Wireless Access

Hello,

 

We ar ein the process of replacing our older HP MSM wifi System with a new Aruba WiFI system and things are uch improved.  We have been setting up new Aruba Wireless controllers on the Same WiFI VLan and the new Aruba Access Points are able to communcioate with teh controllers just fine.

 

This is the same IP-Based VLan that the HP MSM is on; but, the new Acess Points are visible to the Aruba controllers and I am easily able to provision the Aruba Access Points to the new Aruba Controllers just fine.  EAch Site has their own AP group and the Access Points are assigned to that group

 

I have a design question about having controllers that are on a different IP Based VLan from the Designated Access Points.  I know that it is best practice to have the controllers on the same VLan as the AP's but if everytihg is routable can we have Aruba controllers and their Designated Aruba Access Points on a different VLan?  As long as the 2 different VLans are routable to each other?

Yep.

As long there is no firewall between vlans , And GRE tunnel can be established - your ok. Just be sure your CAP'S can find aruba-master ( via broadcast / dns dhcp option or static config )

Your APs will find your controller using these options:

DHCP option 43

ADP (this is enabled by default on the controller)

DNS (aruba-master)

Static configuration on your APs



Also make sure you have an IP assigned under your AP-System Profile

With L2 clustering, you have a faster failover, and online upgrades (from the MM).

 

Configured with L3 redundancy, the failover will take more time, but it will work.

All of our controllers have been setup with L2 Clustering.  I am confused with the last comment.  

 

Are you saying if we have 2 x Local Controllers setup at a site that is not at the same Site as the associated Campus Access Points that it will be a layer-3 cluster?

 

Normally what happens is

1.  I plugin an AP-345 and it gets an IP address from the VLan it is connected to. 

2.  Then, I see that specific new AP in the Group - configuration - Access Points section of the  the MM - Web UI.  

3.  From there I can provision the AP to the group that I want.

 

Since the Campus A.P. will be in a differetn VLan where will aI be able to see the newly plugged in Access POint in the MM's Web UI so I can provision the new AP to the correct AP group?

I thought the controllers where layer 3 connected, not the AP's to controller. My mistake!

 

The AP's will form an A-AAC and S-AAC session to the controllers, this can be routable, no problem!

Ok, I will try it and we will see.

 

1.  Connect an AP-345 to the WiFi VLan at Site-ABC.

      a.  In the past the AP's were abel to get an IP address and find the local controllers adn update themselves to the same verison as the local controllers.

 

2.  The local controllers that are routabel to the WiFi VLan on Site ABC are actually conencted to the WiFi VLan(different IP Scheme) in Site AB.  Not Site ABC.

 

3.  I would think that the MM will be able to see it in the default group even though the MM isin yet another site. 

     a.  In the past the MM always saw the new AP's in teh default group no matter where they connected from.

     b.   There is no reason to think that part will be different.

 

4.  I will monitor if the new AP-345 shows up in teh default group for the controllers that are routable to it.

     a.  Then I will tyr to provision it.

 

5.  If there are any problems I will call Aruba support.

Hello kdisc98 ,

 

Can you explain your comment :Also make sure you have an IP assigned under your AP-System Profile"  a littl bit more?

 

If I logon to teh Web UI and navigate to the: MD-Group - AP Group - Profiles section and then Navigate to teh AP System  I do nto see an  IP addres assigned anywhere for the already deployed sites.

 

Maybe I am not looking at te correct location or I am not understanding your comment.

 

Currenlty, I am thinking that as soon as I connect the Campus Access POints to teh Site ABC - VLan, the AP-345's will get an IP address from DHCP and the controllers at Site AB will see the new AP's.  The new Access Points will automatically update teh firmware version and then I can provision the new AP's to the correct AP group from the controllers in Site AB.