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Access network design for branch, remote, outdoor, and campus locations with HPE Aruba Networking access points and mobility controllers.
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APs and controllers in different countries

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  • 1.  APs and controllers in different countries

    Posted Mar 06, 2019 11:45 AM

    Hi everyone,

     

    I was curious about a particular setup.  Is it possible to have your local and master controllers setup in the US but have your APs in other countries talking to the controllers via your MPLS network?  For example, deploying a handful of AP-325s in Bermuda and point them to the master and local in Washington D.C.  Another example, what if we deploy a local controller in Bermuda, can that controller sync up with a master in Washington to grab its config and licensing? 

     

    Does this violate FCC or other wireless regulations?  



  • 2.  RE: APs and controllers in different countries

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 07, 2019 12:17 AM

    Hi lobotiger,

     

    I cannot comment on the FCC question, but technically it is possible to set the Regulatory Domain on a per-AP-Group basis. So you can have different AP Groups for different countries on the same controller. 

     

    BR

    Florian



  • 3.  RE: APs and controllers in different countries
    Best Answer

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 07, 2019 03:39 AM

    Some basic rules on regulatory domains:

    - APs located in a specific regulatory domain (country) may only terminate on controllers that carry that domain. FCC mandates that APs located in the US are terminated on a US controller.

    - You can't order a RW controller for the US or vice-versa.

    - You can't order a RW AP for the US or vice-versa. In fact, I have seen US APs being seized by customs when they were shipped into the European Union. You are just not allowed to have an AP or controller outside its regulatory domain. This may also force you to order equipment local in the country rather than one order for your complete environment.

    - So US APs must terminate on a US controller located in the US. RW APs must terminate on a RW controller located outside the US and inside the RW regulatory domain.

    - Master-local does not support cross-regulatory domain, as on a US master you cannot even configure another regulatory than US, and on a RW controller you can't configure US regulatory.

    - ArubaOS 8.x with Mobility Master does support cross-regulatory as the MM does not terminate any APs. You can configure MDs in the different regulatory zones to handle their regulatory zone APs.

     

    All of the above results in that you will likely end up with at least one controller (or two for redundancy) in each regulatory domain that you operate in and use either Airwave with 'all-master design' or Mobility Master with the option of controller-clusters to sync the configuration if needed.