypted link, the Cisco WLC sends ACCESS REQ to the AAA server and related ACCESS RESP in
which the Cisco WLC provides the VLAN change or other enforcement attributes in the AAA server.
With this attribute enforcement, the client moves to the Run state.
Additional References
Web Authentication on WLAN Controllerhttp://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless-mobility/
wlan-security/115951-web-auth-wlc-guide-00.html#anc17
Central Web Authentication on the WLC and ISE Configuration Examplehttp://www.cisco.com/c/en/
us/support/docs/security/identity-services-engine/115732-central-web-auth-00.html
Enabling RADIUS NAC on WPA/WPA2-PSK WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Configure Cisco WLC:

a) Add Cisco ISE as RADIUS server in Cisco WLC with change of authorization (CoA) in Enabled state. For more
information, see Configuring RADIUS (GUI), on page 138.
b) Configure a WLAN with Layer 2 security type set to WPA+WPA2, MAC filtering in Enabled state, Authentication
Key Management set to PSK, and NAC state set to ISE NAC:
1 Choose WLANs and click the WLAN ID.
2 On the WLANs > Edit page, choose Security > Layer 2 tab.
3 Set Layer 2 Security to WPA+WPA2.

811
Local Network Users
4 Enable MAC Filtering.

5 Under Authentication Key Management, enable PSK and set the PSK format.
6 In the Advanced tab, set the NAC State to ISE NAC.
c) Create a preauthentication ACL to communicate with only the Cisco ISE server. For instructions on how to create
an ACL, see (Link to be provided to the Configuring Access Control Lists chapter).
Note
In addition to ISE traffic, allow other necessary traffic such as DNS, DHCP to be specified to permit
DNS and DHCP traffic on the redirect ACL.
If the APs are in FlexConnect mode, a preauth ACL is irrelevant. FlexConnect ACLs can be used to
allow access for clients that have not been authenticated.
Step 2
Configure Cisco ISE:

a) Ensure that Cisco WLC is in Cisco ISE.
b) Add an authentication profile.
c) Add an authorization profile.
d) Add postauthentication policies.
e) Add authorization policy.
Note
1 The first instance is when a user associates with the SSID and when the central web authentication profile
is returned (unknown MAC address; therefore, you must set the user for redirection).
2 The second instance is when a user authenticated on the web portal, such that it matches the default rule
(internal users) in this configuration (it can be configured to meet your requirements). It is important that
the authorization part does not match the central web authentication profile again. Otherwise, there will
be a redirection loop.
For instructions on Cisco ISE configuration, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/
identity-services-engine/115732-central-web-auth-00.html#anc6.
Local Network Users

Information About Local Network Users on Controller
You can add local network users to the local user database on the controller. The local user database stores
the credentials (username and password) of all the local network users. These credentials are then used to
authenticate the users. For example, local EAP may use the local user database as its backend database to
retrieve user credentials.

812
Local Network Users
Note
The controller passes client information to the RADIUS authentication server first. If the client information
does not match a RADIUS database entry, the RADIUS authentication server replies with an authentication
failure message. If the RADIUS authentication server does not reply, then the local user database is queried.
Clients located in this database are granted access to network services if the RADIUS authentication fails
or does not exist.
Configuring Local Network Users for the Controller (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > AAA > Local Net Users to open the Local Net Users page.
Note
If you want to delete an existing user, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that user and choose
Remove.
Step 2

To edit an existing local network user, click the username for that user. The Local Net Users > Edit page appears.
To add a local network user, click New. The Local Net Users > New page appears.
Step 3
If you are adding a new user, enter a username for the local user in the User Name text box. You can enter up to 49
alphanumeric characters.
Note
Local network usernames must be unique because they are all stored in the same database.
Step 4
In the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, enter a password for the local user. You can enter up to 49
alphanumeric characters.
If you are adding a new user, select the Guest User check box if you want to limit the amount of time that the user has
access to the local network. The default setting is unselected.
If you are adding a new user and you selected the Guest User check box, enter the amount of time (in seconds) that the
guest user account is to remain active in the Lifetime text box. The valid range is 60 to 2,592,000 seconds (30 days)
inclusive, and the default setting is 86,400 seconds.
If you are adding a new user, you selected the Guest User check box, and you want to assign a QoS role to this guest
user, select the Guest User Role check box. The default setting is unselected.
Note
If you do not assign a QoS role to a guest user, the bandwidth contracts for this user are defined in the QoS
profile for the WLAN.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
If you are adding a new user and you selected the Guest User Role check box, choose the QoS role that you want to
assign to this guest user from the Role drop-down list.
From the WLAN Profile drop-down list, choose the name of the WLAN that is to be accessed by the local user. If you
choose Any WLAN, which is the default setting, the user can access any of the configured WLANs.
Note
If you are deleting a WLAN associated with network users, then the system prompts you to delete all network
users associated with the WLAN before deleting the WLAN itself.
In the Description text box, enter a descriptive title for the local user (such as User 1).

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Local Network Users
Configuring Local Network Users for the Controller (CLI)

Configure a local network user by entering these commands:
config netuser add username password wlan wlan_id userType permanent description
descriptionAdds a permanent user to the local user database on the controller.
config netuser add username password {wlan | guestlan} {wlan_id | guest_lan_id} userType
guestlifetime seconds description descriptionAdds a guest user on a WLAN or wired guest
LAN to the local user database on the controller.
Note
Instead of adding a permanent user or a guest user to the local user database from the controller, you can
choose to create an entry on the RADIUS server for the user and enable RADIUS authentication for the
WLAN on which web authentication is performed.
config netuser delete {username username | wlan-id wlan-id}
usernameDeletes a user from the local user database on the controller.
Note
Local network usernames must be unique because they are all stored in the same database.
wlan-idDelete all the network users associated with the WLAN ID.
Note
When a WLAN associated with network users is deleted, the system prompts to delete
all network users associated with the WLAN first. After deleting the network users, you
can delete the WLAN.
See information related to the local network users configured on the controller by entering these
commands:
show netuser detail usernameShows the configuration of a particular user in the local user
database.
show netuser summaryLists all the users in the local user database.
save config

814

Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Security > Wireless Protection Policies > Client Exclusion Policies to open the Client Exclusion Policies
page.
Select any of these check boxes if you want the controller to exclude clients for the condition specified. The default value
for each exclusion policy is enabled.
Excessive 802.11 Association FailuresClients are excluded on the sixth 802.11 association attempt, after five
consecutive failures.
Excessive 802.11 Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the sixth 802.11 authentication attempt, after
five consecutive failures.
Excessive 802.1X Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the fourth 802.1X authentication attempt,
after three consecutive failures.
IP Theft or IP ReuseClients are excluded if the IP address is already assigned to another device.
Excessive Web Authentication FailuresClients are excluded on the fourth web authentication attempt, after
three consecutive failures.
Step 3
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the sixth 802.11 association attempt, after five consecutive failures
config wps client-exclusion 802.11-assoc {enable | disable}
Step 2
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the sixth 802.11 authentication attempt, after five consecutive
config wps client-exclusion 802.11-auth {enable | disable}
Step 3
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the fourth 802.1X authentication attempt, after three consecutive
config wps client-exclusion 802.1x-auth {enable | disable}
Step 4
Configure the controller to exclude clients that reaches the maximum failure 802.1X authentication attempt with the
RADIUS server by entering this command:
config wps client-exclusion 802.1x-auth max-1x-aaa-fail-attempts
You can configure the maximum failure 802.1X authentication attempt from 1 to 3 and the default value is 3.
Step 5
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients if the IP address is already assigned to another device by entering this
command:

815
Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy
config wps client-exclusion ip-theft {enable | disable}

Step 6
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients on the fourth web authentication attempt, after three consecutive
config wps client-exclusion web-auth {enable | disable}
Step 7
Enable or disable the controller to exclude clients for all of the above reasons by entering this command:
config wps client-exclusion all {enable | disable}
Step 8
Use the following command to add or delete client exclusion entries.

config exclusionlist {add mac-addr description | delete mac-addr | description mac-addr description}
Step 9

save config
Step 10
See a list of clients that have been dynamically excluded, by entering this command:
show exclusionlist
Dynamically Disabled Clients
---------------------------MAC Address
Exclusion Reason
-------------------------00:40:96:b4:82:55
Step 11
802.1X Failure
Time Remaining (in secs)

-----------------------51
See the client exclusion policy configuration settings by entering this command:
show wps summary
Auto-Immune
IP-theft.......................................
Maximum 802.1x-AAA failure attempts............
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
Enabled
3
Signature Policy
Signature Processing........................ Enabled

Information About the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy
Devices that are Wi-Fi Direct capable can connect directly to each other quickly and conveniently to do tasks
such as printing, synchronization, and sharing of data. Wi-Fi Direct devices may associate with multiple
peer-to-peer (P2P) devices and with infrastructure wireless LANs (WLANs) concurrently. You can use the

816
controller to configure the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy, on a per WLAN basis, where you can allow or disallow
association of Wi-Fi devices with infrastructure WLANs, or disable Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy altogether for
WLANs.
Restrictions for the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy

Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy is applicable to WLANs that have APs in local mode only.
If WLAN applied client policy is invalid, the client is excluded with the exclusion reason being 'Client
QoS Policy failure'.
Configuring the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Click the WLAN ID of the WLAN for which you want to configure the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy. The WLANs > Edit
page appears.
From the Wi-Fi Direct Clients Policy drop-down list, choose one of the following options:
DisabledIgnores the Wi-Fi Direct status of clients thereby allowing Wi-Fi Direct clients to associate
AllowAllows Wi-Fi Direct clients to associate with the WLAN
Not-AllowDisallows the Wi-Fi Direct clients from associating with the WLAN
Xconnect-Not-AllowEnables AP to allow a client with the Wi-Fi Direct option enabled to associate, but the
client (if it works according to the Wi-Fi standards) will refrain from setting up a peer-to-peer connection
Step 5
Configuring the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy on WLANs by entering this command:
config wlan wifidirect {allow | disable | not-allow} wlan-id
The syntax of the command is as follows:
allowAllows Wi-Fi Direct clients to associate with the WLAN
disableIgnores the Wi-Fi Direct status of clients thereby allowing Wi-Fi Direct clients to associate
not-allowDisallows the Wi-Fi Direct clients from associating with the WLAN
xconnect-not-allowEnables AP to allow a client with the Wi-Fi Direct option enabled to associate, but the client
(if it works according to the Wi-Fi standards) will refrain from setting up a peer-to-peer connection

817
Peer-to-Peer Blocking
wlan-idWLAN identifier
Step 2
Save your configuration by entering this command:

save config
Monitoring and Troubleshooting the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy (CLI)

Monitor and troubleshoot the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy by entering theses commands:
show wlan wifidirect wlan-idDisplays status of the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy on the WLAN.
show client wifiDirect-statsDisplays the total number of clients associated and the number of
clients rejected if the Wi-Fi Direct Client Policy is enabled.
Information About Peer-to-Peer Blocking
Peer-to-peer blocking is applied to individual WLANs, and each client inherits the peer-to-peer blocking
setting of the WLAN to which it is associated. Peer-to-Peer enables you to have more control over how traffic
is directed. For example, you can choose to have traffic bridged locally within the controller, dropped by the
controller, or forwarded to the upstream VLAN.
Peer-to-peer blocking is supported for clients that are associated with the local switching WLAN.
Per WLAN, peer-to-peer configuration is pushed by the controller to FlexConnect AP. In controller software
releases prior to 4.2, peer-to-peer blocking is applied globally to all clients on all WLANs and causes traffic
between two clients on the same VLAN to be transferred to the upstream VLAN rather than being bridged
by the controller. This behavior usually results in traffic being dropped at the upstream switch because switches
do not forward packets out the same port on which they are received.
Restrictions for Peer-to-Peer Blocking

In controller software releases prior to 4.2, the controller forwards Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
requests upstream (just like all other traffic). In controller software release 4.2 or later releases, ARP
requests are directed according to the behavior set for peer-to-peer blocking.
Peer-to-peer blocking does not apply to multicast traffic.
If you upgrade to controller software release 4.2 or later releases from a previous release that supports
global peer-to-peer blocking, each WLAN is configured with the peer-to-peer blocking action of
forwarding traffic to the upstream VLAN.
In FlexConnect, solution peer-to-peer blocking configuration cannot be applied only to a particular
FlexConnect AP or a subset of APs. It is applied to all FlexConnect APs that broadcast the SSID.

818
Unified solution for central switching clients supports peer-to-peer upstream-forward. However, this is
not supported in the FlexConnect solution. This is treated as peer-to-peer drop and client packets are
dropped.
Unified solution for central switching clients supports peer-to-peer blocking for clients associated with
different APs. However, this solution targets only clients connected to the same AP. FlexConnect ACLs
can be used as a workaround for this limitation.
Configuring Peer-to-Peer Blocking (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to configure peer-to-peer blocking.
Step 3
Step 4
Choose one of the following options from the P2P Blocking drop-down list:
DisabledDisables peer-to-peer blocking and bridges traffic locally within the controller whenever possible. This
is the default value.
Note
Traffic is never bridged across VLANs in the

controller.
DropCauses the controller to discard the packets.

Forward-UpStreamCauses the packets to be forwarded on the upstream VLAN. The device above the controller
decides what action to take regarding the packets.
Note
Step 5
Step 6
To enable peer-to-peer blocking on a WLAN configured for FlexConnect local switching, select Drop
from the P2P Blocking drop-down list and select the FlexConnect Local Switching check box.

Configuring Peer-to-Peer Blocking (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a WLAN for peer-to-peer blocking by entering this command:

config wlan peer-blocking {disable | drop | forward-upstream} wlan_id
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See the status of peer-to-peer blocking for a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan_id

819
Local Policies

WLAN Identifier.................................. 1
Profile Name..................................... test
Network Name (SSID).............................. test
Status........................................... Enabled
...
...
...
Peer-to-Peer Blocking Action..................... Disabled
Radio Policy..................................... All
Local EAP Authentication...................... Disabled
Local Policies
Information About Local Policies
Controller can do profiling of devices based on protocols such as HTTP, DHCP, and so on to identify the
clients. You can configure the device-based policies and enforce per-user or per-device policy on the network.
The controller also displays statistics that are based on per-user or per-device end points and policies that are
applicable per device. The maximum number of policies that you can configure is 64.
The policies are defined based on the following attributes:
User group or user role
Device type such as Windows clients, smartphones, tablets, and so on
Service Set Identifier (SSID)
Location, based on the access point group that the end point is connected to
Time of the day
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) type, to check what EAP method that the client is getting
connected to
When these policy attributes match, you can define the following actions:
Virtual local area network (VLAN)
Access control list (ACL)
Quality of Service (QoS) level
Session timeout value
Sleeping client timeout value
Select either AVC profile or role, or both based on local policy attributes defined in the AAA server.

820
Local Policies
The following are the different ways by which local policies are applied based on a combination of AVC
profile and role defined in the AAA server:
Both AVC profile and role are derived from the AAA server, the following options are available:
If AAA override is enabled, then AVC profile is prioritized and is applied.
If AAA override is disabled, then role matching is applied.
Only role is derived from the AAA server and role matching takes place, the following options are
available:
If profile is defined in the policy, then role policy is applied.
If profile is not defined in the policy, then AVC profile defined in WLAN is applied.
Only AVC profile is derived from the AAA server, the following options are available:
If AAA override is enabled, then AVC profile received from the AAA server is applied.
If AAA override is disabled, then AVC profile defined on the WLAN is applied.
Restrictions for Local Policy Classification

If you enable AAA override and there are AAA attributes other than the role type from the AAA server,
the configured policy action is not applied. The AAA override attributes have higher precedence.
On a WLAN, when local profiling is enabled, RADIUS profiling is not allowed.
Client profiling uses existing profiles on the controller.
You cannot create custom profiles.
Wired clients behind the workgroup bridge (WGB) are not profiled and the policy action is not taken.
Only the first policy rule which matches with the policy profile is given precedence. Each policy profile
has an associated policy rule, which is used to match the policies.
You can configure up to 64 policies, out of which you can configure up to 16 policies per WLAN.
Policy action is taken after Layer 2 authentication is complete, or after Layer 3 authentication is complete,
or when the device sends HTTP traffic and gets the device profiled. Therefore, profiling and policy
actions occur more than once per client.
Only VLAN, ACL, Session Timeout, and QoS are supported as policy action attributes.
Profiling is performed only on IPv4 clients.
For all the controllers in a mobility group, it is mandatory that the local policy configurations have the
same match criteria attributes and action attributes. Otherwise, the local policy configuration becomes
invalid when roaming occurs across the controllers.
When local policy is configured for device type policy match and configured on a WLAN with guest
anchor enabled, the AVC profile name from local policy is not applied at anchor.

821
Local Policies
Table 38: Differences Between Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Controller Profiling Support
ISE
Controller
Supports profiling using RADIUS probes, DHCP

probes, HTTP, and other protocols used to identify
the client type.
Supports MAC OUI, DHCP, and HTTP-based

profiling.
Supports multiple different attributes for the policy Supports VLAN, ACL, Session Timeout, and QoS
action and has an interface to pick and select each of as policy action attributes.
the attributes.
Supports customization of profiling rules with
user-defined attributes.
Supports only default profiling rules.
Configuring Local Policies (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Security > Local Policies.

Click New to create a new policy.
Enter the policy name and click Apply.
On the Policy List page, click the policy name to be configured.
On the Policy > Edit page, follow these steps:
a) In the Match Criteria area, enter a value for Match Role String. This is the user type or user group of the user, for
example, student, teacher, and so on.
b) From the Match EAP Type drop-down list, choose the EAP authentication method used by the client.
c) From the Device Type drop-down list, choose the device type.
d) Click Add to add the device type to the policy device list.
The device type you choose is listed in the Device List.
e) In the Action area, specify the policies that are to be enforced. From the IPv4 ACL drop-down list, choose an IPv4
ACL for the policy.
f) Enter the VLAN ID that should be associated with the policy.
g) From the QoS Policy drop-down list, choose a QoS policy to be applied.
h) Enter a value for Session Timeout. This is the maximum amount of time, in seconds, after which a client is forced
to reauthenticate.
i) Enter a value for Sleeping Client Timeout, which is the timeout for sleeping clients.
Sleeping clients are clients with guest access that have had successful web authentication that are allowed to sleep
and wake up without having to go through another authentication process through the login page.
This sleeping client timeout configuration overrides the WLAN-specific sleeping client timeout configuration.
j)
k)
l)
m)
From the AVC Profile drop-down list, choose an AVC profile to be applied based on the role defined in AAA.
In the Active Hours area, from the Day drop-down list, choose the days on which the policy has to be active.
Enter the Start Time and End Time of the policy.
Click Add.
The day and start time and end time that you specify is listed.

822
Local Policies
n) Click Apply.
What to Do Next
Apply a local policy that you have created to a WLAN by following these steps:
1 Choose WLANs.
2 Click the corresponding WLAN ID.
3 Click the Policy-Mapping tab.
4 Enter the Priority Index for a policy.
5 From the Local Policy drop-down list, choose the policy that has to be applied for the WLAN.
6 Click Add.
The priority index and the policy that you choose is listed. You can apply up to 16 policies for a WLAN.
Configuring Local Policies (CLI)

Create or delete a local policy by entering this command:
config policy policy-name {create | delete}
Configure a match type to a policy by entering these commands:
config policy policy-name match device-type {add | delete} device-type
config policy policy-name match eap-type {add | delete} {eap-fast | eap-tls | leap | peap}
config policy policy-name match role {role-name | none}
Configure an action that has to be enforced as part of a policy by entering these commands:
ACL action to a policyconfig policy policy-name action acl {enable | disable} acl-name
QoS average data rateconfig policy policy-name action average-data-rate {enable | disable}
rate
QoS average real-time data rateconfig policy policy-name action average-realtime-rate {enable
| disable} rate
QoS burst data rateconfig policy policy-name action burst-data-rate {enable | disable} rate
QoS burst real-time data rateconfig policy policy-name action burst-realtime-rate {enable |
disable} rate
QoS actionconfig policy policy-name action qos {enable | disable} {bronze | gold | platinum
| silver}
Session timeout actionconfig policy policy-name action session-timeout {enable | disable}
timeout-in-seconds

823
Local Policies
Sleeping client timeout actionconfig policy policy-name action sleeping-client-timeout {enable

| disable} timeout-in-hours
Enable AVC profileconfig policy policy-name action avc-profile-name enable avc-profile-name
Disable AVC profileconfig policy policy-name action avc-profile-name disable
VLAN actionconfig policy policy-name action vlan {enable | disable} vlan-id
Note
Ensure that you configure the Average Data Rate before you configure the Burst Data Rate.
Configure the active time for a policy by entering this command:

config policy policy-name active {add | delete} hours start-time end-time days {mon | tue | wed | thu
| fri | sat | sun | daily | weekdays}
Apply a local policy to a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan policy {add | delete} priority-index policy-name wlan-id
Enable or disable client profiling in local mode for a WLAN, based on HTTP, DHCP, or both by entering
this command:
config wlan profiling local {dhcp | http | all} {enable | disable} wlan-id
Apply a local policy to an AP group of a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup policy {add | delete} priority-index policy-name ap-group-name wlan-id
View information about a policy by entering this command:
show policy {summary | policy-name} statistics
View local device classification profile summary by entering this command:
show profiling policy summary
View all the clients with a type of device by entering this command:
show client wlan wlan-id device-type device-type
View a client profiling status that includes profiling done by the RADIUS server and the controller by
show wlan wlan-id
View the policy details for AP groups by entering this command:
show wlan apgroups
Configure the task of debugging of policies by entering this command:
debug policy {error | event} {enable | disable}

824
Local Policies
Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List

Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the latest OUI list available at http://standards.ieee.org/develop/regauth/oui/oui.txt to the default directory on your
server.
The Download file to Controller page is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
From the File Type drop-down list, choose OUI Update.

From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose the server type.
The server details are displayed on the same page.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Download.
After the download is complete, reboot the Cisco WLC by choosing Commands > Reboot.
Click OK.
Updating Organizationally Unique Identifier List (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the latest OUI list available at http://standards.ieee.org/develop/regauth/oui/oui.txt to the default directory on your
server.
Specify the server type by entering this command:
Step 3
Specify the file type by entering this command:

transfer download datatype oui-update
Step 4
Begin the download of the file by entering this command:

Note
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the download process.
Step 5
Reboot the Cisco WLC by entering this command:

reset system
Step 6
See the updated OUI list by entering this command:

show profiling oui-string summary
Note
HA support for OUI update: HA link must be up while downloading the OUI file to the Active controller, so
that the OUI update gets applied to the Standby controller as well.

825
Local Policies
Updating Device Profile List

Updating Device Profile List (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the latest device profile list file to the default directory on your server.
The Download file to Controller page is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Device Profile.

From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose the server type.
The server details are displayed on the same page.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Click Download.
After the download is complete, reboot the Cisco WLC by choosing Commands > Reboot.
Click OK.
Updating Device Profile List (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Copy the latest device profile list file to the default directory on your server.
Specify the server type by entering this command:
Step 3
Specify the file type by entering this command:

transfer download datatype device-profile
Step 4
Specify the file name by entering this command:

transfer download filename device_profile-xml-file
Step 5
Begin the download of the file by entering this command:

Note
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the download process.
Step 6
Reboot the Cisco WLC by entering this command:

reset system
Step 7
See the updated OUI list by entering this command:

show profiling policy summary

826
Wired Guest Access
Wired Guest Access

Information About Wired Guest Access
Wired guest access enables guest users to connect to the guest access network from a wired Ethernet connection
designated and configured for guest access. Wired guest access ports might be available in a guest office or
through specific ports in a conference room. Like wireless guest user accounts, wired guest access ports are
added to the network using the lobby ambassador feature.
Wired guest access can be configured in a standalone configuration or in a dual-controller configuration that
uses both an anchor controller and a foreign controller. This latter configuration is used to further isolate wired
guest access traffic but is not required for deployment of wired guest access.
Wired guest access ports initially terminate on a Layer 2 access switch or switch port configured with VLAN
interfaces for wired guest access traffic. The wired guest traffic is then trunked from the access switch to a
controller. This controller is configured with an interface that is mapped to a wired guest access VLAN on
the access switch.
Note
Although wired guest access is managed by anchor and foreign anchors when two controllers are deployed,
mobility is not supported for wired guest access clients. In this case, DHCP and web authentication for
the client are handled by the anchor controller.
Note
You can specify the amount of bandwidth allocated to a wired guest user in the network by configuring
a QoS role and a bandwidth contract.
You can create a basic peer to peer WLAN ACL and apply it to the wired guest WLAN. This will not block
peer to peer traffic and the guest users can still communicate with each other.
Prerequisites for Configuring Wired Guest Access

To configure wired guest access on a wireless network, you must perform the following:
1 Configure a dynamic interface (VLAN) for wired guest user access
2 Create a wired LAN for guest user access
3 Configure the controller
4 Configure the anchor controller (if terminating traffic on another controller)
5 Configure security for the guest LAN
6 Verify the configuration
Restrictions for Configuring Wired Guest Access

Wired guest access interfaces must be tagged.
Wired guest access ports must be in the same Layer 2 network as the foreign controller.

827
Wired Guest Access
Up to five wired guest access LANs can be configured on a controller. Also in a wired guest access
LAN, multiple anchors are supported.
Layer 3 web authentication and web passthrough are supported for wired guest access clients. Layer 2
security is not supported.
Do not trunk a wired guest VLAN to multiple foreign controllers, as it might produce unpredictable
results.
The controller does not use the callStationIDType parameter configured for the Radius server while
authenticating wired clients, instead the controller uses the system MAC address configured for the
callStationIDType parameter.
Configuring Wired Guest Access (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
To create a dynamic interface for wired guest user access, choose Controller > Interfaces. The Interfaces page appears.
Click New to open the Interfaces > New page.
Enter a name and VLAN ID for the new interface.
In the Port Number text box, enter a valid port number. You can enter a number between 0 and 25 (inclusive).
Select the Guest LAN check box.
To create a wired LAN for guest user access, choose WLANs.
On the WLANs page, choose Create New from the drop-down list and click Go. The WLANs > New page appears.
From the Type drop-down list, choose Guest LAN.
In the Profile Name text box, enter a name that identifies the guest LAN. Do not use any spaces.
From the WLAN ID drop-down list, choose the ID number for this guest LAN.
Note
You can create up to five guest LANs, so the WLAN ID options are 1 through 5 (inclusive).
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15

Select the Enabled check box for the Status parameter.
Web authentication (Web-Auth) is the default security policy. If you want to change this to web passthrough, choose
the Security tab after completing Step 16 and Step 17.
Step 16
From the Ingress Interface drop-down list, choose the VLAN that you created in Step 3. This VLAN provides a path
between the wired guest client and the controller by way of the Layer 2 access switch.
From the Egress Interface drop-down list, choose the name of the interface. This WLAN provides a path out of the
controller for wired guest client traffic.
If you want to change the authentication method (for example, from web authentication to web passthrough), choose
Security > Layer 3. The WLANs > Edit (Security > Layer 3) page appears.
From the Layer 3 Security drop-down list, choose one of the following:
Step 17
Step 18
Step 19
NoneLayer 3 security is disabled.

Web AuthenticationCauses users to be prompted for a username and password when connecting to the wireless
network. This is the default value.

828
Wired Guest Access
Web PassthroughAllows users to access the network without entering a username and password.
Note
Step 20
Step 21
Step 22
There should not be a Layer 3 gateway on the guest wired VLAN, as this would bypass the web
authentication done through the controller.
If you choose the Web Passthrough option, an Email Input check box appears. Select this check box if you want users
to be prompted for their e-mail address when attempting to connect to the network.
To override the global authentication configuration set on the Web Login page, select the Override Global Config check
box.
When the Web Auth Type drop-down list appears, choose one of the following options to define the web authentication
pages for wired guest users:
InternalDisplays the default web login page for the controller. This is the default value.
CustomizedDisplays custom web login, login failure, and logout pages. If you choose this option, three separate
drop-down lists appear for login, login failure, and logout page selection. You do not need to define a customized
page for all three options. Choose None from the appropriate drop-down list if you do not want to display a
customized page for that option.
These optional login, login failure, and logout pages are downloaded to the controller as webauth.tar
files.
ExternalRedirects users to an external server for authentication. If you choose this option, you must also enter
the URL of the external server in the URL text box.
Note
You can choose specific RADIUS or LDAP servers to provide external authentication on the WLANs > Edit
(Security > AAA Servers) page. Additionally, you can define the priority in which the servers provide authentication.
Step 23
If you chose External as the web authentication type in Step 22, choose Security > AAA Servers and choose up to three
RADIUS and LDAP servers using the drop-down lists.
Note
You can configure the Authentication and LDAP Server using both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
The RADIUS and LDAP external servers must already be configured in order to be selectable options on the
WLANs > Edit (Security > AAA Servers) page. You can configure these servers on the RADIUS Authentication
Servers page and LDAP Servers page.
To establish the priority in which the servers are contacted to perform web authentication as follows:
Note
The default order is local, RADIUS,
LDAP.
1 Highlight the server type (local, RADIUS, or LDAP) that you want to be contacted first in the box next to the Up
and Down buttons.
Note
Step 24
2 Click Up and Down until the desired server type is at the top of the box.
3 Click the < arrow to move the server type to the priority box on the left.
4 Repeat these steps to assign priority to the other servers.
Step 25
Step 26
Step 27
Click Apply.
Repeat this process if a second (anchor) controller is being used in the network.

829
Wired Guest Access
Configuring Wired Guest Access (CLI)
Step 1
Create a dynamic interface (VLAN) for wired guest user access by entering this command:
config interface create interface_name vlan_id
Step 2
If link aggregation trunk is not configured, enter this command to map a physical port to the interface:
config interface port interface_name primary_port {secondary_port}
Step 3
Enable or disable the guest LAN VLAN by entering this command:

config interface guest-lan interface_name {enable | disable}
This VLAN is later associated with the ingress interface created in Step 5.
Step 4
Create a wired LAN for wired client traffic and associate it to an interface by entering this command:
config guest-lan create guest_lan_id interface_name
The guest LAN ID must be a value between 1 and 5 (inclusive).
Note
To delete a wired guest LAN, enter the config guest-lan delete guest_lan_id command.
Step 5
Configure the wired guest VLANs ingress interface, which provides a path between the wired guest client and the
controller by way of the Layer 2 access switch by entering this command:
config guest-lan ingress-interface guest_lan_id interface_name
Step 6
Configure an egress interface to transmit wired guest traffic out of the controller by entering this command:
config guest-lan interface guest_lan_id interface_name
Note
Step 7
If the wired guest traffic is terminating on another controller, repeat Step 4 and Step 6 for the terminating (anchor)
controller and Step 1 through Step 5 for the originating (foreign) controller. Additionally, configure the config
mobility group anchor add {guest-lan guest_lan_id | wlan wlan_id} IP_address command for both controllers.
Configure the security policy for the wired guest LAN by entering this command:
config guest-lan security {web-auth enable guest_lan_id | web-passthrough enable guest_lan_id}
Web authentication is the default
setting.
Enable or disable a wired guest LAN by entering this command:
config guest-lan {enable | disable} guest_lan_id
Note
Step 8
Step 9
If you want wired guest users to log into a customized web login, login failure, or logout page, enter these commands
to specify the filename of the web authentication page and the guest LAN for which it should display:
config guest-lan custom-web login-page page_name guest_lan_idDefines a web login page.
config guest-lan custom-web loginfailure-page page_name guest_lan_idDefines a web login failure page.
Note
To use the controllers default login failure page, enter the config guest-lan custom-web loginfailure-page
none guest_lan_id command.
config guest-lan custom-web logout-page page_name guest_lan_idDefines a web logout page.

Note
To use the controllers default logout page, enter the config guest-lan custom-web logout-page none
guest_lan_id command.

830
Wired Guest Access
Step 10
If you want wired guest users to be redirected to an external server before accessing the web login page, enter this
command to specify the URL of the external server:
config guest-lan custom-web ext-webauth-url ext_web_url guest_lan_id
Step 11
If you want to define the order in which local (controller) or external (RADIUS, LDAP) web authentication servers are
contacted, enter this command:
config wlan security web-auth server-precedence wlan_id {local | ldap | radius} {local | ldap | radius} {local | ldap
| radius}
The default order of server web authentication is local, RADIUS, LDAP.
All external servers must be preconfigured on the controller. You can configure them on the RADIUS
Authentication Servers page or the LDAP Servers page.
Define the web login page for wired guest users by entering this command:
config guest-lan custom-web webauth-type {internal | customized | external} guest_lan_id
Note
Step 12
where
internal displays the default web login page for the controller. This is the default value.
customized displays the custom web pages (login, login failure, or logout) that were configured in Step 9.
external redirects users to the URL that was configured in Step 10.
Step 13
Use a guest-LAN specific custom web configuration rather than a global custom web configuration by entering this
command:
config guest-lan custom-web global disable guest_lan_id
If you enter the config guest-lan custom-web global enable guest_lan_id command, the custom web
authentication configuration at the global level is used.
save config
Note
Step 14
Information on the configured web authentication appears in both the show run-config and show running-config
commands.
Display the customized web authentication settings for a specific guest LAN by entering this command:
show custom-web {all | guest-lan guest_lan_id}
Note
Step 15
If internal web authentication is configured, the Web Authentication Type displays as internal rather than external
(controller level) or customized (WLAN profile level).
Display a summary of the local interfaces by entering this command:
show interface summary
Note
Step 16
The interface name of the wired guest LAN in this example is wired-guest and its VLAN ID is
236.
Display detailed interface information by entering this command:
Note
show interface detailed interface_name

Step 17
Display the configuration of a specific wired guest LAN by entering this command:
show guest-lan guest_lan_id
Note
Step 18
Enter the show guest-lan summary command to see all wired guest LANs configured on the controller.
Display the active wired guest LAN clients by entering this command:
show client summary guest-lan

831
Wired Guest Access
Step 19
Display detailed information for a specific client by entering this command:

Supporting IPv6 Client Guest Access

The client is in WebAuth Required state until the client is authenticated. The controller intercepts both IPv4
and IPv6 traffic in this state and redirects it to the virtual IP address of the controller. Once authenticated, the
user's MAC address is moved to the run state and both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic is allowed to pass.
In order to support the redirection of IPv6-only clients, the controller automatically creates an IPv6 virtual
address based on the IPv4 virtual address configured on the controller. The virtual IPv6 address follows the
convention of [::ffff:<virtual IPv4 address>]. For example, a virtual IP address of 192.0.2.1 would translate
into [::ffff:192.0.2.1]. For an IPv6 captive portal to be displayed, the user must request an IPv6 resolvable
DNS entry such as ipv6.google.com which returns a DNSv6 (AAAA) record.

832
CHAPTER
39
Client Roaming
Assisted Roaming, page 833
802.11v, page 836
802.11 Bands, page 839
Band Selection, page 843
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold, page 846
Optimized Roaming, page 848
Assisted Roaming
Restrictions for Assisted Roaming
This feature must be implemented only if you are using one controller. The assisted roaming feature is
not supported across multiple controllers.
This feature is supported only on 802.11n capable indoor access points. For a single band configuration,
a maximum of 6 neighbors are visible in a neighbor list. For dual band configuration, a maximum of 12
neighbors are visible.
You can configure assisted roaming only using the controller CLI. Configuration using the controller
GUI is not supported.
Information About Assisted Roaming

The 802.11k standard allows clients to request neighbor reports containing information about known neighbor
access points that are candidates for a service set transition. The use of the 802.11k neighbor list can limit the
need for active and passive scanning.
The assisted roaming feature is based on an intelligent and client optimized neighbor list.
Unlike the Cisco Client Extension (CCX) neighbor list, the 802.11k neighbor list is generated dynamically
on-demand and is not maintained on the controller. The 802.11k neighbor list is based on the location of the
clients without requiring the mobility services engine (MSE). Two clients on the same controller but different

833
Assisted Roaming
APs can have different neighbor lists delivered depending on their individual relationship with the surrounding
APs.
By default, the neighbor list contains only neighbors in the same band with which the client is associated.
However, a switch exists that allows 802.11k to return neighbors in both bands.
Clients send requests for neighbor lists only after associating with the APs that advertize the RRM (Radio
Resource Management) capability information element (IE) in the beacon. The neighbor list includes
information about BSSID, channel, and operation details of the neighboring radios.
Assembling and Optimizing the Neighbor List
When the controller receives a request for an 802.11k neighbor list, the following occurs:
1 The controller searches the RRM neighbor table for a list of neighbors on the same band as the AP with
which the client is currently associated with.
2 The controller checks the neighbors according to the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) between
the APs, the current location of the present AP, the floor information of the neighboring AP from Cisco
Prime Infrastructure, and roaming history information on the controller to reduce the list of neighbors to
six per band. The list is optimized for APs on the same floor.
Assisted Roaming for Non-802.11k Clients
It is also possible to optimize roaming for non-802.11k clients. You can generate a prediction neighbor list
for each client without the client requiring to send an 802.11k neighbor list request. When this is enabled on
a WLAN, after each successful client association/reassociation, the same neighbor list optimization is applied
on the non-802.11k client to generate the neighbor list and store the list in the mobile station software data
structure. Clients at different locations have different lists because the client probes are seen with different
RSSI values by different neighbors. Because clients usually probe before any association or reassociation,
this list is constructed with the most updated probe data and predicts the next AP that the client is likely to
roam to.
We discourage clients from roaming to those less desirable neighbors by denying association if the association
request to an AP does not match the entries on the stored prediction neighbor list.
Similar to aggressive load balancing, there is a switch to turn on the assisted roaming feature both on a
per-WLAN basis and globally. The following options are available:
Denial countMaximum number of times a client is refused association.
Prediction thresholdMinimum number of entries required in the prediction list for the assisted roaming
feature to be activated.
Because both load balancing and assisted roaming are designed to influence the AP that a client associates
with, it is not possible to enable both the options at the same time on a WLAN.
Configuring Assisted Roaming (CLI)

Configure an 802.11k neighbor list for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan assisted-roaming neighbor-list {enable | disable} wlan-id
Configure neighbor floor label bias by entering this command:
config assisted-roaming floor-bias dBm
Configure a dual-band 802.11k neighbor list for a WLAN by entering this command:

834
Assisted Roaming
config wlan assisted-roaming dual-list {enable | disable} wlan-id
Note
Default is the band which the client is using to associate.

Configure Assisted Roaming Prediction List feature for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan assisted-roaming prediction {enable | disable} wlan-id
Note
A warning message is displayed and load balancing is disabled for the WLAN if load balancing is already
enabled for the WLAN.
Configure the minimum number of predicted APs required for the prediction list feature to be activated
config assisted-roaming prediction-minimum count
Note
If the number of APs in the prediction assigned to a client is less than the number that you specify, the
assisted roaming feature will not apply on this roam.
Configure the maximum number of times a client can be denied association if the association request
that is sent to an AP does not match any AP in the prediction list by entering this command:
config assisted-roaming denial-maximum count
Debug a client for assisted roaming by entering this command:
debug mac addr client-mac-addr
Configure debugging of all of 802.11k events by entering this command:
debug 11k all {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of neighbor details by entering this command:
debug 11k detail {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of 802.11k errors by entering this command:
debug 11k errors {enable | disable}
Verify if the neighbor requests are being received by entering this command:
debug 11k events {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of the roaming history of clients by entering this command:
debug 11k history {enable | disable}
Configure debugging of 802.11k optimizations by entering this command:
debug 11k optimization {enable | disable}
Get details of the client-roaming parameters that are to be imported for offline simulation by entering
this command:
debug 11k simulation {enable | disable}

835
802.11v
802.11v
Information About 802.11v
From Release 8.1, controller supports 802.11v amendment for wireless networks, which describes numerous
enhancements to wireless network management.
One such enhancement is Network assisted Power Savings which helps clients to improve battery life by
enabling them to sleep longer. As an example, mobile devices typically use a certain amount of idle period
to ensure that they remain connected to access points and therefore consume more power when performing
the following tasks while in a wireless network.
Another enhancement is Network assisted Roaming which enables the WLAN to send requests to associated
clients, advising the clients as to better APs to associate to. This is useful for both load balancing and in
directing poorly connected clients.
Enabling 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings
Wireless devices consume battery to maintain their connection to the clients, in several ways:
By waking up at regular intervals to listen to the access point beacons containing a DTIM, which indicates
buffered broadcast or multicast traffic that the access point will deliver to the clients.
By sending null frames to the access points, in the form of keepalive messages to maintain connection
with access points.
Devices also periodically listen to beacons (even in the absence of DTIM fields) to synchronize their
clock to that of the corresponding access point.
All these processes consume battery and this consumption particularly impacts devices (such as Apple),
because these devices use a conservative session timeout estimation, and therefore, wake up often to send
keepalive messages. The 802.11 standard, without 802.11v, does not include any mechanism for the controller
or the access points to communicate to wireless clients about the session timeout for the local client.
To save the power of clients due to the mentioned tasks in wireless network, the following features in the
802.11v standard are used:
Directed Multicast Service
Base Station Subsystem (BSS) Max Idle Period
Directed Multicast Service
Using Directed Multicast Service (DMS), the client requests the access point to transmit the required multicast
packet as unicast frames. This allows the client to receive the multicast packets it has ignored while in sleep
mode and also ensures Layer 2 reliability. Furthermore, the unicast frame will be transmitted to the client at
a potentially higher wireless link rate which enables the client to receive the packet quickly by enabling the
radio for a shorter duration, thus also saving battery power. Since the wireless client also does not have to
wake up at each DTIM interval in order to receive multicast traffic, longer sleeping intervals are allowed.
BSS Max Idle Period
The BSS Max Idle period is the timeframe during which an access point (AP) does not disassociate a client
due to nonreceipt of frames from the connected client. This helps ensure that the client device does not send

836
802.11v
keepalive messages frequently. The idle period timer value is transmitted using the association and reassociation
response frame from the access point to the client. The idle time value indicates the maximum time a client
can remain idle without transmitting any frame to an access point. As a result, the clients remain in sleep mode
for a longer duration without transmitting the keepalive messages often. This in turn contributes to saving
battery power.
Prerequisites for Configuring 802.11v

In Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Release 8.1, the 802.11v feature:
Applies for Apple clients like Apple iPad, iPhone and so on that run on Apple IOS version 7 or later.
Supports local mode; also supports FlexConnect access points in central authentication modes only.
Restrictions for Configuring 802.11v

In Cisco Wireless Controller Release 8.1, the 802.11v feature is applicable only on the following Cisco
Wireless Controller models:
Cisco WiSM2
Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controllers
Configuring 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings (CLI)

Configure the value of BSS Max Idle period by entering these commands:
config wlan usertimeout wlan-id
config wlan bssmaxidle {enable | disable} wlan-id
Configure DMS by entering this command:
config wlan dms {enable | disable} wlan-id
Monitoring 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings (CLI)

Execute the commands described in this section to monitor the DMS and BSS Max Idle time using the CLI.
Display DMS information on each radio slot on an access point by entering the show controller d1/d0
| begin DMS command on the access point.
Track the DMS requests processed by the controller by entering the following commands:
debug 11v all {enable | disable}
debug 11v errors {enable | disable}
debug 11v detail {enable | disable}

837
802.11v
Enable or disable 802.11v debug by entering the debug 11v detail command on the WLC.
Track the DMS requests processed by an access point by entering the debug dot11 dot11v command
on the access point.
Configuration Examples for 802.11v Network Assisted Power Savings

The following example displays a BSS Max Idle period value seen in an access point's association and
reassociation response:
Tag: BSS Max Idle Period
Tag number: BSS Max Idle Period (90)
Tag Length: 3
BSS Max Idle Period (1000 TUS) :300
... ...0 = BSS Max Idle Period Options : Protected Keep-Alive Required:0
The following example displays the DMS information (if enabled) for each client in an access point:
Global DMS - requests:1 uc:0 drop:0
DMS enabled on WLAN(s): 11v
DMS Database:
Entry 1: mask=0x55 version=4 dstIp=0xE00000FB srcIp=0x00000000 dstPort=9 srcPort=0 dcsp=0
protocol=17
{Client, SSID}: {8C:29:37:7B:D0:4E, 11v},
The following example displays a sample output for the show wlan wlan-id command with 802.11v parameters:
WLAN Identifier................4
Profile Name...................Mynet
802.11v Directed Multicast Service........Disabled
802.11v BSS Max Idle Service..............Enabled
802.11v BSS Max Idle Protected Mode..............Disabled
802.11v TFS Service..............Disabled
802.11v BSS Transition Service..............Disabled
802.11v WNM Sleep Mode Service..............Disabled
DMS DB is emptyTag: BSS Max Idle Period
Tag number: BSS Max Idle Period (90)
Tag Length: 3
BSS Max Idle Period (1000 TUS) :300
... ...0 = BSS Max Idle Period Options : Protected Keep-Alive Required:0
Enabling 802.11v BSS Transition Management

802.11v BSS Transtion is applied in the following three scenarios:
Solicited requestClient can send an 802.11v Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition Management Query
before roaming for a better option of AP to reassociate with.
Unsolicited Load Balancing requestIf an AP is heavily loaded, it sends out an 802.11v BSS Transition
Management Request to an associated client.
Unsolicited Optimized Roaming requestIf a client's RSSI and rate do not meet the requirements, the
corresponding AP sends out an 802.11v BSS Transition Management Request to this client.

838
802.11 Bands
Note
802.11v BSS Transition Management Request is a suggestion (or advice) given to a client, which the
client can choose to follow or ignore. To force the task of disassociating a client, turn on the
disassociation-imminent function. This disassociates the client after a period of time if the client is not
reassociated to another AP.
Restrictions
Client needs to support 802.11v BSS Transition.
Enable 802.11v BSS Transition Management on the Cisco WLC
To enable 802.11v BSS transition management on a controller, enter the following commands:
config wlan bss-transition enable wlan-id
config wlan disassociation-imminent enable wlan-id
Troubleshooting
To troubleshoot 802.11v BSS transition, enter the following command:
debug 11v all
802.11 Bands
Information About Configuring 802.11 Bands
You can configure the 802.11b/g/n (2.4-GHz) and 802.11a/n/ac (5-GHz) bands for the controller to comply
with the regulatory requirements in your country. By default, both 802.11b/g/n and 802.11a/n/ac are enabled.
When a controller is configured to allow only 802.11g traffic, 802.11b client devices are able to successfully
connect to an access point but cannot pass traffic. When you configure the controller for 802.11g traffic only,
you must mark 11g rates as mandatory.
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > Network to open the Global Parameters page.
Step 2
Select the 802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status check box to enable the 802.11a or 802.11b/g band. To disable the
band, unselect the check box. The default value is enabled. You can enable both the 802.11a and 802.11b/g bands.
Step 3
If you enabled the 802.11b/g band in Step 2, select the 802.11g Support check box if you want to enable 802.11g network
support. The default value is enabled. If you disable this feature, the 802.11b band is enabled without 802.11g support.
Specify the period at which the SSID is broadcast by the access point by entering a value between 20 and 1000 milliseconds
(inclusive) in the Beacon Period text box. The default value is 100 milliseconds.
Step 4

839
802.11 Bands
The beacon period in controllers is listed in terms of milliseconds. The beacon period can also be measured in
time units, where one time unit equals 1024 microseconds or 102.4 milliseconds. If a beacon interval is listed
as 100 milliseconds in a controller, it is only a rounded off value for 102.4 milliseconds. Due to hardware
limitation in certain radios, even though the beacon interval is, say 100 time units, it is adjusted to 102 time
units, which roughly equals 104.448 milliseconds. When the beacon period is to be represented in terms of time
units, the value is adjusted to the nearest multiple of 17.
Specify the size at which packets are fragmented by entering a value between 256 and 2346 bytes (inclusive) in the
Fragmentation Threshold text box. Enter a low number for areas where communication is poor or where there is a great
deal of radio interference.
Make access points advertise their channel and transmit power level in beacons and probe responses for CCX clients.
Select the DTPC Support check box. Otherwise, unselect this check box. The default value is enabled.
Client devices using dynamic transmit power control (DTPC) receive the channel and power level information from the
access points and adjust their settings automatically. For example, a client device used primarily in Japan could rely on
DTPC to adjust its channel and power settings automatically when it travels to Italy and joins a network there.
Note
Step 5
Step 6
Note
Note
Step 7
Step 8
mode.
DTPC and 801.11h power constraint cannot be enabled simultaneously.
Specify the maximum allowed clients by entering a value between 1 to 200 in the Maximum Allowed Client text box.
Select or unselect the RSSI Low Check check box to enable or disable the RSSI Low Check feature.
Service providers can use the RSSI Low Check feature to prevent clients from connecting to their Wi-Fi network unless
the client has a viable connection. In many scenarios, even though clients can hear beacons and connect to Wi-Fi, the
signal might not be strong enough to support a stable connection. Use this feature to determine how strong a client must
be heard for it to associate with the Wi-Fi network.
If you enable the RSSI Low Check feature, when a client sends an association request to the AP, the controller gets the
RSSI value from the association message and compares it with the RSSI threshold that is configured. If the RSSI value
from the association message is less than the RSSI threshold value, the controller rejects the association request. Note
that this is only for association frames, and not for other messages.
The default RSSI Low Check value is 80 dBm, which means an association request from a client can be rejected if the
AP hears a client with a signal that is weaker than 80 dBm. If you lower the value to 90 dBm, clients are allowed to
connect at a further distance, but there is also a higher probability of the connection quality being poor. We recommend
that you do not go higher than 80 dBm, for example 70 dBm, because this makes the cell size significantly smaller.
Step 9
Enter the RSSI Threshold value.

The default value is 80 dBm.
Step 10
Use the Data Rates options to specify the rates at which data can be transmitted between the access point and the client.
These data rates are available:
802.11a6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
802.11b/g1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, or 54 Mbps
For each data rate, choose one of these options:
MandatoryClients must support this data rate in order to associate to an access point on the controller.
SupportedAny associated clients that support this data rate may communicate with the access point using that

840
802.11 Bands
DisabledThe clients specify the data rates used for communication.

Step 11
Click Apply.
Step 12
Configuring the 802.11 Bands (CLI)
Step 1
Disable the 802.11a band by entering this command:

Note
Step 2
Disable the 802.11b/g band by entering this command:

Note
Step 3
The 802.11a band must be disabled before you can configure the 802.11a network parameters in this section.
The 802.11b band must be disabled before you can configure the 802.11b network parameters in this section.
Specify the rate at which the SSID is broadcast by the access point by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} beaconperiod time_unit
where time_unit is the beacon interval in time units (TUs). One TU is 1024 microseconds. You can configure the access
point to send a beacon every 20 to 1000 milliseconds.
Step 4
Specify the size at which packets are fragmented by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} fragmentation threshold
where threshold is a value between 256 and 2346 bytes (inclusive). Specify a low number for areas where communication
is poor or where there is a great deal of radio interference.
Step 5
Make access points advertise their channel and transmit power level in beacons and probe responses by entering this
command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b } dtpc {enable | disable}
The default value is enabled. Client devices using dynamic transmit power control (DTPC) receive the channel and
power level information from the access points and adjust their settings automatically. For example, a client device used
primarily in Japan could rely on DTPC to adjust its channel and power settings automatically when it travels to Italy and
joins a network there.
mode.
Specify the maximum allowed clients that can be configured by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} max-clients max_allow_clients
Note
Step 6
The valid range is between 1 to 200.

Step 7
Configure the RSSI Low Check feature by entering this command:

config 802.11{a | b} rssi-check {enable | disable}
Step 8
Configure the RSSI Threshold value by entering this command:

config 802.11{a | b} rssi-threshold value-in-dBm

841
802.11 Bands
The default value is 80

dBm.
Specify the rates at which data can be transmitted between the controller and the client by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} rate {disabled | mandatory | supported} rate
Note
Step 9
where
disabledClients specify the data rates used for communication.
mandatoryClients support this data rate in order to associate to an access point on the controller.
supportedAny associated clients that support this data rate may communicate with the access point using that
rateThe rate at which data is transmitted:
6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps (802.11a)
1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, or 54 Mbps (802.11b/g)
Step 10
Enable the 802.11a band by entering this command:

Step 11
Enable the 802.11b band by entering this command:

Step 12
Enable or disable 802.11g network support by entering this command:

config 802.11b 11gSupport {enable | disable}
The default value is enabled. You can use this command only if the 802.11b band is enabled. If you disable this feature,
the 802.11b band is enabled without 802.11g support.
Step 13
Step 14
View the configuration settings for the 802.11a or 802.11b/g band by entering this command:
show {802.11a | 802.11b}
802.11a Network............................... Enabled
11nSupport.................................... Enabled
802.11a Low Band........................... Enabled
802.11a Mid Band........................... Enabled
802.11a High Band.......................... Enabled
802.11a Operational Rates
802.11a 6M Rate.............................. Mandatory
802.11a 9M Rate.............................. Supported

842
Band Selection

...
Beacon Interval.................................. 100
...
Default Channel............................... 36
Default Tx Power Level........................ 1
DTPC Status................................... Enabled
Fragmentation Threshold....................... 2346
Maximum Number of Clients per AP................. 200
Band Selection
Information About Configuring Band Selection
Band selection enables client radios that are capable of dual-band (2.4- and 5-GHz) operation to move to a
less congested 5-GHz access point. The 2.4-GHz band is often congested. Clients on this band typically
experience interference from Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, and cordless phones as well as co-channel
interference from other access points because of the 802.11b/g limit of three nonoverlapping channels. To
prevent these sources of interference and improve overall network performance, you can configure band
selection on the controller.
Band selection works by regulating probe responses to clients and it can be enabled on a per-WLAN basis.
It makes 5-GHz channels more attractive to clients by delaying probe responses to clients on 2.4-GHz channels.
In the access point, the band select table can be viewed by giving show dot11 band-select command. It can
also be viewed from show cont d0/d1 | begin Lru.
Note
The WMM default configuration will not be shown in show running-config output.
Band Selection Algorithm

The band selection algorithm affects clients that use 2.4-GHz band. Initially, when a client sends a probe
request to the access point, the corresponding client probes Active and Count values (as seen from the band
select table) become 1. The algorithm functions based on the following scenarios:
Scenario - 1: Client RSSI (as seen from show cont d0/d1 | begin RSSI) is greater than both Mid-RSSI
and Acceptable Client RSSI.
Dual band clientsNo 2.4-GHz probe responses are seen at any time; 5-GHz probe responses are
seen for all 5-GHz probe requests.
Single band (2.4-GHz) clients 2.4-GHz probe responses are seen only after the probe suppression
cycle.
After the clients probe count reaches the configured probe cycle count, the algorithm waits for
the Age Out Suppression time and then marks the client probes Active value as 0. Then, the
algorithm is restarted.

843
Band Selection
Scenario - 2: Client RSSI (as seen from show cont d0/d1 | begin RSSI) lies between Mid-RSSI and
Acceptable Client RSSI.
All 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz probe requests are responded without any restrictions.
This scenario is similar to the band select disabled.
Note
The client RSSI value (seen as sh cont d0 | begin RSSI) is the average of the client packets received, and
the Mid-RSSI feature is the instantaneous RSSI value of the probe packets. As a result, the client RSSI is
seen as weaker than the configured Mid-RSSI value (7 dB delta). The 802.11b probes from the client are
suppressed to push the client to associate with the 802.11a band.
Restrictions on Band Selection

Band-selection enabled WLANs do not support time-sensitive applications like voice and video because
of roaming delays.
Band selection can be used only with Cisco Aironet 1140, 1250, 1260, 1530, 1550, 1570, 1600, 1700,
2600, 2700, 3500, 3600 and 3700 series access points.
Mid RSSI is not supported on Cisco Aironet 1600 Series access points.
Band selection is not supported in Cisco Aironet 1040, OEAP 600 series access points.
Band selection operates only on access points that are connected to a controller. A FlexConnect access
point without a controller connection does not perform band selection after a reboot.
The band-selection algorithm directs dual-band clients only from the 2.4-GHz radio to the 5-GHz radio
of the same access point, and it only runs on an access point when both the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios
are up and running.
You can enable both band selection and aggressive load balancing on the controller. They run
independently and do not impact one another.
It is not possible to enable or disable band selection and client load balancing globally through the
controller GUI or CLI. You can, however, enable or disable band selection and client load balancing
for a particular WLAN. Band selection and client load balancing are enabled globally by default.
Configuring Band Selection

Configuring Band Selection (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Band Select to open the Band Select page.
Step 2
In the Probe Cycle Count text box, enter a value between 1 and 10. This cycle count sets the number of 2.4 GHz probe
suppression cycles. The cycle count sets the number of suppression cycles for a new client. The default cycle count is
2.
In the Scan Cycle Period Threshold (milliseconds) text box, enter a value between 1 and 1000 milliseconds for the
scan cycle period threshold. This setting determines the time threshold during which new probe requests from a client
Step 3

844
Band Selection
come from a new scanning cycle (i.e. only if the time difference between the successive probe requests is greater than
this configured value, then the count value in the band select table increases). The default cycle threshold is 200
milliseconds.
In the Age Out Suppression (seconds) text box, enter a value between 10 and 200 seconds. Age-out suppression sets
the expiration time for pruning previously known 802.11b/g/n clients. The default value is 20 seconds. After this time
elapses, clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
In the Age Out Dual Band (seconds) text box, enter a value between 10 and 300 seconds. The age-out period sets the
expiration time for pruning previously known dual-band clients. The default value is 60 seconds. After this time elapses,
clients become new and are subject to probe response suppression.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In the Acceptable Client RSSI (dBm) text box, enter a value between 20 and 90 dBm. This parameter sets the
minimum RSSI for a client to respond to a probe. The default value is 80 dBm.
Step 7
In the Acceptable Client Mid RSSI (dBm) text box, enter a value between 20 and 90 dBm. This parameter sets the
mid-RSSI, whose value can be used for toggling 2.4 GHz probe suppression based on the RSSI value. The default value
is 60 dBm.
Step 8
Click Apply.
Step 9
Step 10
To enable or disable band selection on specific WLANs, choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit page
appears.
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
In the Load Balancing and Band Select text area, if you want to enable band selection, select the Client Band Select
check box. If you want to disable band selection, leave the check box unselected. The default value is disabled.
Configuring Band Selection (CLI)
Step 1
Set the probe cycle count for band select by entering this command:
config band-select cycle-count cycle_count
You can enter a value between 1 and 10 for the cycle_count parameter.
Step 2
Set the time threshold for a new scanning cycle period by entering this command:
config band-select cycle-threshold milliseconds
You can enter a value for threshold between 1 and 1000 for the milliseconds parameter.
Step 3
Set the suppression expire to the band select by entering this command:
config band-select expire suppression seconds
You can enter a value for suppression between 10 to 200 for the seconds parameter.
Step 4
Set the dual band expire by entering this command:

config band-select expire dual-band seconds
You can enter a value for dual band between 10 and 300 for the seconds parameter.
Step 5
Set the client RSSI threshold by entering this command:

845
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold
config band-select client-rssi client_rssi

You can enter a value for minimum dBm of a client RSSI to respond to a probe between -20 and -90 for the client_rssi
parameter.
Step 6
Set the client mid RSSI threshold by entering this command:

config band-select client-mid-rssi client_mid_rssi
You can enter a value for mid RSSI between -20 and -90 for the client_mid_rssi parameter.
Step 7
Step 8
Enable or disable band selection on specific WLANs by entering this command:

config wlan band-select allow {enable | disable} wlan_ID
Step 9

show band-select
Band Select Probe Response.......................
Cycle Count...................................
Cycle Threshold...............................
Age Out Suppression...........................
Age Out Dual Band.............................
Client RSSI...................................
Client Mid RSSI...............................
Step 10
Enabled
3 cycles
300 milliseconds
20 seconds
20 seconds
-30 dBm
-80 dBm

Information About Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold
Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (Rx SOP) determines the Wi-Fi signal level in dBm at which
an access point's radio demodulates and decodes a packet. As the Wi-Fi level increases, the radio sensitivity
decreases and the receiver cell size becomes smaller. Reduction of the cell size affects the distribution of
clients in the network.
Rx SOP is used to address clients with weak RF links, sticky clients, and client load balancing across access
points. Rx SOP helps to optimize the network performance at high-density deployments such as stadiums and
auditoriums where access points need to optimize the nearest and strongest clients.
Note
RXSOP configuration is not applicable to 3rd radio module pluggable on 3600 AP.

846
Restrictions for Rx SOP

Rx SOP configurations are supported only on Cisco 1600, 2600, 2700 , 3500, 3600, 3700, and 1550
series access points.
The permitted range for the Rx SOP threshold for the 5-GHz band is -76 dBm to -80 dBm and for the
2.4-GHz is -79 dBm to -85 dBm.
Configuring Rx SOP (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Rx SOP Threshold to configure the high, medium, and low Rx SOP threshold values
for each 802.11 band. The table below shows the Rx SOP threshold values for high, medium and low levels for each
802.11 band.
Table 39: Rx SOP Thresholds
Step 2
802.11 Band
High Threshold
Medium Threshold
Low Threshold
5 GHz
-76 dBm
-78 dBm
-80 dBm
2.4 GHz
-79 dBm
-82 dBm
-85 dBm
Choose Wireless > RF Profiles to configure the Rx SOP threshold value for an RF profile. The RF profiles page is
displayed.
a) Click an RF profile to open the RF Profile > Edit page.
b) In the High Density tab, choose the Rx SOP threshold value from the Rx SOP Threshold drop-down list.
What to Do Next
Verify information about Rx SOP thresholds for an 802.11 band by using theshow {802.11a | 802.11b}
extended command.
Configuring RxSOP (CLI)
Step 1
Configure high, medium, or low Rx SOP threshold values for each 802.11 band by entering this command:
config {802.11a | 802.11b} rx-sop threshold {high | medium | low | auto} {ap ap_name | default}
You can configure the Rx SOP thresholds for an access point or on all access points in an 802.11 band.
Step 2
Configure high, medium, or low Rx SOP threshold values for an RF profile by entering this command:
config rf-profile rx-sop threshold {high | medium | low | auto} profile_name
Step 3
View information about Rx SOP thresholds for an 802.11 band by entering this command:

847
Optimized Roaming
show {802.11a | 802.11b} extended

(Cisco Controller) > show 802.11a extended
Default 802.11a band Radio Extended Configurations:
AP3600-XALE3 34:a8:4e:6a:7b:00
AP54B4 3c:ce:73:6c:42:f0
RX SOP threshold: -76; CCA threshold: -80;
Optimized Roaming
Information About Optimized Roaming
Optimized roaming resolves the problem of sticky clients that remain associated to access points that are far
away and outbound clients that attempt to connect to a Wi-Fi network without having a stable connection.
This feature disassociates clients based on the RSSI of the client data packets and data rate. The client is
disassociated if the RSSI alarm condition is met and the current data rate of the client is lower than the
optimized roaming data rate threshold. You can disable the data rate option so that only RSSI is used for
disassociating clients.
Optimized roaming also prevents client association when the client's RSSI is low. This feature checks the
RSSI of the incoming client against the RSSI threshold. This check prevents the clients from connecting to a
Wi-Fi network unless the client has a viable connection. In many scenarios, even though clients can hear
beacons and connect to a Wi-Fi network, the signal might not be strong enough to support a stable connection.
You can also configure the client coverage reporting interval for a radio by using optimized roaming. The
client coverage statistics include data packet RSSIs, Coverage Hole Detection and Mitigation (CHDM)
pre-alarm failures, retransmission requests, and current data rates.
Optimized Roaming is implemented in the following scenarios:
Addresses the sticky client challenge by pro-actively disconnecting clients.
Actively monitors Data RSSI packets.
Disassociates client when the RSSI is lower than the set threshold.
Restrictions for Optimized Roaming

You cannot configure the optimized roaming interval until you disable the 802.11a/b network.

848
Optimized Roaming
Configuring Optimized Roaming (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Advanced > Optimized Roaming. The Optimized Roaming page is displayed.
Step 2
To enable optimized roaming for an 802.11 band, check the Enable check box.
You can configure the optimized roaming interval and data rate threshold values only after you enable optimized roaming
for an 802.11 band.
Step 3
In the Optimized Roaming Interval text box, enter a value for the interval at which an access point reports the client
coverage statistics to the controller.
The client coverage statistics include data packet RSSIs, Coverage Hole Detection and Mitigation (CHDM) pre-alarm
failures, retransmission requests, and current data rates. The range is from 5 to 90 seconds. The default value is 90
seconds.
Note
You must disable the 802.11a/b network before you configure the optimized roaming reporting interval. If you
configure a low value for the reporting interval, the network can get overloaded with coverage report messages.
The access point sends the client statistics to the controller based on the following conditions:
When Optimized Roaming Interval is set to 90 seconds by default.
When Optimized Roaming Interval is configured (for instance to 10 secs) only during optimized roaming
failure due to Coverage Hole Detection (CHD) RED ALARM.
Step 4
In the Optimized Roaming Data Rate Threshold text box, enter a value for the threshold data rate of the client.
The following data rates are available:
802.11a6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54.
802.11b1, 2, 5.5, 11, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54.
Optimized roaming disassociates clients based on the RSSI of the client data packet and data rate. The client is disassociated
if the current data rate of the client is lower than the Optimized Roaming Data Rate Threshold.
What to Do Next
Optimized roaming checks the client RSSI at the time of an association. This RSSI value is verified against
the configured CHDM RSSI with a 6 db hysteresis. To verify the RSSI threshold configured for coverage
hole detection, choose Wireless > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n > RRM > Coverage to open the 802.11a/ac
(or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM > Coverage page.
Configuring Optimized Roaming (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable optimized roaming by entering this command:

config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} optimized-roaming {enable | disable}
By default, optimized roaming is disabled.

849
Optimized Roaming
Step 2
Configure the client coverage reporting interval for 802.11a/b networks by entering this command:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} optimized-roaming interval seconds
The range is from 5 to 90 seconds. The default value is 90 seconds.
Note
Step 3
You must disable the 802.11a/b network before you configure the optimized roaming reporting interval.
Configure the threshold data rate for 802.11a/b networks by entering this command:
config advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} optimized-roaming datarate mbps
For 802.11a, the configurable data rates are 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54. For 802.11b, the configurable data rates are
1, 2, 5.5, 11, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54. You can configure 0 to disable the data rate.
Step 4
View information about optimized roaming for each band by entering this command:
show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} optimized-roaming
(Cisco Controller) > show advanced 802.11a optimized-roaming
OptimizedRoaming
802.11a OptimizedRoaming Mode.................. Enabled
802.11a OptimizedRoaming Reporting Interval.... 20 seconds
802.11a OptimizedRoaming Rate Threshold........ disabled
Step 5
View information about optimized roaming statistics by entering this command:

show advanced {802.11a | 802.11b} optimized-roaming stats
(Cisco Controller) > show advanced 802.11a optimized-roaming stats
OptimizedRoaming Stats
802.11a OptimizedRoaming Disassociations....... 0
802.11a OptimizedRoaming Rejections............ 0

850
CHAPTER
40
DHCP
DHCP Proxy, page 851
DHCP Link Select and VPN Select, page 854
DHCP Option 82, page 857
Internal DHCP Server, page 860
DHCP for WLANs, page 862
DHCP Proxy
Information About Configuring DHCP Proxy
When DHCP proxy is enabled on the controller, the controller unicasts DHCP requests from the client to the
configured servers. At least one DHCP server must be configured on either the interface associated with the
WLAN or the WLAN itself.
When DHCP proxy is disabled on the controller, those DHCP packets transmitted to and from the clients are
bridged by the controller without any modification to the IP portion of the packet. Packets received from the
client are removed from the CAPWAP tunnel and transmitted on the upstream VLAN. DHCP packets directed
to the client are received on the upstream VLAN, converted to 802.11, and transmitted through a CAPWAP
tunnel toward the client. As a result, the internal DHCP server cannot be used when DHCP proxy is disabled.
The ability to disable DHCP proxy allows organizations to use DHCP servers that do not support Ciscos
native proxy mode of operation. It should be disabled only when required by the existing infrastructure.
Note
DHCP proxy is enabled by default.
Restrictions on Using DHCP Proxy

DHCP proxy must be enabled in order for DHCP option 82 to operate correctly.
All controllers that will communicate must have the same DHCP proxy setting.

851
DHCP Proxy
DHCP v6 Proxy is not supported.
Configuring DHCP Proxy (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Advanced > DHCP to open the DHCP Parameters page.
Step 2
Step 3
Select the Enable DHCP Proxy check box to enable DHCP proxy on a global basis. Otherwise, unselect the check box.
The default value is selected.
Step 4
Configuring DHCP Proxy (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Select the interface you want to configure the DHCP proxy.
You can configure the DHCP proxy on the management, virtual, ap manager, or dynamic interfaces in the controller.
The Interfaces > Edit page is displayed with DHCP information on the primary and secondary DHCP servers configured
in the controller. If the primary and secondary servers are not listed, you must enter values for the IP address of the
DHCP servers in the text boxes displayed in this window.
Select from the following option of the proxy mode drop-down to enable DHCP proxy on the selected management
interface:GlobalUses the global DHCP proxy mode on the controller.EnabledEnables the DHCP proxy mode on
the interface. When you enable DHCP proxy on the controller; the controller unicasts the DHCP requests from the client
to the configured servers. You must configure at least one DHCP server on either the interface associated with the WLAN
or on the WLAN.DisabledDisables the DHCP proxy mode on the interface. When you disable the DHCP proxy on
the controller, the DHCP packets transmitted to and from the clients are bridged by the controller without any modification
to the IP portion of the packet. Packets received from the client are removed from the CAPWAP tunnel and transmitted
on the upstream VLAN. DHCP packets directed to the client are received on the upstream VLAN, converted to 802.11,
and transmitted through a CAPWAP tunnel toward the client. As a result, the internal DHCP server cannot be used when
DHCP proxy is disabled.
Check the Enable DHCP option 82 checkbox to ensure additional security when DHCP is used to allocate network
addresses, check the Enable DHCP option 82 checkbox.
Click Apply to save the configuration.
Step 4
Step 5
Configuring DHCP Proxy (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable DHCP proxy by entering this command:

config dhcp proxy {enable | disable}

852
DHCP Proxy
Step 2
View the DHCP proxy configuration by entering this command:

show dhcp proxy
DHCP Proxy Behavior: enabled
Configuring DHCP Proxy (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the DHCP primary and secondary servers on the interface. To do this, enter the following commands:
config interface dhcp management primary primary-server
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name primary primary-s
Step 2
Configure DHCP proxy on the management or dynamic interface of the controller. To do this, enter the following
command:
config interface dhcp management proxy-mode enableglobaldisable
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name proxy-mode enableglobaldisable.
Step 3
To ensure additional security when DHCP is configured, use the config interface dhcpinterface typeoption-82
enable command.
Step 4
To view the proxy settings of the controller interface enter the show dhcp proxy command.
Note
Configuring a DHCP Timeout (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Select the DHCP Timeout (5 - 120 seconds) check box to enable a DHCP timeout on a global basis. Otherwise, unselect
the check box. The valid range is 5 through 120 seconds.
Step 4
Configuring a DHCP Timeout (CLI)

Configure a DHCP timeout by entering this command:
config dhcp timeout seconds

853
DHCP Link Select and VPN Select

Prerequisites for Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select
The DHCP mode should be set to proxy.
The DHCP external server should be configured.
DHCP Option 82 must be enabled on the controller.
The interface being configured should not be of type service or virtual.
The relay source interface name should be a valid interface with IP address configured.
Note
Proxy mode is not supported for IPv6.
Information About Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select

In a wireless environment, when a client requests a DHCP address, specify to the DHCP server the subnet
from which the IP address has to be assigned, using the giaddr field in the DHCP DISCOVER packet. You
can also use the giaddr field to specify the address that the DHCP server can use to communicate with the
DHCP relay agent (controller). It is difficult to determine that the controller IP address in the subnet is reachable
from the DHCP server. Hence, there is a need to send link-selection information that is distinct from the
controller-reachable address to the DHCP server. Using the DHCP link select (DHCP option 82, suboption
5) configured on the controller interface, the link selection information distinct from controller's reachable
address is sent to the DHCP server.
In a large network's wireless environment, the Cisco Network Registrar (CNR) server, which is a DHCP
server, has multiple pools created based on VPN IDs or VRF names. Using these pools, you can assign IP
address to a client with the help of the DHCP VPN Select option (DHCP option 82 and suboption 151). When
you enable DHCP VPN Select (DHCP option 82 and suboption 151) on the controller interface, the controller
sends the VPN ID or VRF name of the pool from which the IP address has to be assigned to the client. The
DHCP VPN Select option enables easy-to-operate, shared usage of a centralized DHCP server, resulting in
cost savings.
DHCP Link Select

Configure DHCP Link Select (DHCP option 82, suboption 5) on the management and dynamic interfaces of
the controller. Before configuring DHCP Link Select on the controller interface, enable the DHCP proxy and
DHCP option 82 on that interface.
When the Link Select option is enabled on the controller interface, suboption 5 is added to the packet with
the IP address information that contains the desired subnet address for the corresponding client. The subnet
address is the controller interface address mapped to the client VLAN interface. The DHCP server uses the
subnet address to assign the IP address to the DHCP client.

854
DHCP VPN Select

Configure DHCP VPN Select (DHCP option 82, suboption 151) on the management and dynamic interfaces
of the controller. Before configuring DHCP VPN Select on the controller interface, enable the DHCP proxy
and DHCP option 82 on that interface.
You can configure different VPN IDs or VRF names on the same controller or different controllers using the
VPN Select feature configured on the controller interface. Configuring the VPN Select feature, results in the
DHCP server VPN pools having nonoverlapping addresses.
You must add VSS Control suboption 152 every time VSS suboption 151 is sent to the DHCP server. If the
DHCP server understands and acts on VSS suboption 151, VSS Control suboption 152 is removed from the
DHCP acknowledgment. If the DHCP server copies back VSS Control suboption 152 in the DHCP
acknowledgment, it means that the DHCP server does not have the required support for the VSS suboption.
Mobility Considerations
Same Subnet
VPN ID or VRF name mapping to a WLAN should be the same on all the controllers in a mobility group.
For example, if WLAN1 interface maps to VPN ID 1 and WLAN2 interface maps to VPN ID 2 maps on WLC
A, then WLC B should also have WLAN1 interface mapping to VPN ID 1 and WLAN2 interface mapping
to VPN ID 2. This way, when client L2 roams to another WLC, the roamed WLC's DHCP configuration will
ensure that the client is assigned an address from the same VPN.
Different subnet mobility
With L3 mobility, all the DHCP DISCOVER packets are sent to the anchor and the assignment of the original
VPN is ensured.
Auto anchor mobility
All the DHCP DISCOVER packets are sent to the anchor and the assignment of the original VPN is ensured.
Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the dynamic interface using the following commands:

config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name { option-82 | primary | proxy-mode}
Step 2
Configure DHCP option 82 on a dynamic interface using the following commands:

config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name option-82 {enable | disable | linksel | vpnsel}
Step 3
Configure Link Select suboption 5 on a dynamic interface using the following commands:
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name option-82 linksel {enable | disable | relaysrc}
To enable link select on the dynamic interface, first you need to enter the config interface dhcp dynamic-interface
interface-name option-82 linksel relaysrc command followed by the config interface dhcp dynamic-interface
interface-name option-82 linksel enable command.

855
Step 4
Configure VPN Select suboption 151 on a dynamic interface using the following commands:
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name option-82 vpnsel {enable | disable | vrfname vrf-name
| vpnid vpn-id}
The value of vpn-id is denoted in the oui:vpn-ndex format xxxxxx:xxxxxxxx.
You can configure either VPN ID or VRF name for VPN Select on the dynamic interface. If VPN ID is already
configured and you try to configure VRF name, then the earlier configuration is cleared when VPN select is disabled.
VRF name is denoted as a string of seven octets.
To enable VPN select on a dynamic interface, first you need to enter the config interface dhcp dynamic-interface
interface-name option-82 vpnsel vpnid vpn-id or config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name
option-82 vpnsel vrfname vrfname command followed by the config interface dhcp dynamic-interface
interface-name option-82 vpnsel enable command.
Step 5
Configure Link Select suboption 5 on a management interface using the following commands:
config interface dhcp management option-82 linkselect {enable | disable | relaysrc}interface-name
To enable link select on the management interface, enter the config interface dhcp management option-82
linkselect relaysrc command followed by the config interface dhcp management option-82 linkselect enable
command.
Step 6
Configure VPN Select suboption 151 on a management interface using the following commands:
config interface dhcp management option-82 vpnselect {enable | disable | vpnid vpn-id | vrfname vrf-name}
VPN ID value is denoted in the oui:vpn-ndex format xxxxxx:xxxxxxxx.
You can configure either VPN ID or VRF name for VPN select on the management interface. If VPN ID is already
configured and you try to configure VRF name, then the earlier configuration is cleared when VPN select is disabled.
VRF name is denoted as a string of seven octets.
To enable VPN select on the management interface, enter the config interface dhcp management option-82
vpnsel vpnid vpn-id or config interface dhcp management option-82 vpnselect vrfname vrf-name command
followed by the config interface dhcp management option-82 vpnsel enable command.
Step 7
Save the configuration using the following command: save config
Step 8
To view the details of the Link Select settings or the VPN Select interface settings, enter the following command: show
interface detailed
Configuring DHCP Link Select and VPN Select (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2

Select the interface you want to configure the DHCP option-82 link select or VPN select.
You can configure the DHCP option-82 link select on the management or dynamic interfaces in the controller.

856
DHCP Option 82
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
The Interfaces > Edit page is displayed with DHCP information on the primary and secondary DHCP servers configured
in the controller. If the primary and secondary servers are not listed, you must enter values for the IP address of the
DHCP servers in the text boxes displayed in this window.
Select the Enable DHCP Option 82 check box to enable DHCP option 82 on the interface.
Select the Enable DHCP Option 82-Link Select check box to enable link select on the interface.
From the Link Select relay source drop-down list, choose management or dynamic to enable link select on the interface.
When link select is enabled, you can select any interface as relay source management and dynamic interface configured
on the controller.
Select the Enable DHCP Option 82-VPN Select check box to enable VPN select on the management interface.
When VPN select is enabled, you can configure either VRF Name or VPN ID. If you try to configure both the options,
you are prompted with an error message.
In the VPN Select - VRF name text box, enter the VRF name.
In the VPN Select - VPN ID text box, enter the VPN ID.
VPN ID should be provided in format of xxxxxx:xxxxxxxx.
Click Apply to save the configuration.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
DHCP Option 82
Information About DHCP Option 82
DHCP option 82 provides additional security when DHCP is used to allocate network addresses. It enables
the controller to act as a DHCP relay agent to prevent DHCP client requests from untrusted sources. You can
configure the controller to add option 82 information to DHCP requests from clients before forwarding the
requests to the DHCP server.
Figure 38: DHCP Option 82
The access point forwards all DHCP requests from a client to the controller. The controller adds the DHCP
option 82 payload and forwards the request to the DHCP server. The payload can contain the MAC address
or the MAC address and SSID of the access point, depending on how you configure this option.

857
DHCP Option 82
Note
Any DHCP packets that already include a relay agent option are dropped at the controller.
For DHCP option 82 to operate correctly, DHCP proxy must be enabled.
Restrictions on DHCP Option 82

DHCP option 82 is not supported for use with auto-anchor mobility.
Configuring DHCP Option 82 (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Select the Enable DHCP Proxy check box to enable DHCP proxy.
Choose a DHCP Option 82 format from the drop-down list. You can choose either binary or ascii to specify the format
of the DHCP option 82 payload.
Choose a DHCP Option 82 Remote ID field format from the drop-down list to specify the format of the DHCP option
82 payload.
For more information about the options available, see the Controller Online Help.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Enter the DHCP timeout value in the DHCP Timeout field. The timeout value is globally applicable. You can specify
the DHCP timeout value in range from 5 to 120 seconds.
Click Apply.
Click Save Configuration .
What to Do Next
On the controller CLI, you can enable DHCP option 82 on the dynamic interface to which the WLAN is
associated by entering this command:
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name option-82 enable
Configuring DHCP Option 82 (CLI)

Configure the format of the DHCP option 82 payload by entering one of these commands:
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap_macAdds the radio MAC address of the access point to the
DHCP option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap_mac:ssidAdds the radio MAC address and SSID of the access
point to the DHCP option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap-ethmacAdds the Ethernet MAC address of the access point
to the DHCP option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id apname:ssidAdds the AP name and SSID of the access point to
the DHCP option 82 payload.

858
DHCP Option 82
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap-group-nameAdds the AP group name to the DHCP option
82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id flex-group-nameAdds the FlexConnect group name to the DHCP
option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap-locationAdds the AP location to the DHCP option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id apmac-vlan-idAdds the radio MAC address of the access point
and the VLAN ID to the DHCP option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id apname-vlan-idAdds the AP name and its VLAN ID to the DHCP
option 82 payload.
config dhcp opt-82 remote-id ap-ethmac-ssidAdds the Ethernet MAC address of the access
point and the SSID to the DHCP option 82 payload.
Configure the format of the DHCP option 82 as binary or ASCII by entering this command:
config dhcp opt-82 format {binary |ascii}
Enable DHCP Option 82 on the dynamic interface to which the WLAN is associated by entering this
command:
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface interface-name option-82 enable
See the status of DHCP option 82 on the dynamic interface by entering the show interface detailed
dynamic-interface-namecommand.
Configuring DHCP Option 82 Insertion in Bridge Mode (CLI)

Configure DHCP Option 82 insertion in Bridge mode on the management interface by entering this
command:
config interface dhcp management option-82 bridge-mode-insertion {enable | disable}
Note
Enter the show interface detailed management command to see if DHCP Option 82 Bridge mode insertion
is enabled or disabled on the management interface.
Configure DHCP Option 82 insertion in Bridge mode on the dynamic interface by entering this command:
config interface dhcp dynamic-interface dynamic-interface-name option-82 bridge-mode-insertion
{enable | disable}
Note
Enter the show interface detailed dynamic-interface-name command to see if DHCP Option 82 Bridge
mode insertion is enabled or disabled on the dynamic interface.

859
Internal DHCP Server

Information About Internal DHCP Server
Controllers have built-in DHCP relay agents. However, when you desire network segments that do not have
a separate DHCP server, the controllers can have built-in internal DHCP server that assign IP addresses and
subnet masks to wireless clients. Typically, one controller can have one or more internal DHCP server that
each provide a range of IP addresses.
Internal DHCP server are needed for internal DHCP to work. Once DHCP is defined on the controller, you
can then point the primary DHCP server IP address on the management, AP-manager, and dynamic interfaces
to the controllers management interface.
Restrictions on Configuring Internal DHCP Server

You can configure up to 16 internal DHCP servers.
Configuring DHCP Scopes (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Controller > Internal DHCP Server > DHCP Scope to open the DHCP Scopes page.
This page lists any DHCP scopes that have already been configured.
If you ever want to delete an existing DHCP scope, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that
scope and choose Remove.
Click New to add a new DHCP scope. The DHCP Scope > New page appears.
In the Scope Name text box, enter a name for the new DHCP scope.
Click Apply. When the DHCP Scopes page reappears, click the name of the new scope. The DHCP Scope > Edit page
appears.
In the Pool Start Address text box, enter the starting IP address in the range assigned to the clients.
Note
This pool must be unique for each DHCP scope and must not include the static IP addresses of routers or other
servers.
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In the Pool End Address text box, enter the ending IP address in the range assigned to the clients.
Note
servers.

860
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
In the Network text box, enter the network served by this DHCP scope. This IP address is used by the management
interface with Netmask applied, as configured on the Interfaces page.
In the Netmask text box, enter the subnet mask assigned to all wireless clients.
In the Lease Time text box, enter the amount of time (from 0 to 65536 seconds) that an IP address is granted to a client.
In the Default Routers text box, enter the IP address of the optional router connecting the controllers. Each router must
include a DHCP forwarding agent, which allows a single controller to serve the clients of multiple controllers.
In the DNS Domain Name text box, enter the optional domain name system (DNS) domain name of this DHCP scope
for use with one or more DNS servers.
In the DNS Servers text box, enter the IP address of the optional DNS server. Each DNS server must be able to update
a clients DNS entry to match the IP address assigned by this DHCP scope.
In the Netbios Name Servers text box, enter the IP address of the optional Microsoft Network Basic Input Output System
(NetBIOS) name server, such as the Internet Naming Service (WINS) server.
From the Status drop-down list, choose Enabled to enable this DHCP scope or choose Disabled to disable it.
Choose DHCP Allocated Leases to see the remaining lease time for wireless clients. The DHCP Allocated Lease page
appears, showing the MAC address, IP address, and remaining lease time for the wireless clients.
Configuring DHCP Scopes (CLI)
Step 1
Create a new DHCP scope by entering this command:

config dhcp create-scope scope
Note
Step 2
If you ever want to delete a DHCP scope, enter this command: config dhcp delete-scope
scope.
Specify the starting and ending IP address in the range assigned to the clients by entering this command:
config dhcp address-pool scope start end
servers.
Specify the network served by this DHCP scope (the IP address used by the management interface with the Netmask
applied) and the subnet mask assigned to all wireless clients by entering this command:
config dhcp network scope network netmask
Note
Step 3
Step 4
Specify the amount of time (from 0 to 65536 seconds) that an IP address is granted to a client by entering this command:
config dhcp lease scope lease_duration
Step 5
Specify the IP address of the optional router connecting the controllers by entering this command:
config dhcp default-router scope router_1 [router_2] [router_3]
Each router must include a DHCP forwarding agent, which allows a single controller to serve the clients of multiple
controllers.
Step 6
Specify the optional domain name system (DNS) domain name of this DHCP scope for use with one or more DNS
servers by entering this command:
config dhcp domain scope domain

861
DHCP for WLANs
Step 7
Specify the IP address of the optional DNS server(s) by entering this command:
config dhcp dns-servers scope dns1 [dns2] [dns3]
Each DNS server must be able to update a clients DNS entry to match the IP address assigned by this DHCP scope
Step 8
Specify the IP address of the optional Microsoft Network Basic Input Output System (NetBIOS) name server, such as
the Internet Naming Service (WINS) server by entering this command:
config dhcp netbios-name-server scope wins1 [wins2] [wins3]
Step 9
Enable or disable this DHCP scope by entering this command:

config dhcp {enable | disable} scope
Step 10

save config
Step 11
See the list of configured DHCP scopes by entering this command:

show dhcp summary
Scope Name
Scope 1
Scope 2
Step 12
No
No
Enabled
Address Range
0.0.0.0 -> 0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0 -> 0.0.0.0
Display the DHCP information for a particular scope by entering this command:
show dhcp scope
Enabled.......................................
Lease Time....................................
Pool Start....................................
Pool End......................................
Network.......................................
Netmask.......................................
Default Routers...............................
DNS Domain....................................
DNS...........................................
Netbios Name Servers..........................
No
0
0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
DHCP for WLANs

Information About the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
You can configure WLANs to use the same or different Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers
or no DHCP server. Two types of DHCP servers are available: internal and external.

862
DHCP for WLANs
Internal DHCP Servers

The controllers contain an internal DHCP server. This server is typically used in branch offices that do not
already have a DHCP server. The wireless network generally contains a maximum of 10 access points or
fewer, with the access points on the same IP subnet as the controller. The internal server provides DHCP
addresses to wireless clients, direct-connect access points, and DHCP requests that are relayed from access
points. Only lightweight access points are supported. When you want to use the internal DHCP server, you
must set the management interface IP address of the controller as the DHCP server IP address.
DHCP option 43 is not supported on the internal server. Therefore, the access point must use an alternative
method to locate the management interface IP address of the controller, such as local subnet broadcast, Domain
Name System (DNS), or priming.
An internal DHCP server pool only serves the wireless clients of that controller, not clients of other controllers.
Also, an internal DHCP server can serve only wireless clients, not wired clients.
When clients use the internal DHCP server of the controller, IP addresses are not preserved across reboots.
As a result, multiple clients can be assigned with the same IP address. To resolve any IP address conflicts,
clients must release their existing IP address and request a new one. Wired guest clients are always on a Layer
2 network connected to a local or foreign controller.
Note
DHCPv6 is not supported in the internal DHCP servers.
External DHCP Servers

The operating system is designed to appear as a DHCP Relay to the network and as a DHCP server to clients
with industry-standard external DHCP servers that support DHCP Relay, which means that each controller
appears as a DHCP Relay agent to the DHCP server and as a DHCP server at the virtual IP address to wireless
clients.
Because the controller captures the client IP address that is obtained from a DHCP server, it maintains the
same IP address for that client during intra controller, inter controller, and inter-subnet client roaming.
Note
External DHCP servers can support DHCPv6.
DHCP Assignments
You can configure DHCP on a per-interface or per-WLAN basis. We recommend that you use the primary
DHCP server address that is assigned to a particular interface.
You can assign DHCP servers for individual interfaces. You can configure the management interface,
AP-manager interface, and dynamic interface for a primary and secondary DHCP server, and you can configure
the service-port interface to enable or disable DHCP servers. You can also define a DHCP server on a WLAN.
In this case, the server overrides the DHCP server address on the interface assigned to the WLAN.
Security Considerations
For enhanced security, we recommend that you require all clients to obtain their IP addresses from a DHCP
server. To enforce this requirement, you can configure all WLANs with a DHCP Addr. Assignment Required

863
DHCP for WLANs
setting, which disallows client static IP addresses. If DHCP Addr. Assignment Required is selected, clients
must obtain an IP address via DHCP. Any client with a static IP address is not allowed on the network. The
controller monitors DHCP traffic because it acts as a DHCP proxy for the clients.
Note
WLANs that support management over wireless must allow management (device-servicing) clients
to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.
If your Cisco Aironet 1830 Series or Cisco Aironet 1850 Series AP does not receive an IP address
through DHCP, the AP is assigned a default IP address from the 6.x.x.x range. Executing the show
cdp neighbor command on a connected switch displays this IP address in the APs CDP neighbor
table.
If slightly less security is tolerable, you can create WLANs with DHCP Addr. Assignment Required disabled.
Clients then have the option of using a static IP address or obtaining an IP address from a designated DHCP
server.
Note
DHCP Addr. Assignment Required is not supported for wired guest LANs.
You can create separate WLANs with DHCP Addr. Assignment Required configured as disabled. This is
applicable only if DHCP proxy is enabled for the controller. You must not define the primary/secondary
configuration DHCP server you should disable the DHCP proxy. These WLANs drop all DHCP requests and
force clients to use a static IP address. These WLANs do not support management over wireless connections.
Restrictions for Configuring DHCP for WLANs

The controller internal DHCP server does not support Cisco Aironet 600 Series OfficeExtend Access
Point.
Internal DHCP servers are not supported in Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers. As a workaround, you
can use External DHCP servers.
For WLANs with local switching and central DHCP feature enabled, clients with static IP addresses are
not allowed. Enabling central DHCP will internally enable DHCP required option.
Configuring DHCP (GUI)

To configure a primary DHCP server for a management, AP-manager, or dynamic interface, see the Configuring
Ports and Interfaces chapter.

864
DHCP for WLANs
When you want to use the internal DHCP server, you must set the management interface IP address of the
controller as the DHCP server IP address.
Step 1
Step 2

Click the ID number of the WLAN for which you want to assign an interface. The WLANs > Edit (General) page
appears.
On the General tab, unselect the Status check box and click Apply to disable the WLAN.
Reclick the ID number of the WLAN.
On the General tab, choose the interface for which you configured a primary DHCP server to be used with this WLAN
from the Interface drop-down list.
If you want to define a DHCP server on the WLAN that will override the DHCP server address on the interface assigned
to the WLAN, select the DHCP Server Override check box and enter the IP address of the desired DHCP server in the
DHCP Server IP Addr text box. The default value for the check box is disabled.
Note
The preferred method for configuring DHCP is to use the primary DHCP address assigned to a particular interface
instead of the DHCP server override.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Note
DHCP Server override is applicable only for the default

group.
Note
If a WLAN has the DHCP server override option enabled and the controller has DHCP proxy enabled, any
interface mapped to the WLAN must have a DHCP server IP address or the WLAN must be configured with a
DHCP server IP address.
If you want to require all clients to obtain their IP addresses from a DHCP server, select the DHCP Addr. Assignment
Required check box. When this feature is enabled, any client with a static IP address is not allowed on the network. The
default value is disabled.
Note
DHCP Addr. Assignment Required is not supported for wired guest LANs.
Note
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
PMIPv6 supports only DHCP based clients and Static IP address is not supported.
Click Apply.
On the General tab, select the Status check box and click Apply to reenable the WLAN.
Configuring DHCP (CLI)
Step 1

Step 2
Specify the interface for which you configured a primary DHCP server to be used with this WLAN by entering this
command:
config wlan interface wlan-id interface_name

865
DHCP for WLANs
Step 3
If you want to define a DHCP server on the WLAN that will override the DHCP server address on the interface assigned
to the WLAN, enter this command:
config wlan dhcp_server wlan-id dhcp_server_ip_address
Note
Note
Note
Step 4
The preferred method for configuring DHCP is to use the primary DHCP address assigned to a particular interface
instead of the DHCP server override. If you enable the override, you can use the show wlan command to verify
that the DHCP server has been assigned to the WLAN.
If a WLAN has the DHCP server override option enabled and the controller has DHCP proxy enabled, any
interface mapped to the WLAN must have a DHCP server IP address or the WLAN must be configured with a
DHCP server IP address.
PMIPv6 supports only DHCP based clients and Static IP address is not supported.

config wlan enable wlan-id
Debugging DHCP (CLI)

Use these commands to debug DHCP:
debug dhcp packet {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of DHCP packets.
debug dhcp message {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of DHCP error messages.
debug dhcp service-port {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of DHCP packets on the
service port.
DHCP Client Handling

Cisco WLC supports two modes of DHCP operations in case an external DHCP server is used, DHCP proxy
mode and DHCP bridging mode.
The DHCP proxy mode serves as a DHCP helper function to achieve better security and control over DHCP
transaction between the DHCP server and the wireless clients. DHCP bridging mode provides an option to
make controller's role in DHCP transaction entirely transparent to the wireless clients.
Table 40: Comparison of DHCP Proxy and Bridging Modes
Handling Client
DHCP
DHCP Proxy Mode
DHCP Bridging Mode
Modify giaddr
Yes
No
Modify siaddr
Yes
No
Modify Packet
Content
Yes
No

866
DHCP for WLANs
Redundant offers
not forwarded
Yes
No
Option 82 Support
Yes
No
Broadcast to
Unicast
Yes
No
BOOTP support
No
Server
Per WLAN
configurable
Yes
No
RFC Non-compliant Proxy and relay agent are not exactly the No
same concept. But DHCP bridging mode
is recommended for full RFC compliance.
SUMMARY STEPS
1. To enable client profiling, you must enable the DHCP required flag and disable the local authentication
flag.
2. To configure a DHCP timeout value, use the config dhcp timeout command. If you have configured a
WLAN to be in DHCP required state, this timer controls how long the WLC will wait for a client to get
a DHCP lease through DHCP.
DETAILED STEPS
Command or Action
Purpose
Step 1
To enable client profiling, you must enable the DHCP required flag and disable the local
authentication flag.
Step 2
To configure a DHCP timeout value, use the config dhcp timeout command. If you have configured
a WLAN to be in DHCP required state, this timer controls how long the WLC will wait for a client
to get a DHCP lease through DHCP.

867
DHCP for WLANs

868
CHAPTER
41
Client Data Tunneling

Ethernet over GRE Tunnels, page 869
Proxy Mobile IPv6, page 877
Ethernet over GRE Tunnels

Information About Ethernet over GRE Tunnels
Ethernet over GRE (EoGRE) is a new aggregation solution for aggregating Wi-Fi traffic from hotspots. This
solution enables customer premises equipment (CPE) devices to bridge the Ethernet traffic coming from an
end host, and encapsulate the traffic in Ethernet packets over an IP GRE tunnel. When the IP GRE tunnels
are terminated on a service provider broadband network gateway, the end hosts traffic is terminated and
subscriber sessions are initiated for the end host.
High Availability is supported for EoGRE IPv4 and IPv6 tunnel configuration. Also, Client SSO is supported
for IPv4 and IPv6 EoGRE tunnel clients.
For more information about designing and deploying EoGRE on Cisco WLC and Cisco FlexConnect APs,
see EoGRE Deployment Guide.

869
EoGRE on 802.1X Authentication-based WLANs

Figure 39: Workflow of EoGRE on 802.1X Authentication-based WLANs
802.1X
Authentication
Switching
AP Mode
EoGRE
SimpleIP
Central+No
FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server
Local
Connected
Client can join as

EoGRE
Client joins as
SimpleIP
Central+No
FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server
Local
Standalone
New clients cannot New clients cannot

join; existing clients join; Existing clients
should work
should work
Central+No
FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server
Local
Boot in standalone
Clients cannot join
Clients cannot join
Connected
Client becomes
SimpleIP
Client joins as
SimpleIP
Local AP Auth+No Local

FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server

870
802.1X
Authentication
Switching
AP Mode
EoGRE
SimpleIP

FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server
Standalone
Client becomes
SimpleIP
Existing and new

clients work as
expected

FlexConnect
Backup RADIUS
Server
Boot in standalone
Client becomes
SimpleIP
Clients can join
Central+FlexConnect Local
Backup RADIUS
Server
Connected
Client joins as
EoGRE
Existing and new

clients work as
expected
Backup RADIUS
Server
Standalone
Existing clients
Existing and new
continue as EoGRE; clients work as
new Client joins as expected
SimpleIP
Backup RADIUS
Server
Boot in standalone
Client becomes
SimpleIP
Existing and new

clients work as
expected
EoGRE on Open Authentication-based WLANs

Figure 40: Workflow of EoGRE on Open Authentication-based WLANs

871
Note
For open WLANs, the profile must have only one rule, which is a * rule. Mapping of a profile that has
multiple rules to an open authentication WLAN is not supported. All clients are EoGRE clients.
Open Authentication
Switching
AP Mode
EoGRE
Central
Local
Connected
Client will join as EoGRE
Central
Local
Standalone
New clients cannot join.

Existing clients should
work
Central
Local
Boot in Standalone
Clients cannot join
Changing the Tunnel Source

Prior to Release 8.2, the management IP address was used as the tunnel endpoint. Release 8.2 has allowed
the specification of any L3 dynamic interface as a tunnel endpoint, other than the management interface, if
need be.
Support for IPv6
In Release 8.3, support is added for client IPv6 traffic and IPv6 address format for the EoGRE tunnel gateway.
Client IPv6 traffic is supported on both IPv4 and IPv6 EoGRE tunnels. A maximum of 8 different client IPv6
addresses are supported per client. Cisco WLCs send all the client IPv6 addresses that they have learned to
the Accounting server in the accounting update message. All RADIUS or Accounting messages exchanged
between Cisco WLCs and tunnel gateways or RADIUS servers are outside the EoGRE tunnel.
Additional References
Service Provider Wi-Fi: Support for Integrated Ethernet Over GRE
Intelligent Wireless Access Gateway Configuration Guide
Restrictions on EoGRE Tunneling

EoGRE-AP feature is not supported on Cisco 700 Series Access Points.
It is not possible to edit or delete a tunnel profile if the profile is associated with a WLAN. You must
first dissociate the profile from the WLAN and then edit or delete the profile.
It is not possible to edit or delete a tunnel gateway if the gateway is already associated with a domain.
You must first dissociate the tunnel gateway from the domain and then edit or delete the tunnel gateway.
It is not possible to edit or delete a domain if the domain is already associated with a tunnel profile rule.
You must first dissociate the domain from the tunnel profile rule and then edit or delete the domain.
If the domain is modified on the fly, the client associated with the domain is deauthenticated.

872
We recommend that you do not have firewall that could block ICMP packets.
Tunnel Gateway (TGW) as AAA and RADIUS realm feature on WLAN should not be used together.
Tunnel Gateway (TGW) as AAA is not supported on EoGRE for FlexConnect APs.
FlexGroup name DHCP Option 82 will not work in Generation 1 type AP series.
For open WLANs, the profile must have only one rule, which is a * rule. Mapping of a profile that has
multiple rules to an open authentication WLAN is not supported.
EoGRE client gets IPV6 address from local switching VLAN.
Broadcast/Multicast traffic on Local Switching VLAN reaches EoGRE clients.
FlexConnect+Bridge Mode is not supported.
Standalone mode: EoGRE client Fast Roaming is not supported.
WebAuth is not supported.
FlexConnect AP Local Authentication is not supported.
FlexConnect AP Backup RADIUS server is not supported.
EoGRE client with Static IP is not supported.
FlexConnect ACL on the WLAN does not work for EoGRE clients.
After Fault Tolerance, client type is SimpleIP. It is changed to EoGRE after a period of 30 seconds.
Path MTU discovery is not supported by FlexConnect AP. MTU of AP gateway should be 1500 bytes.
EoGRE IPv6 Restrictions:
EoGRE client gets IPv6 address from local switching VLAN
CAPWAP IPv6 is not supported.
DHCP Option 82 configuration is not supported on IPv6 clients.
Applications such as RADIUS, FTP, TFTP, SFTP, LDAP, SXP, syslog, and so on, are supported
on only management IPv6 address.
Dynamic IPv6 AP-manager interface is not supported.
Dynamic interface with IPv6 supports only as tunnel interface.
Maximum number of dynamic interface to which IPv6 address can be assigned is16.
EoGRE IPv6 is not supported on FlexConnect APs.
The IPv6 link local addresses are common for all switched virtual interfaces (SVI) on a switch.
Due to this, configuring an IPv6 address on dynamic address fails. To overcome this issue, you
must explicitly configure link local address on the uplink switch for SVI. Each SVI should have
unique link local address configuration.
The IP packets on IPv6 tunnels has a maximum size limit of 1280 bytes on Cisco WLC.
IPv6 is not supported on the FlexConnect to WAG EoGRE tunnel.

873
Configuring EoGRE on Cisco WLC (GUI)
Step 1
Create tunnel gateways and configure heartbeats:

a) Choose Controller > Tunneling > EoGRE.
b) Select the Interface Name.
Interface present on the controller to be used as a source of the tunnel.
c) Set the Heartbeat Interval. The default interval is 60 seconds.
The Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC) sends keepalive pings every 60 seconds.
d) Set Max Heartbeat Skip Count. The default value is set to 3.
If the TGW does not reply after three keepalive pings, the Cisco WLC marks the TGW as nonoperational. The number
of skip count decides how many times the TGW can skip consecutive replies, before the Cisco WLC knows that the
TGW is nonoperational.
e) Specify a TGW Name.
f) Specify the TGW IP Address.
Both IPv4 and IPv6 address formats are supported. You can create up to 10 such tunnel gateways.
Note
Support for IPv6 address format was introduced in Release 8.3. Prior to Release 8.3, only IPv4 address
format was supported.
g) Specify a Domain Name.
h) Specify the primary tunnel gateway TGW-1 as the tunnel that you created, and click Add.
If the tunnel gateway is reachable, the state should be displayed as UP under the TGW List.
Domain represents a virtual collection of one or more tunnels used for redundancy purposes. Up to 16 tunnels can
exist in a domain. If one tunnel fails, the traffic is redirected to another TGW.
Step 2
Create a tunnel profile:

a) Choose Controller > Tunneling > Profiles.
b) Specify a profile name and click Add.
The profile name is displayed under Profile List.
Step 3
Define a tunnel profile rule:

a) Click the tunnel profile that you created.
b) Under the Rule tab, to map a specific realm to the profile, enter the realm name. A realm is a string after @, for
example, user_name@realm. To match any Realm, use *, which means all realms are accepted.
c) Choose Tunnel Type as EoGRE.
d) Set VLAN to 0.
e) Choose the Gateway Domain that you created in Step 1.
f) Click Add to add the rule to the tunnel profile.
Step 4
Specify tunnel parameters:

a) Under the Tunnel Parameters tab, check the Gateway as AAA Proxy and Gateway as Accounting Proxy (optional)
check boxes to configure a tunnel gateway as a AAA proxy and as an Accounting proxy.
b) (Optional) Check the DHCP Option-82 check box.
Note
DHCP Option 82 configuration is not supported on IPv6
clients.
c) Choose the DHCP Option 82 format as either Binary or ASCII.

874
d) Specify the DHCP Option 82 Delimiter. The default is ;.

e) Specify the Circuit-ID and Remote-ID information. You can choose up to five fields each and sort them accordingly.
f) Click Apply.
Step 5
Create RADIUS Authentication or Accounting servers or both by specifying the tunnel gateway IP addresses that you
specified in Step 1 as the server IP addresses, and enable Tunnel Proxy.
For instructions on how to create RADIUS servers, see the Configuring RADIUS chapter under Security Solutions.
Step 6
Associate the tunnel profile to the WLAN:

a) Choose WLANs and click the WLAN ID to which the tunnel profile has to be associated.
b) In the Advanced tab, under Tunneling, choose the Tunnel Profile.
c) (Optional) You can choose to enable AAA Override for the WLAN, which means that the Cisco WLC is allowed to
accept the attributes returned by the RADIUS server.
d) Save the configuration.
Step 7
Verify if the tunnel is correctly configured:

a) Choose Controller > Tunneling > Profiles.
b) Verify if the profile name is mapped to the correct WLAN.
Configuring EoGRE on WLC (CLI)

Configure keepalive ping parameters by entering these commands:
config tunnel eogre heart-beat interval seconds
config tunnel eogre heart-beat max-skip-count number
Add new EoGRE tunnel gateways, or delete or modify existing gateways, by entering these commands:
config tunnel eogre gateway add name {ipv4-address | ipv6-address} ip-addr
config tunnel eogre gateway delete name
config tunnel eogre gateway modify name {ipv4-address | ipv6-address} ip-addr
Configure EoGRE tunnel gateway domain by entering these commands:
config tunnel eogre domain {create | delete} domain-name
config tunnel eogre domain {add | remove} domain-name gateway-name
Configure tunnel profiles by entering these commands:
config tunnel eogre profile {create | copy | delete | rule | eogre}
Follow the instructions displayed in the CLI to configure each parameter.
Configure the gateway as AAA proxy by entering these commands:
config tunnel profile eogre profile-name gateway-radius-proxy {enable | disable}
config tunnel profile eogre profile-name gateway-radius-proxy accounting {enable | disable}

875
Configure DHCP Option 82 for the tunnel profile by entering these commands:
Note
DHCP Option 82 configuration is not supported on IPv6 clients.

config tunnel profile eogre profile-name DHCP-Opt-82 {enable | disable}
config tunnel profile eogre profile-name DHCP-Opt-82 format {binary | ascii}
config tunnel profile eogre profile-name DHCP-Opt-82 delimiter character
config tunnel profile eogre profile-name DHCP-Opt-82 {circuit-id | remote-id}
supported-parameter
Configure EoGRE tunnel interface by entering the following command:
config tunnel eogre interface interface-name
Note
Before configuring the interface for the tunnel source, disable the WLAN associated with the interface.
View details about EoGRE tunneling by entering these commands:
show tunnel eogre {domain | gateway} summary
Note
The show tunnel eogre gateway summary command lists details of only the
FlexConnect central switching clients and Local Mode AP clients. To view the details
of FlexConnect local switching clients, use the show ap eogre gateway ap-name
command.
show tunnel eogre summary

show tunnel eogre statistics
show tunnel profile summary
show tunnel profile detail profile-name
Configuring EoGRE for FlexConnect APs (GUI)

Ensure that the APs are in FlexConnect mode.

876
Proxy Mobile IPv6
The tunnel configurations made for Cisco WLC also applies to Cisco FlexConnect APs when the tunnel
profile is associated with a WLAN.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Choose WLANs > WLANs.

Click the WLAN ID.
In the Advanced tab under FlexConnect, enable FlexConnect Local Switching.
Note
Only FlexConnect Local Switching option has to be configured on the FlexConnect AP or FlexConnect Group
to enable FlexConnect AP tunnel.
Configuring EoGRE for FlexConnect APs (CLI)

Ensure that the APs are in FlexConnect mode.
The tunnel configurations made for Cisco WLC also applies to Cisco FlexConnect APs when the tunnel
profile is associated with a WLAN.
Step 1
Enable Local Switching on FlexConnect APs associated with a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan-id enable
Step 2
Monitor the EoGRE configurations by entering this command:

show ap eogre {domain | gateway} ap-name
Note
The show ap eogre gateway ap-name command lists details of FlexConnect local switching clients. To view
the details of FlexConnect central switching clients and Local Mode AP clients, use the show tunnel eogre
gateway summary command.
Proxy Mobile IPv6

Information About Proxy Mobile IPv6
Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) is a network-based mobility management protocol that supports a mobile node
by acting as the proxy for the mobile node in an IP mobility-related signaling scenario. The mobility entities
in the network track the movements of the mobile node, initiate mobility signaling, and set up the required
routing state.
The main functional entities are the Local Mobility Anchor (LMA) and Mobile Access Gateway (MAG). The
LMA maintains the reachability state of the mobile node and is the topological anchor point for the IP address
of the mobile node. The MAG performs mobility management on behalf of a mobile node. The MAG resides
on the access link where the mobile node is anchored. The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) implements
the MAG functionality.

877
Proxy Mobile IPv6
In the Cisco 5500 Series WLC, Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2), and Cisco 8500 Series WLCs,
PMIPv6 MAG support for integration with LMA such as Cisco ASR 5000 Series in cellular data networks.
For PMIPv6 clients, Cisco WLC supports both central web authentication and local web authentication.
PMIPv6 is supported for clients with 802.1X authentication. After the 802.1X authentication is complete, a
Cisco AP starts PMIPv6 signaling for the corresponding client.
MAG on AP is supported on FlexConnect mode APs in a locally switched WLAN. For PMIPv6 clients, all
the data traffic from clients is tunneled to the LMA in the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel
established between the MAG and the LMA. Similarly, all the packets received from the LMA in the GRE
tunnel are routed to the wireless client.
After the 802.1X authentication is complete, the Cisco AP starts PMIPv6 signaling for the client. In a
MAG-on-AP scenario, the Cisco AP starts PMIPv6 signaling. In a MAG-on-WLC scenario, the Cisco WLC
starts PMIPv6 signaling.
Fast Roaming with Central Association
Fast roaming is supported when central association is enabled on WLANs. When central association is enabled,
all key cachings occur on the Cisco WLC. When a PMIPv6 client roams from one AP to another on the same
mobility domain, the Cisco WLC sends the PMIPv6 parameters of the client to a new AP in PMIPv6 tunnel
payload to start PMIPv6 signaling. Also, the Cisco WLC sends the PMIPv6 tunnel payload to the old AP to
tear down the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel for the client with the LMA. Fast roaming is
supported in both intra-Cisco WLC and inter-Cisco WLC roaming scenarios and mobility messages are added
to send PMIPv6 parameters from one Cisco WLC to another during roaming.
Client roaming from third-party MAG to Cisco AP-MAG is similar to a new client joining; a client roaming
away from a Cisco AP-MAG to a third-party MAG is similar to a client leaving, and therefore, requires no
special handling.
With Cisco APs in FlexConnect mode, all reassociation requests from clients are handled by the Cisco APs
themselves. However, if central association is enabled, all reassociation requests are handled by the Cisco
WLC.
Dynamic AAA Attributes
The dynamic AAA attributes that are supported are listed below:
Type Attribute
Value
Description
Cisco WLC Behavior
89
String
Chargeable User
Identity RFC-4372
If present, the attribute is copied into

the MSCB and used in accounting
reports; no other usage.
Chargeable-User-Identity
26/104 3GPP-Charging-Characteristics String

15/13
Rules for producing If present, the attribute is copied to

charging information the MSCB and passed to the L2 attach
triggers to the MAG. The attribute is
used to send to the local mobility
anchor (LMA) as an option in the
proxy binding update (PBU).
26/9/1 Cisco-Service-Selection
Service Identifier
(APN)
If present, the attribute overrides the

locally configured APN.
Mobile Node
Identifier
If present, the attribute is used for the

network access identifier (NAI).
String
26/9/1 Cisco-Mobile-Node-Identifier String

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Proxy Mobile IPv6
Type Attribute
Value
Description
Cisco WLC Behavior
26/9/1 Cisco-MSISDN
String
Mobile Subscriber
ISDN Number
If present, the attribute is used to pass

to MAG code with a new parameter
in the L2 attach trigger.
26/9/1 Cisco-MPC-Protocol-Interface ENUM: Mobile Node

"none" Service Type
"PMIPv6"
"GTPv1"
"PMIPv4"
Only IPv4 and simple IP clients are

supported.
26/9/1 Cisco-URL-REDIRECT
HTTP URL of the

Captive Portal
Existing attribute used for web

authentication; no changes required.
Specific Redirect
Rule
Existing attribute used for web

authentication; no changes required.
String
26/9/1 Cisco-URL-REDIRECT-ACL String
26/9/1 Cisco-Home-LMA-IPv4-Address IP
Mobile node's Home If present, this attribute is used as the
Address LMA IPv4 address LMA for the client.
Note
The GRE tunnel creation is
still static.
PMIPv6 AAA Attributes

The PMIPv6 AAA attributes that are supported are listed below:
Type Attribute
Value
Description
Cisco WLC Behavior
89
String
Chargeable User
Identity RFC-4372
If present, the attribute is copied into

the MSCB and used in accounting
reports; no other usage.
Chargeable-User-Identity
26/104 3GPP-Charging-Characteristics String

15/13
Rules for producing If present, the attribute is copied to

charging information the MSCB and passed to the L2 attach
triggers to the MAG. The attribute is
used to send to the local mobility
anchor (LMA) as an option in the
proxy binding update (PBU).
26/9/1 mn-network
String
Service Identifier
(APN)
If present, the attribute overrides the

locally configured APN (Mandatory)
26/9/1 mn-nai
String
Mobile Node
Identifier
If present, the attribute is used for the

network access identifier (NAI).
26/9/1 cisco-msisdn
String
Mobile Subscriber
ISDN Number
If present, the attribute is used to pass

to MAG code with a new parameter
in the L2 attach trigger.
26/9/1 cisco-mpc-protocol-interface ENUM: Mobile Node

"None" Service Type
"PMIPv6"
Only PMIPv6 clients are supported.

(Mandatory)

879
Proxy Mobile IPv6
Type Attribute
Value
26/9/1 home-lma-ipv4-address
IPv4
Mobile node's Home If present, this attribute is used as the
Address LMA IPv4 address LMA for the client. The LMA should
also be configured in WLC
(Mandatory).
Note
The GRE tunnel creation is
still static.
ENUM: Type of client
Only IPv4 is supported.
"IPv4"
26/9/1 mn-service
Description
Cisco WLC Behavior
Changing the Tunnel Endpoint

In releases prior to Release 8.2, the management IP address was used as the tunnel endpoint. Release 8.2
added the capability to specify a tunnel endpoint, other than management interface.
Note
This feature currently supports EoGRE and PMIPv6 types of tunnels for mobility tunnel termination.
Restrictions on Proxy Mobile IPv6

IPv6/dual stack clients are not supported. Only IPv4 is supported with PMIPv6.
You must enable DHCP Proxy before you can connect to a PMIPv6-enabled WLAN.
PMIPv6 is not supported on local switching WLANs with FlexConnect mode APs. PMIPv6 MAG on
AP is supported only when AP is in FlexConnect mode and WLAN is configured for FlexConnect Local
Switching. If the WLAN is configured for Central Switching, MAG on Cisco WLC is used.
MAG on AP is not supported for clients in a centrally switched WLAN.
IPv6 addresses on dynamic interfaces are not supported.
Intercontroller roaming from PMIPv6 to non-PMIPv6 WLANs is not supported.
Configuring Proxy Mobile IPv6 (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Controller > PMIPv6 > General. The PMIPv6 Generalwindow is displayed.
Enter the values for the following parameters:
Domain NameName of the PMIPv6 domain. The domain name can be up to 127 case-sensitive, alphanumeric
characters.
MAG NameName of the MAG.
InterfaceInterface on the the Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC) used as a source for PMIPv6 tunneling.
MAG APNAccess Point Name (APN) if you have subscribed to a MAG.

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Proxy Mobile IPv6
MAG can be configured for one of the following roles:

3gppSpecifies the role as 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project standard)
lteSpecifies the role as Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard
wimaxSpecifies the role as WiMax
wlanSpecifies the role as WLAN
By default, the MAG role is WLAN. However, for lightweight access points, the MAG role should be configured
as 3GPP. If the MAG role is 3GPP, it is mandatory to specify an APN for the MAG.
Maximum Bindings AllowedMaximum number of binding updates that the Cisco WLC can send to the MAG.
The valid range is between 0 and 40000.
Binding LifetimeLifetime, in seconds, of the binding entries in the Cisco WLC. The valid range is between 10
and 65535. The default value is 3600. The binding lifetime should be a multiple of 4.
Binding Refresh TimeRefresh time, in seconds, of the binding entries in the Cisco WLC. The valid range is
between 4 and 65535 seconds. The default value is 300 seconds. The binding refresh time should be a multiple of
4.
Binding Initial Retry TimeoutInitial timeout, in milliseconds, between the Proxy Binding Updates (PBUs)
when the Cisco WLC does not receive the Proxy Binding Acknowledgments (PBAs). The valid range is between
100 and 65535. The default value is 1000.
Binding Maximum Retry TimeoutMaximum timeout between the PBUs when the Cisco WLC does not receive
the PBAs. The valid range is between 100 and 65535. The default value is 32000.
Replay Protection TimestampMaximum amount of time, in milliseconds, difference between the timestamp
in the received PBA and the current time of the day. The valid range is between 1 and 255. The default value is 7.
Minimum BRI Retransmit TimeoutMinimum amount of time, in milliseconds, that the Cisco WLC waits for
before retransmitting the BRI message. The valid range is between 500 and 65535. The default value is 1000.
Maximum BRI Retransmit TimeoutMaximum amount of time, in milliseconds, that the Cisco WLC waits for
before retransmitting the Binding Revocation Indication (BRI) message. The valid range is between 500 and 65535.
BRI RetriesMaximum number of times that the Cisco WLC retransmits the BRI message before receiving the
Binding Revocation Acknowledgment (BRA) message. The valid range is between 1 to 10. The default value is 1.
Step 3
Step 4
Click Apply.
Note
To clear your configuration, click Clear
Domain.
To create the LMA, follow these steps:
a) Choose Controller > PMIPv6 > LMA and click New.
b) Enter the values for the following parameters:
Member NameName of the LMA connected to the Cisco WLC.
Member IP AddressIP address of the LMA connected to the Cisco WLC.

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Proxy Mobile IPv6
c) Click Apply.
Step 5
To create a PMIPv6 profile, follow these steps:

a) Choose Controller > PMIPv6 > Profiles and click New.
b) In the PMIPv6 Profile > New window, enter the values for the following parameters:
Profile NameName of the profile.
Network Access IdentifierName of the Network Access Identifier (NAI) associated with the profile.
LMA NameName of the LMA to which the profile is associated.
Access Point NodeName of the access point node; APN identifies a particular routing domain for user traffic.
c) Click Apply.
Step 6
To configure PMIPv6 parameters for a WLAN, follow these steps:

a) Choose WLANs > WLAN ID. The WLANs > Edit window is displayed.
b) Click the Advanced tab.
c) Under PMIP, from the PMIP Mobility Type drop-down list, choose the mobility type from the following options:
NoneConfigures the WLAN with simple IP
PMIPv6Configures the WLAN with only PMIPv6
d) From the PMIP Profile drop-down list, choose the PMIP profile for the WLAN.
e) In the PMIP Realm field, enter the default realm for the WLAN.
f) Click Apply.
Step 7
Configuring Proxy Mobile IPv6 (CLI)
Step 1
Configure a PMIPv6 domain name by entering this command:

config pmipv6 domain domain-name
Note
Step 2
This command also enables the MAG functionality on the Cisco Wireless Controller (WLC).
Configure MAG by using these commands:

Configure the maximum binding update entries that are allowed by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag binding maximum units
Configure the binding entry lifetime by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag lifetime units
Configure the binding refresh interval by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag refresh-time units

882
Proxy Mobile IPv6
Configure the initial timeout between PBUs if PBA does not arrive by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag init-retx-time units
Configure the maximum initial timeout between PBUs if PBA does not arrive by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag max-retx-time units
Configure the replay protection mechanism by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag replay-protection {timestamp window units | sequence-no | mobile-node-timestamp}
Configure the minimum or maximum amount of time, in seconds, that the MAG should wait for before it retransmits
the binding revocation indication (BRI) message by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag bri delay {min | max} units
Configure the maximum number of times the MAG should retransmit the BRI message before it receives the binding
revocation acknowledgment (BRA) message by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag bri retries units
Configure the list of LMAs for the MAG by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag lma lma-name ipv4-address ip-address
Add an APN for a MAG by entering this command:
config pmipv6 mag apn apn-name
A MAG can be configured for one of the different roles:
3gppSpecifies the role as 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project standard)
lteSpecifies the role as Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard
wimaxSpecifies the role as WiMax
wlanSpecifies the role as WLAN
Note
By default, the MAG role is WLAN. However, for the lightweight access points, the MAG role should be
configured as 3GPP. If the MAG role is 3GPP, it is mandatory to specify an APN for the MAG.
Delete an APN by entering this command:

config pmipv6 delete mag apn apn-name
Step 3
Add a profile to a PMIPv6 domain by entering this command:

config pmipv6 add profile profile-name nai {user@realm | @realm | *} lma lma-name apn apn-name
nai stands for network access identifier, while apn stands for access point
name.
Delete a PMIPv6 entity by entering this command:
config pmipv6 delete {domain domain-name | lma lma-name | profile profile-name nai {user@realm | @realm | *}}
Note
Step 4
Step 5
Configure the PMIPv6 parameters for the WLAN by using these commands:
Configure the default realm for the WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan pmipv6 default-realm {realm-name | none} wlan-id
Configure the mobility type for a WLAN or for all WLANs by entering this command:

883
Proxy Mobile IPv6
config wlan pmipv6 mobility-type {enable | disable} {wlan-id | all}

Configure the profile name for a PMIPv6 WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan pmipv6 profile-name {none | name} wlan-id
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Configure a PMIPv6 interface name by entering this command:

config pmipv6 interface interface-name
Note
Before configuring the interface for the tunnel source, you should disable the WLAN associated with the
interface.
save config
See the PMIPv6 configuration details by using the following show commands:
See the details of a profile of a PMIPv6 domain by entering this command:
show pmipv6 domain domain-name profile profile-name
See a summary of all the PMIPv6 profiles by entering this command:
show pmipv6 profile summary
See global information about the PMIPv6 for a MAG by entering this command:
show pmipv6 mag globals
See information about MAG bindings for LMA or NAI by entering this command:
show pmipv6 mag bindings {lma lma-name | nai nai-name}
See statistical information about MAG by entering this command:
show pmipv6 mag stats domain domain-name peer peer-name
See information about PMIPv6 for all clients by entering this command:
show client summary
See information about PMIPv6 for a client by entering this command:
show client details client-mac-address
See information about PMIPv6 for a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id

884
CHAPTER
42
Configuring AP Groups
Prerequisites for Configuring AP Groups, page 885
Restrictions for Configuring Access Point Groups, page 886
Information About Access Point Groups, page 886
Configuring Access Point Groups, page 887
Creating Access Point Groups (GUI), page 887
Creating Access Point Groups (CLI), page 889
Viewing Access Point Groups (CLI), page 890
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging, page 891
Prerequisites for Configuring AP Groups

The following are the prerequisites for creating access point groups on a controller:
The required access control list (ACL) must be defined on the router that serves the VLAN or subnet.
Multicast traffic is supported with access point group VLANs. However, if the client roams from one
access point to another, the client might stop receiving multicast traffic, unless IGMP snooping is enabled.
AP Groups Supported on Controller Platforms

This table lists the AP groups supported on various controller platforms:
Controller Platform
AP Groups Supported
50
500
200
6000

885
Restrictions for Configuring Access Point Groups
Controller Platform
AP Groups Supported
6000
Cisco Wireless Services Module 2
1000
Restrictions for Configuring Access Point Groups

Suppose that the interface mapping for a WLAN in the AP group table is the same as the WLAN interface.
If the WLAN interface is changed, the interface mapping for the WLAN in the AP group table also
changes to the new WLAN interface.
Suppose that the interface mapping for a WLAN in the AP group table is different from the one defined
for the WLAN. If the WLAN interface is changed, then the interface mapping for the WLAN in the AP
group table does not change to the new WLAN interface.
If you clear the configuration on the controller, all of the access point groups disappear except for the
default access point group default-group, which is created automatically.
The default access point group can have up to 16 WLANs associated with it. The WLAN IDs for the
default access point group must be less than or equal to 16. If a WLAN with an ID greater than 16 is
created in the default access point group, the WLAN SSID will not be broadcasted. All WLAN IDs in
the default access point group must have an ID that is less than or equal to 16. WLANs with IDs greater
than 16 can be assigned to custom access point groups.
The OEAP 600 Series access point supports a maximum of two WLANs and one remote LAN. If you
have configured more than two WLANs and one remote LAN, you can assign the 600 Series access
point to an AP group. The support for two WLANs and one remote LAN still applies to the AP group
If the 600 Series OEAP is in the default group, the WLAN/remote LAN ids must be lower than 8.
All OfficeExtend access points should be in the same access point group, and that group should contain
no more than 15 WLANs. A controller with OfficeExtend access points in an access point group publishes
only up to 15 WLANs to each connected OfficeExtend access point because it reserves one WLAN for
the personal SSID.
Note
A controller with OfficeExtend access points in an access point group publishes up to

15 WLANs to each connected OfficeExtend access point because it reserves one WLAN
for the personal SSID.
We recommend that you configure all Flex+Bridge APs in a mesh tree (in the same sector) in the same
AP group and the same FlexConnect group, to inherit the WLAN-VLAN mappings properly.
Information About Access Point Groups

After you create up to 512 WLANs on the controller, you can selectively publish them (using access point
groups) to different access points to better manage your wireless network. In a typical deployment, all users
on a WLAN are mapped to a single interface on the controller. Therefore, all users that are associated with

886
Configuring Access Point Groups
that WLAN are on the same subnet or VLAN. However, you can choose to distribute the load among several
interfaces or to a group of users based on specific criteria such as individual departments (such as Marketing)
by creating access point groups. Additionally, these access point groups can be configured in separate VLANs
to simplify network administration.
Note
When an access point is removed from an access point group, this access point configuration will not be
saved.
Configuring Access Point Groups

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Configure the appropriate dynamic interfaces and map them to the desired VLANs.
For example, to implement the network described in the Information About Access Point Groups section, create dynamic
interfaces for VLANs 61, 62, and 63 on the controller. See the Configuring Dynamic Interfaces section for information
about how to configure dynamic interfaces.
Create the access point groups. See the Creating Access Point Groups section.
Create a RF profile. See the Creating an RF Profile section.
Assign access points to the appropriate access point groups. See the Creating Access Point Groups section.
Apply the RF profile on the AP groups. See the Applying RF Profile to AP Groups section.
Creating Access Point Groups (GUI)

Step 1
This page lists all the access point groups currently created on the controller. By default, all access points belong to the
default access point group default-group, unless you assign them to other access point groups.
The controller creates a default access point group and automatically populates it with the first 16 WLANs
(WLANs with IDs 1 through 16, or fewer if 16 WLANs are not configured). This default group cannot be
modified (you cannot add WLANs to it nor delete WLANs from it). It is dynamically updated whenever the
first 16 WLANs are added or deleted. If an access point does not belong to an access point group, it is assigned
to the default group and uses the WLANs in that group. If an access point joins the controller with an undefined
access point group name, the access point keeps its group name but uses the WLANs in the default-group access
point group.
Click Add Group to create a new access point group. The Add New AP Group section appears at the top of the page.
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In the AP Group Name text box, enter the groups name.

In the Description text box, enter the groups description.
In the NAS-ID text box, enter the network access server identifier for the AP group.
Click Add. The newly created access point group appears in the list of access point groups on the AP Groups page.

887
Creating Access Point Groups (GUI)
If you ever want to delete this group, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the group and choose
Remove. An error message appears if you try to delete an access point group that is used by at least one access
point. Before deleting an access point group in controller software release 6.0 or later releases, move all access
points in the group to another group. The access points are not moved to the default-group access point group
as in previous releases.
Click the name of the group to edit this new group. The AP Groups > Edit (General) page appears.
Change the description of this access point group by entering the new text in the AP Group Description text box and
click Apply.
Choose the WLANs tab to open the AP Groups > Edit (WLANs) page. This page lists the WLANs that are currently
assigned to this access point group.
Click Add New to assign a WLAN to this access point group. The Add New section appears at the top of the page.
From the WLAN SSID drop-down list, choose the SSID of the WLAN.
From the Interface Name drop-down list, choose the interface to which you want to map the access point group. Choose
the quarantine VLAN if you plan to enable network admission control (NAC) out-of-band support.
Note
The interface name in the default-group access point group matches the WLAN interface.
Note
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Select the SNMP NAC State check box to enable NAC out-of-band support for this access point group. To disable NAC
out-of-band support, leave the check box unselected, which is the default value.
Click Add to add this WLAN to the access point group. This WLAN appears in the list of WLANs that are assigned to
this access point group.
Note
If you ever want to remove this WLAN from the access point group, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down
arrow for the WLAN and choose Remove.
Repeat Step 10 through Step 14 to add any additional WLANs to this access point group.
Choose the APs tab to assign access points to this access point group. The AP Groups > Edit (APs) page lists the access
points that are currently assigned to this group as well as any access points that are available to be added to the group.
If an access point is not currently assigned to a group, its group name appears as default-group.
Select the check box to the left of the access point name and click Add APs to add an access point to this access point
group. The access point, after it is reloaded, appears in the list of access points currently in this access point group. The
AP has to be reloaded if the AP has to be moved from one group to another.
Note
To select all of the available access points at once, select the AP Name check box. All of the access points are
then selected.
Note
If you ever want to remove an access point from the group, select the check box to the left of the access point
name and click Remove APs. To select all of the access points at once, select the AP Name check box. All of
the access points are then removed from this group.
Note
If you ever want to change the access point group to which an access point belongs, choose Wireless > Access
Points > All APs > ap_name > Advanced tab, choose the name of another access point group from the AP
Group Name drop-down list, and click Apply.
In the 802.11u tab, do the following:
a) Choose a HotSpot group that groups similar HotSpot venues.
b) Choose a venue type that is based on the HotSpot venue group that you choose.
c) To add a new venue, click Add New Venue and enter the language name that is used at the venue and the venue name
that is associated with the basic service set (BSS). This name is used in cases where the SSID does not provide enough
information about the venue.
d) Select the operating class(es) for the AP group.

888
Creating Access Point Groups (CLI)
e) Click Apply.
Step 19
Note
This step is applicable to the following modules:

AoA-based which is applicable for AP3600 and AP3700 with Hyperlocation module
PRL-based which is applicable for AP without module (AP700/AP1700/AP2600/AP2700/AP3600/AP3700)
as well as AP3600 and AP3700 with NOS module
In the Location tab, do the following:

a) Enable or disable Hyperlocation.
Based on AP and installed module, checking the Enable Hyperlocation check box enables different location service
(PRL-based or AoA-based).
b) Enter Packet Detection RSSI Minimum (dBm) value.
This is the minimum level at which a data packet can be heard by the WSM modules for use in location calculations.
The default values is 100 db.
We recommend that this value be increased if you want to have only strong signals used in calculating locations.
c) Enter Scan Count Threshold for Idle Client Detection value.
The Scan Count Threshold represent the number of off-channel scan cycles the AP will wait before sending a Block
Acknowledgment Request (BAR) to idle clients. The default value of 10 corresponds to approximately 40s, depending
on the number of channels in the off channel scan cycle.
d) Enter the IPv4 address of the NTP Server.
This is the IPv4/IPv6 address of the NTP server that all AP that are involved in this calculation need to sync to.
We recommend that you use the same NTP server as is used by the general WLC infrastructure. The scans from
multiple AP needs to be synced up for the location to be accurately calculated. An IPv4 address is required.
Note
Step 20
Step 21
For more information about Cisco Hyperlocation solution, see this document.
In the RF Profile tab, choose the RF profile for APs with 802.11a and 802.11b radios and click Apply.
Applying an RF profile results in a reboot of all the APs associated with the AP group.
Creating Access Point Groups (CLI)

Step 1
Create an access point group by entering this command:

config wlan apgroup add group_name
Note
To delete an access point group, enter the config wlan apgroup delete group_name command. An error message
appears if you try to delete an access point group that is used by at least one access point. Before deleting an
access point group in controller software release 6.0 or later releases, move all access points in the group to
another group. The access points are not moved to the default-group access point group as in previous releases.
To see the access points in a group, enter the show wlan apgroups command. To move the access points to
another group, enter the config ap group-name group_name Cisco_AP command.
Step 2
Add a description to an access point group by entering this command:

889
Viewing Access Point Groups (CLI)
config wlan apgroup description group_name description

Step 3
Assign a WLAN to an access point group by entering this command:

config wlan apgroup interface-mapping add group_name wlan_id interface_name
To remove a WLAN from an access point group, enter the config wlan apgroup interface-mapping delete
group_name wlan_id command.
Enable or disable NAC out-of-band support for this access point group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup nac {enable | disable}group_name wlan_id
Note
Step 4
Step 5
Configure a WLAN radio policy on the access point group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup wlan-radio-policy apgroup_name wlan_id {802.11a-only | 802.11bg | 802.11g-only | all}
Step 6
Assign an access point to an access point group by entering this command:

config ap group-name group_name Cisco_AP
To remove an access point from an access point group, reenter this command and assign the access point to
another group.
To configure HotSpot for the AP group, enter this command:
config wlan apgroup hotspot {venue | operating-class}
Note
Step 7
Step 8

save config
Viewing Access Point Groups (CLI)

To view information about or to troubleshoot access point groups, use these commands:
See a list of all access point groups on the controller by entering this command:
show wlan apgroups
See the BSSIDs for each WLAN assigned to an access point group by entering this command:
show ap wlan {802.11a | 802.11b} Cisco_AP
See the number of WLANs enabled for an access point group by entering this command:
Enable or disable debugging of access point groups by entering this command:
debug group {enable | disable}

890
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging

Information About 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging
Assigning a unique range of VLAN IDs to each client can exceed the limit of 4096 VLANs. The 802.1Q-in-Q
VLAN tag feature encapsulates the 802.1Q VLAN tagging within another 802.1Q VLAN tag. The outer tag
is assigned according to the AP group, and the inner VLAN ID is assigned dynamically by the AAA server.
Using the 802.1Q-in-Q feature you can use a single VLAN to support multiple VLANs. With the 802.1Q-in-Q
feature you can preserve VLAN IDs and segregate traffic of different VLANs. The figure below shows the
untagged, 802.1Q-tagged, and 802.1Q-in-Q tagged Ethernet frames.
Figure 41: Untagged 802.1Q-Tagged and 802.1Q-in-Q Tagged Ethernet Frames
Restrictions for 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging

802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging is supported only on Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco
8500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, and Cisco WiSM2.
You cannot enable multicast until you disable IGMP snooping.
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging is supported only on Layer 2 and Layer 3 intra-Controller roaming, and
Layer 2 inter-Controller roaming. Layer 3 inter-Controller roaming is not supported.
0x8100 is the only supported value for the EtherType field of the 802.1Q-in-Q Ethernet frame.
You can enable 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging only on centrally switched packets.
You can enable only IPv4 DHCP packets and not IPv6 DHCP packets for 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging.
The IETF attribute which is a tunnel-type is required to override the C-VLAN.
C-VLAN can be set with tunnel-private-group-ID /tunnel-type and tunnel-private-group-id.

891
Configuring 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click an AP group Name to open the corresponding AP Group > Edit page.
Click the General tab to configure the 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging details.
Select the Enable Client Traffic QinQ check box to enable 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging for the AP group.
Select the Enable DHCPv4 QinQ check box to enable 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging of IPv4 DHCP packets in the AP
group.
In the QinQ Service VLAN ID text box, enter the VLAN ID for 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging.
Click Apply.
Configuring 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging (CLI)
Step 1
Enable or disable 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging for an AP group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup qinq tagging client-traffic apgroup_name {enable | disable}
By default, 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of client traffic for an AP group is disabled.
Step 2
Configure the service VLAN for the AP group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup qinq service-vlan apgroup_name vlan_id
Step 3
Enable or disable IPv4 DHCP packets of the client traffic in the AP group by entering this command::
config wlan apgroup qinq tagging dhcp-v4 apgroup_name {enable | disable}
You must enable 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of client traffic before you enable 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of DHCPv4
traffic.
By default, 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of DHCPv4 traffic for an AP group is disabled.
Note
Step 4
Enable or disable 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging for EAP for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Subscriber
Identity Module (EAP-SIM) or EAP for Authentication and Key Agreement-authenticated client traffic in the AP group
config wlan apgroup qinq tagging eap-sim-aka apgroup_name {enable | disable}
When you enable 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of client traffic, the 802.1Q-in-Q tagging of EAP for Authentication and Key
Agreement (EAP-AKA) and EAP-SIM traffic is enabled.
Step 5
Verify if 802.1Q-in-Q VLAN tagging is enabled by entering this command:

show wlan apgroups
(Cisco Controller) >show wlan apgroups
Total Number of AP Groups........................ 5
Site Name........................................
Site Description.................................
Venue Group Code.................................
Venue Type Code..................................

892
CT_builing1
APs for CT Building1
Unspecified
Unspecified
NAS-identifier...................................
Client Traffic QinQ Enable.......................
DHCPv4 QinQ Enable...............................
AP Operating Class...............................
CTB1
TRUE
TRUE
Not-configured

893

894
CHAPTER
43
Workgroup Bridges
Cisco WGBs, page 895
Third-Party WGBs and Client VMs, page 902
Cisco WGBs
Information About Cisco Workgroup Bridges
A workgroup bridge (WGB) is a mode that can be configured on an autonomous IOS access point to provide
wireless connectivity to a lightweight access point on behalf of clients that are connected by Ethernet to the
WGB access point. A WGB connects a wired network over a single wireless segment by learning the MAC
addresses of its wired clients on the Ethernet interface and reporting them to the lightweight access point using
Internet Access Point Protocol (IAPP) messaging. The WGB provides wireless access connectivity to wired
clients by establishing a single wireless connection to the lightweight access point. The lightweight access
point treats the WGB as a wireless client.
A Cisco IOS AP as a WGB using the Cisco IOS 15.2 or later releases support Protected Extensible
Authentication Protocol (PEAP) with the controller.
Figure 42: WGB Example

895
Cisco WGBs
Note
If the lightweight access point fails, the WGB attempts to associate to another access point.
The following are some guidelines for Cisco Workgroup Bridges:
The WGB can be any autonomous access point that supports the workgroup bridge mode and is running
Cisco IOS Release 12.4(3g)JA or later releases (on 32-MB access points) or Cisco IOS Release 12.3(8)JEB
or later releases (on 16-MB access points). These access points include the AP1120, AP1121, AP1130,
AP1231, AP1240, and AP1310. Cisco IOS releases prior to 12.4(3g)JA and 12.3(8)JEB are not supported.
Note
If your access point has two radios, you can configure only one for workgroup bridge
mode. This radio is used to connect to the lightweight access point. We recommend that
you disable the second radio.
Enable the workgroup bridge mode on the WGB as follows:
On the WGB access point GUI, choose Workgroup Bridge for the role in radio
network on the Settings > Network Interfaces page.
On the WGB access point CLI, enter the station-role workgroup-bridge
command.
Note
See the sample WGB access point configuration in the WGB Configuration Example
section.
The following features are supported for use with a WGB:

Guest N+1 redundancy
Local EAP
Open, WEP 40, WEP 128, CKIP, WPA+TKIP, WPA2+AES, LEAP, EAP-FAST, and EAP-TLS
authentication modes
Wired clients connected to the WGB are not authenticated for security. Instead, the WGB is authenticated
against the access point to which it associates. Therefore, we recommend that you physically secure the
wired side of the WGB.
Wired clients connected to a WGB inherit the WGBs QoS and AAA override attributes.
To enable the WGB to communicate with the lightweight access point, create a WLAN and make sure
that Aironet IE is enabled.
If you have to apply ACL to WGB during run time, do not modify the ACL configuration for interface
in the controller during run time. If you need to modify any ACLs, then you must disable all WLANs
that are in the controller or disable both the 802.11a and 80.11b networks. Also, ensure that there are
no clients associated and mapped to that interface and then you can modify the ACL settings.

896
Cisco WGBs
Workgroup Bridge (WGB) Downstream Broadcast On Multiple VLANs

Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) Release 8.3 provides an enhancement to broadcast traffic support on
multiple 802.1Q VLAN workgroup bridge (WGB) deployments that traverse mesh networks and in Local
mode. Specifically, support for WGB downstream broadcasts over multiple VLANs (to differentiate and
prioritize traffic); and, bridging of VLAN traffic to wired clients connected to the WGB. Applications for this
functionality are commonly found in the transportation and mining industries. For more information, see
CSCub87583.
Supported platforms:
Access point (AP) and WGB support::
IW3700 Series
1552H/SA/SD/WU Series
Cisco WLC support (systems that support central-switching traffic forwarding):
Cisco 2504 WLC
Cisco 5508 WLC
Cisco WiSM2
Figure 43: Workgroup Downstream Broadcast on Multiple VLAN
Sample Network Configuration

Separation of broadcasts types in the network:

897
Cisco WGBs
Unicasts and multicasts in VLAN A mapped to SSID A

Broadcasts in VLAN B mapped to SSID B or Broadcasts in VLAN B, VLAN C and others mapped
to SSID B
WGB supports one VLAN
Wired clients connected to WGB are recipients of broadcasts and multicasts
Wireless clients within the same SSID as the WGB, associate with the 802.11 link (standard configuration,
no change to traffic)
AP mode: Bridge (local)
Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration (CLI Only)
To enable or disable the downlink broadcast packet VLAN tagging on a WLAN (new command):
(Cisco Controller) >config
Note
wlan wgb broadcast-tagging {enable | disable} wlan-id
This feature is disabled by default.

WGB Configuration (CLI Only)
You can configure the following on Workgroup Bridges:
Broadcast Replicate or Broadcast Tagging (mutually exclusive)
Native VLANs
By default, Broadcast Replicate and Broadcast Tagging configuration options are disabled.
By default, only Native VLAN broadcasts can be forwarded to wired clients in Native VLANs.
You use the no command to disable VLAN configurations on the WGB as shown in the examples below.
Native VLAN Configuration
To replicate Native VLAN packet to all VLANs:
(WGB) (config)#workgroup-bridge
unified-vlan-client broadcast-replicate
To disable the replicate native VLAN:

(WGB) (config)#
no workgroup-bridge unified-vlan-client broadcast-replicate
VLAN Broadcast Tagging Configuration

To enable broadcast tagging on a VLAN (new command):
(WGB) (config)#workgroup-bridge
unified-vlan-client broadcast-tagging
To disable broadcast tagging on a VLAN:

(WGB) (config)#
no workgroup-bridge unified-vlan-client broadcast-tagging

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Cisco WGBs
Restrictions for Cisco Workgroup Bridges

The WGB can associate only with lightweight access points.
Only WGBs in client mode (which is the default value) are supported. Those WGBs in infrastructure
mode are not supported. Perform one of the following to enable client mode on the WGB:
On the WGB access point GUI, choose Disabled for the Reliable Multicast to WGB parameter.
On the WGB access point CLI, enter the no infrastructure client command.
Note
VLANs are not supported for use with WGBs.
Note
See the sample WGB access point configuration in the WGB Configuration Example
section.
The following features are not supported for use with a WGB:
Idle timeout
Web authentication
Note
If a WGB associates to a web-authentication WLAN, the WGB is added to the exclusion

list, and all of the WGB wired clients are deleted.
The WGB supports a maximum of 20 wired clients. If you have more than 20 wired clients, use a bridge
or another device.
The DirectStream feature from the controller does not work for clients behind workgroup bridges and
the stream is denied.
With Layer 3 roaming, if you plug a wired client into the WGB network after the WGB has roamed to
another controller (for example, to a foreign controller), the wired clients IP address displays only on
the anchor controller, not on the foreign controller.
If a wired client does not send traffic for an extended period of time, the WGB removes the client from
its bridge table, even if traffic is continuously being sent to the wired client. As a result, the traffic flow
to the wired client fails. To avoid the traffic loss, prevent the wired client from being removed from the
bridge table by configuring the aging-out timer on the WGB to a large value using the following Cisco
IOS commands on the WGB:
configure terminal
bridge bridge-group-number aging-time seconds
exit
end

899
Cisco WGBs
where bridge-group-number is a value between 1 and 255, and seconds is a value between 10 and
1,000,000 seconds. We recommend configuring the seconds parameter to a value greater than the wired
clients idle period.
When you delete a WGB record from the controller, all of the WGB wired clients records are also
deleted.
These features are not supported for wired clients connected to a WGB:
MAC filtering
Link tests
Idle timeout
The broadcast forwarding toward wired WGB clients works only on the native VLAN. If additional
VLANs are configured, only the native VLAN forwards broadcast traffic.
Wired clients behind a WGB cannot connect to a DMZ/Anchor controller. To enable wired clients behind
a WGB to connect to an anchor controller in a DMZ, you must enable VLANs in the WGB using the
config wgb vlan enable command.
The dot11 arp-cache global configuration command that you can enter on the access point that is in
WGB mode is not supported.
WGB clients do not show enc-cipher and AKM because they are wired clients. WGB APs, however,
show correct values of enc-cipher and AKM.
WGB Configuration Example

The following is an example of the configuration of a WGB access point using static WEP with a 40-bit WEP
key:
ap# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
ap(config)# dot11 ssid WGB_with_static_WEP
ap(config-ssid)# authentication open
ap(config-ssid)# guest-mode
ap(config-ssid)# exit
ap(config)# interface dot11Radio 0
ap(config)# station-role workgroup-bridge
ap(config-if)# encry mode wep 40
ap(config-if)# encry key 1 size 40 0 1234567890
ap(config-if)# ssid WGB_with_static_WEP
ap(config-if)# end
Verify that the WGB is associated to an access point by entering this command on the WGB:
show dot11 association
ap# show dot11 associations
802.11 Client Stations on Dot11Radio0:
SSID [FCVTESTING] :
MAC Address
IP address
Device
000b.8581.6aee 10.11.12.1
WGB-client
ap#

900
Name
map1
Parent
-
State
Assoc
Cisco WGBs
Viewing the Status of Workgroup Bridges (GUI)
Step 1

The WGB text box on the right side of the page indicates whether any of the clients on your network are workgroup
bridges.
Step 2
Click the MAC address of the desired client. The Clients > Detail page appears.
The Client Type text box under Client Properties shows WGB if this client is a workgroup bridge, and the Number of
Wired Client(s) text box shows the number of wired clients that are connected to this WGB.
Step 3
See the details of any wired clients that are connected to a particular WGB as follows:
a) Click Back on the Clients > Detail page to return to the Clients page.
b) Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired WGB and choose Show Wired Clients. The WGB
Wired Clients page appears.
Note
If you want to disable or remove a particular client, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for
the desired client and choose Remove or Disable, respectively.
c) Click the MAC address of the desired client to see more details for this particular client. The Clients > Detail page
appears.
The Client Type text box under Client Properties shows WGB Client, and the rest of the text boxes on this page
provide additional information for this client.
Viewing the Status of Workgroup Bridges (CLI)
Step 1
See any WGBs on your network by entering this command:

show wgb summary
Step 2
See the details of any wired clients that are connected to a particular WGB by entering this command:
show wgb detail wgb_mac_address
Debugging WGB Issues (CLI)

Before You Begin
Enable debugging for IAPP messages, errors, and packets by entering these commands:
debug iapp all enableEnables debugging for IAPP messages.
debug iapp error enableEnables debugging for IAPP error events.
debug iapp packet enableEnables debugging for IAPP packets.

901
Third-Party WGBs and Client VMs
Debug an roaming issue by entering this command:

Debug an IP assignment issue when DHCP is used by entering these commands:
debug dhcp message enable
debug dhcp packet enable
Debug an IP assignment issue when static IP is used by entering these commands:
debug dot11 mobile enable
debug dot11 state enable

Information About Non-Cisco Workgroup Bridges
When a Cisco workgroup bridge (WGB) is used, the WGB informs the access points of all the clients that it
is associated with. The controller is aware of the clients associated with the access point. When non-Cisco
WGBs are used, the controller has no information about the IP address of the clients on the wired segment
behind the WGB. Without this information, the controller drops the following types of messages:
ARP REQ from the distribution system for the WGB client
ARP RPLY from the WGB client
DHCP REQ from the WGB client
DHCP RPLY for the WGB client
The following are some guidelines for non-Cisco workgroup bridges:
The controller can accommodate non-Cisco WGBs so that the controller can forward ARP, DHCP, and
data traffic to and from the wired clients behind workgroup bridges by enabling the passive client feature.
To configure your controller to work with non-Cisco WGBs, you must enable the passive client feature
so that all traffic from the wired clients is routed through the WGB to the access point. All traffic from
the wired clients is routed through the work group bridge to the access point.
Note
For FlexConnect APs in local switching, non-Cisco workgroup-bridge clients in bridged

mode are supported using the config flexconnect group group-name dhcp
overridden-interface enable command.
When a WGB wired client leaves a multicast group, the downstream multicast traffic to other WGB
wired clients is interrupted briefly.
If you have clients that use PC virtualization software such as VMware, you must enable this feature.

902
Note
We have tested multiple third-party devices for compatibility but cannot ensure that all
non-Cisco devices work. Support for any interaction or configuration details on the
third-party device should be discussed with the device manufacturer.
You must enable the passive client functionality for all non-Cisco workgroup bridges.
You might need to use the following commands to configure DHCP on clients:
Disable DHCP proxy by using the config dhcp proxy disable command.
Enable DHCP boot broadcast by using the config dhcp proxy disable bootp-broadcast enable
command.
Restrictions for Non-Cisco Workgroup Bridges

Only Layer 2 roaming is supported for WGB devices.
Layer 3 security (web authentication) is not support for WGB clients.
Visibility of wired hosts behind a WGB on a controller is not supported because the non-Cisco WGB
device performs MAC hiding. Cisco WGB supports IAPP.
ARP poisoning detection does not work on a WLAN when the flag is enabled.
VLAN select is not supported for WGB clients.
Some third-party WGBs need to operate in non-DHCP relay mode. If problems occur with the DHCP
assignment on devices behind the non-Cisco WGB, use the config dhcp proxy disable and config dhcp
proxy disable bootp-broadcast disable commands.
The default state is DHCP proxy enabled. The best combination depends on the third-party characteristics
and configuration.

903

904
PART
VII
FlexConnect
FlexConnect, page 907
FlexConnect Groups, page 933
FlexConnect Security, page 951
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points, page 961
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades for FlexConnect APs, page 983
CHAPTER
44
FlexConnect
Information About FlexConnect, page 907
Restrictions on FlexConnect, page 912
Configuring FlexConnect, page 914
Information About FlexConnect

FlexConnect (previously known as Hybrid Remote Edge Access Point or H-REAP) is a wireless solution for
branch office and remote office deployments. It enables customers to configure and control access points (AP)
in a branch or remote office from the corporate office through a wide area network (WAN) link without
deploying a controller in each office. The FlexConnect access points can switch client data traffic locally and
perform client authentication locally when their connection to the controller is lost. When they are connected
to the controller, they can also send traffic back to the controller. In the connected mode, the FlexConnect
access point can also perform local authentication.
The figure below shows a typical FlexConnect deployment.
Figure 44: FlexConnect Deployment

907
The controller software has a more robust fault tolerance methodology to FlexConnect access points. In
previous releases, whenever a FlexConnect access point disassociates from a controller, it moves to the
standalone mode. The clients that are centrally switched are disassociated. However, the FlexConnect access
point continues to serve locally switched clients. When the FlexConnect access point rejoins the controller
(or a standby controller), all clients are disconnected and are authenticated again. This functionality has been
enhanced and the connection between the clients and the FlexConnect access points are maintained intact and
the clients experience seamless connectivity. When both the access point and the controller have the same
configuration, the connection between the clients and APs is maintained.
After the client connection has been established, the controller does not restore the original attributes of the
client. The client username, current rate and supported rates, and listen interval values are reset to the default
values only after the session timer expires.
There is no deployment restriction on the number of FlexConnect access points per location. Multiple
FlexConnect groups can be defined in a single location.
The controller can send multicast packets in the form of unicast or multicast packets to the access point. In
FlexConnect mode, the access point can receive multicast packets only in unicast form.
FlexConnect access points support a 1-1 network address translation (NAT) configuration. They also support
port address translation (PAT) for all features except true multicast. Multicast is supported across NAT
boundaries when configured using the Unicast option. FlexConnect access points also support a many-to-one
NAT/PAT boundary, except when you want true multicast to operate for all centrally switched WLANs.
Note
Although NAT and PAT are supported for FlexConnect access points, they are not supported on the
corresponding controller. Cisco does not support configurations in which the controller is behind a
NAT/PAT boundary.
VPN and PPTP are supported for locally switched traffic if these security types are accessible locally at the
access point.
FlexConnect access points support multiple SSIDs.
Workgroup bridges and Universal Workgroup bridges are supported on FlexConnect access points for locally
switched clients.
FlexConnect supports IPv6 clients by bridging the traffic to local VLAN, similar to IPv4 operation. FlexConnect
supports Client Mobility for a group of up to 100 access points.
When an AP changes the mode from Local to FlexConnect, the AP needs to reboot. The reboot, in turn delays
the overall deployment of the AP in a branch office.
In the release 8.0, the access point no longer needs to reboot when moving from local to FlexConnect mode.
When the FlexConnect parameters are configured, the connection between an AP and the Cisco Wireless
LAN Controller (Cisco WLC) is maintained. There is no disassociation.
Note
The mode change from Local to FlexConnect is supported for faster deployment. For other mode changes,
APs have to reboot. In case of a change in the AP submode to wireless Intrusion Prevention System (wIPS),
reboot is not required.

908
Note
For the Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless LAN Controller, auto convert mode is available on the CLI. The
auto convert mode triggers the change on all the connected APs. The change of the mode from Local to
FlexConnect and the reboot works in conjunction with the auto convert mode for the Cisco Flex 7500
Series WLC.
Note
When AP is changed from local to FlexConnect it will not reboot, but when it is changed from FlexConnect
to local it reboots and displays the following error message, "Warning: Changing AP Mode will reboot
the AP and will rejoin the controller afer a few minutes. Are you sure you want to continue?" but CLI
remains the same. Changing the AP's mode will also cause the AP to reboot.
FlexConnect Authentication Process

When an access point boots up, it looks for a controller. If it finds one, it joins the controller, downloads the
latest software image and configuration from the controller, and initializes the radio. It saves the downloaded
configuration in nonvolatile memory for use in standalone mode.
Note
Once the access point is rebooted after downloading the latest controller software, it must be converted
to the FlexConnect mode. This can be done using the GUI or CLI.
A FlexConnect access point can learn the controller IP address in one of these ways:
If the access point has been assigned an IP address from a DHCP server, it can discover a controller
through the regular CAPWAP or LWAPP discovery process.
Note
OTAP is no longer supported on the controllers with 6.0.196.0 and later releases.
If the access point has been assigned a static IP address, it can discover a controller through any of the
discovery process methods except DHCP option 43. If the access point cannot discover a controller
through Layer 3 broadcast, we recommend DNS resolution. With DNS, any access point with a static
IP address that knows of a DNS server can find at least one controller.
If you want the access point to discover a controller from a remote network where CAPWAP or LWAPP
discovery mechanisms are not available, you can use priming. This method enables you to specify
(through the access point CLI) the controller to which the access point is to connect.
Note
For more information about how access points find controllers, see the controller deployment
guide at:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/technology/controller/deployment/guide/dep.html.
When a FlexConnect access point can reach the controller (referred to as the connected mode), the controller
assists in client authentication. When a FlexConnect access point cannot access the controller, the access point
enters the standalone mode and authenticates clients by itself.

909
Note
The LEDs on the access point change as the device enters different FlexConnect modes. See the hardware
installation guide for your access point for information on LED patterns.
When a client associates to a FlexConnect access point, the access point sends all authentication messages to
the controller and either switches the client data packets locally (locally switched) or sends them to the
controller (centrally switched), depending on the WLAN configuration. With respect to client authentication
(open, shared, EAP, web authentication, and NAC) and data packets, the WLAN can be in any one of the
following states depending on the configuration and state of controller connectivity:
central authentication, central switchingIn this state, the controller handles client authentication, and
all client data is tunneled back to the controller. This state is valid only in connected mode.
central authentication, local switchingIn this state, the controller handles client authentication, and
the FlexConnect access point switches data packets locally. After the client authenticates successfully,
the controller sends a configuration command with a new payload to instruct the FlexConnect access
point to start switching data packets locally. This message is sent per client. This state is applicable only
in connected mode.
Note
For the FlexConnect local switching, central authentication deployments, if there is a

passive client with a static IP address, it is recommended to disable the Learn Client IP
Address feature under the WLAN > Advanced tab.
local authentication, local switchingIn this state, the FlexConnect access point handles client
authentication and switches client data packets locally. This state is valid in standalone mode and
connected mode.
In connected mode, the access point provides minimal information about the locally authenticated client
to the controller. The following information is not available to the controller:
Policy type
Access VLAN
VLAN name
Supported rates
Encryption cipher
Local authentication is useful where you cannot maintain a remote office setup of a minimum
bandwidth of 128 kbps with the round-trip latency no greater than 100 ms and the maximum
transmission unit (MTU) no smaller than 576 bytes. In local authentication, the authentication
capabilities are present in the access point itself. Local authentication reduces the latency
requirements of the branch office.
Note
Local authentication can only be enabled on the WLAN of a FlexConnect access point
that is in local switching mode.
Notes about local authentication are as follows:
Guest authentication cannot be done on a FlexConnect local authentication-enabled WLAN.

910
Local RADIUS on the controller is not supported.

Once the client has been authenticated, roaming is only supported after the controller and the other
FlexConnect access points in the group are updated with the client information.
Local authentication in connected mode requires a WLAN configuration.
Note
When locally switched clients that are connected to a FlexConnect access point renew
the IP addresses, on joining back, the client continues to stay in the run state. These
clients are not reauthenticated by the controller.
authentication down, switch downIn this state, the WLAN disassociates existing clients and stops
sending beacon and probe requests. This state is valid in both standalone mode and connected mode.
authentication down, local switchingIn this state, the WLAN rejects any new clients trying to
authenticate, but it continues sending beacon and probe responses to keep existing clients alive. This
state is valid only in standalone mode.
When a FlexConnect access point enters standalone mode, WLANs that are configured for open, shared,
WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK authentication enter the local authentication, local switching state and continue
new client authentications. In controller software release 4.2 or later releases, this configuration is also correct
for WLANs that are configured for 802.1X, WPA-802.1X, WPA2-802.1X, or CCKM, but these authentication
types require that an external RADIUS server be configured. You can also configure a local RADIUS server
on a FlexConnect access point to support 802.1X in a standalone mode or with local authentication.
Other WLANs enter either the authentication down, switching down state (if the WLAN was configured
for central switching) or the authentication down, local switching state (if the WLAN was configured for
local switching).
When FlexConnect access points are connected to the controller (rather than in standalone mode), the controller
uses its primary RADIUS servers and accesses them in the order specified on the RADIUS Authentication
Servers page or in the config radius auth add CLI command (unless the server order is overridden for a
particular WLAN). However, to support 802.1X EAP authentication, FlexConnect access points in standalone
mode need to have their own backup RADIUS server to authenticate clients.
Note
A controller does not use a backup RADIUS server. The controller uses the backup RADIUS server in
local authentication mode.
You can configure a backup RADIUS server for individual FlexConnect access points in standalone mode
by using the controller CLI or for groups of FlexConnect access points in standalone mode by using either
the GUI or CLI. A backup server configured for an individual access point overrides the backup RADIUS
server configuration for a FlexConnect.
When a FlexConnect access point enters standalone mode, it disassociates all clients that are on centrally
switched WLANs. For web-authentication WLANs, existing clients are not disassociated, but the FlexConnect
access point stops sending beacons when the number of associated clients reaches zero (0). It also sends
disassociation messages to new clients associating to web-authentication WLANs. Controller-dependent
activities, such as network access control (NAC) and web authentication (guest access), are disabled, and the
access point does not send any intrusion detection system (IDS) reports to the controller. Most radio resource
management (RRM) features (such as neighbor discovery; noise, interference, load, and coverage measurements;

911
Restrictions on FlexConnect
use of the neighbor list; and rogue containment and detection) are disabled. However, a FlexConnect access
point supports dynamic frequency selection in standalone mode.
When web-authentication is used on FlexConnect access points at a remote site, the clients get the IP address
from the remote local subnet. To resolve the initial URL request, the DNS is accessible through the subnet's
default gateway. In order for the controller to intercept and redirect the DNS query return packets, these
packets must reach the controller at the data center through a CAPWAP connection. During the
web-authentication process, the FlexConnect access points allows only DNS and DHCP messages; the access
points forward the DNS reply messages to the controller before web-authentication for the client is complete.
After web-authentication for the client is complete, all the traffic is switched locally.
Note
If your controller is configured for NAC, clients can associate only when the access point is in connected
mode. When NAC is enabled, you need to create an unhealthy (or quarantined) VLAN so that the data
traffic of any client that is assigned to this VLAN passes through the controller, even if the WLAN is
configured for local switching. After a client is assigned to a quarantined VLAN, all of its data packets
are centrally switched. See the Configuring Dynamic Interfaces section for information about creating
quarantined VLANs and the Configuring NAC Out-of-Band section for information about configuring
NAC out-of-band support.
When a FlexConnect access point enters into a standalone mode, the following occurs:
The access point checks whether it is able to reach the default gateway via ARP. If so, it will continue
to try and reach the controller.
If the access point fails to establish the ARP, the following occurs:
The access point attempts to discover for five times and if it still cannot find the controller, it tries to
renew the DHCP on the ethernet interface to get a new DHCP IP.
The access point will retry for five times, and if that fails, the access point will renew the IP address of
the interface again, this will happen for three attempts.
If the three attempts fail, the access point will fall back to the static IP and will reboot (only if the access
point is configured with a static IP).
Reboot is done to remove the possibility of any unknown error the access point configuration.
Once the access point reestablishes a connection with the controller, it disassociates all clients, applies new
configuration information from the controller, and allows client connectivity again.
You can deploy a FlexConnect access point with either a static IP address or a DHCP address. In the
case of DHCP, a DHCP server must be available locally and must be able to provide the IP address for
the access point at bootup.
FlexConnect supports up to four fragmented packets or a minimum 576-byte maximum transmission
unit (MTU) WAN link.
Round-trip latency must not exceed 300 milliseconds (ms) between the access point and the controller,
and CAPWAP control packets must be prioritized over all other traffic. In cases where you cannot

912
achieve the 300 milliseconds round-trip latency, you can configure the access point to perform local
authentication.
Client connections are restored only for locally switched clients that are in the RUN state when the
access point moves from standalone mode to connected mode. After the access point moves from the
standalone mode to the connected mode, the access points radio is also reset.
The configuration on the controller must be the same between the time the access point went into
standalone mode and the time the access point came back to connected mode. Similarly, if the access
point is falling back to a secondary or backup controller, the configuration between the primary and
secondary or backup controller must be the same.
A newly connected access point cannot be booted in FlexConnect mode.
To use CCKM fast roaming with FlexConnect access points, you must configure FlexConnect Groups.
The primary and secondary controllers for a FlexConnect access point must have the same configuration.
Otherwise, the access point might lose its configuration, and certain features (such as WLAN overrides,
VLANs, static channel number, and so on) might not operate correctly. In addition, make sure to duplicate
the SSID of the FlexConnect access point and its index number on both controllers.
Do not connect access points in FlexConnect mode directly to a 2500 Series Controller.
If you configure a FlexConnect access point with a syslog server configured on the access point, after
the access point is reloaded and the native VLAN other than 1, at time of initialization, few syslog
packets from the access point are tagged with VLAN ID 1. This is a known issue.
MAC Filtering is not supported on FlexConnect access points in standalone mode. However, MAC
Filtering is supported on FlexConnect access points in connected mode with local switching and central
authentication. Also, Open SSID, MAC Filtering, and RADIUS NAC for a locally switched WLAN
with FlexConnect access points is a valid configuration where MAC is checked by ISE.
FlexConnect does not support IPv6 ACLs, neighbor discovery caching, and DHCPv6 snooping of IPv6
NDP packets.
FlexConnect does not display any IPv6 client addresses within the client detail page.
FlexConnect Access Points with Locally Switched WLAN cannot perform IP Source Guard and prevent
ARP spoofing. For Centrally Switched WLAN, the wireless controller performs the IP Source Guard
and ARP Spoofing.
To prevent ARP spoofing attacks in FlexConnect AP with Local Switching, we recommend that you
use ARP Inspection.
When you enable local switching on WLAN for the Flexconnect APs, then APs perform local switching.
However, for the APs in local mode, central switching is performed.
For Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 (WPA2) in FlexConnect standalone mode or local-auth in connected
mode or CCKM fast-roaming in connected mode, only Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is supported.
For Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in FlexConnect standalone mode or local-auth in connected mode
or CCKM fast-roaming in connected mode, only Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) is supported.
WPA2 with TKIP and WPA with AES is not supported in standalone mode, local-auth in connected
mode, and CCKM fast-roaming in connected mode.
AVC on locally switched WLANs is supported on Second-Generation APs.

913
Configuring FlexConnect
Flexconnect access points in WIPS mode can significantly increase the bandwidth utilization depending
on the activity detected by the access points. If the rules have forensics enabled, the link utilization can
go up by almost 100kbps.
Local authentication fall back is not supported when user is not available in the external RADIUS server.
For WLAN configured for the FlexConnect AP in the local switching and local authentication,
synchronization of dot11 clients information is supported.
It is not possible for the Cisco WLC to detect if an AP has dissociated and with that whether the radio
is in operational state or non-operational state.
When a FlexConnect AP dissociates from the Cisco WLC, the AP can still serve the clients with the
radios being operational; however, with all other AP modes, the radios go into non-operational state.
When you apply a configuration change to a locally switched WLAN, the access point resets the radio,
causing associated client devices to disassociate (including the clients that are not associated with the
modified WLAN). However, this behavior does not occur if the modified WLAN is centrally switched.
We recommend that you modify the configuration only during a maintenance window. This is also
applicable when a centrally switched WLAN is changed to a locally switched WLAN.
Note
The configuration tasks must be performed in the order in which they are listed.
Configuring the Switch at a Remote Site
Step 1
Step 2
Attach the access point that will be enabled for FlexConnect to a trunk or access port on the switch.
Note
The sample configuration in this procedure shows the FlexConnect access point connected to a trunk port on
the switch.
See the sample configuration in this procedure to configure the switch to support the FlexConnect access point.
In this sample configuration, the FlexConnect access point is connected to trunk interface FastEthernet 1/0/2 with native
VLAN 100. The access point needs IP connectivity on the native VLAN. The remote site has local servers/resources on
VLAN 101. A DHCP pool is created in the local switch for both VLANs in the switch. The first DHCP pool (NATIVE)
is used by the FlexConnect access point, and the second DHCP pool (LOCAL-SWITCH) is used by the clients when
they associate to a WLAN that is locally switched. The bolded text in the sample configuration shows these settings.
A sample local switch configuration is as follows:
ip dhcp pool NATIVE
network 209.165.200.224 255.255.255.224
dns-server 192.168.100.167
!
ip dhcp pool LOCAL-SWITCH
network 209.165.201.224 255.255.255.224

914
dns-server 192.168.100.167
!
interface FastEthernet1/0/1
description Uplink port
no switchport
ip address 209.165.202.225 255.255.255.224
!
interface FastEthernet1/0/2
description the Access Point port
switchport trunk native vlan 100
switchport trunk allowed vlan 101
!
interface Vlan100
ip address 209.165.200.225 255.255.255.224
!
interface Vlan101
ip address 209.165.201.225 255.255.255.224
end
!
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect

You can configure the controller for FlexConnect in two environments:
Centrally switched WLAN
Locally switched WLAN
The controller configuration for FlexConnect consists of creating centrally switched and locally switched
WLANs. This table shows three WLAN scenarios.
Table 41: WLANs Example
WLAN
Security
Authentication
Switching
Interface Mapping (VLAN)
employee
WPA1+WPA2
Central
Central
management (centrally
switched VLAN)
Local
Local
101 (locally switched

VLAN)
employee-local WPA1+WPA2
(PSK)
guest-central
Web authentication Central
Central
management (centrally
switched VLAN)
employee
WPA1+WPA2
Local
101 (locally switched

VLAN)
-local-auth
Local

915
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect for a Centrally Switched WLAN Used for Guest Access
Before You Begin
You must have created guest user accounts. For more information about creating guest user accounts, see the
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller System Management Guide.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10

From the drop-down list, choose Create New and click Go to open the WLANs > New page .
From the Type drop-down list, choose WLAN.
In the Profile Name text box, enter guest-central.
In the WLAN SSID text box, enter guest-central.
From the WLAN ID drop-down list, choose an ID for the WLAN.
Click Apply. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
In the General tab, select the Status check box to enable the WLAN.
In the Security > Layer 2 tab, choose None from the Layer 2 Security drop-down list.
In the Security > Layer 3 tab:
a) Choose None from the Layer 3 Security drop-down list.
b) Choose the Web Policy check box.
c) Choose Authentication.
Note
If you are using an external web server, you must configure a preauthentication access control list (ACL) on the
WLAN for the server and then choose this ACL as the WLAN preauthentication ACL on the Layer 3 tab.
Step 11
Step 12
Click Apply.
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8

From the drop-down list, choose Create New and click Go to open the WLANs > New page.
From the Type drop-down list, choose WLAN.
In the Profile Name text box, enter a unique profile name for the WLAN.
In the WLAN SSID text box, enter a name for the WLAN.
From the WLAN ID drop-down list, choose the ID number for this WLAN.
Click Apply.
You can configure the controller for FlexConnect in both centrally switched and locally switched WLANs:

916
Do not enable ip-learn on flex local switched WLAN. When several sites use similar local subnets or overlapping
subnets that are terminated on the same WLC, you will see ip-theft false positives. If ip-theft exclusion is enabled
on the WLC, the clients might get blacklisted or a similar message is displayed to convey the feature behavior.
To configure the controller for FlexConnect in a centrally switched WLAN:
Note
a) In the General tab, select the Status check box to enable the WLAN.
b) If you have enabled NAC and have created a quarantined VLAN and want to use it for this WLAN, select the interface
from the Interface/Interface Group(G) drop-down list in the General tab.
c) In the Security > Layer 2 tab, choose WPA+WPA2 from the Layer 2 Security drop-down list and then set the
WPA+WPA2 parameters as required.
To configure the controller for FlexConnect in a locally switched WLAN:
a) In the General tab, select the Status check box to enable the WLAN.
b) If you have enabled NAC and have created a quarantined VLAN and want to use it for this WLAN, select the interface
from the Interface/Interface Group(G) drop-down list in the General tab.
c) In the Security > Layer 2 tab, select WPA+WPA2 from the Layer 2 Security drop-down list and then set the
WPA+WPA2 parameters as required.
d) In the Advanced tab:
Select or unselect the FlexConnect Local Switching check box to enable or disable local switching of client
data associated with the APs in FlexConnect mode.
Note
The guidelines and limitations for this feature are as follows:

When you enable local switching, any FlexConnect access point that advertises this WLAN is
able to locally switch data packets (instead of tunneling them to the controller).
When you enable FlexConnect local switching, the controller is enabled to learn the clients IP
address by default. However, if the client is configured with Fortress Layer 2 encryption, the
controller cannot learn the clients IP address, and the controller periodically drops the client.
Disable the client IP address learning feature so that the controller maintains the client connection
without waiting to learn the clients IP address. The ability to disable this option is supported
only with FlexConnect local switching; it is not supported with FlexConnect central switching.
For FlexConnect access points, the interface mapping at the controller for WLANs that is
configured for FlexConnect Local Switching is inherited at the access point as the default VLAN
tagging. This mapping can be changed per SSID and per FlexConnect access point.
Non-FlexConnect access points tunnel all traffic back to the controller, and VLAN tagging is
determined by each WLANs interface mapping.
Intermittently, on the Cisco 1240 series FlexConnect APs that have smaller memory, all the
clients connecting to the particular SSID on the AP are stuck in DHCP process and the clients
don't get an IP address. This may occur randomly and it is fixed on its own after some time. There
is no debug available for the client on the AP, it is recommended that per-client debugging is
done from the Cisco WLC.
Select or unselect the FlexConnect Local Auth check box to enable or disable local authentication for the
WLAN.
Select or unselect the Learn Client IP Address check box to enable or disable the IP address of the client to
be learned.
Select or unselect the VLAN based Central Switching check box to enable or disable central switching on a
locally switched WLAN based on AAA overridden VLAN.

917
Note
These are the guidelines and limitations for this feature:

Multicast on overridden interfaces is not supported.
This feature is available only on a per-WLAN basis, where the WLAN is locally switched.
IPv6 ACLs, CAC, NAC, and IPv6 are not supported.
IPv4 ACLs are supported only with VLAN-based central switching enabled and applicable only
to central switching clients on the WLAN.
This feature is applicable to APs in FlexConnect mode in locally switched WLANs.
This feature is not applicable to APs in Local mode.
This feature is not supported on APs in FlexConnect mode in centrally switched WLANs.
This feature is supported on central authentication only.
This features is not supported on web authentication security clients.
Layer 3 roaming for local switching clients is not supported.
Select or unselect the Central DHCP Processing check box to enable or disable the feature. When you enable
this feature, the DHCP packets received from AP are centrally switched to the controller and then forwarded
to the corresponding VLAN based on the AP and the SSID.
Select or unselect the Override DNS check box to enable or disable the overriding of the DNS server address
on the interface assigned to the locally switched WLAN. When you override DNS in centrally switched WLANs,
the clients get their DNS server IP address from the AP, not from the controller.
Select or unselect the NAT-PAT check box to enable or disable Network Address Translation (NAT) and Port
Address Translation (PAT) on locally switched WLANs. You must enable Central DHCP Processing to enable
NAT and PAT.
Select or unselect the Central Assoc check box to enable or disable client reassociation and security key caching
on the Cisco WLC. The PMIPv6 MAG on AP feature requires that the client reassociation be handled centrally
at the Cisco WLC in large-scale deployments of Cisco APs, to support fast roaming.
Configuration of central association with local authentication is not supported for the WLAN. After the PMIPv6
tunnel is set up, all data traffic from the PMIPv6 clients are forwarded from the Cisco AP to the local mobility
anchor (LMA) in the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel. If the connectivity between the Cisco AP
and the Cisco WLC is lost, the data traffic for the existing PMIPv6 clients continue to flow until the connectivity
between the Cisco AP and the client is lost. When the AP is in stand-alone mode, no new client associations
are accepted on the PMIPv6 enabled WLAN.
Step 9
Step 10
Click Apply.
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (CLI)

config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan_id enableConfigures the WLAN for local switching.

918
Note
When you enable FlexConnect local switching, the controller waits to learn the client
IP address by default. However, if the client is configured with Fortress Layer 2
encryption, the controller cannot learn the client IP address, and the controller periodically
drops the client. Use the config wlan flexconnect learn-ipaddr wlan_id disable
command to disable the client IP address learning feature so that the controller maintains
the client connection without waiting to learn the clients IP address. The ability to
disable this feature is supported only with FlexConnect local switching; it is not supported
with FlexConnect central switching. To enable this feature, enter the config wlan
flexconnect learn-ipaddr wlan_id enable command.
Note
When a WLAN is locally switched (LS), you must use the config wlan flexconnect
learn-ipaddr wlan-id {enable | disable} command. When the WLAN is centrally
switched (CS), you must use the config wlan learn-ipaddr-cswlan wlan-id {enable |
disable} command.
config wlan flexconnect local-switching wlan_id {enable | disable}Configures the WLAN for central
switching.
config wlan flexconnect vlan-central-switching wlan_id {enable | disable}Configures central
switching on a locally switched WLAN based on an AAA overridden VLAN.
The guidelines and limitations for this feature are as follows:
Multicast on overridden interfaces is not supported.
This feature is available only on a per-WLAN basis, where the WLAN is locally switched.
IPv6 ACLs, CAC, NAC, and IPv6 are not supported.
IPv4 ACLs are supported only with VLAN-based central switching enabled and applicable only
to central switching clients on the WLAN.
This feature is applicable to APs in FlexConnect mode in locally switched WLANs.
This feature is not applicable to APs in Local mode.
This feature is not supported on APs in FlexConnect mode in centrally switched WLANs.
This feature is supported on central authentication only.
This features is not supported on web authentication security clients.
Layer 3 roaming for local switching clients is not supported.
config wlan flexconnect central-assoc wlan-id {enable | disable} Informs the Cisco AP in
FlexConnect mode to handle client association and reassociation and security key caching for the clients
on the WLAN by the Cisco WLC. The PMIPv6 MAG on AP feature requires that the client reassociation
be handled centrally at the Cisco WLC in large-scale deployments of Cisco APs, to support fast roaming.
By default, the client association and reassociation and security key caching are handled by the Cisco
AP in FlexConnect mode.
Configuration of central association with local authentication is not supported for the WLAN. After the
PMIPv6 tunnel is set up, all data traffic from the PMIPv6 clients are forwarded from the Cisco AP to

919
the local mobility anchor (LMA) in the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel. If the connectivity
between the Cisco AP and the Cisco WLC is lost, the data traffic for the existing PMIPv6 clients continue
to flow until the connectivity between the Cisco AP and the client is lost. When the AP is in stand-alone
mode, no new client associations are accepted on the PMIPv6 enabled WLAN.
Use these commands to get FlexConnect information:
show ap config general Cisco_APShows VLAN configurations.
show wlan wlan_idShows whether the WLAN is locally or centrally switched.
show client detail client_macShows whether the client is locally or centrally switched.
Use these commands to obtain debug information:
debug flexconnect aaa {event | error} {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of
FlexConnect backup RADIUS server events or errors.
debug flexconnect cckm {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of FlexConnect CCKM.
debug flexconnect {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of FlexConnect Groups.
debug pem state {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of the policy manager state machine.
debug pem events {enable | disable}Enables or disables debugging of policy manager events.
Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect

Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect (GUI)
Before You Begin
Ensure that the access point has been physically added to your network.
Note
The AP will reboot when you change the AP behavior from Flexconnect to Local.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Click the name of the desired access point. The All APs > > Details page appears.
From the AP Mode drop-down list, choose FlexConnect to enable FlexConnect for this access point.
Note
The last parameter in the Inventory tab indicates whether the access point can be configured for FlexConnect.
Step 4
Step 5
Click Apply to commit your changes and to cause the access point to reboot.
Choose the FlexConnect tab to open the All APs > Details for (FlexConnect) page.
If the access point belongs to a FlexConnect group, the name of the group appears in the FlexConnect Name text box.
Step 6
To configure WLAN VLAN mapping, choose from the following options in the drop-down list:
Make AP Specific

920
Remove AP Specific
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Select the VLAN Support check box and enter the number of the native VLAN on the remote network (such as 100)
in the Native VLAN ID text box.
Note
By default, a VLAN is not enabled on the FlexConnect access point. After FlexConnect is enabled, the access
point inherits the VLAN ID associated to the WLAN. This configuration is saved in the access point and received
after the successful join response. By default, the native VLAN is 1. One native VLAN must be configured per
FlexConnect access point in a VLAN-enabled domain. Otherwise, the access point cannot send and receive
packets to and from the controller.
Note
If PMIPv6 MAG on FlexConnect AP is configured, VLAN Support can be checked or unchecked on the
FlexConnect AP. If you check the VLAN Support check box, enter the number of the native VLAN on the
remote network in the Native VLAN ID text box.
Note
To preserve the VLAN mappings in the access point after an upgrade or downgrade, it is necessary that the
access point join is restricted to the controller for which it is primed. That is, no other discoverable controller
with a different configuration should be available by other means. Similarly, at the time the access point joins,
if it moves across controllers that have different VLAN mappings, the VLAN mappings at the access point may
get mismatched.
Note
For Cisco 1140 access point, when the native VLAN ID is set, it disconnects and joins back the Cisco 8500
series wireless controller. And after resuming the admin mode for the AP, is disabled.
Click Apply. The access point temporarily loses its connection to the controller while its Ethernet port is reset.
Click the name of the same access point and then click the FlexConnect tab.
Click VLAN Mappings to open the All APs > Access Point Name > VLAN Mappings page.
Enter the number of the VLAN from which the clients will get an IP address when doing local switching (VLAN 101,
in this example) in the VLAN ID text box.
To configure Web Authentication ACLs, do the following:
a) Click the External WebAuthentication ACLs link to open the ACL mappings page. The ACL Mappings page lists
details of WLAN ACL mappings and web policy ACLs.
b) In the WLAN Id box, enter the WLAN ID.
c) From the WebAuth ACL drop-down list, choose the FlexConnect ACL.
Note
To create a FlexConnect ACL, choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups > FlexConnect ACLs, click New,
enter the FlexConnect ACL name, and click Apply.
d) Click Add.
e) Click Apply.
To configure Local Split ACLs:
a) Click the Local Split ACLs link to open the ACL Mappings page.
b) In the WLAN Id box, enter the WLAN ID.
c) From the Local-Split ACL drop-down list, choose the FlexConnect ACL.
Note
If a client that connects over a WAN link associated with a centrally switched WLAN has to send some traffic to a
device present in the local site, the client has to send traffic over CAPWAP to the controller and then get the same
traffic back to the local site either over CAPWAP or using some offband connectivity. This process unnecessarily
consumes WAN link bandwidth. To avoid this issue, you can use the split tunneling feature, which allows the traffic
sent by a client to be classified based on the packet contents. The matching packets are locally switched and the rest
of the traffic is centrally switched. The traffic that is sent by the client that matches the IP address of the device
present in the local site can be classified as locally switched traffic and the rest of the traffic as centrally switched.

921
To configure local split tunneling on an AP, ensure that you have enabled DCHP Required on the WLAN, which
ensures that the client associating with the split WLAN does DHCP.
Local split tunneling is not supported on Cisco 1500 Series, Cisco 1130, and Cisco 1240 access points, and
does not work for clients with static IP address.
d) Click Add.
Note
Step 14
To configure Central DHCP processing:

a) In the WLAN Id box, enter the WLAN ID with which you want to map Central DHCP.
b) Select or unselect the Central DHCP check box to enable or disable Central DHCP for the mapping.
c) Select or unselect the Override DNS check box to enable or disable overriding of DNS for the mapping.
d) Select or unselect the NAT-PAT check box to enable or disable network address translation and port address translation
for the mapping.
e) Click Add to add the Central DHCP - WLAN mapping.
Step 15
To map a locally switched WLAN with a WebAuth ACL, follow these steps:
Step 16
a) In the WLAN Id box, enter the WLAN ID.

b) From the WebAuth ACL drop-down list, choose the FlexConnect ACL.
Note
c) Click Add.
Note
The FlexConnect ACLs that are specific to an AP have the highest priority. The FlexConnect ACLs that are
specific to WLANs have the lowest priority.
From the WebPolicy ACL drop-down list, choose a FlexConnect ACL and then click Add to configure the FlexConnect
ACL as a web policy.
Note
You can configure up to 16 Web Policy ACLs that are specific to an access
point.
Click Apply.
Note
Repeat this procedure for any additional access points that need to be configured for FlexConnect at the remote
site.
Step 17
Step 18
Configuring an Access Point for FlexConnect (CLI)
Note
The AP will reboot when you change the AP behavior from Flexconnect to Local.
config ap mode flexconnect Cisco_APEnables FlexConnect for this access point.
config ap flexconnect radius auth set {primary | secondary} ip_address auth_port secret
Cisco_APConfigures a primary or secondary RADIUS server for a specific FlexConnect access point.
Note
Only the Session Timeout RADIUS attribute is supported in standalone mode. All other
attributes as well as RADIUS accounting are not supported.

922
Note
To delete a RADIUS server that is configured for a FlexConnect access point, enter the
config ap flexconnect radius auth delete {primary | secondary} Cisco_AP command.
config ap flexconnect vlan wlan wlan_id vlan-id Cisco_APEnables you to assign a VLAN ID to this
FlexConnect access point. By default, the access point inherits the VLAN ID associated to the WLAN.
config ap flexconnect vlan {enable | disable} Cisco_APEnables or disables VLAN tagging for this
FlexConnect access point. By default, VLAN tagging is not enabled. After VLAN tagging is enabled
on the FlexConnect access point, WLANs that are enabled for local switching inherit the VLAN assigned
at the controller.
config ap flexconnect vlan native vlan-id Cisco_APEnables you to configure a native VLAN for
this FlexConnect access point. By default, no VLAN is set as the native VLAN. One native VLAN must
be configured per FlexConnect access point (when VLAN tagging is enabled). Make sure the switch
port to which the access point is connected has a corresponding native VLAN configured as well. If the
FlexConnect access points native VLAN setting and the upstream switch port native VLAN do not
match, the access point cannot transmit packets to and from the controller.
Note
To save the VLAN mappings in the access point after an upgrade or downgrade, you
should restrict the access point to join the controller for which it is primed. No other
discoverable controller with a different configuration should be available by other means.
Similarly, at the time the access point joins, if it moves across controllers that have
different VLAN mappings, the VLAN mappings at the access point might get
mismatched.
Configure the mapping of a Web-Auth or a Web Passthrough ACL to a WLAN for an access point in
FlexConnect mode by entering this command:
config ap flexconnect web-auth wlan wlan_id cisco_ap acl_name {enable | disable}
Note
The FlexConnect ACLs that are specific to an AP have the highest priority. The
FlexConnect ACLs that are specific to WLANs have the lowest priority.
Configure a Web Policy ACL on an AP in FlexConnect mode by entering this command:

config ap flexconnect web-policy policy acl {add | delete} acl_name cisco_ap
Note
You can configure up to 16 Web Policy ACLs that are specific to an access point.
To configure local split tunneling on a per-AP basis, enter this command:

config ap local-split {enable | disable} wlan-id acl acl-name ap-name
Configure central DHCP on the AP per WLAN by entering this command:
config ap flexconnect central-dhcp wlan-id ap-name {enable override dns | disable | delete}

923
Note
The gratuitous ARP for the gateway is sent by the access point to the client, which
obtained an IP address from the central site. This is performed to proxy the gateway by
the access point.
Use these commands on the FlexConnect access point to get status information:
show capwap reap statusShows the status of the FlexConnect access point (connected or standalone).
show capwap reap associationShows the list of clients associated with this access point and their
SSIDs.
Use these commands on the FlexConnect access point to get debug information:
debug capwap reapShows general FlexConnect activities.
debug capwap reap mgmtShows client authentication and association messages.
debug capwap reap loadShows payload activities, which are useful when the FlexConnect access
point boots up in standalone mode.
debug dot11 mgmt interfaceShows 802.11 management interface events.
debug dot11 mgmt msgShows 802.11 management messages.
debug dot11 mgmt ssidShows SSID management events.
debug dot11 mgmt state-machineShows the 802.11 state machine.
debug dot11 mgmt stationShows client events.
Configuring an Access Point for Local Authentication on a WLAN (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Click the ID of the WLAN. The WLANs > Edit page appears.
Clicked the Advanced tab to open the WLANs > Edit (WLAN Name) page.
Select the FlexConnect Local Switching check box to enable FlexConnect local switching.
Select the FlexConnect Local Auth check box to enable FlexConnect local authentication.
Caution
Do not connect access points in FlexConnect mode directly to 2500 Series Controllers.
Step 6

924
Configuring an Access Point for Local Authentication on a WLAN (CLI)

Before You Begin
Before you begin, you must have enabled local switching on the WLAN where you want to enable local
authentication for an access point. For instructions on how to enable local switching on the WLAN, see the
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (CLI) section.
config wlan flexconnect ap-auth wlan_id {enable | disable}Configures the access point to enable
or disable local authentication on a WLAN.
Caution
Do not connect the access points in FlexConnect mode directly to Cisco 2500 Series Controllers.
show wlan wlan-id Displays the configuration for the WLAN. If local authentication is enabled, the
following information appears:
. . .
. . .
Web Based Authentication...................... Disabled
Web-Passthrough............................... Disabled
Conditional Web Redirect...................... Disabled
Splash-Page Web Redirect...................... Disabled
Auto Anchor................................... Disabled
FlexConnect Local Switching........................ Enabled
FlexConnect Local Authentication................... Enabled
Call Snooping.................................... Disabled
Roamed Call Re-Anchor Policy..................... Disabled
. . .
. . .
Connecting Client Devices to WLANs

Follow the instructions for your client device to create profiles to connect to the WLANs you created in the
Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect.
In the example scenarios (see Table 41: WLANs Example), there are three profiles on the client:
1 To connect to the employee WLAN, create a client profile that uses WPA/WPA2 with PEAP-MSCHAPV2
authentication. After the client becomes authenticated, the client gets an IP address from the management
VLAN of the controller.
2 To connect to the local-employee WLAN, create a client profile that uses WPA/WPA2 authentication.
After the client becomes authenticated, the client gets an IP address from VLAN 101 on the local switch.
3 To connect to the guest-central WLAN, create a client profile that uses open authentication. After the
client becomes authenticated, the client gets an IP address from VLAN 101 on the network local to the
access point. After the client connects, the local user can type any HTTP address in the web browser. The
user is automatically directed to the controller to complete the web-authentication process. When the web
login page appears, the user enters the username and password.
To determine if a clients data traffic is being locally or centrally switched, choose Monitor > Clients on the
controller GUI, click the Detail link for the desired client, and look at the Data Switching parameter under
AP Properties.

925
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback

Information About FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback
You can configure an AP to shut down its radio when the Ethernet link is not operational. When the Ethernet
link comes back to operational state, you can configure the AP to set its radio back to operational state. This
feature is independent of the AP being in connected or standalone mode. When the radios are shut down, the
AP does not broadcast the WLANs, and therefore, the clients cannot connect to the AP, either through first
association or through roaming.
To prevent radios from flapping when there is flapping of the Ethernet interface, a delay timer, which you
can configure, is provided.
Restrictions for FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback

The FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback configuration is at the global level and is applicable to all the
FlexConnect APs. However, this feature is not applicable to Cisco AP1130, AP1240, and AP1150.
The FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback feature is not applicable to APs with multiple ports such as Cisco
AP1520, AP1550.
The carrier delay that you configure on the Ethernet interface shuts down and reloads the interface based
on hysteresis. Therefore, the delay that you configure might not be the exact delay before the Ethernet
and 802.11 interfaces are shut down and reloaded.
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Global Configuration.

The Global Configuration page is displayed.
Step 2
Step 3
In the FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback area, select or unselect the Radio Interface Shutdown check box.
If you select the Radio Interface Shutdown check box, enter the delay or the Ethernet interface downtime, in seconds,
after which the AP radio interface must be shut down. The default delay is 0 seconds.
Note
You can enter the delay only if you select the Radio Interface Shutdown check
box.
In the FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback area, select the FlexConnect Arp-Cache check box to add ARP entry for a
client with locally switched WLAN on FlexConnect APs.
Note
This step enables the broadcast of ARP requests and the APs respond on behalf of the
client.
Click Apply.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

926
Configuring FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the radio interface by entering this command:

config flexconnect fallback-radio-shut {disable | enable delay time-in-seconds}
Step 2
See the status of the FlexConnect Ethernet Fallback feature configuration by entering this command:
show flexconnect summary
Step 3
Add proxy ARP with locally switched WLAN on FlexConnect APs by entering this command:
config flexconnect arp-cache.
VideoStream for FlexConnect

Information About VideoStream for FlexConnect
For FlexConnect Access Points, the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) configures both centrally switched
WLANs and locally switched WLANs. FlexConnect APs support multicast-to-unicast video traffic in the
Local switching mode. In this mode, the WLANs are configured to bridge the data from the client to the wired
interface of the FlexConnect APs.
A wireless client subscribes to an IP multicast stream by sending an Internet Group Management Protocol
(IGMP) packet or JOIN message. The AP eBridge module receives the IGMP packets.
See the section Enabling Multicast Mode (GUI) for more information about enabling IGMP snooping module.
The IGMP packets are forwarded to the IGMP snooping module for processing.
The IGMP snooping module searches the VideoStream configuration table. If the destination group address
is configured as a multicast-to-unicast stream, the module adds a record to the multicast-to-unicast list in the
group-tracking table. Otherwise, it adds the record to the multicast-only list. The module tracks the hosts,
groups, and group memberships for each radio in the database.
When downstream multicast packets arrive at the AP from the locally switched WLANs, the packet handler
searches the mgroup table.
If the VideoStream exists on an AP and the locally switched WLAN has the Multicast Direct feature enabled,
and streams are provided for the IP addresses, all the clients on the WLAN for the stream have the
Multicast-to-Unicast feature enabled. In all scenarios, only the Multicast Direct feature is enabled.
Note
The VideoStream feature is available to all the Cisco WLC platforms and in the 1600, 2600, 3600, 3500,
1260, 1250, 3700 Series APs.
The VideoStream feature makes the IP multicast stream delivery reliable over air, by converting a multicast
frame to a unicast frame over air.

927
Configuring VideoStream for FlexConnect (GUI)

The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) module analyzes the multicast packets and places packet
information into the host and group-tracking databases. On the basis of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
(WLC) configuration, the IGMP module admits the video multicast-to-unicast stream.
IGMP snooping and multicast forwarding is enabled on the local switch. The VideoStream group IP address
is configured on Cisco WLC and the index is less than 100. Cisco WLC has an On/Off switch for the
Multicast-to-Unicast feature at the global level, and per WLAN.
Each WLAN maps to a VLAN for a FlexConnect access point (AP). Therefore, a WLAN is equal to the
On/Off switch. When the feature is turned on for a VLAN, it is only applied to provisioned media stream
groups.
Before You Begin

Before you configure VideoStream for FlexConnect, enable the multicast mode and the IGMP snooping as
follows:
1 Choose Controller > Multicast to open the Multicast page.
2 Check the Enable Global Multicast Mode check box to configure the sending multicast packets task.
(The check box is disabled by default.)
Note
Currently, VideoStream for FlexConnect configuration does not support IPv6 and the Multicast Listener
Discovery (MLD) snooping.
Note
See the section Configuring the Controller for FlexConnect (GUI) for information about configuring the
Cisco WLC for FlexConnect in a locally switched WLAN.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Choose Wireless > Media Stream > Streams to open the Media Stream page.
Click Add New to configure a new media stream. The Media Streams page is displayed.
In the Stream Name text box, enter the media stream name. The stream name can be up to 64 characters.
In the Multicast Destination Start IP Address text box, enter the start IPv4 address of the multicast media stream.
In the Multicast Destination End IP Address text box, enter the end IPv4 address of the multicast media stream.
Note
For the resource reservation control, only the start and end IP addresses are important.
Step 6
Click Apply.
Because of the CAPWAP payload length limit, only the first 100 media streams are pushed from the Cisco WLC to the
corresponding AP.
The media stream configurations are pushed to the AP, after the AP joins the WLC
Note
Roaming is not supported in the standalone mode of the FlexConnect AP feature.

928
What to Do Next
Verify that the clients are associated by performing these steps:
1 Choose Monitor > Multicast.
The Multicast Groups page is displayed.
2 View the details in the FlexConnect Multicast Media Stream Clients table.
Configuring VideoStream for FlexConnect (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Configure the Multicast feature on the WLANs media stream by entering the config wlan media-stream multicast-direct
{wlan_id | all} {enable | disable}command.
Enable or disable the Multicast feature by entering the config media-stream multicast-direct {enable | disable}command.
Configure the various message-configuration parameters by entering the config media-stream message {state [enable
| disable] | url url | email email | phone phone _number | note note}command.
Save your changes by entering the save config command.
Configure various global media-stream configurations by entering theconfig media-stream add multicast-direct
stream-name media_stream_name start_IP end_IP [template {very-coarse | coarse | ordinary | low-resolution |
med-resolution | high-resolution} | detail {Max_bandwidth bandwidth | packet size packet_size | Re-evaluation
re-evaluation {periodic | initial}} video video priority {drop | fallback} command.
Troubleshooting Tips
The Resource Reservation Control (RRC) parameters are assigned with the predefined values based on the values assigned
to the template. The following templates can be used to assign RRC parameters to the media stream:
Very Coarse (below 3000 KBps)
Coarse (below 500 KBps)
Ordinary (below 750 KBps)
Low Resolution (below 1 MBps)
Medium Resolution (below 3 MBps)
High Resolution (below 5 MBps)
Step 6
Step 7
Delete a media stream by entering the config media-stream delete media_stream_name command.
Save your changes by entering thesave config command.
What to Do Next
To view the FlexConnect summary, use the following commands:
show capwap mcast flexconnect clients
show running b | i mcuc
show capwap mcast flexconnect groups
show media-stream client FlexConnect summary

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The following is the output show media-stream client FlexConnect summary of command:
Client Mac
Stream-Name Multicast-IP AP-Name VLAN
-------------------- ----------- ---media-stream client FlexConnect <Media Stream Name>
--------
--------
Media Stream Name................................ test

IP Multicast Destination Address (start)......... 224.0.0.1
IP Multicast Destination Address (end)........... 224.0.0.50
Viewing and Debugging Media Streams

Use these commands on a FlexConnect AP to get debug information:
DETAILED STEPS
Command or Action
Purpose
Step 1
debug capwap mcast
Shows general multicast activities.
Step 2
debug ip igmp snooping group
Shows the IGMP snooping group.
Step 3
debug ip igmp snooping timer
Shows IGMP snooping timer.
Step 4
debug ip igmp snooping host
Shows IGMP snooping host.
What to Do Next
View a summary of the media stream and client information by entering the show media-stream group
summary command.
View details about a particular media stream group by entering show media-stream group detail
media_stream_name command.
Enable debugging of the media stream history by entering debug media-stream history {enable |
disable} command.
FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode

Information about FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode
Currently, a Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points protocol (CAPWAP) Access Point (AP) can
be configured to operate in two different modes:
FlexConnect mode
Bridge/Mesh mode
The limitations are:
An AP needs to be restarted, with a different bridging sub system, after bridge mode is changed.
The Flexconnect and mesh modes are incompatible. A child mesh AP can only attach to another mesh
AP; a child mesh AP cannot attach to a Flexconnect AP.
A Flexconnect WLAN cannot be configured on a mesh AP.

930
Note
FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode is not supported on Cisco 1130 and 1240 access points.
From 8.0 release onwards, FlexConnect + Bridge mode allows the Flexconnect functionality across mesh
APs. Flex + Bridge mode is used to enable Flexconnect capabilities on Mesh (Bridge mode) APs. Mesh APs
inherit VLANs from the root AP that it is connected to it.
You can enable or disable the VLAN trunking and configure a native VLAN ID, on each AP, for any of the
following modes:
Flexconnect
Flex + Bridge (Flexconnect + Mesh)
For the Flex + Bridge mode, control plane supports:
Connected (CAPWAP connected, WLC is reachable.)
Standalone (CAPWAP disconnected, WLC is not reachable.)
For the Flex + Bridge mode, data plane supports:
Centralized (split MAC) - Data traffic via WLC
Local (local MAC) - Data traffic by local switching from Root AP
The following are the bridging features for Flex + Bridge mode:
The Flex + Bridge mode supports the centrally switched 802.11 WLAN. Traffic for this tunneled WLAN
is forwarded to and from a CAPWAP controller over an IP tunnel.
The Flex + Bridge mode supports the Root Ethernet VLAN Bridging. A root AP bridges the traffic for
bridged 802.11 WLANs and secondary Ethernet LANs to a local Ethernet LAN over its root Ethernet
port.
The Flex + Bridge mode bridging is supported on Secondary Ethernet Access Ports and Secondary
Ethernet VLAN Trunk Ports.
Fault Tolerant Resilient Mode enables an AP to continue bridging traffic when the connection to the
CAPWAP controller is lost. Both mesh and non-mesh root APs continue to bridge traffic. A child mesh
AP (MAP) maintains its link to a parent AP and continues to bridge traffic till the parent link is lost. A
child mesh AP cannot establish a new parent or child link till it reconnects to the CAPWAP controller.
Existing wireless clients on the locally switching WLAN can stay connected with their AP in this mode.
Their traffic will continue to flow through the Mesh and wired network. No new or disconnected wireless
client can associate to the Mesh AP in this mode.
You can configure a separate set of security ACLs for each VLAN that is configured for an Ethernet
root port. In a mesh network, only root APs (RAPs) have an Ethernet root port.
VLAN transparent bridging is not supported on Flex + Bridge mode. You must enter a set of allowed
VLAN IDs for each secondary Ethernet trunk port.
Path Control Protocol to create or delete path instances is supported on the Flex + Bridge mode.
In a mesh network, a child mesh AP (MAP) inherits local WLAN/VLAN ID bindings, for bridged
WLANs, and local secondary Ethernet access port/VLAN ID bindings. The bindings are inherited from

931
the root AP (RAP) via path control messages. Bindings are required in a multi-hop mesh links to support
FlexConnect capabilities in Mesh APs.
Note
A maximum of eight mesh hops are supported when operating in Flex + Bridge mode. The maximum
number of Mesh APs per Root AP is 32.
Configuring FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Click an AP name from the list of AP names and then click the General tab.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
From the AP mode drop-down list, choose Flex+Bridge mode.

From the AP Sub mode drop-down list, choose none.
Click Apply.
Resilient mode is enabled by default. To disable the resilient mode, click the FlexConnect tab and uncheck the Resilient
Mode (Standalone mode support) check-box.
To push the root AP or Flex WLAN to VLAN mapping to the other mesh APs, check the Install mapping on radio
backhaul check box.
Step 8
Configuring FlexConnect plus Bridge Mode (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Configure the Flex + Bridge mode by entering this command: config ap mode flex+bridge.
Configure the Flex + Bridge sub mode by entering this command: config ap mode flex+bridge submode.
Configure no sub mode by entering this command: config ap mode flex+bridge submode none.
Enable or disable resilient Flex + Bridge mode by entering this command: config ap flexconnect bridge resilient <ap
name>.
Enable WLAN to VLAN mapping between the root APs and mesh APs by entering this command: config ap flexconnect
bridge backhaul-wlan <ap name> (enable | disable).

932
CHAPTER
45
FlexConnect Groups
Information About FlexConnect Groups, page 933
Configuring FlexConnect Groups, page 939
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups, page 947
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mappings on FlexConnect Groups, page 948
Information About FlexConnect Groups

To organize and manage your FlexConnect access points, you can create FlexConnect Groups and assign
specific access points to them.
All of the FlexConnect access points in a group share the same backup RADIUS server, CCKM, and local
authentication configuration information. This feature is helpful if you have multiple FlexConnect access
points in a remote office or on the floor of a building and you want to configure them all at once. For example,
you can configure a backup RADIUS server for a FlexConnect rather than having to configure the same server
on each access point.

933
The following figure shows a typical FlexConnect deployment with a backup RADIUS server in the branch
office.
Figure 45: FlexConnect Group Deployment
For more information about FlexConnect deployment considerations, see the FlexConnect chapter of the
Enterprise Mobility Design Guide.
FlexConnect Groups and Backup RADIUS Servers

You can configure the controller to allow a FlexConnect access point in standalone mode to perform full
802.1X authentication to a backup RADIUS server. You can configure a primary backup RADIUS server or
both a primary and secondary backup RADIUS server. These servers can be used when the FlexConnect
access point is in of these two modes: standalone or connected.
FlexConnect Groups and CCKM

FlexConnect Groups are required for CCKM fast roaming to work with FlexConnect access points. CCKM
fast roaming is achieved by caching a derivative of the master key from a full EAP authentication so that a
simple and secure key exchange can occur when a wireless client roams to a different access point. This feature
prevents the need to perform a full RADIUS EAP authentication as the client roams from one access point to
another. The FlexConnect access points need to obtain the CCKM cache information for all the clients that
might associate so they can process it quickly instead of sending it back to the controller. If, for example, you
have a controller with 300 access points and 100 clients that might associate, sending the CCKM cache for
all 100 clients is not practical. If you create a FlexConnect that includes a limited number of access points
(for example, you create a group for four access points in a remote office), the clients roam only among those
four access points, and the CCKM cache is distributed among those four access points only when the clients
associate to one of them.
Note
CCKM fast roaming among FlexConnect and non-FlexConnect access points is not supported.

934
Note
FlexConnect Groups is needed for CCKM to work. Flex group needs to be created for CCKM, 11r , and
OKC , only then the caching can happen on an AP. The group name must be same between APS for a fast
roaming to happen for 11r/CCKM. The group can be different for OKC as final check is done at Cisco
WLC.
FlexConnect Groups and Opportunistic Key Caching

Starting with the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Release 7.0.116.0, FlexConnect groups accelerate
Opportunistic Key Caching (OKC) to enable fast roaming of clients. OKC facilitates fast roaming by using
PMK caching in access points that are in the same FlexConnect group.
OKC prevents the need to perform a full authentication as the client roams from one access point to another.
FlexConnect groups store the cached key on the APs of the same group, accelerating the process. However,
they are not required, as OKC will still happen between access points belonging to different FlexConnect
groups and will use the cached key present on the Cisco WLC, provided that Cisco WLC is reachable and
APs are in connected mode.
To see the PMK cache entries at the FlexConnect access point, use the show capwap reap pmk command.
This feature is supported on Cisco FlexConnect access points only. The PMK cache entries cannot be viewed
on Non-FlexConnect access points.
Note
The FlexConnect access point must be in connected mode when the PMK is derived during WPA2/802.1x
authentication.
When using FlexConnect groups for OKC or CCKM, the PMK-cache is shared only across the access points
that are part of the same FlexConnect group and are associated to the same controller. If the access points are
in the same FlexConnect group but are associated to different controllers that are part of the same mobility
group, the PMK cache is not updated and CCKM roaming will fail but OKC roaming will still work.
Note
Fast roaming works only if the APs are in the same FlexConnect group for APs in FlexConnect mode,
802.11r .
FlexConnect Groups and Local Authentication

You can configure the controller to allow a FlexConnect access point in standalone mode to perform LEAP,
EAP-FAST, PEAP, or EAP-TLS authentication for up to 100 statically configured users. The controller sends
the static list of usernames and passwords to each FlexConnect access point when it joins the controller. Each
access point in the group authenticates only its own associated clients.
This feature is ideal for customers who are migrating from an autonomous access point network to a lightweight
FlexConnect access point network and are not interested in maintaining a large user database or adding another
hardware device to replace the RADIUS server functionality available in the autonomous access point.

935
Note
You can configure LEAP, EAP-FAST, PEAP, or EAP-TLS authentication only if AP local
authentication is enabled.
You have to provision a certificate to the AP because the AP has to send the certificate to the client. You must
download the Vendor Device Certificate and the Vendor Certification Authority Certificate to the controller.
The controller then pushes these certificates to the AP. If you do not configure a Vendor Device Certificate
and the Vendor CA Certificate on the controller, the APs associating with the FlexConnect group download
the self-signed certificate of the controller, which may not be recognized by many wireless clients.
With EAP-TLS, AP does not recognize and accept client certificate if the client root CA is different from the
AP root CA. When you use Enterprise public key infrastructures (PKI), you must download a Vendor Device
Certificate and Vendor CA Certificate to the controller so that the controller can push the certificates to the
AP in the FlexConnect group. Without a common client and AP root CA, EAP-TLS fails on the local AP.
The AP cannot check an external CA and relies on its own CA chain for client certificate validation.
The space on the AP for the local certificate and the CA certificate is around 7 Kb, which means that only
short chains are adapted. Longer chains or multiple chains are not supported.
Note
This feature can be used with the FlexConnect backup RADIUS server feature. If a FlexConnect is
configured with both a backup RADIUS server and local authentication, the FlexConnect access point
always attempts to authenticate clients using the primary backup RADIUS server first, followed by the
secondary backup RADIUS server (if the primary is not reachable), and finally the FlexConnect access
point itself (if the primary and secondary are not reachable).
For information about the number of FlexConnect groups and access point support for a Cisco WLC model,
see the data sheet of the respective Cisco WLC model.
FlexConnect Groups and VLAN Support

You can configure VLAN Support and VLAN ID on a per FlexConnect group basis. This allows all APs in
a FlexConnect group to inherit the VLAN configuration from the FlexConnect group including VLAN support,
Native VLAN, and WLAN-VLAN mappings.
When Local Mode APs are added to a FlexConnect Group with VLAN Support enabled, APs are converted
to FlexConnect APs and inherit the WLAN-VLAN mapping in the FlexConnect Group.
This feature is supported on all WLC model that support FlexConnect and all APs that support FlexConnect
mode.
Deployment Considerations
When the override flag is set at the FlexConnect Group, modification of VLAN Support, Native VLAN
ID, WLAN-VLAN mappings, and Inheritance-Level at the AP is not allowed.
An Inheritance-Level configuration is available at the FlexConnect AP. You have to set this to Make
VLAN AP Specific to configure any AP-Specific VLAN Support, Native VLAN ID and VLAN-WLAN
mappings on the AP. Note that you can modify this only when the override flag at the group is disabled.
To achieve this on the WLC GUI, choose Wireless > All APs, click on the AP name. In the FlexConnect
tab, select Make VLAN AP Specific from the drop-down list.

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Upgrade and Downgrade Considerations

When you upgrade to Release 8.1, if the FlexConnect group has WLAN-VLAN mappings, then after
an upgrade, VLAN support is enabled and native VLAN is set to 1. Otherwise, the VLAN support
remains disabled on the FlexConnect group. The override flag on the FlexConnect Group is disabled.
When you downgrade from Release 8.1, the VLAN Support and Native VLAN ID is on a per AP basis,
and the WLAN-VLAN mappings follow the previous inheritance model.
Default FlexGroup
Default FlexGroup is a container where FlexConnect access points (APs), which are not a part of an
administrator-configured FlexConnect group, are added automatically when they join the Cisco Wireless
Controller. The Default FlexGroup is created and stored when the controller comes up (after upgrading from
an earlier release. Note that a reload of the 8.3 will not create the group again. It will only restore the existing
Default FlexGroup configuration.) This group cannot be deleted or added manually. Also, you cannot manually
add or delete APs to the Default FlexGroup. The APs in the Default FlexGroup inherit the common
configuration of the group. Any change in the group configuration is propagated to all the APs in the group.
When a group created by an admin is deleted, all the APs from that group are moved to the Default FlexGroup
and inherit the configuration of this group. Similarly, APs that are removed manually from other groups are
also added to the Default FlexGroup.
When an AP from the Default FlexGroup is added to a customized group, the existing configuration (from
the Default FlexGroup) is deleted and the configuration from the customized group is pushed to the AP. If
there is a standby controller, the Default FlexGroup and its configuration are also synchronized to it.
The AP provides FlexConnect group name during the join process. The AP could have received this group
name either through cloud provisioning or through Cisco WLC configuration. There are various scenarios
involved in deciding the final FlexConnect group, when an AP joins and they are listed in the table below:
FlexConnect Group
Received from AP
Status in Cisco WLC
Final Group
Type of Entry (Based on
Information/Configuration Priority)
Setn to AP
Group1
Group1 not present; AP

entry not present in any
group
Default FlexGroup
Admin
Group1
Group1 present but

maximum entries
reached; AP entry not
present in any group
Default FlexGroup
Admin
Group1
Group1 present, but AP

entry not present in any
group
Group1
Cloud
Group1
Group1 present, but AP Group2

entry present as part of a
different group, Group2
(added by admin)
Admin

937
FlexConnect Group
Received from AP
Status in Cisco WLC
Final Group
Type of Entry (Based on
Information/Configuration Priority)
Setn to AP
Group1
Group1 present, but AP Group1

entry exists in a different
group, Group2 learnt
earlier through cloud
No Group/Default Group AP entry exists as part of Group2

Group2 (either through
admin configuration or
learnt via cloud)
Cloud
Admin/Cloud
Whenever the final type of entry is cloud, the AP entry gets added to the corresponding FlexConnect group.
Also, when the FlexConnect group received from AP is different from the resultant group, a trap is raised to
inform the admin about the conflict. The show flexconnect group detail group-name aps command displays
the conflict value.
The following features are not supported:
Efficient image upgrade
PMK cache distribution
Fast Roaming
The following features are supported:
VLAN support (native VLAN, WLAN-VLAN mapping)
VLAN ACL mapping
WebAuth, web policy, local split mapping
Local authentication users
RADIUS authentication
Central DHCP or NAT-PAT
Flex AVC
VLAN name ID mapping
Multicast override
Downgrading to an Earlier Release
The Default FlexGroup configuration is retained after downgrading from 8.3 to an earlier release (8.2 and
earlier). It will be treated as a configurable group, where you can add or delete APs. However, the FlexConnect
APs will not be able to join this group by default.

938
Configuring FlexConnect Groups
Upgrading from a Earlier Release

A FlexConnet AP, which is not part of any FlexConnect group, will join the Default FlexGroup and inherit
configuration from the group. If a Default FlexGroup already exists in the system, it will be renamed during
the upgrade, and a message is logged with the name of the renamed group.
Restrictions
You cannot use the following CLIs to add or delete a Defaut FlexGroup or AP to a group:
config flexconnect group default-flexgroup{add | delete}
config flexconnect group default-flexgroup ap{add | delete}
Note
The Defaut FlexGroup does not have a default configuration.

When you delete an AP from the customized flex group, the VLAN support is also deleted from that AP.

Configuring FlexConnect Groups (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups to open the FlexConnect Groups page.
This page lists any FlexConnect groups that have already been created.
If you want to delete an existing group, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that group and
choose Remove.
Click New to create a new FlexConnect Group.
On the FlexConnect Groups > New page, enter the name of the new group in the Group Name text box. You can
enter up to 32 alphanumeric characters.
Click Apply. The new group appears on the FlexConnect Groups page.
To edit the properties of a group, click the name of the desired group. The FlexConnect Groups > Edit page appears.
If you want to configure a primary RADIUS server for this group (for example, the access points are using 802.1X
authentication), choose the desired server from the Primary RADIUS Server drop-down list. Otherwise, leave the text
box set to the default value of None.
Note
IPv6 RADIUS Server is not configurable. Only IPv4 configuration is supported.
Note
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
If you want to configure a secondary RADIUS server for this group, choose the server from the Secondary RADIUS
Server drop-down list. Otherwise, leave the field set to the default value of None.
Configure the RADIUS server for the FlexConnect group by doing the following:
a) Enter the RADIUS server IP address.
b) Choose the server type as either Primary or Secondary.
c) Enter a shared secret to log on to the RADIUS server and confirm it.
d) Enter the port number.

939
e) Click Add.
Step 9
To add an access point to the group, click Add AP. Additional fields appear on the page under Add AP.
Step 10
Perform one of the following tasks:

To choose an access point that is connected to this controller, select the Select APs from Current Controller
check box and choose the name of the access point from the AP Name drop-down list.
Note
If you choose an access point on this controller, the MAC address of the access point is automatically
entered in the Ethernet MAC text box to prevent any mismatches from occurring.
To choose an access point that is connected to a different controller, leave the Select APs from Current Controller
check box unselected and enter its MAC address in the Ethernet MAC text box.
Note
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
If the FlexConnect access points within a group are connected to different controllers, all of the controllers
must belong to the same mobility group.
Click Add to add the access point to this FlexConnect group. The access points MAC address, name, and status appear
at the bottom of the page.
Note
If you want to delete an access point, hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for that access point
and choose Remove.
Click Apply.
Enable local authentication for a FlexConnect Group as follows:
a) Ensure that the Primary RADIUS Server and Secondary RADIUS Server parameters are set to None.
b) Select the Enable AP Local Authentication check box to enable local authentication for this FlexConnect Group.
c) Click Apply.
d) Choose the Local Authentication tab to open the FlexConnect > Edit (Local Authentication > Local Users)
page.
e) To add clients that you want to be able to authenticate using LEAP, EAP-FAST, PEAP, or EAP-TLS, perform one
of the following:
f) Upload a comma-separated values (CSV) file by selecting the Upload CSV File check box, clicking the Browse
button to browse to an CSV file that contains usernames and passwords (each line of the file needs to be in the
following format: username, password), and clicking Add to upload the CSV file. The clients names appear on the
left side of the page under the User Name heading.
g) Add clients individually by entering the clients username in the User Name text box and a password for the client
in the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, and clicking Add to add this client to the list of supported local
users. The client name appears on the left side of the page under the User Name heading.
Note
You can add up to 100
clients.
h) Click Apply.
i) Choose the Protocols tab to open the FlexConnect > Edit (Local Authentication > Protocols) page.
j) To allow a FlexConnect access point to authenticate clients using LEAP, select the Enable LEAP Authentication
check box.
k) To allow a FlexConnect access point to authenticate clients using EAP-FAST, select the Enable EAP-FAST
Authentication check box. The default value is unselected.
l) To allow a FlexConnect access point to authenticate clients using PEAP Authentication, select the Enable PEAP
Authentication check box.
You can configure PEAP authentication only when AP local authentication is configured.

940
m) To allow a FlexConnect access point to authenticate clients using EAP-TLS, select the Enable EAP TLS
Authentication check box.
You can configure EAP-TLS authentication only when AP local authentication is configured.
Enabling the EAP-TLS authentication results in enabling the downloading of EAP root and device certificate to the
access point. You can unselect the EAP TLS Certificate download check box if you do not want to download the
certificate.
n) Perform one of the following, depending on how you want protected access credentials (PACs) to be provisioned:
To use manual PAC provisioning, enter the server key used to encrypt and decrypt PACs in the Server Key and
Confirm Server Key text boxes. The key must be 32 hexadecimal characters.
To allow PACs to be sent automatically to clients that do not have one during PAC provisioning, select the
Enable Auto Key Generation check box
o) In the Authority ID text box, enter the authority identifier of the EAP-FAST server. The identifier must be 32
hexadecimal characters.
p) In the Authority Info text box, enter the authority identifier of the EAP-FAST server in text format. You can enter
up to 32 hexadecimal characters.
q) To specify a PAC timeout value, select the PAC Timeout check box and enter the number of seconds for the PAC
to remain viable in the text box. The default value is unselected, and the valid range is 2 to 4095 seconds when
enabled.
r) Click Apply.
Step 14
In the WLAN-ACL mapping tab, you can do the following:

a) Under Web Auth ACL Mapping, enter the WLAN ID, choose the WebAuth ACL, and click Add to map the web
authentication ACL and the WLAN.
b) Under Local Split ACL Mapping, enter the WLAN ID, and choose the Local Split ACL, and click Add to map the
Local Split ACL to the WLAN.
Note
You can configure up to 16 WLAN-ACL combinations for local split tunneling. Local split tunneling does
not work for clients with static IP address.
Step 15
In the Central DHCP tab, you can do the following:

a) In the WLAN Id box, enter the WLAN ID with which you want to map Central DHCP.
b) Select or unselect the Central DHCP check box to enable or disable Central DHCP for the mapping.
c) Select or unselect the Override DNS check box to enable or disable overriding of DNS for the mapping.
d) Select or unselect the NAT-PAT check box to enable or disable network address translation and port address translation
for the mapping.
e) Click Add to add the Central DHCP - WLAN mapping.
Note
When the overridden interface is enabled for the FlexConnect Group DHCP, the DHCP broadcast to unicast is
optional for locally switched clients.
Repeat this procedure if you want to add more FlexConnects.
Note
To see if an individual access point belongs to a FlexConnect Group, you can choose Wireless > Access Points
> All APs > the name of the desired access point in the FlexConnect tab. If the access point belongs to a
FlexConnect, the name of the group appears in the FlexConnect Name text box.
Step 16
Step 17

941
Configuring FlexConnect Groups (CLI)
Step 1
Add add or delete a FlexConnect Group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group_name {add | delete}
Step 2
Configure a primary or secondary RADIUS server for the FlexConnect group by entering this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius server auth{add | delete} {primary | secondary} server_index
Step 3
Configure a primary or secondary RADIUS server for the FlexConnect group by entering this command:
config flexconect group group-name radius server auth {{add {primary | secondary} ip-addr auth-port secret} |
{delete {primary | secondary}}}
Step 4
Add an access point to the FlexConnect Group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group_name ap {add | delete} ap_mac
Step 5
Configure local authentication for a FlexConnect as follows:

a) Make sure that a primary and secondary RADIUS server are not configured for the FlexConnect Group.
b) To enable or disable local authentication for this FlexConnect group, enter this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap {enable | disable}
c) Enter the username and password of a client that you want to be able to authenticate using LEAP, EAP-FAST, PEAP,
or EAP-TLS by entering this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap user add username password password
Note
You can add up to 100
clients.
d) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using LEAP or to disable this behavior by entering
this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap leap {enable | disable}
e) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using EAP-FAST or to disable this behavior by
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap eap-fast {enable | disable}
f) To download EAP Root and Device certificate to AP, enter this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap eap-cert download
g) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using EAP-TLS or to disable this behavior by entering
this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap eap-tls {enable | disable}
h) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using PEAP or to disable this behavior by entering
this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap peap {enable | disable}
i) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using PEAP or to disable this behavior by entering
this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap peap {enable | disable}
j) Allow a FlexConnect access point group to authenticate clients using EAP-TLS or to disable this behavior by entering
this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap eap-tls {enable | disable}

942
k) Download the EAP root and device certificate by entering this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap eap-cert download
l) Enter one of the following commands, depending on how you want PACs to be provisioned:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap server-key keySpecifies the server key used to encrypt
and decrypt PACs. The key must be 32 hexadecimal characters.
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap server-key autoAllows PACs to be sent automatically to
clients that do not have one during PAC provisioning.
m) To specify the authority identifier of the EAP-FAST server, enter this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap authority id id
where id is 32 hexadecimal characters.
n) To specify the authority identifier of the EAP-FAST server in text format, enter this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap authority info info
where info is up to 32 hexadecimal characters.
o) To specify the number of seconds for the PAC to remain viable, enter this command:
config flexconnect group group_name radius ap pac-timeout timeout
where timeout is a value between 2 and 4095 seconds (inclusive) or 0. A value of 0, which is the default value,
disables the PAC timeout.
Step 6
Configure a Web Policy ACL on a FlexConnect group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group-name web-policy policy acl {add | delete} acl-name
Step 7
Configure local split tunneling on a per-FlexConnect group basis by entering this command:
config flexconnect group group_name local-split wlan wlan-id acl acl-name flexconnect-group-name {enable |
disable}
Step 8
To set multicast/broadcast across L2 broadcast domain on overridden interface for locally switched clients, enter this
command:
config flexconnect group group_name multicast overridden-interface {enable | disable}
Step 9
Configure central DHCP per WLAN by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group-name central-dhcp wlan-id {enable override dns | disable | delete}
Step 10
Configure the DHCP overridden interface for FlexConnect group, use the
configflexconnectgroupflexgroupdhcpoverridden-interfaceenablecommand.
Step 11
Configure policy acl on FlexConnect group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group_name policy acl {add | delete} acl-name
Step 12
Configure web-auth acl on flexconnect group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group_name web-auth wlan wlan-id acl acl-name {enable | disable}
Step 13
Configure wlan-vlan mapping on flexconnect group by entering this command:

config flexconnect group group_name wlan-vlan wlan wlan-id{add | delete}vlan vlan-id
Step 14
To set efficient upgrade for group, enter this command:

config flexconnect group group_name predownload {enable | disable | master | slave} ap-name retry-count maximum
retry count ap-name ap-name
Step 15

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save config
Step 16
See the current list of flexconnect groups by entering this command:

show flexconnect group summary
Step 17
See the details for a specific FlexConnect Groups by entering this command:
show flexconnect group detail group_name
Moving APs from a Default FlexConnect Group to Another FlexConnect Group (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups. The FlexConnect Groups window is displayed.
Click the Group Name link of a FlexConnect Group. The FlexConnect Groups > Edit window is displayed.
Click FlexConnect AP link. The FlexConnect Group AP List window is displayed.
To move an AP that is currently in Default FlexGroup, select the corresponding Group Name from the New Group
Name drop-down list, after selecting the APs from the FlexConnect APs list.
To add an AP to the new group, click Move.
Click Apply.
Viewing APs in a Default FlexGroup (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > FlexConnect Groups. The FlexConnect Groups window, which contains the following details, is
displayed:
Group NameNumber of FlexConnect groups that are configured.
Number of APsNumber of APs in each FlexConnect group.
Step 2
Click a Group Name. The FlexConnect Groups > Edit window, which displays the FlexConnect Group details, is
displayed.
Viewing Default FlexGroup Details (CLI)
Step 1
show flexconnect group detail default-flexgroup

944
Displays the configuration of the Default FlexGroup and the APs that are a part of it.
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >show flexconnect group detail default-flex-group
Number of APs in Group: 1
AP Ethernet MAC Name Status Mode
-------------------- -------------------- --------------- ---------------a8:9d:21:b2:26:88 APa89d.21b2.2688 Joined Flexconnect
Efficient AP Image Upgrade ..... Disabled
Master-AP-Mac Master-AP-Name Model Manual
Group Radius Servers Settings:
Type Server Address Port
------------- ---------------- ------Primary Unconfigured Unconfigured
Secondary Unconfigured Unconfigured
Group Radius AP Settings:
AP RADIUS server............ Disabled
EAP-FAST Auth............... Disabled
LEAP Auth................... Disabled
EAP-TLS Auth................ Disabled
--More-- or (q)uit
EAP-TLS CERT Download....... Disabled
PEAP Auth................... Disabled
Server Key Auto Generated... No
Server Key.................. <hidden>
Authority ID................ 436973636f0000000000000000000000
Authority Info.............. Cisco A_ID
PAC Timeout................. 0
HTTP-Proxy Ip Address....... 0.0.0.0
HTTP-Proxy Port............. 0
Multicast on Overridden interface config: Disabled
DHCP Broadcast Overridden interface config: Disabled
Number of User's in Group: 0
FlexConnect Vlan-name to Id Template name: none
Group-Specific Vlan Config:
Vlan Mode.................... Disabled
Override AP Config........... Disabled
Group-Specific FlexConnect Wlan-Vlan Mapping:
WLAN ID Vlan ID
-------- -------------------WLAN ID SSID Central-Dhcp Dns-Override Nat-Pat
Step 2

Displays the AP-specific syslog server settings for an AP.
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >show ap config general APa89d.21b2.2688
Cisco AP Name....................................
Universal AP.....................................
Universal AP Prime Status........................
Country code.....................................
AP Country code..................................
MAC Address......................................
IP Address.......................................
IP NetMask.......................................
Gateway IP Addr..................................
CAPWAP Path MTU..................................
DHCP Release Override............................
Telnet State.....................................
0
APa89d.21b2.2688
Yes
NDP
US - United States
802.11bg:-A 802.11a:-AB
US - United States
802.11bg:-A 802.11a:-A
2
a8:9d:21:b2:26:88
DHCP
8.1.2.186
255.255.255.0
8.1.2.1
None
1485
Disabled
Globally Disabled

945
Ssh State........................................ Globally Disabled

Cisco AP Location................................ default location
Cisco AP Floor Label............................. 0
Cisco AP Group Name.............................. default-group
Primary Cisco Switch IP Address.................. 8.1.2.2
Secondary Cisco Switch Name......................
Secondary Cisco Switch IP Address................ Not Configured
Tertiary Cisco Switch Name.......................
Tertiary Cisco Switch IP Address................. Not Configured
Administrative State ............................ ADMIN_ENABLED
Operation State ................................. REGISTERED
Mirroring Mode .................................. Disabled
AP Mode ......................................... FlexConnect
Public Safety ................................... Disabled
ATF Mode ........................................ Disable
AP SubMode ...................................... Not Configured
Rogue Detection ................................. Enabled
AP Vlan Trunking ................................ Disabled
Remote AP Debug ................................. Disabled
Logging trap severity level ..................... informational
Logging syslog facility ......................... kern
S/W Version .................................... 8.3.15.64
Boot Version ................................... 15.2.4.0
Mini IOS Version ................................ 8.0.115.0
Stats Reporting Period .......................... 180
Stats Collection Mode ........................... normal
LED State........................................ Enabled
PoE Pre-Standard Switch.......................... Disabled
PoE Power Injector MAC Addr...................... Disabled
Power Type/Mode.................................. PoE/Full Power
Number Of Slots.................................. 2
AP Model......................................... AIR-AP3702E-UXK9
AP Image......................................... C3700-K9W8-M
IOS Version...................................... 15.3(20160217:163330)$
Reset Button..................................... Enabled
AP Serial Number................................. FCW1905N1CX
AP Certificate Type.............................. Manufacture Installed
AP LAG Configuration Status ..................... Disabled
LAG Support for AP .............................. No
Native Vlan Inheritance: ........................ AP
FlexConnect Vlan mode :.......................... Disabled
FlexConnect Group................................ default-flex-group
Group VLAN ACL Mappings
Group VLAN Name to Id Mappings
AP-Specific FlexConnect Policy ACLs :
L2Acl Configuration ............................. Not Available
FlexConnect Local-Split ACLs :
WLAN ID PROFILE NAME ACL TYPE
------- -------------------------------- --------------------------------- ------Flexconnect Central-Dhcp Values :
WLAN ID PROFILE NAME Central-Dhcp DNS Override Nat-Pat
Type
------- --------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------FlexConnect Backup Auth Radius Servers :
Primary Radius Server........................... Disabled
Secondary Radius Server......................... Disabled
AP User Mode..................................... AUTOMATIC
AP User Name..................................... Cisco
AP Dot1x User Mode............................... Not Configured
AP Dot1x User Name............................... Not Configured
Cisco AP system logging host..................... 255.255.255.255
AP Up Time....................................... 0 days, 19 h 26 m 09 s
AP LWAPP Up Time................................. 0 days, 15 h 28 m 46 s
Join Date and Time............................... Thu Feb 18 18:58:54 2016
Join Taken Time.................................. 0 days, 00 h 07 m 02 s
GPS Present...................................... NO
Ethernet Vlan Tag................................ Disabled
Ethernet Port Duplex............................. Auto

946
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups
Ethernet Port Speed.............................. Auto

AP Link Latency.................................. Disabled
Rogue Detection.................................. Enabled
AP TCP MSS Adjust................................ Disabled
DNS server IP ............................. 255.255.255.255
Step 3
show flexconnect group detail groupname aps

Displays the APs that are part of a specific group.
Example:
(Cisco Controller) >show flexconnect group detail default-flex-group aps
Number of APs in Group: 1
AP Ethernet MAC Name Status Mode
-------------------- -------------------- --------------- ---------------a8:9d:21:b2:26:88 APa89d.21b2.2688 Joined Flexconnect
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups

Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (GUI)
Step 1

The FlexConnect Groups page appears. This page lists the access points associated with the controller.
Step 2
Step 3
Click the Group Name link of the FlexConnect Group for which you want to configure VLAN-ACL mapping.
Click the VLAN-ACL Mapping tab.
The VLAN-ACL Mapping page for that FlexConnect group appears.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Enter the Native VLAN ID in the VLAN ID text box.

From the Ingress ACL drop-down list, choose the Ingress ACL.
From the Egress ACL drop-down list, choose the Egress ACL.
Click Add to add this mapping to the FlexConnect Group.
The VLAN ID is mapped with the required ACLs. To remove the mapping, hover your mouse over the blue drop-down
arrow and choose Remove.
Note
The Access Points inherit the VLAN-ACL mapping on the FlexConnect groups if the WLAN VLAN mapping
is also configured on the groups.
Configuring VLAN-ACL Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (CLI)

config flexconnect group group-name vlan add vlan-id acl ingress-acl egress acl
Add a VLAN to a FlexConnect group and map the ingress and egress ACLs by entering this command:

947
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mappings on FlexConnect Groups
Viewing VLAN-ACL Mappings (CLI)

show flexconnect group detail group-name
View FlexConnect group details.
View VLAN-ACL mappings on the AP.

Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (GUI)
Following are a few guidelines:
The individual AP settings have precedence over FlexConnect group and global WLAN settings. The
FlexConnect group settings have precedence over global WLAN settings.
The AP level configuration is stored in flash; WLAN and FlexConnect group configuration is stored in
RAM.
When an AP moves from one controller to another, the AP can keep its individual VLAN mappings.
However, the FlexConnect group and global mappings will be from the new controller. If the WLAN
SSID differs between the two controllers, then the WLAN-VLAN mapping is not applied.
In a downstream traffic, VLAN ACL is applied first and then the client ACL is applied. In an upstream
traffic, the client ACL is applied first and then the VLAN ACL is applied.
The ACL must be present on the AP at the time of 802.1X authentication. If the ACL is not present on
the AP, a client might be denied authentication by the AP even if the client successfully passes 802.1X
authentication.
ACL Present on AP
ACL Name sent from AAA
Result of 802.1X Authentication
No
No
Authenticated, no ACL applied
No
Yes
Authentication Denied
Yes
No
Authenticated, no ACL applied
Yes
Yes
Authenticated, client ACL

applied
After client authentication, if the ACL name is changed in the RADIUS server, the client must go through
a full authentication again to get the correct client ACL.
The WLAN-VLAN mapping on FlexConnect groups is not supported on Cisco APs 1131 and 1242.

948
Before You Begin

Ensure that the WLAN is locally switched. The configuration is applied to the AP only if the WLAN is
broadcast on the AP.
Step 1
Step 2

Click the group name.
The FlexConnect Groups > Edit page is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
Click the WLAN VLAN Mapping tab.

Enter the WLAN ID and the VLAN ID and click Add.
The mapping is displayed in the same tab.
Step 5
Step 6
Select the VLAN Support check box and specify the Native VLAN ID.
Select the Override Native VLAN on AP check box.
Overrides the VLAN Support and Native VLAN ID previously configured on the access points
Changes the inheritance level at the AP to "Group Specific"
Removes AP-specific WLAN-VLAN VLAN-ACL mappings
Pushes the group-specific configuration including WLAN-VLAN mapping configured on the group to all the APs
in the group.
Step 7
To verify that the inheritance level is Group Specific:

a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs and click the name of the AP.
b) In the FlexConnect tab, view the Inheritance Level field.
c) Click VLAN Mappings to view the details of WLAN-VLAN mappings.
Step 8
Step 9
Click Apply.
Configuring WLAN-VLAN Mapping on FlexConnect Groups (CLI)

Before You Begin
Ensure that the WLAN is locally switched. The configuration is applied to the AP only if the WLAN is
broadcast on the AP.
config flexconnect group group-name wlan-vlan wlan wlan-id {add | delete} vlan vlan-id
Configure WLAN-VLAN mapping on a FlexConnect group by entering this command.

949

950
CHAPTER
46
FlexConnect Security
Additional Information
To set up location authentication, see the FlexConnect chapter of the Enterprise Mobility Design Guide.
Wireless BYOD for FlexConnect Deployment Guide
FlexConnect ACLs, page 951
AAA Overrides for FlexConnect, page 956
FlexConnect ACLs
Information About Access Control Lists
An access control list (ACL) is a set of rules used to limit access to a particular interface (for example, if you
want to restrict a wireless client from pinging the management interface of the controller). ACLs enable access
control of network traffic. After ACLs are configured on the controller, you can apply them to the management
interface, the AP-Manager interface, any of the dynamic interfaces, or a WLAN. ACLs enable you to control
data traffic to and from wireless clients or to the controller CPU.You can configure ACLs on FlexConnect
access points to enable effective usage and access control of locally switched data traffic on an access point.
The FlexConnect ACLs can be applied to VLAN interfaces on access points in both the Ingress and Egress
mode.
Existing interfaces on an access point can be mapped to ACLs. The interfaces can be created by configuring
a WLAN-VLAN mapping on a FlexConnect access point.
The FlexConnect ACLs can be applied to an access points VLAN only if VLAN support is enabled on the
FlexConnect access point.
Restrictions for FlexConnect ACLs

FlexConnect ACLs can be applied only to FlexConnect access points. The configurations applied are
per AP and per VLAN.
FlexConnect ACLs are supported on the native VLAN.

951
FlexConnect ACLs
Note
FlexConnect ACLs are not supported on native VLAN when setting comes from
FlexConnect Group.
You can configure up to 512 ACLs on a controller.

Non-FlexConnect ACLs that are configured on the controller cannot be applied to a FlexConnect AP.
FlexConnect ACLs do not support direction per rule. Unlike normal ACLs, Flexconnect ACLs cannot
be configured with a direction. An ACL as a whole needs to be applied to an interface as ingress or
egress.
You can define up to 512 FlexConnect ACLs, each with up to 64 rules (or filters). Each rule has
parameters that affect its action. When a packet matches all the parameters pertaining to a rule, the action
set pertaining to that rule is applied to the packet.
ACLs in your network might have to be modified because Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access
Points (CAPWAP) use ports that are different from the ones used by the Lightweight Access Point
Protocol (LWAPP).
All ACLs have an implicit deny all rule as the last rule. If a packet does not match any of the rules, it is
dropped by the corresponding access point.
ACLs mapping on the VLANs that are created on an AP using WLAN-VLAN mapping, should be
performed on a per-AP basis only. VLANs can be created on a FlexConnect group for AAA override.
These VLANs will not have any mapping for a WLAN.
ACLs for VLANs that are created on a FlexConnect group should be mapped only on the FlexConnect
group. If the same VLAN is present on the corresponding AP as well as the FlexConnect group, AP
VLAN will take priority. This means that if no ACL is mapped on the AP, the VLAN will not have any
ACL, even if the ACL is mapped to the VLAN on the FlexConnect group.
Ensure the FlexConnect ACL and the regular ACL names are not the same while configuring a WLAN
for FlexConnect local switching.
AAA client ACL support:
Before the AAA sends the client ACL, ensure that the ACL is created on a FlexConnect group or
an AP. The ACL is not downloaded to the AP dynamically when the client gets associated with
the AP.
A maximum of 96 ACLs can be configured on an AP. Each ACL can have a maximum of 64 rules.
FlexConnect ACLs do not have directions. The entire ACL is applied as ingress or egress.
The ACL returned by the AAA is applied on both ingress and egress on the 802.11 side of the
client.
Note
A Local Switching WLAN is configured and ACL is mapped to a FlexConnect group with an ACL. The
ACL has set of 'deny and permit' rules. When you associate a client to the WLAN, the client needs to have
DHCP permit rule added for getting the IP address.

952
FlexConnect ACLs
Configuring FlexConnect ACLs (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Security > Access Control Lists > FlexConnect Access Control Lists.
The FlexConnect ACL page is displayed.
This page lists all the FlexConnect ACLs configured on the controller. This page also shows the FlexConnect ACLs
created on the corresponding controller. To remove an ACL, hover your mouse over the blue drop-down arrow adjacent
to the corresponding ACL name and choose Remove.
Step 2
Add a new ACL by clicking New.

The Access Control Lists > New page is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
Click Apply.
Step 5
When the Access Control Lists page reappears, click the name of the new ACL.
When the Access Control Lists > Edit page appears, click Add New Rule.
The Access Control Lists > Rules > New page is displayed.
Step 6

this ACL.
Note
sequence number of a rule, the sequence numbers of the other rules are automatically adjusted to maintain
a continuous sequence. For instance, if you change a rules sequence number from 7 to 5, the rules with
sequence numbers 5 and 6 are automatically reassigned as 6 and 7, respectively.
is applicable:
AnyAny source (This is the default value.)
the corresponding text boxes.
this ACL applies:
AnyAny destination (This is the default value.)
in the text boxes.
d) From the Protocol drop-down list, choose the protocol ID of the IP packets to be used for this ACL. The protocol
options that you can use are the following:
AnyAny protocol (This is the default value.)
TCP
UDP

953
FlexConnect ACLs
ICMPInternet Control Message Protocol

ESPIP Encapsulating Security Payload
AHAuthentication Header
GREGeneric Routing Encapsulation
IP in IPPermits or denies IP-in-IP packets
Eth Over IPEthernet-over-Internet Protocol
OSPFOpen Shortest Path First
OtherAny other Internet-Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) protocol
Note
The controller can permit or deny only the IP packets in an ACL. Other types of packets (such as Address Resolution
Protocol (ARP) packets) cannot be specified.
If you chose TCP or UDP, two additional parameters, Source Port and Destination Port, are displayed. These parameters
enable you to choose a specific source port and destination port or port range. The port options are used by applications
that send and receive data to and from the networking stack. Some ports are designated for certain applications, such
as Telnet, SSH, HTTP, and so on.
e) From the DSCP drop-down list, choose one of these options to specify the differentiated services code point (DSCP)
value of this ACL. DSCP is an IP header text box that can be used to define the quality of service across the Internet.
AnyAny DSCP (This is the default value.)
SpecificA specific DSCP from 0 to 63, which you enter in the DSCP text box
f) From the Action drop-down list, choose Deny to cause this ACL to block packets, or Permit to cause this ACL to
g) Click Apply.
The Access Control Lists > Edit page is displayed on which the rules for this ACL are shown.
h) Repeat this procedure to add additional rules, if any, for this ACL.
Step 7
Configuring FlexConnect ACLs (CLI)

Use the following commands on the controller to view information related to FlexConnect ACLs:
config flexconnect acl create name

Creates an ACL on a FlexConnect access point. The name must be an IPv4 ACL name of up to 32
characters.
config flexconnect acl delete name
Deletes a FlexConnect ACL.

954
FlexConnect ACLs
config flexconnect acl rule action acl-name rule-index {permit |deny}

Permits or denies an ACL.
config flexconnect acl rule add acl-name rule-index
Adds an ACL rule.
config flexconnect acl rule change index acl-name old-index new-index
Changes the index value for an ACL rule.
config flexconnect acl rule delete name
Deletes an ACL rule.
config flexconnect acl rule dscp acl-name rule-index {0-63 | any }
Specifies the differentiated services code point (DSCP) value of the rule index. DSCP is an IP header
that can be used to define the quality of service across the Internet. Enter a value between 0 and 63 or
the value any. The default value is any.
config flexconnect acl rule protocol acl-name rule-index {0-255 | any}
Assigns the rule index to an ACL rule. Specify a value between 0 and 255 or any. The default is any.
config flexconnect acl rule destination address acl-name rule-index ipv4-addr subnet-mask
Configures a rule's destination IP address, netmask and port range.
config flexconnect acl rule destination port range acl-name rule-index start-port end-port
Configures a rules destination port range.
config flexconnect acl rule source address acl-name rule-index ipv4-addr subnet-mask
Configures a rule's source IP address and netmask.
config flexconnect acl apply acl-name
Applies an ACL to the FlexConnect access point.
config flexconnectacl rule swap acl-name index-1 index-2
Swaps the index values of two rules.
config ap flexconnect vlan add acl vlan-id ingress-aclname egress-acl-name ap-name
Adds a VLAN on a FlexConnect access point.
config flexconnect acl rule source port range acl-name rule-index start-port end-port
Configures a rules source port range.
Viewing and Debugging FlexConnect ACLs (CLI)

Use the following commands on the controller to view information related to FlexConnect ACLs:
show flexconnect acl summaryDisplays a summary of the ACLs.
show client detail mac-addressDisplays the FlexConnect ACL Applied Status and IPv4 ACL Applied
Status. The IPv4 ACL name field shows the ACL applied to the client based on local/central switching.
show flexconnect acl detailed acl-nameDisplays the detailed information about the ACL.
debug flexconnect acl {enable | disable}Enables or disables the debugging of FlexConnect ACL.
debug capwap reapEnables debugging of CAPWAP.

955
AAA Overrides for FlexConnect

Information About Authentication, Authorization, Accounting Overrides
The Allow Authentication, Authorization, Accouting (AAA) Override option of a WLAN enables you to
configure the WLAN for authentication. It enables you to apply VLAN tagging, QoS, and ACLs to individual
clients based on the returned RADIUS attributes from the AAA server.
AAA overrides for FlexConnect access points introduce a dynamic VLAN assignment for locally switched
clients. AAA overrides for FlexConnect also support fast roaming (Opportunistic Key Caching [OKC]/ Cisco
Centralized Key management [CCKM]) of overridden clients.
VLAN overrides for FlexConnect are applicable for both centrally and locally authenticated clients. VLANs
can be configured on FlexConnect groups.
If a VLAN on the AP is configured using the WLAN-VLAN, the AP configuration of the corresponding ACL
is applied. If the VLAN is configured using the FlexConnect group, the corresponding ACL configured on
the FlexConnect group is applied. If the same VLAN is configured on the FlexConnect group and also on the
AP, the AP configuration, with its ACL takes precedence. If there is no slot for a new VLAN from the
WLAN-VLAN mapping, the latest configured FlexConnect group VLAN is replaced.
If the VLAN that was returned from the AAA is not present on the AP, the client falls back to the default
VLAN configured for the WLAN.
Before configuring a AAA override, the VLAN must be created on the access points. These VLANs can be
created by using the existing WLAN-VLAN mappings on the access points, or by using the FlexConnect
group VLAN-ACL mappings.
AAA Override for IPv6 ACLs
In order to support centralized access control through a centralized AAA server such as the Cisco Identity
Services Engine (ISE) or ACS, the IPv6 ACL can be provisioned on a per-client basis using AAA Override
attributes. In order to use this feature, the IPv6 ACL must be configured on the controller and the WLAN
must be configured with the AAA Override feature enabled. The AAA attribute for an IPv6 ACL is
Airespace-IPv6-ACL-Name similar to the Airespace-ACL-Name attribute used for provisioning an IPv4-based
ACL. The AAA attribute-returned contents should be a string that is equal to the name of the IPv6 ACL as
configured on the controller.
AAA Overrides of Bidirectional Rate Limiting on an AP and Controller
You can have AAA overrides for FlexConnect APs to dynamically assign QoS levels and/or bandwidth
contracts for both locally switched traffic on web-authenticated WLANs and 802.1X-authenticated WLANs.
Both upstream and downstream parameters are sent to the corresponding AP.
This table shows the bidirectional rate limiting implementation:
Table 42: Bidirectional Rate-Limiting Implementation
Upstream/Downstream Local Mode
FlexConnect Central FlexConnect Local

Switching
Switching
FlexConnect
Standalone
Per-Client
Downstream
Controller
AP
AP
AP
AP
AP
Controller
Per-Client Upstream AP

956
This table shows the order of preference for local and FlexConnect central switching:
Table 43: Rate-Limiting Parameters
AAA
QoS Profile of AAA
WLAN
QoS Profile of
WLAN
Applied to Client
100 Kbps
200 Kbps
300 Kbps
400 Kbps
100 Kbps
200 Kbps
300 Kbps
400 Kbps
Unlimited
Restrictions for AAA Overrides for FlexConnect

Before configuring a AAA override, VLANs must be created on the access points. These VLANs can
be created by using the existing WLAN-VLAN mappings on the access points, or by using the
FlexConnect group VLAN-ACL mappings.
At any given point, an AP has a maximum of 16 VLANs. First, the VLANs are selected as per the AP
configuration (WLAN-VLAN), and then the remaining VLANs are pushed from the FlexConnect group
in the order that they are configured or displayed in the FlexConnect group. If the VLAN slots are full,
an error message is displayed.
VLAN, ACL, QoS, Rate limiting are supported with local and central switching WLAN.
Dynamic VLAN assignment is not supported for web authentication from a controller with Access
Control Server (ACS).
AAA override of bidirectional rate limiting on an AP and the controller is supported on all the following
802.11n nonmesh access points:
1040
1140
1250
1260
1600
2600
3500
3600
This feature is not supported on the mesh and legacy AP platforms:
1130
1240

957
1520
1550
For bidirectional rate limiting:
If bidirectional rate limiting is not present, AAA override cannot occur.
The QoS profile of a client can be Platinum even if the QoS profile of the corresponding WLAN
is Silver. The AP allows the client to send packets in voice queue. However, Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) snooping is disabled on the WLAN to ensure that the traffic for a SIP client does
not go to the voice queue.
The ISE server is supported.
The upstream rate limit parameter is equal to the downstream parameter, from AAA override.
Local authentication is not supported.
Configuring AAA Overrides for FlexConnect on an Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > All > APs.

The All APs page is displayed. This page lists the access points associated with the controller.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click the corresponding AP name.

Click the FlexConnect tab.
Enter a value for Native VLAN ID.
Click the VLAN Mappings button to configure the AP VLANs mappings.
The following parameters are displayed:
AP NameThe access point name.
Base Radio MACThe base radio of the AP.
WLAN-SSID-VLAN ID MappingFor each WLAN configured on the controller, the corresponding SSID and
VLAN IDs are listed. Change a WLAN-VLAN ID mapping by editing the VLAN ID column for a WLAN.
Centrally Switched WLANsIf centrally switched WLANs are configured, WLANVLAN mapping is listed.
AP Level VLAN ACL MappingThe following parameters are available:
VLAN IDThe VLAN ID.
Ingress ACLThe Ingress ACL corresponding to the VLAN.
Egress ACLThe Egress ACL corresponding to the VLAN.
Change the ingress ACL and egress ACL mappings by selecting the mappings from the drop-down list for each
ACL type.
Group Level VLAN ACL MappingThe following group level VLAN ACL mapping parameters are available:
VLAN IDThe VLAN ID.

958
Ingress ACLThe ingress ACL for this VLAN.

Egress ACLThe egress ACL for this VLAN.
Step 6
Click Apply.
Configuring VLAN Overrides for FlexConnect on an Access Point (CLI)

To configure VLAN overrides on a FlexConnect access point, use the following command:
config ap flexconnect vlan add vlan-id acl ingress-acl egress-acl ap_name

959

960
CHAPTER
47
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points

Information About OfficeExtend Access Points, page 961
OEAP 600 Series Access Points, page 962
Implementing Security, page 971
Licensing for an OfficeExtend Access Point, page 972
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points, page 972
Configuring OEAP ACLs, page 977
Configuring a Personal SSID on an OfficeExtend Access Point Other than 600 Series OEAP, page 980
Viewing OfficeExtend Access Point Statistics, page 980
Viewing Voice Metrics on OfficeExtend Access Points, page 981
Running Network Diagnostics, page 982
Information About OfficeExtend Access Points

A Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend access point (Cisco OEAP) provides secure communications from a controller
to an access point at a remote location, seamlessly extending the corporate WLAN over the Internet to an
employees residence. The users experience at the home office is exactly the same as it would be at the
corporate office. Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) encryption between the access point and the
controller ensures that all communications have the highest level of security.
Note
DTLS is permanently enabled on the Cisco OEAP. You cannot disable DTLS on this access point.
The following figure shows a typical OfficeExtend access point setup.

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OEAP 600 Series Access Points
Figure 46: Typical OfficeExtend Access Point Setup
Note
Cisco OEAPs are designed to work behind a router or other gateway device that is using network address
translation (NAT). NAT allows a device, such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public)
and a personal network (private), enabling an entire group of computers to be represented by a single IP
address. There is no limit to the number of Cisco OEAPs that you can deploy behind a NAT device.
Roaming is not supported for the Cisco 600 OEAP model.
All the supported indoor AP models with integrated antenna can be configured as OEAP except the AP-700I,
AP-700W, and AP802 series access points.

This section details the requirements for configuring a Cisco wireless LAN controller for use with the Cisco
600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point. The 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point supports split mode operation,
and it requires configuration through the WLAN controller in local mode. This section describes the
configurations necessary for proper connection and supported feature sets.
Note
IPv6 is not supported on Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points.
Note
The CAPWAP UDP 5246 and 5247 ports must be open on the firewall between the WLAN controller
and the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point.
Note
Multicast is not supported on Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points.
OEAP in Local Mode

The 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point connects to the controller in local mode. You cannot alter these
settings.

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Note
Monitor mode, flexconnect mode, sniffer mode, rogue detector, bridge, and SE-Connect are not supported
on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point and are not configurable.
Figure 47: OEAP Mode
Supported WLAN Settings for 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point

The 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point supports a maximum of three WLANs and one remote LAN. If
your network deployment has more than three WLANs, you must place the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access
Point in an AP group. If the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points are added to an AP group, the same limit
of three WLANs and one remote LAN still applies for the configuration of the AP group.
If the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point is in the default group, which means that it is not in a defined
AP group, the WLAN/remote LAN IDs must be set lower than ID 8.
If additional WLANs or remote LANs are created with the intent of changing the WLANs or remote LAN
being used by the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point, you must disable the current WLANs or remote
LAN that you are removing before enabling the new WLANs or remote LAN on the 600 Series OfficeExtend
Access Point. If there are more than one remote LANs enabled for an AP group, disable all remote LANs and
then enable only one of them.
If more than three WLANs are enabled for an AP group, disable all WLANs and then enable only three of
them.
WLAN Security Settings for the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point
When configuring the security settings in the WLAN (see the following figure), note that there are specific
elements that are not supported on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point. CCX is not supported on the
600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point, and elements related to CCX are not supported.
For Layer 2 Security, the following options are supported for the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point:

963
None
WPA+WPA2
Static WEP
802.1X (only for remote LANs)
Figure 48: WLAN Layer 2 Security Settings
In the Security tab (see the following figure), do not select CCKM in WPA+WPA2 settings. Select only
802.1X or PSK.
Figure 49: WLAN Security Settings - Auth Key Management

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Security encryption settings must be identical for WPA and WPA2 for TKIP and AES. The following are
examples of incompatible settings for TKIP and AES.
Figure 50: Incompatible WPA and WPA2 Security Encryption Settings for OEAP 600 Series
Figure 51: Incompatible WPA and WPA2 Security Encryption Settings for OEAP 600 Series

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The following are examples of compatible settings:

Figure 52: Compatible Security Settings for OEAP Series
Figure 53: Compatible Security Settings for OEAP Series
QoS settings are supported (see the following figure), but CAC is not supported and should not be enabled.
Note
Do not enable Coverage Hole Detection.

966
Note
Aironet IE should not be enabled. This option is not supported.

Figure 54: QoS Settings for OEAP 600
MFP is also not supported and should be disabled or set to optional.

Figure 55: MFP Settings for OEAP Series Access Points
Client Load Balancing and Client Band Select are not supported.
Authentication Settings
For authentication on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point, LEAP is not supported. This configuration
must be addressed on the clients and RADIUS servers to migrate them to EAP-Fast, EAP-TTLS, EAP-TLS,
or PEAP.
If Local EAP is being utilized on the controller, the settings would also have to be modified not to use LEAP.

967
Supported User Count on 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point

Only 15 users are allowed to connect on the WLANs provided on the Cisco 600 Series OEAP at any one time,
a sixteenth user cannot authenticate until one of the first clients is deauthenticated or timeout on the controller
occurs. This number is cumulative across the controller WLANs on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point.
For example, if two controller WLANs are configured and there are 15 users on one of the WLANs, no other
users can join the other WLAN on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point at that time.
This limit does not apply to the local private WLANs that the end user configures on the 600 Series
OfficeExtend Access Point for personal use. Clients connected on these private WLANs or on the wired ports
do not affect these limits.
Note
This limit does not apply to other AP models that operate in the OfficeExtend mode.
Remote LAN Settings

Only four clients can connect through a remote LAN port on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point. This
number does not affect the fifteen user limit imposed for the Controller WLANs. The remote LAN client limit
supports connecting a switch or hub to the remote LAN port for multiple devices or connecting directly to a
Cisco IP phone that is connected to that port. Only the first four devices can connect until one of the devices
is idle for more than one minute.
Remote LAN is configured in the same way that a WLAN or Guest LAN is configured on the controller:
Figure 56: Remote LAN Settings for OEAP 600 Series AP

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Security settings can be left open, set for MAC filtering, or set for Web Authentication. The default is to use
MAC filtering. Additionally, you can specify 802.1X Layer 2 security settings.
Figure 57: Layer 2 Security Settings for OEAP 600 Series APs in Remote LANs
Figure 58: Layer 3 Security Settings for OEAP 600 Series APs in Remote LANs
Channel Management and Settings

The radios for the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point are controlled through the Local GUI on the access
point and not through the Wireless LAN Controller. The Tx power and channel settings can be set manually
through the controller interface. RRM is not supported on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point.
The 600 series scans and chooses channels for 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz during startup as long as the default settings
on the local GUI are left as default in both spectrums.
Figure 59: Channel Selection for OEAP 600 Series APs

969
The channel bandwidth for 5.0 GHz is also configured on the 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point Local
GUI, for 20-MHz or 40-MHz wide channels. Setting the channel width to 40 MHz for 2.4 GHz is not supported
and fixed at 20 MHz.
Figure 60: Channel Width for OEAP 600 APs
Firewall Settings
Firewall can be enabled on Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point and filtering and forwarding rules
can be applied. These ten pre-configured applications can be enabled or disabled:
FTP
Telnet
SMTP
DNS
TFTP
HTTP
POP3
NNTP
SNMP
HTTPS
These applications can be unblocked by providing the protocol (TCP/UDP), LAN client IP range and destination
port range.
Note
The firewall is applicable only to the personal traffic on the OEAP 600 APs The data traffic between the
controller and OEAP 600 APs is addressed by a firewall in the corporate network.
600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point supports a maximum of ten port forwarding rules. Every rule takes
protocol (TCP/UDP), WAN port range, Local LAN client IP (where traffic will be forwarded), LAN port
range, and enable or disable as a parameter.

970
Implementing Security
The DMZ feature allows one network computer connected to local LAN or WLAN to be exposed to the
Internet for use of a special-purpose service like Internet gaming. DMZ forwards all the ports terminating on
WAN IP at the same time to one PC. The Port Range Forwarding feature opens only the required ports to be
opened, while DMZ opens all the ports of one computer, exposing the computer to the Internet or WAN. This
will forward all the incoming WAN packets to any port which has the port forwarding rule configured on it.
CAPWAP control and data connection ports will not be forwarded to DMZ IP.
Additional Caveats
The Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points (OEAPs) are designed for single AP deployments,
therefore client roaming between Cisco 600 Series OEAPs is not supported.
Disabling the 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n on the controller may not disable these spectrums on the
Cisco 600 Series OEAP because local SSID may be still working.
Your firewall must be configured to allow traffic from access points using CAPWAP. Make sure that
UDP ports 5246 and 5247 are enabled and are not blocked by an intermediate device that could prevent
an access point from joining the controller.
Cisco Aironet APs other than 600 Series OEAPs that are converted to OEAP mode and mapped to locally
switched WLAN forward the DHCP request to the local subnet on the AP connected switch. To avoid
this condition, you must disable local switching and local authentication.
For Cisco 600 Series OEAP to associate with Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controller, follow these steps:
1 Configure the OEAP to associate with a physical controller that is using 7.5 or a later release and
download the corresponding AP image.
2 Configure the OEAP so that the OEAP does not associate with the physical controller again; for
example, you can implement an ACL in the network to block CAPWAP between the OEAP and the
physical controller.
3 Configure the OEAP to associate with the Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controller.
Implementing Security
Note
Configuring LSC is not a requirement but is an option. The OfficeExtend 600 access points do not support
LSC.
1 Use local significant certificates (LSCs) to authorize your OfficeExtend access points, by following the
instructions in Authorizing Access Points Using LSCs.
2 Implement AAA server validation using the access points MAC address, name, or both as the username
in authorization requests, by entering this command:
config auth-list ap-policy authorize-ap username {ap_mac | Cisco_AP | both}
Using the access point name for validation can ensure that only the OfficeExtend access points of valid
employees can associate with the controller. To implement this security policy, ensure that you name each
OfficeExtend access point with an employee ID or employee number. When an employee is terminated,
run a script to remove this user from the AAA server database, which prevents that employees OfficeExtend
access point from joining the network.

971
Licensing for an OfficeExtend Access Point
3 Save your changes by entering this command:

save config
Note
CCX is not supported on the 600 OEAP. Elements related to CCX are not supported. Also, only 802.1X
or PSK is supported. TKIP and AES security encryption settings must be identical for WPA and WPA2.
Licensing for an OfficeExtend Access Point

To use OfficeExtend access points, a base license must be installed and in use on the controller. After the
license is installed, you can enable the OfficeExtend mode on the supported Cisco Aironet AP models that
support OfficeExtend mode.

After Cisco Aironet access point has associated with the controller, you can configure it as an OfficeExtend
access point.
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the name of the desired access point to open the All APs > Details page.
Enable FlexConnect on the access point as follows:
a) In the General tab, choose FlexConnect from the AP Mode drop-down list to enable FlexConnect for this access
point.
Step 4
Configure one or more controllers for the access point as follows:

a) Click the High Availability tab.
b) Enter the name and IP address of the primary controller for this access point in the Primary Controller Name and
Management IP Address text boxes.
Note
You must enter both the name and IP address of the controller. Otherwise, the access point cannot join this
controller.
c) If desired, enter the name and IP address of a secondary or tertiary controller (or both) in the corresponding Controller
Name and Management IP Address text boxes.
d) Click Apply. The access point reboots and then rejoins the controller.
Note
The names and IP addresses must be unique for the primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers.
Step 5
Enable OfficeExtend access point settings as follows:

a) Click the FlexConnect tab.
b) Select the Enable OfficeExtend AP check box to enable the OfficeExtend mode for this access point. The default
value is selected.
Unselecting this check box disables OfficeExtend mode for this access point. It does not undo all of the configuration
settings on the access point. If you want to clear the access points configuration and return it to the factory-default

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settings, enter clear ap config Cisco_AP on the controller CLI. If you want to clear only the access points personal
SSID, click Reset Personal SSID.
Note
The OfficeExtend AP support is enabled for all the supported Cisco Aironet integrated antenna access points.
Note
Rogue detection is disabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access point.
However, you can enable or disable rogue detection for a specific access point by selecting the Rogue
Detection check box on the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page. Rogue detection is disabled by default
for OfficeExtend access points because these access points, which are deployed in a home environment, are
likely to detect a large number of rogue devices.
DTLS data encryption is enabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access point.
However, you can enable or disable DTLS data encryption for a specific access point by selecting the Data
Encryption check box on the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page.
Note
Note
Telnet and SSH access are disabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access
point. However, you can enable or disable Telnet or SSH access for a specific access point by selecting the
Telnet or SSH check box on the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page.
Note
Link latency is enabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access point. However,
you can enable or disable link latency for a specific access point by selecting the Enable Link Latency
check box on the All APs > Details for (Advanced) page.
c) Select the Enable Least Latency Controller Join check box if you want the access point to choose the controller
with the least latency when joining. Otherwise, leave this check box unselected, which is the default value. When
you enable this feature, the access point calculates the time between the discovery request and discovery response
and joins the Cisco 5500 Series Controller that responds first.
d) Click Apply.
The OfficeExtend AP text box on the All APs page shows which access points are configured as OfficeExtend access
points.
Step 6
Configure a specific username and password for the OfficeExtend access point so that the user at home can log into the
GUI of the OfficeExtend access point:
a) Click the Credentials tab.
b) Select the Over-ride Global Credentials check box to prevent this access point from inheriting the global username,
password, and enable password from the controller. The default value is unselected.
c) In the Username, Password, and Enable Password text boxes, enter the unique username, password, and enable
password that you want to assign to this access point.
Note
The information that you enter is retained across controller and access point reboots and if the access point
joins a new controller.
d) Click Apply.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global credentials, unselect the Over-ride Global
Credentials check box.
Step 7
Step 8
Configure access to local GUI, LAN ports, and local SSID of the OfficeExtend access points:
a) Choose Wireless > Access Points > Global Configuration to open the Global Configuration page.
b) Under OEAP Config Parameters, select or unselect the Disable Local Access check box to enable or disable local
access of the OfficeExtend access points.
Note
By default, the Disable Local Access check box is unselected and therefore the Ethernet ports and personal
SSIDs are enabled. This configuration does not affect remote LAN. The port is enabled only when you
configure a remote LAN.
Configure split tunneling for the OfficeExtend access points as follows:

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b) In the OEAP Config Parameters area, select or unselect the Disable Split Tunnel check box.
Disabling split tunneling here disables split tunneling for all the WLANs and remote LANs. You can also disable
split tunneling on a specific WLAN or remote LAN.
c) Click Apply.
Step 9
Step 10

If your controller supports only OfficeExtend access points, see the Configuring RRM section for instructions on setting
the recommended values for the DCA interval, channel scan duration, and neighbor packet frequency.
Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points (CLI)

Enable FlexConnect on the access point by entering this command:
config ap mode flexconnect Cisco_AP
Configure one or more controllers for the access point by entering one or all of these commands:
config ap primary-base controller_name Cisco_AP controller_ip_address
config ap secondary-base controller_name Cisco_AP controller_ip_address
config ap tertiary-base controller_name Cisco_AP controller_ip_address
Note
You must enter both the name and IP address of the controller. Otherwise, the access point cannot join
this controller.
Note
The names and IP addresses must be unique for the primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers.
Enable the OfficeExtend mode for this access point by entering this command:
config flexconnect office-extend {enable | disable} Cisco_AP
The default value is enabled. The disable parameter disables OfficeExtend mode for this access point.
It does not undo all of the configuration settings on the access point. If you want to clear the access
points configuration and return it to the factory-default settings, enter this command:
clear ap config cisco-ap
If you want to clear only the access points personal SSID, enter this command:
config flexconnect office-extend clear-personalssid-config Cisco_AP.

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Note
Rogue detection is disabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access point.
However, you can enable or disable rogue detection for a specific access point or for all access points
using the config rogue detection {enable | disable} {Cisco_AP | all} command. Rogue detection is
disabled by default for OfficeExtend access points because these access points, which are deployed in a
home environment, are likely to detect a large number of rogue devices.
Note
DTLS data encryption is enabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access
point. However, you can enable or disable DTLS data encryption for a specific access point or for all
access points using the config ap link-encryption {enable | disable} {Cisco_AP | all} command.
Note
Telnet and SSH access are disabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access
point. However, you can enable or disable Telnet or SSH access for a specific access point using the config
ap {telnet | ssh} {enable | disable} Cisco_AP command.
Note
Link latency is enabled automatically when you enable the OfficeExtend mode for an access point.
However, you can enable or disable link latency for a specific access point or for all access points currently
associated to the controller using the config ap link-latency {enable | disable} {Cisco_AP | all} command.
Enable the access point to choose the controller with the least latency when joining by entering this
command:
config flexconnect join min-latency {enable | disable} Cisco_AP
The default value is disabled. When you enable this feature, the access point calculates the time between
the discovery request and discovery response and joins the Cisco 5500 Series Controller that responds
first.
Configure a specific username and password that users at home can enter to log into the GUI of the
OfficeExtend access point by entering this command:
config ap mgmtuser add username user password password enablesecret enable_password Cisco_AP
The credentials that you enter in this command are retained across controller and access point reboots
and if the access point joins a new controller.
Note
If you want to force this access point to use the controllers global credentials, enter the config ap mgmtuser
delete Cisco_AP command. The following message appears after you execute this command: AP reverted
to global username configuration.
To configure access to the local network for the Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend access points, enter the
following command:
config network oeap-600 local-network {enable | disable}

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When disabled, the local SSIDs, local ports are inoperative; and the console is not accessible. When
reset, the default restores local access. This configuration does not affect the remote LAN configuration
if configured on the access points.
Configure the Dual R-LAN Ports feature, which allows the Ethernet port 3 of Cisco 600 Series
OfficeExtend access points to operate as a remote LAN by entering this command:
config network oeap-600 dual-rlan-ports {enable | disable}
This configuration is global to the controller and is stored by the AP and the NVRAM variable. When
this variable is set, the behavior of the remote LAN is changed. This feature supports different remote
LANs per remote LAN port.
The remote LAN mapping is different depending on whether the default group or AP Groups is used:
Default GroupIf you are using the default group, a single remote LAN with an even numbered
remote LAN ID is mapped to port 4. For example, a remote LAN with remote LAN ID 2 is mapped
to port 4 (on the Cisco 600 OEAP). The remote LAN with an odd numbered remote LAN ID is
mapped to port 3 (on the Cisco 600 OEAP). For example, a remote LAN with remote LAN ID 1
is mapped to port 3 (on the Cisco 600 OEAP).
AP GroupsIf you are using an AP group, the mapping to the OEAP-600 ports is determined by
the order of the AP groups. To use an AP group, you must first delete all remote LANs and WLANs
from the AP group leaving it empty. Then, add the two remote LANs to the AP group adding the
port 3 AP remote LAN first, and the port 4 remote group second, followed by any WLANs.
Enable or disable split tunneling by entering this command:
config network oeap-600 split-tunnel {enable | disable}
Disabling split tunneling here disables split tunneling for all the WLANs and remote LANs. You can
also disable split tunneling on a specific WLAN or remote LAN.
Enable split tunneling without gateway override by entering this command:
config wlan split-tunnel wlan-id enabled apply-acl acl name
Enable split tunneling with gateway override by entering this command:
config wlan split-tunnel wlan-id enabled override gateway gateway ip mask subnet mask apply-acl
acl name
save config
Note
If your controller supports only OfficeExtend access points, see the Configuring Radio Resource
Management section for instructions on setting the recommended value for the DCA interval.
Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN

Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN (GUI)
Step 1
Choose WLANs and click the WLAN ID to open the WLANs > Edit page.
The WLAN that you choose can be a WLAN or a remote LAN depending on its configuration.

976
Configuring OEAP ACLs
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

In the OEAP area, select or unselect the Split Tunnel check box.
Select the Gateway Override check box to configure the Gateway IP and Subnet Mask. The interface mapped to the
WLAN or RLAN will be used if the checkbox is unchecked.
From the drop-down list select the Associated ACL. If you choose None, an error message appears indicating that you
must choose an ACL.
Click Apply.
Step 6
Step 7
Configuring Split Tunneling for a WLAN or a Remote LAN (CLI)

Enable or disable split tunneling for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan split-tunnel wlan-id {enable | disable}
See the split tunneling status for a WLAN by entering this command:
show wlan wlan-id
Enable or disable split tunneling for a remote LAN by entering this command:
config remote-lan split-tunnel rlan-id {enable | disable}
See the split tunneling status for a remote LAN by entering this command:
show remote-lan rlan-id
Note
When a remote LAN or wireless client on a corporate SSID communicate among themselves, all the traffic
on the corporate SSID and remote LAN is tunneled back to the controller.

Configuring OEAP ACLs (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Wireless > OEAP ACLs .

The OEAP ACL page is displayed.
This page lists all the OEAP ACLs configured on the controller. To remove an ACL, hover your mouse over the blue
drop-down arrow adjacent to the corresponding ACL name and choose Remove.
Step 2
Add a new ACL by clicking New.

The Access Control Lists > New page is displayed.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click Apply.
When the Access Control Lists page reappears, click the name of the new ACL.

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When the Access Control Lists > Edit page appears, click Add New Rule.
The Access Control Lists > Rules > New page is displayed.
Step 6

this ACL.
Note
sequence number of a rule, the sequence numbers of the other rules are automatically adjusted to maintain
a continuous sequence. For instance, if you change a rules sequence number from 7 to 5, the rules with
sequence numbers 5 and 6 are automatically reassigned as 6 and 7, respectively.
is applicable:
AnyAny source (This is the default value.)
the corresponding text boxes.
this ACL applies:
AnyAny destination (This is the default value.)
in the text boxes.
Network ListA specific network list. If you choose this option, enter the corporate subnets configured in the
network list.
d) From the Protocol drop-down list, choose the protocol ID of the IP packets to be used for this ACL. The protocol
options that you can use are the following:
AnyAny protocol (This is the default value.)
TCP
UDP
OtherAny other Internet-Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) protocol
Note
e) From the Action drop-down list, choose Deny to cause this ACL to block packets, Permit to cause this ACL to allow
packets, or Nat-route to route all packets matching the rule to the local network or NAT the packets matching the
rule to the internet.The default value is Deny.
f) Click Apply.
The Access Control Lists > Edit page is displayed on which the rules for this ACL are shown.
g) Repeat this procedure to add additional rules, if any, for this ACL.
Step 7

978
Configuring OEAP ACLs (CLI)
Step 1
Create or delete an ACL by entering this command:

config oeap-acl create|delete
Step 2
Create an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule
Step 3
Specify the action of an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule action
Step 4
Specify the destination for an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule destination mode address|local|network-list
Step 5
Specify the destination port for an ACL rule by entering this command:
config oeap-acl rule destination port
Step 6
Specify the source address for an ACL rule by entering this command:
config oeap-acl rule source address
Step 7
Specify the source port for an ACL rule by entering this command:
config oeap-acl rule source port
Step 8
Specify the protocol for an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule protocol protocol
where protocolparameter is a value between 0 and 255 or any.
Step 9
Swap the indices or precedence of two ACL rules by entering this command:
config oeap-acl rule swap index
Step 10
Change the indices or precedence of an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule change index
Step 11
Delete an ACL rule by entering this command:

config oeap-acl rule delete
Step 12
List all the ACLs by entering this command:

show oeap-acl summary
Step 13
Display the details of a particular ACL by entering this command:

show oeap-acl detailedACL_name

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Configuring a Personal SSID on an OfficeExtend Access Point Other than 600 Series OEAP
Configuring a Personal SSID on an OfficeExtend Access Point Other than 600

Series OEAP
Step 1
Find the IP address of your OfficeExtend access point by doing one of the following:
Log on to your home router and look for the IP address of your OfficeExtend access point.
Ask your companys IT professional for the IP address of your OfficeExtend access point.
Use an application such as Network Magic to detect devices on your network and their IP addresses.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
With the OfficeExtend access point connected to your home router, enter the IP address of the OfficeExtend access point
in the Address text box of your Internet browser and click Go.
Note
Make sure that you are not connected to your companys network using a virtual private network (VPN)
connection.
When prompted, enter the username and password to log into the access point.
On the OfficeExtend Access Point Welcome page, click Enter. The OfficeExtend Access Point Home page appears.
Step 5
Choose Configuration to open the Configuration page.
Step 6
In the SSID text box, enter the personal SSID that you want to assign to this access point. This SSID is locally switched.
Note
A controller with an OfficeExtend access point publishes only up to 15 WLANs to each connected access point
because it reserves one WLAN for the personal SSID.
From the Security drop-down list, choose Open, WPA2/PSK (AES), or 104 bit WEP to set the security type to be used
by this access point.
Note
If you choose WPA2/PSK (AES), make sure that the client is configured for WPA2/PSK and AES encryption.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
If you chose WPA2/PSK (AES) in Step 8, enter an 8- to 38-character WPA2 passphrase in the Secret text box. If you
chose 104 bit WEP, enter a 13-character ASCII key in the Key text box.
Click Apply.
Note
If you want to use the OfficeExtend access point for another application, you can clear this configuration and
return the access point to the factory-default settings by clicking Clear Config. You can also clear the access
points configuration from the controller CLI by entering the clear ap config Cisco_AP command.
These steps can be used for configuring a personal SSID on OfficeExtend access points only. See the Aironet 600 Series
OfficeExtend Access Point Configuration Guide for information on configuring a personal SSID on OEAP 600 APs.
Viewing OfficeExtend Access Point Statistics

Use these commands to view information about the OfficeExtend access points on your network:
See a list of all OfficeExtend access points by entering this command:
show flexconnect office-extend summary
See the link delay for OfficeExtend access points by entering this command:
show flexconnect office-extend latency

980
Viewing Voice Metrics on OfficeExtend Access Points
See the encryption state of all access points or a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap link-encryption {all | Cisco_AP}
This command also shows authentication errors, which track the number of integrity check failures, and
replay errors, which track the number of times that the access point receives the same packet. See the
data plane status for all access points or a specific access point by entering this command:
show ap data-plane {all | Cisco_AP}
Viewing Voice Metrics on OfficeExtend Access Points

Use this command to view information about voice metrics on the OfficeExtend access points in your network:
show ap stats 802.11{a | b} Cisco_AP
OEAP WMM Stats :
Best Effort:
Tx Frame Count...............................
Tx Failed Frame Count........................
Tx Expired Count.............................
Tx Overflow Count............................
Tx Queue Count...............................
Tx Queue Max Count...........................
Rx Frame Count...............................
Rx Failed Frame Count........................
Background:
Tx Frame Count...............................
Tx Expired Count.............................
Tx Queue Count...............................
Rx Frame Count...............................
Video:
Tx Frame Count...............................
Tx Expired Count.............................
Tx Queue Count...............................
Rx Frame Count...............................
Voice:
Tx Frame Count...............................
Tx Expired Count.............................
Tx Queue Count...............................
Rx Frame Count...............................
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
View the voice metrics on the OfficeExtend access points in your network using the WLC GUI as follows:
ChooseWireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac or 802.11b/g/n. The 802.11a/n/ac Radios
or 802.11b/g/n Radios page appears.
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and click the Detail link
for the desired client to open the Radio > Statistics page.
This page shows the OEAP WMM counters for this access point.

981
Running Network Diagnostics
Running Network Diagnostics

Information About Running Network Diagnostics
Network Diagnostics determines the non-DTLS throughput of the system by running a speed test on demand.
Network Diagnostics allows troubleshooting of root causes leading to failures. It also determines the link
latency and jitter by running a test on demand or periodically.
Running Network Diagnostics (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose WAN > Network Diagnostics.

The Network Diagnostics page is displayed.
Click Start Diagnostics.
The diagnostics page is displayed.
Running Network Diagnostics on the Controller
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Choose Wireless > All APs > Details.

Choose the Network Diagnostics tab.
The Network Diagnostics page is displayed.
Click Start Network Diagnostics.
The diagnostics page is displayed.
Running Network Diagnostics (CLI)

To run network diagnostics, enter this command on the Cisco WLC:
show ap network-diagnostics Ap_Name

982
CHAPTER
48
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades for

FlexConnect APs
Information About FlexConnect AP Upgrades, page 983
Restrictions for FlexConnect AP Upgrades for FlexConnect Access Points, page 983
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (GUI), page 984
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (CLI), page 985
Information About FlexConnect AP Upgrades

Normally, when upgrading the image of an AP, you can use the pre-image download feature to reduce the
amount of time the AP is unavailable to serve clients. However, it also increases the downtime because the
access point cannot serve clients during an upgrade. The Pre-image download feature can be used to reduce
this downtime. However, in the case of a branch office set up, the upgrade images are still downloaded to
each access point over the WAN link, which has a higher latency.
A more efficient way is to use the FlexConnect AP Upgrade feature. When this feature is enabled, one access
point of each model in the local network first downloads the upgrade image over the WAN link. It works
similarly to the master-slave or client-server model. This access point then becomes the master for the remaining
access point of the similar model. The remaining access points then download the upgrade image from the
master access point using the pre-image download feature over the local network, which reduces the WAN
latency.
Restrictions for FlexConnect AP Upgrades for FlexConnect Access Points

The primary and secondary controllers in the network must have the same set of primary and backup
images.
If you configured a FlexConnect group, all access points in that group must be within the same subnet
or must be accessible through NAT.
A FlexConnect group can have a maximum of 100 APs on Cisco 7510 WLC, and 25 APs on Cisco 5508
WLC.

983
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (GUI)
A FlexConnect group can have one master AP per AP model. If a master AP is not selected manually,
the AP that has the least MAC address value is automatically chosen as the master AP for that model.
A maximum of 3 slave APs of the same model can download the image from their master AP (a maximum
of 3 TFTP connections can serve at a time). The rest of the slave APs use the random back-off timer to
retry for the master AP to download the image. The random back-off value is more than 100 seconds.
After a slave AP downloads the image, the AP informs the Cisco WLC about the completion of the
download. After random back-off, the waiting slave AP can occupy the empty TFTP slot at the master
AP.
If a slave AP fails to download the image from its master AP even after the slave retry count that you
have configured is exhausted, the slave AP reaches out to the Cisco WLC to fetch the new image.
This feature works only with CAPWAP APs.
This feature does not work if a master AP is connected over CAPWAP6.
a one-time failure.
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (GUI)

Step 1

The FlexConnect Groups page appears. This page lists the FlexConnect Groups configured on the controller.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click the Group Name link on which you want to configure the image upgrade.
Click the Image Upgrade tab.
Check the FlexConnect AP Upgrade check box to enable a FlexConnect AP Upgrade.
If you enabled the FlexConnect AP upgrade in the previous step, you must enable the following parameters:
Slave Maximum Retry CountThe number of attempts the slave access point must try to connect to the master
access point for downloading the upgrade image. If the image download does not occur for the configured retry
attempts, the image is upgraded over the WAN. The default value is 44; the valid range is between 1 and 63.
Upgrade ImageSelect the upgrade image. The options are Primary, Backup, and Abort.
Step 6
From the AP Name drop-down list, click Add Master to add the master access point.
You can manually assign master access points in the FlexConnect group by selecting the access points.
Step 7
Step 8
Click Apply.
Click FlexConnect Upgrade to upgrade.

984
Configuring FlexConnect AP Upgrades (CLI)

config flexconnect group group-name predownload {enable | disable}Enables or disables the
FlexConnect AP upgrade.
config flexconnect group group-name predownload master ap-nameSets the AP as the master AP
for the model.
config flexconnect group group-name predownload slave ap-name ap-nameSets the AP as a slave
AP.
config flexconnect group group-name predownload slave retry-count max-retry-count Sets the
retry count for slave APs.
config flexconnect group group-name predownload start {abort | primary | backup}Initiates the
image (primary or backup) download on the access points in the FlexConnect group, or aborts an image
download process.
show flexconnect group group-nameDisplays the summary of the FlexConnect group configuration.
show ap image allDisplays the details of the images on the access point.

985

986
PART
VIII
Monitoring the Network

Monitoring Cisco WLC, page 989
Configuring System and Message Logging, page 991
CHAPTER
49
Monitoring Cisco WLC

Viewing System Resources, page 989
Viewing System Resources

Information About Viewing System Resources
You can determine the amount of system resources being used by the controller. Specifically, you can view
the current controller CPU usage, system buffers, and web server buffers.
The Cisco 5500 Series Controllers have multiple CPUs, so you can view individual CPU usage. For each
CPU, you can see the percentage of the CPU in use and the percentage of the CPU time spent at the interrupt
level (for example, 0%/3%).

989
Viewing System Resources
Viewing System Resources (GUI)

On the controller GUI, choose Management > Tech Support > System Resource Information. The System
Resource Information page appears.
Figure 61: System Resource Information Page
Viewing System Resources (CLI)

On the controller CLI, enter these commands:
show cpu
Where the first number is the CPU percentage that the controller spent on the user application and the
second number is the CPU percentage that the controller spent on the OS services.
show tech-support
show system top
Provides an ongoing look at processor activity in real time. It displays a list of the most CPU-intensive
tasks performed on the system.
show system iostat summary
Provides CPU statistics, input and output statistics for devices and partitions.
show system iostat detail
Provides CPU statistics, input and output statistics for devices and partitions with extended statistics.

990
CHAPTER
50
Configuring System and Message Logging

Configuring System and Message Logging, page 991
Using the Debug Facility, page 999

Information About System and Message Logging
System logging allows controllers to log their system events to up to three remote syslog servers. The controller
sends a copy of each syslog message as it is logged to each syslog server configured on the controller. Being
able to send the syslog messages to multiple servers ensures that the messages are not lost due to the temporary
unavailability of one syslog server. Message logging allows system messages to be logged to the controller
buffer or console.
For more information about system messages and trap logs, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/
wireless-lan-controller-software/products-system-message-guides-list.html.

991
Configuring System and Message Logging (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > Logs > Config. The Syslog Configuration page appears.
Figure 62: Syslog Configuration Page
Step 2
In the Syslog Server IP Address (IPv4/IPv6) text box, enter the IPv4/IPv6 address of the server to which to send the
syslog messages and click Add. You can add up to three syslog servers to the controller. The list of syslog servers that
have already been added to the controller appears below this text box.
Note
If you want to remove a syslog server from the controller, click Remove to the right of the desired server.
Step 3
To set the severity level for filtering syslog messages to the syslog servers, choose one of the following options from
the Syslog Level drop-down list:
Emergencies = Severity level 0
Alerts = Severity level 1 (default value)
Critical = Severity level 2
Errors = Severity level 3
Warnings = Severity level 4
Notifications = Severity level 5
Informational = Severity level 6
Debugging = Severity level 7

992
If you set a syslog level, only those messages whose severity is equal to or less than that level are sent to the syslog
servers. For example, if you set the syslog level to Warnings (severity level 4), only those messages whose severity is
between 0 and 4 are sent to the syslog servers.
Step 4
To set the facility for outgoing syslog messages to the syslog servers, choose one of the following options from the
Syslog Facility drop-down list :
Kernel = Facility level 0
User Process = Facility level 1
Mail = Facility level 2
System Daemons = Facility level 3
Authorization = Facility level 4
Syslog = Facility level 5 (default value)
Line Printer = Facility level 6
USENET = Facility level 7
Unix-to-Unix Copy = Facility level 8
Cron = Facility level 9
FTP Daemon = Facility level 11
System Use 1 = Facility level 12
Local Use 0 = Facility level 16
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
To set the severity level for logging messages to the controller buffer and console, choose one of the following options
from both the Buffered Log Level and Console Log Level drop-down lists:
Emergencies = Severity level 0
Alerts = Severity level 1
Critical = Severity level 2

993
Errors = Severity level 3 (default value)

Warnings = Severity level 4
Notifications = Severity level 5
Informational = Severity level 6
Debugging = Severity level 7
Disable This option is available only for Console Log level. Select this option to disable console logging.
If you set a logging level, only those messages whose severity is equal to or less than that level are logged by the controller.
For example, if you set the logging level to Warnings (severity level 4), only those messages whose severity is between
0 and 4 are logged.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Select the File Info check box if you want the message logs to include information about the source file. The default
value is enabled.
Select the Trace Info check box if you want the message logs to include traceback information. The default is disabled.
Click Apply.
Viewing Message Logs (GUI)

To view message logs using the controller GUI, choose Management > Logs > Message Logs. The Message
Logs page appears.
Note
To clear the current message logs from the controller, click Clear.
Configuring System and Message Logging (CLI)
Step 1
Enable system logging and set the IP address of the syslog server to which to send the syslog messages by entering this
command:
config logging syslog host server_IP_address
You can add up to three syslog servers to the controller.
Note
Step 2
To remove a syslog server from the controller by entering this command: config logging syslog host
server_IP_address delete
Set the severity level for filtering syslog messages to the syslog server by entering this command:
config logging syslog level severity_level
where severity_level is one of the following:
emergencies = Severity level 0

994
alerts = Severity level 1

critical = Severity level 2
errors = Severity level 3
warnings = Severity level 4
notifications = Severity level 5
informational = Severity level 6
debugging = Severity level 7
Note
As an alternative, you can enter a number from 0 through 7 for the severity_level parameter.
If you set a syslog level, only those messages whose severity is equal to or less than that level are sent to the
syslog server. For example, if you set the syslog level to Warnings (severity level 4), only those messages whose
severity is between 0 and 4 are sent to the syslog server.
Set the severity level for filtering syslog messages for a particular access point or for all access points by entering this
command:
config ap logging syslog level severity_level {Cisco_AP | all}
Note
Step 3

Note
If you set a syslog level, only those messages whose severity is equal to or less than that level are sent to
the access point. For example, if you set the syslog level to Warnings (severity level 4), only those messages
whose severity is between 0 and 4 are sent to the access point.
Step 4
Set the facility for outgoing syslog messages to the syslog server by entering this command:
config logging syslog facility facility_code
where Cleint is one of the following:
authorization = Authorization system. Facility level = 4.
auth-private = Authorization system (private). Facility level = 10.
cron = Cron/at facility. Facility level = 9.
daemon = System daemons. Facility level = 3.
ftp = FTP daemon. Facility level = 11.
kern = Kernel. Facility level = 0.

995
local0 = Local use. Facility level = 16.

lpr = Line printer system. Facility level = 6.
mail = Mail system. Facility level = 2.
news = USENET news. Facility level = 7.
sys12 = System use. Facility level = 12.
syslog = The syslog itself. Facility level = 5.
user = User process. Facility level = 1.
uucp = Unix-to-Unix copy system. Facility level = 8.
Step 5
Configure the syslog facility for AP using the following command:

config logging syslog facility AP
where AP can be:
associate= Associated sys log for AP
disassociate=Disassociate sys log for AP
Step 6
Configure the syslog facility for Client using the following command:
config logging syslog facility Client
where Cleint can be:
assocfail Dot11= association fail syslog for clients
associate Dot11=association syslog for clients
authentication=authentication success syslog for clients
authfail Dot11=authentication fail syslog for clients
deauthenticate Dot11=deauthentication syslog for clients
disassociate Dot11=disassociation syslog for clients
excluded Excluded=syslog for clients

996
Step 7
Set the severity level for logging messages to the controller buffer and console, enter these commands:
config logging buffered severity_level
config logging console severity_level
Note
As an alternative, you can enter a number from 0 through 7 for the severity_level parameter.
If you set a logging level, only those messages whose severity is equal to or less than that level are logged by
the controller. For example, if you set the logging level to Warnings (severity level 4), only those messages
whose severity is between 0 and 4 are logged.
Save debug messages to the controller buffer, the controller console, or a syslog server by entering these commands:
Note
Step 8
config logging debug buffered {enable | disable}

config logging debug console {enable | disable}
config logging debug syslog {enable | disable}
By default, the console command is enabled, and the buffered and syslog commands are disabled.
Step 9
To cause the controller to include information about the source file in the message logs or to prevent the controller from
displaying this information by entering this command:
config logging fileinfo {enable | disable}
Step 10
Configure the controller to include process information in the message logs or to prevent the controller from displaying
this information by entering this command:
config logging procinfo {enable | disable}
Step 11
Configure the controller to include traceback information in the message logs or to prevent the controller from displaying
this information by entering this command:
config logging traceinfo {enable | disable}
Step 12
Enable or disable timestamps in log messages and debug messages by entering these commands:

997
config service timestamps log {datetime | disable}

config service timestamps debug {datetime | disable}
where
datetime = Messages are timestamped with the standard date and time. This is the default value.
disable = Messages are not timestamped.
Step 13

save config
Viewing System and Message Logs (CLI)

To see the logging parameters and buffer contents, enter this command:
show logging
Viewing Access Point Event Logs

Information About Access Point Event Logs
Access points log all system messages (with a severity level greater than or equal to notifications) to the access
point event log. The event log can contain up to 1024 lines of messages, with up to 128 characters per line.
When the event log becomes filled, the oldest message is removed to accommodate a new event message.
The event log is saved in a file on the access point flash, which ensures that it is saved through a reboot cycle.
To minimize the number of writes to the access point flash, the contents of the event log are written to the
event log file during normal reload and crash scenarios only.
Viewing Access Point Event Logs (CLI)

Use these CLI commands to view or clear the access point event log from the controller:
To see the contents of the event log file for an access point that is joined to the controller, enter this
command:
show ap eventlog Cisco_AP
AP event log download has been initiated
Waiting for download to complete
AP event log download completed.
======================= AP Event log Contents =====================
*Sep 22 11:44:00.573: %CAPWAP-5-CHANGED: CAPWAP changed state to IMAGE
*Sep 22 11:44:01.514: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Dot11Radio0,
changed state to down
*Sep 22 11:44:53.539: *** Access point reloading. Reason: NEW IMAGE DOWNLOAD ***

998
Using the Debug Facility
*Mar 1 00:00:39.078: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Did not get log server settings from DHCP.
*Mar 1 00:00:42.142: %CDP_PD-4-POWER_OK: Full power - NEGOTIATED inline power source
*Mar 1 00:00:42.151: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Dot11Radio1, changed state to up
*Mar 1 00:00:43.143: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Dot11Radio1,
changed state to up
changed state to up
*Mar 1 00:00:48.078: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Could Not resolve CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER
*Mar 1 00:01:48.121: %CAPWAP-3-CLIENTERRORLOG: Set Transport Address: no more AP manager
IP addresses remain
*Mar 1 00:01:48.122: %CAPWAP-5-CHANGED: CAPWAP changed state to JOIN
*Mar 1 00:01:48.122: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Dot11Radio0, changed state to
administratively down
To delete the existing event log and create an empty event log file for a specific access point or for all
access points joined to the controller, enter this command:
clear ap-eventlog {specific Cisco_AP | all}

Information About Using the Debug Facility
The debug facility enables you to display all packets going to and from the controller CPU. You can enable
it for received packets, transmitted packets, or both. By default, all packets received by the debug facility are
displayed. However, you can define access control lists (ACLs) to filter packets before they are displayed.
Packets not passing the ACLs are discarded without being displayed.
Each ACL includes an action (permit, deny, or disable) and one or more fields that can be used to match the
packet. The debug facility provides ACLs that operate at the following levels and on the following values:
Driver ACL
NPU encapsulation type
Port
Ethernet header ACL
Destination address
Source address
Ethernet type
VLAN ID
IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol

999
Source port (if applicable)

Destination port (if applicable)
EoIP payload Ethernet header ACL
Destination address
Source address
Ethernet type
VLAN ID
EoIP payload IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol
CAPWAP payload 802.11 header ACL
Destination address
Source address
BSSID
SNAP header type
CAPWAP payload IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol
At each level, you can define multiple ACLs. The first ACL that matches the packet is the one that is selected.
Configuring the Debug Facility (CLI)
Step 1
To enable the debug facility, enter this command:

debug packet logging enable {rx | tx | all} packet_count display_size
where

1000
rx displays all received packets, tx displays all transmitted packets, and all displays both transmitted and
received packets.
packet_count is the maximum number of packets to log. You can enter a value between 1 and 65535 packets,
and the default value is 25 packets.
display_size is the number of bytes to display when printing a packet. By default, the entire packet is displayed.
Note
To disable the debug facility, enter this command: debug packet logging disable.
debug packet logging acl driver rule_index action npu_encap port

where
rule_index is a value between 1 and 6 (inclusive).
action is permit, deny, or disable.
npu_encap specifies the NPU encapsulation type, which determines how packets are filtered. The possible
values include dhcp, dot11-mgmt, dot11-probe, dot1x, eoip-ping, iapp, ip, lwapp, multicast, orphan-from-sta,
orphan-to-sta, rbcp, wired-guest, or any.
port is the physical port for packet transmission or reception.
Use these commands to configure packet-logging ACLs:
debug packet logging acl eth rule_index action dst src type vlan
where
dst is the destination MAC address.
src is the source MAC address.
type is the two-byte type code (such as 0x800 for IP, 0x806 for ARP). This parameter also accepts a few
common string values such as ip (for 0x800) or arp (for 0x806).
vlan is the two-byte VLAN ID.
debug packet logging acl ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
where
proto is a numeric or any string recognized by getprotobyname(). The controller supports the following strings:
ip, icmp, igmp, ggp, ipencap, st, tcp, egp, pup, udp, hmp, xns-idp, rdp, iso-tp4, xtp, ddp, idpr-cmtp, rspf, vmtp,
ospf, ipip, and encap.
src_port is the UDP/TCP two-byte source port (for example, telnet, 23) or any. The controller accepts a
numeric or any string recognized by getservbyname(). The controller supports the following strings: tcpmux,
echo, discard, systat, daytime, netstat, qotd, msp, chargen, ftp-data, ftp, fsp, ssh, telnet, smtp, time, rlp,
nameserver, whois, re-mail-ck, domain, mtp, bootps, bootpc, tftp, gopher, rje, finger, www, link, kerberos,
supdup, hostnames, iso-tsap, csnet-ns, 3com-tsmux, rtelnet, pop-2, pop-3, sunrpc, auth, sftp, uucp-path, nntp,
ntp, netbios-ns, netbios-dgm, netbios-ssn, imap2, snmp, snmp-trap, cmip-man, cmip-agent, xdmcp, nextstep,

1001
bgp, prospero, irc, smux, at-rtmp, at-nbp, at-echo, at-zis, qmtp, z3950, ipx, imap3, ulistserv, https, snpp, saft,
npmp-local, npmp-gui, and hmmp-ind.
dst_port is the UDP/TCP two-byte destination port (for example, telnet, 23) or any. The controller accepts
a numeric or any string recognized by getservbyname(). The controller supports the same strings as those for
the src_port.
debug packet logging acl eoip-eth rule_index action dst src type vlan
debug packet logging acl eoip-ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
debug packet logging acl lwapp-dot11 rule_index action dst src bssid snap_type
where
bssid is the Basic Service Set Identifier.
snap_type is the Ethernet type.
debug packet logging acl lwapp-ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
Note
Step 2
To remove all configured ACLs, enter this command: debug packet logging acl clear-all.
To configure the format of the debug output, enter this command:

debug packet logging format {hex2pcap | text2pcap}
The debug facility supports two output formats: hex2pcap and text2pcap. The standard format used by IOS supports the
use of hex2pcap and can be decoded using an HTML front end. The text2pcap option is provided as an alternative so
that a sequence of packets can be decoded from the same console log file.
This figure shows an example of hex2pcap output.
Figure 63: Sample Hex2pcap Output

1002
This figure shows an example of text2pcap output.

Figure 64: Sample Text2pcap Output
Step 3
To determine why packets might not be displayed, enter this command:

debug packet error {enable | disable}
Step 4
To display the status of packet debugging, enter this command:

show debug packet
Status...........................................
Number of packets to display.....................
Bytes/packet to display..........................
Packet display format............................
disabled
25
0
text2pcap
Driver ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
Ethernet ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
EoIP-Ethernet ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled

1003
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
EoIP-IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
LWAPP-Dot11 ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
LWAPP-IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled?

1004
PART
IX
Troubleshooting
Debugging on Cisco Wireless Controllers, page 1007
Cisco WLC Unresponsiveness, page 1017
Debugging on Cisco Access Points, page 1029
Packet Capture, page 1045
CHAPTER
51
Debugging on Cisco Wireless Controllers

Troubleshooting AAA RADIUS Interactions for WLAN Authentication, page 1007
Understanding Debug Client on Wireless Controllers, page 1014
Using the CLI to Troubleshoot Problems, page 1014
Troubleshooting AAA RADIUS Interactions for WLAN Authentication

Test AAA RADIUS interactions for WLAN authentication by entering this command:
test aaa radius username username password password wlan-id wlan-id [apgroup apgroupname
server-index server-index]
The command parameters include the following:
username and password (both in plain text)
WLAN ID
AP group name (optional)
AAA server index (optional)
This test command sends to the RADIUS server an access request for client authentication. Access
request exchange takes place between Cisco WLC and AAA server, and the registered RADIUS callback
handles the response.
The response includes authentication status, number of retries, and RADIUS attributes.
View the RADIUS response to test RADIUS request by entering this command:
test aaa show radius
Guidelines
Both username and password must be plain text, similar to MAC authentication
If AP group is entered, the WLAN entered must belong to that AP group
If server index is entered, the request to test RADIUS is sent only to that RADIUS server

1007
If the RADIUS request does not get a response, the request is not sent to any other RADIUS server
RADIUS server at the server index must be in enabled state
This test command can be used to verify configuration and communication related to AAA RADIUS
server and should not be used for actual user authentication
It is assumed that the AAA server credentials are set up as required
Restrictions
No GUI support
No TACACS+ support
Example: Access Accepted
(Cisco Controller) > test aaa radius username user1 password Cisco123 wlan-id 7 apgroup
default-group server-index 2
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
ApGroup Name................................... default-group
Attributes
---------User-Name
Called-Station-Id
Calling-Station-Id
Nas-Port
Nas-Ip-Address
NAS-Identifier
Airespace / WLAN-Identifier
User-Password
Service-Type
Framed-MTU
Nas-Port-Type
Tunnel-Type
Tunnel-Medium-Type
Tunnel-Group-Id
Cisco / Audit-Session-Id
Acct-Session-Id
Values
-----user1
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
00:11:22:33:44:55
0x0000000d (13)
172.20.227.39
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
0x00000007 (7)
Cisco123
0x00000008 (8)
0x00000514 (1300)
0x00000013 (19)
0x0000000d (13)
0x00000006 (6)
0x00000051 (81)
ac14e327000000c456131b33
56131b33/00:11:22:33:44:55/210
test radius auth request successfully sent. Execute 'test aaa show radius' for response
(Cisco Controller) > test aaa show radius
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Server Index................................... 2
Radius Test Response
Radius Server
Retry Status
----------------- -----172.20.227.52
1
Success
Authentication Response:
Result Code: Success
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Class
CACS:rs-acs5-6-0-22/230677882/20313
Session-Timeout
0x0000001e (30)
Termination-Action
0x00000000 (0)
Tunnel-Type
0x0000000d (13)
Tunnel-Medium-Type
0x00000006 (6)
Tunnel-Group-Id
0x00000051 (81)

1008
(Cisco Controller) > debug aaa all enable

*emWeb: Oct 06 09:48:12.931: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Sending Accounting request (2) for station
00:11:22:33:44:55
*emWeb: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Created Cisco-Audit-Session-ID for the mobile:
ac14e327000000c85613fb4c
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: User user1 password lengths don't match
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: ReProcessAuthentication previous proto 8, next proto
40000001
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: AuthenticationRequest: 0x2b6d5ab8
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: Callback.....................................0x101cd740
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: protocolType.................................0x40000001
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: proxyState......................00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: Packet contains 16 AVPs (not shown)
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: Putting the quth request in qid 5, srv=index 1
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: Request
Authenticator 3c:b3:09:34:95:be:ab:16:07:4a:7f:86:3b:58:77:26
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Sending the packet
to v4 host 172.20.227.52:1812
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 09:48:12.932: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Successful transmission of
Authentication Packet (id 13) to 172.20.227.52:1812 from server queue 5,
proxy state 00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
. . .
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Access-Accept received from
RADIUS server 172.20.227.52 for mobile 00:11:22:33:44:55 receiveId = 0
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AuthorizationResponse: 0x146c56b8
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: structureSize................................263
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: resultCode...................................0
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941:
protocolUsed.................................0x00000001
proxyState.......................00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: Packet contains 7 AVPs:
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[01] User-Name..................user1 (5
bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[02]
Class..........CACS:rs-acs5-6-0-22/230677882/20696 (35 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[03] Session-Timeout........0x0000001e (30)
(4 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[04] Termination-Action....0x00000000 (0)
(4 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[05] Tunnel-Type......0x0100000d (16777229)
(4 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[06] Tunnel-Medium-Type...0x01000006
(16777222) (4 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: AVP[07] Tunnel-Group-Id.......DATA (3 bytes)
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 09:48:12.941: Received radius callback for
test aaa radius request result 0 numAVPs 7.
Example: Access Failed

(Cisco Controller) > test aaa radius username user1
password C123 wlan-id 7 apgroup default-group server-index 2
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Called-Station-Id
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00:11:22:33:44:55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)
Nas-Ip-Address
172.20.227.39
NAS-Identifier
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
. . .
Tunnel-Type
0x0000000d (13)
Tunnel-Medium-Type
0x00000006 (6)
Tunnel-Group-Id
0x00000051 (81)

1009
ac14e327000000c956140806
Acct-Session-Id
56140806/00:11:22:33:44:55/217
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Server Index................................... 2
Radius Server
Retry Status
----------------- -----172.20.227.52
1
Success
Result Code: Authentication failed
No AVPs in Response
*emWeb: Oct 06 10:42:30.638: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Sending Accounting request
(2) for station 00:11:22:33:44:55
*emWeb: Oct 06 10:42:30.638: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Created Cisco-Audit-Session-ID for the
mobile: ac14e327000000c956140806
40000001
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 10:42:30.639: AuthenticationRequest: 0x2b6bdc3c
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 10:42:30.639: Request Authenticator
34:73:58:fd:8f:11:ba:6c:88:96:8c:e5:e0:84:e4:a5
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 10:42:30.639: 00:11:22:33:44:55
Sending the packet to v4 host 172.20.227.52:1812
Successful transmission of Authentication Packet (id 14) to 172.20.227.52:1812 from server
queue 5,
proxy state 00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
. . .
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 10:42:30.647: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Access-Reject received from
RADIUS
server 172.20.227.52 for mobile 00:11:22:33:44:55 receiveId = 0
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 10:42:30.647: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Returning AAA Error
'Authentication Failed' (-4) for mobile 00:11:22:33:44:55
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 10:42:30.647: AuthorizationResponse: 0x3eefd664
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 10:42:30.647: resultCode...................................-4
protocolUsed.................................0xffffffff
proxyState......................00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
test aaa radius request result -4 numAVPs 0.
Example: Unresponsive AAA Server

Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1

1010
Called-Station-Id
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00:11:22:33:44:55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)
Nas-Ip-Address
172.20.227.39
NAS-Identifier
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
. . .
Tunnel-Group-Id
0x00000051 (81)
ac14e327000000ca56140f7e
Acct-Session-Id
56140f7e/00:11:22:33:44:55/218
(Cisco Controller) >test aaa show radius
previous test command still not completed, try after some time
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Server Index................................... 3
Radius Server
Retry Status
----------------- -----172.20.227.72
6
No response received from server
Result Code: No response received from server
No AVPs in Response
(2) for station 00:11:22:33:44:55
*emWeb: Oct 06 11:42:20.674: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Created Cisco-Audit-Session-ID for the mobile:
ac14e327000000cc5614160c
40000001
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 11:42:20.675: AuthenticationRequest: 0x2b6d2414
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 11:42:20.675:
proxyState........................00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
Authenticator 03:95:a5:d5:16:cd:fb:60:ef:31:5d:d1:52:10:8e:7e
to v4 host 172.20.227.72:1812
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 11:42:20.675: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Successful transmission of
Authentication Packet (id 3) to
172.20.227.72:1812 from server queue 5, proxy state 00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
. . .
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:22.789: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Retransmit the
'Access-Request' (id 3) to 172.20.227.72 (port 1812, qid 5) reached for mobile
00:11:22:33:44:55. message retransmit cnt 1, server retries 15
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:22.790: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Sending the packet to v4
host
172.20.227.72:1812
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:22.790: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Successful transmission of
Authentication Packet (id 3) to 172.20.227.72:1812 from server queue 5, proxy state
00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
. . .
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Max retransmit
of Access-Request (id 3) to 172.20.227.72 (port 1812, qid 5) reached for mobile
00:11:22:33:44:55. message retransmit cnt 6, server retransmit cnt 20
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: server_index is provided with test aaa radius
request.
Not doing failover.
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Max servers (tried 1)
retransmission of Access-Request (id 3) to 172.20.227.72 (port 1812, qid 5) reached for
mobile 00:11:22:33:44:55. message retransmit cnt 6, server r
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Returning AAA Error

1011
'Timeout' (-5) for mobile 00:11:22:33:44:55

*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: AuthorizationResponse: 0x3eefe934
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 11:42:33.991: resultCode...................................-5
protocolUsed.................................0xffffffff
proxyState......................00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
test aaa radius request result -5 numAVPs 0.
Example: NAS ID
(Cisco Controller) > show sysinfo
Manufacturer's Name..............................
Product Name.....................................
Product Version..................................
. . .
System Nas-Id....................................
WLC MIC Certificate Types........................
Cisco Systems Inc.

Cisco Controller
8.2.1.82
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
SHA1
(Cisco Controller) >show interface detailed engineering_v81

Interface Name...................................
MAC Address......................................
IP Address.......................................
. . .
NAS-Identifier...................................
Active Physical Port.............................
. . .
engineering_v81
50:57:a8:c7:32:4f
10.10.81.2
v81-nas-id
LAG (13)

Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Called-Station-Id
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00:11:22:33:44:55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)
Nas-Ip-Address
172.20.227.39
NAS-Identifier
v81-nas-id
Airespace / WLAN-Identifier
0x00000007 (7)
. . .
(2) for station 00:11:22:33:44:55
*emWeb: Oct 06 13:54:52.543: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Created Cisco-Audit-Session-ID for the
mobile: ac14e327000000ce5614351c
40000001
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.544: AuthenticationRequest: 0x2b6bf140
Authenticator bc:e4:8e:cb:56:9b:e8:fe:b7:f9:a9:04:15:25:10:26
to v4 host 172.20.227.52:1812
Successful transmission of Authentication Packet (id 16) to 172.20.227.52:1812 from server

1012
queue 5,
proxy state 00:11:22:33:44:55-00:00
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000000: 01 10 00 f9 bc e4 8e cb 56 9b e8 fe b7 f9
a9 04 ........V.......
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000010: 15 25 10 26 01 07 75 73 65 72 31 1e 22 30
30 3a .%.&..user1."00:
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000020: 30 30 3a 30 30 3a 30 30 3a 30 30 3a 30 30
3a 45 00:00:00:00:00:E
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000030: 6e 67 69 6e 65 65 72 69 6e 67 56 38 31 1f
13 30 ngineeringV81..0
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000040: 30 3a 31 31 3a 32 32 3a 33 33 3a 34 34 3a
35 35 0:11:22:33:44:55
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000050: 05 06 00 00 00 0d 04 06 ac 14 e3 27 20 0c
76 38 ...........'..v8
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000060: 31 2d 6e 61 73 2d 69 64 1a 0c 00 00 37 63
01 06 1-nas-id....7c..
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000070: 00 00 00 07 02 12 88 65 4b bf 0c 2c 86 6e
b0 c7 .......eK..,.n..
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000080: 7a c1 67 fa 09 12 06 06 00 00 00 08 0c 06
00 00 z.g.............
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 00000090: 05 14 3d 06 00 00 00 13 40 06 00 00 00 0d
41 06 [email protected].
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000a0: 00 00 00 06 51 04 38 31 1a 31 00 00 00 09
01 2b ....Q.81.1.....+
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000b0: 61 75 64 69 74 2d 73 65 73 73 69 6f 6e 2d
69 64 audit-session-id
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000c0: 3d 61 63 31 34 65 33 32 37 30 30 30 30 30
30 63 =ac14e327000000c
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000d0: 65 35 36 31 34 33 35 31 63 2c 20 35 36 31
34 33 e5614351c,.56143
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000e0: 35 31 63 2f 30 30 3a 31 31 3a 32 32 3a 33
33 3a 51c/00:11:22:33:
*aaaQueueReader: Oct 06 13:54:52.545: 000000f0: 34 34 3a 35 35 2f 32 32 34
44:55/224
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 13:54:52.560: 5.client sockfd 35 is set. process the msg
*radiusTransportThread: Oct 06 13:54:52.560: ****Enter processIncomingMessages: Received
Radius
response (code=3)
Example: Changing MAC Delimiter

password Cisco123 wlan-id 7 apgroup default-group server-index 2
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Called-Station-Id
00-00-00-00-00-00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00-11-22-33-44-55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)
Nas-Ip-Address
0xac14e327 (-1407917273)
NAS-Identifier
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
. . .
(Cisco Controller) > config radius auth mac-delimiter colon
(Cisco Controller) > test aaa radius username user1 password
Cisco123 wlan-id 7 apgroup default-group server-index 2
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Called-Station-Id
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00:11:22:33:44:55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)

1013
Understanding Debug Client on Wireless Controllers
.......
Example: RADIUS Fallback

(Cisco Controller) > test aaa radius username user1 password Cisco123 wlan-id 7 apgroup
default-group
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
Called-Station-Id
00:00:00:00:00:00:EngineeringV81
Calling-Station-Id
00:11:22:33:44:55
Nas-Port
0x0000000d (13)
Nas-Ip-Address
172.20.227.39
NAS-Identifier
wnbu_rs_WLC5508_1
. . .
Radius Test Request
Wlan-id........................................ 7
Radius Server
Retry Status
----------------- -----172.20.227.62
6
No response received from server
172.20.227.52
1
Success
Result Code: Success
Attributes
Values
--------------User-Name
user1
. . .
Understanding Debug Client on Wireless Controllers

For information about understanding debug client on Cisco WLCs, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/
docs/wireless/aironet-1200-series/100260-wlc-debug-client.html.
Using the CLI to Troubleshoot Problems

If you experience any problems with your controller, you can use the commands in this section to gather
information and debug issues.
show process cpuShows how various tasks in the system are using the CPU at that instant in time.
This command is helpful in understanding if any single task is monopolizing the CPU and preventing
other tasks from being performed.
The Priority field shows two values: 1) the original priority of the task that was created by the actual
function call and 2) the priority of the task divided by a range of system priorities.
The CPU Use field shows the CPU usage of a particular task.
The Reaper field shows three values: 1) the amount of time for which the task is scheduled in user mode
operation, 2) the amount of time for which the task is scheduled in system mode operation, and 3) whether
the task is being watched by the reaper task monitor (indicated by a T). If the task is being watched

1014
by the reaper task monitor, this field also shows the timeout value (in seconds) before which the task
needs to alert the task monitor.
Note
If you want to see the total CPU usage as a percentage, enter the show cpu command.
show process memoryShows the allocation and deallocation of memory from various processes in
the system at that instant in time.
In the example above, the following fields provide information:
The Name field shows the tasks that the CPU is to perform.
The Priority field shows two values: 1) the original priority of the task that was created by the actual
function call and 2) the priority of the task divided by a range of system priorities.
The BytesInUse field shows the actual number of bytes used by dynamic memory allocation for a
particular task.
The BlocksInUse field shows the chunks of memory that are assigned to perform a particular task.
The Reaper field shows three values: 1) the amount of time for which the task is scheduled in user mode
operation, 2) the amount of time for which the task is scheduled in system mode operation, and 3) whether
the task is being watched by the reaper task monitor (indicated by a T). If the task is being watched
by the reaper task monitor, this field also shows the timeout value (in seconds) before which the task
needs to alert the task monitor.
show tech-supportShows an array of information related to the state of the system, including the
current configuration, last crash file, CPU utilization, and memory utilization.
show run-configShows the complete configuration of the controller. To exclude access point
configuration settings, use the show run-config no-ap command.
Note
If you want to see the passwords in clear text, enter the config passwd-cleartext enable command. To
execute this command, you must enter an admin password. This command is valid only for this particular
session. It is not saved following a reboot.
show run-config commandsShows the list of configured commands on the controller. This command
shows only values configured by the user. It does not show system-configured default values.

1015

1016
CHAPTER
52
Cisco WLC Unresponsiveness

Uploading Logs and Crash Files, page 1017
Uploading Core Dumps from the Controller, page 1019
Uploading Packet Capture Files, page 1022
Monitoring Memory Leaks, page 1025
Uploading Logs and Crash Files

Prerequisites to Upload Logs and Crash Files
Follow the instructions in this section to upload logs and crash files from the controller. However, before
you begin, ensure you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the file upload. Follow these guidelines
when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
If you are uploading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same subnet
controller.
If you are uploading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be
A third-party TFTP or FTP server cannot run on the same computer as Cisco Prime Infrastructure
because the Prime Infrastructure built-in TFTP or FTP server and the third-party TFTP or FTP
server require the same communication port.
Uploading Logs and Crash Files (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Command > Upload File. The Upload File from Controller page appears.
From the File Type drop-down list, choose one of the following:

1017
Uploading Logs and Crash Files
Event Log
Message Log
Trap Log
Crash File
Step 3
TFTP
FTP
SFTP (available in the 7.4 and later releases)
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the log or crash file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the log or crash file.
If you chose FTP as the Transfer Mode, follow these steps:
1 In the Server Login Username text box, enter the FTP server login name.
2 In the Server Login Password text box, enter the FTP server login password.
3 In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number of the FTP server. The default value for the server port
is 21.
Step 8
Click Upload to upload the log or crash file from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
Uploading Logs and Crash Files (CLI)
Step 1
To transfer the file from the controller to a server, enter this command:
Step 2
To specify the type of file to be uploaded, enter this command:

transfer upload datatype datatype
where datatype is one of the following options:
crashfileUploads the systems crash file.
errorlogUploads the systems error log.
panic-crash-fileUploads the kernel panic information if a kernel panic occurs.
systemtraceUploads the systems trace file.
traplogUploads the systems trap log.

1018
Uploading Core Dumps from the Controller
watchdog-crash-fileUploads the console dump resulting from a software-watchdog-initiated reboot of the

controller following a crash. The software watchdog module periodically checks the integrity of the internal software
and makes sure that the system does not stay in an inconsistent or nonoperational state for a long period of time.
Step 3
To specify the path to the file, enter these commands:

transfer upload serverip server_ip_address
transfer upload path server_path_to_file
Step 4

Note
Step 5

21.
To see the updated settings, enter this command:

Step 6
When prompted to confirm the current settings and start the software upload, answer y.

Information About Uploading Core Dumps from the Controller
To help troubleshoot controller crashes, you can configure the controller to automatically upload its core dump
file to an FTP server after experiencing a crash. However, you cannot automatically send crash files to an
FTP server.

1019
Configuring the Controller to Automatically Upload Core Dumps to an FTP Server (GUI)
Step 1
Choose Management > Tech Support > Core Dump to open the Core Dump page.
Figure 65: Core Dump Page
Step 2
Step 3
To enable the controller to generate a core dump file following a crash, select the Core Dump Transfer check box.
To specify the type of server to which the core dump file is uploaded, choose FTP from the Transfer Mode drop-down
list.
In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the FTP server.
Note
The controller must be able to reach the FTP
server.
In the File Name text box, enter the name that the controller uses to label the core dump file.
In the User Name text box, enter the username for FTP login.
In the Password text box, enter the password for FTP login.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Configuring the Controller to Automatically Upload Core Dumps to an FTP Server (CLI)
Step 1
To enable or disable the controller to generate a core dump file following a crash, enter this command:
config coredump {enable | disable}
Step 2
To specify the FTP server to which the core dump file is uploaded, enter this command:

1020
config coredump ftp server_ip_address filename

where
server_ip_address is the IP address of the FTP server to which the controller sends its core dump file.
Note
The controller must be able to reach the FTP

server.
filename is the name that the controller uses to label the core dump file.
Step 3
To specify the username and password for FTP login, enter this command:
config coredump username ftp_username password ftp_password
Step 4
To save your changes, enter this command:

save config
Step 5
To see a summary of the controllers core dump file, enter this command:
show coredump summary
Example:

Core Dump is enabled
FTP
FTP
FTP
FTP
Server IP.................................... 10.10.10.17

Filename..................................... file1
Username..................................... ftpuser
Password.................................. *********
Uploading Core Dumps from Controller to a Server (CLI)
Step 1
To see information about the core dump file in flash memory, enter this command:
show coredump summary
Core Dump is disabled
Core Dump file is saved on flash
Sw Version.................................... 6.0.83.0
Time Stamp.................................... Wed Feb 4 13:23:11 2009
File Size..................................... 9081788
File Name Suffix........................... filename.gz
Step 2
To transfer the file from the controller to a server, enter these commands:

1021
Uploading Packet Capture Files

transfer upload datatype coredump
Note
Step 3
After the file is uploaded, it ends with a .gz suffix. If desired, you can upload the same core dump file
multiple times with different names to different servers.

Note

21.
Step 4
To view the updated settings, enter this command:

Step 5

Information About Uploading Packet Capture Files
When a Cisco 5500 Series Controllers data plane crashes, it stores the last 50 packets that the controller
received in flash memory. This information can be useful in troubleshooting the crash.
When a crash occurs, the controller generates a new packet capture file (*.pcap) file, and a message similar
to the following appears in the controller crash file:
Last 5 packets processed at each core are stored in
"last_received_pkts.pcap" captured file.
- Frame 36,38,43,47,49, processed at core #0.
You can use the controller GUI or CLI to upload the packet capture file from the controller. You can then use
Wireshark or another standard packet capture tool to view and analyze the contents of the file.

1022
This figure shows a sample output of the packet capture in Wireshark.

Figure 66: Sample Output of Packet Capture File in Wireshark
Restrictions for Uploading Packet Capture Files

Only Cisco 5500 Series Controllers generate packet capture files. This feature is not available on other
controller platforms.
Ensure that you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the file upload. Follow these guidelines when
setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
If you are uploading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same subnet
controller.
If you are uploading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be
A third-party TFTP or FTP server cannot run on the same computer as Cisco Prime Infrastructure
because the Prime Infrastructure built-in TFTP or FTP server and the third-party TFTP or FTP
server require the same communication port.

1023
Uploading Packet Capture Files (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Packet Capture.
TFTP
FTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the packet capture file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the packet capture file. These files have a .pcap extension.
Step 8
Step 9
Click Upload to upload the packet capture file from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the upload.
Use Wireshark or another standard packet capture tool to open the packet capture file and see the last 50 packets that
were received by the controller.
Uploading Packet Capture Files (CLI)
Step 1
Step 2

Enter the transfer upload mode {tftp | ftp | sftp} command.
Step 3
Enter the transfer upload datatype packet-capture command.
Step 4
Enter the transfer upload serverip server-ip-address command.
Step 5
Enter the transfer upload path server-path-to-file command.
Step 6
Enter the transfer upload filename last_received_pkts.pcap command.
Step 7

Note

21.

1024
Monitoring Memory Leaks
Step 8
Step 9
Enter the transfer upload start command to see the updated settings and then answer y when prompted to confirm the
Use Wireshark or another standard packet capture tool to open the packet capture file and see the last 50 packets that
were received by the controller.

This section provides instructions for troubleshooting hard-to-solve or hard-to-reproduce memory problems.
Caution
The commands in this section can be disruptive to your system and should be run only when you are
advised to do so by the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
Monitoring Memory Leaks (CLI)
Step 1
To enable or disable monitoring for memory errors and leaks, enter this command:
config memory monitor errors {enable | disable}
Note
Step 2
Your changes are not saved across reboots. After the controller reboots, it uses the default setting for this feature.
If you suspect that a memory leak has occurred, enter this command to configure the controller to perform an auto-leak
analysis between two memory thresholds (in kilobytes):
config memory monitor leaks low_thresh high_thresh
If the free memory is lower than the low_thresh threshold, the system crashes, generating a crash file. The default value
for this parameter is 10000 kilobytes, and you cannot set it below this value.
Set the high_thresh threshold to the current free memory level or higher so that the system enters auto-leak-analysis
mode. After the free memory reaches a level lower than the specified high_thresh threshold, the process of tracking and
freeing memory allocation begins. As a result, the debug memory events enable command shows all allocations and
frees, and the show memory monitor detail command starts to detect any suspected memory leaks. The default value
for this parameter is 30000 kilobytes.
Step 3
To see a summary of any discovered memory issues, enter this command:

show memory monitor
Memory Leak Monitor Status:
low_threshold(10000), high_threshold(30000), current status(disabled)
------------------------------------------Memory Error Monitor Status:

1025
Crash-on-error flag currently set to (disabled)

No memory error detected.
Step 4
To see the details of any memory leaks or corruption, enter this command:
show memory monitor detail
Memory error detected. Details:
------------------------------------------------ Corruption detected at pmalloc entry address:
(0x179a7ec0)
- Corrupt entry:headerMagic(0xdeadf00d),trailer(0xabcd),poison(0xreadceef),
entrysize(128),bytes(100),thread(Unknown task name, task id = (332096592)),
file(pmalloc.c),line(1736),time(1027)
Previous 1K memory dump from error location.
-----------------------------------------------(179a7ac0): 00000000 00000000 00000000 ceeff00d readf00d
(179a7ae0): 17958b20 00000000 1175608c 00000078 00000000
(179a7b00): 00000003 00000006 00000001 00000004 00000001
(179a7b20): 00000001 00000002 00000002 00000001 00000004
(179a7b40): cbddf004 192f465e 7791acc8 e5032242 5365788c
(179a7b60): 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
(179a7b80): 00000000 00000000 17958dc0 00000000 1175608c
(179a7ba0): 179a7ba4 00000001 00000003 00000006 00000001
(179a7bc0): 00000002 00000002 00000010 00000001 00000002
(179a7be0): 0000001a 00000089 00000000 00000000 000000d8
(179a7c00): 1722246c 1722246c 00000000 00000000 00000000
(179a7c20): readf00d 00000080 00000000 00000000 179a7b78
Step 5
00000080
readceef
00000009
00000000
a1b7cee6
ceeff00d
00000078
00000004
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
179a7afc
00000009
00000000
00000000
readf00d
00000000
00000001
0000001e
00000000
00000000
1175608c
00000000
00000001
0000020d
5d7b9aba
00000000
00000080
readceef
00003763
00000013
17222194
ceeff00d
00000078
If a memory leak occurs, enter this command to enable debugging of errors or events during memory allocation:
debug memory {errors | events} {enable | disable}
Troubleshooting Memory Leaks

Troubleshooting Memory Leaks
To investigate the cause for low memory state, follow these steps:
Step 1
show memory statistics
Step 2
test system cat /proc/meminfo
Step 3
show system top

PID
1078 root
1081 root
18
20
0
0
4488 888
980m 557m
756 S
24m S

1026
0 0.1
0 56.9
0:00.00 gettyOrMwar
41:33.32 switchdrvr
In this example, the PID to focus on is 1081.

Step 4
test system cat /proc/1081/smaps
Step 5
show system timers ticks-exhausted

Timer Ticks ..................................... 3895180 ticks
(779036 seconds)
Here focus on the seconds value 779036.

Step 6
show memory allocations [all/<pid>] [all/<pool-size>] [<start_time>] [<end_time>]

If you see any allocations, they are probable memory leak candidates. You need to check if these are valid allocations
made earlier to the low memory state issue.

1027

1028
CHAPTER
53
Debugging on Cisco Access Points

Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH, page 1029
Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service, page 1031
Sending Debug Commands to Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode, page 1032
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Crash Information to the Controller, page 1032
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Radio Core Dumps to the Controller, page 1032
Uploading Memory Core Dumps from Converted Access Points, page 1034
Viewing the AP Crash Log Information, page 1035
Displaying MAC Addresses for Converted Access Points, page 1036
Disabling the Reset Button on Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode, page 1036
Viewing Access Point Event Logs, page 1037
FlexConnect, page 1038
Troubleshooting OfficeExtend Access Points, page 1039
Performing a Link Test, page 1041
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH

The controller supports the use of the Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) protocols to troubleshoot lightweight
access points. Using these protocols makes debugging easier, especially when the access point is unable to
connect to the controller.
To avoid potential conflicts and security threats to the network, the following commands are unavailable
while a Telnet or SSH session is enabled: config terminal, telnet, ssh, rsh, ping, traceroute, clear,
clock, crypto, delete, fsck, lwapp, mkdir, radius, release, reload, rename, renew, rmdir, save, set,
test, upgrade.
Commands available during a Telnet or SSH session include debug, disable, enable, help, led, login,
logout, more, no debug, show, systat, undebug and where.

1029
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH
Note
For instructions on configuring Telnet or SSH SSH sessions on the controller, see the
Telnet and Secure Shell Sessions section.
Information About Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH

The controller supports the use of the Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) protocols to troubleshoot lightweight
access points. Using these protocols makes debugging easier, especially when the access point is unable to
connect to the controller.
To avoid potential conflicts and security threats to the network, the following commands are unavailable
while a Telnet or SSH session is enabled: config terminal, telnet, ssh, rsh, ping, traceroute, clear,
clock, crypto, delete, fsck, lwapp, mkdir, radius, release, reload, rename, renew, rmdir, save, set,
test, upgrade.
Commands available during a Telnet or SSH session include debug, disable, enable, help, led, login,
logout, more, no debug, show, systat, undebug and where.
Note
For instructions on configuring Telnet or SSH sessions on the controller, see the Telnet
and Secure Shell Sessions section.
You can enable a Telnet or SSH session on unjoined access points with non default credentials.
Note
For information on enabling Telnet or SSH sessions on unjoined access points, see
Lightwieght Access Point Commands chapter in Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
Command Reference, Release 8.0.
You can configure Telnet or SSH by using the controller CLI in software release 5.0 or later releases or using
the controller GUI in software release 6.0 or later releases.
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Click the name of the access point for which you want to enable Telnet or SSH.
Select the Telnet check box to enable Telnet connectivity on this access point. The default value is unchecked.
Select the SSH check box to enable SSH connectivity on this access point. The default value is unchecked.
Click Apply.

1030
Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service
Troubleshooting Access Points Using Telnet or SSH (CLI)
Step 1
Enable Telnet or SSH connectivity on an access point by entering this command:

config ap {telnet | ssh} enable Cisco_AP
Note
Disable Telnet or SSH connectivity on an access point by entering this command: config ap {telnet | ssh}
disable Cisco_AP
Step 2

save config
Step 3
See whether Telnet or SSH is enabled on an access point by entering this command:
Cisco AP Name....................................
Country code.....................................
Reg. Domain allowed by Country...................
AP Country code..................................
MAC Address......................................
IP Address.......................................
IP NetMask.......................................
Gateway IP Addr..................................
Domain...........................................
Name Server......................................
Telnet State.....................................
Ssh State........................................
...
5
AP33
Multiple Countries:US,AE,AR,AT,AU,BH
802.11bg:-ABCENR 802.11a:-ABCEN
US - United States
802.11bg:-A 802.11a:-A
2
00:19:2f:11:16:7a
Static IP assigned
10.22.8.133
255.255.248.0
10.22.8.1
Enabled
Enabled
Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service

Information About Debugging the Access Point Monitor Service
The controller sends access point status information to the Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE)
using the access point monitor service.
The MSE sends a service subscription and an access point monitor service request to get the status of all access
points currently known to the controller. When any change is made in the status of an access point, a notification
is sent to the MSE.

1031
Sending Debug Commands to Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode
Debugging Access Point Monitor Service Issues (CLI)

If you experience any problems with the access point monitor service, enter this command:
debug service ap-monitor {all | error | event | nmsp | packet} {enable | disable}
where
all configures debugging of all access point status messages.
error configures debugging of access point monitor error events.
event configures debugging of access point monitor events.
nmsp configures debugging of access point monitor NMSP events.
packet configures debugging of access point monitor packets.
enable enables the debub service ap-monitor mode.
disable disables the debug service ap-monitor mode.
Sending Debug Commands to Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode

You can enable the controller to send debug commands to an access point converted to lightweight mode by
debug ap {enable | disable | command cmd} Cisco_AP
When this feature is enabled, the controller sends debug commands to the converted access point as character
strings. You can send any debug command supported by Cisco Aironet access points that run Cisco IOS
software in lightweight mode.
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Crash Information to the

Controller
When a converted access point unexpectedly reboots, the access point stores a crash file on its local flash
memory at the time of the crash. After the unit reboots, it sends the reason for the reboot to the controller. If
the unit rebooted because of a crash, the controller pulls up the crash file using existing CAPWAP messages
and stores it in the controller flash memory. The crash info copy is removed from the access point flash
memory when the controller pulls it from the access point.
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Radio Core Dumps to the
Controller
When a radio module in a converted access point generates a core dump, the access point stores the core dump
file of the radio on its local flash memory at the time of the radio crash. It sends a notification message to the
controller indicating which radio generated a core dump file. The controller sends a trap that alerts you so
that you can retrieve the radio core file from the access point.

1032
Understanding How Converted Access Points Send Radio Core Dumps to the Controller
The retrieved core file is stored in the controller flash and can be uploaded through TFTP or FTP to an external
server for analysis. The core file is removed from the access point flash memory when the controller pulls it
from the access point.
Retrieving Radio Core Dumps (CLI)
Step 1
Transfer the radio core dump file from the access point to the controller by entering this command:
config ap crash-file get-radio-core-dump slot Cisco_AP
For the slot parameter, enter the slot ID of the radio that crashed.
Step 2
Verify that the file was downloaded to the controller by entering this command:
show ap crash-file
Uploading Radio Core Dumps (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
From the File Type drop-down list, choose Radio Core Dump.
Step 3
TFTP
FTP
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the file.
In the File Name text box, enter the name of the radio core dump file.
Note
The filename that you enter should match the filename generated on the controller. You can determine the
filename on the controller by entering the show ap crash-file command.
Step 7
If you chose FTP as the Transfer Mode, follow these steps:

a) In the Server Login Username text box, enter the FTP server login name.
b) In the Server Login Password text box, enter the FTP server login password.
c) In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number of the FTP server. The default value for the server port is
21.
Step 8
Click Upload to upload the radio core dump file from the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the
upload.

1033
Uploading Memory Core Dumps from Converted Access Points
Uploading Radio Core Dumps (CLI)
Step 1
Transfer the file from the controller to a server by entering these commands:
transfer upload datatype radio-core-dump
Note
Note
Step 2
The filename that you enter should match the filename generated on the controller. You can determine the
filename on the controller by entering the show ap crash-file command.
Ensure that the filename and server_path_to_file do not contain these special characters: \, :, *, ?, ", <, >,
and |. You can use only / (forward slash) as the path separator. If you use the disallowed special characters
in the filename, then the special characters are replaced with _ (underscores); and if you use the disallowed
special characters in the server_path_to_file, then the path is set to the root path.

Note

21.
Step 3
View the updated settings by entering this command:

Step 4
Uploading Memory Core Dumps from Converted Access Points

By default, access points converted to lightweight mode do not send memory core dumps to the controller.
This section provides instructions to upload access point core dumps using the controller GUI or CLI.

1034
Viewing the AP Crash Log Information
Uploading Access Point Core Dumps (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Choose Wireless > Access Points > All APs > access point name > and choose the Advanced tab to open the All APs
> Details for (Advanced) page.
Select the AP Core Dump check box to upload a core dump of the access point.
Step 3
Step 4
In the TFTP Server IP text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.
Step 6
In the File Name text box, enter a name of the access point core dump file (such as dump.log).
Select the File Compression check box to compress the access point core dump file. When you enable this option, the
file is saved with a .gz extension (such as dump.log.gz). This file can be opened with WinZip.
Step 7
Step 5
Uploading Access Point Core Dumps (CLI)
Step 1
Upload a core dump of the access point by entering this command on the controller:
config ap core-dump enable tftp_server_ip_address filename {compress | uncompress} {ap_name | all}
where
tftp_server_ip_address is the IP address of the TFTP server to which the access point sends core dump files.
Note
The access point must be able to reach the TFTP

server.
filename is the name that the access points uses to label the core file.
compress configures the access point to send compressed core files whereas uncompress configures the access
point to send uncompressed core files.
Note
When you choose compress, the file is saved with a .gz extension (for example, dump.log.gz). This file
can be opened with WinZip.
ap_name is the name of a specific access point for which core dumps are uploaded and all is all access points
converted to lightweight mode.
Step 2
Viewing the AP Crash Log Information

Whenever the controller reboots or upgrades, the AP crash log information gets deleted from the controller.
We recommend that you make a backup of AP crash log information before rebooting or upgrading the
controller.

1035
Displaying MAC Addresses for Converted Access Points
Viewing the AP Crash Log information (GUI)

Choose Management > Tech Support > AP Crash Log to open the AP Crash Logs page.
Viewing the AP Crash Log information (CLI)
Step 1
Verify that the crash file was downloaded to the controller by entering this command:
show ap crash-file
Local Core Files:
lrad_AP1130.rdump0 (156)
The number in parentheses indicates the size of the file. The size should be greater than zero if a
core dump file is available.
Step 2
See the contents of the AP crash log file by entering this command:
show ap crash-file Cisoc_AP
Displaying MAC Addresses for Converted Access Points

There are some differences in the way that controllers display the MAC addresses of converted access points
on information pages in the controller GUI:
On the AP Summary page, the controller lists the Ethernet MAC addresses of converted access points.
On the AP Detail page, the controller lists the BSS MAC addresses and Ethernet MAC addresses of
converted access points.
On the Radio Summary page, the controller lists converted access points by radio MAC address.
Disabling the Reset Button on Access Points Converted to Lightweight Mode

You can disable the reset button on access points converted to lightweight mode. The reset button is labeled
MODE on the outside of the access point.
Use this command to disable or enable the reset button on one or all converted access points associated to a
controller:
config ap rst-button {enable | disable} {ap-name}
The reset button on converted access points is enabled by default.

1036

Information About Access Point Event Logs
Access points log all system messages (with a severity level greater than or equal to notifications) to the access
point event log. The event log can contain up to 1024 lines of messages, with up to 128 characters per line.
When the event log becomes filled, the oldest message is removed to accommodate a new event message.
The event log is saved in a file on the access point flash, which ensures that it is saved through a reboot cycle.
To minimize the number of writes to the access point flash, the contents of the event log are written to the
event log file during normal reload and crash scenarios only.
Viewing Access Point Event Logs (CLI)

Use these CLI commands to view or clear the access point event log from the controller:
To see the contents of the event log file for an access point that is joined to the controller, enter this
command:
show ap eventlog Cisco_AP
AP event log download has been initiated
Waiting for download to complete
AP event log download completed.
======================= AP Event log Contents =====================
*Sep 22 11:44:00.573: %CAPWAP-5-CHANGED: CAPWAP changed state to IMAGE
*Sep 22 11:44:53.539: *** Access point reloading. Reason: NEW IMAGE DOWNLOAD ***
*Mar 1 00:00:39.078: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Did not get log server settings from DHCP.
changed state to up
changed state to up
*Mar 1 00:00:48.078: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Could Not resolve CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER
*Mar 1 00:01:48.121: %CAPWAP-3-CLIENTERRORLOG: Set Transport Address: no more AP manager
IP addresses remain
*Mar 1 00:01:48.122: %CAPWAP-5-CHANGED: CAPWAP changed state to JOIN
To delete the existing event log and create an empty event log file for a specific access point or for all
access points joined to the controller, enter this command:
clear ap-eventlog {specific Cisco_AP | all}

1037
FlexConnect
FlexConnect
Troubleshooting Clients on FlexConnect Access Points
FlexConnect client-based debugging allows client-specific debugging to be enabled for an AP or groups of
APs. It also allows syslog server configuration to log the debug messages.
Using FlexConnect client-based debugging:
You can debug client connectivity issue of AP by entering a particular MAC address of a client from
either WLC or AP console.
You can debug client connectivity issue across FlexConnect site without entering debug commands on
multiple APs or enabling multiple debugs. A single debug command enables the debugs.
You need not enter debug command on multiple APs depending on where the client may roam to. By
applying debug at the FlexConnect group level, all APs that are part of the FlexConnect group get this
debug request.
The logs are collected centrally at syslog server by providing the IP address of the server from the WLC.
Note
The driver debugs are not enabled on the WLC. If you have access to the AP console,
the driver debugs can be enabled.
Following are the debugging commands on the WLC CLI:

debug flexconnect client ap ap-name {add | delete} mac-addr1 mac-addr2 mac-addr3 mac-addr4
debug flexconnect client ap ap-name syslog {server-ip-address | disable}
debug flexconnect client group group-name {add | delete} mac-addr1 mac-addr2 mac-addr3 mac-addr4
debug flexconnect client group group-name syslog {server-ip-address | disable}
show debug
The debugging commands that can be entered on the AP console are listed below. These commands are
applicable for debugging the client AP console when it is accessible. If you enter these commands on the AP
console, the commands are not communicated to the WLC.
[no] debug condition mac-address mac-addr
[no] debug dot11 client
Note
In the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Release 8.1, conditional debugging is not supported on AP702W/I/E.
Restrictions
WLC High Availability is not supported.
AP configuration is not saved across reboots.

1038
Troubleshooting OfficeExtend Access Points
Adding an AP to and deleting an AP from a FlexConnectGroup impacts the AP's FlexConnect debug
state.

Information About Troubleshooting OfficeExtend Access Points
This section provides troubleshooting information if you experience any problems with your OfficeExtend
access points.
For information about troubleshooting Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend APs, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/
us/support/docs/wireless/aironet-600-series-officeextend-access-point/
113003-office-extend-config-00.html#troubleshoot.
Interpreting OfficeExtend LEDs

The LED patterns are different for 1130 series and 1140 series OfficeExtend access points. For a description
of the LED patterns, see the Cisco OfficeExtend Access Point Quick Start Guide at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/index.html.
Positioning OfficeExtend Access Points for Optimal RF Coverage

When positioning your OfficeExtend access point, consider that its RF signals are emitted in a cone shape
spreading outward from the LED side of the access point. Ensure to mount the access point so that air can
flow behind the metal back plate and prevent the access point from overheating.
Figure 67: OfficeExtend Access Point Radiation Patterns
Troubleshooting Common Problems

Most of the problems experienced with OfficeExtend access points are one of the following:
The access point cannot join the controller because of network or firewall issues.
Resolution: Follow the instructions in the Viewing Access Point Join Information section to see join
statistics for the OfficeExtend access point, or find the access points public IP address and perform
pings of different packet sizes from inside the company.
The access point joins but keeps dropping off. This behavior usually occurs because of network problems
or when the network address translation (NAT) or firewall ports close because of short timeouts.

1039
Resolution: Ask the teleworker for the LED status.

Clients cannot associate because of NAT issues.
Resolution: Ask the teleworker to perform a speed test and a ping test. Some servers do not return big
packet pings.
Clients keep dropping data. This behavior usually occurs because the home router closes the port because
of short timeouts.
Resolution: Perform client troubleshooting in Cisco Prime Infrastructure to determine if the problem
is related to the OfficeExtend access point or the client.
The access point is not broadcasting the enterprise WLAN.
Resolution: Ask the teleworker to check the cables, power supply, and LED status. If you still cannot
identify the problem, ask the teleworker to try the following:
Connect to the home router directly and see if the PC is able to connect to an Internet website such
as http://www.cisco.com/. If the PC cannot connect to the Internet, check the router or modem. If
the PC can connect to the Internet, check the home router configuration to see if a firewall or
MAC-based filter is enabled that is blocking the access point from reaching the Internet.
Log on to the home router and check to see if the access point has obtained an IP address. If it has,
the access points LED normally blinks orange.
The access point cannot join the controller, and you cannot identify the problem.
Resolution: A problem could exist with the home router. Ask the teleworker to check the router manual
and try the following:
Assign the access point a static IP address based on the access points MAC address.
Put the access point in a demilitarized zone (DMZ), which is a small network inserted as a neutral
zone between a companys private network and the outside public network. It prevents outside
users from getting direct access to a server that has company data.
If problems still occur, contact your companys IT department for assistance.
The teleworker experiences problems while configuring a personal SSID on the access point.
Resolution: Clear the access point configuration and return it to factory default settings by clicking
Clear Config on the access point GUI or by entering the clear ap config Cisco_AP command and then
configuring a personal SSID on an OfficeExtend Access Point. If problems still occur, contact your
companys IT department for assistance.
The home network needs to be rebooted.
Resolution: Ask the teleworker to follow these steps:
Leave all devices networked and connected, and then power down all the devices.
Turn on the cable or DSL modem, and then wait for 2 minutes. (Check the LED status.)
Turn on the home router, and then wait for 2 minutes. (Check the LED status.)
Turn on the access point, and then wait for 5 minutes. (Check the LED status.)
Turn on the client.

1040
Performing a Link Test

Information About Performing a Link Test
A link test is used to determine the quality of the radio link between two devices. Two types of link-test
packets are transmitted during a link test: request and response. Any radio receiving a link-test request packet
fills in the appropriate text boxes and echoes the packet back to the sender with the response type set.
The radio link quality in the client-to-access point direction can differ from that in the access point-to-client
direction due to the asymmetrical distribution of the transmit power and receive sensitivity on both sides. Two
types of link tests can be performed: a ping test and a CCX link test.
With the ping link test, the controller can test link quality only in the client-to-access point direction. The RF
parameters of the ping reply packets received by the access point are polled by the controller to determine the
client-to-access point link quality.
With the CCX link test, the controller can also test the link quality in the access point-to-client direction. The
controller issues link-test requests to the client, and the client records the RF parameters (received signal
strength indicator [RSSI], signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], and so on). of the received request packet in the response
packet. Both the link-test requestor and responder roles are implemented on the access point and controller.
Not only can the access point or controller initiate a link test to a CCX v4 or v5 client, but a CCX v4 or v5
client can initiate a link test to the access point or controller.
The controller shows these link-quality metrics for CCX link tests in both directions (out access point to
client; in client to access point):
Signal strength in the form of RSSI (minimum, maximum, and average)
Signal quality in the form of SNR (minimum, maximum, and average)
Total number of packets that are retried
Maximum retry count for a single packet
Number of lost packets
Data rate of a successfully transmitted packet
The controller shows this metric regardless of direction:
Link test request/reply round-trip time (minimum, maximum, and average)
The controller software supports CCX versions 1 through 5. CCX support is enabled automatically for every
WLAN on the controller and cannot be disabled. The controller stores the CCX version of the client in its
client database and uses it to limit the features for this client. If a client does not support CCXv4 or v5, the
controller performs a ping link test on the client. If a client supports CCXv4 or v5, the controller performs a
CCX link test on the client. If a client times out during a CCX link test, the controller switches to the ping
link test automatically.
Note
Follow the instructions in this section to perform a link test using either the GUI or the CLI.

1041
Performing a Link Test (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired client and choose LinkTest. A link test page appears.
Note
You can also access this page by clicking the MAC address of the desired client and then clicking the Link
Test button on the top of the Clients > Detail page.
This page shows the results of the CCX link test.
Note
Note
Step 3
If the client and/or controller does not support CCX v4 or later releases, the controller performs a ping link test
on the client instead, and a much more limited link test page appears.
The Link Test results of CCX clients when it fails will default to ping test results if the client is reachable.
Click OK to exit the link test page.
Performing a Link Test (CLI)

Use these commands to run a link test using the controller CLI:
Run a link test by entering this command:
linktest ap_mac
When CCX v4 or later releases is enabled on both the controller and the client being tested, information
similar to the following appears:
CCX Link Test to 00:0d:88:c5:8a:d1.
Link Test Packets Sent...................................... 20
Link Test Packets Received................................. 10
Link Test Packets Lost (Total/AP to Client/Client to AP).... 10/5/5
Link Test Packets round trip time (min/max/average)......... 5ms/20ms/15ms
RSSI at AP (min/max/average)................................ -60dBm/-50dBm/-55dBm
RSSI at Client (min/max/average)............................ -50dBm/-40dBm/-45dBm
SNR at AP (min/max/average).................................
SNR at Client (min/max/average).............................
Transmit Retries at AP (Total/Maximum)......................
Transmit Retries at Client (Total/Maximum)..................
Transmit rate: 1M
2M
5.5M
6M
9M 11M 12M 18M
24M
40dB/30dB/35dB
40dB/30dB/35dB
5/3
4/2
36M 48M 54M 108M
Packet Count:
Transmit rate:
0
1M
2
36M
0
48M
18
54M
0
108M
Packet Count:
0
2M
0
0
5.5M
0
0
6M
0
9M
0
0
0
11M 12M 18M
0
0
24M
0
When CCX v4 or later releases is not enabled on either the controller or the client being tested, fewer
details appear:
Ping Link Test to 00:0d:88:c5:8a:d1.
Link Test Packets Sent..........................
Link Test Packets Received......................
Local Signal Strength...........................
Local Signal to Noise Ratio.....................

1042
20
20
-49dBm
39dB
Adjust the link-test parameters that are applicable to both the CCX link test and the ping test by entering
these commands from configuration mode:
linktest frame-size size_of_link-test_frames
linktest num-of-frame number_of_link-test_request_frames_per_test

1043

1044
CHAPTER
54
Packet Capture
Using the Debug Facility, page 1045
Configuring Wireless Sniffing, page 1050

Information About Using the Debug Facility
The debug facility enables you to display all packets going to and from the controller CPU. You can enable
it for received packets, transmitted packets, or both. By default, all packets received by the debug facility are
displayed. However, you can define access control lists (ACLs) to filter packets before they are displayed.
Packets not passing the ACLs are discarded without being displayed.
Each ACL includes an action (permit, deny, or disable) and one or more fields that can be used to match the
packet. The debug facility provides ACLs that operate at the following levels and on the following values:
Driver ACL
NPU encapsulation type
Port
Ethernet header ACL
Destination address
Source address
Ethernet type
VLAN ID
IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol

1045

EoIP payload Ethernet header ACL
Destination address
Source address
Ethernet type
VLAN ID
EoIP payload IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol
CAPWAP payload 802.11 header ACL
Destination address
Source address
BSSID
SNAP header type
CAPWAP payload IP header ACL
Source address
Destination address
Protocol
At each level, you can define multiple ACLs. The first ACL that matches the packet is the one that is selected.
Configuring the Debug Facility (CLI)
Step 1
To enable the debug facility, enter this command:

debug packet logging enable {rx | tx | all} packet_count display_size
where

1046
rx displays all received packets, tx displays all transmitted packets, and all displays both transmitted and
received packets.
packet_count is the maximum number of packets to log. You can enter a value between 1 and 65535 packets,
and the default value is 25 packets.
display_size is the number of bytes to display when printing a packet. By default, the entire packet is displayed.
Note
To disable the debug facility, enter this command: debug packet logging disable.
debug packet logging acl driver rule_index action npu_encap port

where
npu_encap specifies the NPU encapsulation type, which determines how packets are filtered. The possible
values include dhcp, dot11-mgmt, dot11-probe, dot1x, eoip-ping, iapp, ip, lwapp, multicast, orphan-from-sta,
orphan-to-sta, rbcp, wired-guest, or any.
port is the physical port for packet transmission or reception.
Use these commands to configure packet-logging ACLs:
debug packet logging acl eth rule_index action dst src type vlan
where
dst is the destination MAC address.
src is the source MAC address.
type is the two-byte type code (such as 0x800 for IP, 0x806 for ARP). This parameter also accepts a few
common string values such as ip (for 0x800) or arp (for 0x806).
vlan is the two-byte VLAN ID.
debug packet logging acl ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
where
proto is a numeric or any string recognized by getprotobyname(). The controller supports the following strings:
ip, icmp, igmp, ggp, ipencap, st, tcp, egp, pup, udp, hmp, xns-idp, rdp, iso-tp4, xtp, ddp, idpr-cmtp, rspf, vmtp,
ospf, ipip, and encap.
src_port is the UDP/TCP two-byte source port (for example, telnet, 23) or any. The controller accepts a
numeric or any string recognized by getservbyname(). The controller supports the following strings: tcpmux,
echo, discard, systat, daytime, netstat, qotd, msp, chargen, ftp-data, ftp, fsp, ssh, telnet, smtp, time, rlp,
nameserver, whois, re-mail-ck, domain, mtp, bootps, bootpc, tftp, gopher, rje, finger, www, link, kerberos,
supdup, hostnames, iso-tsap, csnet-ns, 3com-tsmux, rtelnet, pop-2, pop-3, sunrpc, auth, sftp, uucp-path, nntp,
ntp, netbios-ns, netbios-dgm, netbios-ssn, imap2, snmp, snmp-trap, cmip-man, cmip-agent, xdmcp, nextstep,

1047
bgp, prospero, irc, smux, at-rtmp, at-nbp, at-echo, at-zis, qmtp, z3950, ipx, imap3, ulistserv, https, snpp, saft,
npmp-local, npmp-gui, and hmmp-ind.
dst_port is the UDP/TCP two-byte destination port (for example, telnet, 23) or any. The controller accepts
a numeric or any string recognized by getservbyname(). The controller supports the same strings as those for
the src_port.
debug packet logging acl eoip-eth rule_index action dst src type vlan
debug packet logging acl eoip-ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
debug packet logging acl lwapp-dot11 rule_index action dst src bssid snap_type
where
bssid is the Basic Service Set Identifier.
snap_type is the Ethernet type.
debug packet logging acl lwapp-ip rule_index action src dst proto src_port dst_port
Note
Step 2
To remove all configured ACLs, enter this command: debug packet logging acl clear-all.
To configure the format of the debug output, enter this command:

debug packet logging format {hex2pcap | text2pcap}
The debug facility supports two output formats: hex2pcap and text2pcap. The standard format used by IOS supports the
use of hex2pcap and can be decoded using an HTML front end. The text2pcap option is provided as an alternative so
that a sequence of packets can be decoded from the same console log file.
This figure shows an example of hex2pcap output.
Figure 68: Sample Hex2pcap Output

1048
This figure shows an example of text2pcap output.

Figure 69: Sample Text2pcap Output
Step 3
To determine why packets might not be displayed, enter this command:

debug packet error {enable | disable}
Step 4
To display the status of packet debugging, enter this command:

show debug packet
Status...........................................
Number of packets to display.....................
Bytes/packet to display..........................
Packet display format............................
disabled
25
0
text2pcap
Driver ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
Ethernet ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
EoIP-Ethernet ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled

1049
Configuring Wireless Sniffing
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
EoIP-IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
LWAPP-Dot11 ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled
LWAPP-IP ACL:
[1]: disabled
[2]: disabled
[3]: disabled
[4]: disabled
[5]: disabled
[6]: disabled?

Information About Wireless Sniffing
The controller enables you to configure an access point as a network sniffer, which captures and forwards
all the packets on a particular channel to a remote machine that runs packet analyzer software. These packets
contain information on time stamps, signal strength, packet sizes, and so on. Sniffers allow you to monitor
and record network activity and to detect problems.
Prerequisites for Wireless Sniffing

To perform wireless sniffing, you need the following hardware and software:
A dedicated access pointAn access point configured as a sniffer cannot simultaneously provide wireless
access service on the network. To avoid disrupting coverage, use an access point that is not part of your
existing wireless network.
A remote monitoring deviceA computer capable of running the analyzer software.
Software and supporting files, plug-ins, or adaptersYour analyzer software may require specialized
files before you can successfully enable
Restrictions for Wireless Sniffing

Supported third-party network analyzer software applications are as follows:
Wildpackets Omnipeek or Airopeek
AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer

1050
Wireshark
The latest version of Wireshark can decode the packets by going to the Analyze mode. Select decode
as, and switch UDP5555 to decode as AIROPEEK.
You must disable IP-MAC address binding in order to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access
point is joined to a Cisco 5500 Series Controller. To disable IP-MAC address binding, enter the config
network ip-mac-binding disable command in the controller CLI.
You must enable WLAN 1 in order to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is joined
to a Cisco 5500 Series Controller. If WLAN 1 is disabled, the access point cannot send packets.
Configuring Sniffing on an Access Point (GUI)
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click the name of the access point that you want to configure as the sniffer. The All APs > Details for page appears.
From the AP Mode drop-down list, choose Sniffer.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Click Apply.
Click OK when prompted that the access point will be rebooted.
Choose Wireless > Access Points > Radios > 802.11a/n/ac (or 802.11b/g/n) to open the 802.11a/n (or 802.11b/g/n)
Radios page.
Hover your cursor over the blue drop-down arrow for the desired access point and choose Configure. The 802.11a/n/ac
(or 802.11b/g/n) Cisco APs > Configure page appears.
Select the Sniff check box to enable sniffing on this access point, or leave it unselected to disable sniffing. The default
value is unchecked.
If you enabled sniffing in Step 8, follow these steps:
a) From the Channel drop-down list, choose the channel on which the access point sniffs for packets.
b) In the Server IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the remote machine running Omnipeek, Airopeek,
AirMagnet, or Wireshark.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Click Apply.
Configuring Sniffing on an Access Point (CLI)
Step 1
Configure the access point as a sniffer by entering this command:

config ap mode sniffer Cisco_AP
where Cisco_AP is the access point configured as the sniffer.

1051
Step 2
Step 3
When warned that the access point will be rebooted and asked if you want to continue, enter Y. The access point reboots
in sniffer mode.
Enable sniffing on the access point by entering this command:
config ap sniff {802.11a | 802.11b} enable channel server_IP_address Cisco_AP
where
channel is the radio channel on which the access point sniffs for packets. The default values are 36 (802.11a/n/ac)
and 1 (802.11b/g/n).
server_IP_address is the IP address of the remote machine running Omnipeek, Airopeek, AirMagnet, or Wireshark.
Cisco_AP is the access point configured as the sniffer.
Note
To disable sniffing on the access point, enter the config ap sniff {802.11a | 802.11b} disable Cisco_AP
command.
Step 4

save config
Step 5
See the sniffer configuration settings for an access point by entering this command:

1052
INDEX
11n Mode parameter 329

1250 series access points 543, 544, 545
and PoE Status field 545
operating modes when using PoE 543
transmit power settings when using PoE 544
7920 AP CAC parameter 408, 668
7920 Client CAC parameter 408, 668
7920 support mode 407, 667
configuring 407, 667
described 407, 667
7921 support mode 407, 668
802.11a (or 802.11b) > Voice Parameters page 413, 416, 423, 673,
675, 682
802.11a (or 802.11b/g) > EDCA Parameters page 425, 684

802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Global Parameters page 325, 455, 839
802.11a (or 802.11b/g) Network Status parameter 325, 366, 839
802.11a/n (or 802.11b/g/n) Radios page 361, 418, 677
802.11g Support parameter 325, 839
802.11h Global Parameters page 366
802.11h, described 366
802.11n 329
devices 329
802.1Q VLAN trunk port 180
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tag 891
802.1Q-in-Q VLAN Tagging 892
configuring using CLI 892
configuring using GUI 892
802.1X 744, 786
dynamic key settings 744
configuring 744
described 786
802.1X authentication for access points 592, 593, 594
the switch 594
using the CLI 593, 594
described 592
802.1x Authentication parameter 593
802.3 bridging 631
configuring using the CLI 631
configuring using the GUI 631
802.3 Bridging parameter 631
802.3 frames 630
802.3X flow control, enabling 631
A
Access Control List Name parameter 229, 237, 241
access control lists (ACLs) 228, 229, 233, 234, 241, 952, 999, 1045
applying to the controller CPU 234
using the CLI 234
configuring 233
using the CLI 233
counters 229, 233, 241
configuring using the GUI 229, 241
rules 228, 233, 952
using with the debug facility 999, 1045
Access Control Lists > Edit page 230, 954, 978
Access Control Lists > New page 229, 241
Access Control Lists page 229
Access Mode parameter 520
access point core dumps, uploading 1034
using the GUI 1034
access point count, approved tiers for 5500 series controllers 53
access point event logs, viewing 998, 1037
access point groups 888, 889, 890
assigning access points to 889, 890
using the CLI 890
using the GUI 889
creating 889, 890
removing 888, 889
using the CLI 889
using the GUI 888
viewing 890
access point monitor service, debugging 1032
access points 574, 577, 587, 591, 600, 601, 610
authorization list 591
authorizing 587
using LSCs 587
using MICs 587
priming 574
supporting oversized images 610
IN-1
Index
access points (continued)

verifying that they join the controller 577
viewing join information 600, 601
using the GUI 600, 601
Accounting Server parameters 801
ACL Name parameter 231
ACL. See access control lists (ACLs) 227, 951
Action parameter 230, 238, 954, 978
Add AAA Client page (on CiscoSecure ACS) 137, 163
Add AP button 940
Add New Rule button 229, 237
Admin Status parameter 182
administrator access 171
Admission Control (ACM) parameter 413, 673
AES-CCMP 785
Aggregated MAC Service Data Unit (A-MSDU) 331
aggregation method, specifying 331
AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer 1050
Aironet IE parameter 726
Airopeek 1050
All APs > Access Point Name > VLAN Mappings page 921
All APs > Details for (Advanced) page 572, 625, 1035
configuring link latency 625
All APs > Details for (Credentials) page 593, 612
All APs > Details for (FlexConnect) page 920
All APs > Details for (General) page 920
All APs > Details for (High Availability) page 579, 583
All APs page 351
AnchorTime parameter 354, 721
Anonymous Provision parameter 767
Antenna Gain parameter 361
Antenna parameter 361
Antenna Type parameter 361
AP > Clients > Traffic Stream Metrics page 418, 677
AP Authentication Policy page 479, 597
AP Core Dump parameter 1035
AP Ethernet MAC Addresses parameter 588
AP Failover Priority parameter 583
AP Group Name parameter 887
AP Groups > Edit (APs) page 888
AP Groups page 806, 887
AP local authentication 925
Using GUI 925
AP Local Authentication on a WLAN 925
Using the CLI 925
AP Mode parameter 351, 920, 972, 1051
AP Name parameter 888
AP Primary Discovery Timeout parameter 579
ap-count evaluation licenses, activating 61, 62
using the GUI 61
AP-manager interface 189, 205
and dynamic interfaces 189
described 205

IN-2
AP801 access point 614

described 614
using with a controller 614
Applying ACLs to a WLAN 232
Applying ACLs to the controller CPU 231
Applying Layer2 ACLs to a WLAN 238
Applying Layer2 ACLs to an AP 238
Assignment Method parameter 362
ATF 706
ATF Configuration 706
authenticated local authentication bind method 759, 761
Authority ID Information parameter 767, 941, 943
Authority ID parameter 767, 941
Authorize LSC APs against auth-list parameter 591
Authorize MIC APs against auth-list or AAA parameter 591
auto-anchor mobility 289, 291
configuring 291
using the GUI 291
overview 289
AutoInstall 27, 28, 29, 30
described 27, 30
example operation 30
obtaining 28
DHCP addresses for interfaces 28
TFTP server information 28
selecting configuration file 29
using 27
Average Data Rate parameter 443, 447, 638, 642, 645
Average Real-Time Rate parameter 444, 447, 638, 642, 645
Avoid Cisco AP Load parameter 354, 721
Avoid Foreign AP Interference parameter 354, 721
Avoid Non-802.11a (802.11b) Noise parameter 354, 721
B
Back-up Primary Controller Name field 579
Back-up Secondary Controller Name parameter 579
bandwidth-based CAC 411, 413, 415, 670, 673, 674
described 411, 670
enabling 413, 415, 673, 674
Beacon Period parameter 325, 839
Bind Username parameter 759, 760
browsers supported 37
Burst Data Rate parameter 443, 447, 638, 642, 645
Burst Real-Time Rate parameter 444, 447, 638, 642, 645
C
CA Server URL parameter 588
Index
CAC 407, 416, 417, 418, 667, 675, 676, 678

configuring for 7920 phones 407, 667
enabling 416, 417, 675, 676
viewing using the CLI 418, 678
call-home 71
configuring 71
using the GUI 71
Call-Home 72
configuring 72
using the CLI 72
capacity adder license. See licenses 51
CAPWAP Preferred Mode 565, 566, 567
configuring 567
using the CLI 567
CCKM 787, 934
configuring 787
FlexConnect groups 934
CCX 726, 727, 1041
configuring Aironet IEs 727
using the CLI 727
described 726
link test 1041
viewing a clients version 727
using the GUI 727
CCX radio management 453, 454
features 453
flexconnect considerations 454
CCX Version parameter 727
CDP > AP Neighbors > Detail page 218, 553
CDP > Interface Neighbors > Detail page 217, 552
CDP > Traffic Metrics page 219, 553
CDP Advertisement Version parameter 215, 550
CDP AP Neighbors page 218, 552
CDP Protocol Status parameter 215, 550
CDP State parameter 216, 550
Certificate Authority (CA) certificates 128, 129, 130, 131, 765, 768
downloading 128, 129, 130
using the GUI 128
overview 128
uploading 130, 131
using the CLI 131
using the GUI 130
using with local EAP 765, 768
Certificate Issuer parameter 767
Certificate Password parameter 124
Certificate Type parameter 591
Change Rules Priority parameter 498
Channel Announcement parameter 366
Channel Assignment Leader parameter 355, 722
Channel Assignment Method parameter 354, 720
Channel parameter 361, 1051
Channel Quiet Mode parameter 366

Channel Scan Duration parameter 357, 725
Channel Width Parameter 355, 722
Check Against CA Certificates parameter 767
Check Certificate Date Validity parameter 767
CIDS Sensor Add page 508
CIDS Shun List page 508
ciphers 786, 787, 788
described 786
Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE), using with
wIPS 523
Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers 179, 180, 207, 209
multiple AP-manager interfaces 207, 209
ports 179, 180
Cisco 7921 Wireless IP Phones 406, 667
Cisco Aironet 700 Series 559
Cisco AV-pairs 799, 800
Cisco Centralized Key Management (CCKM). See CCKM 786
Cisco Clean Access (CCA) 803
Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 219, 548,
550, 551, 552, 553, 554
configuring 215, 216, 217, 550, 551

using the CLI 216, 217, 551
using the GUI 215, 216, 550, 551
described 213, 548
enabling using the GUI 215, 216, 550, 551
supported devices 214, 548
viewing neighbors 217, 219, 552, 553, 554
using the GUI 217, 219, 552, 553
viewing traffic information 219, 554
Cisco Discovery Protocol parameter 215, 550
Cisco Licensing website 65
Cisco Wireless Solution 3
described 3
Cisco WLAN Express Setup 7, 12
Wireless 12
Clear Filter link 601, 715
Clear Stats on All APs button 601
CLI 40, 41, 43, 1015
logging into 41
logging out 43
navigating 43
troubleshooting commands 1015
using 40, 43
Client Certificate Required parameter 766
client location, using Prime Infrastructure 4
client MFP 478, 596
Client Protection parameter 480, 597
Client Type parameter 901
clients 727, 925
connecting to WLANs 925

IN-3
Index
clients (continued)
viewing CCX version 727
using the CLI 727
using the GUI 727
Clients > AP > Traffic Stream Metrics page 418, 677
Clients > Detail page 901
viewing client details 901
viewing the status of workgroup bridges 901
Commands > Reset to Factory Defaults page 92
Community Name parameter 520
conditional web redirect 798, 799
described 799
Conditional Web Redirect parameter 801
Configuration File Encryption parameter 98
configuration files 94, 97, 98
downloading 97, 98
editing 94
configuration wizard 14, 24
CLI version 24
described 14
Configuration Wizard - 802.11 Configuration page 22
Configuration Wizard - Miscellaneous Configuration page 18
Configuration Wizard - Set Time page 23
Configuration Wizard - SNMP Summary page 15, 17
Configuration Wizard - System Information page 14
Configuration Wizard - Virtual Interface Configuration page 19
Configuration Wizard Completed page 24
Configuration Wizard-Management Interface Configuration 17
Configuration Wizard-System Information 16
Configure Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients 735
Using the CLI 735
Configure option for RRM override 361
Configure RF Group 349
Using CLI 349
Configure RF Group Mode 348
Using GUI 348
Configuring a Spectrum Expert 615
Configuring ACLs - GUI 229
Configuring CC (CLI) 275
Configuring Cisco Cleanair 387
Using the CLI 387
Configuring Cisco CleanAir 385
Using the GUI 385
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (CLI) 481, 815
Configuring Client Exclusion Policies (GUI) 481, 815
Configuring Controller (GUI) 14
Configuring Country Codes (CLI) 323
Configuring Country Codes (GUI) 322
Configuring Coverage Hole Detection on a WLAN (GUI) 802
Configuring Dynamic Anchoring of Static IP Clients 735
Using the GUI 735
Configuring FIPS (CLI) 275
Configuring FlexConnect APs using the CLI. 924

IN-4
configuring for the debug facility 1001, 1047

Configuring Layer2 ACLs - GUI 237
configuring optimized roaming 849
using GUI 849
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (CLI) 750
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Accounting Server (GUI) 750
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server (CLI) 749
Configuring Realm on a RADIUS Authentication Server
(GUI) 749
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (CLI) 749
Configuring Realm on a WLAN (GUI) 749
configuring Rx SOP 539, 847
using GUI 539, 847
configuring RxSOP 540, 847
using CLI 540, 847
Configuring Sniffing on an Access Point 1051
Using the GUI 1051
Configuring UCAPL (CLI) 276
Configuring Web Redirect (GUI) 800
Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points protocol
(CAPWAP) 563, 564, 565
debugging 565
described 563
restrictions 564
viewing MTU information 564
Controller Time Source Valid parameter 480, 597
controllers 4, 80, 82, 92, 574
configuration 92
saving 92
discovery process 574
overview 4
platforms 4
upgrading software 80, 82
using the CLI 82
using the GUI 80
core dump files 1022
uploading from a 5500 series controller to a TFTP or FTP
server 1022
Core Dump page 1020
Country Code parameter 323
country codes 321, 324
described 321
viewing using the CLI 324
Country page 323
Coverage Exception Level per AP parameter 370, 724
coverage hole detection 342, 370, 371, 723, 724, 802
configuring per controller 342, 370, 371, 723, 724
using the CLI 342
using the GUI 370, 371, 723, 724
disabling on a WLAN 802
described 802
coverage hole detection and correction 370
Coverage Hole Detection Enabled parameter 802
CPUs, 5500 series controllers 989
Index
crash files 1018

uploading 1018
using the CLI 1018
Creating Multiple AP Manager Interfaces - CLI 210
Creating Multiple AP-Manager Interfaces (GUI) 210
Custom Signatures page 514
D
data encryption 572, 975
and OfficeExtend access points 975
configuring 572
using the CLI 572
using the GUI 572
Data Encryption parameter 572, 973
Data Path parameter 291
Data Rates parameter 326, 840
date 30
configuring through NTP server 30
DCA Channel Sensitivity parameter 354, 721
DCA Channels parameter 356, 722
debug commands, sending 1032
debug facility 999, 1000, 1045, 1046
described 999, 1000, 1045, 1046
default enable password 610
Default Mobility Group parameter 308
Default Routers parameter 861
default-group access point group 886
described 565
Description parameter 813
Destination parameter 229, 953, 978
Destination Port parameter 230, 954
Detect and Report Ad-Hoc Networks parameter 489
device certificates 124, 125
downloading 124, 125
overview 124
Device certificates 126, 127
uploading 126, 127
using the CLI 127
using the GUI 126
DHCP Addr. Assignment Required parameter 865
DHCP option 43, in controller discovery process 575
DHCP option 52, in controller discovery process 575
DHCP option 82 857, 858
configuring 858
using the GUI 858
described 857
example 857
DHCP Option 82 format parameter 858
DHCP Option 82 Remote ID Field Format parameter 858
DHCP Parameters page 852, 853
DHCP proxy 851, 853

configuring 853
using the CLI 853
described 851
DHCP Scopes page 860
DHCP Server IP Addr parameter 865
DHCP servers 863
internal 863
DHCP Timeout 853
configurie using GUI 853
Direction parameter 230
disabled clients, configuring a timeout 737
discovery request timer, configuring 580
distribution system ports 180, 181
Diversity parameter 361
DNS Domain Name parameter 861
DNS IP Address parameter 608
DNS Servers parameter 861
Domain Name parameter 608
domain name server (DNS) discovery 575
Download button 125, 129, 746
downloading a CA certificate 129
downloading a device certificate 125
downloading a RADIUS AVP list 746
Download File to Controller page 98, 101, 128
downloading CA certificates 128
downloading configuration files 98
downloading login banner file 101
Download Third-Party Certificate 133, 134
using the CLI 134
using the GUI 133
Downloading RADIUS AVP List (GUI) 746
DSCP parameter 230, 954
DTIM 717
DTLS 51
DTLS data encryption. See data encryption 570
DTPC Support parameter 326, 840
dynamic AP management 195, 204
for dynamic interface 204
for the management interface 195
Dynamic AP Management parameter 194, 203
for management interface 194
dynamic AP-manager interface 189
dynamic channel assignment (DCA) 340, 342, 355, 356, 358, 722,
723
40-MHz channelization 355, 722

configuring 340, 342, 356, 723
described 358
dynamic interface example 208
dynamic transmit power control, configuring 326, 840
Dynamic WEP Key Index parameter 765

IN-5
Index
EAP parameter 768

EAP Profile Name parameter 767
EAPOL-Key Max Retries parameter 766
EAPOL-Key Timeout parameter 766
EDCA Profile parameter 425, 684
Edit QoS Profile page 443, 638
Edit QoS Role Data Rates page 644
Egress Interface parameter 828
Email Input parameter 829
Enable AP Local Authentication parameter 940
Enable Check for All Standard and Custom Signatures
parameter 514
Enable Counters parameter 229, 241
Enable Coverage Hole Detection parameter 370, 723
Enable CPU ACL parameter 231
Enable CPU IPv6 ACL 231
Enable DHCP Proxy parameter 852
Enable Dynamic AP Management parameter 210
Enable EAP-FAST Authentication parameter 940
Enable LEAP Authentication parameter 940
Enable Least Latency Controller Join parameter 973
Enable Link Latency parameter 625, 973
Enable Low Latency MAC parameter 426, 685
Enable LSC on Controller parameter 588
Enable NAT Address parameter 193
Enable OfficeExtend AP parameter 972
Enable Password parameter 612
Enable Server Status parameter 759
Enable Tracking Optimization parameter 451
Encryption Key parameter 790
end-user license agreement (EULA) 54, 55
enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters 426,
factory default settings 92

resetting using the GUI 92
failover priority for access points 582, 583
configuring 583
using the GUI 583
configuring 583
using the CLI 583
described 582
Fallback Mode parameter 142
fast heartbeat timer 578, 580
using the CLI 580
using the GUI 578
described 578
fast SSID changing 631
fault tolerance 908
File Compression parameter 1035
File Name to Save Credentials parameter 65
File Type parameter 79, 86, 96, 98, 101, 103, 124, 126, 128, 130, 746,
685
configuring using the CLI 426, 685

Enter Saved Permission Ticket File Name parameter 65
EoIP port 315
epings 316
error codes, for failed VoIP calls 406, 666
Ethernet connection, using remotely 42
evaluation licenses 52
installed on 5500 series controllers 52
event reporting for MFP 478, 596
Expedited Bandwidth parameter 414, 673
Expiration Timeout for Rogue AP and Rogue Client Entries
parameter 488
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) 769, 772
setting local timers 769
timeout and failure counters 772
per access point 772
per client 772
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)setting local EAP
timeout parameters on WLAN 769

IN-6
747, 1024

downloading a configuration file 98
downloading a RADIUS AVP List 746
Login Banner 101
upgrading controller software 79, 86
uploading a CA certificate 130
uploading a configuration file 96
uploading a device certificate 126
uploading a RADIUS AVP List 747
uploading packet capture files 1024
uploading PACs 103
Fingerprint parameter 508
FlexConnect 909, 910, 912, 920, 924
authentication process 909, 912
bandwidth restriction 910
debugging 920, 924
FlexConnect groups 933, 934, 935
backup RADIUS server 934
CCKM 934
described 933
local authentication 935
FlexConnect Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timeout parameter 579
Fragmentation Threshold parameter 326, 840
FTP server guidelines 76
Index
G
General (controller) page 185, 347, 557
configuring an RF group 347
enabling link aggregation 185, 557
General page 765
Generate Rehost Ticket button 65
generating CSR 131
Global AP Failover Priority parameter 583
Global Configuration page 578, 583
configuring backup controllers 578
configuring failover priority for access points 583
global credentials for access points 612
overriding 612
using the CLI 612
using the GUI 612
Group Mode parameter 350
Group Name parameter 308, 939
Guest LAN parameter 828
guest user accounts 175
viewing 175
using the CLI 175
using the GUI 175
Guest User parameter 813
Guest User Role parameter 813
guest WLAN, creating 175
GUI 37
guidelines 37
using 37
Guidelines and Limitations for Predownloading 84
H
hex2pcap sample output 1002, 1048
Holdtime parameter 215, 550
HTTP Access parameter 39
HTTP Configuration page 39
HTTPS Access parameter 39
I
Identity Request Max Retries parameter 765
Identity Request Timeout parameter 765
IDS sensors 507
described 507
IDS signatures 510, 514, 515, 516, 517
described 510
frequency 515
MAC frequency 515, 516
measurement interval 515
pattern 514
IDS signatures (continued)

quiet time 515, 517
tracking method 514
IGMP Snooping 732
IGMP Timeout parameter 254
IKE Diffie Hellman Group parameter 142
IKE Phase 1 parameter 141
Index parameter for IDS 508
infrastructure MFP 478, 596
components 478, 596
Ingress Interface parameter 828
Injector Switch MAC Address parameter 545
inline power 543
Install License button 54
inter-controller roaming 284, 298
example 284, 298
inter-release mobility 306
inter-subnet mobility 304
inter-subnet roaming 286, 300
illustrated 286, 300
Interface groups 211
Interface Name parameter 805, 806, 888
Interface parameter 865
interfaces 188, 201
overview 188, 201
Interfaces > Edit page 210
creating multiple AP-manager interfaces 210
interference 359
Interference threshold parameter 357, 724
Interferences 382
Internal DHCP server 860
described 860
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) 250, 254
snooping 250
configuring 254
using the CLI 254
using the GUI 254
Interval parameter 354, 721
intra-controller roaming 283, 297
Inventory page 74
Invoke Channel Update Now button 354, 720
Invoke Power Update Now button 369
IP address-to-MAC address binding 632
described 632
IP Mask parameter 520
IPSec parameter 141
IPv6 ACL Name 232
J
Japanese country codes 322

IN-7
Index
K
Keep Alive Count parameter 291
Keep Alive Interval parameter 291
Key Encryption Key (KEK) parameter 140
Key Index parameter 790
key permutation 789, 790
configuring 790
described 789
Key Size parameter 790
Key Wrap Format parameter 140
Key Wrap parameter 140, 141
L
LAG Mode on Next Reboot parameter 185, 557
Last Auto Channel Assignment parameter 355, 722
Layer 2 Security parameter 787, 790, 800
Layer 3 Security parameter 793, 797, 800, 828
for VPN passthrough 797
for web authentication 793
for web redirect 800
for wired guest access 828
Layer2 Access Control Lists > Edit page 238
Layer2 Access Control Lists > New page 237
Layer2 Access Control Lists page 237
Layer2 ACL parameter 238
LDAP 760
choosing server priority order 760
configuring 760
using the GUI 760
LDAP server 760
assigning to WLANs 760
LDAP Servers page 759
LDAP Servers parameter 767
Lease Time parameter 861
LED flash state 623
LEDs 622
configuring 622
License Commands page 54
License Detail page 55, 60
licenses 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 64, 65, 66, 67
installing 54, 55
using the CLI 55
using the GUI 54
obtaining 52, 54
rehosting 64, 65, 66
described 64
removing 55
using the CLI 55
using the GUI 55

IN-8
licenses (continued)
saving 54, 55
using the CLI 55
using the GUI 54
SKUs 53
transferring to a replacement controller after an RMA 67
viewing 56
using the CLI 56
Licenses page 55, 60
Lifetime parameter 175, 813
lightweight mode, reverting to autonomous mode 607
link aggregation (LAG) 183, 184, 555, 556
described 183, 184, 555
link latency 624, 975
described 624
Link Status parameter 182
link test 1041, 1042
performing 1042
using the CLI 1042
using the GUI 1042
types of packets 1041
Link Test 1042
button 1042
option 1042
Link Trap parameter 182
load-based CAC 411, 413, 670, 673
described 411, 670
enabling 413, 673
Lobby Ambassador Guest Management > Guest Users List
page 174
Local Auth Active Timeout parameter 765
Local Authentication on a WLAN 924
using the GUI 924
local authentication, local switching 910
local EAP 764, 771, 773
debugging 773
example 764
viewing information using the CLI 771
Local EAP Authentication parameter 767
Local Management Users > New page 173
Local Management Users page 173
Local Mode AP Fast Heartbeat Timer parameter 578
Local Net Users > New page 813
local significant certificate (LSC) 587, 589
described 587
Local Significant Certificates (LSC) - AP Provisioning page 588
Local Significant Certificates (LSC) - General page 588
local user database, capacity 173
Index
location 454
calibration 454
login banner file 100, 101, 102
clearing 102
described 100
downloading 101
using the CLI 101
using the GUI 101
logs 1017, 1019
uploading 1017, 1019
using the CLI 1019
using the GUI 1017
LWAPP-enabled access points 607, 1032, 1033, 1034, 1036
debug commands 1032
disabling the reset button 1036
retrieving radio core dumps 1033
reverting to autonomous mode 607
sending crash information to controller 1032
access point core dumps 1034
radio core dumps 1033, 1034
M
MAC address of access point 1036
displayed on controller GUI 1036
MAC filtering 737, 773
configuring on WLANs 737, 773
management frame protection (MFP) 477, 595
types 477, 595
Management Frame Protection parameter 480, 597
management frame validation 478, 596
management interface 191
described 191
Management IP Address parameter 972
management over wireless 48
described 48
Master Controller Configuration page 577
Master Controller Mode parameter 577
Max RF Bandwidth parameter 414, 416, 673, 675
Max-Login Ignore Identity Response parameter 766
MCS data rates 329
Member MAC Address parameter 308
memory leaks, monitoring 1025
Message Authentication Code Key (MACK) parameter 140
message logs 991, 994, 998
configuring 991
using the GUI 991
viewing 994, 998
using the CLI 998
using the GUI 994
Metrics Collection parameter 414, 674
MFP Client Protection parameter 479, 597

MIC 789
Min Failed Client Count per AP parameter 370, 724
MMH MIC 790
configuring 790
mobility 283, 297
overview 283, 297
Mobility Anchor Create button 291
Mobility Anchors option 291
mobility anchors. See auto-anchor mobility 289
mobility groups 301, 304, 305, 345
behavior in 305
difference from RF groups 345
illustrated 301
messaging among 304
MODE access point button 1036
Mode parameter 455
monitor intervals, configuring using the GUI 357, 725
Monitoring 396
mpings 316
multicast client table, viewing 256
Multicast Groups page 255
multicast mode 249, 251, 252
described 249, 251
guidelines 252
Multicast page 253
Multicast VLAN 730
using the GUI 730
multiple country codes 323, 324
using the CLI 324
using the GUI 323
N
NAC in-band mode 805
NAC out-of-band integration 803, 804
diagram 803
guidelines 804
NAC out-of-band support 806, 807
configuring for a specific access point group 806, 807
using the CLI 807
using the GUI 806
NAC State parameter 806
NAT address 193, 196, 202, 204
for dynamic interface 202, 204
for management interface 193, 196
NAT devices in mobility groups 305
Native VLAN ID parameter 921
Neighbor Discovery Packet 358
Neighbor Packet Frequency parameter 357, 725
Neighbor Timeout Factor parameter 357, 725

IN-9
Index
Netbios Name Servers parameter 861

Netmask parameter 861
Network parameter 861
New Mobility 312
GUI configuration 312
NTP/SNTP server 106
configuring to obtain time and date 106
Number of Attempts to LSC parameter 588
Number of Hits parameter 231
O
OfficeExtend Access Point Home page 980
OfficeExtend access points 961, 962, 971, 972, 974, 980
and NAT 962
configuring 972, 974, 980
a personal SSID 980
described 961
firewall requirements 971
supported access point models 962
typical setup 961
viewing statistics 980
OfficeExtend Access Points 1039
LEDs 1039
positioning 1039
OfficeExtend AP parameter 973
online help, using 38
Optimized Roaming 848
Order Used for Authentication parameter 143, 166
Over-ride Global Credentials parameter 593, 612, 973
Override Global Config parameter 829
Override Interface ACL parameter 232
Overview of CleanAir 381
P
P2P Blocking parameter 819
packet capture files 1022, 1023, 1024, 1025
described 1022
sample output in Wireshark 1023
Params parameter 588
Passive clients 730
password guidelines 593
Password parameter 103, 593, 611, 813
for access point authentication 593
for access points 611
for local net users 813
for PACs 103

IN-10
passwords 1015
viewing in clear text 1015
PEAP parameter 766
peer-to-peer blocking 818
described 818
Physical Mode parameter 182
Physical Status parameter 182
ping link test 1041
ping tests 315
PMK cache lifetime timer 788
PMKID caching 788
PoE Status parameter 545
Pool End Address parameter 860
Pool Start Address parameter 860
Port Number parameter 140, 166, 182, 759, 828
for controller 182
for LDAP server 759
for RADIUS server 140
for TACACS+ server 166
for wired guest access 828
Port parameter for IDS 508
ports 182
configuring 182
Ports page 182
Power Injector Selection parameter 545
Power Injector State parameter 545
Power Neighbor Count parameter 369
Power over Ethernet (PoE) 545, 546
using the CLI 546
Power Over Ethernet (PoE) parameter 182
Power Threshold parameter 369
preauthentication access control list (ACL) 916
for external web server 916
Preauthentication ACL parameter 232, 800
Predownloading an image 82
Primary Controller parameters 579
Primary RADIUS Server parameter 939
Priority Order > Local-Auth page 765
Priority Order > Management User page 143, 166
proactive key caching (PKC), with mobility 304
probe requests, described 452
product authorization key (PAK) 52, 53
obtaining for license upgrade 52
registering 53
Profile Name parameter 712, 828
protected access credentials (PACs) 103, 104, 765, 941
overview 103
uploading 103, 104
using the CLI 104
using the GUI 103
using with local EAP 765, 941
Protection Type parameter 351, 479, 597
Index
Protocol parameter 229, 953, 978

Protocol Type parameter 444, 639
PSK 786
described 786
PSK Format parameter 787
Q
QBSS 406, 667
qos 646
qos mapping 646
levels 646
QoS 442, 637, 641
levels 442, 637, 641
QoS profiles 442, 445, 446, 638, 639, 640, 641, 648
configuring 442, 445, 446, 638, 639, 640, 641, 648
using the CLI 445, 446, 639, 640
using the GUI 442, 445, 638, 639, 641, 648
QoS roles 645
configuring 645
using the CLI 645
using the GUI 645
Quality of Service (QoS) parameter 446, 642
Quarantine parameter 202, 805
NAC out-of-band integration 805
quarantined VLAN 193, 202, 806, 912, 917
using 917
with FlexConnect 912
with NAC out-of-band integration 806
Query Interval parameter 508
R
radio core dumps 1032, 1033
described 1032
uploading 1033
using the GUI 1033
radio measurement requests 454, 455, 456
configuring 455
on the CLI 455
on the GUI 455
overview 454
viewing status using the CLI 456
radio resource management (RRM) 344, 346, 350, 353, 356, 357, 361,
365, 368, 370, 720, 722, 723, 725

monitor intervals using the GUI 357, 725
coverage hole detection 370, 723
configuring per controller using the GUI 370, 723
radio resource management (RRM) (continued)

coverage hole detection (continued)
described 370
debugging 344
disabling dynamic channel and power assignment 365
using the CLI 365
specifying channels 353, 356, 720, 722
statically assigning channel and transmit power settings 361
using the GUI 361
update interval 346, 350
Wireless > 802.11a/n (or 802.11b/g/n) > RRM > TPC
parameter 368
radio resource management (RRM) settings 343
radio resource monitoring 338
RADIUS 137, 144, 146, 934
KEK parameter 144
MACK parameter 144
configuring on ACS 137
FIPS standard 144
server fallback behavior 146
using FlexConnect 934
RADIUS authentication attributes 148
RADIUS authentication attributes, Airespace 150
RADIUS NAC 811
rc4-preference, configuring for web administration 40
Re-sync button 508
Refresh-time Interval parameter 215, 550
Rehost Ticket File Name parameter 65
rehosting a license. See licenses 64
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. See RADIUS 135
Request Max Retries parameter 766
Request Timeout parameter 766
Reserved Roaming Bandwidth parameter 414, 673
Reset Link Latency button 625
Reset Personal SSID parameter 972
resetting the controller 94
RF Channel Assignment parameter 365
RF group leader 345
described 345
RF group name 346
described 346
RF Group support 346
RF groups 345, 346, 347, 349, 350
cascading 345
configuring 347
using the GUI 347
overview 346
pinning 345
viewing status 349, 350
using the CLI 350
RF-Network Name parameter 347

IN-11
Index
RFID tracking on access points, optimizing 451

using the GUI 451
RLDP. See Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP) 486
rogue access points 351, 489, 491
alarm 351
automatically containing 489, 491
using the CLI 491
using the GUI 489
rogue detection 305, 490, 975
Rogue Detection parameter 488, 973
Rogue Location Discovery Protocol parameter 488
Rogue Policies page 488
rogue states 495
Role Name parameter 644
Role of the Controller 382
Role parameter 813
RRM. See radio resource management (RRM) 337
RSSI Low Check 326, 327, 840, 841
RxSOP 539, 846
S
Save and Reboot button 127, 129, 130
Save Licenses button 54
saving configuration settings 92
Scope Name parameter 860
SE-Connect 616
Search AP window 601
Search WLANs window 715
Secondary Controller parameters 579
Secondary RADIUS Server parameter 939
Select APs from Current Controller parameter 940
Sequence parameter 229, 237, 953, 978
serial number for controller, finding 66
serial number of controller, finding 65
Server Address parameter 508
Server Index (Priority) parameter 140, 165, 759
Server IP Address parameter 140, 165, 759, 1051
for LDAP server 759
for RADIUS server 140
for TACACS+ server 165
for wireless sniffer 1051
Server Key parameter 767, 941
Server Status parameter 140, 166
Server Timeout parameter 141, 166, 760
service port 181
service-port interface 194, 197, 198
described 198
Set Priority button 60

IN-12
Set to Factory Default button 358, 725

Severity Level Filtering parameter 992
Shared Secret Format parameter 140, 165
Shared Secret parameter 140, 165
Short Preamble Enabled parameter 537
shunned clients 507
described 507
Signature Events Summary page 515
smart license 70
activating 70
using the GUI 70
Smart Licensing 68
Sniff parameter 1051
sniffing. See wireless sniffing 1050
SNMP engine Id 519
SNMP NAC State parameter 888
SNMP Trap Receiver 522
SNMP v1 / v2c Community page 520
SNMP, configuring 519
software, upgrading 75, 78, 80
guidelines 75
using the CLI 80
using the GUI 78
Source parameter for ACLs 229, 953, 978
SpectraLink NetLink phones 537
overview 537
Spectrum Expert 616
configuring using GUI 616
Splash Page Web Redirect parameter 800, 801
SSH 45, 47, 973, 975, 1029, 1030
and OfficeExtend access points 973, 975
configuring 45, 47
troubleshooting access points 1029, 1030
SSH parameter 1030
SSID 711, 712, 713, 714
configuring 712, 713, 714
using the GUI 712
described 711
SSL certificate 121, 122, 123
loading 121, 122, 123
using the CLI 123
SSL Protocol 38
SSLv2, configuring for web administration 40
State parameter 508, 515
stateful DHCPv6 IP addressing 221
static IP address 608
configuring 608
using the GUI 608
Static IP address 607
described 607
Index
Static IP parameter 608

Status parameter 520, 712, 828, 861
for DHCP scopes 861
for guest LANs 828
for SNMP community 520
for WLANs 712
Summary page 45
Switch IP Address (Anchor) parameter 291
SX/LC/T small form-factor plug-in (SFP) modules 180
Syslog Configuration page 992
Syslog Facility parameter 993
syslog server 992
removing from controller 992
severity level filtering 992
Syslog Server IP Address parameter 992
system logging 991
configuring 991
using the GUI 991
system logs, viewing using the CLI 998
System Resource Information page 990
system resources 989, 990
viewing using the GUI 989
T
TACACS+ 160, 161, 164, 167
accounting 161
authentication 160
authorization 160
configuring 167
using the GUI 167
described 160
roles 164
TACACS+ (Authentication, Authorization, or Accounting) Servers
> New page 165
TACACS+ (Authentication, Authorization, or Accounting) Servers
page 165
TACACS+ Administration .csv page (on CiscoSecure ACS) 169,
170
Telnet 1029, 1030, 1031

troubleshooting access points 1029, 1030, 1031
using the CLI 1031
Telnet parameter 1030
Telnet sessions 44, 45
configuring 44, 45
Telnet-SSH Configuration page 44
Tertiary Controller parameters 579
text2pcap sample output 1003, 1049
Time to Live for the PAC parameter 767, 941
time zone 31, 32

time-length-values (TLVs), supported for CDP 213, 214, 548, 549
time, configuring 30
using the NTP server 30
timestamps, enabling or disabling in log and debug messages 997
traffic specifications (TSPEC) request 411, 671
examples 411, 671
traffic stream metrics (TSM) 412, 418, 419, 420, 672, 677, 678, 680
described 412, 672
viewing statistics 418, 419, 420, 677, 678, 680
using the CLI 419, 420, 678, 680
Transfer Mode parameter 79, 86, 96, 98, 103, 124, 126, 128, 130, 746,
747, 1024

downloading a configuration file 98
downloading a RADIUS AVP list 746
upgrading controller software 79, 86
uploading a configuration file 96
uploading a PAC 103
uploading a RADIUS AVP list 747
uploading packet capture files 1024
transmit power 362
statically assigning using the CLI 362
statically assigning using the GUI 362
transmit power levels 362
transmit power threshold, decreasing 340
trap logs 972
for OfficeExtend access points 972
Trap Logs page 402, 663
troubleshooting 598, 603, 1014
access point join process 598, 603
problems 1014
Troubleshooting OEAPs 1039
tunnel attributes and identity networking 753
Tx Power Level Assignment parameter 365
Type parameter 712, 828
U
U-APSD 412, 418, 419, 671, 677, 678
described 412, 671
viewing status 418, 419, 677, 678
UDP Lite 568
UDP port 315

IN-13
Index
UDP, use in RADIUS 135

unicast mode 249
unique device identifier (UDI) 73, 74
described 73
retrieving 74
using the CLI 74
using the GUI 74
Upload button 103, 127, 130, 513, 747, 1018, 1024
uploading a RADIUS AVP list 747
Upload CSV File parameter 940
Upload File from Controller page 96, 103, 126, 130, 1024, 1033
uploading CA certificates 130
uploading Device certificates 126
Uploading and Downloading RADIUS AVP List (CLI) 747
Uploading RADIUS AVP List (GUI) 747
Use AES Key Wrap parameter 140
User Access Mode parameter 174
User Attribute parameter 760
User Base DN parameter 760
User Credentials parameter 760
User Name parameter 813
User Object Type parameter 760
User parameter 103
Username parameter 593, 611
Using CLI to monitor the Air quality 397
Using GUI to monitor air quality 396
using the GUI 231
V
Validate Rogue Clients Against AAA parameter 488
Validity parameter 103
VCI strings 575
Verify Certificate CN Identity parameter 767
virtual interface 196
described 196
VLAN ID parameter 805, 921
VLAN Identifier parameter 202, 203, 206
for AP-manager interface 206
for dynamic interface 202, 203
VLANs 191, 201
described 201
guidelines 191
Voice RSSI parameter 370, 723
voice settings 414, 674
VoIP calls, error codes 406, 666
VoIP snooping 401, 402, 662
described 401, 402, 662

IN-14
VoIP Snooping and Reporting parameter 402, 663

VPN passthrough 798
W
Web Auth Type parameter 829
web authentication 792
configuring a WLAN for 792
using the GUI 792
Web Color Theme 39
web mode 38
described 38
Web Policy parameter 232, 800
Web Session Timeout parameter 39
WGB parameter 901
WGB Wired Clients page 901
wired guest access 827
configuration overview 827
described 827
wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) 523
described 523
wireless sniffing 1050, 1051
configuring 1051
using the GUI 1051
supported software 1050
WLAN ID parameter 712
WLAN Profile parameter 813
WLAN SSID parameter 175, 806, 888
configuring for guest user 175
mapping an access point group to a WLAN 806, 888
WLANs 711, 712, 713, 714, 715, 737, 744, 925
checking security settings 744
connecting clients to 925
deleting 711, 713
using the CLI 713
using the GUI 711
enabling or disabling 712, 714
using the CLI 714
using the GUI 712
session timeout 737
described 737
viewing 713, 715
WLANs > Edit (Advanced) page 802
WLANs > Edit (Security > AAA Servers) page 801
disabling accounting servers on a WLAN 801
WLANs > Edit (Security > Layer 3) page 800
configuring web redirect 800
WLANs > Edit page 712, 828
WLANs page 291, 711, 712, 713
Index
WMM 407, 408, 410, 667, 668, 669, 670

configuring 407, 408, 668, 669
described 407, 667
with CAC 410, 670
WMM parameter 425, 426, 684, 685
workgroup bridges (WGBs) 895, 900, 901, 962, 972
debugging 901
described 895
illustrated 895, 962, 972
workgroup bridges (WGBs) (continued)

sample configuration 900
viewing status 901
using the CLI 901
using the GUI 901
world mode 326, 327, 840, 841
WPA2 Policy parameter 787
wplus license. licenses 51
wplus license. See licenses 52

IN-15
Index

IN-16

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Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.

Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cisco Wireless Solution Overview 3

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Information About the AutoInstall Feature 27

Management of Cisco WLC 35

Administration of Cisco WLC 37

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Configuring Telnet Privileges for Selected Management Users (GUI) 47

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Network Time Protocol Setup 105

High Availability 107

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Restrictions on High Availability 111

Managing Certificates 121

AAA Administration 135

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

RADIUS Accounting Attributes 158

Managing Users 171

Ports and Interfaces 179

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Information About Service Port 181

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Configuring Dynamic Interfaces (GUI) 202

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Access Control Lists 227

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Multicast/Broadcast Setup 249

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Viewing Multicast Groups (GUI) 255

Cisco WLC Security 273

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Creating a New SXP Connection (GUI) 279

Mobility Groups 281

Configuring Auto-Anchor Mobility 289

Mobility Groups 297

Configuring New Mobility 311

Monitoring and Validating Mobility 315

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Information About Mobility Ping Tests 315

Country Codes 321

Radio Bands 325

Radio Resource Management 337

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Benefits of RRM 338

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Configuring RRM NDP (CLI) 358

Wireless Quality of Service 381

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Configuring Voice Parameters (GUI) 413

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Application Visibility Control for FlexConnect 434

Location Services 449

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3

Location Calibration 454

Cisco Wireless Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.3