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685
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15
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How data flow goes across LWAPP access points

brock0150
Level 1
Level 1

Hello,

I was wondering if you guys could help clairfy something for me dealing with the client traffic of the clients associated to an AP. This is dealing with the lwapp system. If the AP is on a management vlan, ex. vlan 50 and the ssid that the AP broadcast is on vlan 60. When the user connects to the AP and gets an IP address, since he has an IP from vlan 60, does the data traffic flow across vlan 50? Basically when the user is connected and surfing the web, does the traffic flow across the management network that the AP is on? Any explanation on this would be helpful. I'm not very good at explaining things, so if this isn't very understandable please let me know.

Thanks for helping.

6 Replies 6

dennischolmes
Level 7
Level 7

The client traffic should be on the VLAN that it belongs on. LWAPP control traffic will be on 50. If I understand what you are asking that is.

this is kind of a dumb question, but is the control traffic basically the management traffic?

Yes. It is the traffic that tells the APs what to do. Channel assignments, power assignments, etc.

Another question, promise it's the last. Is there any reason you would not want to put the AP's on the same management network as the rest of your managed equipment. Basically a few people here think the client traffic flows over the management network since the AP is on the management network and there arn't any vlans trunked to the AP. They don't understand that vlans the clients use are on the controller. Thanks, I really appreciate this.

You wouldn't want any broadcast traffic from the APs to crowd the management VLAN. I always try to put my APs and controllers in a Wireless Management VLAN all by themselves.

VERY GOOD QUESTION!

Cisco has a few schools of thought on this subject and i have found cisco docs that actually state different rules on this subject . I had the same questions when i first was introduced to LWAPP.

Cisco's LWAPP best pratice guide (you should d/l) recommends to have the APs on a seperate VLAN from the core to the switch and no more them 50 - 60 APs per VLAN.Condsider this a management vlan for the APs ONLY. The purpose of this (per the doucment) is to allow for quicker AP joins to the controller.

This will also separate the LWAPP traffic from other normal traffic.

They also recommend if not using LAG you create additonal AP Mangers on different subnets. However i install WiSMs and they are LAG by default. Which means the Manager and AP Manger are in the SAME subnet.

I recommend d/l the cisco lwapp best pratices document. Good luck to u

"Satisfaction does not come from knowing the solution, it comes from knowing why." - Rosalind Franklin
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