WLC Layer3 with 1010 series AP's problem.

[kristjan.edvardsson]

Wondering if anyone knows the solution or have had my experience. I have been configuring quite a few WLC controllers recently. I have good results but there is one problem that seems to pop up in every installation. I set the WLC in Layer3 mode. Configure the VLANS and DHCP correctly. The 1010 AP's get IP address and try to register to the WLC but debugging in WLC says always Discarding Layer3 blah. I have tried to change the WLC to Layer2 mode and put the AP on that subnet and then It connects, downloads software and config and is OK. If I move it back to Layer3 and move the AP back everything is OK!

Next new AP does work over Layer3 and I think it is because of the "over the air provisioning" feature that it learns from the neighbour AP over wireless where the WLC is and how to connect via Layer3. Obviously my DHCP and routing is correct since it works after changing it back from Layer2 mode.

Anyone had the same experience ?

regards. Kristjan Edvardsson

CCNP

Sensa Cisco Gold Partner.

[ericgarnel]

Are there multiple WLCs for the APs (primary,

secondary & tertiary)?

If so, try changing them all to L3 and rebooting them at the same time (easy thru WCS). this way, the AP will have no choice but to drop & re-register. Do you have a need for "over the air provisioning"? Are all the APs wired?

[kristjan.edvardsson]

Hi and thanks for your input in those cases only one WLC is used. All AP's are wired. But

it seems that after:

1) Changing WLC from L3 og L2

2) PUt AP and WLC on same subnet

Everything works and afther:

3) Puting WLC to L3 again

4) Putting AP on another subnet

everything works now.

5) Putting remaining APs on the network works now only if "over the air provisioning" is enabled on the WLC. If I turn it off and put a new AP on the network it just cycles through the registration steps and L3 is discarded in the WLC debug. Turning auto provision on again makes it register.

So I undrestand this auto provisioning as a 3rd method of help over the air when DHCP and DNS does not work.

regards. Kristjan

[ericgarnel]

found this info too.

ref: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk722/tk809/technologies_configuration_example09186a008064a294.shtml

If you turn on OTAP, APs advertise their WLCs over the air. New APs discover the WLC based on the OTAP messages. OTAP is turned off by default on the WLCs. OTAP is not supported for WLC discovery during the upgrade process from an autonomous to a lightweight AP. After an AP is fully migrated to the lightweight mode, OTAP is used to discover WLCs. OTAP is not an option, at least for initial deployment, because OTAP assumes that there are already APs that are joined to the WLC.

Whether this applies to the 1000 series, I'm not sure, but the last statement seems to indicate that it does.