Wireless Access

hi all

i have a situation where all the AP's are deployed already on the remote site, and the Controller is deployed on the HQ, a problem arise that all the AP's where not able to contact the controller on the HQ.

note: the AP is not a RAP its just a CAP.

my inquiry are:

1. is it possible to configure the remote AP in the remote site manually?

2. i dont know where to start to configure AP, where when i deployed on the remote site be able to do VPN on the Controller? do anyone tell me where should i find document to deploy AP on the remote site?

3. what is the best practice in doing configuration. when AP's are deployed on the remote site and controller on the HQ?

hope some one can put me on the track on configuring this kind of scenario.

//migs

Have the access points ever contacted the controller?

hi sir

thank you for the reponce, 

no sir, AP's deployed without contacting the controller first.

//migs

What is the network infrastructure between the access points and the remote site?  Is it a site to site VPN?  MPLS?

i think its MPLS. sir

There is a parameter that can change the MTU of the access points, but  until the access point gets the configuration, the MTU cannot be changed.  Since your access points never contacted the controller, unfortunately they would have to be brought to a site where they can reach the controller, get the configuration and then be sent back to the remote site.  They cannot be changed to remote APs or even work until they contact the controller. You can attempt to change the MTU to under 1500 by looking at the article here:  http://community.arubanetworks.com/t5/Controller-Based-WLANs/How-to-change-the-Maximum-Transfer-Unit-MTU-on-the-GRE-tunnel/ta-p/175990

If changing the MTU does not work for the APs at the remote site, you will have to bring the access points to the LAN with the controller to program them first...

Another possibility is that there is a firewall between sites that is blocking traffic, or that there is no AP discovery method configured at that site, so the APs cannot find the controller.  What do you have configured for the access points to discover the controller?  DNS? DHCP option?

hi sir

thank you for this usefull information, 

i will just configure the controller using the WLAN Wizard and able to provision AP's, and i want to deployed the AP to the remote site, does the AP's able to locate / contact the controller? do i need to change any configuration on the controller or take consideration if i will put the AP at the remote site?

sorry i just confuse with rap and CAP deployment on remote site.

//migs

If your controller is already working, you should not use the WLAN wizard.

If the APs cannot contact the controller in the first place, you cannot configure them as RAPs or CAPs, because they cannot get their instructions.  You first need to ensure that your APS have a discovery method to find the controller (DNS, DHCP options).  http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_65x_WebHelp/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/AP_Config/AP_discovery_ADP.htm?Highlight=discovery

.  Second, you need to make sure that traffic is not being blocked between your sites: http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_65x_WebHelp/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/Firewall_Port_Info/Communication_Between__D.htm?Highlight=firewall ports

Only when your access points can find the controller can they be configured.  The WLAN wizard will not help unless your APS can find the controller..