What is the difference between Management, AP Interfaces and Virtual Gateway

[milkboy33]

Hello Community

   Sorry for the noob questions.

   We are setting up an old WLC526. On the startup wizard it's asking for a Management IP, Management DHCP IP, then an AP IP and then a Virtual Gateway IP. What are these and their differences?

Thanks all for any input.

[Scott Fella]

Here is a good guide that goes over the basics.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/technology/controller/deployment/guide/dep.html

Thanks,

Scott Fella

Sent from my iPhone

[George Stefanick · Accepted solution]

hey Milk Boy,

Management -- Just that, allows you to manage the WLC and is used for radius, tacacs, WCS etc ...

Management DHCP IP -- Not sure what you mean by DHCP .. ?

AP -- Is the interface that your access points talk to after they join the WLC. The capwap tunnel terminates to this interface.

Virtual -- This is used for a few things. DHCP proxy, DNS guest resolve for the certificate

Here is some good reading

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6366/products_qanda_item09186a008064a991.shtml

[milkboy33]

Thanks guys.

[milkboy33]

Do we have to make the management interface of the WLC on it's own VLAN? If so what's the reason? Why can't we just have it on like the Data VLAN of the network?

[George Stefanick]

Hey MB,

Yes, its best to keep them separate.

1) The WLC share tunnels between themselves and keeping that traffic on the same vlan keeps other BS traffic from impacting controller traffic

2) Security -- Do you want your data clients on the same vlan as your controller management.

Can you yea ... Do most people, no.

[milkboy33]

Thank you George.