Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Control Components and Device Management Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Control Components and Device Management Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

Wireless management on ISR 1000 series routers

Updated: June 9, 2026

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Describes wireless management capabilities on ISR 1000 series routers, including supported devices, prerequisites, and restrictions.

Wireless Management on Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers is a capability that enables the configuration and management of wireless LAN settings, provisioned through a Wireless LAN (WLAN) module, and utilizing an embedded virtual wireless LAN controller. This feature provides wireless connectivity without the need for an external controller to manage the router's wireless settings.

This capability is implemented through:

WLAN Module Provisioning: A WLAN module is provisioned on the Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers to provide wireless connectivity
Embedded Virtual Controllers (EWC): The WLAN module hosts a virtual wireless LAN controller.
Cisco SD-WAN Manager Integration: Wireless settings are configured and managed using SD-WAN Manager.

Cisco Mobility Express

Cisco Mobility Express is a virtual wireless LAN controller installed in the WLAN module of WiFi 5-capable Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers. It provides the interface where wireless settings for LAN access are available.

Embedded wireless controller

The Embedded Wireless Controller is a virtual wireless controller installed on the WLAN module of WiFi 6-capable C1131 Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN devices. Similar to Cisco Mobility Express, the EWC provides the interface for wireless LAN access settings.

Supported devices for wireless management

This section identifies Cisco device models that are compatible with wireless LAN management capabilities. It details the specific device models and the minimum software release versions required for wireless management on the Cisco ISR 1000 Series, assisting users in verifying their hardware for wireless deployments.

The following table displays a list of Cisco ISR 1000 Series routers that include the WLAN module.

Table 1. Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers
Device Family	Device Name	Release Version
Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers with WLAN module supporting WiFi 5	C1101-4PLTEPW C1109-4PLTE2PW C1111-4PW C1111-8PLTEEAW C1111-8PW C1112-8PLTEEAW C1112-8PW C1113-8PLTEEAW C1113-8PMW C1113-8PW C1116-4PLTEEAW C1116-4PW C1117-4PLTEEAW C1117-4PLTELAW C1117-4PMLTEEAW C1117-4PMW C1117-4PW C1121-8PLTEPW C1121X-8PLTEPW	Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN Release 17.6.1a Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1
Cisco ISR 1000 Series Routers with WLAN module supporting WiFi 6	C1131X-8PLTEPW C1131-8PLTEPW C1131X-8PW C1131-8PW	Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN Release 17.9.1a Cisco vManage Release 20.9.1

Prerequisites for wireless management on Cisco ISR 1000 series routers

WLAN module VLAN association

Add the management interface of the Wireless LAN (WLAN) module to a specific VLAN in order to access servers such as DHCP and RADIUS.

DHCP server

Configure a DHCP server to assign the IP address for the access point.

SVI for WLAN controller

Configure a switch virtual interface (SVI) on the Cisco ISR 1000 Services Router for virtual WLAN controller management.

Restrictions for wireless management on Cisco ISR 1000 series routers

Single Cisco mobility express access point

Configure only one access point on the LAN side of the router when using Cisco Mobility Express. However, you can connect other external access points to the router that are not configured with Cisco Mobility Express.

Absence of other wireless controllers

Ensure that no other wireless controllers are accessible on the LAN side of the router.

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