3850 Wireless controller and 2504 controller on same network

[Patrick Hanifee]

                   We just installed a new 3850 as our core switch with some 2960s hanging off it that sit in other buildings in the campus.  We were planning on using the 3850 as a wireless controller for the whole campus, but found out that it doesn't support the APs if they aren't directly connected to it.  We weren't going to replace the 2960s with 3850s in all the buildings so we were advised to use the 2504 controller to handle all the wireless.

The problem I have now is the 3850 still grabs all the wireless APs before the 2504 even detects them. 

Do I have to turn off the wireless controller somehow in the 3850? 

How can I make the two work together?  This is a flat network with a single VLAN setup on it.

[Rasika Nayanajith]

Yes, If you are not using controller functionality of your 3850, then you  do not want to enable that functionality. Then it will act as a switch only.

By default this WLC functionality is not ON, so you do not want to worry about that unless you already configured it.

"wireless mobility controller" & "wireless management interface x" are the CLI command on this switch to enable WLC functionality. In your case do not configure it. Here is the config reference

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3850/software/release/3.2_0_se/mobility/configuration_guide/b_mobility_32se_3850_cg_chapter_01000.html

Please rate the response if it is useful.

HTH

Rasika

[Patrick Hanifee]

The 3850 wireless controller is already on, that's was the original plan to use it, and it is running a few of the APs right now. 

I was hoping to leave it running long enough to get the 2504 setup and tested, but it seems that I can't.

Is there a way to temp turn off the 3850 wireless controller and it keeps all the config on it?  That way I can work on the 2504 at night with the 3850 shutdown and then turn it back on during the day?

I'm sure that's a stretch of the imagination.

How do I shut down the 3850 controller now that I already have it enabled?

[Rasika Nayanajith]

You should be able to remove those two lines as below & then reboot the switch. It should not act as a  WLC afterwords

ASW2(config)#no wireless mobility controller

%

Mobility role changed to Mobility Agent.

Please save config and reboot the whole stack.

ASW2(config)#no wireless management interface x

HTH

Rasika

[Sudhir Gupta]

HI Rasika,

do we have any document to Compare 3850 and 2504 Controller, in terms of wireless features.

if have please shared...

Regards.Sudhir

[Rasika Nayanajith]

Hi Sudhir,

Here is the link to compare WLC features (Note that max AP on 3850 is 100 since IOS-XE 3.7.1 onward, this document still say 50)

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/buyers-guide.html#~controllers

Other than this what you need to compare is the software features for AireOS vs IOS-XE releases.

HTH

Rasika

*** Pls rate all useful responses ***

[Abhishek Abhishek]

Yes, you need to turn off wireless controllers on 3850 so that 2504 can detect them