Configuring Access Point Groups
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Configuring Access Point Groups

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Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.

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Prerequisites for Configuring AP Groups

The following are the prerequisites for creating access point groups on a switch:
  • 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.
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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 switch, all of the access point groups disappear except for the default access point group “default-group,” which is created automatically.
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Information About Access Point Groups

After you create up to 512 WLANs on the switch, 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 switch. Therefore, all users that are associated with 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.

Figure 1. Access Point Groups.

In the figure, three configured dynamic interfaces are mapped to three different VLANs (VLAN 61, VLAN 62, and VLAN 63). Three access point groups are defined, and each is a member of a different VLAN, but all are members of the same SSID. A client within the wireless SSID is assigned an IP address from the VLAN subnet on which its access point is a member. For example, any user that associates with an access point that is a member of access point group VLAN 61 is assigned an IP address from that subnet.

In the figure, the switch internally treats roaming between access points as a Layer 3 roaming event. In this way, WLAN clients maintain their original IP addresses.

After all access points have joined the switch, you can create access point groups and assign up to 16 WLANs to each group. Each access point advertises only the enabled WLANs that belong to its access point group. The access point does not advertise disabled WLANs in its access point group or WLANs that belong to another group.



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How to Configure Access Point Groups

Creating Access Point Groups

Before You Begin

You must have administrator privileges to perform this operation.

SUMMARY STEPS

    1.    configure terminal

    2.    ap group ap-group-name

    3.    wlan wlan-name

    4.    (Optional) vlan vlan-name

    5.    end


DETAILED STEPS
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1 configure terminal


    Example: 
    Switch# configure terminal
     

    Enters global configuration mode.

     
    Step 2ap group ap-group-name


    Example: 
    Switch(config)# ap group my-ap-group
     

    Creates an access point group.

     
    Step 3wlan wlan-name


    Example:
    Switch(config-apgroup)# wlan wlan-name
     

    Associates the AP group to a WLAN.

     
    Step 4vlan vlan-name


    Example:
    Switch(config-apgroup)# vlan test-vlan
          		(Optional)

    Assigns the access point group to a VLAN.

     
    Step 5end


    Example:
    Switch(config)# end
     

    Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-z to exit global configuration mode.

     

    This example shows how to create an AP group:

    Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config-apgroup)# ap group test-ap-group-16
Switch(config-wlan-apgroup)# wlan test-ap-group-16
Switch(config-wlan-apgroup)# vlan VLAN1300
    Related Concepts

    Assigning an Access Point to an AP Group

    Before You Begin

    You must have administrator privileges to perform this operation.

    SUMMARY STEPS

      1.    ap name ap-name ap-group-name ap-group


    DETAILED STEPS
       Command or ActionPurpose
      Step 1 ap name ap-name ap-group-name ap-group


      Example: 
      Switch# ap name 1240-101 ap-groupname apgroup_16
       

      Assigns the access point to the access point group. The keywords and arguments are as follows:

      • name—Specifies that the argument following this keyword is the name of an AP that is associated to the switch.
      • ap-name—AP that you want to associate to the AP group.
      • ap-group-name—Specifies that the argument following this keyword is the name of the AP group that is configured on the switch.
      • ap-group—Name of the access point group that is configured on the switch.
       
      Related Concepts

      Viewing Access Point Group

      Before You Begin

      You must have administrator privileges to perform this operation.

      SUMMARY STEPS

        1.    show ap groups


      DETAILED STEPS
         Command or ActionPurpose
        Step 1 show ap groups


        Example: 
        Switch# show ap groups
         

        Displays the AP groups configured on the switch.

         
        Related Concepts

        Additional References

        Related Documents

        Related Topic Document Title
        WLAN commands WLAN Command Reference, Cisco IOS XE Release 3SE (Catalyst 3850 Switches)
        Lightweight Access Point configuration Lightweight Access Point Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Release 3SE (Catalyst 3850 Switches)
        Lightweight Access Point commands Lightweight Access Point Command Reference, Cisco IOS XE Release 3SE (Catalyst 3850 Switches)

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