- Cisco Mobility Express Overview
- Deploying Cisco Mobility Express
- Configuring Cisco Mobility Express controller
- Using internal DHCP server on Cisco Mobility Express
- Configuring Cisco Mobility Express for Site Survey
- Creating Wireless Networks
- Managing Services with Cisco Mobility Express
- Managing the Cisco Mobility Express Deployment
- Master AP Failover and Electing a new Master
- Managing Mobility Express Deployments from Cisco Prime Infrastructure
Deploying Cisco
Mobility Express
Pre-requisites for Deploying Mobility Express Solution
- You must not have other Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers; neither appliance nor virtual in the same network during set up or during daily operation of a Cisco Mobility Express network. The Mobility Express controller cannot interoperate or co-exist with other Wireless LAN Controllers in the same network.
-
Decide on the first Access Point to be configured as a Master Access Point. This Access Point should be capable of supporting the Wireless LAN Controller function.
- A DHCP server must be available on the network so that Access Points and clients can obtain an IP Address. Starting AireOS® Release 8.3.102.0 or later, one can configure a DHCP server on the Master Access Point as well but this is typically used for Site Survey.
Connecting Mobility Express capable Access Point to the network
Depending on the deployment, Mobility Express capable Access Points can be connected to an access port or a trunk port on the switch.
If Access Points and
WLANs are all on the same network, Mobility Express capable Access Points can
connect to an access port on the switch as shown below.
On Mobility Express,
management traffic is untagged. If Access Points and WLANs are all on different
VLANs, Mobility Express capable Access Points will connect to a trunk port on
the switch and traffic for individual WLANs will be switched locally on
individual VLANs. Shown below is a deployment with Access Points and WLANs on
different VLANs.
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/37 description » Connected to Master AP « switchport trunk native vlan 40 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20,30,40 switchport mode trunk
Determining image on the Access Point
The Cisco Aironet® 1560, 1815, 1830, 1850, 2800 and 3800 series access points can either have CAPWAP image or the Cisco Mobility Express image which is capable of running the virtual Wireless LAN controller function on the Access Point.
To determine the image and capability of an Access Point, follow the procedure below:
Conversion
One can convert an Access Point running CAPWAP to Cisco Mobility Express and vice versa.
Converting Access Point from CAPWAP to Cisco Mobility Express
Cisco Mobility Express support on 11ac Wave 2 Access Points is introduced in different AireOS releases and it is important to note that before an Access Point can be converted to Mobility Express, it must have the minimum AireOS CAPWAP image which supported Cisco Mobility Express capability for that Access Point. Given below is the minimum AireOS release for an Access Point which will support conversion from CAPWAP to Cisco Mobility Express.
Access Point | Minimum AireOS Release with CAPWAP image |
---|---|
Cisco Aironet® 1560 Series | Release 8.3 MR1 |
Cisco Aironet® 1815I Series | Release 8.4 or later |
Cisco Aironet® 1815W Series | Release 8.4 or later |
Cisco Aironet® 1830 Series | Release 8.1 MR2 or later |
Cisco Aironet® 1850 Series | Release 8.1 MR2 or later |
Cisco Aironet® 2800 Series | Release 8.3 or later |
Cisco Aironet® 3800 Series | Release 8.3 or later |
Note | If the CAPWAP image on the Access Point is older than the minimum AireOS release capable of supporting Cisco Mobility Express, Access Point MUST first join a WLC running the minimum AireOS release or higher to upgrade its CAPWAP image. After the CAPWAP image of the AP has been upgraded, conversion of AP from CAPWAP to Mobility Express can be performed. |
To perform a conversion on an Access Point running CAPWAP to Mobility Express, follow the procedure below:
Converting Access Point from Cisco Mobility Express to CAPWAP
There are typically two reasons why one would want to convert an Access Point running Mobility Express image to CAPWAP. There are as follows:
- You want to keep the Access Point in a Mobility Express deployment but do not want the Access point to participate in the Master election process upon a failover of the Master AP.
- You want to migrate one or more Access Points with Mobility Express to an appliance or vWLC based deployment.
-
If your reason to convert to CAPWAP is 1 above, follow the procedure below:
-
Login to the Access Point CLI either through console or ssh and go to exec mode. If you are trying to convert the Master AP to CAPWAP, connecting a console will lead you to the controller CLI. To get to the AP CLI, type apciscochell at the controller prompt and login to the Access Point shell.
-
Execute ap#ap-type capwap CLI. This will change the AP Configuration to NOT MOBILITY EXPRESS and the Access Point will no longer participate in the Master election process.
-
-
If your reason to convert to CAPWAP is 2 above, follow the procedure below:
(Cisco Controller) >config ap unifiedmode <switch_name> <switch_ip_address> <switch_name> and <switch_ip_address> is the name and IP address respectively of the WLC to which the APs need to be migrate.
Note | The above command converts all connected Access Points with AP Configuration: MOBILITY EXPRESS CAPABLE to AP Configuration: NOT MOBILITY EXPRESS CAPABLE . When this command is issued, the APs are reloaded, and they come back up and look for the controller (switch_ip_address) to join. |